Counterfeit Hero

Whether soldier or general, civilian or emperor, every person's life was thoroughly changed. The theme of life was war, and everyone lived arduous lives, always anxious and uneasy. People produced all kinds of war-related goods, turning metal into weapons and fabric into uniforms.

On the city streets, rows of mechas and squads of soldiers passed silently and swiftly. The streets, once clean, were now full of mud and water. The former prosperity had turned into shabby neon lights on the roadside. The busiest places were where people lined up according to government rations to buy food.

Due to energy scarcity, many flying cars were parked in lots or on the roadside, covered in dust. Only some shrewd opportunists continued to enjoy fine wine and cigars, sitting inside their flying cars, heading to nightclubs hidden hundreds of meters underground, converted from nearly indestructible air defense facilities.

Besides the nobles of the imperial countries, there were also some daring merchants who smuggled various contraband goods through unstable space jump points or perilous secret routes. Some with military backgrounds also engaged in smuggling weapons and even hijacking merchant ships.

Apart from these occasional pirate acts, genuine interstellar pirates were becoming increasingly rampant. They attacked every profitable target and squandered the spoils. Among them were deserters, mercenaries, and criminals who were growing stronger in these chaotic times. Some powerful pirate groups could even challenge small fleets consisting of one or two destroyers.

The southeastern part of the interstellar map of the human world became the focal point at the onset of the war. Even the fierce clashes between the Binart Empire and the Feiyang Republic in Karsdon, and the comprehensive confrontations between the Naga Federation and the Ryan Republic could not divert attention from the southeast war situation.

The process of human conquest of the universe involved discovering one interstellar jump point after another. Countless adventurers piloted spaceships through unknown interstellar jump points to explore worlds on the other side. Star systems were discovered one after another. Some were hazardous and useless public star systems, while others were paradises with immigrant planets and resource planets.

So, whoever wanted to conquer these star systems first had to conquer the space jump points, the routes, the supply bases, and the advancement bases for military garrisons.

Jump points and routes comprised the cosmic map of human society. Without these jump points and routes, even star systems separated by only hundreds of light-years on the map were unreachable for humans who had not broken the speed of light and had lifespans of hundreds of years.

The Western Alliance, from the beginning, aimed to capture the Leray Federation. This medium-small country, with only three star domains, lay between the central Binart Empire, the Naga Federation, the southern Desic Empire, and the eastern Jiepeng and Suss Empires.

If they could break through the Lerayyate Atlantis Star Domain, Leray Central Star Domain, and Bermuda Star Domain, the Western Alliance could connect these countries, forming a "U" shape from the center to the south and then southeast, ending in the east. By then, the Desic Empire would receive support from as far as the Binart Empire, the Suss Empire, to closeby the Naga Federation and the Jiepeng. Towards the center, they could eliminate Puditok and Tatania, while southeast, they could attack the Saleria Federation and open another interstellar route to attack the Chuckna Republic and the Feiyang Republic.

Due to the importance of the southeast battlefield, both sides invested heavily. While the Suss Empire confronted the Chuckna Republic militarily, it joined the Jiepeng Empire to form the Eastern United Army of the Western Alliance, invading the Leray Bermuda Star Domain. The Desic Empire, supported by the Binart Empire and the Naga Federation, attacked the Atlantis Star Domain, forming a pincer movement from the east.

The Fei Alliance fully understood that relying on the medium-small countries Puditok and Tatania to counter Desic's offensive, and the medium country Saleria Federation to support the Bermuda Star Domain, was far from sufficient. Thus, the Feiyang Republic and the Chuckna Republic promptly formed the Southeast Expeditionary Army, supporting the Leray Bermuda Star Domain via the Saleria Federation. The Ryan Republic, with the aid of the Feiyang Central Army, also strengthened their offensive against the Naga Federation.

Most importantly, a united force of the Feiyang Republic and the Ryan Republic had departed from the Ryan Republic, skirting sixteen interstellar jump points, passing through two neutral open zones and the outer star domain of a pro-Western Alliance small country, finally reaching Gazalin. This maneuver aimed to constrain the Desic Empire's unrestrained attack on the Leray Federation's western front and lead the resistance actions of three Fei Alliance small countries around Gazalin that still dared not act rashly.

Fatty knew nothing of all this. He was just desperately fleeing in the mountainous forests, piloting [Logic]. It was the third day. Though he had shaken off the main force of the Mythical Army, Reinhardt was still relentlessly on his trail.

Moreover, the enemies encircling the entire mountain area were increasing, and every moment, fighters circled overhead continuously.

Fatty felt like a rabbit pursued by hunting dogs, forced to run endlessly, without any pause, until ultimate collapse. Along the way, he had cried, pleaded, and cursed, yet Reinhardt never gave up and pursued even more tightly.