Ayla had a massive research facility constructed in the designated zone.
Located 300 kilometers northwest of the Humanity Academy, it was built into a mountain range.
This mountain range, called the "Walizi" (a phonetic transcription from the Kate language), was over 2300 miles long, composed of three main peaks, appearing rather wide (410 miles).
At the center of this range, at an average elevation of 1173 meters, stood a colossal, dome-shaped structure, over 20 kilometers in diameter. It was pure white, with a circular glass corridor encircling the base.
Luna followed a robot, controlled by Ayla, through this corridor.
The vast, white corridor was empty except for them.
Ayla stopped before a white wall, then touched it, seemingly melting into it like magic.
Luna wasn't fazed.
Ayla's technology could easily create realistic holograms. This white wall was merely a different kind of "door".
She followed, touching the wall, and the scenery instantly changed.
The empty corridor transformed into a bustling research facility filled with countless machines, biological specimens, and viruses. The sounds of experiments, equipment, and general activity filled the air, a stark contrast to the previous silence.
Ayla slowly walked forward.
"This is a large facility. It took me over 200 years to build, and the equipment here represents the pinnacle of my capabilities."
This was a multidisciplinary research facility.
Luna even saw a creature resembling the mythical Chimera in one of the steel labs—a far more complex creation than her cosmic lifeforms.
"What's your current approach to bio-engineering?"
Luna asked curiously, avoiding Ayla's previous question. It wasn't something she wanted to discuss.
"Mythological recreation!"
"Essentially, I can create any creature, regardless of its mythical abilities or unusual appearance, stripping away only the fantastical aspects."
"Mythological recreation is similar to your gene library project; it's about uncovering the mysteries of the genome."
"Can organisms generate electricity using specific organs? Or, can living beings directly manipulate the four fundamental forces?"
Understanding biology, Luna knew this was long-term research.
Currently, they required a planet-sized device to investigate the fundamental forces; concentrating the necessary energy would take thousands, even tens of thousands, of years.
Let alone enabling weak cells to manipulate these forces.
This project was parallel to Luna's own.
Continuing their conversation, they arrived at another lab. The sounds of the previous lab were absent.
The room was relatively small, only 200 square meters.
The walls were lined with various tools: wrenches, screwdrivers, electric drills... hundreds of items, giving the room the feel of a workshop rather than a laboratory.
It was a romantic space for a mechanically inclined individual. Luna imagined offering someone a job here, no salary required, just the opportunity to work here, and they would gladly spend their lives here.
But Luna only glanced at the tools, her gaze settling on the center of the room.
A black structure, composed of numerous tiny, overlapping plates resembling scales, lay there. The outer layer was covered with a thin metal plating. It looked less futuristic and more like ancient armor, albeit modernized and streamlined.
Upon closer inspection, it was a suit of powered armor.
The suit was only 2.2 meters tall, clearly not designed for human-sized users. Intricate machinery was visible beneath the outer plating.
"The entire suit is made from the light-based alloy. While it might not be ideal, it's the best metal we can currently produce,"
Ayla explained.
"To create something stronger requires manipulating the four fundamental forces and understanding the string theory, enabling us to create the fundamental elements from strings."
"The helmet's design is based on ancient battle helmets, with minor modifications for a more futuristic look. It's a perfect blend of ancient and modern design."
"The armor is lightweight, streamlined, and form-fitting. To maximize the joints' flexibility, we had to compromise on protection."
The armor's abdomen utilized numerous articulated components, resembling a series of abdominal muscles. The chest plate wasn't made of solid steel, allowing for flexibility of movement.
"The appearance isn't the most important aspect; its functionality is."
"The helmet contains an oxygen generation system."
"On planets with an atmosphere, there's no need for oxygen tanks. On planets lacking an atmosphere, it can extract oxygen from water or other oxygen-containing substances, greatly increasing survivability."
"If neither is available, it's equipped with a metallic oxygen reserve sufficient for 57 days."
"The armor isn't heavily armed; its weaponry is primarily electromagnetic, providing shields, offensive capabilities, and acceleration."
"Inspired by Iron Man, the armor has electromagnetic devices in each palm, allowing for flight, and a laser emitter in each index finger, usable as a cutting tool or concealed weapon."
"The power source differs significantly from Iron Man's."
"For weight reduction, it lacks any independent power storage. Instead, 193 small energy collectors are distributed throughout the armor. Theoretically, it can instantly replenish its energy from ambient dark matter, making energy depletion practically impossible."
