On the Origin Planet, inside the fortress that the 3D printer was constructing, the Astra Militarum was fully prepared and ready to move out. Before the first match even began, preparations for the upcoming duel had already been completed throughout the Astra Militarum. Everyone had witnessed the earlier confrontation between the enemy and the ally troops, and the strength displayed by those Daemons had left a deep impression on everyone.
"What a powerful race." Alpin slowly spat out the words, his expression solemn, while everyone else remained silent.
There was no doubt about the overwhelming power of the Daemons. So far, they were among the most powerful creatures the Astra Militarum had ever encountered. Even the Golden Dragon, especially after completing its full evolution, could not easily compare to them.
Not only was the Astra Militarum paying close attention to the battle, but aboard the ship where Volkmar was stationed, everyone was also providing all kinds of information and advice to Sebastian.
"In the first match just now," Sergey analyzed calmly, "those Daemons should have already exerted their full strength. With everything we've got, they can still kill creatures such as Wine Pandas and Bear Warriors in seconds. Even a Golden Dragon would only be able to last for an extra trick or two. So, it was completely within expectations that the Daemons would possess such terrifying attack power."
Baroque also analyzed the situation. "But the most unexpected thing is the bodies of these Daemons. When did they become so powerful? The combined attack of eight Wine Pandas was completely ineffective. I don't think even the Golden Dragon could withstand that, right?"
"Others might not know," Augustus replied, "but the Golden Dragon I created, even when fighting alone, is not a match for those eight Wine Pandas."
"That is to say..." Sergey said solemnly, "these Daemons are powerful when fighting alone. The Daemon encountered in the record still had some deficiencies in terms of strength and physical toughness. But after undergoing group evolution, those weaknesses are no longer a problem."
"More than that." Baroque shook his head. "The current strength and physical toughness of these Daemons must be even greater than those of the Golden Dragon. Their life recovery ability is slightly weaker, but that is still frightening enough. So, the key problem now is..."
Baroque paused before looking toward Sebastian. "The defense of these Daemons must be broken before we can kill them. And they aren't merely defensive monsters anymore; their speed and agility have also improved tremendously. That makes landing a successful attack on them far more difficult."
"Do they have any long-range offensive abilities?" Sebastian asked.
"The Daemon race does possess long-range offensive abilities," Kanna replied. "However, Daemons capable of attacking from a distance are extremely rare. Although Eric ranks tenth among the younger generation of the Warp, he didn't produce any long-range Daemons. You can rest assured."
Sebastian nodded slightly. He wasn't worried about the strength of the Astra Militarum; however, everything still had to be considered carefully. If the opponent possessed long-range weaponry, their tactics would need to be adjusted accordingly.
The gathering continued discussing among themselves, each person offering their own thoughts and suggestions, while Sebastian listened quietly to everything they had to say. Of course, whether he chose to adopt those suggestions or not was ultimately Sebastian's own decision.
Time passed minute by minute. And soon, ten minutes had passed, and the match officially began.
The gates of the fortress slowly opened, revealing the 10,000-strong Astra Militarum standing in neat and orderly formations. This was their first appearance after many years, and naturally, the battle had attracted an enormous amount of attention.
Not only was Volkmar watching; many high-ranking members of the Council of Stars, along with influential figures from other major forces, were also observing the battlefield. After receiving the news, they had all shifted their attention toward this place.
Lady Sabrina was still sitting calmly upon her throne. Before her was a projected scene showing the battle between the Astra Militarum and the Daemons. Sabrina lightly tapped the back of her chair with her fingers while quietly watching the unfolding situation.
"Madam, these Daemons seem to be much stronger than they were in the past." The old man standing beside her spoke with some concern. "I wonder if Sebastian can win?"
"Just watch." Sabrina smiled faintly. "This student of mine has had a cautious personality, so he won't do anything unless he is certain."
On the other side, within the enormous Planet, the Protoss was also watching the entire process. After seeing Eric challenge Sebastian, the old Protoss slowly shook his head.
