All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

The hatch of the last landing craft slowly closed, and the hum of its engines gradually rose as it lined up neatly on the main ship's deck, ready to head to the outer space continent at any moment.

Inside the Red-Maned Steed Zero, Ye Fan gazed through the porthole at the distant, dark starry sky, his eyes filled with solemnity.

He knew very well that although the operation seemed to be coordinated by various forces, there were actually undercurrents and no one was truly willing to fight side by side; everyone was pursuing their own interests.

Yao Guang's communication came through at the right time, his tone tinged with wariness: "Ye Fan, get ready. Marshal Chen Mo just sent word that the agreement with the Star River Federation has been reached, but the situation is probably not that simple."

Ye Fan nodded slightly, his tone steady: "I understand. The Star River Federation has always been opportunistic and avoids harm, and the demi-human race is even more greedy. They won't help us for nothing."

As soon as their conversation ended, Chen Mo was standing in front of a holographic screen in the highest command room of the Human Alliance, where the image of Star River Federation Council President Durant appeared.

Durant wore a silver-gray federal uniform robe with a dazzling star emblem on the collar, a formulaic smile on his face, but a subtle calculation lurked in his eyes.

"Marshal Chen Mo, we have finalized the terms of the agreement. The Star River Federation will immediately mobilize its main fleet, in conjunction with the demi-human fleet, to draw the swarm's firepower and attention."

Durant's voice came through the holographic communication, carrying a hint of arrogance, yet deliberately maintaining a calm demeanor: "As for you Human Alliance members, you are responsible for taking the opportunity to break through the Zerg swarm's encirclement, allowing Commander Yaoguang and Major Ye Fan's squad to land and obtain the Zerg crystals."

Yes, Ye Fan has been awarded the rank of major.

Chen Mo tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his expression calm and unwavering: "Thank you, Speaker Durant. As long as the Federation executes the agreement, we will allocate 30% of the crystals to the Federation once the mission is completed."

"Thirty percent?" Durant raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "Marshal Chen Mo, isn't that a bit stingy? Our Federation has deployed its main fleet and is even joining forces with the demi-human race as the vanguard. The risks we're taking are far greater than yours. Thirty percent is too little."

Chen Mo raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at the screen, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Speaker Durant, we are the ones who have ventured deep into the tiger's den to obtain the crystals. Ye Fan and his team are facing the core nest of the swarm, a perilous situation with a slim chance of survival."

"Thirty percent is the maximum sincerity we can offer. Either accept it, or the agreement is null and void. Your Federation can withdraw. When the Zerg completely overruns the area, the first to suffer will not be our Human Federation."

These words struck a nerve with Durant. His face darkened slightly, and after a moment of silence, he finally gave in.

He knew very well that the threat from the Zerg was growing, and if he couldn't acquire Zerg crystals to strengthen his combat power, he would eventually be devoured by the swarm. The Human Alliance, with Ye Fan and the Red-Maned Steed, was currently the only force capable of penetrating deep into the Zerg swarm's core.

"Fine, thirty percent, thirty percent." Durant gritted his teeth, his tone gloomy. "But I have one condition: the Federation must also send a small team to land with Ye Fan and the others. Ostensibly to assist, but in reality to supervise and prevent your Human Federation from hoarding crystals."

A knowing glint flashed in Chen Mo's eyes. He had long guessed that Durant would have such thoughts; he simply wanted a share of the pie and to find out the situation at the core of the Zerg swarm.

"Okay." Chen Mo readily agreed, "But the Federation's squads must obey the command of Commander Yao Guang and must not act on their own. If they ruin things because of their recklessness, they will bear the consequences themselves. Moreover, their casualties will have nothing to do with the Human Federation."

"No problem." Durant immediately agreed. He didn't care about the life or death of that squad at all. As long as he could get the crystal, he didn't care if they were all wiped out. "I will arrange for the Federation squad and the demi-human forces to rendezvous immediately and then set off."

After hanging up the call, Chen Mo's calm expression vanished instantly, his brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Durant is too ambitious. We must be extra cautious about this collaboration."

In the video call, Su Lan nodded, her tone grave: "Marshal, rest assured, I have arranged for people to closely monitor the movements of the Federation and the demi-human race. If they make any unusual moves, they will be reported immediately."

"Furthermore," Chen Mo paused, then added, "the so-called joint effort to draw fire, to put it bluntly, is to use the Star River Federation and the demi-human race as cannon fodder to hold off the outer swarms of insects and create an opportunity for Ye Fan and his group to land."

"I know," a cold glint flashed in Su Lan's eyes. "Over the years, the Star River Federation has been suppressing our Human Alliance, and the demi-human race is even more unpredictable. This is a good opportunity to use the Zerg swarm to weaken their power, killing two birds with one stone."

Chen Mo nodded slightly, gazing at the distant starry sky, his tone firm: "As long as Ye Fan and the others can successfully obtain enough crystals, our Human Alliance can rise. At that time, neither the Star River Federation nor the demi-human race will be a problem."