"The armor's performance specifications are as follows: 16.2-ton lifting capacity, 2.1-ton gripping strength, ground speed of 418 m/s under 1g gravity, flight speed of 1227 m/s in Earth's atmosphere. Key joints can withstand 182 tons of pressure, 31 km of water pressure, temperatures up to 4000°C, and down to -211°C."
"Maximum offensive power: 10,000 tons of TNT. Maximum defensive capacity: 890,000 tons of TNT. Nuclear weapons are unlikely to destroy it. Radiation resistance is excellent, reaching Type 3 standards, capable of withstanding 96% of high-energy radiation bursts."
"In combat situations, the armor can trigger hormone release to enhance cognitive function and fully unlock all capabilities."
"The armor also has a simulated death mode. In extreme situations, it can induce a low-power hibernation state while simultaneously transmitting a distress signal, increasing survival chances."
"It also includes a small server, providing computational support, including data analysis, technological design, and information retrieval."
"It can also be used with drones for expanded reconnaissance and mapping..."
"This is only the first-generation model (Designation: 00). After market deployment and feedback, subsequent models will undergo enhancements and become standard equipment for the federation's military."
"It's already highly functional. Luna, would you like to try it?"
Luna nodded; she had wanted to try the suit on since she first saw it.
She approached, and the armor's chest and abdomen opened automatically, providing access.
As she was about to enter, Ayla received a message.
"The Interstellar Explorers Guild reports a cosmic plague rapidly infecting explorers and spreading to our civilizations. The cause is unknown; victims die in agonizing pain within two days."
"It's highly contagious, affecting humans, Multi-eyed, Kate, and various flora and fauna. Current infections: 7 million, and rising."
Luna's expression changed.
This was a catastrophe.
Luna remained in the research facility to avoid infection.
Given her expertise in biology, she suspected this was a form of environmental contamination rather than a viral pandemic.
While viruses at the genetic or cellular level were unlikely to affect three distinct species simultaneously, environmental contaminants were far more probable.
Regardless of her suspicions, Ayla immediately mobilized all available resources to investigate the origin of the plague.
The first cases originated in the newly designated "Long Serpent Sector".
This wasn't a large sector, containing only two stars, but numerous asteroids orbited between them.
These asteroids were likely remnants from the stars' formation, trapped between their gravitational pulls, forming a long, serpentine structure, four light-years long, extending towards Alpha Centauri.
This was the epicenter of the outbreak.
Due to its abundant metallic minerals, this sector was a popular exploration site for explorers seeking a steady income stream, though not necessarily a get-rich-quick scheme.
The first victim was a Kate. On the first day, they only experienced mild fever.
They assumed rest would cure them.
But then, it wasn't just a fever. Blackheads began to erupt on its body, growing rapidly and then bursting, releasing a foul-smelling grey pus.
Realizing something was wrong, it left its room to seek medical attention, coming into contact with numerous other explorers.
Upon arrival at the medical facility, due to the lack of advanced medical equipment in space, its condition could not be immediately diagnosed or contained.
It came into contact with doctors and nurses without any precautions and then watched helplessly as the blackheads transformed into gaping wounds, oozing blood uncontrollably.
It was in excruciating pain, as if being slowly tortured. Its final moments were filled with agonizing cries and screams.
Photos of its corpse showed it digging into its own body, extracting its internal organs.
It claimed to have insects inside its body.
Clearly, the intense pain and the disease's characteristics had driven it to a state of mental collapse, leading to hallucinations.
Subsequently, explorers at the base began exhibiting similar symptoms.
Fear, despair, pain...
Some explorers entered hibernation, then boarded ships to return to Proxima Centauri for treatment.
When the first ship arrived at the spaceport, it was completely silent. Inspection crews forced entry and discovered that the hibernating explorers were dead, even in cryogenic conditions.
They were horrified. The explorers' skin had completely decomposed, leaving only fragmented muscle and bone. The hibernation pods contained only a gruesome, pulpy mess.
Despite wearing protective suits and undergoing decontamination, several inspectors exhibited the same symptoms within two days.
And so did those they had contacted.
This was the chain of infection.
Upon receiving this information, Luna first instructed Ayla to initiate quarantine measures. Anyone who had direct or indirect contact with the victims, and even those who had contact with those who had contact with the victims, would be quarantined.
Second, determine the cause, identify the pathogen.
Third, immediately dispatch ships to the Long Serpent Sector to assess the situation and pinpoint the source.
These three steps were executed concurrently.
Quarantine measures within Proxima Centauri took two and a half years, resulting in the eventual containment of the plague at the cost of 1.6 billion Kate lives.
The human population in the designated zone plummeted from 420,000 to 180,000. Luna lost several friends at the Humanity Academy.
