Chapter 1114 The Number-one Wars.h.i.+p in the Universe: Silver Specter
In the blink of an eye, the silver-colored wars.h.i.+p had entered the visual range of the Skytripus Empire’s fleet; Major Kelly could even make out the porthole of that silvery wars.h.i.+p.
“Report: A full system a.n.a.lysis has been conducted completely. The wars.h.i.+p truly has no radar fitted, and its metal alloy body is a type of metal that we don’t have on catalog.”
After giving a glance at the a.n.a.lysis report on the screen, Kelly became nonplussed. He had absolutely no idea just what sort of person could construct such a wars.h.i.+p.
“There’s also an interesting phenomenon we noted. From our database, Valley of Wind ought to be composed of two planets, yet all we can see now is just one. The other planet is nowhere to be found,” Kelly’s adjutant reported.
Kelly waved his hand dismissively. “No need to bother yourselves with that. Not one has been here before, so all we’ve got are hearsays. I want you to keep an eye on that s.h.i.+p; don’t you let it run off!”
Soon, more than a hundred cruisers from the Skytripus Empire had Xia Fei’s strange silver-colored s.h.i.+p surrounded, glaring menacingly at it from afar.
*Rumble*
A series of warning cannonfire landed at the area around the wars.h.i.+p, fissuring the ground upon impact. Aboard that s.h.i.+p, Fuchen only felt a spell of dizziness, as the entire s.h.i.+p became like a frog, bouncing on the ground several times before landing.
“Don’t worry. That’s only a threat. It looks like the other party is very interested in our s.h.i.+p. I reckon that it won’t be long before that fleet’s commander sends out a short-wave communication signal to make contact with us.” Xia Fei did not even pause from the work he had at hand as he spoke.
After all, the s.h.i.+p had been left in disuse for too long, and when Radix took over the s.h.i.+p, he immediately discovered that there were problems all over. Many things that looked fine on the surface had actually rusted and decayed inside. This was just how a wars.h.i.+p was; with problems piling up the moment it was left idle.
The logic ran in line with cars. A car would normally have no problem being driven for ten years, and at most, it would require tire changes, but the moment it was left at home and not used for two or three years, it would most definitely become sc.r.a.p metal.
No matter how technologically superior this s.h.i.+p Aquamarine had left behind was, it could not survive the tens of thousands years of being left idle. Fortunately, this s.h.i.+p was made with excellent materials, so the many issues it had now were just minor problems.
Fuchen got annoyed. He did not understand where Xia Fei’s confidence was coming from, actually sticking to his guns and stubbornly staying put for this dilapidated s.h.i.+p. If they abandoned this s.h.i.+p and escaped into s.p.a.ce, they could at least hold onto their lives, but now, having been surrounded by the fleet, they could not escape even if they wanted to.
“A close-ranged, short-wave message signal. It is as you guessed, the enemy flags.h.i.+p is looking to establish temporary communication with us. “Radix had spoken as one with the wars.h.i.+p.
By now, Xia Fei had already finished his last task, and he was just waiting for Radix to try the ignition, to start up the wars.h.i.+p’s propulsion system.
*Bzzzt*
A screen appeared. Close-range communication was a very backward method. This wars.h.i.+p did not have a radar, so close-range communication was the only way of establis.h.i.+ng contact.
When Major Kelly saw Xia Fei, he could not help but arch his eyebrow. This was because he realized that Xia Fei might very well be younger than him. There were not many young people who could pilot a wars.h.i.+p in s.p.a.ce, so it was evident that Xia Fei and he were exceptions.
“Are you the owner of this wreck of a s.h.i.+p?” Kelly asked as he nudged his chin forward. Going by fleet communication routines, Kelly was the caller, and he at least needed to first report his ident.i.ty. However, he was currently clearly showing scorn to Xia Fei, acting high and mighty as he a.s.sumed an air of haughtiness. In fact, he had reached out because he wanted to retain the strange s.p.a.cecraft, or else he would have already ordered the s.h.i.+ps under his command to bombard Xia Fei’s into pieces.
“That’s right. From today onward, I’m the owner of this s.h.i.+p,” Xia Fei answered casually while lighting a cigarette.
