258: Predators crush "order"

After several rounds of precise short-range space jumps, each transition accurately avoiding sensitive areas that might generate gravitational ripples, the light chaser arrived silently in the star system where the distressed engineering fleet had sent its last distress signal, moving like an interstellar cheetah stalking through the darkness.

The scene before them was heavy and disheartening. This was a corner of the universe forgotten by time; the central star had entered its twilight years, its light dim and sallow like a candle flickering in the wind, barely able to illuminate the surrounding rocky planets rotating slowly in the near-absolute zero void. The surfaces of these planets were crisscrossed with ravines, deathly silent and desolate, with no atmosphere, no water, and not a trace of life—a true graveyard of matter. However, at this moment, that eternal silence was being brutally shattered.

The target planet—designated XT-3, a gray-brown solid world roughly twice the size of ancient Earth—was being "toyed with" in a way that profaned nature by three black warships of unsettlingly bizarre design. Their shapes were difficult to describe with conventional geometry, appearing more like a forced, twisted amalgamation of various industrial machines and deep-sea arthropods. The hulls were covered in layers of lusterless, dark amorphous armor that seemed to swallow all light, with no visible engine exhausts, observation windows, or weapon silos. Instead, dozens of thick, dark purple energy conduits extended from various parts of the ships, resembling the roots of ancient giant trees yet flexible as octopus tentacles. These conduits pulsed with an ominous, living glow, acting like greedy blood-sucking mouthparts as they pierced deep into the relatively fragile crust of XT-3. Some had clearly penetrated the lithosphere, reaching deep into the solid core rich in energy and rare heavy elements! A dark purple energy flow, filled with the pure will of "extraction" and "deprivation," was being frantically pumped from the planet's interior through these sickening pipes, flowing incessantly into the three black warships. The planet itself was becoming visibly more ashen and withered, its surface developing vast, web-like cracks as if it were a rotting fruit being squeezed by an invisible giant hand to extract its last drop of juice.

In an orbit not far from XT-3, several brightly painted engineering and escort ships belonging to the Homeland were currently trapped by an enormous, writhing, and contracting "net" woven from dark purple energy, like insects caught in a spider's web. The Engineering Ships' energy shields hummed under the strain of continuous energy erosion, their light flickering. Countless small but dense holes had already been corroded into the hull plating; clearly, this "net" was not just a restraint, but a continuous digestive process intended to weaken and dissolve resistance.

"Target morphology and energy signature confirmed! They are typical Law Stealers units—'Energy-Siphoning Collection Ships'!" Evelyn's voice rang out on the bridge of the light chaser, her calm carrying a rare trace of coldness. Her fingers moved rapidly between the holographic star map and the waterfall of refreshing data. "They are plundering high-concentration energy and undecayed rare heavy elements from the planetary core in the most brutal, efficient, and destructive manner possible. This 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs' style of mining will completely destroy the physical structural balance of a planet in a very short time. The subsequent gravitational disturbances and matter ejections could even affect the stability of the entire asteroid belt!"

"The trapped 'Prospector Seven' fleet still shows life signals, though they are weak. There are no signs of large-scale casualties." Su Mu stared intently at the life readings on the tactical screen, her brow furrowed. "These bastards... they didn't kill them immediately. It's more like they're... toying with their prey? Or are they waiting for something? The continuous energy erosion... are they trying to crack the ships' systems? Or just draining the shield energy?"

White Elder's gaze pierced through the observation window, falling upon the three black ships that resembled giant leeches. A layer of gravity clouded his aged face. "The Law Stealers are greedy by nature, yet exceptionally cautious and cunning. They usually follow the principle of 'minimum risk, maximum gain.' Unless necessary, they rarely attack armed and organized targets actively, unless the other party clearly interferes with their 'collection operations,' or... they assess that the target itself has high value for 'technology theft' or 'energy assimilation.' Looking at the damage to these Engineering Ships, it seems the Law Stealers are quite interested in the ships' protection technology and energy systems. This erosion net serves the functions of restraint, weakening, and 'reverse-engineering' simultaneously."

Excellence did not speak. He simply floated quietly before the bridge window, the warmth of energy flow pulsing slightly from his as-yet-unfolded wings of order. His gaze was sharp as a blade, locked onto the three black warships acting with such impunity. A strong sense of instinctive loathing and rejection rose from his heart like a cold tide. He could clearly perceive that the dark purple energy flows contained a pure will of "plunder," "duplication," and "possession," devoid of any creativity or constructiveness. This was fundamentally opposed to the concepts of "Order," "Protection," "Balance," and "Creation" that he carried. This feeling caused him even more physiological discomfort than facing the chaotic and disordered World Devourer.