Such is the cruelty of space.
Strength doesn't guarantee safety; there are always unknowns.
Seven months into the first year.
Ayla received a message from the Multi-eyed planet.
The plague was also spreading there, far more aggressively due to the lack of Ayla's intervention. The Multi-eyed population, once 1.6 billion, was reduced to less than 400 million within a year—a three-quarter mortality rate.
If left unchecked, the Light Chasers would be annihilated.
Fortunately, Ayla immediately created a copy of herself and transmitted it to the Multi-eyed planet's main server via photon transmission, stabilizing the situation within three years.
In the sixth year, Ayla, using a scanning tunneling microscope, identified the pathogen.
It was a ghost particle!
Or rather, a microscopic lifeform the size of a ghost particle.
Ghost particles are neutrinos, fundamental particles in the universe, with a mass and size only one-millionth that of an electron. At this scale, it would seem impossible for life to exist.
Ayla possessed data on naturally occurring lifeforms. The smallest known lifeforms were at the molecular level; neutrinos were infinitesimally smaller.
But Ayla was certain that what she had observed was a living organism.
This lifeform couldn't exist under natural conditions; its cellular structure might be based on strings.
Strings again!
Luna felt a headache coming on. She had encountered too many string-related challenges.
She spoke to the screen. "It seems we're not dealing with a cosmic virus but a highly advanced civilization?"
While she had suspected it, the confirmation brought a new level of seriousness.
Ayla's holographic projection nodded.
"Indeed, Luna!"
"The warships I sent to the Long Serpent Sector have lost contact. That's highly unusual."
"There's an 82.61% chance we've been attacked by an unknown civilization."
"Their weapon is this neutrino-scale lifeform."
"Fortunately, I've been researching the microscopic realm for the past few centuries. Otherwise, these neutrino-scale organisms would have annihilated the Kate civilization, the Light Chasers, and the human population."
The war had begun silently.
This civilization possessed a significant advantage at the microscopic level.
Luna considered this.
"If this civilization is still in the Long Serpent Sector, they're likely indigenous."
"Ayla, launch a high-energy photon strike against the Long Serpent Sector. Don't hold back."
"If they aren't indigenous, their presence in the Long Serpent Sector suggests an attempt to deplete our forces before launching a full-scale attack."
"Deploy the fleet to the Long Serpent Sector. Launch a suicidal attack to demonstrate our remaining strength while simultaneously appearing desperate. This might buy us some time."
"Avoid revealing our full strength. Leave no wreckage behind."
"The fleet should also gather as much intelligence as possible. Knowing our enemy is crucial."
"While buying time, Ayla, accelerate your research into the microscopic realm. After completing Phase Two of the Dyson swarm project, dedicate all available resources to researching the microscopic world, achieving or approaching Grand Unification, and detecting strings."
Luna didn't know the enemy's strength.
This was the best course of action given the current lack of information.
Interstellar warfare required advanced knowledge, superior technology, and sufficient weaponry.
Any small breakthrough could alter the course of the war.
She had waited a thousand years during the conflicts with the Multi-eyed and the Kate.
But she didn't know how long this civilization's patience would last. From this moment on, they must focus on the microscopic world and energy production.
Luna hoped to halt the enemy's advance.
The Federation's first campaign had begun.
...
Project Italy Cannon was Ayla's ongoing project to create a star-scale electromagnetic cannon.
This superweapon would utilize the Dyson swarm, drawing 72% of its energy for firing high-energy particle beams.
As the saying goes, "Might makes right!"
Ayla fully understood this principle.
From space, this star-scale cannon was a colossal structure—icy blue, 181 kilometers long, 39 kilometers wide, and 42 kilometers high. Despite its lightweight design, it weighed 429 billion tons.
Its initial energy output could reach 200 quadrillion tons of TNT (8.4 x 10²⁶ joules)—equivalent to the combined energy output of the two stars over 1.4 seconds.
This was also equivalent to the total energy output of Phase One of the Dyson swarm over 3.4 minutes.
This wasn't much for a Type 1.9 civilization. This level of energy output was insufficient.
Like the Kate civilization's dark matter cannons, the energy utilization efficiency was appallingly low.
But this was to be expected.
Ayla hypothesized that all peak Type 1 civilizations would face this firepower limitation, due to material constraints.
Excessively powerful energy outputs would cause the entire star-scale cannon to collapse.
Upgrading materials required reaching Type 2.
The difference in energy output between Type 1.9 and Type 2 was relatively minor; the true difference lay in the technological advancements, exceeding a tenfold or even hundredfold increase.