“From today onward?” Kelly was slightly taken aback, wondering what he meant.
“Hmph. Well, I don’t care when that s.h.i.+p belongs to you. Right now, I’m representing the Skytripus Empire to inform you that you, the s.h.i.+p, and everything else on it, shall belong to the empire! If you put up any resistance or attempt to escape, we will tear you into shreds!” said Kelly coldly.
Xia Fei, of course, did not acquiesced to Kelly’s demands. If he were the type to do that, he would have long opted for a safer route of fleeing. The reason why he had remained was that Xia Fei saw a glimmer of hope! He saw potential in this s.h.i.+p!
*Fwoom*
Right at that moment, Radix tried starting the ignition for the first time, and the energy propulsion engine belched out a thick cloud of smoke before going silent immediately after.
“It’s a fuel ratio problem! The energy compression ratio of this s.h.i.+p is too high. I didn’t expect that! Let me give it another try; I’m sure that I’ll be able to get it up and running!” Radix’s voice echoed in Xia Fei’s mind.
This was not a conventional wars.h.i.+p, and it possessed an incomprehensible energy compression ratio! As the only method of propelling the s.h.i.+p forward, the engine would compress the energy and shoot out in the form of high-pressure particles to push the wars.h.i.+p forward.
If a conventional wars.h.i.+p had a compression ratio of ten to one, then this wars.h.i.+p had the crazy ratio of one hundred to one!
G.o.d knew why it would have such an insane compression ratio! At such a rate, what shot out was not energy but a nuclear explosion, instead! If any wars.h.i.+p accidentally found themselves swept away by the powerful energy, which shot forth from the plume of the s.h.i.+p, there would not even be a need for an attack, as just this high-compression shot of energy was enough to detonate the enemies!
Xia Fei remained composed. Meanwhile, Kelly on the screen froze for a moment before chuckling in disdain.
“So after all that, your lousy s.h.i.+p can’t even start up? What a joke! What year is this? To think you’d actually still experience an ignition failure. Such a low-level mistake has already been obsolete since my grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s generation.
“To think I was still worried that you’d be able to run away. Now, I can see that I have overestimated you a lot. Just that trash can of a s.h.i.+p may not even escape the gravity well of the planet!” Kelly belittled.
Xia Fei flashed him a smile, where the corners of his lips twisted upward to form a strange smirk.
“My s.h.i.+p isn’t used for fleeing. Do you know what it’s used for?” Xia Fei asked, that smirk still plastered on his face.
“For feeding fishes? That is, if the interior is filled with water.” Kelly thought that he was being humorous with that joke.
“For. Taking. Your. Lives!” Xia Fei enunciated each word with a pause, his two eyes exploding with killing intent.
After he ended his sentence, the wars.h.i.+p began its second attempt at starting the ignition!
*Rumble*
The frightening force that shot forth instantly carved an immense cut across the land, the entire planet trembling from the force!
“What a powerful propulsion force! This s.h.i.+p’s power system is practically heaven-defying!” Radix shouted in excitement. He had gotten a fright from the engine when its energy plume shot out.
“Take off! Our target is that flags.h.i.+p, The Effervescence!” Xia Fei yelled his command.
*Fwoosh*
The wars.h.i.+p took off at such incredible speeds, just like a volcano that had erupted! The entire s.h.i.+p shuddered with much intensity as it went at its top speed. The acceleration they experienced was so great that it could be defined as terrify!
Major Kelly in s.p.a.ce was abruptly stunned by what he saw. Never in his life had he seen such a mighty wars.h.i.+p, and this was just its ignition! The great energy plume trailing behind its engine seemed to have blown off half of the planet when it took off!
This was simply too ridiculous! The energy shooting out of its engine was too forceful! All they saw was that planet turning into a scorching steel ball. The entire surface turned red, a large swathes of soil and rocks was unable to withstand this powerful energy upheaval and burned up entirely!
“Oh, no! We don’t have any weapons that we can use!” Radix shouted. He had only realized this problem of his cannons being completely unable to concentrate energy when he had tried firing them.
“Don’t use your cannons! Just ram them directly!” Xia Fei ordered.
