The idea of someone capable of challenging the Red Cloak in a scrapped model Mecha was unimaginable. Perhaps their true power was beyond comprehension. Regardless, Feng Yi could not force them to stay, and thus, he generously provided each member a Mecha and basic supplies.

The Elder did not protest the decision, but John was left scratching his head in frustration. The commander thought it was madness, not only treating those who declined hospitality kindly but also providing them with Mecha and supplies. If he hadn't been instructed to let them pass without hindrance, he would have personally confronted Takla. Upon hearing news of Takla and his group's hasty departure, a gloomy John locked himself in his room, wanting no company.

"Communications officer, bring John to me."

Two minutes later, the communications officer reported back, stating that the commander did not wish to see anyone, including the Legion leader.

What a temper! This was the first time Feng Yi had seen John so agitated. Feng Yi couldn't help but chuckle. He was aware that Takla's personal combat power was nothing remarkable, but considering the tense situation in Mardis, aiding Takla was essentially aiding himself. After all, Takla's influence in the central region was well-known, prompting Saudi to employ public execution tactics to wage psychological warfare. In reality, their antics served only to buyTime for Feng Yi's strategies.

In truth, what these resistance fighters lacked least was experience. They possessed high combat standards, mental resilience, and adaptability honed over time. What they were missing was teamwork and the knowledge to utilize powerful Mechas and modernized equipment. Of course, an AI commander would be a much-appreciated addition. Once all was prepared, all they would need was the right opportunity.

Even though time was short, Feng Yi was confident that as long as Takla remained, or specifically, as long as the entity equivalent to Red Cloak still stood, the morale of the central region would not falter.

This scenario highlighted the battlefield's power of elite pilots. If enemy soldiers invaded your homeland and displaced you, how would those filled with fury react towards the hostile Red Cloak? Would they flee or hope for a formidable foe from their ranks to face off against them, even if it meant a do-or-die situation?

This force was not absolute, but it could potentially boost morale and turn impossible into possible.

One day, Feng Yi actively sought out John. John was genuinely upset; even Feng Yi's personal visit did little to appease him. Feng Yi kept the conversation brief, passing John a copy of his future plans before departing from the room.

John, lacking any motivation, glanced at the plan and immediately stood up, intrigued. Feng Yi's orders were simple. When the time for war comes, they would have their own numbers, uniforms, and all the privileges that come with being a part of the federal regular army. They would even have their warships. So, until that time arrives, soldiers had to train vigorously. Missing the mark would lead to trouble. And the last sentence stuck with John, "Don't you want to see the grandeur of the universe?"

John had complete faith in his commander's words. Suddenly, he forgot all about Takla. "Communications officer, get me some food and wine."

"Commander, it is strictly forbidden to have private food or wine, according to the order emitted by the Legion commander."

John paused, "Idiot, can't you do it secretly? Tell the cooking unit to prepare two dishes for me. Isn't it just killing a few more Imperial rats?"

"Ah? Killing Imperial rats? Do we have an operation planned?"

"Off you go, you're everywhere. It's a military secret. Hurry up and order the food, I command you to run."

"Yes!"

In a few minutes, food and wine were ready. With this small feast, John erased all the unhappiness from his heart. However, his brief peace was interrupted when the Elder and Feng Yi made their unannounced visit and caught him red-handed.

In the resistance base, the words of Feng Yi and the Elder were law. Unfortunately, John, the eternal number two, had crossed the line. Seeing their ominous expressions, he realized why Feng Yi had added the command. John quickly stood up to salute and report…

The Elder's face turned red with anger. He immediately ordered John to stand outside and reflect on his mistakes.

Feng Yi took it more lightly and stopped him. But in return, he decided to conduct strict final assessments on the soldiers during daily training sessions in the future. Any underperformance in hand-to-hand combat, Mecha operation, or the use of modernized equipment would lead to punishment.

John was extremely confident about the soldiers in the resistance camp. It wasn't a problem in their eyes, whether it was a simple assessment or an actual battlefield.

However, this was Feng Yi's trick. It was said that the more tricks one knew, the less sincere they were. But this was an absolutely dirty trick. He raised the workload by 30% on top of the original standards. Even the Elder did not anticipate such a ruthless move by Feng Yi.

As a result, none of the soldiers managed to pass their assessment. John was criticized, and he retorted angrily, "TMD, you guys embarrassed me, don't expect me to let you off easily." The catchphrase "Those who miss the mark won't get to finish dinner" soon became John's mantra.

Since that was the order from above, they had no choice but to train. The camp's surge in morale was evident, fueled by threats of skipped dinners. However, the soldiers weren't as obedient as they appeared, often secretly preparing food during lunchtime for dinner.

With time, the soldiers were no longer limited by test scores, but rather by themselves. The whole thing even seemed to get on John's nerves. At first, the goal was to meet the requirements. Later, it became a competition where those with the worst achievements would be deprived of dinner. As a result, not only did the overall quality of the camp improve in the short term, but the consumption of rations also increased exponentially. Due to this, John once confronted the quartermaster, questioning whether the delicious food was being fed to dogs as the rations seemed to be disappearing too quickly.

Meanwhile, Feng Yi and the Elder were busy mapping out following arrangements, with Noah acting as the nominal secretary, always by their side.

It had been 10 days since Takla's departure. During this period, the pace of the Saudi's activities in the central region had considerably slowed down. Although their efficiency had decreased somewhat, the pressing sense of urgency was still intensely felt by Feng Yi.

Noah intercepted an essential piece of information from the Sand Army. The Sand Army planned to equip three armored infantry divisions on a particular day. Each division roughly equated to 10,000 personnel. For scattered resistance troops, this move was an added blow.

If the central region fell under the Empire's complete control, the resistance's counter-attacking capabilities would be further limited. It was clear that they couldn't afford to delay any longer. On the eve of the Empire's reinforcement arrival, all lights in the resistance base were inexplicably extinguished. A group of a thousand, composed of elderly, children, women, and 500 battle-hardened resistance fighters were silently marching towards their destination.

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