This was why Luna was so cautious. The enemy displayed the technological capabilities of a nascent Type 2 civilization.
"Italy Cannon modification complete. Targeting the Long Serpent Sector, coordinates: Alpha Centauri A, 12°6'N, 6h11m08s."
"Charging the main cannon..."
"Activating electromagnetic containment field..."
"Activating auxiliary stabilization field..."
"Initiating electromagnetic dark matter acceleration and cryogenic cooling..."
"Deploying electromagnetic field to isolate the star from cosmic interference..."
"All systems nominal."
"Firing!"
There was no fanfare; the preparation time had been extensive.
This was a precision interstellar strike; even a millimeter of deviation would cause the shot to miss.
Ironically, the energy required to prepare the shot exceeded the energy of the shot itself.
Luna frowned at these figures.
"Still too inefficient."
Ayla's research into strings had been ongoing for over a century, shared with relevant scholars across the federation.
Yet, they were still grasping at straws.
But there was no other way.
She didn't have a system like those in novels. Even if a system provided string theory technology, its implementation would require a complete overhaul of the civilization's industrial base to produce the necessary detection equipment.
Further research and development of various weapons and equipment would then be necessary.
This would take centuries.
Unless a system could magically provide all the necessary technology, which would lead to a lack of understanding.
It's like being given a lithography machine and being able to create chips without understanding the underlying principles—simply following instructions.
Therefore, there are no shortcuts in scientific advancement.
Luna could only rely on Ayla and the collective expertise of the galactic federation.
The Long Serpent Sector was 0.317 light-years from Proxima Centauri.
Eight months later, Luna received images of the Long Serpent Sector after the attack.
The distance was vast.
The lack of energy readings indicated that something had happened.
The data showed the sector had become an energy void. The matter in the Long Serpent Sector hadn't exploded, but rather, had simply vanished.
This significant difference strengthened Luna's resolve to pursue her other plan.
She mobilized the entire galactic federation's military forces.
The galactic federation, reeling from the neutrino-scale organism attack, was in dire need of reinforcements. Luna had anticipated forced conscription, but the response was far greater than expected.
Eight million volunteers on the first day.
Ten million on the second.
This was unlike the Kate civilization's reaction to the tower; they had been isolated and believed the civilization behind the tower was invincible.
Now, however, the Kate felt the support of the vast galactic federation. The enemy no longer seemed so terrifying; they believed they could win.
This was also about revenge.
The plague had caused immense losses.
The Kate and Multi-eyed, influenced by human culture, now experienced a broader range of emotions, including grief that needed to be channeled.
The final conscription yielded 16.1 million Kate soldiers, 3.42 million Multi-eyed soldiers, and 10,000 human soldiers.
While humans were the smallest group, their contribution was proportionally the highest.
These 19.53 million soldiers formed the Federation's first legion—the Valiant Legion.
Named to honor the 2.8 billion souls lost in the incident.
This legion underwent five years of intensive military training, ensuring basic combat readiness.
Ayla also equipped this legion with first-generation powered armor and nanobots to enhance individual soldier capabilities.
Five years later.
The legion's strength had decreased to 11.75 million soldiers.
Each soldier in the Valiant Legion was equipped with a first-generation powered armor suit, 100 billion nanobots, one high-energy dark matter weapon, five antimatter annihilation bombs, and one suicide-style energy backpack.
Every 1 million soldiers formed a fleet; there were 11 fleets in total, all frontline fleets, with no reserve forces.
Each fleet consisted of one 7500-meter flagship, two 4400-meter secondary ship, sixteen 3100-meter battleships, twenty 2000-meter cruisers, fourteen 2800-meter frigates, and twenty-one 2500-meter destroyers—74 ships total.
The Valiant Legion's flagship was a 10,000-meter-long command ship, accompanied by eighteen 2800-meter frigates, for a total fleet strength of 833 ships, with a combined energy output of 7.4 x 10²⁹ joules.
That same year.
The Valiant Legion set sail.
Fueled by vengeance, they set course for the forbidden zone!!
The year was 6779 A.D.
This was the Federation's first interstellar expedition. The enemy's strength was unknown; the soldiers understood the high probability of death, yet none faltered.
After centuries of development, Ayla had significantly improved the fleet's speed.
The average speed of the fleet was now 7145 km/s.
The estimated travel time to the Long Serpent Sector was 13 years and 4 months.
Zap was a former high-ranking officer in the Kate military, dismissed from his post and subsequently joining the explorers, becoming a squad leader.
His exploration route was diametrically opposed to the Long Serpent Sector. He had remained outside the system during the outbreak and was thus unaffected.
