Scavengers?

Later that night.

At the headquarters, where the Eternal Return Team's base. Inside Heian Ciemnosc's bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, which was small but very comfy. More importantly, it let him stretch his legs with some spare room. On his right, Anastasia sat and read through her Universal Conveyance as she let her father see through it in the middle of a Mini Warlord match. The opponent was named Darkness Wife#3 and patiently waited for Anastasia to finish thinking and planning. There was no timer for this match.

“Mmm, and what about your parents, Dad?” Anastasia nodded and pressed the ready button, to which the other person’s general returned to stand at the rear of their army inside Mini Warlord to prepare for the battle. Anastasia leaned her head on Heian Ciemnosc’s right arm. Times like these were few, so she had to take advantage of them to spend as much time with her father as possible.

Heian Ciemnosc caressed her right profile with his left hand and silently grinned before elaborating. “Only had a Mother. No father, though. Although my Mother had a past, that never mattered. She didn’t have time to ‘teach’ me like I did to you.”

“Your bum never received a spanking?” Anastasia asked, pouty and begrudgingly looking at her father. Heian Ciemnosc ruefully smiled and shook his head a little. “I gained some enlightenment on a special task— back at the Academy.”

“Ah, yes, that’s where Little Mother Ishikyy entered your life, right?” Anastasia’s eyes sparkled. Seeing this, Heian Ciemnosc felt something evil, bratty, and tormentous was about to happen, and his instincts hadn’t become rusty. Anastasia straightened her back and commenced, “You met Little Mom when she was a kid. Did you want to make her yours since then? Papa, that’s not good!”

“...!” Heian Ciemnosc’s mouth twitched. Nevertheless, he didn’t bother wasting time and explained himself. It was his dignity that was in game! He spoke with slight berate as if to tell Anastasia how wrong she was, “She was my apprentice, or student, for several years. It was she who made moves on me once she was mature enough for her body…”

Heian Ciemnosc stopped, but before he could put those words in a better manner so his daughter wouldn’t use them against him, she pressed her forearm against her forehead and exclaimed. “Ayo… Papa is one of those, pushing all the blame on the innocent. How depraved!”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc was speechless, but what could he do? He shook his head and let Anastasia hug his arm, and the battle finally started. The other side was slow, at least from Heian Ciemnosc’s perspective. Meanwhile, Anastasia frowned as she started changing her army’s positions and plans.

“... Sigh, Mother Elena is too formidable! She is like a mini-Papa. Ahhh, when will Mom El see us again? It’s been a year since she brought the last batch of exchange students! Boohoo!” Anastasia said as he dropped her back on the mattress. It’s been 4 hours since the battle started, but she already lost. After a long, arduous struggle, Anastasia was still defeated, with the other side having only 200 mixed troops with mounted or not soldier units despite having more than 4,000 on her side.

“Too hasty, changed your plans too early on and rapidly just because she moved in a different way than you thought she would. Little Anastasia, you’ve been slacking off,” Heian Ciemnosc said, lying on the bed to her left and showing her by grabbing her left wrist.

Anastasia pouted, but her eyes glowed as Heian Ciemnosc showed her mishaps and reflected on them. Then, she sat back up, and her pretty face revealed understanding. She patted her father’s right knee and barked, “One more!”

Thus, Anastasia was smashed by Elena again, although this time, Elena couldn’t use the same strategy as before to kill off Anastasia’s soldier units, and had to face her with a 10,000 strong-unit while Anastasia managed to save up 4,000 mounter archers and 16,000 foot soldier units.

Lastly, although Anastasia was beaten, she bid farewell to Mom Elena and started debating many things with Heian Ciemnosc. She was especially thrilled with things Heian Ciemnosc told her concerning the numerous ways he has beat them. The more he told her his ‘tales of defeating wives’ left and right, the more Anastasia became astounded. She had already believed she was doing great, but the battle records he told her were out of her mind.

“There is something important I must do, and I won’t be returning here for quite some years.”

Just as Anastasia was feeling heavy, and her mind needed rest, but she wanted to continue meditating elsewhere, Heian Ciemnosc said those words. Anastasia sat on his right again and combed her dark green hair with her hands before turning her head to him. “What do you mean?”

“Something extraordinarily influential that needs to be attended. I will lead a special operation. We will be down there for… a decade or 2, more or less.” Heian Ciemnosc said. Anastasia sounded a small ‘ow’ with pouty lips before fully facing him. “But, won’t my Moms feel lonely? If you’re gone for a decade, I’m not sure they will be content.”

