Chapter 1818: Another Two Hours!
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The s.p.a.ce ripples raised by the wormhole bomb expanded into a gigantic swirl more than eighty kilometers in diameter in only ten seconds. Together with all the ‘impurities’ that were enshrouded inside, it was crystalized first and then became an ivory light ball. The light ball then perished in a moment, reducing into a singular point that was un.o.bservable in the three-dimensional universe.
Centered at the singular point, all the materials within thirty kilometers vanished. They were either teleported to the other side of the universe billions of lightyears away or paved evenly in every corner of the universe, leaving a spherical area of ‘vacuum’ true to its meaning. It was so dark and so pure that the area was the best example of ‘obliteration’.
The materials between thirty to fifty kilometers from the center suffered severe s.p.a.ce-time twisting, too. Parts of them were teleported.
In terms of stars.h.i.+ps, it was often the case that the heads of some stars.h.i.+ps were still in the Heaven’s Origin Sector, but the rears had vanished. It was also possible that the engine compartment stayed where it was, but the stabilization system was gone, which immediately resulted in a series of dull internal explosions.
In terms of the human bodies protected by crystal suits, if the internal organs and even part of the brains were teleported, even the experts in the Core Formation Stage and the Nascent Soul Stage would find it hard to maintain their normal combat ability with the remaining body tissues, if they could survive at all.
The stars.h.i.+ps more than fifty kilometers away from the center of explosion, and some even a thousand kilometers away, were all affected by the shock, too. They were swallowed by the surging tides when the three-dimensional s.p.a.ce was ripped apart by brute force.
The stars.h.i.+ps shook violently. The crystal suits flew randomly like headless flies. Tremendous magical equipment lost their functionality. The power rune arrays and the spiritual energy of a lot of people lost their colors at the same time. Both the common warriors and the high-level Cultivators felt that more than ten of themselves overlapped at the same time, like the high-frequency vibrations of the metal rod after it was. .h.i.t by a tuning fork!
The battlefield, which had been more heated than ever a moment prior, fell into a weird silence because of the unexpected s.p.a.ce-time explosion.
“Was Black Swirl… blown up?”
On Silver Moon, on Burning Prairie, and in the highest command center on the ground, countless pairs of eyes were focused on the surveillance light beam, trying to see through the hazy ripples and get the situation of the flags.h.i.+p of the Black Wind Fleet.
Finally—
The battlefield, which was silent for a moment, began to run like a mechanical slaughterhouse whose springs were fully-wound. Pa.s.sing through the twisted s.p.a.ce and knocking away countless broken stars.h.i.+ps, Black Swirl leapt out like a wounded beast!
A shocking round wound appeared at the center of the stars.h.i.+p, as if it had been bitten hard right in the middle by a huge, invisible mouth. Tremendous important cabins, components, and magical equipment units were gone. Countless parts and even crew members were spurting out, forming quite a few weird metal streams. But the damage was as smooth as a mirror, without the slightest sign of ripping. Had it not been for the fireb.a.l.l.s that were bursting out one after another, the stars.h.i.+p would have left the impression that it had been produced exactly in such an appearance.
The terrible s.p.a.ce beast was not completely teleported away and even kept part of its combat ability!
Lu Qingchen’s keen reaction at the last moment had saved both Black Swirl and the Black Wind Fleet.
The wormhole had not detonated in the range of absolute destruction, and Black Swirl had performed crazy dodging in advance. Therefore, it had only lost about twenty percent of the body, and none of the critical parts were damaged.
Such behemoths that could serve as flags.h.i.+ps of the expedition armies were all unbelievably thick and st.u.r.dy. They might not be knocked down after being bombarded for three days and three nights.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
The ‘Gai’-level super crystal processor in the highest command center of the Defense Counsel of the Federation a.n.a.lyzed and calculated quickly. After only one moment, it sent the latest a.n.a.lysis report to Burning Prairie, Silver Moon, and other command stars.h.i.+ps in the federal fleet.
“By preliminary estimation, the hypers.p.a.ce shock just now destroyed at least five ‘Storm’-level a.r.s.enal stars.h.i.+ps, three ‘Iron Dome’-level heavy s.h.i.+eld stars.h.i.+ps, and two Colossi. In the meantime, the s.p.a.ce-time ripples cast certain interference to the s.p.a.ce gate being established at the rear of the enemy’s fleet, too.
“But Black Swirl did not suffer a fatal blow. By estimation, it has lost twenty-five percent of its speed and thirty percent of its firepower. Nothing more.
“By comprehensive evaluation, the hypers.p.a.ce shock has delayed the a.s.sembly of the enemy’s s.p.a.ce gate for approximately two hours, which is not long enough for the Burning Prairie Fleet to break the Black Wind Fleet’s defense and destroy the s.p.a.ce gate.
“Based on the situation on the battlefield, it is very possible that the enemy will have reinforcements in three hours. On the other hand, the three s.p.a.ce gates on our side are so badly damaged that it will take at least ten hours’ maintenance before they can navigate the reinforcement to arrive!”
After all the trouble, sacrifice, desperation, and lucky coincidences, the wormhole bomb had finally detonated successfully, but all that was earned was only two more hours.
It would take more than ten hours for the reinforcements of their side to arrive. What could they do in two hours?