But his luck ended there.
Returning to Proxima Centauri, he found his home empty.
His family had perished in the plague; he was the sole survivor.
Upon learning that the catastrophe wasn't caused by a virus but a declaration of war by another civilization, he was consumed by rage!
A natural disaster had become a man-made calamity.
His grief transformed into hatred.
He was willing to sacrifice his life for revenge!
During recruitment, he demonstrated his unwavering commitment by stabbing himself with a knife and offering his heart as a symbol of his dedication.
His exceptional performance in training, combined with his past experiences, secured him the position of commander of the First Legion.
He stood on the bridge.
Not just now.
He had been standing here for days.
Because the Long Serpent Sector was close.
Days earlier, reconnaissance drones had been dispatched and had vanished without a trace into the inky blackness of space, near the end of the Long Serpent.
He knew where they were. He stared at them with icy eyes.
This was his first interstellar war, a war between species. But he felt no apprehension, only the simmering rage that had consumed him for so long.
Emotion is power.
He could feel it—his own rage, and the rage of the tens of millions of soldiers under his command.
"All warships, prepare for combat!"
"Main cannons, commence charging. Conduct reconnaissance strikes, gathering as much intelligence as possible. Even if we lose, we can still gain valuable data."
His second-in-command issued the orders, then sighed despondently.
"Unfortunately, the Federation is too vast to provide immediate support."
"We must rely on ourselves. Otherwise, eliminating them would be trivial."
Zap glared at him.
"What are you saying?"
"Relying on other civilizations is cowardly."
"Fight for our civilization! Fight for our fallen comrades! Even if we die here, we will die with honor."
"There's a book in human literature called The Book of Rites. I love one line in it: 'Death may be light as a feather, or heavy as Mountain—it depends on how one lives one's life.'"
"Our deaths will be heavy as Mountain. We will not dishonor our civilization, our families, or ourselves."
Zap was an ardent admirer of human culture.
The officers on the bridge were momentarily stunned, then contemplated this statement.
Their gazes hardened with newfound resolve.
...
The first energy charge was quickly completed, and the main cannon fired its initial attack, with an energy output equivalent to 9000 trillion tons of TNT.
Traveling near the speed of light, the energy reached the "forbidden zone" 21 AU away.
Three hours later, dark matter projectiles struck the area.
Six hours later, Zap observed the results.
Intense spacetime distortion occurred, like a stone dropped into still water, creating ripples.
But he was certain this wasn't spacetime distortion. Warping spacetime required unimaginable energy, beyond the capabilities of even a Type 3 civilization.
The gravitational waves generated during the graviton detection were merely fluctuations in gravitational force, not spacetime distortions.
"There, a barrier of some unknown material has formed."
"Initiate Plan Two. We must determine the barrier's composition."
In the deep void of space, over a hundred ships propelled a massive dwarf planet, accelerating it to 200 km/s.
The asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs was only 10 kilometers in diameter and traveled at approximately 13.6 km/s, releasing 100 trillion tons of TNT equivalent upon impact.
This dwarf planet's impact force was comparable to the flagship's main cannon.
However, this method was slow, only effective against stationary targets.
And the target was seemingly stationary.
"Our energy weapons can't penetrate this barrier, yet this civilization is only a nascent Type 2."
"There are no hidden energy sources nearby. Their energy reserves must be finite, especially while maintaining such a large electromagnetic field."
"They won't be able to withstand a dwarf planet's impact."
This was another test.
To withstand the impact, the defense would need to be impenetrable.
And it wasn't.
As the dwarf planet reached 200 km/s, a large hole appeared in the barrier—a void that looked like a black hole, with no light escaping.
A square box emerged.
This box was small, only 100 x 30 x 30 meters. In the vastness of space, it was practically invisible.
The box moved towards the dwarf planet.
As it approached, the box collapsed into a sphere, shrinking to subatomic size in 0.01 seconds, as if creating an immense gravitational field.
The dwarf planet and nearby asteroids were pulled in, orbiting the point at over 20% the speed of light, accelerating rapidly, spiraling towards the core.
Within ten minutes, the dwarf planet disintegrated into countless fragments. The box, at the center of the vortex, formed a ring radiating immense energy.
Thirty minutes later, the dwarf planet had been completely absorbed. The vortex became visible, or perhaps, utterly black.
It was a miniature black hole.
The enemy civilization had created a miniature black hole right in front of them!
After the dwarf planet vanished, the miniature black hole became unstable. Two intense gamma-ray bursts erupted from its poles.