"Prepare for contact and deterrence." White Elder spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful as he set the tone. "I will attempt to communicate with them using a universal ancient frequency to ascertain their intentions. If there is no response, or if the response is hostile, then do not hesitate to take immediate action. Excellence, your primary task is to cut or destroy those energy conduits; they are the direct extension of their plundering behavior and the lifeblood of their energy transmission. Su Mu, command the light chaser and the Fortress mecha squads to provide peripheral distraction and fire suppression, and seek opportunities to rescue the trapped friendly ships. Evelyn, your task is to fully capture and analyze their energy fluctuation patterns, shield structural weaknesses, and potential behavioral logic."

"Understood!" the three replied in unison, the atmosphere on the bridge instantly tightening like a bowstring.

The main engine power of the light chaser began to rise steadily, and the hidden weapon bay doors on both sides of the hull slid open silently, revealing deep muzzles. Several Fortress-VI heavy mechas spread out around the assault ship like loyal guards, entering a combat formation. White Elder stepped slowly toward the central communication console on the bridge. His hands hung naturally, but his index fingers and thumbs formed an ancient and peculiar triangular seal. A peaceful, distant wave of intent, seemingly containing the rhythm of the birth and death of stars, emanated from him. Through the ship's high-power mental amplifier, it was sent clearly toward the three Law Stealers collection ships using an ancient information transmission method that bypassed conventional electromagnetic spectrums:

【This star sector is watched over by The Weave of Order and shall not be plundered or destroyed at will. We are the guardians of this space and now demand that you: immediately terminate your illegal energy extraction; release the trapped ships; and state your identity and purpose. If you refuse to communicate or persist in hostility, we will exercise our duty of protection and carry out resolute expulsion and countermeasures.】

The intent was sent out like a stone thrown into a deep pool; aside from stirring a circle of imperceptible spatial ripples, there was no response. The three collection ships continued to suck greedily at the planet's energy, turning a deaf ear to White Elder's warning. The only change was that the dark purple energy net trapping the Engineering Ships seemed to contract slightly, causing the shields of one of the escort ships to emit a piercing overload alarm as its light dimmed sharply.

"No response. The energy net shows aggressive contraction. Hostile behavior confirmed." Evelyn's report was concise and cold.

"All units, according to contingency plan B-3, prepare to..." Su Mu's finger hovered over the trigger key of the tactical command panel, her voice as cold as iron.

However, just a moment before she could issue the fire command, a sudden change occurred!

From the largest of the three collection ships—the one rooted deepest and with the most staggering energy extraction speed—a section of armor plating that had been smooth suddenly flipped open to both sides like a biological mouth! A sharp, greedy, chaotic intent with a piercing texture of grinding metal, as if forced together from countless tiny gears and energy circuits, completely ignored the light chaser's communication protocols and firewalls. Like a violent current, it lunged arrogantly into the bridge's communication system, and even rang out sharply directly in the minds of Excellence, Su Mu, Evelyn, and even some of the pilots with stronger mental power:

【Newcomers... detected... energy reaction... special... high purity... strong Order fluctuations... delicious... unprecedented... high-value sample... theft priority... highest... analyze... replicate... assimilate...】

【Surrender... energy core... surrender... technical schematics... surrender... life code... may obtain... brief wholeness... kept as specimen... resistance... painful extraction... consciousness stripping... merge into... Great Collection...】

This intent showed no sincerity for negotiation; it directly treated the light chaser, Excellence, and the others as "rare resources" and "high-value collectibles" to be dismantled and analyzed at will! What made Excellence's brow twitch even more was that he clearly felt several cold, precise energy scanning beams filled with a desire for analysis. Like invisible probes, they were attempting to penetrate the light chaser's multi-layered composite shields, focusing heavily on the bridge area where he was, especially on his own position!

"Bastards!" A cold light flashed in Excellence's eyes. Not only did the enemy sneer at their warning, but they had also turned their covetous gaze directly toward them, even blatantly targeting the "Source of Order" within his body. This greed and arrogance that viewed everything as plunderable goods completely ignited the fury in his heart.

"It seems there's no reasoning with these 'cosmic bandits'." Su Mu laughed from extreme anger, her voice carrying a cold murderous intent. "Fortress squad, spread out into formation according to interference plan Alpha! Use non-lethal EMP (electromagnetic pulse) rounds and kinetic interference rounds for probing attacks. Primary targets—those energy conduits! light chaser, charge the main cannon to 70% and lock onto the area near the energy center of the largest ship! Excellence, it's time for your performance, but don't push yourself too hard!"

"Copy that!" Excellence's reply was short and powerful. He took one last look at the energy conduit nodes highlighted on the tactical screen, turned, and strode toward the rapidly opening airlock door. A silvery-white energy light was already flowing slightly over his body.

"Remember," White Elder's voice came from behind him, carrying a rare trace of solemnity, "their energy characteristics lean toward 'erosion,' 'analysis,' and 'replication.' They have extremely high resistance to conventional energy attacks and can even partially absorb and convert them. Those tentacle-like conduits and energy nets contain potent energy disruption and matter decomposition fields; you must not let them entangle you directly. Use your 'Order' source to carry out the act of correcting the source and negating Chaos—that is the way to counter them."

