Book 10: Chapter 28: Misjudgment

The Patroller Team truly earned their reputation as elite Apostles. Their analysis was mostly spot on, though they slipped up slightly when assessing their opponent. They mistook Qin Mei’s newly formed, ragtag group for the Apostle Monument.

Each member of the Patroller Team stood out among the mid-to-low level Apostles. With the Order Front leaving such a big mess after the Light Team collapsed, neither Chaos nor Apostle Monument could afford to pursue the Patroller Team at the same time.

Besides, while both major alliances sought elite Apostles, their ideas on recruiting were different. Someone like Robin would steer clear of Chaos if given a choice. Each side had its own targets, quietly avoiding conflict with each other.

After nearly a week of careful preparation, the Advancing had cleaned up most of the battle scars left in the original Moon Lake area. The Moon Lake was refilled with clear, sparkling water. Transplanted aquatic life had restored the lake’s bustling ecosystem. Even the lakeside jungles showed off their lush, untouched rainforest look again.

This plan really came from Qin Lun’s suggestion. He had proposed hiding the Advancing deep underground beneath the Insectoid base.

The bottom of Moon Lake was soft silty mud all the way down to the planet’s rocky core—plenty of room for the Advancing to dig its way down several miles. That depth made it tough to detect. It wouldn’t dodge every high-tech scan, but it could avoid most surface-level scouts.

Of course, doubts came up when he suggested it. But after Qin Lun made his case, the team agreed. Why? Because this spot wasn’t just tricky—with its double deception—it was also better for launching attacks later on.

The part about being aggressive didn’t need much explanation. Sooner or later, the Apostle teams showing up would find the Insectoid base. That place was becoming a storm of trouble. If the Patroller Team wanted a shot at slipping through a messy battle involving four groups, they couldn’t hide far from where things would explode.

Otherwise, if they stayed cooped up deep in the ocean while the other three teams battled it out? By the time the Advancing resurfaced, the fighting could be over. Winners would be long gone, losers might be dead—and the Patroller Team would’ve missed all the action.

So, what was this “double deception”? Were they elites while the other three teams were fools? When they saw that ripped-up Insectoid base, wouldn’t they wonder about underground secrets?

Absolutely! That’s exactly what Qin Lun’s team first questioned. Yeah—this hot zone would be key, but getting discovered seemed almost certain. Hiding miles underground? Counting on the enemy’s mistakes to avoid detection didn’t seem smart.

So Qin Lun hit them with a simple question: After wiping out the Insectoid base earlier, why hadn’t any of them kept digging deeper underground to check for enemies?

Everyone just stared around the room. Finally, someone argued they’d already gone deep enough by just reaching the lake-bottom Insectoid base. Going deeper? That seemed overkill!

Hearing that answer, Qin Lun smiled. Exactly! Smart creatures rely on logic, but logic always has blind spots. In other words, imagination has limits too.

Space battles forced Apostles to amp up their scouting. Ground fights that used to be flat suddenly became 3D battlefields. Even a genius like him only spotted their old habits as blind spots after Alex pointed them out!

The other teams with High-Rank Apostles arrived later in this world. So, no matter how strong they were? They definitely hadn’t adapted like Qin Lun’s group had.

Maybe the rule changes encouraged more 3D scouting. But old habits die hard. Yeah—those crafty opponents would find the Insectoid base. But if even Qin Lun’s team thought one deep dive was enough, and saw no need to check farther down? Well, then the others likely wouldn’t either.

So Qin Lun’s idea: Bring back Moon Lake’s “original” state. Fix up the Insectoid base, at least wipe out the cannon blast marks on top. It sounded ridiculous at first. But after studying it? The team decided it could actually work.

The Advancing wasn’t a research ship, but it still had tech crews. Thanks to Gith technology, just one week brought artificial rain. They relocated ecosystems back, creating a simple Moon Lake food chain. At least on the surface? It looked like a normal lake now.

Once enemy Apostles “dived” into this ocean-like Moon Lake, they’d spot the wrecked Insectoid base. One clear thought would pop up: Another team destroyed this place.

But with the lake environment now “restored”? They might not immediately grasp the brutal scale involved—no one would guess that cosmic cannons once vaporized the entire lake. Instead, enemies would assume someone blasted through the base just with personal strength. Which was totally normal Apostle tactics back then.

Make that mistake? They’d skip studying the environmental changes. Never imagine Moon Lake got completely boiled away. And that “original” lake bottom? It turned into the Advancing’s perfect underground cover.

In fact, after the artificial rain? Even more battle scars around the original lake shore vanished. Seen from above, the lake just looked a bit larger—but mostly like its old self. Even the Patroller Team found themselves amazed.

