Previously on Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!...
Bai E and his team successfully evacuated Jade Stone Star after rescuing civilians, though their main objective of destroying the "Main Nest Prototype" remains incomplete. The Star Alliance command, facing escalating Bug Race activity, orders Bai E to provide precise coordinates and structural data of the main nest for an orbital bombardment, despite Bai E's warnings about its unusual structure.
For a full hour afterward, every eye in the vast Aisera Star System was fixed upon Jade Stone Star. The Allied Forces meticulously redeployed some of their outer defense line's formidable warships, consolidating them into a makeshift orbital bombardment fleet. Within the high orbit of Jade Stone Star, their formation was adjusted, vast cannons and missile silos deliberately aimed towards the deep ocean expanse in the northern hemisphere. "All units, lock onto the designated coordinates precisely, load the 'Star Splitter' armor-piercing rounds, and fully charge the 'Purifying Fire' array!" The voice of the bombardment fleet commander resonated throughout the Allied Forces' public communication channel. "Open fire!" In a blinding instant, a multitude of colossal kinetic warheads, trailing searing plumes of fire, sliced through the atmosphere like descending celestial bodies, impacting the ocean's surface with terrifying velocity! Close on their heels, a torrent of thick, brilliant plasma beams, radiating immense heat, bisected the clouds like divine blades, striking the exact same location with unerring accuracy! The northern hemisphere's ocean on Jade Stone Star appeared to erupt into a violent frenzy at that moment! Colossal columns of water were hurled skyward, reaching the stratosphere, before cascading back down as a torrential downpour. In the epicenter of the detonation, seawater was instantaneously vaporized or ionized, exposing a seabed scorched into an expanse of glassy terrain. The resultant shockwave propagated immense, kilometer-high circular megawaves across the sea, radiating outwards. Every observation unit in orbit, including the sophisticated sensors of the "Dawn Light," remained intently focused on the impact zone. One second... two seconds... five seconds... As the immediate fiery aftermath gradually subsided and the gargantuan waves began to recede, the anticipated scene of a drastically weakened or even nonexistent energy response from the main nest failed to materialize. On the sensor display, the readings indicating the main nest's core energy intensity indeed showed a dramatic fluctuation and a sharp decline immediately following the bombardment. However, this dip lasted less than ten seconds before the energy levels began to rebound at an astonishing rate! Within a mere minute, the readings had climbed back to 85% of their pre-bombardment levels and were continuing to surge steadily! Even more discouragingly, the spiritual energy conduits previously extending from the ocean trench seemed invigorated, their luminescence intensifying, and their pulsating rhythm accelerating. "The bombardment... was ineffective?!" a bewildered observer stammered in disbelief. The Allied Forces' command channel was instantly plunged into utter pandemonium! "What transpired?! Were the coordinates erroneously set?!" "How is it possible for the energy readings to recover so swiftly?!" "Those 'Star Splitter' armor-piercing shells possess the capability to pierce solid asteroids! How could they fail to obliterate a mere biological nest?!" "Could there have been an error in the data provided by the New Bauhinia Squad? Perhaps their reconnaissance was insufficient, mistaking a secondary structure or a decoy for the primary target?" "Mission failure! This is unequivocally a failed mission! They couldn't even guide the bombardment correctly!" A cacophony of criticisms, accusations, and panicked voices intertwined. Certain staff officers and officials from other "Sons of the Empire" nations, already harboring complex sentiments towards Bai E's "dark horse" squad, saw this as an opportune moment to target New Bauhinia. The looming shadow of mission failure appeared poised to descend. "Silence, all of you!" The roar of the Joint Forces Commander, wielding the highest authority, cut through the escalating chaos on the command channel. The veteran general's face was contorted with both fury and apprehension. "Is this truly the time to debate mission evaluations?! Direct your attention to the sensors! That infernal entity is growing stronger! Could it be absorbing the energy from our bombardment?! Mocking our utter incompetence?! Technicians! Analyze this immediately! Ascertain why the strike proved futile!" Following a brief interlude, the Chief Technical Officer of the Allied Forces spoke, unable to mask his astonishment and a trace of fear. "Preliminary analysis is complete... General, esteemed members, the issue does not stem from incorrect coordinates. The intelligence furnished by the New Bauhinia Squad was of exceptionally high precision, and the strike flawlessly impacted the main nest's energy aggregation core. The problem, as indicated by our analysis charts, lies within the fundamental structure of this main nest. Concealed beneath its organic exterior, it appears to have developed a bio-crystalline lattice layer exhibiting extraordinary energy absorption and buffering capabilities, something we have never encountered before. Most critically, its energy roots... Based on reverse analysis derived from the shockwaves generated by the bombardment, their penetration depth has surpassed our detection thresholds, likely reaching or even breaching the planet's mantle!"
