Counterattack

"There aren't many asteroids left now. Most of them are concentrated in the outermost part of the star system and the orbit of Chuyun Planet, and these areas have now been occupied by the Zerg. Although we took away a large number of asteroids when we evacuated Chuyun Planet, it couldn't keep up with the consumption. Moreover, producing those components will also squeeze the production capacity of the space factory. The recent replacement of the base slowed down the construction speed of our warships."

"This can't go on. We might be worn down and killed before the Zerg even attack!"

"And this is only now; their firepower output is increasing very rapidly. Furthermore, we discovered two Zerg constructs in the orbit of Chuyun Planet, which are growing larger every day, but we don't know what they are for. However, this is probably not good news for us."

"So, is there any good news?"

"The good news is that we've discovered that the Zerg's Octopus Monster grow from small bodies. They can grow from ten meters to a hundred meters, and from a hundred meters to 500 meters. Although we noticed signs of continuous growth in the asteroid belt before, it wasn't obvious, but now we can finally confirm it."

"..."

"I don't think this is good news."

Same as above!

"So, if this continues, we'll be facing an endless stream of 500-meter-long Octopus Monster?"

This statement is inaccurate.

"Oh? Something's not right?"

"The 500-meter level is not their end; to be precise, we may face Octopus Monster that are over 1,000 meters in size in the future."

"Ha, this is quite a surprise. If this news gets out and the Zerg reopen their surrender hotline, the phone lines will be ringing off the hook."

"Shut up! Don't let me hear any more of this demoralizing talk!"

"Snort!"

The group of Rikens were in a chaotic uproar. The immense pressure from the Swarm kept them on edge, and their mental state was becoming somewhat unstable.

"Is there any way we can cause them some trouble?" Hamis finally steered the conversation back on track.

"It's difficult. Although our energy weapons have a high rate of fire, their range has always been a major weakness, making it impossible to hit targets from here to Chuyun Planet. Missiles are an option, but they are too expensive and easily intercepted, making them too low in cost-effectiveness," a Ricken officer in charge of weapons replied after a moment's thought.

"Why can't we build Electromagnetic Cannon too?"

"Speaker Antonio has already assigned the Scientific Research Department to study it. Although we have a complete theoretical foundation, the difficulty of manufacturing Electromagnetic Cannon is not a problem for us at all. However, because it is different from our previous technological system, a lot of testing is still needed. At the earliest, we will be able to produce a finished product that is ready for deployment next year."

"I think we can send the fleet out to harass them, which would draw some of their fire," suggested Major General Ricken.

"It's too dangerous. If we make a mistake in positioning, it could cause huge losses. Our warships can't afford to lose any more." An officer objected.

"I think this plan is feasible. We are now very experienced in how to evade Electromagnetic Projectile. If we maintain a certain distance, the warships are very safe. As long as the Zerg are distracted by attacking them, no matter how much firepower they devote, it will reduce the burden on the Laser Defense Array."

After some discussion, the three fleets, none of which were yet at full strength, set off one after another.

After nearly two years of repairs, although the three fleets have received some newly built warships to replenish their fleets, bringing the total to more than 2,200, more than 500 warships are still under repair and cannot be deployed to perform missions.

Around 1,700 warships, divided into three groups, headed towards Chuyun Planet, adopting an aggressive posture in hopes of drawing the Swarm's firepower.

However, putting aside the fact that the internal meetings of the Riken Race were almost transparent to the Blade, the fact that the two sides had fought so many wars meant that the Riken Race had experience dealing with Electromagnetic Projectile, and similarly, the Swarm had experience dealing with such harassment from the Riken Race.

In the early stages, the Swarm Ancient Class would have opened fire long ago against the overwhelming force of the Riken Race warships. But now, facing this feint, the Swarm remain remarkably calm.

If both sides have the same number of Electromagnetic Cannon and Energy Cannon, and both are within each other's firing range, the Energy Cannon have a significant advantage. If the two sides fight to the death, the Riken Race fleet will most likely be the one that survives in the end.

Therefore, when the Swarm forces were outnumbered, they needed to use the range advantage of the Electromagnetic Cannon to fire continuously and prevent the Riken Race fleet from getting close.

However, Swarm units are cheaper to produce and can easily achieve numerical superiority compared to mechanical warships. Once they have a numerical advantage, they are no longer as afraid of attacks from the Riken Race.

When the Riken Race fleet enters its firing range, the flight time of the Electromagnetic Projectile will be shortened. With a numerical advantage, the outcome of the exchange of fire will be unpredictable. Moreover, in this situation, if the Riken Race fleet suffers a defeat, it will be difficult to escape.

The Swarm can afford the losses in battle, but the Riken Race cannot. Therefore, once the Ancient Cluster reached a certain size, the best way to deal with the Riken Race's feint attacks was to ignore them.

If you're so capable, come in. Don't just stand there making a fuss and keep your distance. That's the mentality of the Swarm Blade.

The Swarm is currently on Chuyun Planet, having occupied more than a dozen satellites, possessing a large number of Ground-Based Artillery, and thousands of Ancient Class are orbiting it, giving them an absolute numerical advantage. If the Riken Race fleet dares to enter, it will be like throwing meat buns to a dog.

Even if it's a two-for-one or even three-for-one trade, the Swarm will still make a profit.

"It seems our tactics have failed?"

The Riken Race fleet teetered on the brink of disaster, but the Swarm remained unresponsive. No matter how aggressive they were, the enemy didn't even bother to fire a single Electromagnetic Projectile.

In the end, the Riken Race wasted a lot of energy and returned to the Star Port empty-handed.

"Now we can only wait for our Electromagnetic Cannon; we'll have to endure this period of being attacked without being able to fight back for a while longer."

"It seems this is the only way; this is too frustrating."

Time flew by, and a brief period of calm ensued between the two sides. Apart from the routine electromagnetic firing and laser interception, there were no other actions.

Finally, the Electromagnetic Artillery that the frontline Reken troops had been longing for was finalized and construction began. Supported by a strong industrial base, in just a few months, more than two thousand Electromagnetic Cannon were erected on the Wenwu Twin Stars and their satellites.

The Riken Race's Electromagnetic Cannon operate on the same principle as the Swarm, but their specially formulated metals and mechanical bodies give them superior performance in many ways.

The most obvious difference is that the rate of fire is almost twice as fast as the Swarm version of the Electromagnetic Cannon. In other words, two thousand Riken Race Electromagnetic Cannon can achieve the same effect as four thousand Swarm Electromagnetic Cannon.

"The time for us to fight back has finally come!"