"Commander, the Zerg warships have entered our field of view. They haven't slowed down—they're advancing at full speed..."
Joseph snorted. "They're as arrogant as ever. With just a hundred warships, they think they can take down the defensive forces we've gathered from an entire galaxy in one push? Fine. The more arrogant the Zerg are, the harder we can smash them head-on. Pass on my order: all warships, charge the main guns. All gun emplacements, lock onto the enemy. The moment the Zerg warships enter range, hit them hard. Remember, you don't need to worry about replenishing energy or ammunition. Just fire without restraint!"
"Yes, sir..." The communications officer swiftly relayed the order. The warships and gun emplacements were ready in an instant.
And right at that moment!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." The Hive Battleships, still beyond the fleet's firing range, suddenly opened fire first.
"What is that? The Zerg's main guns? Have they gone mad? We're still at least fifty kilometers beyond each other's range!" The sudden change instantly turned Joseph's smug confidence and lofty ambition into terror.
Across the entire Pusilan Star Region, the power of warships might vary according to a civilization's level and characteristics, but their firing ranges were fundamentally similar. No one had ever heard that a higher-level civilization would also gain greater range. In fact, some advanced civilizations, in pursuit of overwhelmingly powerful main-gun attacks, increased the emission frequency of thermal weapons to release more powerful rays. Yet because the energy frequency rose too sharply, they became more prone to collapse, resulting in even shorter range.
Thus, when the Zerg main guns fired from fifty kilometers away, Joseph was shocked beyond measure. Fifty kilometers was not a particularly great distance for warships; with their thrusters at full power, they could cross it in minutes.