"He's confident," he muttered to himself. "The environment in the Warp changes constantly, and the strength of these Daemons has indeed improved in every aspect. Under normal circumstances, the Endless Star Territory would probably be crushed to death."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "But this time, the Daemons' luck isn't very good. They happened to encounter such an unnatural genius. There shouldn't be any anticipation."
The Protoss looked relaxed as he casually took out a jug of wine, poured himself a glass, and slowly took a sip while continuing to watch the battle.
As for Sebastian, after issuing the order, there was nothing else for him to do. He didn't need to personally command anything.
The Generals and Scientists of the Astra Militarum would naturally handle everything properly. As for the information concerning the Daemons, with the current level of technology, the Astra Militarum probably possessed an even more comprehensive understanding of their opponents than Sebastian himself.
In this second match, just like the first one, 1,000 Daemons were dispatched, and on the side of the Astra Militarum, 10,000 troops were sent out. This time, the Astra Militarum chose a combination of 5,000 Guardsmen and 5,000 Battle Droids.
Battle Droids were merely machines. They possessed no breath of life, so technically, they shouldn't even be counted as living combatants. However, Sebastian had no intention of taking advantage of this loophole, as this battle was meant to defeat the opponent with honor.
When the Daemons on the opposite side saw the Astra Militarum emerge, especially the 5,000 Battle Droids, they were visibly startled. Of course, the Daemons weren't completely ignorant of such things.
"Those are... puppets!?" Eric's voice rang out, carrying a hint of suspicion.
Within the Waro, puppets were rarely seen. The Daemons relied primarily on their own combat power and rarely depended on external forces. As for machinery and similar technologies, there was very little research into them.
"Yes and no." Sebastian smiled faintly, but he didn't give a clear answer.
Not only were the Daemons surprised, but even Sergey, Jeffery, and the others who were familiar with Sebastian widened their eyes in amazement when they saw the robots.
Because the trials had been conducted separately, even though the Battle Droids had appeared a long time ago, only the old Protoss knew about their existence, while the others simply had no idea.
"What?" Jeffery was shocked and suspicious. "What are these things? Could they be a brand-new race created by Sebastian?"
This was the first guess that came to the minds of many people. However, they soon discovered that their guess was wrong. These Battle Droids had absolutely no breath of life.
"A puppet?" Sergey blinked and made a guess, although he wasn't entirely certain.
These Battle Droids were clearly different from ordinary puppets. He couldn't explain exactly where the difference lay, but there was simply something strange about them that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"They should be puppets."
Even the experienced Kanna and Jörn were somewhat dumbfounded. Where had they come from? What exactly was their origin? The two of them could only continue thinking about the possibility that they were some kind of puppet.
"They're puppets." Sebastian smiled faintly.
It was a simple explanation, but it didn't completely resolve the doubts in everyone's hearts. If these things really were puppets, then that alone was already incredible.
"Interesting." Eric's eyes narrowed with interest. "That's very interesting. Sebastian, I've read your profile. You're building entirely new species unlike anything we've ever seen before, such as Infantrys and Pilots. They are completely different forms of life from other Supernatural Creatures."
He looked at the Battle Droids with growing curiosity. "But I didn't expect you to have something even more unusual now. Could this have appeared after you were promoted to Level 3? A weapon awakened by one of your newly cultivated species?"
Eric's mind was still extremely active. He had only read Sebastian's profile once, yet he had already managed to infer so many possibilities. This also showed that he was one of the people who understood Sebastian better than most.
However, Sebastian didn't deny the speculation. He simply smiled lightly. "You'll find out later."
"I'm going to see what these puppets really are and what's so great about them." Eric didn't care much. "Just don't disappoint me too much."
On the battlefield, the Astra Militarum had already established its formation. In addition to the Astra Militarum Guardsmen and Battle Droids positioned on the ground, hundreds of Micro-Drones had also been deployed high above the battlefield, continuously circling through the sky.
