Stars, Players and Immortals

Chapter 25: The Embryo Formation of the Fourth Calamity Army

Standing atop the stack of military supply crates, Pound gestured with a solemn expression, as if he were about to go on stage to receive a medal.

"Brothers, I've already predicted the core content of the main storyline for the next version."

"Our current identity, to put it bluntly, is that of spies planted by the Skywards within the Covenant Army. Our goal isn't complicated either; it's simply to accumulate strength for the upcoming Skyward Revolution. When the real major update is released, that will be our time to shine!"

There was a half-second silence, followed by a burst of laughter.

"Wow, so that's how it is!"

"Pound Sterling~ Can you tell us something that nobody knows?"

"Brother Ying's move is a major discovery; I suggest writing it on the first page of the offensive guide."

The crowd burst into laughter; even the person pressing the ice couldn't help but laugh.

The pound, standing high above, wasn't annoyed. Instead, it grinned, deliberately lowered its voice, and adopted a posture that indicated the important part was yet to come.

"Okay, then I'll put it another way."

"Everyone knows they're spies now, but that's not enough. You need to figure out the organization's true intentions and follow its will. That way, you can do missions and make a fortune at the same time."

As soon as he said this, the commotion below subsided considerably; they had clearly also become interested in the pound sterling.

Several players who were laughing subconsciously took two steps forward. Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Pound continued speaking.

"During the time I was being hunted down, I didn't sit idle. I'm determined to become the top player in Stellaris, so I've been studying how to play the game well from now on."

"I've looked through all the official Stellaris website settings, version descriptions, background information, and internal texts I could find, and I've dug up all the information I could find. In addition, I've also gained faction reputation with Skyward during this period. I even dug up some core information about the Covenant Army from the organization's Type III AI, Chishiro."

As he said this, he raised his hand and tapped his temple.

"So I'm pretty sure now that the Skywards didn't bring us in so that everyone would fight on their own, nor did they want you to keep doing solo quests while wearing your military uniforms."

"The main focus going forward will most likely be—Legion Wars."

"Or, to put it in terms of gameplay, we will be launching a military FPS-style gameplay mode next, similar to Battlefield XV."

The other players, including those who pressed the ice button, fell silent. They began to ponder the message conveyed by the pound sterling. Meanwhile, not far away, the player who didn't eat beef keenly noticed the trending topic of homelessness, pointed his live stream at the pound sterling, and started recording.

Seeing this, Pound Sterling even gave a thumbs-up to the person who didn't eat beef, and then his voice became more enthusiastic as he continued to speak to the players present and the viewers in the live stream:

"The Martian ground forces consist of four main groups."

"The Tharsis Plateau Front, with approximately 170,000 men, can be divided into more than a dozen brigade-level units, including six mechanized infantry brigades, three armored brigades, three urban defense brigades, plus two artillery brigades, two air defense and anti-landing brigades, and two engineer and dome defense brigades."

"The second part is the Mariner Valley Area Army, which has about 140,000 men, including five mechanized infantry brigades, three mountain canyon combat brigades, two armored brigades, four industrial area garrison brigades, two artillery brigades, two engineer brigades, and eighteen mining area suppression regiments under its command."

"The third is the Arctic Ice Sheet Front, which has fewer personnel, about 80,000, but its location is very crucial. They have three cold-weather infantry brigades, one polar armored brigade, two pioneer zone garrison brigades, two fuel ice facility guard brigades, two engineer and environmental protection brigades, and eight reconnaissance and patrol regiments."

"Finally, there is the Central Reserve Army, about 70,000 men. This is the ground trump card directly held by the General Affairs Department of the Covenant Army and the Cardinal Order. There are three rapid reaction brigades, two heavy reserve brigades, two riot control and suppression brigades, four Cardinal Guard ground units, plus a large number of strategic logistics, ammunition bases and training units. These people are not directly under the command of the three major regions, but are directly under the command of the Cardinal Order. When needed, they will be transferred to the three military regions for reinforcement."

"The basic combat units of the Covenant Army are divided into squad, platoon, company, combined arms battalion, and combined arms brigade."

「一个班12个人，一个排48人，一个连是180—220，一个合成营是800-1000，一个合成旅则是4500—6500。」

"The Martian ground forces can actually deploy nearly fifty brigade-level or quasi-brigade-level combat units."