Both of them knew in their hearts that there were never any "allies" in this cooperation, only the exchange of interests and mutual calculations. The Star River Federation and the demi-human race were just pawns used by the Human Alliance to break the deadlock, cannon fodder to block the Zerg swarm.

Meanwhile, in the Star River Federation's parliament hall, Durant was raging at his adjutant.

"That old bastard Chen Mo only agreed to give us 30% of the crystals, that's just outrageous!" Durant slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with anger and resentment.

The adjutant quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Speaker of the Council, please calm down. We have no better option right now. Ye Fan's Red Mane Steed is currently the only force capable of penetrating deep into the core of the swarm. We have no choice but to compromise."

Durant took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "Of course I know, but I just can't swallow this."

"Immediately arrange a small team to select those marginalized soldiers and have them land with Ye Fan and the others. Ostensibly, they are there to supervise, but in reality, they are to gather intelligence on the swarm's core. And while they're at it, they should grab as many crystals as they can."

A hint of doubt flashed in the adjutant's eyes: "Speaker of the council, if we select marginalized soldiers, their combat strength is insufficient, and they may find it difficult to complete the mission, or even be wiped out."

"So what if they're all wiped out?" Durant sneered, his tone icy. "Keeping them alive is just a waste of food. Letting them die at the hands of the Zerg will at least contribute to the Federation. Why not?"

"Moreover," he paused, a calculating smile playing on his lips, "if they manage to snatch the crystals, we'll have profited; if they fail and are all wiped out, we can use that to accuse the Human Alliance and force them to give us more crystals as compensation."

"Also, have the combined demi-human fleet draw fire, and tell those demi-human leaders to send their most elite troops to the front. If they dare to shirk their duties, cancel the cooperation with them and leave them to face the swarm alone."

The adjutant immediately understood Durant's thoughts and bowed, replying, "Understood, I will make the arrangements immediately."

After the adjutant left, Durant sat in a chair, picked up the wine glass on the table, and gently swirled the liquid inside, his eyes filled with greed and ambition.

He didn't care about the threat of the Zerg swarm or the lives of the Federation soldiers; he only cared about the Zerg crystals. As long as he could obtain enough crystals, he could strengthen the Federation's combat power.

Meanwhile, inside the combined fleet of the subhuman races, Modo, the leader of the Origin Ridge subhuman race, was engaged in a heated debate with Karen, the leader of the Yuya subhuman race, through communication.

Modo, a tall man covered in hard scales and with a sharp bone spur on his head, spoke with obvious discontent: "Karen, are you crazy? That old fox Durant is clearly trying to use us as cannon fodder, sending our elite troops to the front lines. Many of our soldiers will die!"

Karen was thin, with bluish-black skin, long, slender fingers, and eyes full of greed. He sneered, "Modo, do you think I wanted this? But we had no choice. The insectoids' offspring is our only chance to rise as a demi-human race."

"As you know, the combat strength of our Yuanji race is getting weaker and weaker. If we cannot obtain the Zerg crystals to strengthen ourselves, we will be swallowed up by other forces sooner or later, or even wiped out by the Zerg swarm."

Modo frowned, his tone grave: "But you can't deny that the troops sent this time will most likely be wiped out! The swarms on the outer edge of the universe are numerous and have fierce firepower. Charging at the forefront is no different from suicide."

"So what if they're all wiped out?" Karen's tone was cold and greedy. "Our demi-human race has a large population. Sacrificing an elite force is nothing. As long as we can obtain the Zerg crystals, we can train more and stronger soldiers. At that time, we won't even care about the Star River Federation or the Human Federation."

"Moreover," he paused, a calculating smile playing on his lips, "Durant wants us to be at the forefront, drawing their fire. We'll agree on the surface, but secretly we can go through the motions, having our soldiers deliberately slow down so that the Zerg's firepower is drawn to the Star Federation fleet, and then we'll quietly follow behind."

"When Ye Fan and his team penetrate deep into the core of the swarm and obtain the crystals, we'll take the opportunity to pick up the scraps. Even if our entire force is wiped out, as long as we can seize some of the crystals, we'll still have made a profit."

Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed in Modo's eyes. He knew that Karen was right; the temptation of the Zerg crystals was simply too great.

The Origin Ridge race has always been suppressed by the Star River Federation and the Human Alliance due to insufficient combat power. If they can obtain the Zerg Crystal and strengthen the soldiers' combat power, they can get rid of their fate of being suppressed and may even be able to suppress other forces in return.

"But what if Durant finds out we're just going through the motions and cancels our cooperation?" Modo was still a little worried.

"Don't worry," Karen said confidently. "We'll make it look good on the surface by sending a seemingly elite force to the front. In reality, they'll just be some marginalized soldiers. Even if they're all wiped out, it won't affect our main force."

"Moreover, Durant's mind is entirely focused on the Zerg crystals. As long as we cooperate with him on the surface, he won't care whether the troops we send are truly elite or whether we are just going through the motions."