"Understood, Senior!"

The airlock door closed silently behind him, and the pressure in the chamber rapidly dropped to zero. The outer door slid open, and the cold, absolute void, along with the dim light cast by the dying star in the distance, flooded in. Excellence stepped out, his figure instantly swallowed by the darkness of space, but the warm and majestic power within him was like a torch lit in the dark.

A thought flickered.

Hum—!

A pair of dazzling, silvery-white glowing wings of order, with a structure so complex and exquisite it was breathtaking, suddenly unfurled completely behind his back! In an instant, this star sector ruled by the Law Stealers' dark purple energy and the sallow light of the dying star seemed to have a miniature silvery-white sun thrown into it! A pure, vast fluctuation of Order, carrying unquestionable stability and majesty, swept out in all directions like an invisible tsunami with Excellence at the center!

This fluctuation was so unique and brilliant that it instantly acted like a magnet, firmly grabbing the "attention" of all the Law Stealers collection ships (if they possessed such a thing). He could feel that the previously scattered, greedy analytical intents instantly focused on him with extreme heat and... excitement, like a pack of sharks smelling blood.

【Confirmed! High-purity Order Origin carrier! Vitality abundant! Unique morphology! Capture priority... changed to absolute highest! Terminate secondary collection tasks! Full power... capture! Analyze!】

The largest collection ship emitted a chaotic intent bordering on ecstasy. It actually slowed down its energy extraction rate from XT-3, and several dark purple energy tentacles that had not yet pierced deep into the crust—like reserve venomous snakes—suddenly reared their "heads" from the hull. Their tips, resembling terrifying "mouthparts" in full bloom and covered in energy teeth and micro-adsorption matrices, locked onto Excellence's position. In a manner that bypassed conventional physical acceleration, they tore through the void and shot toward him! Everywhere the tentacles passed, they left behind thin, dark traces of erosion in space.

"Excellence! Don't take those tentacles head-on! Maneuver and probe first!" Su Mu warned urgently from inside the ship.

But Excellence's actions were faster than her words. Facing the several hideous energy tentacles rushing at him, he did not retreat or dodge. Instead, his light wings gave a sudden flap, and he transformed into a silvery-white meteor, charging directly toward the thickest one!

His right fist slowly clenched as he flew. It wasn't simple powering up, but rather compressing and further re-compressing highly condensed Order energy into a precise spiral structure. A miniature silvery-white singularity, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye yet seemingly capable of swallowing the surrounding light and fluctuations, formed in front of his knuckles—this was the opening of the "Order Fists of Collapse," but this time, he deliberately suppressed the final explosion phase.

At the critical moment when the tip of the first tentacle, covered in teeth and adsorption ports, was about to touch his fist, Excellence's eyes were like ice. His intent, like the sharpest blade, suddenly sliced into a specific node of his own energy cycle:

"Order · Conceptual Negation—This path is closed!"

Hum—!!!

It wasn't a physical energy impact, but a fluctuation of Order closer to the level of rules, carrying an absolute will of "negation" and "purification." Like an invisible, absolute barrier, it erupted forward from his fist first!

The menacing dark purple tentacle, capable of eroding and capturing most known matter and energy, suddenly stiffened at its tip the moment it touched this layer of invisible ripples! It was as if it had struck an invisible Wall of Sighs! The dark purple energy structure forming the main body of the tentacle, filled with 'stealing' and 'copying' characteristics, instantly suffered violent internal conflict and disorder in the face of the pure, extreme 'negation' power of Order! The aggressive light on its surface dimmed and dissipated rapidly like a snuffed-out flame, and the complex 'mouthparts' structure at the tip melted and collapsed like a wax figure thrown into strong acid, turning into a cluster of chaotic, escaping dark purple energy sparks, emitting a tooth-aching 'zzt' explosion, as if countless small circuit boards were short-circuiting simultaneously!

Immediately afterward, Excellence's fist, carrying terrifying physical kinetic energy, slammed solidly into the physical part of the tentacle that had lost its energy protection and exposed its semi-biological, semi-mechanical internal structure.

There was no world-shaking explosion as expected, only a dull 'crack,' as if a ten-thousand-year-old tree had been shattered from within by immense force. The dark purple energy tentacle, thicker than the main gun barrel of a small starship, began to crack and disintegrate inch by inch from the point of impact like glass struck by an invisible giant hammer, turning into countless tiny, inactive metal and energy fragments that drifted into the surrounding void! Even more terrifyingly, the silver-white power of Order, like the most aggressive purifying agent, flowed upstream along the broken wound of the tentacle, frantically eroding the remaining structure. Wherever it passed, the dark purple energy collapsed and annihilated as if meeting its natural nemesis!

