Sergeant Major Wang Dong, piloting the Yaksha, made a hasty retreat. Even before the two fleets truly engaged, this escape route had turned into a frenzied showcase of fire superiority.
Wang Dong couldn't help but curse in the cockpit, "A bunch of lunatics!"
At this distance, practically all weapons were out of range. Missiles might fare a bit better as they can ho in on targets. Light beams and lasers, limited by their short range, weren't being fired, and railgun rounds, which lacked accuracy, were the most commonly shot. Thanks to the lack of resistance in space, once fired, the rounds would keep their initial velocity indefinitely, and it wouldn't be surprising if they flew out of the Galaxy. Of course, dodging these rounds wasn't difficult since the long range made it easier to evade them.
However, with more than a hundred thousand warships arrayed for battle, even if spread out enough, tens of thousands of rounds fired in a single breath ant that a substantial number would inevitably hit their targets.
The first wave of aimless bombardnt had already comnced, and Su Shuang watched his fleet, actually the Star Alliance Fleet, begin to endure the railgun rounds from the Swarm, with ripples like those of water spreading across the shields of the Star Alliance warships. This attack wasn't enough to inflict serious damage to the shields; even an occasional hit would quickly be restored to full strength.
The situation was similar on the other side, though it seed the Swarm Ships' shields were sowhat weaker than the Star Alliance's, resulting in more pronounced vibrations on their side.
But it didn't matter; the Swarm lacked the consciousness of fear, with each Swarm Ship's only purpose for existence being the destruction of the enemy. Injuries didn't matter as long as the opponent was defeated.
Zero grew anxious as she couldn't see Bai Zhongqi's face right now. Looking at his profile always gave her peace of mind.
On the other hand, Xu Lanzhou, who was now in control of the overarching situation, grasped Zero's hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry, this is all within our expectations."
Zero nodded, "I don't care how many Swarm Ships are destroyed. As long as we win, even if they're all demolished, it's fine."
Xu Lanzhou gave a slight smile and responded, "It won't co to that, we're going to win."
She looked forward, her fair face filled with tranquility and confidence, and said, "Although I'm the commander of this fleet, the person who decides the victory is still our Chancellor."
Before the battle, Xu Lanzhou and Bai Zhongqi had already discussed their tactics. Xu Lanzhou, as the Commander, directed the warships on the battlefield, while Bai Zhongqi instructed her to execute the several tactical layouts he had planned.
This battle was unplanned, but Bai Zhongqi had already prepared many contingencies. Like Su Shuang, one of the seasoned Divine Generals fighting a war of attrition where brute strength was key, banking on the endurance of his side, Bai Zhongqi bet on having more unexpected aces up his sleeve. The right play at the right ti could tip the scale of victory in Bai Zhongqi's favor.
The Sergeant Major flew erratically, dodging attacks coming from behind. He began to feel a bit more at ease, as the focus of the Star Alliance warships' fire had shifted to the approaching Swarm Ships.
"What a ss, defecting right before battle and still, it's exhausting." The Sergeant Major rarely participated in space battles; he was more accustod to special operations on planetary surfaces or inside warships.
Truth be told, after all these years in the Star Alliance military, he hadn't been very content, so there wasn't much of a psychological burden when he defected.
"Contact established," the Sergeant Major observed as the leading warships of both sides entered their respective effective strike ranges.
The firepower ignited like a spark falling upon a haystack, flaring up wildly. A dley of weapons freely bombarded the opposition. The Star Alliance had greater depth but a narrower front, while the Swarm arranged an especially flashy front to facilitate firepower output, resulting in more Star Alliance warships having their shields breached or even being sunk in the initial clash.
The overwhelmingly powerful Swarm Fleet swept in like imposing army ants, breaking through a large number of Star Alliance warships and penetrating the Alliance's formation.
Bai Zhongqi watched the battlefield and decided to throw out his first surprise card.
"Send in the Split Shield Beetle," he commanded.
From his position at the heart of the formation, Suo Kexiao watched the oncoming Swarm Ships with so bewildernt and asked, "What, these bugs really want to go hand to hand? Getting this close? Their shields can hardly absorb much damage."
But then, Suo Kexiao witnessed a scene he had never seen before.
A few Swarm Ships, already on the brink of collapse, suddenly gathered together. Their hulls underwent massive transformations; tallic exteriors began to undulate like skin, rapidly consolidating. Three mid to small-sized Swarm Ships combined into one, morphing into a monstrous, elongated creature dripping with purple, disgusting liquid.
Su Shuang remarked, "Individuals rging into a new entity, and their appearance is so insect-like that nobody would doubt they are part of the Swarm."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the gargantuan flesh-worm with a gaping maw bit down hard on the shield of a nearby Star Alliance Escort Ship. Unbelievably, the shield that would normally repel any impact failed to bounce the mammoth creature off. The huge mouth oozing purple filth bit into the shield, with ripple-like waves frantically spreading across it, causing the Escort Ship's shield to weaken continuously.
"What in the world is that?!" Xiao Yu couldn't stay calm any longer.
On the other hand, Suo Kexiao looked quite composed. Glancing casually at Xiao Yu, he said, "Did you think the Swarm was called a calamity rely because of their numbers? The Swarm can evolve many troubleso variants that repeatedly pose a great nuisance to the civilizations of the Galaxy. If the Swarm led by that Star Eater were like any ordinary fleet, just firing their cannons, they wouldn't be such a threat."
The Split Shield Beetle, a level 27 Swarm Enslaved Beast. It's a new species developed by Bai Zhongqi and Zero using remnants from a forr Empress, rapidly forming a massive Split Shield Beetle from dood battle beetles. Its defense power increases to so extent. Its primary strength lies in its ability to latch onto a shield with its mouth, disrupting and even siphoning energy from the shield until it swallowed it entirely, bolstering its own shield in the process.
The more shields the Split Shield Beetle cracks open, the stronger its own shield becos.
And once a shield is completely devoured, the Split Shield Beetle's massive jaws will clench onto the warship, consuming it like a chocolate bar. Each warship it consus makes the Split Shield Beetle bigger and more terrifying.
It's a creature that becos increasingly perilous as it feasts, becoming a virtually indestructible demon on the battlefield.
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