'Celenova' chuckled.
"The Xianzhou Alliance probably can't spare much manpower to assist you, right?"
Tiernan gave a wry smile and nodded.
The Xianzhou Alliance had always been under the watchful eyes of the Denizens of Abundance.
The Luofu, too, had only just emerged from war.
The casualties had been severe.
When it came to hunting down Zulo, they likely couldn't count on help from the Xianzhou.
"That's true, but don't underestimate the Galaxy Rangers."
If they lacked the necessary strength and relied merely on numbers, how could the Galaxy Rangers have gained such a notorious reputation across the cosmos for hunting the strong?
Of course.
It was also true that they had no Emanators among them.
"No, I never underestimate the Galaxy Rangers. I even believe you are capable of killing Zulo. However, my personal expertise lies more in coordinated, large-scale warfare, which is why I came here."
A significant part of 'Celenova's' power was demonstrated in such collective combat.
The same logic applied to her current... situation.
If it really came down to a solo fight, she'd have to rely on brute force from the Path of Destruction.
It wasn't that she couldn't fight that way, but it completely negated her strategic advantages.
There was simply no need for it.
"So, how can I trust that you will actually target Zulo, and not hinder us at a critical moment?"
Hearing this, 'Celenova' shook her head slightly: "It's not about whether you trust me. I am going to deal with Zulo immediately. If you don't withdraw, you'll lose your chance to act as one. If you do withdraw, then we are cooperating."
This line of reasoning left Tiernan thoroughly confused.
Why would a Lord Ravager have a bone to pick with one of her own colleagues?
Just then, a voice came through the ship's comms: "Greetings, Lady Celenova. I am La Mancha, a Galaxy Ranger. Currently acting as the temporary head of the Rangers, organizing this hunt."
"Oh~ Finally decided to speak up. I was beginning to think you'd left everything to Tiernan."
"I trust Tiernan's decisions completely, but no one could have anticipated that a Lord Ravager would have... connections with the Luofu's General Teng Xiao."
Hearing this, 'Celenova' said with a laugh: "It's Acheron who knows Teng Xiao. As for me? Well, until yesterday, I wasn't even a Lord Ravager."
"...That explains it."
La Mancha's voice held a note of realization over the comms.
So that was why he'd never even heard the name 'Lord Ravager Celenova' before.
Turns out she was freshly minted.
But for the birth of a new Lord Ravager, why was there so little commotion?
Based on the ascensions of past Lord Ravagers, it usually involved the destruction of a world or something equally catastrophic.
You'd think there would be some news about it.
"So, Mr. La Mancha, do you wish to cooperate?"
La Mancha responded with a dry chuckle: "Given Lady Celenova's plan, do I truly have a choice to refuse?"
According to her attitude, she didn't seem to care whether the Galaxy Rangers agreed or not.
She was practically itching to charge in right now.
The Galaxy Rangers had prepared for so long, gathering nearly all their combat strength.
They were just waiting for someone to fire the first shot, after which all the Rangers would swarm in.
At this critical juncture, Celenova shows up announcing she's about to make her move, almost like a provocation.
If the Galaxy Rangers held back now, would that even be possible?
With their fiery tempers, even if La Mancha said no, the others wouldn't stand for it.
On the battlefield, with her level of power, if she decided to use her Harmony to pull everyone into a coordinated assault on Zulo, who could possibly resist?
Of course, a strong will could resist the Harmony. But the problem was, in that moment, everyone's goal would be aligned: to kill Zulo.
And they'd be right in the thick of battle.
La Mancha himself couldn't guarantee he'd definitely resist it.
This lady hadn't really left the Galaxy Rangers any choice at all.
'Celenova's' smile remained unchanged.
Those influenced by Destruction, sharing her Path, were never known for being gentle.
Even if she couldn't Harmonize with everyone, just affecting a portion of the Galaxy Rangers would grant her significant power.
"Then I'll take that as your agreement."
"Yes, I, representing the Galaxy Rangers, agree to cooperate with Lady Celenova. However, I have a small personal request."
"Go on."
"Before the battle begins, I would like to meet with Lady Celenova face-to-face."
La Mancha's voice came through the comms.
'Celenova' raised an eyebrow, surprised: "Aren't you worried I might try something? The leader of the Rangers. Your death would deal quite a blow to them."
"Haha~ Lady Celenova worries too much. The meteors of the Galaxy Rangers are neither magnified by my presence, nor will they fall because of my absence. Moreover, I believe the Lady Celenova of now would not do such a thing."
La Mancha showed considerable courage, and...
'Celenova' wasn't sure how to describe it—perhaps it was a leader's charisma.
Frankly, she thought this La Mancha fellow was rather impressive.
Now that she thought about it... had there ever been someone like this among the Galaxy Rangers?
She had no recollection of him.
'Celenova' stroked her smooth chin, thinking it over, and realized her gaming memories contained no mention of this name.
He was probably hidden in some obscure corner of the lore, or maybe never mentioned at all.
"Very well. But let's meet at Zulo's location. I can't be bothered running back and forth."
"Lady Celenova, you truly are on the same wavelength as me. Haha. I am currently in the world closest to Zulo, awaiting your arrival."
The communication cut off.
'Celenova' slowly rose to her feet, preparing to leave.
This actually made it easier to find him.
Zulo, like the future Celenova, was a military commander. Finding intelligence on which world Zulo was currently invading required only a cursory search.
Seeing this, Tiernan quickly spoke up:
"Why?"
"If you go alone, there's a high probability Zulo will detect you, isn't there? Right now, Zulo and his legion are waiting for us to gather. That's why a small squad like ours can approach without drawing attention."
Tiernan felt that, since a preliminary cooperation had been established, they needed to consider the battle plan.
Otherwise, if Lady Celenova went off alone, there was a chance she'd engage Zulo directly.
That would throw the Galaxy Rangers' plans into disarray.
It was important to remember that a group of Rangers were currently scouting nearby Swarm colonies, planning to lure them into the battlefield.
They couldn't just abandon that plan.
Even if they decided to cancel that part of the operation, they still needed to recall those Rangers.
Tiernan briefly explained some of the Galaxy Rangers' internal plans.
This Zulo was utterly overconfident, completely disregarding the Rangers' minor maneuvers.
He was simply waiting for all the Rangers to assemble before crushing them all at once.
After listening to Tiernan's explanation, 'Celenova's' impression of Zulo became rather strange.
Just which Path did this guy even follow? Celenova had taken his place, so he couldn't also be from Harmony, could he?
Were the followers of her Path really this arrogant?
Puzzled as she was, on the surface, Celenova agreed to Tiernan's suggestion:
"Very well, then I shall accompany you."
Tiernan breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, this Lady Celenova was reasonable.
Otherwise, if a fight broke out prematurely, it would inevitably lead to chaos.
--+--