( Max’s POV , 2 days later )

” The city stinks, it stinks, can you believe it that there was a restaurant in the city that had food waste lying around for 5 days!

It had fleas flying all around it. Nobody seemed to care ” Severus complained to Max.

Max was trying to be as patient as he could with Severus’s ranting, however his patience was running out.

” So Severus aside from the city’s sanitation problems, what have you got for me? ” Max asked as he hoped that Severus did more than just waste his time cleaning the streets

” About 40% of the population support the rebels, a seige or a drawn out battle will definitely get citizens involved.

We need to have a fast and clean victory, however, the city walls are impregnable and the rebel forces outnumber us vastly.

There are about 40,000 tier 1 and 2 soldiers guarding the city and about 200 tier 3 captains.

In the end we also have about 5 tier 4 officials at the top which run the city “. Severus reported as Max fell into deep contemplation

This was truly a difficult challenge, there was no scenario where Max with his Garrison of barely 160 troops could take down 40,000 in even an unfair battle, the odds were just too astronomical.

This meant that Max had to get creative and think about something else to capture the city.

” The rebel council is run by the army and not by diplomats, all the tier 3 captains have a vote in things and all decisions are passed democratically.

My understanding of the situation suggests that they are all meeting in the city hall 3 days from now to discuss trade with the wanted space pirate Goombah.

They are going to assess the security risks and decide whether or not to provide him shelter.

During the meeting the top brass will all be concentrated at one location in a small room.

If we can take out the top management in one fell swoop then we can get the other 40,000 rebel soldiers to surrender.

Without tier3 and 4 fighters amongst their ranks, it will become impossible for them to hold onto the city on their own

It’s a good chance, but we don’t even have forces capable of taking so many warriors out

With the 16 captains, you and me it will still be 17 tier 3 warriors and 1 tier 4 warrior against 200 tier 3 warriors and 4 tier 4 warriors

Again the odds are stacked against us ” Severus reported

Max felt like he had a severe headache, taking down the city was proving to be challenging, not because the rebels themselves were something special, but because Max with his meagre forces did not have the necessary strength to pull it off.

If this were the tutorial game Omega, where death was nothing but a level penalty and a respawn in the church of life, Max would be much bolder in devising a strategy and attacking the town hall but this Sigma.

In Sigma death was real inside Battle-Zones and even if he lost the life of a single captain serving him, that captain would lay dead forever.

Hence, Max could not make rash strategies or make rash decisions. He had to have a stable mindset and only go in for the kill if the odds of victory and survival were in his favour.

” Alright Severus, you did a good job. Give me some time to think, I’ll call you guys if I have a plan of attack “

” Alright, tell me if you need some specific information ” Severus said as he took leave from Max’s office.

******

( Meanwhile Marcus )

Marcus was released from jail and as per his father’s arrangement was taken to the eastern frontlines on planet ‘ Maralago ‘ where he was made captain of squad 37

He was introduced as ‘ Captain Marcus ‘, his last name was not mentioned and was given no special privileges.

He had to sleep where the other captains slept, in a single bed with barely clean bedsheets, and had to live the tough military life of reporting to work at 6 am and train and patrol with his men.

It was in stark contrast to his lifestyle just a week ago where he woke up late, had a lavish breakfast, picked up some woman for the day and accompanied her throughout the night before waking up late once more.

To say that the sudden change was psychologically challenging was an understatement. However, it was made clear to him that if he did not comply and tried to reveal his identity he would not get his stipend for the month and then he would not only be powerless but also broke.

Marcus had to show respect to his superiors, bow his head and salute, all the while knowing full well that should it be a week ago then these very men would swarm around him with compliments and salutes.

However it made him realise that his father’s words were true.

Without the Aurelius name, without his father’s respect, he was nothing.

Even without the Aurelius name, if Regus walked into any room all the men in the room would Bow their heads down to him in respect, not because they liked him but because they respected him.

If Marcus wanted to earn respect he needed to get power. Not just power as a warrior, but power as a leader and power as an individual.

Marcus hated training, he hated having to work for getting stronger, but he hated being disrespected even more.

Now that he was banned from using his family name and could not throw his father’s weight around to demand respect from others, his only other option was to train hard and earn his respect from others.

Hence with no other motivation but to get stronger and squash everyone who disrespected him, Marcus began settling into the military lifestyle and training to level up and become stronger, because he would rather die than be trampled on by others.