Age of Cosmic Exploration

Lee Xia Ya loved games too. The nine-year-old was quite famous in this field as well... or at least famous among his peers. However, his favorite genre was different from Amulo. His interest in space vehicle simulation was not big. Even though he had played it once, his result was only slightly better than normal human beings. His real forte was in shooters. Games like Black Star Trooper simulation battles, these he was king among his peers.

Lee Xia Ya idolized Black Star troopers since he was young, just like how children from Old Earth idolized superheroes. However, unlike the fictional characters from Old Earth, Black Star Troopers were real people, so that made the idolization process much easier. Lee Xia Ya had always hoped he would be one of the troopers, and the most powerful one at that.

Suddenly, the people around him and his mother told him that he could become a Black Star Trooper, no, he was already a Homo Evolutis. He could fight like a Black Star Trooper if he just put the Space Armor on. The only question was... would he do it or not?

Lee Xia Ya was stunned for five to six seconds before saying excitedly, "Yes, yes, of course I would do it. I want to be a Black Star trooper just like that big brother who saved everyone... I want to!"

The faces of the people around him were severe, while his mother started to weep, but she didn’t stop him. She merely hugged his still unconscious sister and cried silently.

Asete told Lee Xia Ya seriously, "Then... I will assign you as the special member of the Defense Unit for now. Your Black Star trooper number will have to be personally confirmed by the Chancellor, so currently, this special number is your current number... This space armor is from the earlier generation, but its prowess is still better than that of most of the current space armors. At the same time, it is at the level 3 space civilization and has a gun with 50 rounds of explosive arrow bullets and a light saber. The armor has an automatic adjustment system, so even though you’re not tall enough, after you put on the armor, it’ll automatically adjust to your height difference...

"Finally, I’ll ask you again, do you want to become a glorious Black Star trooper?"

Lee Xia Ya raised his head and replied with his childish innocence, "Yes, I want to become a Black Star trooper..."

"Good boy. Now listen to your orders and put on this space armor," Asete nodded and left to select the soldiers who could fight alongside Lee Xia Ya well.

Along the way, suddenly another major-ranked soldier rushed over to grab Asete on his collar and yelled, "Have you lost your mind? He’s only nine years old! Do you know what the hell you’re doing? He’s only nine and a Homo Evolutis, are you crazy? I will sue! I’ll definitely sue you at the highest military court, you’ll..."

"What will happen to me?!" Asete pulled his collar back and roared with his bloodied eyes, "What can really happen to me!? Tell me! There are several ten thousand people and soldiers in this base! We only have 25 minutes left! There are several ten thousand children under the age of 10! And two great scientists! How many great scientists do we humans have in total!? You tell me! And those several ten thousand children, what do you want me to do? Give them up?"

"I know this is unfair..." Asete pulled this major and told him seriously, "The cosmos is unfair! Only the best civilizations and races can evolve and survive. This war is humanity’s biggest tragedy and also the best opportunity to showcase our best! He is one of humanity’s children and he has the best bloodline among all of us, plus he is a Homo Evolutis and soon-to-be Black Star trooper. He is one of the chosen ones, so don’t say anything anymore, have faith...

"Because we can do it!"

Can we really? No one knows...

After Lee Xia Ya put on the space armor, he realized he seemed to have grown taller in an instant. The armor fitted him perfectly and he felt like the armor was an extension of his skin. The weirdest feeling was even as he moved, he didn’t feel like he was lugging along a several ton metallic armor.

"Let’s try it out," the maintenance worker beside him said. "There’re four AI robots in the room, they will fire at you using paint balls. Feel free to evade or retaliate."

"Okay."

Lee Xia Ya excitedly accepted the paintball gun handed to him with as he ran into the testing field. There were, as the man said, four AI robots in the room. After the signal turned from red to green, the four robots started to disperse across the room and aimed their paintball guns at Lee Xia Ya.

Under these circumstances, Lee Xia Ya had completely entered his gaming state. He felt like he was in the middle of a tutorial. When the four AI robots fired at him, he started to move and turned to shoot at the robot nearest to him. However, unfortunately, since they both were running, neither hit.

At the same time, the group outside of the field sighed in unison. Asete said calmly but with disappointment, "Looks like he’s not it... Black Star troopers would never miss..."

Suddenly, everyone saw that Lee Xia Ya abandoned the paintball gun and pulled out the light saber on his waist. He dashed at the robot nearest to him. As the distance closed, the robot aimed his gun at Lee Xia Ya. Just as the bullet was about to hit him, Lee Xia Ya suddenly swerved to avoid it and got into close range of the robot.

"...I can see it! I can see it! In that moment, time seemed to have slowed, yes, I’m a Homo Evolutis, I’m really a Homo Evolutis!"

