130: Damn traitors! They're the real thieves!

Added chapter for the reward from Boss 2S38 9.26 on 9.26 (1/1)

Today, I received two more Explosive Update Flower rewards from Boss Keqing Who Loves Saving the World and Boss Shu Feng.

Debt: 18 - 1 + 2 = 19 chapters

..."Thump, thump, thump—";

"Poo-chee—Poo-chee—"

The short, thick mechanical legs stepped across the steel deck, as the red and white square body slowly advanced.

The corridor had been cleared during the recent fierce attack, and the ground was littered with Alien limbs and body parts.

Occasionally, a few blind Aliens would rush out from nearby passages, only to quickly be pulverized into paste by the metal storm of the 40MM multi-barreled autocannon.

Soon, Revenkro reached the end of the passage—where a large hole had been blasted through a wall, and on the other side stood a group of red and blue Marines.

After just one glance, he walked straight up to the young captain wearing red powered armor—judging by the helmet, he was the 9-89th Legion member with the highest rank present.

Then, the heavy mecha performed a stomp-and-stand-at-attention motion, and the electronic voice rang out—

"9-89th Legion, First Mobile Fleet Direct Command Detachment 'Changxi' ship crew member, Revenrok, reporting for duty!"

The captain looked at the saluting mecha before him and, without any physical gesture, simply said calmly:

"9-89th Legion, Legion Direct Quick Reaction Marine Corps, Ninth Tactical Battalion, 7th Squad Captain, Grolar.

You will be assigned to this unit from now on, serving as the operator for a heavy firepower support unit. Understand?"

"Yes!"

Watching Revenkro agree without hesitation,

Grolar showed no reaction externally, but internally, he was ecstatic—

The two refrigerators containing our own people that the regiment just acquired have now all been tricked into joining my squad!

This is fantastic!!!

Don't let this hasty process fool you;

Because their Legion previously lacked supplies so severely, the standing custom on the battlefield was always "what's on the ground is mine." It was extremely common for frontline units like this to temporarily add personnel and equipment on the battlefield.

If he manages to register these two mechas into the unit records when they return,

Good, they're mine.

Moreover, these two mechas don't even need their paint changed.

Thinking this, he casually said to Revenkro,

"Alright, don't be so stiff. Once you join the squad, we're family."

"Next time we get a chance, I'll take you to loot the Blue Cans' landing craft."

Gunnar stopped the man at the appropriate moment,

"Hey, hey, hey, that's enough. I'm still here,"

"If you want a landing craft, just apply for one directly."

"It will be approved in less than a day."

Grolar retorted:

"That's different. You guys are the direct lineage; you have parental support everywhere you go."

"What if we are left unsupervised again someday?"

"Stock up now. Maybe we'll need to use them for another few hundred years."

"It's a rare occasion for the Empire to remember us."

Gunnar could only shake his head helplessly.

These friendly forces... they count their bullets, use powered armor that is practically falling apart, and when they charge into close combat, they are clearly the main force, yet they are more reckless than the Ultramarines.

It just goes to show that habits formed over centuries of struggling to make ends meet cannot be changed overnight.

Thus, a consensus formed among the Ultramarines—

Since there's no malice, just give them what they want. Once they get used to having superiors and supplies, they naturally won't steal equipment from friendly forces anymore.

"Fine, if you still need anything, just tell us, and we'll share it with you,"

"But you should also continue applying to see if the speed of supply delivery is as fast as I said."

Watching the two converse, Revenkro's attention was drawn to Gunnar.

Only then did he notice that the friendly forces beside him seemed different than before—

Their equipment was updated, their morale was higher, and the severely worn parts of their powered armor had been replaced with new ones.

Moreover, there was a group of friendly forces standing nearby, dressed in slightly different blue powered armor, all sporting golden trinkets and accessories, whom he hadn't seemed to have seen before.

Many questions arose in his mind,

And the first one was—

"Captain, did we have this kind of mecha before?"

Grolar removed his captain-colored helmet and slowly said:

"Of course we didn't before, but—we do now."

"These are refrigerator mecha sponsored by our friendly forces as a gesture of friendship,"

"And—our Legion has been designated a titled Legion!"

"Now, our official designation is the 9-89th 'Guardian Angels' Legion!"

Revenkro looked at the captain before him and asked, still in disbelief:

"Then... who are they? And what you just said, that our Legion has a higher authority now, is that... true!!"

Grolar looked at the observation window on the mecha and said:

"Of course it's true! Now, we have a Navy Supreme Director! A direct superior!"

"They are the reinforcement troops brought by that Supreme Director!"

"Hey, let me tell you, everyone in the regiment took advantage of this time to replace all the parts on their powered armor that were too rotten to use!"

"Can you believe that the people the Supreme Director brought are even more formidable than Minister Gabriel's logistics department?"

"They literally have everything!"

"Oh, right,"

"I also need to take this time to stock up on mecha parts and ammunition for you two. I almost forgot."

"..."

Listening to the talkative captain, Revenkro looked toward another part of the Bridge—

That was another red and white mecha.

Judging by its square shape, it was the same model as his.

Currently, the limiter on its right mechanical arm was open, and an Alien was impaled upon it, spinning frantically.

Grolar explained at the right moment,

"That Alien is the one who ordered you two to be tortured—she came first, so we handed it over to her."

Revenkro nodded. He took a step, and a slightly trembling mechanical voice sounded—

"Celine—is that you?"

..."Commander, the capture of the Alien flagship has been completed."

"Except for the four leaders, all other Aliens have been exterminated."

"However, we captured 13 rebellious heretics who are personnel from the Imperial Tax Administration Department!"

Inside the storm's Bridge, Xi Hai nodded upon hearing Gunnar's report—

Whatever else, their efficiency was certainly high.

The staff officer from the 9-89th (Guardian Angels) Legion who had come along stood aside.

When he heard the brief confession regarding those Taxation Department heretics—that they had intercepted all the weapons and equipment allocated by the Empire to the 9-89th Legion and handed them over to the Aliens—

The gray-haired man immediately burst into tears—

"Supreme Director, sir!"

"The equipment installed on the Alien Warships were originally the supplies we applied for!"

"When we fought the Aliens, we filled the gaps with our lives!"

"We had no choice but to scratch them off the Taxation Department's Warships when they were committing evil,"

"And yet, they branded us with the title of a thieving Legion—"

"But! They were clearly the biggest thieves!"

Looking at the emotional staff officer, Xi Hai tried to console him:

"It's alright. I will be responsible for your supplies from now on."

"I promise that within a month, all your Warships and equipment will be replaced with new ones."

"If the Empire doesn't care about you, I will;"

"If the Empire doesn't care about the lives of the people, I will."

"I swear by the name of Chusiro: equipment, ammunition, Warships, everything—you will never lack anything again."

Unexpectedly, the staff officer immediately froze, and then, as if realizing something, he instantly stood at attention and shouted:

"We pledge our lives to serve His Majesty Chusiro!"

"Wait, wait, wait, you can't call me that yet. Endure it for a while!"

"Yes! We pledge our lives to serve the Grand Duke!"

...