“Hiss—!!!” (A sharp, painful screech that acted directly on Perception rather than being a sound). The largest collection ship shuddered violently, the dark purple light on its hull flickering erratically; it had clearly suffered significant trauma and backlash. Within its chaotic thoughts, emotions of shock and disbelief were clearly transmitted for the first time. Its 'energy-stealing tentacles,' which it relied on for survival and had never failed, were actually so fragile before this strange silver-white creature? The nature of the opponent's energy seemed inherently designed to perfectly counter its core abilities!

The other two tentacles attacking Excellence immediately changed their strategy after witnessing their companion's miserable state. No longer attempting to capture him, they acted like two ferocious metal whips, carrying whistling dark purple energy turbulence as they lashed out at Excellence from both sides. Simultaneously, the energy on the tentacles' surfaces boiled violently, attempting to release a wide-range dark purple force field with strong energy interference and matter decomposition effects to envelop him.

“Too slow, and too crude,” Excellence judged calmly in his heart. The wings of order on his back adjusted their angle only slightly, seemingly at random.

Shua!

His figure suddenly blurred where he stood, and in the next instant, he appeared in another part of the void dozens of meters away, leaving only a slowly dissipating silver afterimage. The lethal lashes of the two tentacles, along with the spreading erosion field, all struck empty space. When the dark purple force field touched the edge of the Order field that hadn't yet fully dissipated from Excellence's previous position, it made a 'hissing' sound like boiling water hitting snow, rapidly melting and collapsing, unable to penetrate the absolute domain of pure Order surrounding Excellence.

“The probing is over. It's my turn.” Excellence's gaze sharpened, locking onto a core area in the middle of the largest collection ship's hull where all energy conduits finally converged, and dark purple energy fluctuations pulsed violently like a heart—that was both its power center and the core node for its control and 'stealing' functions.

He leaned forward slightly, assuming a starting-block posture. The light on the pair of wings of order spread behind him suddenly withdrew and condensed, as if absorbing all the surrounding light into the wings themselves.

“Order Authority: Space Curvature Interference — Overlimit Acceleration!”

Boom!!!

There was no sound, but a visible ripple of spatial distortion rippled out from beneath Excellence's feet in the void! He turned into a beam of pure silver-white light, his speed breaking the limits of conventional physical engines in an instant, even triggering a slight relativistic effect. He left behind a brilliant and lethal silver light trail that existed briefly in Perception, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the darkness, shooting straight toward the dark purple energy core! Wherever he passed, even the void seemed to be plowed into an invisible furrow.

“Intercept! At all costs! Intercept it!” The collection ship realized a catastrophe was imminent, its chaotic thoughts filled with terror. The other two smaller collection ships also stopped extracting the remaining scraps from the planet and hurriedly turned their hulls, waving more energy tentacles like a forest of thorns. Simultaneously, countless tiny, honeycomb-like holes on their hulls opened, spraying a dense rain of dark purple energy missiles with strong energy corrosion and nerve-paralyzing effects, attempting to build a death barrier in Excellence's path.

“Your opponents are us! Fire!” Su Mu's cold voice sounded like a battle horn. The main cannon of the light chaser had finally finished charging, and a thick, blue beam of concentrated high-energy particles and scorching plasma, like a spear thrown by a god, shot precisely toward the side hull of one of the intercepting collection ships! Several Fortress mechas also fired simultaneously, high-explosive missiles and pulse lasers weaving into a web of fire that blew the dense energy missiles out of the sky and successfully severed several waving tentacles, clearing a relatively clean charge path for Excellence.

Excellence ignored the brilliant fireworks and energy turbulence exploding behind him, his entire spirit locked onto that dark purple core that was getting closer and pulsing more violently. He could 'hear' the stolen planetary energy rushing and transforming within that core, and he could 'smell' the greedy, twisted desire for all orderly existence contained within it.

The distance rapidly dropped to zero.

In the final instant before the physical collision with the dark purple core, the wings of order behind Excellence, which had been withholding their light, suddenly made an unprecedented movement—they were no longer wing surfaces providing lift and propulsion, but like the most agile hands, they suddenly closed and merged forward at high speed! The silver-white energy runes flowing on the wing surfaces brightened to the extreme, and all energy converged and compressed frantically toward the joined wingtips!

“wings of order: Authority Liberation — Sky-Cleft Streamer: Sever!”

Buzz—!

The two wings of order, which had been flowing softly, underwent a fundamental change in form the moment they merged! They turned into two massive silver-white light blades over a hundred meters long, their edges so sharp they seemed capable of cutting space itself, composed entirely of condensed laws of pure Order! Inside the light blades, it was as if countless miniature galaxies were moving and cycling along specific trajectories! Excellence's figure perfectly merged with these two terrifying light blades at this moment—the man was the blade, and the blade was the man!

Screech—!!!

