From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 800 Buhao, sugar-coated bullets are coming

Amber walked around the tiger-headed man Hus for the last time, her face thoughtful.

His eyes wandered over the burly Roma man, trying to find any clues that might be related to the Forerunner civilization.

Unfortunately, apart from the white fur with black stripes and the chubby and honest appearance, he couldn't find anything unusual.

"Okay, Huss~ You can go back and continue organizing the training." Amber patted the other's shoulder, signaling him to stop standing.

"Yes, Boss!"

Hus breathed a sigh of relief, saluted with a standard military salute, and then asked doubtfully: "Excuse me, is there anything I didn't do well enough?"

"No, you did great. I was just, uh, curious about your species and happened to be passing by so I came to take a look."

Amber answered with a smile, and the special frequency psychic energy he released also made the tiger-headed man Hus slowly relax.

After a moment, Amber thought of something and continued to ask, "By the way, we are about to go to your hometown. What are you looking forward to?"

A bright light flashed in Hus's eyes, and a look of joy that was hard to conceal appeared on his face. "Being able to see the double-moon night sky again and smell the scent of the forest in my hometown is what I have always dreamed of, Boss. Although I know we may not be able to leave the fortress, just being able to be close to my hometown is enough to make me feel satisfied."

Amber nodded, thinking to herself: It is hard to associate the sincere emotions of these Roma people with the cold-blooded pioneer civilization that Salih mentioned.

However, since Saleh made this guess, it is indeed necessary for him to dig deeper in this direction after going to the Thousand Star Empire.

Thinking of this, Amber looked at the tiger-headed man in front of her again.

"By the way, Hus, have you ever heard any stories about the origins of you Roma people? Whether it's history, folk rumors, or legends, it doesn't matter."

“Our Romani origins?”

When Hus heard Amber's question, he frowned and began to recall something in his mind.

"There are indeed many unconfirmed rumors and legends, but the general content is actually the same, that is, we Roma people were about to encounter a catastrophe, and it was the rescue of the elves that allowed us to preserve the flame of civilization. Later, the elves provided us with a series of help, so that we Roma people were able to continue."

Amber: "Besides the elves, are there any other forces involved in these rumors and legends?"

"Other forces? I've never heard of this."

Hus shook his head, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, as if he didn't understand why Amber suddenly asked this question.

"Well, that's fine, I was just asking casually~"

Seeing that he couldn't find any useful information for a while, Amber planned to end the conversation, but at this moment he saw Huss on the opposite side hesitating, as if he wanted to say something.

"What's wrong? Don't be so reserved. Just say whatever you want to say."

"Boss, it's nothing special. I just suddenly remembered a rumor I heard when I was a kid. But it was too outrageous so I didn't say it out loud."

Hus raised his paw and scratched his head, with an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Tell me quickly."

"When I was very young, I heard a rumor from the elders and shamans that it was us Roma who paid a huge price to save the elves, but later for various reasons, we were controlled by the elves and the truth was concealed."

Amber: "Is there such a thing?"

"I also heard it from hearsay, and few people know about this kind of rumor. I am not sure what the specific rumor is, Boss."

Hus's hearsay "wild history" made Amber fall silent again. Although the rumor was indeed a bit outrageous, since there was such a rumor, it was likely that there was a related prototype event.

"I see. Your 'rumor' is quite interesting. Let's leave it at that for today. Don't let me disturb your training."

Amber, who couldn't think of anything for a while, waved her hand, turned and left the training ground.

Behind him, Huss shouted towards the center of the training ground, and the players who had been whispering just now immediately regrouped and continued their training.

The sound of metal colliding with metal, the shouting of various tactical instructions, and heavy breathing once again filled the entire training ground.

Amber boarded the commuter train back home. Outside the train window, the scene inside the Crown Fortress flashed by like a kaleidoscope.

Sometimes, he still felt a little unreal - this giant artificial celestial body, capable of accommodating millions of people, had become one of the most powerful weapons in his hands.

