Global Crossing: Empire of Stars

This was also thanks to the Qinyuan being equipped with gravity sensors. If it were a basic radar, or without the boost from the Gravity Drive, its speed would have been slower, and it would have likely been surrounded by the rebel fleet, who would have reacted much earlier.

This was the danger of pioneering in the outer regions. You never knew what you would face. By the time you realized what was happening, you could already be surrounded by the enemy fleet.

"So dense?!" Link's expression changed as he looked at the radar display.

This area was only a few light-seconds away from the Raidor Fortress garrison. In space, that distance was practically negligible.

Yet, in such a close proximity, there was a wild monster fleet. One could only imagine how dangerous it would be further into the galaxy.

"Sit tight, I'll try something," Lin Zhichen let out a breath. He didn't intend to retreat but planned to launch an attack to gauge the strength of the Dark Galaxy's wild monster fleet.

With the engines activated, the Qinyuan accelerated to one light-speed within seconds, charging towards the rebel fleet.

Sublight Assault!

Having anticipated the Qinyuan's movements through radar, the rebel fleet, which was about to disperse and surround them, immediately changed formation. Led by cruisers, they formed a neat line and charged forward.

This was a head-on collision. If one looked solely at the strength of the two fleets, they were not on the same level, like a lone warrior tragically charging towards a horde of enemies.

"Zzzt~"

Electromagnetic Projectiles were fired, forming a sparse net in the starry sky.

The rebel fleet attacked first. With their excellent shipboard radar, the trajectories of the projectiles fired by their warships were generally close to the Qinyuan's path, posing a far greater threat than the pirate fleets in the solar system.

The Qinyuan, flying at sublight speed, constantly jiggled, making minor course corrections. Not a single projectile came close to the Psionic Warship's hull.

Although the firepower seemed dense, it posed limited threat to the Qinyuan flying at sublight speed. After a brief test of the enemy fleet's firepower density, Lin Zhichen immediately maneuvered the ship to turn sideways.

In space, two fleets were heading towards each other. Suddenly, before a head-on collision, a starship drew an arc, veering away from the front of the rebel fleet and heading towards the starry sky to the side.

Within a single second, the Qinyuan's speed surged from one light-speed to 1% light-speed. Within a few seconds, it reached 10%, and it made a wide turn in space, heading towards the rear flank of the rebel fleet.

At this point, Lin Zhichen's intention was clear. While the rebel fleet was still attempting to resolve the conflict through a frontal engagement, the Qinyuan had already targeted their most vulnerable point, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

In terms of military tactics, the rebel fleet was far superior to the pirate fleets. As the Qinyuan shifted towards the fleet's flank, the enemy, having detected this through radar, immediately sensed trouble. They hastily decelerated and turned towards the side, intending to keep the fleet's front facing the enemy at all times.

But it was futile. The Qinyuan, equipped with a Gravity Drive, had maneuverability far exceeding the enemy fleet by several levels. With a slight flick of its tail, it drew an arc in space, directly weaving behind the rebel fleet.

"Zzzt~"

Three Coilguns fired, Electromagnetic Projectiles shooting out. Crimson meteors flashed, and three frigates exploded.

Two seconds later, from a position closest to the rebel fleet, another round of Electromagnetic Cannon fire was launched.

Three dazzling beams appeared in space almost simultaneously. Including a destroyer, three rebel warships exploded.

At this point, the rebel fleet, unable to turn in time, could only futilely rotate their turrets, tracking the Qinyuan's trajectory and firing shells.

But it was futile because the Qinyuan turned again in space, continuing its charge towards the rebel fleet.

The battle at this point was like an enraged giant bear frantically swatting, trying to kill the dancing venomous bees in front of it.

No matter how much stronger it was than the enemy, it was powerless against speeds beyond the norm. Lin Zhichen pushed the Qinyuan's speed advantage to the extreme, tirelessly drawing circle after circle in space, pinning deadly "poison needles" onto its prey.

Explosions erupted in space, and shattered ship debris tumbled about. The once orderly rebel fleet gradually descended into chaos under the Qinyuan's persistent harassment attacks. Some ships, unable to adjust in time, adjusted their positions according to their own judgment, even pointing their bows towards friendly ships.

Due to the fleet's confusion, the synchronized Ship Cannon fire became increasingly disorganized. The attacking Qinyuan's targeted firepower simultaneously decreased, posing a negligible threat.

