I'm in Honkai: Star Rail, and the Players are Going Feral Over Me!

Chapter 416 77 - The Flying Piece

Just as the Astral Express was in the midst of integrating all the [Nameless] from across the universe and making thorough preparations to support the other five battlefronts, a sudden change occurred simultaneously on all five of those fronts, which had previously been locked in a war of attrition.

According to a report from the IPC, an "unidentified force" had intercepted a shipment of supplies in the central star systems destined for the front lines managed by the Corporation. Before the IPC could even recover the goods, the mysterious organization that hijacked them had evaded the Corporation's spies with incredible speed and, within two system hours, used some unknown means to completely shake off all surveillance.

The IPC was not the only one whose supplies were intercepted. A large shipment of materials for the Xianzhou Alliance, en route to the Yaoqing, was also attacked. However, the Xianzhou soldiers on this transport were escorting a batch of weaponry, which included a large number of highly automated Aurumatons. The soldiers and Aurumatons worked in tandem, and with the support of escorting starskiffs and swift reinforcements from the rear, they managed to drive off the mysterious force.

But the incident caused a significant delay. Because some of their supplies were not fully prepared, the Yaoqing nearly made a disastrous move in its strategic game against Xingxiao.

Fortunately, no major catastrophe occurred, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.

However, the two planets under the Xianzhou's responsibility were now facing a serious problem. With supplies intercepted and new shipments still on the way, the front lines were consuming resources rapidly. Any further delay in transport would result in irreversible damage to their position!

To address this, the IPC had to redeploy a portion of its forces stationed at Pier Point to escort the new cargo ships.

The Family did not disclose their specific situation, but observation data clearly showed their front line shrinking bit by bit. It was apparent that their rear was also facing major problems!

Conversely, the battlefront composed of various smaller factions did not have this issue. Their supplies were not sourced from a single provider, and each faction required different materials. This meant their supply lines were a chaotic web coming from all corners of the universe, making it completely impractical to try and intercept all of them.

The issue of supply interception did not appear on the Astral Express's front. For one, the fighting there had already ceased, so their resource consumption was naturally lower than the other fronts.

For another, the Luofu itself was a resource-producing flagship, with a self-sufficiency rate of over seventy percent, so it had little need for external resources.

As for the Astral Express, that went without saying... with the existence of Realm-Restricting Anchors, could anyone really cut off their supply line? Unless you were the Aeon of Trailblaze and could uproot their teleportation points yourself, you would see a Nameless patrolling the front lines in the morning and slurping noodles on the Xianzhou light-years away that same evening.

This was also why, even during the decline of [Trailblaze], many people in the universe remained so friendly to the Nameless!

After all... they were probably the only Pathstriders in the entire universe who utilized [Boarding Actions]...

Oh, and there was the Garden of Recollection, but what they did wasn't technically [Boarding]... it was getting right in your face!

In any case, the major factions were now scrambling to identify the group brazen enough to raid their supplies in their own rear. Who were they, what was their objective, and were they minions of Destruction, trying to aid the Antimatter Legion in their war?

At this point, many had already guessed who might be responsible. They followed the Path of [Destruction] but were not acknowledged by it. They revered Nanook as a god, yet Nanook had never even glanced their way.

They were the most common of believers. More than having faith in [Destruction], they were captivated by Nanook's personal charisma. For this, they were mockingly dubbed "Nanook's Biggest Simps."

They were the Annihilation Gang!

However, after some investigation by the Xianzhou and the IPC, the idea that the Annihilation Gang was responsible was dismissed.

There was a simple reason: from the very start of the war, all Annihilation Gang members in the central star sectors had been placed under strict surveillance. Furthermore, the gang's headquarters wasn't located in the central sectors. It was impossible for them to have quietly smuggled such a large force past the six defensive lines, only to then openly raid the supply shipments heading to those same defensive lines!

For a moment, the situation was shrouded in suspicion.

Although the IPC's second wave of supplies arrived, it was too late. The stalemate where both sides had the initiative had once again devolved into a passive, defensive posture for the Alliance.

Furthermore, perhaps learning from Fenfeng's "shining example," the remaining five Lord Ravagers, with the exception of the proud Xingxiao who still faced the Yaoqing head-on, had vanished as if into thin air, never appearing at the forefront of the battle.

Among them, three were only known through observation data. Even if intelligence reports revealed their true identities and names, they could not be treated as confirmed facts, only as possible references.

The pressure on the other battlefronts was mounting. The steady advance of the Antimatter Legion, coupled with the dark undercurrents in their rear, forced the major factions, who previously had some breathing room, to fully commit to this cosmic-scale war.