"What does this mean?"

He glanced around, his tone gradually rising.

"This means that we players aren't limited to playing alone."

"On the contrary, Skydrive threw us in so that we could form teams, starting with a twelve-man infantry squad; a player combat squad needs a commander, a gunner, a shield guard, a drone operator, and someone to take care of maintenance and medical care. Later, if the conditions are met, light vehicles, supply vehicles, and firepower platforms can be attached, and we can move up step by step."

"This is no longer a regular daily quest; this thing could very well become a legion-based gameplay mode with large-scale battlefield elements."

At this point, he raised his hand and made a gesture in the air, as if sketching out the next version of the scene for everyone.

"At that time, what we will have to do will no longer be simply accepting missions and killing monsters to complete them, but will be capturing points to advance, blocking supply lines, charging into positions, and even protecting transportation hubs."

"That's why the Skywards sent us into the Covenant Army. It wasn't to let us just loaf around and wait to die, but to let us get familiar with the gameplay of large legions. In other words, this place is actually a training camp for legion mode gameplay. When the real war starts in the future, we can directly get into actual combat."

It must be said that although the name "Pound Sterling" is a bit quirky, his speeches are incredibly charismatic.

The group of players below, who had initially been watching with amusement, grew increasingly excited as they listened. Eventually, even those who had pressed the ice key unconsciously took two steps forward, as if afraid of missing a single important sentence.

Someone nearby couldn't help but speak up.

"Holy crap, does this mean we'll be able to play real large-scale battlefields in the future?"

"Squads, platoons, companies, battalions—they can all be formed at higher levels? Doesn't that mean Battlefield gameplay is just like Stellaris?"

"The developers of the Homeworld timeline have such wild imaginations! How did they even manage to cram this in?"

"So our most important task right now isn't to blindly grind experience points ourselves, but to first gather reliable people into a team?"

The pound stood on high and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

At this point, he finally revealed his true intentions, raising his hand to pat the temporary staff badge on his chest.

"Since everyone understands, I won't pretend anymore."

"I propose that we first establish the player system in the Third Garrison Area, and I, Yingbang, am willing to volunteer to serve as the commander of the player legion in the Third Garrison Area."

"Brothers, I, the British pound, won't keep this glory to myself. I'll make sure you all enjoy the good life!"

A chorus of "Eek!" immediately erupted from below.

"I knew you were going to run for office!"

"Goodness, all that talk before was just him campaigning for votes!"

"This wave, this wave is Sky Drive Assassins turning into Sky Drive Warlords."

"Brother Pound Sterling, I vote for you!"

"I'll vote for you too—loyalty!"

The pound showed no shame; instead, it slung its training baton over its shoulder, its expression becoming increasingly self-righteous.

"What's wrong with me campaigning? Do you have a more suitable candidate now?"

Riding the wave of excitement, the pound continued its discussion:

"Stop laughing, let's get down to business."

"I just tried it. With this military terminal, as long as players from the same garrison area and belonging to the Skyward faction gather enough people, they can directly create a temporary squad in the terminal."

As soon as he said that, there was a moment of silence below. Pound raised his wrist and projected his terminal screen into the air.

"See that? There's a [tactical group] here."

"Twelve men can form a temporary infantry squad. After that, the system should automatically determine that the squad is formed. Then, a squad leader needs to be elected in the squad. Once the squad leader is decided, the two squad leaders need to agree on each other, and then they can continue to build a temporary tactical platoon. But at that time, it's not just about recruiting people; you also need to vote again to elect a platoon leader."

He grinned as he said this.

"Everyone can try it now, there's a surprise!"

This made the group of players below completely restless.

Some people immediately lowered their heads and tapped the terminal, some started shouting for a fixed team, some started pulling their acquaintances into the group, and some cursed while operating.

"Holy crap, it really exists!"

"The tactical formations have really been activated!"

"Quick, quick, give me a healer... no, I mean a repairman. Damn, does this game actually have job roles?"

Does anyone know about drone placement?

"Holy crap, I can apply to be a gunner!"

An Bing also glanced down at his military terminal. Sure enough, a new icon had appeared in the lower right corner of the interface, which originally only showed garrison missions, daily duty shifts, and camp map—[Tactical Group].