Compared to their previous models, these Micro-Drones could now fly considerably higher. This made it much more difficult for the flying species on the opposite side to threaten them.
Originally, the Astra Militarum had even bolder ideas. They could have deployed Giant Kong, Pikachu, and Godzilla, among others. But there was no need to do so yet, as the enemy consisted entirely of Low-Level Daemons.
According to the analysis of the scientific team, Giant Kong and Pikachu didn't need to participate in the battle. They would first employ conventional tactics. After testing the true strength of these Daemons, they could decide whether to reveal anything else.
Above the battlefield, a hundred Fighter Jets soon appeared, and these were the Third Generation Fighters called Mirage III. Compared with the previous two generations, their improvement in speed alone was obvious, without including other improvements.
Even more powerful Daemons would find it difficult to pose a threat to these Fighters.
"These are the unique species, the Pilots?" Kanna and Jörn stared intently at the Mirage III appearing high in the sky, and there was a clear hint of curiosity and surprise in their eyes.
After Sebastian had won the competition, his profile had been placed on the desks of the influential figures belonging to various forces. It had also attracted the attention of veteran Level 3 Planetary Lords such as them. As a result, the reputation of the Pilot had soared.
Compared with the Infantry, the Pilot possessed the ability to fly at extremely high speeds. From the battle footage of the competition, everyone already knew that the Pilot was the main combat force, while the Infantry served more as a supporting force.
"The Pilot is flying so high. I wonder if the Daemons can reach it?" A Planetary Lord asked the crucial question.
"It's unclear whether they can actually fight them or not, but..." Sergey pondered for a moment before continuing, "They don't necessarily need to fight them. As long as the Daemons can achieve victory on the ground battlefield, they will still have the upper hand in this match."
He paused before adding, "But it has to be said that Sebastian's creation of the Pilot species does make things troublesome for the Daemons. They are very difficult to deal with."
"Pilot?" On the other side, Eric was also staring at the Rainstorm Fighters soaring high above the battlefield. For the first time, a trace of irritation appeared on his face.
Eric knew his own race very well. The Daemons could indeed fly to such a high altitude, but there was no way they could fly that fast. In other words, when facing the Pilots, the Daemons would be reduced to passive targets. The initiative rested entirely with the Pilots, and this was something Eric hadn't expected. It was also something the Daemons didn't want to accept. But whether they liked it or not, they had to accept the reality.
"Forget about the Pilots." Eric frowned slightly as he thought to himself. "First target the Infantry and those puppets on the ground. Then, wait until the crucial moment. Will the Pilots descend to help them?"
The tactic of attacking one point to force the enemy to respond was something the Daemons understood very well. In fact, when it came to the application of tactics and strategy, the Daemons were extremely skilled. Their abilities in this area had already been fully demonstrated in the past. Of course, the Endless Star Territory at that time had not been united enough, so only when the crisis of life and death arrived would the major forces join hands.
However, the Generals and Scientists of the Astra Militarum had already anticipated their opponent's possible tactics long beforehand and prepared corresponding countermeasures. Eric intended to attack the Guardsmen and Battle Droids, forcing the Fighters to descend and rescue them. In the eyes of both the Daemons and the spectators, the puppets were dead things and therefore seemed easier to deal with than living Guardsmen.
More importantly, throughout the entire Endless Star Territory, puppet technology was not particularly advanced. Compared with the Battle Droids, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Eric glanced over the formation of the Battle Droids, and the corners of his mouth curled upward into a confident smile.
"This battle is a little more difficult than the previous one," he muttered. "But it's only a little harder. Give me enough time, and dealing with them will still be easy."
After carefully observing the formation of the Battle Droids, Eric immediately issued his order. And this time, unlike before, he went all out. 1,000 Daemons suddenly charged toward the Battle Droids at terrifying speed.
"They're coming!" Seeing the Daemons launch their attack, everyone's expressions became even more nervous than Sebastian's. Each person unconsciously clenched their hands.