Previously, to evade danger, the Qinyuan's speed had increased to 10% light-speed during attacks. This extreme speed made aiming difficult, usually allowing for only two volleys during a single charge.

With the threat reduced, he lowered the Qinyuan's speed again, decelerating to 5% light-speed within a few seconds. At this speed, he could add another volley of fire during each dive attack, further accelerating the rebel fleet's losses.

In space, bursts of fire appeared and quickly returned to darkness. The Qinyuan darted continuously. Starships exploded one after another on the battlefield, like peeling an onion. The once massive rebel fleet was destroyed layer by layer, gradually revealing the cruisers at its core.

"They're well protected," Lin Zhichen marveled. He no longer dared to underestimate the rebel NPC commander. Despite being at an absolute disadvantage, the fleet maintained a certain formation.

Upon discovering the Qinyuan's unstoppable advance, the cruiser, serving as the fleet flagship, retreated directly to the center of the fleet. This left Lin Zhichen, who wanted to decapitate the enemy and disrupt their deployment, like a mouse trying to catch a turtle, with nowhere to strike.

"My Sublight Assault capability is still lacking. The Federation Hero Billus Dical could launch an assault and weave through dense enemy formations at speeds exceeding 30% light-speed, directly finding and attacking enemy ships. That level is far beyond my current skill!"

What level is % light-speed?

Without relying on radar, one couldn't even find the enemy's position or see their shadow. Imagine an enemy ship traveling at 30% light-speed weaving through the fleet, with the closest distance sometimes only a few meters apart. How terrifying is that?

The warnings from his psionic energy did not cease. They were not from the enemy ships already destroyed, but from the deeper, darker reaches of space.

His keen sixth sense told him that something dangerous was happening, and it was becoming more dangerous with time.

Clearly, while he was treating this fleet as prey, a stronger predator was approaching. Danger was imminent.

Fortunately, the long-awaited prey finally revealed itself. As rebel warships were destroyed one by one, the cruisers protected at the core were finally exposed. They seemed to have realized the crisis and were busy turning their exposed sterns towards the center of the fleet.

But it was too late. With the Qinyuan's speed and the crew's sharp reflexes, they could launch a fatal attack in an instant.

The Qinyuan drew an arc. At a certain moment, an Electromagnetic Cannon precisely targeted the cruiser's stern propulsion system. An Electromagnetic Projectile shot out, piercing the engine and detonating the fusion reactor.

A small sun erupted in the darkness, and the cruiser's massive hull shattered, releasing fragments of armor in all directions.

Having lost command, the rebel fleet lost its efficient fleet command. The remaining ships acted independently, and their formation quickly became chaotic.

With the formation in disarray, more weaknesses were exposed. The threat to the Qinyuan significantly decreased, and its sublight flight speed quickly dropped to 1.2km per second, greatly increasing its attack efficiency.

More warships were hit simultaneously, and explosions erupted one after another. Within minutes, the remaining rebel warships were annihilated.

The Qinyuan's speed dropped again. Its extended psionic energy, like tentacles, collected all the floating spoils of war.

The Psionic Warship drew an arc in space, heading towards the danger it sensed was rapidly approaching.

Now that we've entered the Dark Galaxy, we need to understand the situation here. Why is it that after engaging the rebel fleet for only half an hour, an unknown threat is already approaching? This question is critical because it could determine whether future battles with monsters will also be so short-lived.

The "Qin Yuan" was flying at near-light speed, boosted by its Gravity Drive to 50% light speed. Its gravity sensor's detection range was 2 light-seconds, meaning it would only take a mere 4 seconds for the ship to reach the edge of the radar's range.

If there were any meteoroids or other obstacles ahead, we'd have to find a way to avoid them within those scant 4 seconds.

At this speed, for normal crew members, the only outcome would be the destruction of the ship and death. Only someone like Lin Zhichen, who could filter out the vast majority of irrelevant information and relay crucial messages to the crew, allowing them to cooperate with the "Qin Yuan's" own operations using their master-level skills, could ensure the warship maintained this speed for extended periods without disaster.

At % of light speed, everything in normal spacetime flashed by like light. Soon, the source of the danger appeared.

The "Qin Yuan" cut a sharp arc through space, rapidly decelerating to normal speed. At this point, the sensors scanned and revealed the source of the danger: a rebel fleet of over a thousand ships, advancing majestically!

"So many?!" Link stared at the enemy ship icons displayed on the radar, almost stunned.

There were already over a thousand enemy ships within sensor range. How many more were behind them, or around them?

