Chapter 24: Reinforcements Arrive at the Front Line!

The process of communication was actually quite simple. The relationship between Shen Yu and his avatar, Interstellar Shen Yu, was far closer than anyone else imagined.

Interstellar Shen Yu immediately relayed the negotiation parameters he had been granted. The Goddess of Hope’s initial proposal was to claim half of the spoils of war, while the bottom line set for Interstellar Shen Yu was twenty percent. Thus, Shen Yu had chosen the figure of thirty percent. He had stated this on the spot to make his position clear, but his true motive was singular: to bolster his own influence.

Shen Yu did not want the Association to serve merely as a message relay, leaving the task of changing fate and saving the world entirely to others. To prevent this, he needed to strengthen the influence of its members across various civilizations. Most importantly, the acquisition of Gray Mist was heavily tied to how significant a role the many Shen Yus played in saving others. Therefore, it was imperative for him to express his stance early and decisively.

His influence at this moment was clearly immense. After he spoke, no one present offered any opposition. The slightly plump delegate went so far as to state, "Our side agrees to the draft in principle; we can sign the formal agreement at any time." He had the authority to make this decision, and he did so with great resolution.

Interstellar Shen Yu immediately added, "The first batch of experimental weapons is ready for delivery. I will be responsible for training personnel in their use and documenting their combat effectiveness. It would be best to deliver them directly to the front lines to avoid unnecessary transport."

"Understood! We will arrange it immediately."

The meeting, which would inevitably have profound consequences, ended in this remarkably straightforward manner. Shen Yu and Interstellar Shen Yu boarded a military aircraft and headed straight for the front. Had it not been for the fact that the Gray Mist space only allowed travel to locations where coordinates had been previously established, they would have arrived long ago.

However, even as they traveled, relevant news and instructions had already been transmitted ahead of them, causing their influence to spread gradually.

Near the border region, the roads were packed with endless streams of vehicles, clearly divided into two distinct groups. On one side were the people evacuating the cities. They crowded into cars filled with their final belongings, taking their families with them, moving further away from their homes with expressions of confusion and anxiety. On the other side were columns of military trucks. Young soldiers sat upright, clutching their weapons tightly as they passed the civilians. They were close enough to see each other clearly, to lock eyes and witness the emotions etched on each other's faces. One side was fleeing the battlefield; the other was approaching it.

This scene was faithfully captured by cameras and broadcast across the internet, alleviating the panic of those in the rear to the greatest extent possible. It let them know that others were marching forward for their sake. Many soldiers knew deep down that they were going to fight the enemy, but they were also going to forge a wall for the nation with their flesh and blood. Only when there were enough "targets" in the cities ahead would those Eye-Monsters refrain from flying ceaselessly toward the rear, and only then would they be prevented from wantonly invading and spreading across this vast land.

This was their mission.

"Nothing to be afraid of!" a young squad leader said in a low voice to his even younger comrades. "Our training has always been to prepare for this moment. Look at these people; think of the elders and children at home. Unless we are wiped out to the last man, we will not let anything happen to them. It’s as simple as that!"

Yes, it was that simple. There was no need for grand, lofty justifications—it was merely about protecting everything they loved and cherished. In truth, compared to death, what the soldiers feared more was the inability to defeat the enemy. The enemy in this war was unlike anything they had ever faced before—monsters that defied imagination and historical precedent.

In reality, the commanders at the front were under immense pressure, pushed to their absolute limits. Every method they had conceived so far had failed to effectively deal with the ever-increasing number of Eye-Monsters. Whether it was blindfolding themselves and commanding operations remotely, using decoys and electric nets, or various other tactics, the results were negligible. These Eye-Monsters were far too agile.

Moreover, they had discovered that even when blindfolded, soldiers at close range would still be affected. Especially when the number of Eye-Monsters reached a certain threshold, they formed a zone of despair; even with eyes covered, anyone who stepped inside would succumb to uncontrollable, suicidal behavior. The vast majority of their casualties were the result of this. As the sacrifices mounted, the number of Eye-Monsters only continued to grow.

At this rate, the defensive line would not hold for long. If a large number of Eye-Monsters were to penetrate the rear and spread, the consequences would be beyond calculation. Therefore, upon receiving word from their superiors that vital, top-secret support was arriving at the front, every commander was filled with anticipation. It was the only good news they had received thus far. For the few who knew the truth, the feeling was even more intense: support from an interstellar civilization from another world!

The highest-ranking commander at the front, Jiang Hui, had been impatient, asking about the status of the arrival every five minutes. Finally, they spotted the military transport plane flying in from the distance. Fifty-year-old Jiang Hui, disregarding the wind pressure generated by the transport plane as it taxied to a halt, ran toward it.

When Interstellar Shen Yu appeared before him, Jiang Hui was so moved he couldn't utter a word. In the end, he simply stood firm and gave a crisp military salute.

It was all real! Although the details had been confirmed through intelligence reports, only by seeing Interstellar Shen Yu with his own eyes—by seeing an entity from another world—could he truly grasp the overwhelming surge of emotion. It was not just seeing a glimmer of light in the darkness or finding hope; it was like witnessing the brilliance of the midday sun—it was seeing victory!

Interstellar Shen Yu struck his chest with his hand, returning the salute with the formal etiquette of his interstellar civilization. He then spoke quickly: "Prepare a clearing, and identify a target area where the Eye-Monsters are present!"

This was the most powerful response he could have given.

"We have one right here! In a city twenty kilometers away, there are at least fifty thousand Eye-Monsters!" Jiang Hui replied immediately. He instinctively glanced inside the transport plane, which appeared empty save for a few accompanying weapons experts.

But a moment later, Interstellar Shen Yu simply raised his hand, and a massive black container—twenty meters long, five meters high, and five meters wide—materialized on the open ground. Although Shen Yu had seen the container in the Gray Mist space, it was only now, under the bright sunlight, that its finer details became fully visible.