Modo was silent for a moment, but ultimately he was blinded by the temptation of the Zerg crystals and nodded: "Okay, let's do it your way! We'll each send a marginalized force to pretend to be at the forefront to draw fire, while secretly following behind and waiting for an opportunity to pick off any stragglers."

"Hahaha, that's right!" Karen laughed, his tone filled with greed. "As long as we can obtain the Zerg crystals, we demi-humans will eventually become the masters of the universe!"

After hanging up the communication, Modo immediately summoned his men and ordered in a deep voice: "Immediately select a marginalized group of soldiers, equip them with the worst weapons, and send them to the outer edge of the space continent to be at the forefront and draw the fire of the Zerg swarm."

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in the subordinate's eyes: "Boss, why send out marginalized soldiers? Sending elite troops would better draw fire and increase our chances of successfully picking off any stragglers."

Modo sneered, his tone icy: "Elite troops are meant to protect our Yuanjiya race, how can they be sacrificed in vain by the Zerg swarm?"

"And," he paused, then added, "tell those soldiers that as long as they can draw enough of the swarm's fire, they'll be richly rewarded once the mission is complete. Let them charge with all their might. As for whether they get the reward, that's up to their luck."

The subordinate immediately understood Modo's intentions and quickly bowed, replying, "Understood, I will make the arrangements immediately."

The same scene was also taking place within the Yuya race's fleet, where Karen was selecting marginalized soldiers, promising them vague rewards, and using them as cannon fodder to pave the way for his own greed.

Most of the selected subhuman soldiers were ordinary civilians from the lower classes, without any background or strength. They knew that this mission was likely to result in a near-death experience, but they had no other choice.

You either obey orders and go to the front lines as cannon fodder, where you might have a sliver of hope and receive some so-called reward; or you refuse orders and are immediately executed, without even the slightest chance.

Their faces were filled with despair, yet they had no choice but to don their tattered armor, pick up their inferior weapons, board the landing craft, and head towards the outer continent, becoming victims of the leaders' greedy ambitions.

Meanwhile, the landing craft squadron to which Ye Fan and Yao Guang were located had already departed from the Human Alliance's main ship and were heading towards the space continent.

Yao Guang stood in the command cabin, looking at the movements of the various forces' fleets displayed on the holographic screen. A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Ye Fan, look, the Star River Federation and the demi-human fleets have already set off. As expected, they are indeed playing their own game."

Ye Fan controlled the Red-Maned Steed Zero, his gaze fixed on the screen, his tone calm: "As expected. Durant is greedy, and the demi-humans are even more profit-driven. They won't genuinely help us; they'll only think about taking advantage of us, and might even stab us in the back."

"We must be prepared," Yao Guang said solemnly. "On the one hand, we need to deal with the swarm's attack; on the other hand, we also need to guard against the Star River Federation and the demi-human teams to prevent them from stealing our crystals or even kicking us when we are in danger."

Ye Fan nodded slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, I'm prepared. The Red Mane Steed Zero's combat strength is enough to handle any unexpected situation. As long as they dare to make a move, I'll make sure they don't leave alive."

"Also," Yao Guang paused, then added, "I've had someone check the V3 modified potion. Although its effective duration is only one hour, we can allocate our usage time reasonably and try to complete the core mission and obtain enough crystals during the potion's effective period."

"In addition, General Su Lan has provided us with sufficient combat supplies and emergency rescue equipment. As long as we do not act rashly and proceed with caution, we are very confident that we will successfully complete the mission and return in triumph."

Ye Fan gazed at the dark starry sky in the distance, his tone firm: "No matter what difficulties we encounter, I will obtain enough crystals to strengthen our combat power."

He knew very well that this mission was not only about the fate of the Human Alliance, but also about his and Yao Guang's fate, and about the survival hope of transmigrators in this world.

They had no way out but to face the challenges head-on, even if it meant facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, even if they had to confront the swarms of insects, even if they had to deal with the schemes and betrayals of various forces. They had to persevere.

Meanwhile, the Star River Federation squad had already joined up with the demi-human forces and boarded the fleet bound for the space continent.

The captain of the Federation squad was a tall man named Locke. He looked at the dehumanized soldiers around him, whose equipment was worn out and whose expressions were filled with despair, and a disdainful smile appeared on his lips.

"A bunch of trash, do you think you're worthy to act alongside our Federation's soldiers?" Locke's tone was arrogant, his eyes full of contempt. "But it's fine, with trash like you as cannon fodder, we can more safely scavenge and get enough crystals."

The Federation soldiers around him burst into laughter, their tone full of disdain and mockery. They didn't care about the lives of those demi-human soldiers at all, treating them only as shields and cannon fodder.

The demi-human soldiers, upon hearing their mockery, turned red in the face, yet dared not utter a word of anger. They knew they were merely cannon fodder, unworthy of resistance or rebuttal.

They could only pray silently in their hearts, hoping that they could survive by chance and receive the so-called reward to escape their fate at the bottom of society, but they all knew in their hearts that this was just wishful thinking.