One thing they hadn’t expected, though: Their own awestruck reactions? It just made their Gith shipmates look down on them. Why? The clever move the Apostles thought so inventive? To the Gith, it was basic planetary guerilla warfare.

In this third space era? The Gith people had conquered whole star systems like Gith Star System. They’d fought countless planets where tactics got this wild. Some invaded worlds? Not only reshaped the surface like this—entire species burrowed into the planet’s crust. They’d drag invaders into centuries of underground tunnel fighting.

Given enough time? Even a warship like the Faith attacking Planet X-352. The Gith would start by scanning the entire crust, sending drill ships down to the planet’s core. Crack that planet open like smashing a walnut—clean out everything inside.

But considering this fight’s short time frame and Apostle involvement? Fuyutsuki and the Advancing’s Gith advisors reluctantly signed off on Qin Lun’s “humble” plan.

One big catch, though: The trickiest setup fails without enemies playing along!

Five days after the Advancing scattered tiny detectors across X-352’s surface and burrowed underground—twelve days after Qin Lun’s group crushed the Insectoid base—the first enemy team finally arrived.

They gathered around the projection screen. A grown Jannamer blocked the sunlight so completely, the surface looked like night. Watching, the Patroller Team shivered with fear. But they just glanced at each other, confused.

They’d guessed right: The Insectoid should show up first. X-352 was their forward base—surely near their main hive. They should react fastest.

Another big puzzle: Twelve whole days? Only one “guest” so far. The other two Apostle teams? Nowhere! It was nothing like the three-way fight they’d imagined.

“Did we overlook something?” Robin asked.

Even knowing Qin Lun’s habit of playing dumb, Robin couldn’t resist finding him. She widened her eyes at him, clearly not leaving without answers.

“I’m not all-knowing,” Qin Lun lazily sipped his tea. “I don’t have every answer.”

Just as Robin thought he’d dodge the question again, Qin Lun frowned. “We knew this was a four-team war; they knew it too. Playing it safe makes perfect sense. Unless something unexpected happened? Don’t stress so much.”

He tapped the table lightly. “It’s still under control. Chaos or Apostle Monument are chasing us to try and recruit us. We’re the underdogs. If the enemy has strength but won’t fight? Even losing wouldn’t make our team accept defeat. They’d lose without fighting—just waiting helps us!”

“I get that,” Robin murmured softly, fingers tightening. “But since Jannamer showed up… I keep feeling heavy, choked inside. Hiding underground gave me this uneasy feeling even before. Now it’s stronger.”

“You felt it earlier?” Qin Lun’s eyebrow lifted. He set down his cup, stood up, the calm vanishing. He paced back and forth, restless. “After swapping souls in this world? Your combat skills stayed weak, but your mental perception reached battleship level! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“We’d wasted a whole week preparing,” Robin bit her lip gently. “I didn’t want vague worries causing panic! Besides… it’s just this feeling I can’t pin down. I’ve always been paranoid!”

Qin Lun stopped listening. He stared blankly at the white wall. Moments later, he turned grim-faced. “We’re just inexperienced with battles like this. Thinking like Apostles, forgetting how wars happen across space. Maybe I missed something too.” He waved toward Robin. “Go get Fuyutsuki and the others. I need answers!”

Meanwhile:

While Qin Lun and his team puzzled over why the other two teams hadn’t reached X-352… roughly 10,000 light-seconds away in the Star Void? A massive battleship hovered, unmoving.

It looked like a thick caterpillar floating through space. Its skin dripped with patterns like leopard spots; everywhere, fluffy bristles sprouted. Barrel-flat from head to tail. The front barely differed from the rear—except for a few soft whiskers near the “head.”

“Why not land at the planetary base, sir?” Black couldn’t hide his confusion.

Gan Luo glanced at this trusted subordinate, his lips curling into a sly grin. Small wonder Black looked puzzled. Gan Luo usually attacked like blazing fire—struggles made him hungrier to fight. This cautious stillness? Unusual.

“Black,” Gan Luo spoke slowly. “That Insectoid matriarch told me something. They’d controlled the X-352 base for ages… but didn’t increase their troops. Worse? They recently withdrew most bugs from it!”

Gan Luo leaned forward meaningfully. “And the Star Void holds secrets few imagine. Who told you X-352 itself is the only planet?”

“Sir,” Black gasped, eyes wide. “You mean…”

“Two Apostle teams likely wait on X-352 right now?” Gan Luo’s insectoid fang-like mouthpieces spread apart. He didn’t hold back—hoarse laughter rattled from his throat. “Perhaps… the real show is just beginning!”