132: That was the Third Era

(Bonus chapter [1/1] for the reward received on 9.27 from Big Boss Ye Xie, who loves eating homemade wontons)

(Received a showering of rewards for bonus chapters today from Big Boss Mu Wen Gui Qi, debt balance: 19-1+1=19)

...On the Bridge of that alien Warship,

Xi Hai held a small notebook filled with the contents of his conversations with members of the 9-89th Legion.

After summarizing and compiling the contents of the long conversation, which lasted more than ten hours, Xi Hai tentatively identified three problems existing within the 9-89th Legion.

First, a lack of confidence in logistics, leading them to habitually 'borrow' equipment from allied forces on the spot;

Second, distrust of superiors, constantly fearing they would return to a state of being unsupervised;

Finally, opaque command structure. Although the soldiers within the Legion possessed adequate tactical skills, they lacked strategic literacy,

These issues almost turned the entire 9-89th Legion into a ticking time bomb.

He also tentatively summarized the reasons for the formation of these problems:

First, as the saying goes, fortune harbors misfortune. Centuries of being orphans prevented them from being corrupted by the Empire, even fostering a sense of collective honor and belonging,

However, this also led them to gradually develop the habit of sustaining war through war, making the seizing of equipment on the battlefield—whether from enemies or allies—an everyday occurrence;

At the same time, their recruitment system involved local recruitment and local service, without any dispersal or mixed assignments,

This resulted in distinct regional styles among their combat units, with each group possessing its own set of small secrets, leading to opaque command—even after multiple reorganizations;

Finally, and this was a critical weakness, although the veterans brought out a group of excellent soldiers when they left, they failed to leave behind an excellent "General."

Julius and his group were more like people thrust into responsibility, and the most mature among them was Gabriel, who constantly mediated among the group for logistical coordination—

"Clap!"

After writing down the final note, Xi Hai closed the small notebook in his hand,

He made up his mind that upon returning, he must devise a plan for a complete overhaul of the entire 9-89th Legion.

But now—

"Commander, the suspected third era relic you requested has seemingly been found."

Gunnar's communication came through... it was a conspicuous box.

It was wedged outside the Power Room and the Central Control Room, adorned with an icon of four hands clasped together, and bilingual labels in Human Common Language and Alien Script.

There was a device similar to a mainframe on it. Xi Hai inwardly cursed, knowing that night lamp's Attack Module was still plugged into another mainframe,

He could only walk over first and try pressing the button on it,

Instantly, a light screen emerged from it, scanning his entire body,

Subsequently, a mechanical voice speaking in the Human Common Language sounded—

"Detected subject is male human. Target does not meet standards. Startup refused."

"Please perform the startup ritual devoutly after purifying yourself of the grave Original Sin you carry."

"???"

What the heck? Original Sin?

Xi Hai suddenly felt as if he were back on that afternoon scrolling through Bilibili, where just a few videos later, he was saddled with blame and covered in labels.

(This meme originates from Bilibili, where you often see videos that 'deconstruct groups' and then slander or joke about a specific demographic, common examples being: Genshin players, product consumers, Mi fans, otaku, etc...)

At this moment, Gunnar looked at the device and asked tentatively:

"After all, it's something from an alien ship,"

"Do you think... perhaps the authorization is insufficient, which is why it won't open?"

Authorization?

Xi Hai, who had not yet realized the seriousness of the problem, replied:

"Then bring the alien leader over and try it."

"Let's see if his authorization is sufficient."

While waiting, Xi Hai instructed night lamp to start generating a new Electronic Intrusion Module, so that next time they encountered this situation, they wouldn't just stare helplessly at the treasure before them.

Soon, the alien leader, who had been dragged out of the Medical Bay, was hauled over.

Its horrifying injuries had already healed, but its limbs remained in a twisted shape.

The moment it saw Xi Hai, it trembled and curled up again, muttering incomprehensible words,

(Rumble, rumble... [Demon!])

Seeing the alien's repulsive appearance, Xi Hai directly gestured to the two Marines dragging it, telling them to throw it onto the mainframe's scanning area,

The light screen scanned it again, but this time the voice said—

"We extend our highest respect to the prosperous and coexisting Star Sea Alliance family!"

"Noble partners of humanity—the Gulu'er Race, welcome your visit."

What the hell? This thing is noble?

Then the rats biting people in the streets during the ancient 3K Era could be called great!

Xi Hai immediately felt a wave of nausea—Star Sea Alliance? What kind of aesthetic do these guys have?

"Throw him back. This fellow is still useful—he will die, but not here."

After giving instructions on the alien's whereabouts, Xi Hai began searching through the mainframe.

Without night lamp's Attack Module, and without file organization,

Xi Hai's efficiency in browsing the mainframe was significantly reduced.

Finally, after going through a large number of navigation logs (automatically recorded), more descriptive documents gradually appeared,

"Praise the Great Star Sea Alliance"

"Resolution on Providing Technological Support and Protection to Sentient Beings"

"..."

...All documents were bilingual, marked in Human Common Language and alien language, and every document praised a nearly deformed form of coexistence,

A corner of a grand era was revealed—

The Third Epoch, filled with hope and despair.