From Cannon Fodder to Star Conqueror

20 seconds later.

On the control panel screen of the core communication room's main door, red text kept flashing: "Command Error, Unable to Execute!"

Judas' brows furrowed deeply, forming the shape of the Chinese character "川" (chuan).

The current situation made him, who had just confidently declared "20 seconds!", break out in a cold sweat.

"Cough… It seems the security system here has undergone an independent upgrade."

"My decryption program was primarily developed for the base's standard security systems."

"But don't worry, give me a bit more time, and I can definitely crack it!"

Judas wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm, tilting his head slightly.

"We might not have that much time."

Amber stepped forward, looking at the still-sealed door, and took the terminal from Judas' hands.

"Let me take a look."

The screen displayed a command window.

After entering a few familiar basic commands and successfully executing them, Amber grinned.

The hacking mechanics in Starfield were quite hardcore.

The development team had based the mechanics on real programming languages, making it tough for casual players to master.

Most players didn't bother studying hacking mechanics. Instead, they bought quick-hack devices from the market, kept them in their inventory, and simply plugged them into electronic systems for instant hacks.

Amber, however, was different.

In real life, he had been a programmer. So, he quickly adapted to the hacking mechanics in the game.

In fact, when he first started playing and was short on resources, he even charged other players to perform hacks for them.

After realizing that Judas' hacking program was almost identical to those in the game, Amber relaxed.

The security program used in the core control room was also one he had encountered early in the game's hacking mechanics.

"Hmm… I remember this program."

"When the last security center update rolled out, it actually added a backdoor."

Amber's fingers danced rapidly across the virtual keyboard projected from the terminal. His speed and precision left the others stunned.

"Found it! This is the backdoor!"

"Huh? Did you also write a virus along with this hack? Nice, that saves us a lot of trouble."

Amber laughed, patting Judas on the shoulder.

Judas froze awkwardly, sneaking a glance at Margaret.

He immediately caught the look in her eyes—two words clearly expressed:

"That's it?"

Fortunately, Amber, the master of defusing awkward situations, stepped in again.

"Woohoo! Done! The door lock is disabled—we can enter anytime now~"

Amber removed the terminal and tossed it back to Judas before taking out the last flashbang grenade from his belt.

Amber held a high opinion of this modified flashbang.

While Judas might have lacked hacking skills, his weapon-modification abilities weren't half-bad.

The next step required no further discussion.

Amber took the lead as the attacker, while the other two provided support.

Seeing Amber nod in readiness and pull the pin on the flashbang grenade, Judas immediately used the terminal to open the core communication room's door.

As the sliding door cracked open, Amber threw the grenade inside with pinpoint accuracy.

The primer pin released, triggering the firing pin, which ignited the fuse.

2.5 seconds later, the fuse burned out, igniting the magnesium charge inside the grenade.

Judas' modifications boosted the flashbang's output to over 180 decibels and an intensely blinding light.

The soldiers in the communication room had already sensed something was wrong when the power was cut.

When they couldn't contact the two guards outside the door, panic began to set in.

In theory, they should have immediately sent out warnings and distress signals.

But the soldiers stationed at Yasin Base had grown far too complacent during peacetime. Their reaction speed was ridiculously slow.

Amber's team's swift and decisive actions further compressed their response time.

As the door automatically slid open, the soldiers instinctively turned toward it—only to see a "little toy" flying in.

"We're screwed."

That was the last thought in their minds before losing consciousness.

If they had been wearing basic combat gear with helmets and noise-canceling headsets, things might have been different.

But in the peace of the communication center, no one bothered with such equipment.

After all, sitting at a station for hours in full combat gear was a nightmare for the waist.

So, the airburst flashbang grenade incapacitated everyone on the spot.

Amber entered the core communication room unopposed.

Looking at the soldiers who hadn't even managed to draw their weapons, Amber regretfully lowered his automatic shotgun.

Ever since taking down two powered-armors earlier, Amber had been riding a high.

He couldn't tell if it was due to the body's memories affecting his psyche, but he felt no hesitation about shooting other people.

"Damn… am I turning into some kind of bloodthirsty battle maniac?"

After confirming that all the soldiers were unconscious, Amber instructed Margaret and Judas to tie their hands behind their backs with restraints.

Meanwhile, he locked the door and approached the massive terminal at the center of the room.

"Do we just need to destroy this thing?"

Amber operated the terminal as he spoke to Margaret.

"Exactly. To be safe, I plan to blow it up completely."

Margaret finished tying the last soldier, stood up, and nodded.

"Judas, are the explosives ready?"

Hearing her question, Judas took off his backpack and pulled out some high-energy explosives.

Who knew how this tech specialist had managed to stockpile such materials?

"I'll handle the setup. I modified it for directional blasting. But just to be safe, you two should step back when it's time."

Judas carried the explosives to the back of the terminal, positioning them to destroy its core components directly.

If the Imperial fleet successfully wiped out the defensive fleet and gained air superiority, the Federal forces on Planet Robert IV would be cut off from external communications.

At the moment Judas moved to the back of the terminal—out of sight of Amber and Margaret—he saw his chance.

Determined to carry out his orders, Judas drew a pistol hidden in a holster under his arm and flipped off the safety.

(End of Chapter)