After having White Rabbit recalculate two people's worth of living supplies in Copernicus City, Zhou Tianming and Natarle officially set off.
On the first night, after Natarle fell asleep...
Zhou Tianming secretly hid in his room to make a call: "Yes, she's with me."
"Just consider it as letting her go out to relax. Take good care of her for us."
"Understood. Is the situation serious?"
"Ah." Olivia sighed. "Father and daughter are having a disagreement. Both are as stubborn as mules."
After a pause, Olivia made some hesitant sounds before finally speaking: "If possible, try to persuade Natarle not to join the military. The current armed forces are truly not what they used to be."
In the original story, Natarle indeed had talent but wasn't valued.
Though it was unclear whether this was due to her strict personality making her unpopular or systemic exclusion within the military ranks.
But Zhou Tianming held little hope of actually convincing Natarle to abandon her military aspirations.
Still, he said: "I'll try, but if the atmosphere turns awkward, I'll drop it."
"Thank you." Olivia's tone suddenly turned teasing. "A lone man and woman together... do be careful."
Speechless, Zhou Tianming's gaze wandered uncomfortably.
"Olivia... Natarle is your daughter, right?"
"Of course, which is why I see some things very clearly. Don't hesitate—go for it! Having a boyfriend might just change her mind about enlisting." "So that's your plan." Zhou Tianming chuckled helplessly. "I'll look for an opportunity to talk."
After hanging up, Zhou Tianming looked in Natarle's direction, his gaze seeming to pierce through the metal walls to see her.
A flash of his past life's 20TB of "study materials" crossed his mind.
After a long moment, his face reddened as he pulled the blanket over his head.
"Sleep! Just sleep!"
On the fourth day after leaving the Moon, looking back at Earth, the blue planet had visibly shrunk in size.
Black Tortoise Bridge
Natarle deliberately wore her school officer's uniform while sitting in the captain's chair, instantly creating an authoritative atmosphere.
Zhou Tianming sat casually in the pilot's seat, his eyes scanning the surroundings while attending to his tasks.
White Rabbit tracked his eye movements, marking each area his gaze touched.
Ships of varying sizes and colors followed at a distance.
"Hmph, they've been tailing us well beyond regular shipping lanes. They're definitely after us."
Natarle tapped the keyboard: "Over thirty ships now, and the number keeps growing. Should we engage?"
"Let's wait until they're all here. Capturing them one by one would be troublesome."
Natarle smiled: "Perfect. I've got plenty of pent-up frustration to vent."
Remembering Olivia's request, Zhou Tianming spoke up after some thought:
"Still not planning to give up?"
Shaking his head with determined eyes, he said, "I don't want to be a deserter like my father. Since we've identified the problem, we should fix it. How can a soldier give up so easily?"
Your opponent is an entire system—the Atlantic Federation is rotten to its core.
Though Zhou Tianming knew Natarle would crash headlong into failure, he couldn't bring himself to stop her when he saw the bright determination in her purple eyes.
With a sigh, he said, "Be careful."
Natarle was taken aback, giving Zhou Tianming's retreating figure a long look before breaking into a smile. "I still have you, don't I?"
They shared a knowing smile.
"King of the Wastes~"
His smile instantly vanished. "Ugh, that nickname gives me a headache."
Two days later, over 40 spaceships had gathered behind the Black Tortoise, including nearly 10 large warships.
Upon closer inspection, Natarle realized they were outdated Base Nelson-class Battleships, their weapons all retrofitted rather than military-grade.
Zhou Tianming wasn't concerned. Over the years, the Black Tortoise had undergone its own upgrades, with specialized equipment like the Yin-Yang and Black Scale systems receiving updates.
Besides, against a high-performance small warship like the Black Tortoise, numerical superiority meant little—once they broke formation, that advantage would become a liability.
Another day passed with no additional ships joining the fleet. The vessels on either side accelerated, preparing to encircle the Black Tortoise.
"Looks like they're making their move."
Natarle and Zhou Tianming exchanged glances.
"White Rabbit! Initiate combat readiness level one! Activate Yin-Yang, deploy the Repulsion Field! Load Black Scale Type 1 and Type 2 Missiles, raise anti-aircraft gun platforms, and begin charging the twin beam cannons!"