As the only front that had a decisive victor, the Astral Express was tasked with finding this group of mysterious individuals.

It was clear that this numerous and well-equipped force, armed with advanced weapons for interstellar warfare, was no ordinary group.

But Welt, who was attending the meeting at Pier Point, did not shy away from this responsibility despite the strangeness of the situation. The Express had just undergone a massive expansion; it needed to flex its wings a little to prove its strength.

Kevin's power was clearly not built upon the foundation of the Astral Express, so this task was crucial and not at all redundant.

---o---

"What we know so far is that this sudden group of raiders was well-prepared. They calculated the supply routes of the IPC and the Xianzhou and set up ambushes in advance."

Welt drew three circles on the projected map. All three were on the IPC and Xianzhou supply routes.

Then, Welt drew a question mark over an asteroid belt in a particular star sector.

This was where the raiders had shaken off the pursuit of the Xianzhou and the IPC.

"According to intelligence from both sides, they both lost track of the raiders here. This location happens to be the midpoint of the supply lines for three of the battlefronts."

Welt turned to explain to the others present.

"Although the Family hasn't shared their intelligence with us, it's not hard to deduce that the ones who attacked their fleet were the same group, and their final escape route was similar to the other three."

"Did they not attack the coalition forces' supplies on the sixth front?" Dan Heng asked, chin in hand, looking at Welt.

"They did not. The coalition forces on the sixth front were not attacked," Welt replied, shaking his head.

"The supply routes on the sixth front are extremely chaotic, with a large number of fleets and rapid mutual support. If they were to attack that hornet's nest, they'd certainly get stung badly," said Jing Yuan, who had come to participate in the meeting.

"Whereas the supply lines for the second, third, fourth, and fifth fronts are all single, unified routes. Although they were heavily escorted, an attack by surprise... is plausible."

"It seems the enemy came prepared, and it's highly likely they have already infiltrated the [Alliance]," Himeko stated.

"Everyone, please look at this."

Jing Yuan re-marked the four supply lines and added a timeline.

"The four attacks were all concluded within two system hours. They clearly wanted to strike fast and launched the attacks simultaneously. Yet, the four fronts and three factions all have different shipping schedules. Why were they all attacked within the same time window?"

"Obviously, to prevent information from spreading too quickly, which would allow the other transport fleets to prepare their defenses!" Wende frowned as he heard this. He already understood what Jing Yuan was implying.

"Which means they knew this attack would cause subsequent transport fleets to increase their security, and they only cared about the success of the first strike."

"In that case, their main objective might not be the supplies themselves, nor is it to cause our fronts to collapse. The most important purpose of this attack is to sow a seed..."

Seeing Wende's thorough analysis, Jing Yuan didn't hide the approval in his eyes.

"Brother Wende is correct. That is their purpose. To sow a seed of suspicion within the current [Alliance]... The IPC, which suffered losses; the Family, which remains silent; the Xianzhou, whose supplies were not stolen; and the sixth front, which wasn't robbed at all..."

Jing Yuan shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"The key to boiling a frog is the temperature of the water. The dull knife... is suspicion. The person who devised this plan must have a mind no less cunning than that of the Lord Ravager Phantylia. However, I heard she has disappeared. Given the Antimatter Legion's style, this shouldn't be a trick like faking her death."

"..."

Inside Tingyun, Phantylia, who was listening to the meeting, felt quite irritated. She was already retired, and she was still being brought up for no reason?

But... she was genuinely curious. Besides herself, was there another Lord Ravager in the Antimatter Legion with such a cunning mind? Could it be...

As if having thought of something, Phantylia's brow furrowed sharply. She then conveyed her guess to Tingyun within her consciousness.

"Mm..."

After hearing Phantylia's speculation, Tingyun's own delicate brows knitted together. Looking at the others who were still deep in thought, she decisively stood up. To Jing Yuan's surprised expression, she voiced Phantylia's opinion.

"Everyone, this humble lady has a bold guess."

Feeling all eyes on her, Tingyun spoke with a very serious expression.

"Oh? Miss Tingyun, please speak freely."

"Then I will be direct. Does everyone remember the current Lord Ravager, Xingxiao?" Tingyun didn't state Phantylia's guess directly, but first brought up a related example.

"Of course. She is an old adversary of the Xianzhou," Jing Yuan nodded.

"Then does everyone remember the one who was the Lord Ravager before Xingxiao?" Seeing Jing Yuan's response, Tingyun continued to jog their memories.

"You mean... Zulo? The Lord Ravager who was assassinated by the Galaxy Rangers with the help of the Swarm?" Welt, who enjoyed reading cosmic history, answered quickly, his eyes widening. With Tingyun's guidance, his train of thought was instantly clarified.