Lee Xia Ya cheered internally, and the light saber tore through the robot’s chest...

One minute and 42 seconds. Lee Xia Ya triumphed completely over the Ai robots. His agility, reaction time, and danger sense had reached S-grade Homo Evolutis level. Furthermore, he seemed to have an instinct for close-quarter combat because he could always find himself in the perfect distance to take down his enemy. This instinct was something most experienced Black Star troopers didn’t show, and this shocked everyone in the room. They had unearthed a treasure.

After ensuring Lee Xia Ya’s Homo Evolutis power, this special unit started to mobilize to head towards the biggest underground base. When they arrived, they were only 20 minutes away from the retreat time. Lee Xia Ya listened to his order and led his team to charge into the base.

The base was swarming with alien robots. They even learned how to ambush human troops, causing a great deal of damage to the Defense Unit. However, after Lee Xia Ya appeared, all the ambushers lost their purpose because he could sense danger. With a focus fire, these ambushers were free experience. The real headache was that the alien robots patrolled the base in large groups. The base was equipped with humanity’s defensive features. That combined with the robot’s fearlessness and technological difference, they were invincible.

Or at least until Lee Xia Ya’s arrival. With the cover fire of his team, Lee Xia Ya rushed into the group. Admittedly, the boy was afraid before he rushed in, but after he did, his instincts took over. Lee Xia Ya in the red armor was like a killing machine. Since he was killing robots and not actual flesh and blood, this increased the sense that he was merely in a game. He didn’t hesitate to cut down these robotic enemies.

With the whirlwind of Lee Xia Ya, the bases were saved one after another. A great amount of civilians were saved. However, when the last base was freed, the time was already past the limit of one hour... It was already 1 hours and 7 minutes. A large amount of alien spaceships were surrounding the base, and their speed was faster than humanity’s guardian spaceships. It looked like it was... over.

"Damn!" Asete slammed on the table. Looking at the encroaching spaceships, he growled angrily, "Damn! If only we had a Space Combat Jet. With Lee Xia Ya’s talent, he’d be able to... Now we have no choice but to cut our way out to liaise with the main fleet, but in that case..."

At this time, a major beside him who had lost his arm and whose face looked frighteningly white said, "Actually there is still another method... These robots are weird, they seem to be searching for something. After they take down a place, they will not leave before they completely scan the place. If there are people staying behind in this second defense line, they will not chase after you before the base falls completely...This way we can buy at least another 20 minutes of time."

Asete was stunned before saying, "You’re right! We can send out all the AI robots to have them buy more time for us!"

"It’s no use." The major smiled bitterly. "AI robots have no fighting capability. They can’t last longer than five minutes, the only way is..."

The major suddenly turned around to look at the several thousand injured soldiers. "Comrades, brothers and sisters, do you mind staying back with me? To have our wives, husbands, sons, and daughters, our families, return to the City of Light Moon safely. Do you mind...

"Staying back to fight until the last second like the heroes in the first defense line?! Answer me!"

The injured soldiers didn’t say a word, there was barely a cough, but they struggled to stand silently. Even though some of them had lost their legs, they saluted in return.

The major laughed and turned to ask Asete, "Give us enough weapons and ammo. We don’t need anything else... Also, there’s no need for words, we don’t have enough time. Have the AI robots bring us back to the second defense line, that’s all I ask."

Asete’s face was dark before he laughed in earnest. He saluted in return and said, "Hero, tell me your name."

"Hero, you say?" The mayor laughed bitterly. "I’m no hero, I’m just a sinner. I’ve caused my lovely wife’s death; she’s now forever asleep in that hospital. And I’ve caused my son’s death; he’s probably star dust now. I’m no hero, I’m just a lowly soldier..."

"I... just want to go meet my wife and my son to apologize to them in person, to tell them I love them. But before that, I have to complete my duty, my duty as... a soldier!"

Then the major ignored Asete and headed towards the hangar. Behind him, the soldiers followed him silently in their faltering steps...

All the AI robots in the fleet were given the command to follow this unit to set up final defense parameters around the space port. It would be manned by one thousand plus injured soldiers and several ten thousand AI robots. It was the final bulwark of the second defense line. It looked so fragile yet so strong...

1 hour and 12 minutes since the retreat mission started, the guardian spaceships left the second defense line, carrying with them 160,000 civilians, including 110,000 children...

1 hour and 26 minutes, the group of guardian spaceships reached their destination to liaise with the main fleet. With the help from the Black Star troopers, they left the second defense line...

1 hour and 39 minutes, the second defense line fell into silence. 1 hour and 40 minutes, the place exploded...

The fires and flames were like the burning promise, bright and fiery...

We are soldiers.