As Natarle's orders rang out, the Black Tortoise responded across its hull.
At the center of its back, the Black and White Pisces began to swim, while arcs of electricity danced around the ship's surface.
Four platforms each rose from the upper and lower sections of the ship's back and underbelly, revealing eight Gatling-style anti-aircraft guns.
At the roots of the ship's wings, the barrels of the twin beam cannons glowed faintly.
Hatches along the rear spine of the ship opened, deploying rows of black missiles into position.
Ahead, the ships on either side began to converge, the encirclement nearly complete.
Zhou Tianming leisurely donned a rugged silver-white helmet.
Its surface was covered in grooves, with liquid metal visible through the reinforced glass. Metal antennae protruded like spikes, and thick cables at the back connected to his seat.
Natarle couldn't help but stare. "What is that?"
As he secured it, Zhou Tianming felt the weight settle on his head. "First-gen Psycommu helmet. Ugly, I know, but it's actually more sensitive than the second-gen."
The unfamiliar term puzzled Natarle. She pulled up the data on her console, but before she could read far, urgent lock-on alarms blared around them. Reacting instantly, she shouted, "Full engine power! Bow down 45 degrees—"
A rapid-fire stream of precise commands left her lips.
In the cosmic space—
A barrage of green and yellow beams struck first.
The Black Tortoise's thrusters flared brightly as the ship lurched downward at an angle. The beams either shot past overhead or dissipated into harmless sparks against the Repulsion Field's magnetic barrier.
Then came the missiles, trailing long tails of fire. The Black Tortoise raced forward, its Gatling guns unleashing a storm of bullets. Boom!
Though soundless in the void, the two inside the ship could almost hear the thunderous explosions in their minds.
The approaching missiles around it were all detonated, while the remaining ones were deflected by the repulsion field and flew off into empty space.
The Black Tortoise surged out from the flashes, its twin beam cannons firing from both sides of the hull and piercing through two small spaceships as it accelerated toward the enemy fleet. The enemy ships' thrusters flared, moving in an orderly formation while their beam cannons fired ahead to obstruct its advance.
As the only means capable of harming it, the Black Tortoise dared not charge into the rain of beams and altered its course to evade.
By now, the enemy ships had gradually organized themselves after the initial chaotic and unfamiliar attacks. Some vessels deliberately fired into empty space to restrict the Black Tortoise's movement, forcing it into a predetermined path.
Wave after wave of missiles came relentlessly, the explosions filling the panoramic screens on the Black Tortoise's bridge.
The missiles were too dense—the four Gatling-style anti-aircraft automatic cannons couldn't detonate them all in time, allowing a large number to enter the repulsion field's range.
On its back, the Black and White Pisces swam, spewing forth lightning.
A chain of lightning leaped between the densely packed missiles, instantly detonating those that slipped through.
Just then, amidst the flashes of explosions, hundreds of slender, pitch-black nail-like objects shot forward. The moment they touched the repulsion field, violent electrical sparks erupted.
The Black Tortoise abruptly lifted its hull, soaring high as the slender nails passed beneath it—though dozens still struck the ship. Given the prior use of [Black Scale], Zhou Tianming feared these were weapons of the same series and shouted, "White Rabbit!"
The ship's automatic cannons unleashed a barrage, and as the projectiles reached the outer repulsion field, something miraculous happened—electricity crackled over them, and they were drawn onto the field. Like a maglev train, the projectiles circled the repulsion field once before landing on the spots where the nails had struck, neutralizing them.
But this drastically reduced the outward firepower, allowing a flood of missiles to breach the defenses.
Before they could make contact, the missiles exploded, scattering countless metal fragments.
The moment the fragments touched the repulsion field, violent electrical discharges erupted.
The lightning was drawn and concentrated into a single point, surging outward like countless fountains. On the Black Tortoise's back, the [Yin-Yang] faltered, its glow dimming.
Inside the bridge, the lights flickered, and an interface popped up on the screens.
The spaceship's energy was plummeting rapidly.
The sudden loss of power caused the Black Tortoise's speed to drop. The surrounding ships opened fire simultaneously, and a thousand beams lit up the cosmic space as they raced toward their target.
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