The Price of Becoming a Demon (Extra-Long Chapter, Please Subscribe)

As everyone knew, from rivers, lakes, and oceans to the boundless expanse of space, humanity's understanding and use of warships as weapons had constantly evolved.

From the earliest river and naval battles, which were merely extensions of land warfare centered on boarding actions, to the later use of long-range weapons such as bows, heavy crossbows, trebuchets, Greek Fire, ballistae, and cannons; from the glory of armored battleships in the age of big ships and big guns to aircraft carriers and missile cruisers that leaped from two-dimensional to three-dimensional warfare; and finally to the present interstellar age, everything had revolved around the two most fundamental concepts: the "sword" and the "shield."

The "sword" referred to offensive means, while the "shield" referred to defensive means.

For a long time, the two had remained locked in an alternating cycle of advancement.

Whenever a new offensive method was invented, defensive measures soon followed. Then the offensive side would upgrade and evolve again to break through those defenses.

Take the absurdly massive steel fortresses that moved across the seas before World War II—super battleships—and the aircraft carriers that swept them into history's trash heap during the war. Then came missile cruisers and destroyers developed to counter aircraft carriers, as well as shield ships designed to intercept missiles and protect carriers. At their core, all of them were products of the contest between sword and shield.

Normally, when the sword was far more advanced than the shield, tactical thinking tended toward information, speed, and firepower. Whoever discovered, locked onto, and fired on the enemy first would most likely win.

But when the shield was far more advanced than the sword, tactical thinking became extremely old-fashioned.

The simplest example was the Imperium of Man in the Warhammer Universe. Not only did they still engage in the oldest