"After Zulo's death, Xingxiao took his place. You mean to say, since Phantylia has disappeared, Nanook might have appointed another [Emanator of Destruction] to replace her?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire meeting room was in an uproar. Even the usually carefree March 7th realized the gravity of the situation.

"So you're saying... the Antimatter Legion didn't actually attack on six fronts, but seven? Before this, a newly appointed Lord Ravager had already led a force to infiltrate the central star systems, and as you mentioned earlier, this new Lord Ravager has even infiltrated the [Alliance] itself!?" Himeko said with a grave expression.

"Correct. This is a flying piece, a chess piece placed on the board before the game even began!" Jing Yuan's voice was heavy. Just by glimpsing this corner of the plan, he could already analyze the full picture of how things would unfold.

The [Alliance] would become suspicious of each other after this incident. After all, if they could figure this out, so could the other factions. The wise minds among the major powers would not fail to understand this point!

This was also a double-edged move. On the surface, it would make the [Alliance] members suspicious of each other. But when everyone figured it out, that's when the real chaos within the Alliance would begin!

If they couldn't find this Lord Ravager hidden within the [Alliance], the trust between them would be completely shattered!

And if Jing Yuan were the one who devised this plan... he would place another piece.

That would be to make others think the Lord Ravager had infiltrated the Alliance, when in reality, they weren't in the Alliance at all. Even if the Alliance exhausted all its efforts, it would never find someone who didn't exist... At that point, mutual suspicion would turn into mutual accusation and shirking of responsibility. In the end, the entire [Alliance] would fall apart, defeated without a fight!

"This... this is terrifying. Is this the legendary plan within a plan within a plan? One link after another, like a nesting doll..."

After hearing this series of deductions, March's eyes were practically spinning.

Although she understood it, the more she thought about the details, the more convoluted it became... It felt like her brain wasn't big enough!

Watching March's reaction, Wende suddenly shook his head.

"No, this is a four-layered scheme."

"How so?" Jing Yuan asked.

"If we have deduced the intricate plan created by this newly appointed Lord Ravager... then tell me, should we inform the [Alliance]... or not?"

Wende slowly closed his eyes, then opened them, looking at the grim-faced Jing Yuan and the contemplative Welt.

"If we tell the [Alliance] this theory, the Astral Express will be pushed directly into the eye of the storm..."

"Wende is right. After all, this is just a theory. But under no circumstances should the Astral Express, or even the Xianzhou, be the ones to inform the Alliance..." Welt nodded, then shook his head. This enemy... was even more troublesome than the Lord Ravagers on the surface...

"Correct. If we were to announce this [theory] to the [Alliance], then all of the Astral Express's recent actions would be linked to it... the sudden victory, the sudden expansion of our faction. And those [raiders] also disappeared so suddenly. This would definitely be connected to the Path of [Trailblaze]. And the Xianzhou, not only did they drive off the [raiders] in this attack, but their people and cargo were completely unharmed... what might that be connected to?" Himeko's slender fingers tapped on the solid wood table, her tone heavy with a hint of helplessness.

"A truly brilliant plan. He has calculated all of us into it. No matter which side you take, you will be suspected. This seed of turmoil, though seemingly shallow, has been planted deep in the heart of the [Alliance]. Now, all it needs is a trigger..."

Jing Yuan did not say the rest out loud.

That would be the immediate dissolution of the Alliance. The various factions would fight for themselves, their lines would be broken, the path to the central star systems would be opened, and the Lord Ravagers from within and without would join forces to begin indiscriminate destruction...

Looking at it this way, even the arrogant Fenfeng was part of this scheme. He was more like...

The bird that stuck its neck out.

In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, the group decided not to be the [Alliance]'s outspoken bird.

This so-called Alliance had no solid foundation to begin with; it was just a temporary front formed because of a universal disaster. There was no need to expose themselves for the sake of such a short-lived entity.

Compared to that, capturing the new Lord Ravager and finding the hidden Antimatter Legion forces was the most important thing.

But this was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack. The central star systems were vast, and the factions within were a complex web. And while transport routes were traceable, the most difficult part was controlling the timing.

Therefore, Welt decided to personally head to Pier Point first and use the IPC's resources to narrow down the search area.

The relationship between the IPC and the Astral Express was one of absolute alliance. So, Welt immediately sought out Zaitian, the only high-ranking IPC executive who had made a public appearance, and requested his help.

Now, all they needed to do was slowly narrow down the search area.

As for whether the [Alliance] would continue to exist after this...

To be honest, no one really cared.