LAST GLIMPSE

“The third Alien Wave has arrived! Crystal Source remaining at 2%!”

“Coordinate 4374 requests backup!”

“Coordinate 6932 requests backup!”

“Coordinate 6…”

Starship communications on Falk White Star grew increasingly frantic. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from afar in the command room, accompanied by a voice as cold as a demon clawing its way out of hell.

“Requesting that the executive officer issue the retreat order! The rear counterattack fortress 80 meters back was ready ten minutes ago!”

The burly figure on the command platform didn’t even bother to look back, but the location markers on the screen were vanishing at an alarming rate. “Silence! If this mission fails, you’ll be held accountable!” In the year 4878 of the interstellar calendar, Falk White Star, part of the Alliance’s northwestern war zone, was struck by a calamity-level Alien Wave unseen in a century. The First Unit of the region served as the vanguard defense. The First Unit was an elite team composed of top graduates from military academies over the years—each member carefully selected and highly regarded by the public. Yet, the Alliance’s internal complexities spared no one, not even the distant First Unit on Falk White Star. No one knew that the executive officer suddenly assigned six months prior was utterly incompetent!

“So you’re dead set on stepping over your subordinates’ corpses to earn your rank, is that it?!”

Treating human lives as stepping stones for fame and gain—this beast! Ji Yaoming reported calmly, “Headquarters issued the retreat order ten minutes ago. In those ten minutes, over 200 have died, including 53 Class A alphas.”

Then, abruptly, Ji Yaoming took off his military cap and threw it at the man’s feet. His eyes blazed with ferocity. Without waiting for a response, he rushed to the command platform, grabbed the comms, and began issuing orders: “Soldiers at coordinates 46 and 86, heed my command! The jump-capable starship will arrive at the jump coordinates in half a minute. Prepare for retreat!” “The Alien Wave is weak at coordinate 4374. Intentionally leave one channel open to flank from direction 153.”

“Ji Yaoming! As a deputy officer, this is overstepping your authority! Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?!” The executive officer lunged, ready to pin this reckless young man to the ground, but as he raised his hand, his shoulder was seized firmly and he was dragged off the control platform.

“Can you bear the responsibility?!”

The person on the command platform glanced down at him with a contemptuous glare that felt like it could flay him alive. The man trembled with rage, and then, almost without hesitation, a voice declared:

“I alone will bear all consequences!”

“All personnel, heed my command! Starships have successfully arrived 35 meters from the counterattack fortress. All squads, evacuate in an orderly manner!”

“YES!!!”

The landing starship kicked up clouds of dust, black sand filling the air. Almost simultaneously, all the red dots on the screen converged on the starship, quickly taking their positions.

“The starship will depart in half a minute. Is there anyone who hasn’t boarded?!” the operator urgently asked. “The Alien Wave is weak at coordinate 4374. Intentionally leave one channel open to flank from direction 153.”

“Ji Yaoming! As a deputy officer, this is overstepping your authority! Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?!” The executive officer lunged, ready to pin this reckless young man to the ground, but as he raised his hand, his shoulder was seized firmly and he was dragged off the control platform.

“Can you bear the responsibility?!”

The person on the command platform glanced down at him with a contemptuous glare that felt like it could flay him alive. The man trembled with rage, and then, almost without hesitation, a voice declared:

“I alone will bear all consequences!”

“All personnel, heed my command! Starships have successfully arrived 35 meters from the counterattack fortress. All squads, evacuate in an orderly manner!”

“YES!!!”

The landing starship kicked up clouds of dust, black sand filling the air. Almost simultaneously, all the red dots on the screen converged on the starship, quickly taking their positions.

“The starship will depart in half a minute. Is there anyone who hasn’t boarded?!” the operator urgently asked. But Ji Yaoming stared fixedly at a motionless red dot over 800 meters away on the radar, his hand on the command platform turning pale. He pointed at the location: “Magnify this area.”

The action was swift. Half a second later, an enlarged, clear image appeared on the panel, leaving everyone stunned.

How could there be a child?!

The person on the command platform reacted quickly: “Is there anyone within five meters of coordinate 7650?!” Then he commanded, “Move the starship to that vicinity.”

The starship rumbled loudly, but the comms were silent.

Before an Alien Wave arrived, headquarters usually calculated the estimated timing and evacuated civilians as standard procedure. Yet now, the only one left on the battlefield was a young boy. This meant an entire city had vanished from the universe.

These damned bastards, treating human lives as nothing!

Ji Yaoming was furious! But before he could confront the wretched man on the ground, the comms crackled with static. After two bursts of current noise, a gentle yet resolute voice emerged through the chaos.

“Wen Qi has reached coordinate 7650. The target is conscious. Awaiting instructions.”

Ji Yaoming’s heart clenched.

The starship pilot calmly responded: “Confirm the surrounding situation. The starship will arrive above the target location in one minute. Prepare for evacuation.”

“Yes!”

Ji Yaoming stared intently at the screen, where a figure held a teenage child, and asked: “How many rounds left?”

There was no immediate reply from the comms. After a pause, the answer came: “Two.”

“Oh no! This is bad!”

The operator shouted: “Abnormal energy detected from the Alien Wave! It’s charging this way! Five seconds… four seconds!”

Every word transmitted clearly to Wen Qi. Ahead, amidst the swirling black sand, countless crimson eyes glowed. He picked up his trusty rifle, held the person tightly, and began running backward.

Rounds can buy us half a minute!”

Wen Qi’s right arm had long lost feeling. The massive starship blotted out the sky, its emergency passage opening directly above them. Wen Qi seized the moment and leaped. Just then, a tentacle-like object slashed down, shattering the ladder to pieces.

Without a second thought, Wen Qi hurled the child in his arms upward. Another tentacle swung toward the starship cabin. Wen Qi landed, spun around, dropped to one knee, and fired the last round from his sniper rifle. The tentacle writhed in pain. In that instant, the child was swiftly pulled aboard by those above.

“Hurry up! Get on!”

Wen Qi’s stamina was nearly depleted, and the starship’s weapons were almost exhausted. The Alien Wave surged forward desperately. Gritting his teeth, Wen Qi knocked down one alien, stepped on its head, and leaped again.

Everyone rejoiced, reaching out to grab the left hand stretching from the starship’s underside. But the next moment—

“Wen Qi!!”

The sound of flesh and bone tearing apart was sickeningly clear. The soldier with delicate features fell like a withered leaf. Then a tentacle coiled around his body, waving him violently—his left arm was torn clean off! Blood gushed from the severed limb…

Two minutes later, the fleet retreated. The third Alien Wave reached the defensive fortress, where the battle raged for a day and a night. Finally, at dawn on April 18, 4878, the last alien fell. Three days later, the First Unit returned to the First Alliance headquarters at top speed. Headquarters penalized the First Unit’s executive officer for improper command resulting in unnecessary losses, dismissing him and sentencing him to 300 years in a stellar prison, effective immediately. Though Ji Yaoming had overstepped his authority, his judgment was correct and minimized losses, so he was discharged and suspended from military activities for one year.

The large-scale Alien Wave incident of April 16, 4878, thus came to a close.

The First Unit was disbanded entirely. The fallen were honored with tombstones, and compensation was provided to their families.

Two years later, in the logistics department of the First Alliance headquarters on Halite Star’s capital, Wen Qi leaned against a wall, patiently repairing an old-fashioned sniper rifle…

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