The Earth Federation and the Roman Coalition forces, locked in fierce combat somewhere in the rainforests of Paradise Star, simultaneously halted their charge. The jungle, previously a chaotic mess of gunfire and explosions, fell into a sudden silence, as profound as a graveyard at midnight. This unnatural quiet spread from the immediate battlefield, causing a ceasefire across hundreds of square kilometers of engagement zones.

Thirty unprecedented super-transports descended with a piercing shriek, cutting through cloud and mist to hover less than three thousand meters above the ground. The clouds fractured against the matte-black hulls of the colossal vessels, vast plumes of vapor blasting outwards, making the transports seem even larger than they were within the shroud of mist.

Measuring nearly four kilometers in length and over two in width, these transports of unimaginable bulk stunned the ground troops of Paradise Star into silence.

Gradually, however, the insignia of the Earth Federation military painted on the belly of the transports elicited a tidal wave of cheers from the Federation soldiers. In stark contrast, the Roman Coalition forces turned ashen-faced, with some units in the field even retreating hastily towards the rear. Only seasoned soldiers understood what such massive ships signified: the Earth Federation had secured a strategic advantage in both manpower and logistical support!

Guarding the thirty giants, piercing the cloud cover with the majesty of sovereigns, were twenty Nantianmen-class heavy battleships and one hundred Beitianmen-class destroyers. These warships turned every Roman soldier’s face to ash. The Roman fleet, visible as a distant smudge approaching on the horizon, silently turned tail and fled. They accelerated to at least double their previous speed, clearly pushing their plasma engines past safe limits; the blue plasma trails erupting behind them were seventy percent longer than during a normal assault.

This colossal fleet moved with ponderous grace, executing a massive, slow turn in the sky before proceeding at the slowest possible speed toward the command sector of the Paradise Star Expeditionary Force A Army Group.

The gigantic fleet drifted above the A Army Group headquarters with a suffocating display of power. Then, with a series of over a hundred sharp reports, the bows of the warships simultaneously projected a field of gray light, revealing a heavy, iron-gray gate emblem before all onlookers—the insignia of the Hardwood Defense Corporation.

This fleet had only just rolled off Hardwood Corporation's production lines half a month ago, dispatched directly to military service without even completing initial cruise testing. The Federation Military had compensated Hardwood to the tune of materials and energy crystals sufficient to build twenty times the borrowed fleet. Piloted by Hardwood’s veteran crews, this armada arrived at Paradise Star laden with immense quantities of munitions, supplies, and fresh recruits.

The transports descended slowly, their immense hulls drawing gasps of awe from the ground crew while placing extreme pressure on the base’s landing fields. The cramped space could only accommodate five transports at a time. As the vessels slowly extended their massive hydraulic support arms to brace themselves on the landing pads, deep, fine fissures spider-webbed across surfaces rated to handle standard first-tier warships and large transports. “Damn, they’re huge... and heavy!” was the unified, astonished sentiment expressed by every Federation soldier present, from the newest private to the highest general.

Clang, clang. Several maintenance mechanoids, clad in repair suits and carrying heavy components, walked past the landing zone, their eyes fixated on the descending giants, their mouths watering uncontrollably, saliva nearly dripping from their chins. One mechanoid sighed rapturously, “So big… so heavy… If only these were the military’s own warships, that would be truly magnificent!”

Several high-ranking military officers stared transfixed at the imposing Nantianmen-class warships hanging in the air. When the communications officers informed them that these vessels were merely on temporary loan from the military and not yet formally integrated into the Federation fleet’s combat registry, the assembled generals scrambled back toward the command center as if stung. Ten minutes later, the Earth Military Command communication channels were instantly flooded with urgent demands for the Paradise Star Expeditionary Force to be resupplied immediately with massive numbers of Nantianmen-class heavy battleships and Beitianmen-class destroyers, regardless of the cost.

Maha, bald-headed and carrying a single infantry pack, couldn’t wait for the transport ramp to fully lower before he impatiently vaulted out. He bounced hard on the ground a few times, chewing the strong tobacco and betel nut mixture, mumbling incoherently, “The Buddha is back! Hey, glory and merit await today!” His fierce, green-tinged eyes locked onto the female Federation logistics soldiers stationed near the landing field, his glare so intense it seemed he meant to strip their uniforms off with his gaze alone.

Boreas descended the gangway slowly, hands clasped behind his back. He took a deep breath of the sweet air of Paradise Star, observing the tense, busy Federation personnel around him.

