Global Crossing: Empire of Stars — Section 5

Name: Lin Zhichen Red

Gender: Male

Age: 21

Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence Purple: Effect 1: Effort brings rewards; practicing skills increases proficiency. Effect 2: Members within the faction are affected by this talent.

Psionicist Red, Apprentice 90.01%: Effect 1: Awaken Psionics. Effect 2: Skill Learning Speed +10%.

Gate of Time and Space Blue: Opens once per month, searches for Spacetime Marks, and opens temporary instances.

Class: Captain White, Expert-level: Effect 1: Vessel evasion +14%. Effect 2: Sublight Speed +12%.

Skills: 1—Cultivation * Qi Refining to Godhood Red, 100.0%.

—Ship Command White, Expert-level 12.54%.

Psionics: 106

Evaluation: A fighting rooster among roosters!

I've finally become a Psionicist. Lin Zhichen casually raised a hand, and an invisible yet tangible force moved with it. Everything inside the Command Cabin, from a speck of dust to fully armed crew members, was lifted by that invisible force.

After a brief test, he set everyone down. "Its maximum output is at least at the ton level. I just don't know how many tons it can lift."

With such power, a light squeeze would be enough to crush an ordinary person into mangled flesh, leaving not even an intact corpse. No wonder that even after entering the Interstellar Era, governments still had to placate them with benefits and status.

In the end, all of that had been won through the strength of Psionicists themselves.

Psionics surged, and his body rose into the air. Even as an Apprentice, he could fly freely through the skies.

He sensed an unknown place faintly connected to himself. That was the Psionic Realm dreamed of by countless Psionicists. Through that secret connection, he could continuously draw Psionics from it to nourish himself and drive the evolution of life.

The minor expenditure from testing his lifting power was quickly replenished. More Psionics circulated through his body, gradually converting into an increase in his Psionics limit.

As long as a Psionicist had enough stamina, he could fight until the end of time without worrying about exhaustion.

"Even a Psionicist Apprentice can gain ten times a normal person's Lifespan!"

The cleansing of Psionics was like the Immortal-Washing Pool from the myths of his previous life. A Yang God True Person who had ascended only needed to bathe in its waters to shed their mortal body, form an immortal physique, and enjoy eternal life.

According to authoritative scientific reports on the interstellar network, Psionicists underwent a transformation the moment they awakened. Their cells were infused by Psionics, their genetic information became more stable, and their Lifespan increased by at least tenfold.

If they continued cultivating, their Lifespan would grow even longer. Thus, among the stars, Psionicists of every race were unquestionable members of the elite class.

"What is this newly appeared Gate of Time and Space?" He recalled the faint sensation from the moment of his awakening, both delighted and confused. "Could awakening Psionics also grant a new talent?"

This talent had appeared for no apparent reason, making him feel as though it was unreal.

He was no stranger to Spacetime Instances. They were part of the New Universe's refresh mechanism, equivalent to temporarily opening a Warp space centered around a particular event, an open-ended game with multiple possible outcomes.

After thinking it over, he did not activate the talent immediately. He had only just awakened and had not even had time to rein in his power. Mastering Psionics as quickly as possible was the priority at this moment.

Just as the group was celebrating the good news, piercing Alarm Sounds rang out within the newly constructed Spaceport above Earth.

"Warning! Warning! A Psionics reaction has appeared in Jupiter's Asteroid Belt. Suspected Psionic Awakening."

""

The continuous Alarm Sounds echoed through the laboratory again and again. The researchers discussing their experiment were startled, and someone immediately stepped forward to access the records and check the Psionic Detector's feedback.

On the holographic map, Psionics waves visibly spread outward in rings from a certain point. In a short time, they had expanded beyond one Light-second.

"What a powerful Psionic Shockwave! This newly awakened Psionicist has probably already reached Advanced Tier Apprentice. To possess this level the instant he awakened, his talent must be exceptional!" the researcher in charge of monitoring blurted out.

"Quick, report this to the Federal Psionic Association immediately!" A scientist stood and reminded them, "The universe truly favors this planet. In just three short years, more than twenty Psionicists have been born! Gaia above, this is unbelievable!"

The Psionic Association was an organization directly under the Federal Government and supervised by the Upper House. It was specifically responsible for coordinating and managing Psionicists.

Lin Zhichen knew nothing of this. He was busy mastering his own power, while the Pirate Base was already close at hand.

"Seven Pirate Raiders and one Pirate Gunboat!" Lin Zhichen stared at the pirate patrol ahead of him and fell into thought.

A Pirate Gunboat was comparable to a Destroyer. Even if it was a civilian model, its sheer size meant that its main guns and radar far surpassed those of a Frigate. Under normal circumstances, they should turn around and retreat now.

"Hit the Raider Boats first!" After cruising nearby for a while and confirming that this was the only fleet in the sector, he began selecting the battlefield and preparing his tactics.

Reconnaissance of the battlefield was extremely important. No one knew whether enemy reinforcements might suddenly arrive just as the battle reached its fiercest point. The outcome was often disastrous, and this was a mistake that a qualified captain absolutely had to avoid.

For Long-Range Artillery, the most dangerous enemies were not large warships like Pirate Gunboats, but high-speed warships like Raider Boats.

He hid behind an Asteroid Belt, charged the Electromagnetic Cannon, and fired.

The Sublight Electromagnetic Projectile streaked out rapidly. It would soon cross the distance of one Light-second.

But unlike the ambush on the Raider Boats before, the patrol led by the Pirate Gunboat began moving before the shell struck, making emergency evasive maneuvers.

