The Ouroboros did not stop. Ever since it teleported from orbit to the surface of the planet, the powerful ace mech whose individual combat power was superior to every other mech on the planet instantly put the Devos Ancient clan on guard! Although it was unthinkable for the Ouroboros to open fire and lay waste to the property and citizens of a Terran territory, the chance of accidents was not zero! So long as the slightest probability of violent incidents existed, the Devosans needed to go on high alert and stop any disaster from escalating out of control! As the security services scrambled to contain and deter the Ouroboros from pushing any further boundaries, the atmosphere in the dining room slowly went cold as the news quietly spread among the guests. "What Is the Streon Ancient Clan doing? It is important for us to form a united front in the eyes of foreigners." "The Streons are completely stepping on the dignity of the Devosans here. I wouldn't be surprised if a minor grudge war broke out as a result of this insult." "It makes no sense for the Renewer of Terra to crash this soiree. The Streons and the Devosans have little cause for conflict, and they cannot afford to make enemies with each other. Is a third parly responsible for Instigating this incident?" Rumors continued to flow through the lips of the deep-thinking Terrans who were accustomed to thinking this way. Every action at this level conveyed a lot of meaning. Even Ves grew utterly confused. Had General Axelar Streon lost patience? Was he unwilling to wait for a week until he finally got to meet with the mech designer who wanted to teach his granddaughter? Whatever was going on, the Ouroboros continued to advance unabated. He did not need to catch sight of the powerful ace mech to determine this. He could feel It in his spirit. Pieces continued to move into place around him. No matter whether the chance of violent outbreaks was close to zero, the Devosans still needed to do their due diligence. Invisible transphasic energy shields quietly came online while teleportation machines warmed up to evacuate the guests in a hurry. Of course, in order to guard against the possibility of hidden enemies teleporting explosive ordnance in the middle of the dining hall, all of the existing anti-teleportation screens worked at full capacity. More and more armored guard infantry units made an appearance. They previously kept themselves out of sight in order to preserve the elegant ambiance of the opening banquet, but it was more important now for the Devosans to show they were taking everyone's security seriously. While all of this took place, Gloriana grew concerned while the children all looked curious. Lucky and Clixie stopped acting cute and lingered protectively around the children as they got ready to pounce on any threats that emerged. "What is happening, papa?" Marvaine asked. "The Terrans are having coordination problems." Gloriana answered as she lifted her boy into her arms. "The Streons and the Devosans both want to talk with us, and they cannot agree on who goes first." The boy's looked confused. "That is stupid. Can't they settle the order by running a random number generator?" "The Terrans are too stubborn and old-fashioned for that, my dear." While Gloriana was probably nor wrong, Ves felt there was a lor more ro this unexpected incident than that. If General Axelar Streon urgently wanted ro speak to Ves, he could have at least waited until the banquet had concluded in order to secure a meeting under more discreet circumstances. This was entirely different! Landing a peak ace mech on a populated planet governed by another ancient clan without following any of the protocols was a clear and naked provocation! Even if General Streon had no intention of causing offense to the Devos Ancient Clan, his actions could still be interpreted as one, and that was what mattered the most in Terran society! Despite all of the requests and warnings transmitted to the Ouroboros, the powerful ace mech continued Its advance without slowing down. Its pace remained constant and no amount of barrier or obstacle could stop its inexorable flight! In fact, the Devos Ancient Clan had yet to put any transphasic energy shields in the ace mech's path. If General Streon acted too stubbornly and actually broke through the shields by force, then that would constitute an offensive act! This would definitely escalate the sudden conflict between the two ancient clans, and this was not what their leaders wanted to happen! This was why the Devosan mechs that had been stationed on the campus only shadowed the movements of the Ouroboros up until this point. During this time, Master Laila Devos and Miss Alexa Streon both engaged in frantic communications with different parties. They not only communicated privately with each other through an encrypted short-ranged channel, but also contacted their own organizations for updates, clarifications and instructions. From the tense and uneasy air that surrounded the two representatives of the relevant ancient clans, it did not look as if they were able to come to a resolution. Ves let out a sigh as he made his own decision. He had already contacted Major Simon Jankowski of the Bluejay Fleet. Though the first-class multipurpose mechs under his command were completely outgunned by the Ouroboros, their appearance was enough of a guarantee that the Terrans would not come to blows against each other on this location. Even if the Terrans hated the Red Association, they would never dare to attack the powerful organization openly! Any party that did so would immediately get disavowed by all of the other Terrans! Ves also did not sense any sort of danger or malice from the approaching Ouroboros. This gave him the courage to act boldly. He suddenly stood up, causing the Terrans seated at the main table to direct their attention towards their guest of honor. "Miss Alexa, will the Ouroboros turn around and go back where it came from?" He asked his teaching assistant