He clicked on it and saw that the interface clearly stated:

[Currently available unit: Temporary infantry squad]

Number of positions available: 12

[Requirements for forming a team: Players in the same garrison area, of the same faction, and possessing a military secondary profession]

[Team collaboration tasks will be unlocked after the team is formed]

Seeing the ice still, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and a large meal next to him was patted on the shoulder.

"Don't just stand there, let's pull some people together, I'll be the squad leader!"

"Get lost." An Bing cursed without moving, but his hands didn't slow down at all. "Why should you be the squad leader? You're only good enough to be a mess hall observer at best."

Just as the two were arguing, a system light screen suddenly popped up at the front of the crowd.

[Note: Player "英斤就是磅" has initiated an application to form a temporary infantry squad!]

Current members: 12/12

Please confirm the team leader's position.

[You have successfully formed the player army – Squad!]

[Current Unit: Temporary Infantry Platoon (Unnamed)]

You have unlocked squad channels, tactical marking, simplified job assignment, and area coordination bonuses.

[Tip: Once you have two player squads in the same garrison area, you can try forming a temporary tactical platoon.]

At that moment, the entire semi-enclosed recruit area erupted in chaos.

"Holy crap, it actually works!"

"My class is full now!"

"Quick, quick, two more! Let's get the platoon up today!"

Standing atop the pile of boxes, Pound looked down at the players in complete chaos, his smile growing wider. Just as the first batch of teams were officially formed, the taskbar, which had been pressed and held still, suddenly jolted.

Immediately afterwards, a new situation branch notification popped up in the center of the interface.

[The Skyward Situation Branch has been updated—]

You have triggered a new branch: Skyward Legion.

[Current derivative legion missions have been generated]

[Legion Mission 1: Forming an Army of Twelve]

[Mission Description: To establish a standard temporary infantry squad and clearly define the basic job assignments, including squad leader, gunner, shield bearer, drone operator, and maintenance/medic.]

Basic Reward: Experience +600

[Bonus: The higher the team's completeness, the higher the evaluation for subsequent collaborative tasks.]

Besides the first legion mission, there is a series of legion missions that follow—tactical integration, infantry platoon formation, battlefield rehearsals…

These tasks offer more and more experience points. I stared at the panel for a long time without moving, and my Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. Compared to these tasks, the previous lowly jobs of delivering medicine for illegal clinics, chasing debts for middlemen, and cleaning up the messes for mine owners were as pathetic as picking up trash at the entrance of a newbie village.

Tears welled up in my eyes. What kind of beggar's life did I live before?!

Standing atop the pile of boxes, Pound watched the players below yelling and scrambling to form teams, and smiled broadly.

He got a great time this time.

The previous attack in the Sanctuary Square cemented the reputation of the Sky Drive; now, this latest move has forcefully pulled the Sky Drive Legion gameplay out of the hands of a bunch of casual players, effectively putting the organization's second phase on track as well.

Yes, the unlocking of the Legion gameplay is related to the second stage of the hidden quest he encountered. He has not only gained fame but also made a fortune through the hidden quest, achieving both fame and fortune!

He raised the training stick in his hand and pressed it down, then cleared his throat in a mock manner.

"Don't panic, don't panic! First, divide people into shifts by job title, then arrange them into groups. Don't come up with an abstract configuration where all ten people want to be the shift leader!"

Someone immediately chimed in.

"Brother Ying, you're right. You should secure your commander position first!"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief of the Third Garrison Area, quickly assign us to shifts!"

The pound sterling chuckled, looking incredibly smug.

While everyone was busily forming teams, platoons, and vying for positions, the news had already spread through the live stream on the other end of the "Not Eating Beef" channel.

He was already one of the most popular streamers in the Homeworld world, and now, with the title of Skyward Battlefield Reporter, he was broadcasting from the side of the military camp, showing the legion gameplay, squad and platoon organization, player legions and new mission chains to the forums and live streams, and the entire Homeworld player community immediately exploded.

The forum homepage was flooded with new posts almost instantly.

New gameplay for Skyward! The Legion system is now live!

Is a major main storyline teaser for the Homeworld world line being released? The Covenant's covert presence confirmed!

Holy crap, the Skydrive team is getting experience like crazy! Black slave brothers, get ready!