There was no world-shaking explosion, only a scalp-numbing, sharp tearing sound, as if the toughest material were being instantly vaporized by an ultra-high-temperature plasma beam! The silver-white light blades, like a hot knife through cold butter, pierced through the thick dark armor of the Law Stealers' collection ship—which was enough to withstand conventional ship cannon fire—without any resistance, sinking deep into the innermost part of the pulsing dark purple energy core!

Time seemed to be stretched and frozen at this moment.

The silver-white light of Order and the dark purple plundering energy underwent the most direct and fundamental collision and annihilation within the core! There was no explosion, only a deeper 'purification' and 'disintegration' at the level of rules. Wherever the power of Order passed, the dark purple energy structure melted and collapsed like snow under sunlight, and the twisted concepts of 'stealing' and 'copying' within it were forcibly stripped, negated, and restored to the most basic attribute-less energy particles.

“No—!!! Impossible—!!!” The largest collection ship emitted a final mental howl filled with extreme pain, fear, and disbelief. The entire hull began to spasm and twist uncontrollably, all the dark purple light on its surface flashing and flickering frantically like the neural reflexes of a dying creature. The energy conduits deeply pierced into the planet, like severed nerve endings, snapped from within one after another. The residual dark purple energy, like blood out of control, sprayed from the breaks, turning into brief and eerie purple-black 'fireworks' in the void.

Boom!!!

A few seconds later, when the silver-white light of Order had completely filled and purified the entire core, the massive Law Stealers collection ship finally underwent a total structural collapse from within! No massive cloud of debris was produced; instead, amidst a low muffled sound as if space itself were groaning, the entire hull disintegrated and dissipated like a sand sculpture crushed by an invisible giant hand, turning into an expanding cloud of relatively pure energy dust, purified and enveloped by a silver-white halo. Not even a single large piece of wreckage could be found.

One strike, just one strike! The Law Stealers' main collection ship, far larger than the light chaser, was wiped out!

The other two smaller collection ships were clearly completely deterred by this crushing scene of destruction, which far exceeded their logical processing capabilities. All their actions—whether waving tentacles, firing missiles, or attempting to initiate a jump—suffered a pathetic freeze in this instant. Within their chaotic thoughts, greed was instantly drowned by boundless fear.

“Two left.” Excellence flew calmly out of the slowly dissipating silver-white energy cloud, the wings of order on his back returning to their original spread form, flapping gently and remaining spotless. He turned around, his cold gaze like a physical blade sweeping over the two remaining enemy ships, which were shivering like frozen bugs.

“Flee! Escape immediately! Highest priority!” The two collection ships no longer dared to have any illusions, not even caring to cut the energy conduits connected to the planet. The dark purple light on their hulls flashed frantically at an unprecedented frequency, clearly activating some last-resort emergency jump or ultra-high-speed escape protocol, attempting to leave this star sector that had suddenly become a nightmare.

“Thinking of leaving now?” Excellence snorted coldly, the silver light in his eyes growing even brighter. He slowly extended his arms to both sides, and the light from the wings of order spread behind him became intense again. But this time, the light did not condense into the wings; instead, like a dandelion, countless silver-white Order energy threads, thin as hair but incredibly solid, separated from the edges of every 'light feather' of the wings! These threads seemed to have their own life and will, shooting toward the two frantically escaping collection ships at a speed of mental transmission that exceeded light!

“Order Authority: Conceptual Weaving — Heavenly Net: Binding!”

Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!

The silver-white energy threads were so fast they left afterimages in the visual field, instantly crossing the void and catching up with the two collection ships that were attempting to distort space and initiate a jump. These threads seemed to ignore physical rules, easily penetrating the dark purple shields they had hurriedly redeployed. Like the most agile weaving spiders, they precisely and rapidly wrapped the two warships from head to tail, from the main hull to the protruding tentacle stumps, over and over again, finally binding them into two enormous 'cocoons' shimmering with pure silver light! The power of Order flowing on the threads not only blocked all their propulsion and weapon systems on a physical level but also cut off their core power supply circuits on an energy level, continuously, gently, and firmly eroding and dismantling the complex and twisted energy runes and mechanical structures that constituted their 'law-stealing' functions.

The two collection ships were like ancient flying insects trapped in amber; all their struggles became futile and laughable. They could only emit weak, desperate mental fluctuations filled with fear and pleading within the web of silver threads, unable to move even a fraction of an inch.

At the same time, without the support of the energy source, the massive dark purple energy net trapping the Homeland Engineering Ship fleet also became dim and slack like a tent with its frame removed, finally turning into scattering purple-black light particles and disappearing. Several Engineering Ships and frigates, damaged but with their core structures intact, finally broke free. Although scarred and with weak shields, they had ultimately been saved.

