Rebirth of the Super Battleship

Chapter 449: Departure! Encircle the Meson!

A single leaf reveals the autumn, a glimpse through a tube shows the leopard. From this clash on the data level alone, Xiao Yu truly sensed the power of the Guardian Civilization, and he clearly recognized the immense chasm that existed between a Level 5 Civilization and a Level 6 Civilization. It was a gap that was essentially impossible to cross. Xiao Yu hardly dared to imagine what kind of strength a civilization that possessed such formidable power in the realm of data would display on the battlefield of war.

Xiao Yu knew that the tactics he once used against the Molian Civilization, relying on numerical superiority and overwhelming the enemy with massive fleets, would not work between a Level 5 and a Level 6 Civilization, between his Divine Ark Civilization and the Guardian Civilization.

This was no longer a gap that sheer numbers could erase.

When he first clashed with the Molian Civilization, the power ratio between his ships and theirs was roughly two hundred to one. That is to say, it took more than two hundred of his ships to contend with a single Molian vessel. But against the Guardian Civilization? Xiao Yu did not know the exact figure, but he estimated the ratio would not be less than six thousand to one, and perhaps even higher. This conclusion already took into account fleet coordination, operational precision, and other factors. If Guardian ships merely harassed and skirmished without engaging head-on, Xiao Yu’s hundreds of thousands of ships might still fail to bring down even a single one, just like his biological army could not bring down that one City-Class Guardian vessel.

Such was the vast disparity in strength.

Fortunately, Xiao Yu’s current confrontation with the Guardian Civilization was not an all-out war. In this bizarre binary star system, because of the death rays, Xiao Yu held the overwhelming advantage of terrain.

Yet the situation was extremely dangerous. Xiao Yu had already keenly noticed that the Neutron War Star’s death ray emissions were weakening. Under the assault of the nine hundred Guardian warriors, the intensity had visibly declined. Their data offensive was already producing results. Weaker death rays meant those warriors could survive longer. This was exceedingly unfavorable for Xiao Yu.

“No matter. Fortunately, I kept a fallback… I had been guarding against you Guardians all along.” Xiao Yu sneered, swiftly issuing a series of commands.

“By now, the timing should be about right. The ultra-miniature ships carrying the Spheres of Death should have reached the edge of the star system, bringing the Guardian Civilization’s visible garrisons into their kill range. Then, let them taste the surprise I prepared. Hm… Planetary Engine, activate. Planet Number Two, strike the white dwarf, alter its orbit, and drive it into collision with the neutron star. At the same time, Planet Number One, retreat, fall back as far as possible. All ships, conceal yourselves behind Planet Number One. Prepare to face the coming cataclysm…”

“That’s it then. Brave warriors, I regret to tell you that once again, your efforts are in vain. Farewell.”Smiling faintly, Xiao Yu spoke these words in his heart.

The activation of the planetary engine and the adjustment of an orbit, propelling a planet across tens of millions of kilometers to strike the white dwarf, required time. During this interval, Xiao Yu witnessed some intriguing scenes.

Just as he had anticipated, through high-resolution optical telescopes, Xiao Yu observed the Guardian fleets stationed on the system’s outskirts falling into a kind of confusion. Yet the confusion was strange, for only part of the fleet reacted. Some ships, like rabbits spotting a tiger or cats stung by bees, suddenly leapt away, hastily engaging curvature flight and vanishing to unknown destinations.

The fleeing ships were only a small portion. Out of roughly three thousand Guardian vessels stationed at the edge of the star system, fewer than five hundred escaped. The remaining two thousand five hundred ships simply floated motionless in the void, utterly still, with no further activity.

Xiao Yu knew very well that the Guardian warriors inside those ships, the ones responsible for their operation, were likely all dead by now. Death rays were weapons developed by a Level 7 silicon-based civilization specifically to target carbon-based life. Their power was not something a Level 6 Civilization could withstand, not even the Guardians.

In other words, a single detonated Sphere of Death had wiped out 2,500 Guardian ships. This was an enormous victory.

