The NPC warships had no time to react. Large numbers of them were destroyed as they were targeted. Powerful Psionic Light Spears struck their shields like needles pricking balloons, blowing them apart in a burst of fragments.
The sturdy space fortresses could withstand more punishment. Since their Fortress Shields had not been activated in advance, their armor plating bore the brunt of the artillery fire.
The Psionic Light Spears carried tremendous Penetration Power and heat. The moment they hit the fortresses, their thick armor melted and the metal evaporated, leaving the sides facing the fleet riddled with holes.
The Macro Cannon shells that followed were slower and less precise than the energy weapons, arriving dozens of seconds after the Psionic Light Spears hit their targets. Each antimatter shell, weighing several tons, exploded into a cloud of destruction on impact, shaking and tearing at the entire fortress until light and heat ripped its massive body apart.
The first round of artillery fire ended, and the system's outer defenses were almost completely wiped out in an instant.
Relying on their greater range and precision, more than a hundred Imperial Fleets advanced step by step from a distance of hundreds of light-seconds. Powerful deep-space radar scans picked up every target beyond specifications, which was immediately subjected to artillery fire.
More fighters were rapidly launched and formed into attack squadrons. Under the fleet's command, they sped off toward the deep-space minefields and other targets, intent on tearing through the NPC's defenses as quickly as possible.
Though the NPC Faction lacked potential for development and had rigid thinking, this also made it more resilient under attack. The moment it was attacked, it swiftly entered a combat state. The fortresses, warships, and other units in the second line activated their Energy Shields, while their previously inactive