Inside the bridge of the light chaser, a near-vacuum, eerie silence fell. There was only the slight hum of instruments operating and the somewhat heavy breathing of the crew. Su Mu, Evelyn, White Elder, and even the Fortress mecha pilots who watched the real-time scene through the battlefield data link, all stared blankly at the silver-white figure on the main screen—floating in the starry sky, wings of order brushing lightly, like one holding the authority of judgment—and at the two Law Stealers warships that were tied up tightly and completely defenseless. For a long time, no one could speak.

They knew Excellence was strong, knew he possessed the 'Order Origin,' knew he had the 'wings of order'... but in their expectations, facing one of these 'Ancient Remnants' that even the Sky Watchers would mention solemnly, a bitter battle was almost inevitable. However... the reality was that from the moment Excellence attacked, to the largest enemy ship being purified and disintegrated, to the remaining two ships being captured alive, the entire process was as smooth as flowing water, clean and efficient, taking... less than a hundred and eighty seconds?

This could no longer be described as 'strong'; this was a complete, unequal crushing in the very essence of power! That kind of effortless, masterful use of the 'power of Order,' that battle wisdom of knowing the enemy's core weaknesses like the back of one's hand and countering them precisely, that calm posture of being unhurried even when facing strong enemies—even carrying a hint of... 'experimentation' and 'verification'... was this still the same 'control-challenged individual' who not long ago was struggling with a bone china teacup in the training room and accidentally destroying walls and houses?

“Command... Commander... did he just... 'purify' a Law Stealers warship... out of existence?” a young Fortress mecha pilot murmured in the encrypted channel, his voice somewhat dry.

“...To be precise, it's 'conceptual disintegration' and 'energy-level purification'.” His captain, an experienced veteran, took a deep breath, trying to use more professional terms, but his voice was equally filled with shock. “Those silver-white lights... they counter them just like water counters fire.”

Su Mu was the first to force her consciousness back. She blinked hard, suppressing the complex surge of emotions in her heart—pride, relief, shock, and a sliver of instinctive awe toward this overwhelmingly powerful force that she was reluctant to admit. Clearing her throat, she shouted into the communicator in a voice that was as steady as possible but still tinged with excitement, "Excellence! Have you shown off enough?! Hurry up and drag those two 'silver cocoons' back for me! Also, immediately assess the damage to Planet XT-3! Engineering Ship, report your status!"

Hearing Su Mu's familiar voice, the coldness and majesty of a battlefield ruler on Excellence's face instantly melted away. He revealed a slightly boyish, somewhat embarrassed smile and scratched his head (an action that looked rather comical in the weightlessness of space). "Understood, Class Monitor. Coming right now."

With a slight thought, the silver-white Order Threads wrapped around the two captured ships tightened slightly. He adjusted their direction, pulling them steadily toward the light chaser like two giant, powerless balloons. Simultaneously, he diverted a portion of his mind, letting his Perception spread out toward the devastated Planet XT-3 below like gentle ripples of water.

The feedback from his Perception made Excellence furrow his brows. The planet's condition was worse than he had anticipated. Because its energy had been violently extracted, the crust had suffered widespread structural loosening and fractures, and the internal stress was extremely unstable. The planetary magnetic field was weak and chaotic. Most critically, more than a third of the energy core had been plundered; like a giant whose heart had been hollowed out, the planet was heading toward a slow but irreversible heat death and physical disintegration. Without intervention, this planet would completely 'die' within decades to centuries, or perhaps even break apart due to internal imbalance.

"Let's give it a try... Since 'Order' can negate Chaos and purify plundering... then can it also... 'smooth over wounds' and 'stabilize existence'?"

He recalled the feeling from his previous training when he used the power of Order to "comb through" energy turbulence and repair alloy walls. He also remembered the vague mentions in the information from White Elder and the Sky Watchers regarding the broader connotations of "Order"—it was not just about rules and confrontation, but also represented balance, harmony, and the stability of existence itself.

Excellence flew to the planet's low-Earth orbit, hovering above the "face" of the planet that was covered in hideous cracks. He slowly extended both hands, palms facing the planet as if embracing a wounded giant. The light from the wings of order behind him became softer and warmer than ever before, like moonlight falling or a mother's palm gently stroking an infant.

Closing his eyes, he sank his consciousness into the core of his Order Origin. He no longer mobilized the sharp powers of "negation" and "purification," but instead guided out the gentler and more profound aspects of Order that represented "stability," "balance," "healing," and "vitality."

"Order Authority: Existence Anchor—Smooth the scars, refortify the ley lines, awaken the breath of silence..."

A silent chant flowed through his heart. A silver-white light, as warm as spring sunshine, radiated from him like a gentle yet incredibly firm tide, slowly overflowing and penetrating the planetary surface below. This light was no longer blazing or dazzling; instead, it carried a subtle, nourishing power. It seeped into the dry cracks of the crust, smoothing the violent and chaotic energy turbulence within, reinforcing the geological structural nodes on the verge of collapse. It even acted like the most exquisite energy surgery, injecting a tiny spark of Order—carrying the concepts of "stability" and "balance"—into the nearly depleted core, temporarily maintaining its last spark of life and halting the trend toward immediate collapse.

