Chapter 287: ch

The marines—who had long since infiltrated the command bridge of Taurus Prime using phased equipment—had concealed themselves near the critical systems used to manage the ship. From those positions, they were ready to eliminate any Minotaur the moment the order was given.

And the moment it was given, they moved.

They emerged from concealment with terrifying efficiency, striking in perfect coordination. In a single decisive motion, they eliminated their targets with absolute precision, leaving the Minotaurs no time to react—no chance to safeguard their lives.

……

[Pause — Author POV]

Suddenly, time froze.

Everything stopped. The marines halted mid-motion, weapons poised just as they were about to split Minotaurs in two, frozen in their strides. Terror remained etched onto the faces of countless Minotaurs, their expressions locked in place.

Across other ships, Minotaurs who had been fighting among themselves were frozen mid-strike.Within the star fortress, Helran—caught in the act of slamming one of his pilots—was locked in that exact moment.

Even the countless attacks launched by ten thousand ships of the Void Fleet’s First Battle Fleet stopped in the middle of space.

Beams hung suspended. Missiles remained frozen mid-flight.Minotaur ships on the verge of exploding halted just before bursting into flaming spheres, their crews frozen inside—some running, some screaming, some already resigned.

In short… Time itself had come to a standstill.

Then a voice spoke.

You’re probably thinking—weren’t they, Beta Squad, supposed to be blocked by the heavy Minotaur patrols guarding the command bridge? Then how did they manage to enter it without making a sound or alerting anyone?

Curious?

Even if you’re not, I’m still taking you back in time to show exactly what happened. How they got here. Trust me—it should be interesting. And if you don’t like it, you can blame me, the author. Haha.

So let’s get this moving, huh? I can’t stop time for much longer.

….

(About five minutes before the First Battle Fleet began its assault)

It had been almost ten minutes since he last spoke with Eclipse, and he was still waiting for her response as he monitored the progress of Shadow Division One teams operating inside Taurus Prime.

Alpha Squad, led by Jason, had—after some back-and-forth fighting—successfully captured and secured the power generation room along with all its related control systems. They had already begun establishing the teleportation channels and were accelerating the process. Within ten minutes or less, he was confident the teleportation network would be fully operational.

Once that happened, combat bots would be able to enter the ship and begin systematic cleanup operations, while also providing support to the squads if needed.

Similarly, Kaelen’s own Delta Squad had taken control of the shield generator compartment along with the FTL drive section. They were now preparing to sweep through and secure the ship’s propulsion engines in one decisive move.

Meanwhile, Beta Squad and the remaining Delta elements had already adjusted their plans. Taking full advantage of their specialized equipment, they initiated a new approach. It was still risky and carried the danger of exposure, but having learned from the actions of Alpha and Delta Squad captains, they felt somewhat reassured.

Even if a mistake were made and their presence was revealed, it wouldn’t be a major issue.

A network block was already in place throughout the ship—one that allowed incoming communications from outside vessels, but prevented any signals from being transmitted outward from within.

Because of this, Lieutenant Zena knew she wouldn’t risk the missions unfolding on the other ships even if she were exposed. The realization lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders, and at the same time, it gave her the courage to take bolder action.

And that was exactly what she intended to do.

At nearly the same moment, Tim of Gamma Squad reached a similar conclusion. With the same assurance that exposure was no longer a critical concern, he decided it was time to go all out—maybe even flex his muscles a little.

No. More than a little.

He was planning something even crazier than Zena.

But before that…

Let’s make sure those control panels remain intact, he thought. Then I and the boys can go on a rampage. Not too much, though. I don’t want to get skinned alive by the mechanical and repair department.

The thought alone made him shiver. “Those guys are tough nuts. They’d follow me to the gates of hell just for a single mistake in the ship’s demolition. They know we’re eventually going to retrofit the entire thing to meet Void Fleet standards—which means tearing down half the structure anyway—but they’d still find a way to make my life miserable over it. And that’s one hell I’m keen to avoid.”

He qucikly pusshed aside these thoughts and spoke up .

“Alright, marines,” Tim said firmly. “I want thirty of you to enter the secondary command bridge. Take positions near the control consoles and be ready to deal with any of that bull race sitting in front of them.”

His gaze sharpened. “One team stays focused on the commander in the secondary bridge. Be ready to neutralize him at a moment’s notice.”

He turned to the rest. “The remaining forces, divide into three groups. Long-range units to the rear. Close-combat units—swords and the like—up front, same as usual.”

A faint red flash crossed his eyes as he looked toward the Minotaurs ahead.

“We’ll be doing some real slaughter soon enough.”

Tim was known throughout the Void Fleet for his fondness for slaughter—more than almost anyone else. But it wasn’t because he was a mindless killer driven only by bloodlust.

It was because he had comprehended two laws that complemented each other perfectly.

The Law of Slaughter.And the Law of Blood.

Through killing and carnage, he strengthened his understanding of both, and hopes to laying a solid foundation for his eventual breakthrough into the Genesis Law Realm.

along with his special class he was once of the most power full poeple with the whole void fleet !!

Back to Lieutenant Zena.

What she did next was guided by simple common sense.

She sent roughly one hundred ninety Pulse Marines down to the deck below using phased equipment. From there, they would enter the command bridge. Once inside, they would split into two groups. One group would remain within the bridge itself, taking positions near the bull race operators who held control of the ship, ready to act and cleave them down the moment the order was given.

The other group would move outward toward the thousand-plus patrol units stationed outside. They would divide efficiently, each marine assigned to take down roughly ten Minotaurs at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, the remaining one hundred five marines would advance from the front, deliberately drawing the attention of the Minotaurs. This distraction would create openings for the other teams to act, allowing them to eliminate their targets quickly and cleanly.

That was the plan Zena came up with.

And everyone agreed to it.

Not only because it was easier and cleaner, but because it minimized chaos. It reduced the chance of alerting the Minotaur general and provoking him into doing something stupid.

Though… that wasn’t the real reason for the instant agreement. The true reason was simpler.

As the squad commander, Zena held total authority; her subordinates were trained to follow her every command without question.

And top of that, members of Alpha and Delta Squad were already flooding the shared comms, mocking them for being slower than turtles. They joked that even a tortoise would have finished the mission by now. Unlike Beta Squad, they were already done and were expanding their scope to rack up even more merit points.

Meanwhile, Beta was still stuck in the middle of their initial objective. The taunts kept coming: ’You lot need more training. That’s not how it’s done. Want us to show you the ropes? We’re the experts here.

That alone was irritating.

What truly crossed the line was the boasting.

Alpha and Delta were bragging about being the first teams to complete their objectives, talking loudly about extra merit points, priority exchanges, and all the rewards they would get.

That was the tipping point. The Beta Squad knew better than to argue with Alpha and Delta directly—but they also knew they still had a chance to finish ahead of Gamma Squad.

And if they did that…

They could show off a little too. That thought alone eased their frustration and lit a fire under them. Zena was no exception.

She had been simmering with anger for a while now, itching to strangle both Jason and Kaelen. Their constant boasting and interruptions during the mission had pushed her patience to its limit.

She really wanted to settle the score. So when she saw everyone agree to her plan almost instantly—clearly eager to move fast—she couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

At least my team burns with the same desire as I do, she thought.

She straightened her back, her face flushed red as vivid images crossed her mind of what would happen if her team finished last. “So what are we waiting for?” she snapped. “Move—quickly. We end this fast, or it won’t end well for any of us.”

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