The next plan, of course, was to press on vigorously, to see it through. The Death Desert was a natural military barrier that isolated the two sides, easy to defend but difficult to attack. With Takla's sweeping victory, the Empire was bound to send reinforcements. There was no way they could abandon the Death Desert. Once they increased their forces, it implied that the Empire's foundation would be further strained, coupled with the ongoing surprise attacks from the Sky Shadow on the central front, the Empire's soldiers probably couldn't hold out much longer. However, this was the situation without any support.

The Mardis defenders were mostly cannon fodder. During the initial dominance of the FCA Alliance, Saudi probably had already sensed that the Federation's likely strategic lure was not to launch a full attack, but to bait a bigger fish into a trapped fight. Therefore, he might have abandoned this semi-colonial planet from the very beginning.

It could be said that Saudi's super soldiers' support was not for supporting Mardis soldiers, but for taking action against the Federation's super soldiers. Once Mardis lost its strategic significance, the super soldiers would leave this star region without looking back. As for the second-line cannon fodder, who cares about you?

Right now, the imperial soldiers are filled with fear and unease every single day. Not only do they have to face the Crimson Flame Legion, a rabble like Takla is growing stronger every day. They even have to stay on guard for Sky Shadow's night raids when they are sleeping.

Of course, the situation for the Federation is also not optimistic. Now, many remote planets do not have the bustling streets like before. Since the outbreak of the war, people thought they could adapt by getting used to it. After all, humans are a herd animal used to going with the flow.

However, under the spread of war, the situation did not improve but instead developed a chain effect that worsened. The economy could only be described as in a depression. Big shopping centers have closed down, goods are no longer fresh, and even if there were resources, they were in short supply. Supplies would often be snatched up as soon as they hit the market.

To survive in the cracks, many private firms switched to military manufacturing. The numbers of large company layoffs have reached an all-time high, schools have suspended classes, the streets are not empty, but the hot topics of discussion are undoubtedly the course of the war. The age of conscription has been relaxed twice, and the delivery of essential supplies by the government to remote mountainous areas is getting slower and slower.

It should be noted that Mardis is just one of the many battlefields. The Sky Eagle Fleet, Hengyu Fleet, Normandy Fleet, and the Blazing Angel Fleet, each have their tasks to shoulder. Especially on the Icebird Star, a star region with a strong martial spirit, bordered by Zana's Hell's Gate, although the spread of the war has intensified, public security has become increasingly chaotic.

This is the current domestic situation. Although the news program reports victories every day, in truth, no one pays any attention to it. It serves as a joke during meal times to those who understand warfare. They know those trivial news would not be worth mentioning. Instead, all the bad news has been suppressed. What the public needs are real war reports, not false information!

Fortunately, not everyone harbors negative emotions. According to a survey, the morale of the Revenge Shadow Rider group is relatively high. They maintain a routine of one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups daily, followed by a few kilometers' run. Rumor has it that with a few years of perseverance, it's definitely achievable. Of course, they still flirt with girls. This group of people maintains their usual lifestyle, surfing the internet when they want, discussing when they want, laughing when they want, crying when they want, hanging themselves when they want. Regarding the incident of the Revenge Shadow Rider's previous appearance in Mardis, it's been a top trending topic 24/7.

The most ridiculous thing was the post that topped the forum, claiming that there were thousands of details in the Revenge Shadow Rider's evasive actions against the Black Edge's attacks.

Whether others believe it or not, the media definitely doesn't. They hold substantial skepticism towards this matter. During the live broadcast, they decided to interview netizens in the wilderness, asking about their optimistic mentalities despite the tense war situation.

Of course, this was a positive outdoor activity. They say children are the purest angels in this world who wouldn't lie, so the reporter decided to specially interview a little girl, a cute Lolita wearing the Revenge Shadow Rider medal. If not mistaken, she should be a loyal fan of Revenge Shadow Rider.

"Hello, little one." The reporter found a wild Lolita.

"Hello, big sister."

"What's your name, little one? Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"I...I am Xiao Ba." Xiao Ba gave an innocent smile, revealing slight dimples. Her cheeks were like ripe red apples.

"Hehe, that's a cute name. Can you answer some of my questions? Oh, and I have a gift for you."

Xiao Ba vigorously nodded her head. Her parents, standing beside her, didn't stop her either.

The interview questions were mostly about the Revenge Shadow Rider. Of course, for a child, they didn't phrase it too seriously, but asked why she liked the Revenge Shadow Rider.

Being just a child, Xiao Ba's initial answers were vague and unclear, mostly because she was nervous in front of the camera. Who would have thought that when it came to talking about the Revenge Shadow Rider, the kid leveled up instantly, overall index +1, intelligence +3. Although her expression was not as eloquent as an adult's, the general idea was clear.

Xiao Ba firmly believed that the Revenge Shadow Rider would protect everyone. As to why, she couldn't explain, but she was confident she was right. But this little girl didn't worship the Revenge Shadow Rider as a god, instead, she always referred to him as 'big brother'. She also mentioned she had learned Athena's Limit Break and wanted to give it to her big brother Revenge Shadow Rider.

Of course, that's unrealistic. Xiao Ba's wish was nearly impossible to fulfill. Although the girl had good intentions, reality was simply reality.

The show's production crew didn't want to shatter the child's innocent dream and ultimately decided to invite Xiao Ba to appear as a special guest in the next episode.

In fact, this small niche show didn't have much viewership beforehand. This was even more valid in today's economic downturn. However, once the news came out, it caused a great societal rebound. Friends from everywhere praised Xiao Ba's spirit...

Especially after the Revenge Shadow Rider's main music broke boundaries. It just resonated with everyone. Even a little child could express her support and fondness for the Revenge Shadow Rider through her own efforts. Yet, what about the adults... This world needs more love and sincerity.

As for the next episode, in actuality, it was broadcasted the next day. Usually, the production crew would air two shows over the weekend for the public. Due to this exposure, and under special circumstances, the crew decided to have this episode shot at a location that maximized traffic inflow, on their own activity plaza.

But in today's interconnected world, most keyboard warriors belong to one family. Coupled with the chaotic security situation on Icebird Star, until the start of the show's airing, there weren't many spectators who came to watch. However, the viewership ratings were very considerable, an direct increase of thousands of percent points translates to a tenfold increase in viewership. This literally turned the show into the top program of the year.

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