As everyone marveled, the radar display showed more and more warships continuously arriving, their numbers growing so dense that the myriad red ship icons seemed to push forward like a wall!

The "Qin Yuan" continued to fly along a tangent, and as more warships appeared – from the weakest frigates to destroyers, cruisers, and battleships – their radars were far superior to the gravity sensors of the frigate class. At this moment, within the sight of the rebel forces, the "Qin Yuan's" flight path had already been locked on.

Almost simultaneously, all enemy ships that could lock onto the "Qin Yuan" opened fire. From laser cannons to electromagnetic cannons, followed by a swarm of missiles and torpedoes, all manner of weapons, both familiar and unfamiliar, enveloped the entire space almost at the same time!

Just a moment before the rebel fleet opened fire, Lin Zhichen, commanding the "Qin Yuan," suddenly changed expression. The Psionic Warship performed emergency evasive maneuvers, weaving back and forth four or five times in a short period.

The next instant, a searing beam of light tore through space, darkness ripped apart in that moment, and with countless tiny flashes of light, it flew past the "Qin Yuan" into the depths of space.

A Particle Light Spear, the main cannon of a Type-X Weapon Slot that only battleships and above could equip. If it hit, it could sink a cruiser in one shot!

Without further delay, the "Qin Yuan" turned back, making a wide arc in space, and instantly fled into the deep space away from the rebel fleet.

Behind them, streaks of Particle Light Spears chased the "Qin Yuan's" trajectory, sweeping back and forth like searchlights. However, under the rapid escape at 50% light speed, they returned without success, extinguishing one by one.

Link, now seated in the space chair, was deathly pale. During the most dangerous moment, the trajectories of dozens of Particle Light Spears wove a net in space. The closest beam was only a mere dozen meters away, almost brushing his face!

The danger passed. Only now did Lin Zhichen breathe a sigh of relief. "We're safe."

The "Qin Yuan" rapidly advanced into deep space, far away from the rebel fleet.

"I have a new understanding of the dangers in the Barren Star Domain. If we had lingered for an hour or two with the first fleet, we would have been surrounded by the reinforcements from the rebel fleet!" Link exhaled, calming his excited heart. He looked at Lin Zhichen with admiration.

"Big Brother, thankfully you launched a swift preemptive strike earlier and destroyed that fleet directly, so we weren't held up."

Lin Zhichen smiled. "That wasn't luck, but psionic premonition. This world is in constant flux, generating countless pieces of information every moment.

Psionic premonition is about capturing this information to gain the upper hand."

When the first rebel fleet encountered the enemy and realized the "Qin Yuan" was invincible, they changed tactics, defending their position and intending to stall the enemy while waiting for reinforcements.

If it hadn't been for "Qin Yuan" arriving today, but some other Mercenary Group busy wiping out this fleet and neglecting the entire battlefield, they would have been surrounded by the arriving enemy ships.

This is the great danger of the Dark Galaxy. The respawned monster NPCs are not mindless beasts, but real people. They possess intelligence, understand tactics, set ambushes, launch sneak attacks, and cooperate.

Furthermore, due to their lack of emotion, they relentlessly search and encircle intelligent life according to their programmed directives. During combat, they fight to the death, withstanding damage far beyond that of normal intelligent beings, a constant headache for all Civilized Nations!

"The difficulty of pioneering the Dark Galaxy is far greater than we imagined," Lin Zhichen said, also quite troubled, as the difficulties encountered far exceeded expectations.

If the enemies were scattered, we could have slowly consumed them bit by bit, occupying one base and clearing it out.

But like now, as soon as we dealt with the smaller ones, the entire family rushed out. There was no room for maneuver because the absolute gap in strength between the two sides was too great, leaving little room for strategy.

"Big Brother, what do we do now?" Link looked at Lin Zhichen worriedly. "Establishing a base won't be easy."

Attacking a base could attract large groups of NPC fleets, leaving no room for development.

"Then let's change the plan. If one Qin Yuan isn't enough, let's have two, three!" Lin Zhichen gritted his teeth.

"What?" Link was almost stunned. He hadn't expected such an answer.

Could there be more Psionic Warships? Even the Federation wanted them!

"Speaking of which, that's the reason I brought you out," Lin Zhichen said, closing his eyes. Link calmed down upon seeing this, waiting for what came next.

The air in the command cabin rippled slightly, and a massive Crystal Stone, over a person tall, slowly materialized, occupying almost half of the command cabin. The spacious area immediately became crowded.