directly. The woman shook her bead. "The men stationed aboard the Termine Hill have been trying and failing to make contact with General Axelar Streon. The Ouroboros has refused to accept any incoming transmissions." That sounded fairly ominous. The least the ace pilot could do was to broadcast his Intentions. This would massively reduce a lot of uncertainty and provide a bit of much-needed reassurance ro the others. Still, Ves did not think too much about this. "It is clear that your grandfather has come for me. At this point, the best way to handle this crisis is to satisfy his request without fuss. We can sort out the mess at a later date when the situation is not as acute." This was not a simple suggestion. Though young Alexa favored a quick resolution, Master Laila did not like this course action. Giving in to the demands of an intruder who brazenly broke the rules would not do the Devos Ancient Clan any good! The Devosans already had a reputation for being one of the weaker and less successful ancient clans in Terran space. If it looked as if the Devosans waved the white flag, then that might threaten their stability and legitimacy! A lot of business partners might trim away from New Constantinople as a consequence. The Terrans were quite snobby about that kind of stuff! Ves had no patience for this kind of crap. He was accustomed to taking action whenever possible. He didn't get to survive and thrive in the deep frontier by being meek and showing too much deference in other people's opinions. Sometimes, the best way to untie a knot was to cut it in half. He did not ask any further questions. He did not ask for any permissions. He look action. An aura of strength and determination radiated through his form as he turned around and strode towards the enormous exit of the dining hall. "Lucky, come with me. Clixie, stay with my family." "Miaow!" "Meow." Though Lucky still harbored a few grudges, the gem cat knew what was important. He lifted off the table and flew closer until he hovered next to Ves. In the meantime, the well-equipped armored troops of the Bluejay Fleet moved closer and automatically formed a protective envelope around their charge. The sight looked quite heroic. The sudden formation cut through all of the fog and indecision that had befallen the Terrans. The contrast between Ves and his hosts became so clear that it was no wonder that he had become one of rhe driving reasons why the Survivalists adopted the Deep Strike Plan In rhe end. Ves received a lot of urgent transmissions from Master Laila Devos and a number of other people, but just like General Axelar Streon, he refused all of them because it was a waste of time to engage in any further talking. Perhaps Ves and General Axelar were more alike than they thought. While there were various barriers and defenses in the way, they automatically made way tor Ves. Perhaps the Devosans bad already figured out that they had no better option than acquesting to the rogue actions. It was certainly a bitter pill to swallow for the ancient clan that sought to use this opportunity to stimulate its own fortunes. Due to the elaborate length of the hall, it look a few minutes for Ves to pass through the final entrance and step outside. As Ves finally stopped, the Ouroboros had already slowed its pace, causing its advance to appear less threatening, but not harmless. Many first-class mechs had already arrived. They featured different markings and designs depending on whether they hailed from the Devos Ancient Clan or the Bluejay Fleet. Each of them kept a healthy distance from Ves and the Ouroboros. It looked as if they were only here for show, which was not too far from the truth. A much more qualified unit had already appeared In order to respond to General Axelar Streon's unreasonable act. An ace mech that the Devos Ancient Clan stationed on New Constantinople VIII had already arrived! Although it was not piloted by a peak ace mech, the Devosan ace pilot should still be capable of holding back his stronger counterpart for a time. Already, the Devosans ace mech's reassuring Saint Kingdom enveloped Ves and everyone nearby in a protective embrace. It did not do anything else for fear of provoking an unwanted response from the approaching machine. As the Ouroboros finally reached a distance of around 200 meters from the entrance of the dining hall, the powerful machine ceased its advance. It hovered motionlessly above the ground as its powerful optical sensors appeared to focus directly onto Ves! A connection seemed to spark between the two. Ves could feel a growing sense of longing from the distorted living mech that seemed to possess a strong but incomplete consciousness that reminded him a lor of a non sentient pet. The Ouroboros did not appear so threatening when Ves looked at it from this perspective. It felt much more like a massively oversized horse in this regard. Both Master Laila Devos and Miss Alexa Streon had eventually followed after Ves and stopped by his side. Their expressions turned much graver than before as they pulled Ves into a private and highly secure communication channel. "We just received word back from the Termite Hill." The young lady transmitted. "The crew of the fleet carrier has been caught by surprise as well. The Ouroboros should have remained dormant at this time, but Instead it spontaneously activated before utilizing its high-powered teleportation system to forcibly appear next to the Eden Institute. Right now, my grandfather has just been pulled from his deep meditation session and is scrambling lo take charge over this unfolding crisis." Ves grew confused. "What are you talking about? Why is your grandfather trying to contain the chaos when he sparked it in the first place?" "That is because he is still stationed aboard rhe Termine Hill." Young Alexa revealed. "The Ouroboros went active by itself. All of the actions that it has undertaken so far are apparently the result of autonomous decision making. Its cockpit is empty." What?!