On Merlin's body, no one could see waves of Mind Power fluctuating around him. Moreover, Merlin was a Great Lord who had consolidated two ultimate Maxims; the Flame Maxim and Darkness Maxim respectively.

Since the Atlan Dimension did not contain the power of natural order, the power of Maxims was also significantly weakened and could not draw power from the outside world. So, Merlin could only depend on his own Maxim power and magic power.

Nonetheless, despite being slightly weakened, he still possessed the fighting ability of a Lord. Hence, defeating these empire-level warships was merely a walk in the park. In addition, he also had the Illusory World. He shrouded them gradually without being detected. If his opponents were to open fire, he would be able to control the minds of everyone inside the warships.

Silently and invisibly, his Mind Power permeated all the warships. Even Lombass was entrapped by Merlin. Under the cover of the Illusory World, they were unknowingly trapped in Merlin's Illusory World. It was completely undetectable.

"Illusory World is really amazing. It is able to transform into any illusion, which allows anyone to enter it unaware and allows the Mind Power Master to control minds!"

Merlin became more and more aware of the uniqueness of the Illusory World. Previously, the invisible Mind Power of the Illusory Heart realm could still be detected by some strong contenders.

On the other hand, the Illusory World could materialize with just a single thought from Merlin and mimic any kind of environment. For example, this empty sky had already been replaced by Merlin's Illusory World. Any warship that entered this space could be controlled by Merlin and destroyed easily.

"The minds of the Atlans are just too weak…"

The Atlans appeared to have only developed the knowledge system of the Vestigial Tribe and did not improve their own bodies. Therefore, they were very weak. Without the warships, puppets and armors, their bodies were extremely fragile.

Under the influence of Merlin's Illusory World, he could easily control their minds and also kill them without warning.

As the warship gradually approached nearer, the atmosphere became tenser. Inside the commanding ship, Lombass was watching Merlin's motionless warship with glee. He sneered. "Open the hatch, or immediately open fire!"

"Beep beep beep, there is an unknown call incoming, accept?"

Inside Merlin's warship, the warning sound blared, causing everyone to become more nervous.

"Accept."

Soon, a military officer-like person appeared on the screen. He spoke in a grim and straightforward tone. "The commander of the Second Battalion orders you to open your hatch and submit for inspection. Otherwise, we will regard you as an enemy vessel and destroy you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the military officer quietly waited for Merlin's decision.

"I guess we have no choice but to allow them to enter the warship…"

Regardless of how much Bellio hated the people from the Second Battalion, he understood the severity of the situation. If they continued to resist, they would most probably be destroyed.

"Turn it off."

Instead, Merlin turned off the screen and his lips quirked into a smile.

At this time, he was already ready to wield his Mind Control. At most, he would just enter the Rebellion Army headquarters by force and gain control over a part of the Rebellion Army. Afterward, he could simply take his time to interrogate them about the Atlan Dimension.

It was just that such an act was too rash and prone to be exposed. If he attracted the attention of the Atlan Federation Army and Senate, it would be potentially disastrous.

"Sir Commander, they ended the call and did not open the hatch until now."

Lombass looked murderous inside the commanding ship. He did not expect that despite being surrounded by twelve warships, they still refused to surrender.

"Hmph, in that case, destroy them!"

Lombass did not hesitate and immediately ordered them to open fire.

"Boom".

Suddenly, a dazzling beam of light exploded from the distant void and slammed violently into Lombass' commanding ship. In an instant, the energy level of the commanding ship plummeted more than fifty percent. With just one more strike, the whole commanding ship would be destroyed.

"Damn it, an empire-level warship. Who dares to attack my commanding ship?"

Lombass was incredibly incensed. Just now, when the dazzling light glowed bright, he could almost sense the aura of death. Ever since becoming the commander of the Second Battalion, he had not felt such a critical life-and-death moment for a long time. Even when they were under siege by the Federation's warships, he merely gave instructions from a faraway and safe location. He did not feel this horrible feeling of brushing with death.

However, right now, that cannon was fired by a real empire-level warship. If he had not propped up the defensive shield of the warship, perhaps they would have been blown to pieces with just a single hit.

"Sir Commander, it seems like the people of the First Battalion have arrived!"

The deputy commander seemed to have received some news. He pointed towards the screen. Amidst the pitch-black void, a huge fleet came into view. The insignia on the warships was unmistakable. It was Commander Keno of the First Battalion.

"The First Battalion? Damn it, why have they come here? Pay no attention to them. Open fire and destroy this empire-level warship first!"