Did the Pirate Gunboat's radar detect the Electromagnetic Projectile's trajectory? Lin Zhichen's heart tightened, and he immediately became alert.

Sure enough, while evading, the pirate fleet turned toward the Frigate's location.

Since their radar had determined the direction from which the shell came, they could naturally trace it back and locate the hidden enemy.

NPCs were stupid, but they were not brainless.

"Troublesome." Lin Zhichen's gaze flickered as he studied the terrain shown on the radar and began considering the guerrilla warfare to come.

Once the enemy was on guard, the power of Long-Range Artillery dropped by more than half. He had now discovered the flaw in this tactic.

"If Ake, Tianyi, and I joined forces, and all Three Ships used Long-Range Artillery, the dense barrage would be enough to wipe them out before they got close."

Even elites required sufficient numbers. Otherwise, they would eventually be ground to death by endless enemies. After all, NPC monsters could never be completely killed.

Though his mind was racing, his eyes remained fixed on the battle. Sure enough, against enemies that were prepared, the crucial first round of Artillery Fire did not achieve the expected result. It was not until the seventh barrage that the first Raider Boat was Destroyed.

Amid the fiery blast, the remaining pirate ships immediately scattered and moved toward the surrounding asteroids.

With the Pirate Gunboat's radar monitoring and shared intelligence, the Frigate's position had already been exposed. At this point, the pirates could spread out completely.

Using the asteroids as cover in a skirmish line, they began closing in on the Frigate from all directions. This was entirely different from the Raider Boat formation that had failed to discover its enemy from beginning to end.

"Then let's have a guerrilla war!" Lin Zhichen grinned, and the Frigate started its engines, flying deeper into the asteroid field.

The Frigate weaved through the asteroids like a fish. Viewed from a wider perspective, this terrain naturally restricted the speed of both sides. Aside from the engines, what determined a starship's speed was the crew's coordination.

And in that regard, Lin Zhichen feared no one!

Perhaps stimulated by battle, the experience gained during ordinary navigation training had been relatively slow, but now it poured in like a waterfall, and his skills advanced one after another.

Half an hour into the pursuit, the Frigate's pilot NPC raised his skill to Expert-level!

Name: Warship Pilot DQXJJSY Human, White

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Class: Warship Pilot Expert-level

Talent: White Ship Piloting: Warship evasion rate +9%, Sublight Speed +5%.

Skills: 1—Vessel Piloting White, Expert-level 1.42%: Sublight Speed +21%.

—Obstacle Evasion White, Expert-level 24.47%: Movement speed through complex environments +23%.

Evaluation: God of Mount Akina!

The swift passage granted by Obstacle Evasion allowed the Frigate to move through the Asteroid Belt like a fish in water. Though the Frigate was larger, it moved at a speed that left the Pirate Raiders far behind.

Faster than the enemy and with greater range, the pursuit turned into a counter-hunt. Using its superior mobility, the Frigate under Lin Zhichen's control was like a mounted archer, firing barrages behind it from time to time.

Psionic Awakening had granted him powerful senses. Though he could not fully control them, he could vaguely glimpse opportunities in certain fleeting moments. Whenever that happened, the crew receiving his orders would fire without the Frigate slowing down.

Normally, accuracy under such conditions would not be high. Yet radar scans showed that, through the close cooperation of both sides, the hit rate of this near-blind firing reached sixty percent!

The small Tungsten Alloy Projectiles traveled at Sublight speed, easily piercing through Deflection Shields formed by Electromagnetic Force. The Pirate Raiders' civilian-spacecraft-grade hulls were torn open with huge holes, exploding on the spot.

Under Lin Zhichen's near-icy command, the entire Frigate operated like a finely crafted gear. Once an order was issued, it was carried out immediately, its efficiency pushed almost to the limits of humanity.

The Frigate swam through space like a fish. Its seemingly casual side-slips elegantly evaded each incoming Electromagnetic Projectile. The keen sixth sense brought by Psionic Awakening allowed him to react several seconds before danger arrived.

The benefits brought by outstanding crew members soon became apparent. The ship moved as he wished, efficient and streamlined.

In this nearly perfect state, the crew's skills rose rapidly. In just one hour, they completed the professional leap from Advanced Tier to Expert-level.

According to statistics from the Federation's human resources department, people with advanced professional skills accounted for around forty percent of the total population, while Expert-level talents usually made up less than six percent.

Even within the Federation Fleet, the crew aboard this vessel ranked among the notable elites. Under normal circumstances, they would be transferred to Battleships or even Flagships to serve as elite technical personnel.

Now, through the combined efforts of the crew and Lin Zhichen, the hit rate of the Electromagnetic Projectiles had reached seventy percent. Pirate ships were struck from time to time.

One explosion after another erupted. Two hours later, only the completely unscathed Frigate and a lone Pirate Gunboat remained in this region.

At that point, the battle became much simpler. After all, combat was not determined solely by ship size.

The Frigate was like a hunter holding a shotgun, hunting a furious elephant in the jungle.

A shotgun naturally could not kill an elephant with a single shot, but an agile hunter could use a ranged weapon to slowly bleed the prey dry.

Just like now, one Electromagnetic Projectile after another struck the Pirate Gunboat, while the enraged enemy returned fire in vain.

Lacking the necessary skills and never having undergone Long-Range Artillery training, those projectiles missed their target by an enormous margin. The Frigate did not even need to move as they passed through kilometers of empty space, occasionally kicking up clouds of dust from the asteroids.

An hour later, the gunboat, having taken more than fifty hits, finally let out its last cry in the starry sky and transformed into blazing flames that illuminated the darkness.