“They understand. Besides, we spend most of the time together,” Heian Ciemnosc tilted his head to the left and said. Anastasia pouted again and narrowed her eyes. How could she not know? They put her concentration skills to the utmost test when she was just a kid, and she became engrossed with meditation for the first time throughout.

“Okay… I want to go with you, hehe!” Anastasia said, hugging her father’s shoulders and rubbing her right cheek on his. Then, she returned to sit on the bed and comb her hair. Heian Ciemnosc leaned towards her and pushed her body slightly, making her sway. She cutely giggled and smiled as she proposed again.

“It’s still 3 months before we arrive there, and the Space Station will make a stop every month. We’ll rest for a week and ‘resupply’ as we go for missions. What do you say?” Heian Ciemnosc’s voice was gentle, and although it also sounded soft, it wasn’t that noticeable.

“Woa!” Anastasia’s little, pretty face was awestruck. She looked at Heian Ciemnosc with bliss in her eyes as she stumbled left and right ever so slightly. But then, she looked worried and dispirited, “Are you sure Mom Alyona will let me? She says I can’t unless I become proficient in land and naval battles as I am in space battles…”

“Who do you think I begged all morning and afternoon?” Heian Ciemnosc grinned and said, clearly remembering that the person doing the begging was someone else begging… for something else during those ‘few’ hours. Anastasia looked at her father coyly and spoke like a stupid little child.

“Daadddyy~~! You’re the best! Mwah, mwah, mwah! I promise to give you the best grandchildren, but only if you get me a boyfriend that can hold half the world after you become bored of ruling it!”

She knew how to pick her words. Heian Ciemnosc rolled his eyes and spanked her upper bum a little before throwing her off the bedroom. Otherwise, if she asks for his Ornament, he won’t last long and will agree to it again.

“Bye-buh! Goodnight, Papa!” Anastasia shouted after her bum struck the floor. When the door closed, she giggled and felt the happiest daughter in tha world. Then, Anastasia stood up and dusted her bum before heading outside the base. She met Ruo Wei and Cara cuddling to watch TV and bid them farewell before stepping out the door.

. . .

A week later, the Crimsonbreaking Faction finally motioned into space with its Space Station. After a few days of pre-traveling and the more than enough soldier units working to bring the civilians and citizens to safety as the journey began, the Space Station moved through space.

A month passed since then. Finally, the Crimsonbreaking Faction stopped somewhat close to another, immobile Space Station far from any Kingdom in the current Universe. It was the top trading Space Station in this Universe, so the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s closeness allowed many trading vessels to anchor at their ports, delivering and obtaining their respective goods.

The rumors of the Crimsonbreaking Faction building a Mothership were always a thing of legend-like tales and debates among the people. But now that many trading vessels traveled between the Universe’s top merchant Space Station and the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s base/home, it could be said to be confirmed.

Nevertheless, the Crimsonbreaking Faction seemingly didn’t care, as this was, by far, the first time they allied trading vessels to get close to their base. Thus, after the first couple of days since the Crimsonbreaking Faction anchored their home just a few million kilometers away, the trading spaceships did anything within their power to have a nice trip there. Even if they lost money in absurd deals, they accepted them just to see more of this growing legendary organization.

Besides, when something happened, and everyone feared the Crimsonbreaking Faction would close their doors again, they simply killed the perpetrators trying to steal others’ goods or infiltrate the Crimsonbreaking Faction. Needless to say, nobody was able to do their bidding, and hundreds of corpses littered the Space Station’s ports.

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Rumors became gossip, turning the famous Crimsonbreaking Faction into a possible major player in this Change. They went from brand-new to bloodthirsty, growing legendary in the past Change, until the end of the war after the Great Sage fell. They showed what a mere organization can do, and although their losses were monumental, they seemed eager to recuperate.

And if everything went smoothly their way, the Crimsonbreaking Faction becoming a Fifth Step organization might not be that much of a brainless idea anymore.

It was said that the Mothership far away was still filled with hundreds of thousands of workers focused on 10% of the Mothership’s body. Its structure was finished from the outside, but many things were lacking. That much was understandable with the resources of manpower the Faction sent there 25/7.

… Meanwhile, one of the newest, most famous figures within the Crimsonbreaking Faction was outside the base, doing missions that required at least showing up and a possible space battle.

Veeeemm~~!!

Heian Ciemnosc’s Large Flotilla moved within the world’s blackness. They weren’t facing the world according to the general universal focus and were flying in a semi-straight line with a barely discernible arch downwards, which was currently their upwards.

