Yatai Civilization

The difference between the two effects was far greater than a simple one plus one.

Just like now, War Axe had clearly appeared within this civilization's home star system and was eyeing it menacingly.

Yet they hadn't noticed a thing.

This meant that after entering an Otherworldly Space battlefield, Wang Dong didn't have to immediately enter combat mode like ordinary Kindling Warships.

Instead, he could calmly gather battlefield intelligence, then formulate strategies and tactics based on the actual situation.

If he encountered an Otherworldly Space battlefield with an extremely high threat level, Wang Dong could quietly choose not to reveal himself at all and withdraw unscathed.

Even against an opponent of comparable strength, Wang Dong still had the advantage of striking first.

As for the current situation, where the enemy was weak and he was strong, he had ample time to devise better tactics and secure the greatest possible gains.

He was no longer the inexperienced and bewildered novice he'd been the first time he entered an Otherworldly Space battlefield.

"Activate the Skywatch Radar and begin data-intelligence infiltration!"

Wang Dong gave the order calmly.

The Skywatch Radar wasn't limited to its two functions of "target detection" and "fire control." It was also capable of gathering data.

Combined with the powerful analytical and collation capabilities of the Shipborne Optical Computer, it could provide the commander with ample information given enough time.

Take the star system before them, for example.

The inhabited planets, the space between planets, the planets and the warships, and even the warships themselves were all awash in communications signals and data streams of every kind.

Given enough time, the Skywatch Radar could intercept those messages, then have the Shipborne Optical Computer analyze and organize them into useful intelligence.

There was no need to worry about a language barrier.

In the interstellar era, this problem had long since been solved in more than a hundred ways.

From the original Civilization Dictionary, to its upgraded version, the Civilization Diagram, and then to the countless varieties of Big Data Analysis.

After analyzing the languages and other means of communication used by tens of thousands of civilizations, communicating with—or even unilaterally deciphering—most unfamiliar civilizations that relied on conventional methods had long ceased to pose any technical difficulty.

After waiting just one hour, Wang Dong received a detailed intelligence report.

Otherworldly Civilization: Yatai civilization
Civilization history: 12,060 years

Civilization level: Tier 1 Interstellar Civilization

Main energy sources: nuclear energy, nuclear fission, large-scale nuclear fusion

Territory: 2 light-years
Habitable planets: 3
Population: 18 billion

Warship combat strength: combat ships, 20–48 points; carrier ships, 102 points

Language: Yatai language

Civilization system: monarchy

...

Wang Dong skimmed most of the information. Only the small portion that was genuinely useful could serve as a reference for combat.

Using the information he'd gathered, Wang Dong quickly began drawing up a plan.

First, he considered War Axe's own capabilities.

"War Axe only has a main gun and secondary guns. Against warships from a Tier 1 civilization like this, the main gun will obviously blow them apart with one shot. Even the secondary guns can destroy one instantly if they hit a vital spot.

"War Axe's ammunition reserves are currently... Main gun ammunition: 123 rounds. Secondary gun ammunition: 2,012 rounds.

"A bit low.

"Mainly because I didn't expect my first Otherworldly Space battlefield to involve an opponent of this scale.

"The armor is only LV1. The other sections aren't a concern; the main thing is to avoid taking too many hits to the already damaged stern.

"Fortunately, the energy shield module installed on War Axe has been enhanced twice, so it can be very effective.

"Planetary Railguns are dangerous. We can't go near either of those two planets fortified as military strongholds."

Compared to an opponent like War Axe, whose overall combat strength rating had already reached LV6, a Tier 1 Interstellar Civilization seemed rather weak.

Against a fledgling Tier 1 interstellar civilization like the Yatai civilization, a Kindling Warship with an overall combat strength rating below LV5 might face a considerable threat.

But against anything above LV5, they'd be outmatched.

A wealth of data showed that newly launched LV0 Kindling Warships were highly likely to be destroyed in an Otherworldly Space battlefield if they failed to understand the wisdom of "playing it safe."

That wasn't because LV0 Kindling Warships were weak.

The main reason was that battles in Otherworldly Space always took place on the enemy's home ground, where the Otherworldly Civilization enjoyed an overwhelming numerical advantage.

It wasn't unusual for more than a hundred warships to surround a single ship.

If the energy shield couldn't regenerate quickly enough, then once it overloaded, a hit to a vital area—such as the engine exhaust ports—would spell the end.

Even a fierce tiger couldn't beat a pack of wolves, let alone a newly launched Kindling Warship.

Captains who charged straight into battle at the first opportunity usually didn't last long.

Aside from the "lucky ones" who happened to encounter scenarios such as small mining sites, observation posts, or remote colonies without any armed protection,

most novice Kindling Warships followed the sixteen-character principle during their first few trips into an Otherworldly Space battlefield: "Retreat and observe from afar, stay cautious, strike and run, never look back."

By picking off easy targets, they painstakingly accumulated Source Points to enhance their modules in the early stages.

As they entered more Otherworldly Space battlefields, they accumulated more and more Source Points, and their Kindling Warships grew stronger and stronger.