Chapter 373: CH

Major cities across the capital world, including Minotaur Prime, were bombarded and utterly annihilated—left in ruins, with not a single soul surviving.

Seeing these scenes up close, the netizens watching the footage felt like vomiting. Many more were terrified, trembling in their boots. Those keyboard warriors who had been cursing the fleet also stayed silent, feeling a distant, creeping dread—so much so that they stopped typing a single word.

Not long after, the footage that had been split into six screens became one again.

Standing in front of the camera was the same blue mech that had toyed with the five Supreme Elders of the Minotaur clan. They were powerful beings in their own right, equipped with ancient yet advanced Tier-1 mechs, yet they had been slaughtered like cattle at the hands of this very machine. Every spectator remembered that sight with terrifying clarity.

Behind the blue mech stood an enormously large, ancient palace. The structure lay half-destroyed, wreathed in flames.

The Minotaur who was still standing—though barely—saw the ruins and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. “No! The Council Palace… it has fallen! The sky of the Minotaur clan has fallen!”

He shouted hysterically as the others realised the truth: that ruined, ancient palace was the sacred heart of the Minotaur clan.

The galaxy watched in stunned silence. The footage, which had been devoid of anything but the roar of explosions and the clash of metal, suddenly changed. A voice emerged.

It was feminine, yet cold. That wasn’t their primary concern, however; every soul was solely focused on what the human woman controlling that monstrous blue mech had to say.

“You should all have an idea of what has just transpired—provided you watched the footage we broadcast,” the voice rang out. “But I shall speak more clearly! As of this day in the galactic calendar, the Minotaur Clan is no more.

The worlds they once reigned over have fallen under the might of the Void Fleet. Now, at last, their capital world has fallen. Their leaders? Dead. Their noble families? Obliterated. Their military has been eliminated, and those who survived will be hunted to the ends of the universe.”

She paused, letting the weight of the words settle.

“But! The Minotaur Clan, in the political sense, is dead. The Minotaurs as a race will continue to exist under the ’protection’ of the Void Fleet. After all, we are not as bloodthirsty as the rumors claim. Nor did we attack the Minotaur Clan unprovoked.”

The screen panned over the burning palace.

“They set their sights toward a region you know as the Holy Region—though we call it the Sol Region. As should you all. The fact of the matter is simple: the Sol Region belongs to the Void Fleet. It belongs to no one else. They had no right to claim it, and we would never let them. The Minotaur Clan dared to look toward our home… and for that, we took them down.”

“But the Minotaurs are not the only ones. Many more will soon fall, for we, the Void Fleet, do not forget—nor do we forgive—those with evil intentions toward us. We know. We know every one of you who covets our home… and those who do not.

“Let this be a warning to those who think they are well-hidden, who think they can do as they please and target us at will. That is not the case. Let this act as a final warning: if you dare cross us, we will dare to wipe your race from the face of the galaxy.

“Ah, yes… one more thing. We are pleased to announce that in no more than two months, our fleet will formally transition into an Empire. We invite all parties interested in forming ties to come forward. We promise you: being our ally is far better than the alternative. Interested parties may verify what we have to offer by contacting the Azura Imperium.”

With those words, the video cut to black.

Throughout the galaxy, everyone had been holding their breath. In the silence that followed, some felt only cold dread. Others, however, had a spark of interest in their eyes, their minds racing over the mention of the Azura Imperium and the words of the lady who commanded the blue mech.

The host, Judy, was also taken aback by the content played on her show. She had tried numerous times to cut the feed mid-way, but she was powerless to stop it.

It wasn’t that her company didn’t want to; they were being pressured from the highest levels of government to shut down the broadcast immediately. However, their channels had been hacked. They had no control at all.

The staff sat stunned, wondering who was behind the breach and what their true motives were. They grew terrified, wondering if the Union Federation was involved, but they knew the Federation had no reason for this. Then, they suspected the Void Humans themselves—a thought that sent a chill through the studio.

Meanwhile, in the grand palace of the Star Empire, the Emperor watched the broadcast from a private screen. His veins bulged with fury. When he heard the pilot’s warning, he sneered, his eyes narrowing.

“You think your ’warning’ makes me fear you? That I would step back from my plans?” he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Your thinking is shallow, just like the race you belong to. Just because you took down the Minotaur Clan—a mere lower Tier-2 faction—you think a Tier-1 power bordering on Super Tier-1 would cower in fear? Impossible.”

He began to chuckle, a dark, dry sound. “So, you are establishing an Empire, are you? Then wait for this Emperor’s ’gift.’ It shall arrive the very day your so-called Empire is born. And not long after, you shall all fall back into the obscurity where you belong!”

Deep within the Elfheim Empire, the Elf Empress watched the events unfold. She couldn’t help but rub her temples in frustration, feeling utterly helpless as the situation spiraled out of control.

“This is trouble… massive trouble,” she whispered to herself. “We have had almost no contact with the Void Fleet yet, and no progress has been made. Now that they’ve made this announcement, won’t it make my Empire their enemy as well? How can we ever get Vivian back from their hands now?”

She stared at the darkened screen, a heavy weight on her chest. “I can only hope that isn’t the case. I need a miracle. Otherwise, my Empire will head straight into a massive internal war, and that would shatter our very foundation. I cannot let that happen.” She let out a long, weary sigh that echoed through her private chambers.

Elsewhere, a man named Smith—who had been watching the same broadcast—let a wide, dark smile spread across his face.

“Bold of you, humans. Very bold,” he chuckled to himself. “I have to hand it to you; you’ve certainly made things interesting. Let’s see how the game unfolds from here. Will those moving in the shadows remain silent while someone challenges their authority? Or will they finally show their hands?”

“Now, now… let’s see where this goes.”

With a soft ripple in the air, Smith disappeared from where he stood, leaving no trace behind.

Meanwhile, they were not the only ones shaken or enraged. Many others felt the Void Fleet was far too bold—that they truly had no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth.

Coincidentally, many of the great powers chose to ignore the mention of the Azura Imperium entirely. Their attention was fixed solely on the Void Fleet, preparing for a clash that felt inevitable.

They would not give up on their goals just because someone told them to, and certainly not just because a small, weak faction like the Minotaurs had been destroyed.

But while the great powers refused to divert their attention, many Tier-1 families and smaller factions did exactly that.

They rushed toward the Azura Imperium, desperate to know more about what the Void Fleet had promised. If what the woman had said was true, what could they truly provide? What was it that gave them such absolute confidence?

But before they could act or activate their hidden spies around the Azura Imperium, a new headline suddenly burst forth across the galactic networks:

[An impossible victory! The Azura Imperium, once losing ground, achieves a total crush against the Greater Orc Races. How did this happen? Click for details.]

The post itself was light on text, but the images took everyone by surprise. They showed a massive fleet of over three thousand ships, all sharing a design strikingly similar to those of the Void Fleet. In one high-resolution photo, a ship’s hull was captured clearly, displaying the Void Fleet insignia. It was the confirmation the galaxy needed.

Below the images, the author wrote: Not long ago, this fleet made a sudden appearance, causing panic throughout the Azura Imperium.

The Imperium was facing its greatest test yet, as the Orcs had already begun invading their core territory.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep