Open Fire

Whether for his own safety or for other reasons, Wheeler could not possibly conceal this information. So when he sensed something was amiss, he sent the information back and issued a warning.

However, due to his previous words and actions, Wheeler has now been labeled as an averse to war. It is unknown how much of his intelligence, which seems to be obstructing the war, will be distorted or how much attention it will receive.

Wheeler is currently on the front lines of the battlefield. To minimize the chances of being detected by the Swarm, the Coalition Army warships are in a state of silence to reduce all unnecessary contact.

Even if he wanted to cause trouble, it would be difficult, and if he went too far, he might be targeted by the supervisory team. If he lost his position, his life would be even more in danger.

However, those who rose to high positions within the Coalition Army were all truly capable. Before Wheeler reported it, some of them had already sensed something was amiss, but now the die was cast and they had no choice but to act.

Changing military operations at this point would only dampen the already low morale of the Coalition Army; it would be better to fight it out. Besides, they currently have a distance advantage and can assemble their troops more quickly. If a real battle breaks out, the outcome is still uncertain.

As the days passed, Wheeler looked at the Coalition Army warships that filled the surrounding star field and sighed. It seemed that his intelligence had been ignored, and he would have to rely on himself from now on.

The day of the operation finally arrived. A Telo Race warship led the way, breaking out of the Interference Device range first, followed closely by a densely packed fleet.

"What a magnificent sight!" Wheeler stood on the bridge of his flagship, looking out at the scene. At this moment, his disc-shaped flagship was located in the middle of the fleet, with tens of millions of warships filling the area in front of it.

The energy streams from the Sub-light Engine at the stern of the warship illuminated the void, and with the embellishment of various lights on the warship, Wheeler felt as if he were traveling through the galaxy, and that he was also a part of the galaxy.

--

"Your Majesty, they have arrived."

"Very good, all legions, prepare to meet the enemy as planned!"

--

How did the Zerg react?

"The Zerg slightly adjusted their formation and aimed it at our fleet, but made no other moves."

"Don't they intend to send troops to attack or harass us?"

"Based on current intelligence, the Zerg have not engaged in similar behavior."

"Could it be that our reconnaissance wasn't thorough enough? The Zerg's cloaking technology is said to be extremely advanced."

"Impossible, sir. We've deployed all sorts of monitoring devices around the Zerg positions. They couldn't possibly evade all types of surveillance."

The commander pondered for a moment and agreed with this statement. Putting everything else aside, he had never heard of anything that could block Gravitational Wave Radar detection in the void where there were no interfering objects.

However, this approach by the Zerg is not good news for him. Currently, the best scenario is that the Zerg will also take the initiative to attack and intercept the Coalition Army, so that neither side has the advantage of terrain and they can fight an encounter battle based on their strength.

But now it seems that this idea was somewhat wishful thinking.

"Have you figured out how many Zerg there are?"

"They jammed the signals, and the reconnaissance ships didn't dare get too close, so..."

"Waste!"

"However, based on their cluster area and density, we calculated that the number of Zerg Octopus Monster over 500 meters tall is between 30 million and 40 million."

"..."

The number of Swarm combat forces was about the same as, or even slightly more than, the Mutual Aid Association Coalition Army, which was not surprising, given that the Swarm had gathered here first.

However, in terms of quality, most Swarm combat units are 500-600 meters long, while the smallest Coalition Army warships are over 1,000 meters long. Therefore, the Coalition Army is confident in defeating the Zerg, whose numbers are roughly equal.

Even traveling at sub-light speed, a distance of 0.2 light-years would take several months, and the Coalition Army would also need to maintain their formation, slowing them down even further. Therefore, with the Swarm remaining stationary, it took the Coalition Army nearly half a year to reach their designated location.

During this period, both sides received some reinforcements. The Swarm's forces increased to nearly 50 million, while the Coalition Army, due to insufficient reserves, only gained a little over 5 million.

The commanders' faces were somewhat gloomy. The widening numerical disparity had slightly reduced the simulated victory rate for this battle and had also increased the size of the anti-war faction, affecting morale.

But they didn't turn back half a year ago, so it's even more impossible now. No matter what, this battle must be fought!

"According to the plan, the vanguard will attack, the flanks will follow, and they should provide cover. The rear guard should stand by and be ready to provide reinforcements at any time!" Because the battlefield is a vast open space with no cover, there is no need to discuss tactics; both sides can simply engage in direct combat.

Of course, the defending Swarm can form a good formation and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, while the Coalition Army need to charge forward. In the process, their formation may be disrupted, which is probably the only difference.

In the Coalition Army, the vanguard consisted of warships from the strongest of the member states. They were larger, had thicker armor, more powerful weapons, and longer ranges.

As the Coalition Army commander envisioned, the vanguard, comprised of the Coalition Army's elite forces, was to act like a sharp dagger, penetrating the Zerg's formation, scattering, disrupting, and dividing it. Then, the flanking forces would follow up to encircle and surround the enemy, cutting the battlefield into smaller skirmishes.

This situation is exactly what the Coalition Army, with their stronger individual combat capabilities, want to see.

Unfortunately, due to the time lost during their march, the number of Zerg actually exceeded that of the Coalition Army by more than ten million, making the encirclement difficult and preventing the Zerg from escaping.

However, if the plan proceeds as scheduled, it will definitely inflict heavy damage on the Zerg forces! Once this force is scattered, the subsequent sweeping operation using numerical superiority can achieve the strategic objective.

--

The Swarm were not surprised by the Coalition Army's immediate charge upon entering the battlefield. The Coalition Army couldn't afford to waste time; their reinforcements had dried up, while the Swarm's supply was endless.

Every bit of time wasted means the Swarm's size increases slightly, so if the Coalition Army wants to fight, they must act quickly.

"Fire two rounds of Electromagnetic Cannon at them first!" Sarah gave the order as the Coalition Army charged.

Tens of millions of Ancient Class had already entered battle mode, their bodies faintly shimmering with blue arcs of light. Upon receiving the order, the Electric Arc instantly flashed, and thousands of cannons roared in unison.

The entire battlefront spans nearly ten million kilometers, equivalent to the distance from more than thirty Blue Star to the Moon.

Along this battlefront, the blue arcs of light that erupted during the Ancient Class Energy Gathering seemed to connect into one, illuminating the entire void and creating a magnificent spectacle.

Although the Electromagnetic Cannon flew silently without any light or shadow effects, the blue arcs of Electric Arc flashing across the sky and the radar instruments frantically alarming were both reminders to the Coalition Army.

The Zerg have opened fire!