This was not creation or restoration; it was more like performing a high-level life-support and trauma-stabilization surgery on a critically injured patient, gaining a sliver of precious time and opportunity for the planet's own minuscule possibility of self-repair, which would be measured in geological ages. The heart-wrenching speed at which the cracks on the surface were expanding slowed and stopped visibly. The originally chaotic energy radiation also became relatively peaceful. Even the planet's overall sense of "decay" and "deathly silence" seemed to be injected with a faint, indescribable "tranquility."

After finishing all this, even with Excellence's current energy reserves and control, fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and his breathing became slightly hurried. The cost of repairing and stabilizing a planet was far greater and more delicate than destroying a few enemy ships. But when he opened his eyes and saw that the planet below had temporarily "quieted down" and deviated from the path of immediate destruction, a strange, filling sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart—a deeper sense of achievement that was different from the victory of battle.

"So, the true meaning of 'Order' is not just the shield and sword of protection, but also the warmth and inclusion of healing..." He thought reflectively, as if his understanding of his own power had opened a new door.

Upon returning to the light chaser, he was greeted by the gazes of everyone. In those eyes, there was unabashed admiration and wonder, the pride and trust of comrades-in-arms, the shock of witnessing great power, and a faint, indescribable awe of the unknown and mysterious.

"Great job, kid!" Su Mu was the first to rush up, patting his shoulder heavily. This time she remembered to restrain her strength, but the excitement in her eyes was hard to suppress.

"The combat data is extremely valuable! Your 'conceptual application,' 'morphological transformation,' and final 'stabilization intervention' of Order power have all exceeded previous theoretical models! Especially the 'stabilization treatment' of the planet—though only temporary, its principles and energy structure must be recorded and analyzed in detail!" Evelyn had already entered a state of pure scientific frenzy, her eyes shining as she stared at the data streams flashing wildly on several light screens in front of her, her fingers dancing across the virtual keyboard like a blur.

White Elder stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes full of relief and a deeper level of appreciation. "Excellent. To hone the blade through battle, and to prove the Dao through use. What you have done today is not just repelling the enemy and capturing the culprits, but also validating the multi-dimensional authority of 'Order' in actual combat. From 'negating plunder' to 'healing wounds,' your understanding of the essence of 'Order' has gradually moved from the level of 'force' to the edge of 'Principle' and 'Dao.' This battle is of extraordinary significance to your growth."

The two Law Stealers collection ships, firmly bound by the silver-white Order Threads, were now being carefully controlled by the physical tractor beams of the light chaser and the newly freed Engineering Ship. They were prepared as extremely precious spoils of war and research subjects to be towed back to the Homeland for in-depth analysis. Although many key energy structures and data storage units related to their "stealing" functions had likely been destroyed or rendered ineffective under the erosion of Order power, even the remaining hull structures, material samples, and potentially preserved flight log fragments held immeasurable research value.

The rescue operation was a complete success. Not only did they successfully rescue the distressed fleet, but they also destroyed one Law Stealers warship and captured two others. Furthermore, they obtained valuable combat data and new insights into the application of "Order power." It was a brilliant victory.

However, just as everyone was relaxing and preparing to activate the jump engines for the return journey, Evelyn, who had been staring at the data stream, suddenly let out a short, startled gasp.

"Wait... something's not right!" Her voice suddenly became exceptionally grave, even carrying a rare tension. "I've captured an extremely fragmented, rapidly dissipating internal command log fragment from the energy cloud of that destroyed Law Stealers main ship! Their plundering... doesn't seem to be just for their own energy reserves or material collection!"

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on her.

Evelyn quickly projected the log fragment, which had undergone emergency repair and preliminary decoding, onto the main screen. On the screen were distorted runes unique to the Law Stealers, flashing with a dark purple eerie light. Beside them was the real-time translation text provided by The Weave, combined with White Elder's ancient language knowledge base (though many parts remained blurred or ambiguous):

[...Comply with... the summons of the 'Feast'... The invitation from the 'Lord of the Grand Feast'... is about to be delivered... Must prepare... abundant 'Feast Offerings' (High-quality planetary cores/High-energy lifeform essence)... and... precise 'Seat' coordinates (Special Order node identification)... in exchange for... the qualification to enter the 'Eternal Feast'... and... the Lord's blessing...]

[In this star sector... detected... extremely high-quality 'Seat' candidate (pointing to the unique, high-dimensional Order fluctuation characteristics emitted by Excellence during his previous battle and planet repair)... Accelerate collection process... Must prepare 'Feast Offerings' before the 'Messenger' arrives in this sector...]