He delivered a light kick to Maha’s rear and said calmly, “Don’t forget the assignment Head gave us. This is our first step in infiltrating the Federation Military!”

Maha whined impatiently, “Relax, what’s such a small thing? Damn it, give me a year, and I’ll be a Federation Lieutenant General at least! Hahaha, it’s just chopping off Roman heads, right?”

A few junior officers who had come to welcome the new recruits happened to overhear Maha’s ‘boast.’ A powerfully built, completely bald second lieutenant turned and sneered at him, “Rookie, be careful not to soil yourself when the Roman shells start flying! Want to be a general? Survive the battlefield first!”

Maha twisted his head to glare back and bellowed, “Damn it, what’s a mere Second Lieutenant worth? Look at my rank! I’m a Major!” He snatched the officer up, then pulled two shoulder insignia from his trouser pocket and flung them into the lieutenant’s face.

Chaos erupted immediately. Several welcoming officers rushed forward, roaring angrily, “What are you doing? Are you trying to incite a mutiny?”

Every time new troops arrived, there were always troublemakers, but someone physically grabbing and assaulting a superior officer was unprecedented in years. The military had its rules; no matter how skilled a recruit was, they had to obey orders after deployment. If everyone acted like Maha, the rules would collapse. The officers charged forward furiously, fists clenched, determined to teach Maha a brutal lesson about who could act arrogantly in the army.

Maha tossed aside the lieutenant, who was nearly unconscious from the grip, and excitedly clenched his own massive fists. He challenged the charging officers, “Ha! What now? Initiating new recruits with a show of force, is it? Haha! Come on, if you’re men, come fight me! Damn it, if you won’t fight me, you were raised by nuns!”

Boreas caught Maha from behind by the neck and casually tossed him aside. He snapped a crisp salute to the officers, whose faces were pale with rage, and offered a beaming apology, “My apologies, my brother is unruly; he’s caused you trouble… I am Lieutenant Colonel Gu Jianglong of the newly formed Federation Special Assault Infantry Regiment Pqq3q, reporting for duty!”

Maha, who had been thrown over fifteen meters, happily scrambled back. He performed a messy salute and roared with laughter, “I am the Major Adjutant of that same new regiment, Gu Fuhu! Hahaha! Brothers, don’t hold back—send me where it’s most dangerous, where the most bodies drop, where I can earn the most merit the fastest! Hahaha! I heard the Romans brought their womenfolk? I can’t wait to bring a few back alive!”

The welcoming officers were dumbfounded. They were here to greet new recruits, but instead, they seemed to have received two lords.

Even the highest-scoring graduates from the recruit camps were only authorized to join with the rank of Sergeant First Class. How could these two—a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major Adjutant, one named Dragon Descending and the other Tiger Subduing—have sprung from some unknown fissure? Moreover, their apparent strength was terrifying. The bald Second Lieutenant, who had nearly choked unconscious, was a genuine Innate-tier Fighter—albeit only at the late Pluto Stage—yet he wasn't someone who could be casually tossed aside by a mere novice!

A sound of heavy, rhythmic marching echoed from inside the transport. One thousand soldiers, fully encased in Hercules III battle armor, marched out in perfect formation down the ramp. Their entire bodies were sheathed in thick armor, surrounded by a bizarre aura that none of the present Federation officers could describe, making the thousand men look like grim reapers freshly risen from Hell. As they formed a precise square behind Boreas and Maha, their collective presence merged with the aura of the two leaders, creating a single, overwhelming force—as unyielding and solid as a bronze wall, yet as violent and destructive as a lake of hellish magma—that soared towards the heavens.

The officers who had come to meet them were forced back by this crushing presence. A few stubborn officers tried to force themselves forward against the pressure, but that single step drained their vitality and internal energy; two weaker officers felt a sudden metallic taste in their mouths, almost spitting blood.

What kind of army was this? Merely the faint residue leaking from their heavy battle armor could force men to cough up blood?

The faint whine of engines followed. Over three hundred heavy transport trucks slowly rolled out of the ships, lining up neatly behind the thousand soldiers. These trucks were equipped with two locomotion modules: one set of standard off-road tires, and another set of high-energy magnetic levitation engines. In fact, calling them mere trucks felt inaccurate; they were more like trains without rails. Each vehicle was towing two carriages, making the combined length fifty meters from cab to tail, and each individual tire stood as tall as two grown men.

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