Unlike the previous battle, this one was much harder to accept a failure in. Or rather, failure was not allowed. Once they lost, the consequences could be disastrous.
The hearts of everyone watching were heavy, especially after seeing that Sebastian had only deployed 5,000 Musketeers and 5,000 Battle Droids.
No one was blind. At a glance, it was obvious that the 5,000 Infantry, after Sebastian had been promoted to Level 3, had physical fitness that wasn't much different from ordinary people. Although there were also 5,000 Battle Droids, so what? Which of those 5,000 puppets could possibly compare to the Daemons?
However, the advantages and disadvantages of the Pilots were equally obvious. One Achilles' heel was already known to many people. Once both sides entered close-quarters combat, the Pilots would be at a disadvantage. This situation had appeared once before during the competition.
And the Daemons were incredibly fast. To attack a target effectively, the aircraft would have to be manually guided in advance.
Above the battlefield, a Mirage III simply circled through the sky, showing no intention of firing its weapons yet.
Sebastian's expression remained calm as he quietly watched everything happening on the battlefield. For the Astra Militarum, this was their first true encounter with such powerful opponents after such a long period of development.
Compared with Level 2, Level 3 represented a qualitative leap. Level 3 Supernatural Creatures were far more powerful and terrifying. Ordinary firearms could no longer effectively damage their defenses. Under such circumstances, ordinary cannon shells had already been eliminated from consideration. Even special weapons such as the Thermobaric weapon, which had once shone brilliantly during the competition, had already stopped receiving further research and development.
There was no longer much point in relying on such weapons, and many Scientists had already reached the same conclusion. In the battles that followed, there would be no opportunity for opportunistic tactics. The Astra Militarum had to develop weapons that were more powerful, more precise, and far more effective.
The Scarab Walker that the Guardsmen of the Astra Militarum had previously used had also been eliminated and replaced by the current Hover Vehicle. These were combat vehicles capable of traveling rapidly across the ground while also levitating in emergencies. They could adapt to a wider variety of battlefields, terrains, and environments. The Hover Vehicle carried 5,000 Guardsmen and quietly stopped behind the formation.
At the very forefront stood 5,000 Battle Droids. Compared with their appearance during the trial, these Battle Droids had also undergone tremendous changes. Facing the Daemons' rapid assault, the Battle Droids simply followed their programmed instructions and began firing Miniature Missiles.
These Missiles were extremely small, each measuring less than thirty centimeters. However, thanks to breakthroughs in materials science and technology, their destructive power had increased dramatically.
5,000 Battle Droids lined up in perfect formation. Then, all of them simultaneously fired their Miniature Missiles.
FWOOM—KRAK!
The missile tore free from its launcher, its rocket motor erupting into a blinding roar.
WHOOOOOOSH-!
It screamed through the air, leaving a twisting trail of smoke behind it.
A total of 5,000 Miniature Missiles tore through the air and exploded toward the incoming Daemons. Their speed was inferior to missiles launched from Fighter Jets, but the difference wasn't particularly significant.
When they saw that the Battle Droids could also launch Missiles, Sergey, Jeffery, and the others who were familiar with Sebastian were completely stunned. They also had this capability?! Now they didn't even need to be operated from a Plane!
"What?" Eric was also surprised as he watched the Missiles continuously launch from the Battle Droids. "They also possess the abilities of a Pilot?"
But after seeing the tiny size of the Miniature Missiles, Eric quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry about those little things. Keep moving at full speed and destroy those puppets."
Eric continued issuing orders as he clearly didn't pay much attention to the Miniature Missiles.
"Will this work?" A Planetary Lord asked with a frown.
"Hard to say." Jörn shook his head. "This was originally one of the Pilot's major weapons, but these Missiles are obviously much smaller."
Sebastian simply smiled. The Miniature Missiles had already arrived directly in front of the army of Daemons rushing toward them.
SSSSSSSSSHHHHH-!
