In close combat with the Space Octopuses, the humanoid advantages of the chs were completely negated. First, how could a tal ch, no matter how flexible, compare to the soft, pliable body of a Space Octopus? Second, while the chs had only two arms, the Space Octopuses had at least eight tentacles, and without joints, their tentacles were far more agile.
Thus, in this close-quarters grappling match, the chs were utterly outclassed.
However, the chs weren’t entirely defenseless. Multiple compartnts on their bodies opened, revealing high-speed rotating saw blades. The mature and larval bodies clinging to the chs were caught off guard, and chunks of flesh flew everywhere.
The mature bodies fared slightly better, but the smaller larval bodies were instantly torn open by the high-speed gears. For most creatures, such severe injuries would be fatal.
But the Space Octopuses, based on the fungal carpet template, could still struggle even in this state. For so reason, the Swarm seed to know exactly where to strike in their first encounter with the chs—the cockpit.
The Space Octopus extended two tentacles, gripping the ch’s head and twisting. The ch, designed to closely mimic the human form, had inherited the fragility of the human neck.
Even with the size difference, the larval body, crackling with electricity, gradually exceeded the critical threshold. Finally, the ch’s head, along with the cockpit, was torn off.
The neck now sparked with electricity, and black smoke billowed from the exposed circuits. However, the ch wasn’t a human body. Losing its head and pilot was significant, but it didn’t completely disable the machine.
Detecting the ergency, the auxiliary AI took temporary control of the ch. The ch twisted its body, the powerful output causing sparks to fly from its waist and leg joints. With a sudden jerk, the joints were forcibly broken.
Using the montum of the twist, the ch grabbed the larval Space Octopus. The energy core hidden in its chest began to overload, reaching an unstable peak.
Unstable energy seeped through the ch’s tal seams. Everything happened in an instant. The Space Octopus, already severely injured by the high-speed gears, had lost much of its control over its body. Even if it struggled, the effect would be minimal.
But the Space Octopus didn’t try to escape. As cannon fodder, their purpose was to sacrifice themselves. In the final monts before the ch’s energy core exploded, the Space Octopus pulled the detached ch head close, wrapping several tentacles around it. With a burst of electricity, the ch’s head was crushed inward.
At that mont, the ch’s energy core reached its limit and exploded, engulfing the Space Octopus in flas and debris.
This was just one snapshot of the battle. If the larval Space Octopuses were this difficult to deal with, the mature bodies and Primordial Bodies were even worse. The Daibo Civilization’s plan to use chs against the Space Octopuses was off to a rocky start.
However, the sheer nurical disparity worked in their favor. The few Primordial Bodies that had breached the defenses could only carry a limited number of mature and larval bodies, while the Daibo chs numbered in the tens of thousands.
Perhaps thanks to the realism of the virtual training, the ch pilots quickly regained their composure after the initial panic. They weren’t as devastated by the loss of their comrades as one might expect.
They soon regained control of the battlefield, and their coordination began to show. The mature and larval Space Octopuses found it increasingly difficult to engage in one-on-one duels.
The pilots’ tactics also beca more brutal. For example, when a teammate was entangled by a Space Octopus, they wouldn’t hesitate to attack with their blades.
As long as the ch’s head remained intact, the body was just a collection of chanical parts. A civilization that controlled dozens of star systems had no shortage of such resources.
Soon, the mature and larval Space Octopuses were systematically eliminated. While the new tactics increased the rate of ch losses, pilot casualties dropped significantly.
As the pilots grew more familiar with the Space Octopuses’ fighting style, they learned to anticipate and avoid certain attacks. When they couldn’t, their teammates stepped in to help.
However, the Space Octopuses’ electromagnetic propulsion was sotis too fast, especially when they were fully powered and crackling with electricity. These attacks, with their subtle warnings, still managed to take out a few pilots.
Despite this, the Daibo Civilization was satisfied with the results. After all, these were only the first-generation chs. With the data from this battle, they could undoubtedly improve the design.
After the mature and larval Space Octopuses were wiped out, the few remaining Primordial Bodies, though formidable, couldn’t turn the tide. With coordinated efforts, the ch pilots managed to sever all the Primordial Bodies’ tentacles, though at the cost of several chs being destroyed.
Without their tentacles, the Primordial Bodies’ combat effectiveness plumted, and they were soon dismantled by the Daibo chs.
While other sectors of the defensive line had quickly dealt with the invading Space Octopuses, the prolonged battle on the Daibo front stood out.
The Swarm, with its keen observation, noticed this disparity. During the fourth wave of attacks, they significantly increased the number of Primordial Bodies targeting the Daibo Civilization.
With the Daibo forces drawing most of the fire, the other civilizations were more than happy to take a backseat.
By the ti the survivors of the third wave of Primordial Body projectiles made it through the debris field, they were quickly eliminated. Even on the Daibo front, the battle ti decreased as the pilots gained experience.
However, during the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves, the number of Primordial Body projectiles targeting the Daibo front increased dramatically. The survivors that made it through the debris field grew from a few to hundreds, then thousands.
The increase in Primordial Bodies ant a geotric rise in the number of mature and larval bodies. With greater numbers, the Space Octopuses’ combat tactics beca more sophisticated.
They began to divide the battlefield, creating one-on-one opportunities and preventing enemy reinforcents. All the Space Octopuses, regardless of size, moved as one. Compared to the Swarm’s coordination, the Daibo pilots’ earlier confidence in their teamwork seed naive.
The growing number of Space Octopuses triggered a chain reaction. The Daibo Civilization could no longer eliminate all the Space Octopuses before the next wave of Primordial Body projectiles arrived. This led to an exponential increase in Space Octopus numbers, making them increasingly difficult to eradicate.
In contrast, the number of Daibo chs was rapidly dwindling. While their tactics reduced pilot casualties, they were too costly in terms of ch losses.
Nearly 30% of the damaged chs were destroyed by their own side.
As the situation rapidly deteriorated, the Daibo Civilization had no choice but to intensify their interception efforts. The main and secondary cannons, which had previously been underutilized, now fired at full capacity.
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