What is even more untrue is that although this fortress nominally belongs to the Star Dragon Empire, it is actually controlled by the Atlas Group.

"It really is true that 'getting something for free is fun for a while, getting something for free all the time is fun all the time'."

After returning to his office, Amber also saw a message from Lilith on the virtual screen in the room. A simple line of text reminded him that Her Majesty Agnes would board the Crown Fortress with her entourage in three days.
-
Three days later, in the No. 1 deployment bay of the Crown Fortress, the brand-new flagship of the Star Dragon Empire Royal Navy slowly sailed into the huge dock inside the Crown Fortress.

From a third-party perspective, the flagship looked like a small fish swimming into the belly of a whale compared to this man-made celestial fortress.

In the docking port, Amber stood in the reception area, with the neatly lined-up bionic guard of honor and Roma Marines behind her.

The former wore uniform uniforms, held high the flags of the Star Dragon Empire and the Atlas Group, and played the traditional hymns of the Imperial Royal Family, appearing solemn and dignified.

The latter were fully armed with combat exoskeletons and stood in line behind Amber and the others, exuding a murderous aura.

Such a grand ceremony was enough to show sufficient respect to the Queen of the Star Dragon Empire, while also reminding the other party of the actual ownership of the Crown Fortress.

When one of the flagship's hatches docked with the port, the airlock door slowly opened, and Agnes walked out under the protection of a group of accompanying officials, Natalia and the accompanying imperial guards.

This time, she changed into a royal dark purple military dress that showed off her perfect figure. Her long hair was piled high, and the tips of the two horns on her head flashed a cold light under the lights inside the fortress.

Amber took a step forward and bowed slightly, making a full gesture.

"Welcome to the Crown Fortress, Your Majesty."

Agnes's eyes swept across the neatly arranged bionic guards of honor behind Amber and the murderous Roma Marines, then fell back on Amber, her expression complex and subtle.

In name, the fortress was indeed hers, but she would have thought it was a fantasy that she needed Amber's permission to climb up.

"Thank you for the arrangement, Mr. Amber."

Agnes maintained a proper smile, but there was a hint of something different in her tone.

"It seems that with the preparations of the Atlas Group, 'my' Crown Fortress has reached its best condition."

Amber smiled back with the same decency: "Everything is for the glory of your majesty. This fortress will become the most powerful shield for the Star Dragon Empire."

Agnes nodded slightly, and then under the guidance of Amber, the group began to move towards the interior of the fortress.

Walking in the wide passage leading to the commuter train station, among Agnes's entourage, Natalia's eyes were always scanning the surroundings vigilantly, especially when those Roma Marines appeared in her sight, her hands would always unconsciously rest on her weapons.

"Your Majesty, we have prepared the most comfortable accommodation for you. There is also an area in the fortress specially prepared for your entourage." Amber introduced as she walked.

Agnes responded calmly, "You are very thoughtful. Mr. Amber, I am very curious about the mission of the fleet that left the fortress a few days ago. I noticed that they were not heading towards the Thousand Star Empire."

Amber's steps did not pause at all, and her expression did not change at all: "It's just a routine resource exploration mission, Your Majesty~ We have discovered some undeveloped asteroid belts in a certain star field, which contain a large number of rare minerals."

Agnes narrowed her eyes, clearly not quite believing this explanation, but now was not the best time to ask further questions.

The conversation between the two men fell into silence for a moment, leaving only the thumping of boots on the metal floor echoing in the passage.

At the same time, Saleh was standing in the command room of the Eternity, her eyes fixed on the endless void in the hyperspace.

Although visually there was nothing but endless darkness and tiny starlight, she knew that in that seemingly empty void there was an ancient observatory hidden.

"Currently, the jump path is normal and the hyperspace channel remains stable. It is estimated that it will take more than ten days to complete the jump. Director Saleh, would you like to take a rest first?"

