“There is evidence showing that this time, the unidentified force claiming to be the Divine Ark Civilization that invaded our territory is the same Predator Civilization that last time plundered our Azure Market clean, causing us immense losses.”
In the Molian Civilization’s capital star system, inside the Supreme Conference Room, the Minister of Military Affairs spoke with a grave expression to his colleagues and to the Supreme Leader. “The Divine Ark Civilization and that Predator Civilization share a common trait, when their medium and large starships explode, they release an intense energy far disproportionate to the ship’s size. At present, our scientists still cannot determine the source of this powerful energy. However, there is evidence suggesting that this energy may be related to the strange shields equipped on their medium and large starships.”
“What does that imply?” the Supreme Leader said slowly. “That they came prepared this time? That negotiations are impossible?”
“Yes,” the Minister of Military Affairs replied solemnly. “This is a powerful force newly risen within the Milky Way Galaxy. Compared to the Battle of the Azure Sky System, their strength has taken an enormous leap in this very short time. This will be a strong challenge to our Molian Civilization. If we can defeat them and acquire this strange shield technology, our Molian Civilization will certainly achieve another leap forward.”
“Very good, very good.” the Supreme Leader said. “The military matters will be left in your hands. However, I still require an explanation for the loss of Star System Number 2. Without Star System Number 2 as a forward base, a surprise attack on the Azure Sky System is now impossible, which has placed us at a major strategic disadvantage.”
“It doesn’t matter.” the Minister of Military Affairs replied with a strange smile. “Within at most one month, I will give you an answer that will satisfy you.”
The Supreme Leader gave the Minister of Military Affairs a long, deep look before shutting off his holographic projection. As the conversation ended, the other ministers’ images also disappeared.
At this moment, across a vast expanse of void stretching hundreds of billions of kilometers, the fierce battle still raged on. Having made up his mind to seek out the enemy’s flagship-class starship for a decisive battle, Xiao Yu was deep in tense planning.
Xiao Yu knew that the search was mutual. Not only was he looking for the enemy’s Nation-Class starship, the enemy’s Nation-Class starship was surely searching for his as well.
A Nation-Class starship was not just a single ship, it carried with it other special meanings. As the saying went, a snake cannot move without its head. For a Level 5 Civilization’s fleet, the Nation-Class starship was the head of the snake.This ambush by the Molian Civilization had been prepared for a long time and at great cost. But if they failed to destroy the opponent’s Nation-Class starship, then their victory would be incomplete. Xiao Yu was certain the enemy would be unwilling to accept such a result.
Therefore, Xiao Yu was confident the enemy was also looking for him. The reason the Molian Civilization’s Nation-Class starship had not yet appeared was simply that it was conserving strength, waiting for the decisive battle. In the end, a Nation-Class starship could only be countered by another Nation-Class starship.
“Very well… you’re looking for me, so I’ll let you find me.” Xiao Yu murmured, piloting the Japan Nation-Class starship along with several escorting Province-Class starships and several hundred other ships into curvature flight. Their course was set toward a point three hundred billion kilometers ahead.
There, one of their City-Class starships was being harassed and held in place by several thousand Molian Civilization small starships.
In curvature flight, the distance of several hundred billion kilometers was crossed in a very short time. The bright yellow-hulled Japan Nation-Class starship suddenly appeared in the void. Without any unnecessary movement, it unleashed its formidable firepower directly at the several thousand small starships.
With a single blast from its ship-mounted heavy negative matter cannon, a Molian Civilization County-Class starship was turned into a fireball. The remaining Province-Class and City-Class starships also displayed their full might, scattering the small starship cluster like tigers pouncing on wild dogs, and began a frenzied slaughter.
However, Xiao Yu did not go for complete annihilation, even though he was fully capable of doing so. He watched calmly as several enemy ships fled in panic. He neither pursued nor launched long-range strikes. The reason was simple, he needed them to report back, to let the Molian Civilization’s Nation-Class starship know that the Japan was here.
Want this ambush and all your painstaking planning to succeed completely? Then come. I’ll be right here waiting for you!