The shriek grew louder as it closed on its target. Then...
THOOM!
The missile slammed into its target.
KRA-KABOOOOOOOM!
A tremendous fireball erupted across the battlefield, followed by a deep BOOOOOOM that rolled through the air like thunder.
The Miniature Missiles exploded one after another. Five thousand Miniature Missiles erupted simultaneously, and the resulting burst of energy resembled a spectacular grand fireworks display spreading across the battlefield. When the smoke finally cleared, everyone immediately fixed their eyes on the scene ahead.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE...
Fragments rained down as smoke and dust billowed outward.
They discovered that, apart from a few Daemons whose bodies had acquired some dark marks, there was no visible damage whatsoever. One of the Daemons even revealed a disdainful smile. It seemed to be saying, that's it?
Seeing this scene, Sergey, Jeffery, Iris, and the others couldn't help but sigh. Although they had already had some speculation, actually witnessing the result still left them somewhat disappointed. Everyone had believed that Sebastian's newly developed Battle Droids must possess something special, something capable of bringing them an unexpected surprise.
The surprise had indeed arrived. Unfortunately, there was no joy accompanying it.
"It's pretty loud." Eric's voice rang across the battlefield, followed by a mocking laugh. "It's just that the power isn't very impressive. It can't even compare with the combined attack of the Wine Pandas from the previous battle. Tsk, tsk. I'm disappointed."
Sebastian didn't answer. Everything was completely within his expectations.
During the finals of the competition, the opponent had only been a Peak Level 2 Golden Dragon, and even then, missiles had been useless. Now, the opponent was a powerful Level 3 Daemon; the Miniature Missiles would probably have no more effect than scratching an itch. They couldn't cause any real damage at all.
But Sebastian wasn't in a hurry. This was merely one component of the tactics developed by the Astra Militarum. The purpose was to first paralyze the opponent and make the Daemons underestimate the Battle Droids.
The true move was naturally not these Miniature Missiles; their real purpose was to test the physical strength of the Daemons. At the tip of every Miniature Missile was a specially designed sensor. And through these sensors, the Astra Militarum could collect valuable information about the physical structure and defensive capabilities of the Daemons.
"An incredibly strong body." Inside the fortress, a Scientist was carefully analyzing the collected data.
Several other Scientists were gathered nearby, assisting with the analysis while Catherine sat to the side, silently watching the information being gathered from the Daemons.
"How does it compare with the Golden Dragon we encountered before?" Catherine asked.
"Much stronger." An old Scientist replied with absolute certainty. "According to the data, the Golden Dragon is weaker than these Daemons. Everyone witnessed the test just now. Don't even mention the Miniature Missiles. Even if we used the Kh-22, there would be absolutely nothing we could do to these Daemons."
"How is their life resilience?" Catherine continued, immediately asking another crucial question.
"Their life resilience isn't as strong as that of the Golden Dragon." The old Scientist answered honestly. "But the difference isn't particularly large. The real problem is that these Daemons are extremely fast and agile. Even the Miniature Missiles fired just now missed some of them."
"Any other discoveries?" Catherine asked.
"That's all we have for now." The old Scientist paused, then a strange light flashed through his eyes. "But if we could capture a few Daemons alive, I'm confident that I could study the mysteries hidden within their bodies and uncover the secrets of the Daemon race."
"Capture them alive?" Catherine pondered for a moment, and she nodded slowly. "I'll discuss it with General Alpin. Let's use conventional weapons."
Catherine's eyes turned toward the battlefield outside.
On the battlefield, after experiencing what was essentially a painless baptism from the Miniature Missiles, the Daemons finally became enraged. A loud, piercing screech suddenly erupted from their ranks and immediately afterward, they accelerated once again and charged even more frantically toward the Battle Droids.
But at the same time, the Astra Militarum's true killing move had already been prepared. Everything was ready, and the Daemons had no idea what awaited them. For these seemingly invincible creatures, the next moment would become the prelude to death.