“What joke are you trying to pull? We’re not in the cold weapons era, so why be so barbaric?!” Fuchen gasped.
In ancient times, primitives would use their s.h.i.+ps out in the sea to ram one another. Xia Fei actually took out this tactic from his ancient ancestors, leaving Fuchen beside himself with disbelief.
“Remember: This isn’t your average wars.h.i.+p! It’s the Silver Specter!” Xia Fei declared with gusto. He seemed to be absolutely confident, having even thought of a name for the s.h.i.+p.
*Kaboom*
The Silver Specter shot out a huge burst of flame as it went charging right for the Effervescence at astounding speeds.
The momentum of the s.h.i.+p was beyond wild! Though it was the size of a small cruiser, the inferno it gave out when it attained full speed was even more violent than the t.i.tan!
The enemy seemed to also sense that the Silver Specter was nothing like any s.h.i.+p they had seen, and quickly began to back away, while they fired their tens of thousands of cannons in unison! The Skytripus Empire’s fleet initiated their a.s.sault on the Silver Specter!
Though Kelly wanted to capture this strange wars.h.i.+p intact, his desire to live was greater!
*Kaboom*
Silver Specter was engulfed in a gigantic fireball, an enormous burst of energy that covered it completely.
Before Kelly could gloat, he saw that silvery wars.h.i.+p reappear once more! It emerged from amidst the flurry of cannonfire that had surrounded it, its speed faster than before!
*Bang*
A wars.h.i.+p in front of The Effervescence did not manage to dodge in time and was torn apart by the hurtling Silver Specter!
Like a silver-colored wolf, it revealed its sharp claws and attacked in the most primitive and b.e.s.t.i.a.l method. It had made its way into the flock of sheep!
One s.h.i.+p! Two! Three!
Silver Specter was unscathed even after smas.h.i.+ng three cruisers into smithereens. As it accelerated to reach further targets, its speed reached a point where it was impossibly quick!
“It’s over—”
Kelly’s eyes had gone wide by now, and before he could leave his last words, the immense impact had rocked The Effervescence, like pulverizing a piece of tofu with a hammer! It was completely crushed into slag!
Crushed!
A crus.h.i.+ng attack that demonstrated great formidability!
Even the experienced Xia Fei had not seen such a scene unfold before. A weaponless wars.h.i.+p could destroy an entire fleet with just its mighty hull alone!
Meanwhile, as someone that had no knowledge when it came to wars.h.i.+ps, Fuchen had already been made dazed by this display of power!
No wonder Xia Fei wanted to restore this s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p back to shape. It turned out that this Silver Specter was a s.p.a.cecraft that transcended the definitions of wars.h.i.+ps. It was a hammer-Thor’s Hammer!
Furball roared in his excitement. Such an attack, while primitive, was absolutely impressive!
“Leave none alive!” Xia Fei swept his hand out and hissed.
In Micro-quietude, which was also known as a region of death in the Alpha Universe, a lone silver wars.h.i.+p flitted across the stars.
This wars.h.i.+p had a strange hammerhead appearance and was entirely silver in color as it gave off a faint glow when light hit it.
The frightening Dark Matter Particle Storm was no match for its armored hull. When an asteroid appeared right in its path, this s.h.i.+p would not even attempt any evasive maneuvers and would directly charge headlong at it, turning the other into dust as it continued along its merry way!
Just how crazy was this? It appeared as though nothing in the universe could stop it!
Xia Fei slightly wrinkled his forehead. Smas.h.i.+ng the asteroid just then had caused the hull to shudder slightly, and Xia Fei felt uneasy about it.
“Slow down. We’re in no rush.” Xia Fei grumbled softly to Radix, who was in control of the s.h.i.+p. “Understood. I was just too excited. After all, this is the Silver Specter, the number-one wars.h.i.+p in the universe!” Radix burst out laughing. One could tell easily that Radix was over the moon at the moment, even proclaiming the Silver Specter as the number-one s.h.i.+p in the universe.
Xia Fei did not say a word about that; instead, his gaze turned slightly somber.
Brus.h.i.+ng a finger lightly across his spatial ring, Xia Fei took out the mysterious black scroll, the Dragon Induction Formula.