Five years is far from enough time to elevate a primitive civilization to an interstellar one, even if every member of that civilization were a genius. The advancement of a civilization requires that each individual has the necessary knowledge and foundation; five years isn't even enough time for the most talented Ikorians to master the knowledge Earth humans possess.
But Muria didn't need, nor did he intend, for the Ikorian civilization to evolve so quickly. His goal was simpler: he only needed his Ikorian soldiers to learn how to wield the energy weapons crafted by Earth's human civilization.
They didn't need to know how to build the vehicles, only how to drive them. This was Muria's expectation for his Ikorian forces, and with his careful selection, his troops were more than capable of meeting it.
Now, twelve thousand Ikorian soldiers, equipped with weapons customized by human experts, rode their mounts through the barrier of Pandora's world to Muria's side.
Howl!
Alongside them, the enormous Meisha, accompanied by a pack of lord-level creatures it had subdued at Muria's command, gathered at his feet, wagging its tail in reverence.
"Charge with me!" Muria stood atop Meisha's head, back to his trained Ikorian elites, and faced the enormous fleet covering the sky, blotting out a section of the starry expanse. He gave a straightforward command.
Muria led the charge, and his Ikorian forces, undeterred by the vast and brutal battlefield before them, followed without hesitation.
From the moment they joined the army, they had known this day would come: the day they would mount their steeds, leave the world they knew, and plunge into the endless dark void to fight in fierce combat against the cold constructs of foreign invaders. Some might die in this boundless expanse, but their sacrifices would ensure peace for their homeland, bringing stability to their entire world, and so, no one hesitated.
Ikorians were an earnest, straightforward people. They treated others with the same sincerity they were given. If treated with kindness, they reciprocated, but if met with indifference, they responded in kind.
The invaders had sent fleets to massacre their kin and destroy their sacred tree. The Ikorians were more than willing to face them, willing to sacrifice everything to fight back. As their king who led the charge had said, "an eye for an eye, blood for blood."
The survivors had one duty: to avenge the Ikorians who had fallen. The despair and helplessness inflicted upon them would be returned to the invaders. Remembering past grievances wasn't about forgiveness; it was about retribution.
"For our fallen kin, for our world!"
Standing on Meisha's head, feeling the intense fighting spirit behind him, Muria's lips curled up in pride for the warriors he had trained.
Truth be told, throwing these Ikorian soldiers, who had only just learned to use energy weapons, into the cold, hostile void was brutal. Yet Muria was resolute, for this battle was likely to be the final obstacle preventing Ikorian civilization from reaching the interstellar level. To overcome it, the Ikorians had to be directly involved. Muria's role wasn't to babysit but to shepherd their civilization's rise.
The future of the Ikorians was theirs to claim, and the ascension of a civilization required a mountain of bones to pave the way, bones of their enemies and some of their own.
Of course, the Ikorians' role in this battle was symbolic. The real outcome of the war depended on Muria himself.
The enemy's warships nearly matched the number of Ikorian soldiers. If it came down to a one-to-one fight, they could prevail, but with two soldiers per ship, they'd fall short.
Two Ikorians in Baghdad armor could hardly take down a single warship, which was more than just a mobile platform of firepower; it carried a vast array of carrier-based fighters and mechs.
Wars aren't won by numbers alone; it's the quality of each soldier that matters. Though the Ikorian forces, led by Muria, lacked the immediate impact of the massed warship fleets, their ferocity struck fear into their human opponents.
With just a single forward general plunging into the enemy fleet, the Ikorians threw their opponents' battle formation into disarray.
This serpentine monster with wings possessed terrifying power, leaving a trail of shattered metal remnants in its wake. No warship that it approached could hold up for long; all met the same fate, torn apart in the void.
"General, the Ikorians are advancing!"
"Hit them with tactical nukes! I refuse to believe they can survive like that creature!"
Provoked by Sivali's rampage, some officers of the joint fleet, Earth's largest armada in history, ordered nuclear warheads to be used as standard weapons, casting aside any hesitation.
"Detonate all weapons aimed at the aliens before they get close! Don't let them near you!"
Seeing the human fleet prepare to use nuclear weapons as conventional attacks, Muria felt a slight headache. Nuclear arms represented Earth's peak in destructive weaponry, and enough of them could turn entire continents into barren wastelands.
Muria estimated that only those at the Soul Intent level in Erathia could withstand a direct nuclear blast and survive.
Others, even at the Gold level, would be vaporized by the intense heat of a direct hit, with no chance for regeneration.
"It seems it's time for me to step in!" Within his reincarnated heart, Muria's true form slowly opened its eyes, emitting a brilliant light that turned his entire chest golden, like a miniature sun glowing in his heart.
"I can't interfere directly; I must keep this form intact," Muria thought, having already decided his course of action. Beyond Pandora's world, he was no longer bound by its rules; his true body was free, unrestricted by any forces.
Yet, Muria chose to lead the Ikorians under the guise of Uhl rather than reveal himself as the Titan Muria.
Thus, as Muria led the charge, a golden light spread from his body, forming a mighty wind that enveloped the entire Ikorian army.
Seen from a distance, a vast storm covered the Ikorian force, with arcs of lightning flickering within it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless tactical nukes, mixed with lasers and cannons, rained down on the Ikorian troops. However, before they could even reach them, Muria commanded his lightning to detonate the nukes prematurely, using the Ikorians' sniper artillery to aid him.
Muria had granted his forces a temporary invincibility, yet this protection only held until they reached the enemy's warships. He couldn't divide his focus to shield all 120,000 Ikorians at once.
He had neither the time nor the intention to protect them individually. They were soldiers, not children needing his care.
Joining his army required one to at least reach the Baghdad level, meaning each soldier had the power to tear through mechs with bare hands.
While they weren't yet accustomed to long-range space combat, they excelled at close-quarters boarding. If they breached the ships' defenses and entered, they could each tear through a ship alone.
The battle between Earth's civilization and the Ikorians had officially begun, starting at its peak. When Muria had commanded Sivali to attack, the climax was set.
To handle the legendary beast Sivali, the humans hurled nuclear weapons almost without pause. But even then, they only managed to restrain him, as Sivali single-handedly tied up a quarter of the joint fleet's strength.
Meanwhile, nearly half the fleet's remaining forces were now focused on Muria himself. With his true form awakened, he wielded power at the peak of legendary status, though without revealing his actual appearance.
In the hands of a peak-level Titan, even a simple application of power could bring about a crushing and unstoppable impact on this comparatively low-level battlefield.
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