"Lord of the Grand Feast"—this ancient and eerie title, listed as one of the potential threats in the information passed by the Sky Watchers, was like a bolt of cold lightning that instantly shattered the brief, relaxed atmosphere on the bridge!

"They... they came here to plunder under someone's Orders?" Su Mu's voice was very low, carrying an unbelievable chill. "It's to prepare 'ingredients' for the 'banquet' and a 'seat number' for that 'Lord of the Grand Feast'? And Excellence... is the 'seat number' they've targeted?!"

"I'm afraid it's more than just being 'targeted'." White Elder's expression was more solemn than ever, his fingers stroking his beard pausing slightly. "Judging from the log fragments, they have marked the Order fluctuations emitted by Excellence as a kind of high-quality 'coordinate.' This 'coordinate' might be a 'beacon' used to guide that Lord of the Grand Feast or his 'Messenger' to precisely locate this place. And plundering the planetary core is the 'entrance fee' or 'tribute' prepared for that being. The Law Stealers' role here is more like that of 'servants' preparing the venue and ingredients in advance for a 'grand banquet.'"

"So, by killing and capturing these 'servants' and ruining their 'preparations,' it's equivalent to..." A Fortress pilot swallowed hard.

"Equivalent to potentially directly alerting the 'Host' behind the scenes, and perhaps even causing the so-called 'Messenger' to arrive early, or in an even less friendly manner," Evelyn finished the sentence for him, her face turning somewhat pale.

Excellence's expression also became extremely unsightly. Not only was he being treated as prey, but he was also being used as "bait" and a "road sign" to attract an even more terrifying existence? This feeling of being secretly marked and calculated was far more disgusting and alarming than a head-on battle.

"This place has become a den of trouble and cannot be stayed in for long." White Elder made a prompt decision, his tone brooks no argument. "Immediately gather all ships, carry the captives and the wounded, activate the jump engines at maximum power, and return to the Homeland at full speed! We must buy time to analyze this intelligence, reinforce our defenses, and discuss countermeasures. If that Lord of the Grand Feast is true to his name, he is definitely not someone easy to deal with, and his way of doing things is likely incomparable to the straightforward plundering of the Law Stealers."

The light chaser and the rescued Engineering Ship fleet immediately completed their gathering with maximum efficiency. Towing the two captive ships, with engines at full throttle and jump disruptors at maximum power output, they turned into several fleeting streaks of light and disappeared from this star sector toward the Homeland.

The starry sky returned to a deathly silence, leaving only the scarred Planet XT-3, its injuries temporarily stabilized, and some drifting energy wreckage to silently witness the brief but shocking confrontation that had just occurred.

However, about one standard hour after the light chaser jumped away, in that region of space that had been violently disturbed by Excellence's "Order Fists of Collapse," "Heavenly Rift Streamer Slash," and final "Existence Anchor," an extremely faint, almost imperceptible distorted ripple—carrying a sweetness that was sickeningly cloying mixed with a sense of frantic clamor—began to ripple out silently and slowly, like a drop of strange oil dropped into an absolutely calm lake. It was as if some unnameable, incomprehensible existence, across endless distant dimensions and time, had been attracted by the lingering, special resonance of "Order" and "resistance" here, casting a sliver of playful and expectant... "attention" toward this direction.

[Interesting... a strong and pure fragrance of 'Order'... an intense resonance of 'resistance'... and... a 'sacrifice' that was defiled and then barely patched up...]

[The banquet... seems to have an unexpected appetizer... and... an interesting, uninvited... guest...]

[Expectation... the feast... is about to... heat up...]

The faint whispers, sounding like countless overlapping echoes, flashed for a moment in the crack between reality and illusion before falling into silence.

A new crisis, like a giant net already spread out, had perceived the struggle of its prey. And the "guest" who was about to appear this time would likely far exceed any challenge the Homeland and Excellence had faced before in terms of danger and eeriness.

Excellence sat in the cabin of the high-speed returning light chaser, gazing at the distorted starlight outside the window that had been stretched into long strips by the jump, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.

"Lord of the Grand Feast"... an existence whose very title inspired ill omens and disgust. You want to treat me as the "main course" of the banquet? You want to use the Homeland and the suffering of countless living beings as a "sideshow"?

He slowly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. The warm and majestic Order Origin within his body seemed to sense the agitation of its master's thoughts, emitting a low and powerful resonance pulse.

"Whether you are the 'Lord of the Grand Feast' or some other ghostly thing..." Excellence whispered to himself, his voice not loud but carrying a decisive finality, "If you want to touch my Homeland, if you want to treat me as a meal on your plate..."

He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cabin and the endless starry sky, staring directly at that malicious gaze that might be hidden behind the dimensions.

"Then get ready to have your teeth smashed in."

The omens of the storm were already clearly audible, and the protector's fighting spirit was also boiling in silence. The chess game was sliding toward an even more unfathomable turbulence.