One struck the Fifth Fleet, instantly annihilating over half its warships.
"Damn it!"
"This miniature black hole is highly unstable; it can only exist for an hour. During that time, it will expel all the matter it absorbs."
"Because it's so small, it might explode instead of simply dissipating."
"Deploy electromagnetic shields! All warships, evade! Escape to a radius of 20 AU!"
Zap's expression changed; he immediately issued orders.
But the black hole's collapse was too rapid. As Zap had predicted, after expelling 97% of its matter, the black hole collapsed and exploded.
The immense energy spread outwards at over 10% the speed of light, making escape impossible.
Although the electromagnetic shields were deployed, the immense energy instantly consumed the entire Valiant Legion fleet.
The black hole's explosion engulfed the entire fleet in a torrent of particles.
Zap felt a violent tremor beneath his feet. He jumped, minimizing the impact, regaining his composure.
The screens in the bridge were filled with static; his network connection was completely severed.
The enemy's power was far beyond his expectations.
He was still shaken.
It was a black hole!
The enemy had created a black hole—small and unstable, yet a black hole nonetheless, the most terrifying celestial body in the universe.
Did they have any chance of winning?
Doubt gnawed at him.
Did the galactic federation truly exist?
Could the Kate civilization survive?
These thoughts surfaced, then were immediately suppressed.
What did it matter if they didn't win?
Even revealing a single facet of the enemy's capabilities was better than letting the rest of the Kate civilization be destroyed without warning.
After half an hour, he received his first report, another blow to his already shaken resolve.
The Third and Tenth Fleets had lost contact. The other fleets suffered over one-third casualties. The entire fleet had lost nearly half its ships (391) to the final 3% of matter expelled by the black hole.
Before the fleet could recover, another crisis struck.
The enemy had deployed neutrino-scale organisms to infiltrate the warships, aiming to eliminate their crews while leaving the ships intact.
This, however, was a relief to Zap.
"Deploy weak force fields across all ships!"
Ayla's research into these organisms had yielded results; she knew that they manipulated the weak force to affect subatomic particles, causing macroscopic diseases.
The best defense against them was the weak force.
The weak force fields were designed specifically for this purpose. They recorded the subatomic particles of a living organism, selectively repelling abnormal particles.
The order was executed swiftly. Except for four warships whose weak force field generators were damaged in the explosion, all ships deployed the fields.
Within five minutes, all symptoms subsided.
"All ships, launch fighters to investigate the barrier. We need to determine its composition!"
The enemy wouldn't give them time; they had to act quickly.
What was this barrier?
It had been closer to the black hole explosion, yet remained undamaged.
Over 7000 intact fighters were launched; the rest had suffered damage during the explosion.
The fighters, capable of reaching 12,197 km/s, were pushed to their limits. They would only use their engines once for acceleration and once for deceleration, relying heavily on inertia.
The fighters swarmed towards the barrier like a swarm of bees.
The fighters flew almost against the barrier, unleashing a barrage of fire. The projectiles seemed to melt into the barrier's surface.
"Something's different!"
Zap's second-in-command shouted.
Startled, Zap jumped. "What's different?"
His second-in-command paused, then spoke with growing certainty.
"The barrier reacted to the initial energy burst as a solid, but when conventional projectiles hit it, it behaves like a liquid."
"I have two hypotheses. First, energy cannot penetrate the barrier; only matter can."
"Second, high-energy weapons cannot penetrate the barrier; only low-energy weapons can."
"We need to test this. We need to ram the barrier with fighters, or even ships!"
Excited by this possibility, he believed they might be able to penetrate the barrier.
Zap ordered the retrieval of previous observational data.
"Use the main server to quickly analyze the possibilities!"
The server processed the information, providing the following:
[Hypothesis 1 probability: 32.28%. Hypothesis 2 probability: 26.92%. Remaining possibilities: 40.8%]
High probabilities!
Zap scrutinized the data.
"Perhaps both hypotheses are correct."
"This black hole weapon is clearly designed for use against dwarf planets."
"The enemy likely used their most powerful black hole weapon against the dwarf planet, implying they also feared the impact of a dwarf planet."
"We don't need to use ships or fighters; a small rock will suffice."
Zap ordered a fighter to propel a small asteroid, only slightly larger than a grain of rice, towards the barrier.
Its speed wasn't high—only 19 km/s.
Before impact, the barrier began to change.
Bubbles appeared on its surface. These transparent bubbles distorted light, making them visible.
The bubbles instantly enveloped the thousands of fighters near the barrier.
"Contact lost, Commander!"
Zap focused his attention on a specific point.
The asteroid.