The speed from his Large Flotilla wasn’t just fast. It was going at maximum speed. A contrail followed after them as the spatial phenomenon was created, and they had already traveled a couple million kilometers in less than a couple of hours. The twin Frigates were part of the Large Flotilla and followed immediately behind the Low Battleship Heian Ciemnosc was in. But they weren’t ‘part’ of the Large Flotilla’s numbers; they were 2 extra Frigates.

It wasn’t that rare, as some Flotillas, Large or Medium, even have 2 Low Battleships instead of 1.

In the Battleship’s central command, Heian Ciemnosc stood on his commander’s spot while Anastasia stood outside, 2 steps behind him and to his left. Etherea, on the other hand, stood on his right. Her professional behavior made Anastasia become more strict with herself. She has been silent and only spoken when Heian Ciemnosc talked to her.

“Ah, sir. The target is 30 seconds from here. How should we proceed?” Etherea leaned over slightly and spoke in a low but solid tone. Anastasia looked at them with interest, her fits clenching in excitement. Heian Ciemnosc nodded slightly towards Etherea without looking at her.

“Spearhead into them, then form the half-a-circle and eat them away. No torpedoes,” Heian Ciemnosc commanded. The commanding assistant nodded and relayed his words to the respective people of each spaceship. After 13 years of leading from a Small Flotilla to a Large one, Heian Ciemnosc only needed to speak at the beginning, and his people would do the rest.

He would interfere only if necessary, but that didn’t happen as often as one might think. The times Heian Ciemnosc spent directly commanding his spaceships after the war was only in the operations they formed part of.

Even when Heian Ciemnosc’s Flotilla became well-known and one of the best Medium Flotillas in the Crimsonbreaking Faction, they were only invited to small-scale operations, with a few cases where they joined a full-fledged operation, like the one where Heian Ciemnosc participated and obtained his status to command a Large Flotilla.

“...” Anastasia’s eyes focused ahead, where she saw 17 spaceships, with 5 of them trading merchants, moving in another direction according to the general universal focus. Her eyes twinkled strangely… because she was nature reading!

“...” Heian Ciemnosc pressed a button, and the communications from his part were muted as he looked at his daughter. Anastasia noticed him without turning her head and with her hands behind her back. She lightly cleared her throat before starting.

“Cruisers take the frontline directly, advancing before anyone else, and buy the Destroyers time so they could form the circle. On the other hand, some Frigates fly over to the enemy and harass their goods. This can only work because we’ve confirmed that the intel the employer provided was authentic and because you confirmed it again some time ago, right?” Anastasia elaborated.

“...!” Etherea slightly leaned her body and looked at Anastasia. Although she knew the commander’s daughter was supposedly adept in space battles, she never participated in the practices of other headquarters. Thus, she couldn’t tell how promising this little princess of the Crimsonbreaking Faction was in space battling.

Heian Ciemnosc nodded and returned to face the front as the Large Flotilla finally showed themselves before the target. Their radars immediately rang in alarm, and their military spaceships started spinning to face their weapons towards them. Before Heian Ciemnosc’s side could react, they fired at them first, and the battle began!

Ta- rarararara~~!! PUH, PUH… PUM, PUM, PUM, PUM… PFIUSH, PFIUSH, PFISUH…!

Machine guns’ bullets landed on shields everywhere. Missiles arched and were forced to detonate, while some arrived at the other side and exploded on those shields or just before reaching them, still causing some damage.

Veem~! After the initial confrontation, Heian Ciemnosc’s Cruisers advanced forward, leading the charge as the Battleship lagged slightly behind but didn’t lose speed. The Cruisers mainly used their machine and artillery guns, while the Destroyers behind them occasionally sent missiles. The Cruiser’s many anti-missile turrets helped resist the enemy’s incoming missiles, with their side practically receiving no damage from them.

At one point, the Battleship fired rockets to destroy 2 enemy Frigates and stop the enemy trading vessels from fleeing away. Knowing their goods would be obliterated if they tried to escape as they faced the Crimsons, the enemy no longer tried to flee with their treasure. However, they became more spirited to go all-out, and their Fighters finally exited their respective spaceships.

But before the enemy could successfully launch their counterattack, the Destroyers flew forth and completed a half-a-circle lineup. The number of missiles, selling, and firing lines they showered the enemy with was astronomical. They had countless Bulldogs around them to save them from the enemy missiles and spaceships.

The Large Flotilla could take a direct approach because the enemy didn’t have a rocket launcher spaceship. The enemy was rapidly riddled them with superior firepower. Anastasia’s eyes constantly moved even though the Battlefield wasn’t moving that much and only rotated gradually but slowly in place.

