Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 1088 - 739: Assault
Previously on Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!...
Astra indicated a specific spot on the star chart, a location in a comparatively tranquil, yet near-zero signal dark zone, encircled by raging gravitational eddies and radiation belts.
"Next, we will navigate at minimal power and slowest velocity along a precarious 'safe' path that took us decades to barely chart, breaching this outer perimeter. This passage might span several days, during which any mishap could result in the ship's annihilation and crew casualties. We must be fully braced…"
Bai E silently observed the looming darkness and chaos, which seemed poised to engulf all. His spiritual Qi perception stretched outwards, vaguely detecting an indescribable... a 'density' and 'stillness' radiating from the profound depths of that region, as if time and space themselves lay in eternal repose there.
Could this be the 'Silent King's Court'?
After confirming Bai E's agreement with the strategy, the fleet commenced its journey as scheduled.
The initial day of travel was relatively uneventful.
However, a constant state of alert was necessary against the randomly emerging gravity whirlpools and intense energy radiation zones bordering the route, resembling celestial abrasions.
Occasionally, small fragments of metal or organic matter were propelled into the path by gravitational disturbances, and the point-defense systems of the "Brilliant Destiny" and its escorts promptly neutralized them.
Yet, as they advanced further, difficulties began to surface on the second day's afternoon.
"Unknown energy entities detected! Approaching at high speed! Emerging from behind the stardust cloud at your three o'clock!" the sensor operator reported, their voice laced with apprehension.
Several relatively small, yet highly irregularly shaped metallic constructs, adorned with dark cyan energy patterns pulsing across their surfaces, darted from the stardust cloud like specters.
They lacked any discernible propulsion nozzles, seemingly traversing space by 'blinking' or 'gliding' in short bursts, exhibiting extreme speed and unpredictable trajectories.
"It's the 'Wanderers'! The automated sentinels guarding the periphery of the Silent Royal Court!" a weathered scholar from the Golden Federation exclaimed. "Be cautious! Their armaments might employ…"
Before the scholar could conclude, the dark cyan markings on the 'Wanderers' suddenly ignited. Numerous spectral green energy beams, as fine as hair yet carrying a destabilizing power that sent shivers down the spine, silently shot forth, precisely impacting the flank armor of an escort vessel!
The escort's energy shield offered negligible resistance, as if sliced effortlessly by a heated blade.
The impacted armor section instantaneously shifted to an unsettling grey-white hue before disintegrating and dissipating silently like wind-worn sand, revealing the ship's internal framework.
"Take cover! It's the phase dematerialization ray! Evade direct impacts! Execute evasive maneuvers! Employ point-defense systems for interception!"
The fleet's formation rapidly broke apart, with each vessel undertaking vigorous evasive actions while simultaneously unleashing a torrent of fire to counter the swift, erratically moving 'Wanderers'.
Bai E, stationed on the bridge of the "Brilliant Destiny," calmly observed these newfound adversaries.
Their methods of attack and movement patterns conveyed a chilling, efficient, inorganic quality, markedly distinct from the biological nature of the Bug Race, bearing more resemblance to a highly sophisticated, autonomous defense network.
The engagement was brief, yet ferociously fought.
After sustaining the cost of one heavily damaged escort, the fleet ultimately leveraged its numerical superiority and overwhelming firepower to annihilate the handful of 'Wanderers'.
The vanquished 'Wanderers' did not erupt in explosions; instead, they silently collapsed into small aggregates of warped metallic debris as their internal energy cores overloaded, subsequently being carried away by the adjacent gravitational turbulence.
"Report damage?" Astra inquired, her expression grave.
"One 'Swift Level' escort is critically damaged; unable to engage or maintain formation, it must be forsaken," the lieutenant swiftly reported.
"Abandon the damaged vessel, transfer the crew. Proceed onward," Astra commanded without the slightest hesitation.
Venturing into the unknown invariably demands sacrifices.
And this marked merely the commencement.
In the ensuing journey, comparable assaults grew increasingly frequent.
Beyond the 'Wanderers,' they also encountered larger 'Annihilators,' resembling airborne pyramids, capable of unleashing widespread gravitational collapse fields in an attempt to ensnare and crush the vessels.
There were also swarming 'razor insectoid legions,' akin to metallic apiaries, that latched onto the ship's exterior, endeavoring to sever the hull with high-frequency oscillating blades.
Each encounter necessitated a toll.
Another destroyer heroically gave its life, shielding the "Brilliant Destiny" as it was ensnared by the "Annihilator's" gravitational pull. Though it managed to escape the grasp, grievous hull damage necessitated its departure from the formation, embarking on a perilous journey home with little hope of survival. A research vessel, purpose-built for scientific inquiry, was likewise lost. While attempting to study an anomalous energy field, it triggered a concealed trap and was obliterated by a newly formed spatial anomaly. As the fleet precariously navigated the most treacherous gravitational turbulence, finally reaching the fringes of the "Silent King's Court" central zone, the once formidable armada was reduced to the heavily wounded "Brilliant Destiny" flagship and two similarly battered escort vessels. More than thirty percent of the crew was lost, and the expenditure of materials and ammunition was immense. However, the spectacle that greeted them momentarily allowed all survivors to cast aside the heavy cloak of exhaustion and sorrow. They were finally able to witness the "Silent King's Court" with their own senses. It wasn't a planet, but a colossal, incomprehensible edifice suspended in the near-total blackness of the void. Formed from countless geometric structures, neither metallic nor stony, its primary body pulsed with flowing dark gold hues and faint runes across its surfaces. Layered like solidified nebulae, it evoked the image of a frigid, divine sanctuary or an inscrutable tomb.