As it neared, the asteroid entered one of the bubbles.
This was different from the fighters being engulfed.
His second-in-command's hypothesis was correct!
"Launch the entire fleet!"
"To the barrier!"
He made the decision the instant the asteroid was completely absorbed.
Decisive!
Zap had been chosen by Luna precisely for his decisiveness.
In war, hesitation is fatal; it can determine the outcome of a battle.
Decisiveness was a critical trait.
The Valiant Legion had unwavering faith in their commander. Upon receiving the order, all the ship captains immediately initiated launch, thrusters at full power, setting a collision course with the barrier.
There was still some distance between them.
Once their intentions were clear, the Valiant Legion detected unusual signals emanating from the barrier.
The entire barrier began to tremble, and a U-shaped ship emerged.
It resembled the engineer ship from Prometheus (Ailen franchise), but a rotating structure at the center of the U emitted a pulsating, dark-green light.
After leaving the barrier, this ship instantly accelerated to one thirty-second the speed of light, rapidly closing the distance.
At that moment, the central structure of the enemy ship suddenly glowed, then dimmed.
As Zap witnessed this glow, a powerful force struck his ship.
"Commander, gravitational waves detected!"
"The enemy is using gravitons to generate gravitational waves to attack..."
Before the report was complete, Zap saw hundreds of gravitational waves converging on the screen, releasing immense energy at their point of intersection.
Warships near the convergence point were instantly consumed, their hulls vanishing.
The flagship, struck by the gravitational waves' immense power, was overwhelmed, its electromagnetic shields ineffective against gravity's power, pierced as if by a needle.
"Retaliate!"
Zap roared.
All warships began charging their weapons.
This was a limitation of their materials. Their most powerful weapons required a charging phase.
Fortunately, the vastness of space provided ample time.
Once the weapons were charged, hundreds of dark matter projectiles hurtled towards the enemy ship.
But the enemy ship was shielded by a barrier similar to the one they'd encountered earlier.
"Long-range attacks are ineffective."
"We need to close the distance."
"Launch fighters! Launch fighters!"
Zap roared, and in the chaos, more ships were destroyed.
Each warship carried tens of thousands of soldiers!
They had already lost millions.
This was the brutal reality of interstellar warfare.
The reason they hadn't used automated warships but instead deployed so many soldiers was for precisely this moment.
The launched fighters were packed with soldiers, preparing for close-range boarding actions.
This was an incredibly inefficient tactic. But when long-range attacks failed, or energy reserves were depleted, soldiers became the most effective combat units.
Damaged fighters, yet to be repaired, flew towards the enemy ship.
Before they could get halfway, tens of thousands of lasers erupted from the enemy ship, a terrifying barrage, rapidly depleting the fighters' electromagnetic shields and destroying thousands of them.
Space was silent!
But the soldiers and officers of the Valiant Legion felt a crushing weight, as if countless explosions were echoing in their ears—destruction, suppression, screams, despair.
The enemy had deployed only one ship, yet they were struggling.
Was the gap in power truly this vast?
Over two thousand fighters continued their advance; none turned back.
They flew straight towards the warship, leaving behind a trail of wreckage.
Impact!
The leading fighter struck the barrier.
It penetrated!
Excitement flashed across the faces of the soldiers, but it was quickly replaced by horror.
The fighter was instantly targeted by numerous lasers and destroyed.
But one breach meant more could follow!
More fighters charged through the barrier.
Zap felt a tremor beneath his feet. He moved his tentacles to the deck; the vibrations were even more pronounced.
A high-pitched buzzing, like the sound of countless mosquitoes, filled the air.
The source of the vibrations was the enemy warship!
The fighters near the enemy ship suddenly froze, as if time had stopped.
Zap urgently ordered, "It's not gravity, nor electromagnetism. It's likely the strong or weak force."
"Deploy weak force fields on all fighters!"
All fighters were equipped with weak force fields, based on Ayla's prediction that the enemy might utilize the weak force.
And she was correct.
After deploying the weak force fields, the fighters regained their maneuverability.
But this only bought them a short reprieve; over half the remaining fighters were destroyed. Fewer than 300 fighters remained, with little chance of survival under the relentless laser fire.
The battlefield, even with their remaining strength, offered little hope of victory.
As the fighters closed in, the remaining warships (218) followed suit, charging towards the enemy vessel.
The lead warship suddenly disintegrated—not a mechanical failure but the instantaneous reduction of hundreds of billions of tons of matter into subatomic particles.
"It's a strong nuclear force weapon. The enemy used the strong force to cause nuclear collapse!"