When half the Frigates targeted the enemy from below, and the other half started consuming terrain, entrapping the enemy’s defensive formation, they gave up. However, since they made the first shot, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t order the stop, and the Crimsons annihilated the enemy spaceships and their personnel.

Finally, when the enemy realized there was no escape and tried to escape again, this time without caring about the losses, even hoping to die along the loot, the close-by Crimson Frigates stopped them with harpoon-like devices. These didn’t penetrate the enemy trading vessels, but they smacked their hull powerfully, creating a dent that nearly broke a gap in them.

The enemy experienced helplessness as their spaceships’ cores were rendered useless, and they could do nothing but wait for death. They didn’t have to wait for long, though, as Heian Ciemnosc sent an assault offensive with half the Frigates boarding the trading vessels. After 15 minutes of making short work of tens of thousands of armed and prepared enemy crew members, the Battleship neared the trading vessels.

As for the other enemy spaceships. They were set ablaze with Elemental Poisoning, fueling the destruction and leaving the scraps behind. However, the important things would be eaten if it wasn’t because Heian Ciemnosc’s Large Flotilla was already expertly recuperating those scraps and washed them clean of Elemental Poison inside Frigates, Destroyers, Cruisers, and even his Battleship.

…Step, step, step, step, step, step.

Heian Ciemnosc walked into one of the trading vessels, where many corpses littered the 4 sides of every hallway. Anastasia walked in, slightly unfazed by the sight of blood and bodies’ contents everywhere. However, the inner dents and bodies stuck in walls, ceilings, or floors around the vessels made her halt and think for a few seconds before following Heian Ciemnosc.

He didn’t wait for her and walked ahead with the commanding assistant, relaying the confirmation of pieces of information from the goods within the trading vessels. When they arrived at a ‘VIP’ zone where goods were separated from the rest and closer to the higher-ups’ modules, Heian Ciemnosc opened a large door that was broken close by the previous infighting.

However, Heian Ciemnosc’s nature reading told him this wasn’t just an accident but provoked by the enemy side amidst the battle. If Heian Ciemnosc’s nature reading wasn’t as stupidly advanced as it is, he wouldn’t have noticed this little detail with just his Spirit Sense. Anastasia also realized it and frowned.

She knew what was inside this container, but she didn’t know why people wanted to hide those actions even when knowing death was approaching, and it wouldn’t be honorable, to say the least. After her father opened the gate, she and a few dozen others welcomed the sight of a couple thousand naked slaves of all races, male and female.

Heian Ciemnosc gave them options. 2, to be specific. Serve the Crimsonbreaking Faction… or die.

Needless to say, Anastasia watched as her father sent claws towards those who adamantly refused, not leaving them any chance to say it twice. Even then, she saw Heian Ciemnosc asking twice to some individuals. Coincidentally, those individuals gave her nature reading the sensation they had a stable ‘wall’ within their bodies that nearly broke apart. She didn’t know how to put that into words or concepts yet. But, when she learned how to, she’d understand.

The naked slaves who refused to serve the Crimsonbreaking Faction didn’t have intact corpses, as they directly disappeared under everyone’s eyes, consumed by her father’s intricate, unique capabilities. Only 200 slaves from the more than 2,000 remained and were brought to the spaceships as if nothing had happened.

On their way back, Anastasia watched how her father brought her back to the Battleship, and the others around him, especially the commanding assistant didn’t even bather an eye to his merciless actions. She fell pensive but didn’t feel repulsive or approving of his actions, at least not yet. However, Anastasia understood something. She didn’t dislike such things.

After all, if one wasted one’s forces and time on something and they didn’t receive benefits when there was more than they thought they could win or obtain, then what would be the point of constantly taking these missions?

Returning to the Battleship, Heian Ciemnosc patted Anastasia’s lower back, bringing her back to usual and feeling relaxed. They were in an elevator, so she naughtily grinned before ‘clawing’ at him with her fair, small hands. Anastasia made silly noises before leaning on her father, feeling content and… understanding a little more of the world. It was no small thing…

This was just the first trip while resupplying, but Anastasia already felt like this. Anastasia knew that the month-long break might not be enough to process everything. However, she had her dad and moms for that. She just had to ask them for guidance, and they’d provide.

With 6 more missions to go, Heian Ciemnosc’s head worked its gears as he already selected which to take and why. He grinned before entering the central command with a seemingly more aware Anastasia appearing beside her. Suddenly, Anastasia felt an invisible pressure that emanated from her heart. Something like what she was meant to be and do.

It felt heavy… but she was up for the challenge, and… she was worthy!

…