“Because of the distance, what I am seeing now actually took place a day and a half ago. I wonder what state the Guardian fleet is in at this moment?” Xiao Yu mused with great interest. “Do you even know who your enemy is? Whom will you regard as the foe? I am curious.”

Time shifted back to a day and a half earlier.

Inside the Radiance, the flagship of the Guardian fleet headquarters.

“Marshal, although we cannot communicate with the warriors who infiltrated the star system, through visible-light observations we have discovered some very interesting phenomena. We observed that the neutron star’s movement has begun to show irregularities never seen before. We infer that at this moment, our warriors have already engaged the Divine Ark Civilization at the data level, fighting for control of the Neutron War Star.”

“At the current rate of progress, our warriors will likely seize control of the Neutron War Star within a little over a day.”

A voice spoke solemnly, reporting the situation to a presence aboard the Radiance.

“Hm… the children have done well. But there is still one matter. I recall that under the irradiation of death rays, the equipment they carry can only sustain them for half an hour. Now you are telling me… they will need over a day to seize control of the Neutron War Star?”

The reply carried an icy undertone.

“Marshal, this is precisely what I intended to report next.” another voice said seriously. “According to our instruments, we have discovered that the intensity of death rays within this binary system is rapidly decreasing. Within five days, it is expected to drop to zero. At that point, we will be able to approach freely. And based on the current strength and rate of decline, our warriors should have no problem surviving for at least two days. However, after those two days, the radiation will still not yet have completely vanished. At that time, I will require you to once again use a Four-Dimensional Jump to send in more personnel to shut down the death rays entirely.”

“Hm… very good. Hm? What is this? First, Third, and Sixth squads, report your status immediately.”

The Radiance still hid in the void, invisible to observation in the visible universe. But now, with the arrival of a strange energy wave, the ship suddenly flared with brilliance, its overall luminosity increasing threefold. Already a vessel filled with a sacred aura, the Radiance now shone like a star itself, impossible to look at directly.

Even from hundreds of billions of kilometers away, Xiao Yu could clearly see the Radiance’s sudden brightness, as if a star had exploded there.

Xiao Yu immediately understood what it meant.

“So, the shield of this massive ship does indeed have some ability to resist death rays. Such a sudden increase in brightness is clearly due to the shield power being suddenly raised.” Xiao Yu thought to himself. “Could this ship be the flagship of the Guardians, the Radiance? Hm, even if not, it must at least be a ship of comparable class.”

Out in the system’s outskirts, aboard the Radiance, the two voices continued their conversation.

“Marshal, we have discovered something troubling. Around our station, a strange outbreak of death rays occurred. Our three thousand ships here suffered catastrophic damage. On more than 2,500 of them, every single warrior perished. Among the remaining larger vessels, because they were equipped with our most advanced Four-Dimensional Folding Shields, not all personnel died, but the casualty rate still reached 30 percent.”

“What of the Radiance?”

“The Radiance suffered only minor damage. Merely three engines burned out from energy overload. No personnel casualties.” the voice replied.

The Marshal fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Where is the Taihao Civilization’s Meson?”

“It remains stationed three hundred billion kilometers from us, completely motionless.”

“The Radiance will set out, leading three thousand escort vessels, to encircle the Meson.” The Marshal’s voice now carried decisive murderous resolve. “I smell the stench of conspiracy.”

“I had long suspected the Meson’s motives were impure. All that talk of safeguarding the experimental subject, of cooperation with us, it was all lies. So… the Taihao Civilization, this Inhuman entity, has its eyes on our Four-Dimensional Jump technology as well?”

“Space technology is one of the feasible paths for a Level 6 Civilization to break through to Level 7. Our Four-Dimensional Jump technology may hold immense value for the Taihao Civilization. No wonder you showed no interest in the Neutron War Star, no wonder your behavior has been so bizarre… hmph. Bring out all your hidden forces if you dare. But to think you can keep the Radiance with just that? Hear my order, fleet, depart!”