Cliffs, sitting in the captain's seat, asked Saleh. Looking at this 'Forerunner Technical Director' who had been wearing a fully enclosed helmet since he boarded the ship, Cliffs always had a feeling of being in contact with the 'unknown'.

Salih nodded, and her voice came out through the loudspeaker of the helmet:
"Thank you for your concern, Commander Cleves. But this mission was assigned by the Boss himself, and the destination is full of dangers and unknowns, so I dare not take it lightly."

As Saleh spoke, she walked to the panoramic porthole, crossed her arms across her chest, and her eyes flashed with a complicated light.

As a former deacon of the Forerunner think tank, she knew these observatories far better than anyone else on the ship, but even so, she still felt a little uneasy when facing this ancient facility that had been dormant for millions of years.

But she quickly calmed herself down, and then muttered to herself as if to encourage herself:
"Salih, don't be nervous. Just do what you should do. Also, don't worry Amber. I will try my best to get information and ensure safety."
-
Two days later, the Crown Fortress finally completed the final preparations, and the huge power unit started up, emitting a low roar.

This artificial celestial body slowly left its parking orbit and, surrounded by its escort fleet, began to accelerate towards the direction of the Thousand Star Empire's waterway.

Inside the fortress, Agnes stood on the walkway outside her own cabin, looking at the slowly moving starry sky outside the window with a complicated expression.

Behind her, Natalia reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, according to the plan, I tried to arrange for the accompanying imperial guards to garrison key positions in the fortress, but the Atlas Group has been blocking them for various reasons. The other party has obviously been on guard. At the same time, I have arranged for people to collect as much information as possible about the fleet that left."

Agnes nodded slightly: "What about Isabel?"

"I will hold her back in the name of intelligence exchange. She will attend a mutual intelligence exchange meeting tonight, which will last at least four hours."

"very good."

Agnes turned around, a look of determination in her eyes: "Prepare my dress, I need to meet Mr. Amber in person tonight."

Natalia was slightly stunned, then she understood Agnes' intention: "Your Majesty, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I need to know what he's hiding." Agnes' voice was low and firm. "Sometimes a woman's way is more effective than force."

When the set time of the Crown Fortress comes to night, the lights in the entire fortress, including most of the living areas, are dimmed except for the 24-hour duty area, simulating the night on the surface.

Amber was processing some documents in her room when she suddenly received a message from Isabel: She had just received an intelligence exchange meeting suddenly initiated by the Star Dragon Empire, and she had to attend as the intelligence director of the Atlas Group.

Amber looked at the message and frowned slightly.

Isabel rarely encounters such emergencies, especially during such a sensitive period. He was about to contact Lilith to confirm the situation when the doorbell rang.

"Who?" Amber stood up and instantly guessed the identity of the visitor.

"It's me, Mr. Amber."

As expected, Agnes' voice came from outside the door, with an unusual softness.

Amber raised an eyebrow and understood something instantly.

While Isabel was being restrained, Her Majesty Agnes came to visit late at night. Coupled with the other party's previous curiosity about the Saleh fleet, this was obviously not a coincidence.

This also means that the "sugar-coated bullet" of the Queen of the Star Dragon Empire is about to strike.

Amber straightened her clothes and walked to the door. As the door of the room slid aside, Agnes' figure appeared outside the door.

He was alone, without any attendants or other entourage.

Her long hair was loose, shining softly under the lights of the fortress. She was wearing a tight burgundy dress that outlined her perfect figure. The neckline of the dress dropped boldly, revealing her snow-white skin and a faint cleavage.

Although Amber couldn't see her back, she could guess that the back would naturally be an 'elegant' hollow design, which was used to perfectly show off her tight, cupping-friendly back lines.

"Your Majesty, what's the matter at this late hour?"

Amber kept smiling politely and stepped aside to make way.

Agnes entered the room, smelling faintly of a scent, a unique perfume with the scent of crisp mountain breeze and sweet flowers.

"I just can't sleep, so I want Mr. Amber to have a drink with me."

(End of this chapter)