The majority of the energetic impact from the bombardment, channeled through conduits deeply embedded within the planet's crust, was dispersed throughout its entire geological structure! Our strike was akin to merely punching a planet... the effect was negligible.
A heavy silence descended once more upon the command center.
The metaphor of punching a planet instilled a profound sense of helplessness in everyone present.
If even the most potent orbital bombardment could not penetrate its core, what conceivable method remained to vanquish this monstrous entity?
"General." A staff officer’s voice cracked as he spoke, "According to current simulations, once this primary nest reaches full maturity, the spiritual energy pollution and spore clouds it emits will engulf the entirety of Jade Stone Star within seventy-two hours. Subsequently, propelled by stellar winds, these contaminants will spread to three adjacent inhabited colony star systems within a week. At that point, the Bug Race will possess a stable 'forward base' with an almost inexhaustible energy supply, rendering their advance exceedingly difficult to curb... We might... need to contemplate evacuating the Aisera Star System and establishing an outer defensive perimeter."
To forsake an entire star system, a home to billions, abundant in industrial might, and strategically vital?
This grim suggestion plunged everyone’s spirits to the lowest ebb.
Yet, it appeared to be the stark and unavoidable reality.
Just as an atmosphere of suffocating despair began to settle, a communication request originating from a distant satellite forcefully intruded upon the Allied Forces' command channel.
It was the captain of the Echo Action Squad from the World Forge Union. His voice, though laced with undeniable exhaustion, conveyed a palpable excitement, an exhilaration akin to the thrill of discovering an uncharted world: "Command! This is Echo Squad! We've made a monumental discovery at the 'Ancient Bell' satellite ruins! We've successfully activated a minor energy node on the periphery of the ruins and deciphered a portion of the information stream! This ruin... it seems to transcend mere ancient technological artifact; it appears more akin to a... a remnant of a 'purifying device' or perhaps a 'rule weapon' designed against a specific type of 'rule' or 'concept'-level pollution! Its operational principles diverge completely from existing technological systems, involving temporary interference and the ability to 'write' into the fundamental rules of spacetime!"
He promptly shared fragmented data and perplexing energy waveform diagrams: "However... we are unable to fully operate it. It necessitates a specific 'key,' or rather, a high-dimensional spiritual energy authentication emanating from the same origin as the ruins. We've exhausted all known spiritual energy frequencies and encryption protocols without success.
Nonetheless, etched upon a stele found within the ruin's core, we discovered inscriptions pertaining to the 'Void Threat' detailed in the Traveler's data. Our suspicion is that this device was potentially constructed by the ancients to counteract a 'Void Threat' similar to the Bug Race!"
This startling information pierced through the darkness like a brilliant spark.
Bai E's mind immediately linked together the preceding clues—the strategic significance of the 'Ancient Bell' ruins as described in the Traveler's data, the ruins' technology characterized by its 'defiance of conventional physical properties' and 'rule solidification,' along with its resistance to activation through conventional means.
And a subtle intuition, stirring deep within him—
This construct, in the face of certain insurmountable future challenges, might perhaps emerge as a decisive variable.
"That ruin..." Bai E's voice suddenly resonated through the 'Dawn Light's' communication channel, his tone calm yet undeniably resolute, "Helen, set course, destination the 'Ancient Bell' satellite. I need to see it for myself."
Almost concurrently, the Allied Forces Commander rendered a decisive command: "Echo Squad, maintain your efforts, keep the communication line open! Captain Bai E, if you perceive a glimmer of hope there, I grant you authorization to investigate! However, time is of the essence; the maturation rate of the main nest is rapidly accelerating!"