A compilation of methods for applying to join the Skyward faction (continuously updated)

Players from other military regions also couldn't sit still.

Those who were originally just going through the motions in the Tharsis garrison, patrolling the polar ice cap, or grinding low-level missions in other camps in the Valley of the Mariners, suddenly panicked when they saw that this place had started forming squads, tactical platoons, and doing legion missions.

The number of players applying to join the Skyward faction also exploded on this day.

……

……

Sailor Valley Manufacturing Corridor.

Zhang Qiming sat in his living quarters as the light screen in front of him unfolded layer by layer, displaying the forum's popularity, faction numbers, mission completion rate, and the progress of the situation like a waterfall.

He looked at the data and let out a capitalist-like old-fashioned laugh.

"The pound...you rascal, you really lived up to my expectations."

Lao Zhang is the real mastermind behind the scenes. He uses the British pound as a player's pawn to expand the gameplay of the Skyward Legion and promote the further development of custom branch situations.

At this moment, what appeared before him was the so-called hidden mission of the British pound, which was also his first custom faction mission at the very beginning.

-

Main Quest: The Skywalkers Descend (Custom Faction Quest)

[Task Level: C]

[Task Phase: 2/5]

[Task Executor: Player "Yingjin is Pound"]

【Task Objective:】

[①During the Covenant Ground Forces' infiltration phase, promote and unlock the "Player Legion" gameplay.]

[② Complete the establishment of at least one standard player infantry squad and one temporary tactical platoon.]

[③ Expand the influence of the "Skyward Legion Gameplay" through public communication channels, making it a mainstream discussion topic among players in the Homeworld world.]

[④ Leveraging the Legion gameplay to improve the Skyward Faction's recruitment efficiency and lay the foundation for subsequent army infiltration and the main battlefield storyline.]

[Mission Rewards (to be issued to the executor): 10000 experience points, +800 Skyward Organization faction reputation, priority redemption right for Legion-level Skyward Cyber ​​Clinic, Military Tactical Terminal (Blue), Customized Legion Command Armor, Skyward Legion Channel Management Permission]

[Special Title: Pioneer of the Skyward Legion]

[Hidden Achievement: Let the Skirmishers Hear the War Drums]

-

Zhang Qiming read through all the lines of rewards and nodded in satisfaction.

The pound sterling has been used to its fullest potential in our hands.

The first phase starts with bloodshed, aiming to increase the Skyward faction's reputation and attract more players to join.

Now, the second phase of the Skyward Legion Pioneers is giving Skyward Legion a real skeleton, turning players from solo players into legions, and transforming Skyward Legion from a newly established underground organization into a powerful warlord capable of controlling the Fourth Calamity.

He knew that once the legion gameplay was established, it would bring higher faction stickiness, a stronger sense of belonging to the organization, more stable task consumption capabilities, and a continuous stream of experience points for new players.

Moreover, with the formation of the legions, the situation of the branches has also changed dramatically.

[Current Situation]

[Mars Mechanical Age Phase 1 Progress: 55% → 70%]

[Current Situation: Mechanic Religion/Structural Collapse—The Skydrive's infiltration begins to shake the military and political foundations; abnormal clustering phenomena are appearing in the basic organizational structure of the Covenant Army; the Saint Sophia is legally interfering in military affairs under the guise of investigation; the old technological monopoly still exists, but its absolute control over the military, security, and organizational chains is no longer secure.]

[Branch Situation - Truth Investigation Committee: 25%]

[Current Contribution: Overall Progress in the Mechanical Age +5%]

[Branch Situation - For the Skywards, Become a Glorious Covenant Force: 80%]

[Current Contribution: Overall Progress in the Mechanical Age +10%]

[Follow-up note: Once this branch completes its final stage, it will contribute an additional 5% to the overall progress of the Mechanical Age]

The player's storyline is basically complete.

Now the player entry point for the Skyward faction is completely open, grassroots infiltration has taken shape, military secondary professions have been rolled out on a large scale, and infantry squads, temporary platoons and legion missions are already running on their own.

The final 20% is just a matter of time. Once players understand the Legion gameplay and most of them reach the level required for a coup, this final progress will be complete.

In other words, the player no longer needs to watch over and feed them bite by bite.

Now, his focus should be on the Truth Investigation Committee. Once that line of work is completed... Mars will be within reach!