Such a result cast both Silver Moon and the highest command center into bitter silence. Their hearts that had been soaring a moment ago all hit rock bottom.
For Bai Kaixin and other leaders.h.i.+p of the Burning Prairie Fleet on Burning Prairie, they did not even have the time to feel sorry for themselves because the ear-splitting alarms each louder than the last suggested that more Colossi of the Imperium had broken into the flags.h.i.+p of the federal army!
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rumbling noises were echoing from deep inside Burning Prairie. The pictures on every surveillance camera were devastating messes.
The few Colossi of the federation immediately retreated for defense.
But they had all fought for a long time. In terms of crystals, ammunition, and storage of spiritual energy, they were utterly incomparable to the well-prepared, high-spirited Colossi of the Imperium that had just been released from Black Swirl.
The federation had fewer Colossi in the first place. The consequence of the few Colossi retreating to defend the flags.h.i.+p was that the most powerful weapon against the Colossi of the Imperium in the s.p.a.ce field was lost. The s.p.a.ce battlefield immediately turned into a slaughterhouse for the Colossi of the Imperium.
In such an impa.s.se, it was barely possible to break Burning Prairie and other main-force wars.h.i.+ps of the federation away from the chaos, not to mention breaking the defense of the Black Wind Fleet!
Time pa.s.sed by one second after another.
Black Swirl went on a rampage in s.p.a.ce like an animal that grew even more ferocious after suffering heavy wounds.
Behind it, the s.p.a.ce gate was already taking shape. It opened slowly like an enormous eye of a fiend.
…
“What do we do?”
On Silver Moon, mist filled Jin Xinyue’s eyes, but a moment later, it was ripped into shreds by her pa.s.sion and determination. “All demon troops, march toward Black Swirl right now. We don’t have a choice. The federation doesn’t have a choice. We will either be obliterated or immortalized!”
…
“Chief Advisor!” On the bridge of Burning Prairie, an officer whose face was blackened and bleeding staggered in and shouted, “The enemy’s Colossi are close to the bridge now. Please evacuate through the emergency teleportation array!”
“Evacuate?” Bai Kaixin’s face that was always filled with sorrow now put on a scornful smile. “Are you asking me, the commander of the Burning Prairie Fleet, to abandon the flags.h.i.+p?
“I will live and die with my stars.h.i.+p. The home planet of the Heaven’s Origin Sector is right behind us. Where can we evacuate to?
“Burning Prairie, set course for Black Swirl and move at full speed!”
…
On Infinite Fire, the flags.h.i.+p of the Big Bai Fleet, Bai Xingjian’s flames of spiritual energy were so scorching that the entire bridge was almost melted. Every pathway in the entire wars.h.i.+p was echoing his thunderous roar.
“Forward! Forward! March at full speed toward the side of the Black Swirl that was heavily damaged just now! The daring team, be prepared. Let’s go to the Imperium and turn their nest upside down!”
…
Outside of the No. 9 star fortress on the Wall of Heaven’s Origin, the orbital defense ring, Ding Lingdang had no time to enter the fortress for rest and simply received treatment and refilled her spiritual energy on a medical stars.h.i.+p.
“Good enough!”
After only spending twenty minutes in the medical cabin, she tore off the high-pressive, active oxygenic mask and jumped out of the nutrition liquids.
“But,” the specialist of the medical team objected, frightened, “your wounds are not entirely recovered. Besides, the Draconic Phoenix was too seriously damaged to be repaired so quickly!”
“Without a Colossus, I can still fight in the crystal suit!” Staring at the enormous light beam hanging in front of the medical room, Ding Lingdang declared, faced with the burning sea of stars, “My friends are all out there. I must go there, too, to the heart of Black Swirl!”
…
On the bridge of Black Swirl, Heiye Ming put on a smile of utmost disdain with intense black air flowing on his face.
“Are you still struggling before death? Since your wild gamble just now failed to completely destroy Black Swirl, it will be futile whatever you try right now.
“The s.p.a.ce gate of the Imperium will open in two hours. Nothing can possibly stop the main troops of the Black Wind Fleet arriving here, destroying the federal fleet, and suppressing the entire federation!
“Fate is on our side. Now, just wash your neck and wait for your new life. Hehe. Hehehe!”
…
In the highest command center of the Defense Counsel in the Heaven’s Origin Sector, Wan Guqing’s face that seemed to have been unchanged for ten thousand years finally had twisted cracks.
“Speaker, according to the latest a.n.a.lysis report, the odds of our army successfully destroying the enemy’s s.p.a.ce gate have dropped to… 3.1%. The enemy’s reinforcements will surely arrive earlier than ours. The odds that all the main-force wars.h.i.+ps including Burning Prairie are destroyed have been increased to… 65%.
“The s.p.a.ce battle has come to an end in advance. It is time to issue the highest alarm planetwide and prepare for the next phase of the planetary defense, isn’t it?”
The leader of the a.n.a.lysis division of the federal army suggested bitterly.
Wan Guqing closed his dirty eyes. It was not until a long time later that he nodded softly, “Prepare for the planetary defense. In half an hour, I will give a national speech. In any case, the Heaven’s Origin Sector will fight to the end…”
Before Wan Guqing could finish his sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by a desperate roar.
“Reinforcements! R—R—Reinforcements!”