Lombass' face darkened. It was supposed to be a guaranteed victory, but the First Battalion arrived unexpectedly with such a huge fleet.

"Beep, unknown call incoming, accept?"

Lombass' face shifted with uncertainty. Finally, he decided to accept it. Subsequently, a well-built officer appeared on the screen. Upon seeing this familiar figure, Lombass' expression soured even more.

"Lombass, I will be reporting all your actions to the Leader. At the same time, you better tell your warships not to act rashly. All of you have been locked as targets. Perhaps you have a few more empire-level warships, but don't forget that your commanding ship has already been hit once. I wonder if it can survive a second hit?"

This officer was Commander Keno from the First Battalion.

Lombass wanted to go on a rampage, but upon thinking about the commanding ship that had been locked down by the First Battalion, he had no choice but to suppress his urge. That feeling of having a close brush with death was not something he would like to repeat.

"Cease fire. Everyone, retreat."

Helpless, Lombass could only issue such an order. Nevertheless, he stared unblinkingly at Keno and sneered. "Keno, this is my defense region, plus this warship destroyed my No. 8 Fortress. I suspect there is a Federation spy onboard. Even if you escalate this to the Leader, you won't escape unscathed."

"This empire-level warship had already agreed to join the First Battalion. If not for the obstruction from the Second Battalion, why would it destroy your No. 8 Fortress for no reason? Moreover, an empire-level warship was able to destroy your fortress, what does it say about your defenses if the Federation Army actually arrived? Your extreme incompetence is truly embarrassing to the Rebellion Army. I'm sure our Leader would be severely disappointed in the Second Battalion."

Commander Keno was unruffled, instead there was a hint of ridicule in his eyes. The purpose of a fortress was to defend against warships, especially empire-level warships. By right, it should be able to intercept at least two to three warships.

However, it was destroyed by just one empire-level warship. Although there were many contributing factors, such as the fact that No. 8 Fortress was not fully prepared, it was undeniable that a fortress had been destroyed.

If they were to report such an incident to the Leader, then Merlin's act of destroying the fortress would not be the biggest sin. Instead, the Second Battalion would be punished.

Now that his commanding ship had been hit and would not be replenished in a short time, if they were to go against the nine warships of the First Battalion, the outcome would be difficult to ascertain. Nonetheless, Lombass knew that he would die for sure.

After a long while, Lombass finally gritted his teeth and withdrew all his warships. The only ship left in the void with the First Battalion warships was Merlin's empire-level warship.

"Haha, it's the First Battalion. It's Commander Keno!"

Watching the scene inside the screen, Bellio and the others were overjoyed. The First Battalion had come to pick them up.

"Beep. Unknown call incoming. Accept?"

"Accept!"

Merlin saw that on the screen, a burly officer with a keen personality appeared. This was the living definition of a military officer – strict, imposing, authoritative!

When Bellio saw this officer, his expression turned serious. Immediately, he said, "Commander Keno, this is Captain Merlin. He would like to join the Rebellion Army but encountered the Second Battalion's obstructions."

This imposing officer was, of course, Commander Keno. His stern expression gradually relaxed and spoke calmly. "I'm aware of the Second Battalion's obstruction, they won't dare to harm you anymore. Captain Merlin, please steer your warship behind the First Battalion. We will protect you until we get to the First Battalion's base."

Merlin nodded and did not say anything. Due to the timely intervention of the First Battalion at the most critical moment, he did not have to reveal his real identity and abilities, which was a good thing.

Therefore, he immediately commanded the Matrix to start the warship and flew behind the First Battalion.

Lombass was cautious, so he dared not open fire. Thus, he could only watch the First Battalion depart quickly before his eyes. This time, not only did he lose a fortress, but the First Battalion obtained another warship. Now, the First Battalion had obviously surpassed the Second Battalion.

"Keno… Hmph, go back. There's still a lot of time. As long as the Leader needs us and our sixteen empire-level warships, I will still be the Commander of the Second Battalion!"

Although Lombass' heart was seething with rage, he had no choice but to issue orders for the fleet to return to base.

Inside Merlin's warship, Bellio and the others sighed a breath of relief and showed a faint smile.

"Merlin, don't worry, Commander Keno will surely think highly of you. Once you arrive at the First Battalion, you'll be safe."

Bellio patted Merlin's shoulder.

"Safe?"

Merlin did not reply. Joining the First Battalion of the Rebellion Army was merely the beginning of his foray into the Atlan civilization!