The Japan remained in position. Taking advantage of the time before the enemy Nation-Class starship arrived, Xiao Yu carried out a final inspection of the ship. A massive stockpile of ammunition was ready for launch, the Four-Dimensional Space Shield had been adjusted to optimal condition, and the space weapons were fully charged, ready to fire at any moment…
The time left to Xiao Yu was short. Barely an hour later, the tachyon detection system reported new data to him. The readings showed that tens of billions of kilometers away, a massive starship accompanied by a group of medium and small ships was rapidly approaching under curvature flight.
“They’re here? Good… very good.” Xiao Yu murmured, ordering several Province-Class starships to take formation around the Japan.
The enemy fleet exited curvature flight fifty million kilometers away and switched to conventional drive, slowly approaching. Using this window, Xiao Yu quickly scanned and confirmed the enemy fleet’s composition.
A ship even larger than the Japan was, without question, their flagship. In addition to this Nation-Class starship, there were at least ten Province-Class ships, at least one hundred City-Class ships, and roughly ten thousand medium and small starships.
It was a formidable fleet. By all normal reasoning, such a force could completely surround and annihilate the Japan.
“So, you think highly of my Japan, do you?… Hmph.” Xiao Yu let out a cold laugh. “But the Japan will not meet your expectations. You should know, it’s far from being an ordinary ship.”
“Move out!”
Facing an enemy fleet that outnumbered his own by a wide margin, Xiao Yu felt no fear. Instead of retreating, he drove the Japan Nation-Class starship forward, leading its escort fleet straight into the enemy’s path.
The collision came quickly. There were no superfluous maneuvers, no formalities, at the instant they entered firing range, both sides began their assault.
The void between the two fleets instantly became the most dangerous place imaginable. Firepower crisscrossed the space without restraint; even a planet caught in between would have been torn apart in less than an hour.
It must be noted, although the total number of ships engaged on both sides was only over ten thousand, this included two Nation-Class starships and nearly twenty Province-Class starships. Such a force could easily wipe out a complete Level 4 Civilization with a fully developed technology tree.
The fleets finally clashed. As usual, the small ships tangled with each other, trying to destroy their counterparts while in motion, while the large ships, shielded by the small ones, served as firepower centers controlling the battle. But this time, Xiao Yu had no intention of following the usual pattern.
The Japan Nation-Class starship, with its few remaining escorts, kept advancing, directly toward the enemy Nation-Class starship. All other targets were ignored. The incoming barrage striking the Japan was also ignored; with its Four-Dimensional Space Shield, sustaining that level of fire for a short period posed no real problem.
Ferocious and utterly reckless, this was the Japan’s true state at this moment. The tactic momentarily baffled the Molian Civilization’s fleet. This was abnormal, like two armies clashing and one side’s commander charging straight into the other’s camp to assassinate their general.
But the confusion lasted only an instant. This tactic made it vastly easier for the enemy ships to concentrate their fire directly on the Japan. In the next moment, thousands of Molian ships of all types unleashed a frenzied assault, like a swarm of bloody piranhas tearing at a massive whale.
Xiao Yu ignored it all. His objective was fixed, and the Japan’s defensive capability was strong enough to hold. He continued forward, relentlessly, unstoppably.
It was an advance bordering on madness. It defied the art of war, defied logic. Yet the combined fire of countless ships could not halt the Japan’s advance. A Province-Class ship tried to block its path head-on, but under the Japan’s overwhelming firepower, it lasted barely more than ten minutes before retreating in disarray.
A Province-Class ship, after all, was not in the same league as a Nation-Class starship.
Xiao Yu was certain that by now, the Molian Civilization knew his intent, that his target was their Nation-Class starship. But it didn’t matter. He made no effort to conceal it.
Faced with the Japan’s madness, the enemy Nation-Class starship did not back down. However, the Japan’s forward momentum was clearly slowing. No fewer than five Province-Class starships now stood in its way, jointly absorbing its overwhelming firepower.
They were determined to block the Japan’s advance.
It was a formidable barrier, so formidable that even the Japan’s firepower could not break through in a short time.
But it didn’t matter. A long, narrow black rift had already been unleashed from the Japan.