As a Type 2 civilization, they had mastered the four fundamental forces and were using them as weapons.
While electromagnetism is powerful, it's ineffective against gravity, the weak and strong nuclear forces.
Their electromagnetic shields offered little protection against the strong and weak forces and gravity, acting merely as decoration.
"Don't expect miracles!"
"We must close the distance. Otherwise, we'll be annihilated."
"Only by getting close do we have a chance."
"Initiate Project Last Stand!"
Any tactics are futile against overwhelming force. This was an unequal battle—ants against an elephant.
But enough ants can kill an elephant.
A message came from the lead warships.
"Farewell, comrades!"
"For our civilization! For our homes!"
Several blinding lights erupted, like starlight.
This was Project Last Stand.
No expense spared.
Blasts of light flashed before their eyes as Zap ordered all warships to use the energy released from their explosions for propulsion.
The blasts, however, contracted before fully expanding.
The enemy had acted, unleashing another unexpected weapon.
"The enemy's energy manipulation also consumes energy. Continue..."
Zap's voice was cold and devoid of emotion. There was no turning back.
More warships exploded.
A few ships, then dozens.
Then hundreds!
Immense energy continued to rain down on the enemy ship, wave after wave.
Tens of thousands of soldiers died in each explosion, their final thoughts flooding the network. Reading them would overwhelm anyone.
Zap completely blocked his network connection.
He could feel it—millions had died.
Yet, the enemy ship was unscathed.
Closing in.
The flagship neared the enemy vessel.
It had breached the barrier.
Zap left the bridge, heading for the captain's private quarters.
A small spacecraft (just over 50 meters long) was docked there. This ship belonged to a comrade who had explored the universe with him for 21 years.
A large jamming device was mounted on the ship's top.
Zap hadn't wanted to use this ship, but it offered another possibility.
As he boarded, he saw other officers emerging from the bridge, preparing to board fighters.
It seemed...
He wasn't the only one with this idea.
The ship and fighters launched.
A message came from the bridge.
"Detecting high-energy fluctuations from the enemy warship. They are likely preparing to use the strong force to disintegrate our ships..."
"Initiating flagship self-destruct sequence."
At this range, the enemy wouldn't use gravity; only electromagnetism, the strong and weak forces were viable.
Electromagnetic shields protected against electromagnetism. The enemy's electromagnetic capabilities weren't particularly strong; weak force fields could withstand their weak force attacks.
That left only the strong force!
Although it was only a hypothesis, the overwhelming disparity in power left no room for other possibilities. They detonated the flagship without hesitation, to enable the other ships and fighters to close the distance.
"BOOM!!!"
The sound was only audible within the flagship, turning Zap into a brighter light.
Zap focused on the enemy ship.
They were extremely close!
1.83 million kilometers...
1.51 million kilometers...
990,000 kilometers...
Closing the distance at 10,000 kilometers per second.
The flagship's explosion, occurring at extremely close range, forced the enemy warship to adjust its defenses, shrinking the barrier to maximize energy absorption.
But the flagship's debris, propelled by immense kinetic energy, pierced the barrier and struck the enemy ship's hull.
The fighters seized this opportunity and charged forward.
More lasers rained down, destroying fighters.
Zap saw his second-in-command's fighter destroyed, a flicker of emotion crossing his face, but his resolve remained firm. He continued piloting the small ship forward.
The ship's energy reserves were far greater than a fighter's. Even after being hit by multiple lasers, it didn't slow down.
But it seemed they had drawn attention.
More lasers, like a torrential downpour, struck the ship.
Its energy levels plummeted.
"Bang!"
A laser pierced through the electromagnetic shield, leaving a massive gash in the hull.
Warnings flashed on the console, but Zap ignored them.
They were close enough—only 40,000 kilometers away!
A small probe, from a strange device mounted on the ship's front, launched at over 20,000 km/s, entering a crack in the enemy ship's hull.
A grim smile touched Zap's face; relief was palpable.
A moment later, his ship was destroyed by laser fire.
...
Three months later, Luna received the battle report.
Of the 11.75 million soldiers, none survived. All warships were destroyed.
A devastating loss.
There was no other word to describe it.
The report included not only battle data but also an image.
The image showed a blurry purple shape, relatively small in size.
In the dim light, a narrow, vertical, eye-like structure was visible, with a white cable extending from its top, seemingly connected to something.
This was the enemy's appearance.
Luna's expression was unreadable.
The First Legion was expected to be destroyed; their sacrifice bought the Federation a chance at survival.
Zap had been chosen precisely because of his willingness to sacrifice everything, making the decisions Luna herself would have made.