X-101 Stealth Battleship

Hiss.

As Lin Fan approached, the battleship let out a muffled hiss of escaping air, and its perfectly sealed black underside slowly slid open.

A silver metal staircase descended, landing silently on the dust-covered ground.

Along its edges, icy blue lights suddenly flickered on, standing out sharply in the deathly darkness.

Lin Fan followed the stairs into the battleship. The moment he stepped inside, the hatch behind him silently closed.

In an instant, the sickening stench of decay and mold and the chill of the ruins were shut out.

In their place came absolute silence and the sleek, minimalist sci-fi aesthetic unique to an advanced civilization.

There were no complicated pipes or exposed wires inside the battleship.

The walls were a soft silver-white. They felt warm to the touch—not metal, not wood—yet gave him an unshakable sense of security.

"Wow, this place looks pretty nice."

After praising it, Lin Fan strode down the passageway and entered the spacious command cabin.

At its center stood a semicircular console with smooth, flowing lines.

Several holographic screens hovered above it in standby mode, giving off a faint shimmer of particles.

Streams of data raced across the instrument panels like waterfalls.

Hum!

Suddenly, a beam of deep blue light shot without warning from the crystal at the center of the console.

The beam wove through the air, rearranged itself, and finally coalesced into an owl-shaped hologram.

Each of the owl's feathers was distinct, and its eyes were lively and keen. If not for its body being made of blue light, it would have been indistinguishable from a living creature.

"Beep!"

"Biological frequency confirmed... soul imprint matched."

"Welcome home, Master."

The owl's voice was elegant and composed, with the poise of an old British butler. It held none of the chill of a synthesized electronic voice.

The luminous owl dipped its head slightly, its manners impeccable.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am 101, the onboard Auxiliary Lifeform of this vessel."

"My duties include navigation planning, stealth-field management, weapons-system allocation, structural maintenance, and risk alerts."

As it spoke, all the holographic screens that had been dim around them lit up at once.

Green indicator lights formed a vast array, like pairs of eyes opening in the darkness.

"X-101 Stealth Battleship self-check complete. Energy system operating normally. Ready for departure at any time."

"Master, please issue your orders!"

Lin Fan walked over to the command chair at the center, sat down, and leaned back.

The chair's enveloping support finally eased some of the tension in his nerves.

He tapped the cold armrest lightly with his fingers and glanced over the parameters flickering across the screens.

"101, was it?" Lin Fan asked softly. "Report the battleship's specifications and capabilities."

The holographic owl dipped its head again, the blue light in its eyes flickering faintly.

"Understood."

Whoosh!

The holographic screens ahead suddenly burst apart to either side. Complex streams of data cascaded down, then settled on several core-module icons glowing with a cold light.

"Model: Black Dragon Mountain Empire X-Series Special Stealth Battleship."

"Overall rating: B7-Class."

A hint of unmistakable pride and arrogance crept into 101's normally elegant voice.

"First, the defense system."

The 3D model of the black battleship began to rotate slowly on the screen. A heavy, rippling sheen spread across the surface of its hull.

"The ship's frame is forged from B7-Class Black Refined Iron Mother, and its outer armor is made from a composite blend of B3-Class Black Spirit Crystal Mother."

"Even a full-force attack from an ordinary Star Level powerhouse would be unable to cause any effective damage to the hull."

Hearing this casual description, Lin Fan nodded slightly, a glint flashing in his eyes.

B7-Class was equivalent to Star Level Seven.

It might not amount to much in the universe, but here on Earth, it meant that even if Hong—the strongest person on the planet—came in person, he could pound away all he wanted and still probably wouldn't crack this tortoise shell, unless he brought out the alien technology from the Ancient Civilization Ruins!

On Earth, this wasn't just a battleship. It was an absolutely secure safe house.

"Not bad. Go on."

"Next, the stealth system."

101 continued its report as a transparent shield, rippling like water, appeared around the model.

"This vessel is equipped with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's custom Ghost IV full-spectrum stealth system."

"Exterior mimicry can reach 100%. It minimizes radar-wave reflection, blocks thermal imaging, and disrupts gravitational waves and other means of locking on."

At this point, 101's tone shifted, becoming more serious.

"However, please note that the stealth field is a continuous, high-energy system."

"Stealth is not invincibility. If this vessel encounters detection equipment that surpasses its own class, or is directly covered by a powerhouse's domain, it may still be exposed."

Lin Fan nodded.

That made sense.

Stealth was ultimately a technological method, not a law of nature.

What it could do was already enough to let him run rampant across this planet.

He tapped the armrest and asked the question that concerned him most—the crucial one.

"What about its offensive capabilities?"

After all, the system had defined this vessel as a battleship. Its offensive capabilities should be its strongest feature.

At Lin Fan's question, the blue light in 101's electronic eyes flared.

"This vessel is classified as a 'scout battleship.' To pursue the ultimate in stealth and speed, it sacrifices some sustained combat capability, but its firepower has not been reduced."

"That is because this vessel uses a 'burst-fire' configuration."

"Simply put, it's not just fast—it hits hard!"

As it explained, a weapons schematic filled with violent beauty appeared before Lin Fan. Five icons glowing with a dangerous crimson light lined up in a row.

"It currently carries five standard C-Class weapons, enough to pose a lethal threat to Star Level targets."

"First: B2-Class electromagnetic penetrator cannon, Thunder Spike."

On the screen, a simulated blue electromagnetic beam pierced a towering mountain in an instant. The mountain then exploded from within.

"The superconducting coils charge for one second before firing a high-velocity depleted uranium projectile. It has a segmented armor-piercing effect: on impact, it ruptures and causes secondary explosive damage."

"Second: B3-Class Multi-Stage Hunter Cannon, Hunter Stele."

The scene shifted. A missile trailed a bizarre S-shaped flame as it relentlessly pursued a monster Lin Fan had never seen before, until it blew the creature apart in a burst of fireworks.

"Charge time: 0.1 seconds. Range: 1,800 kilometers. Its trajectory self-corrects in three stages, making it ideal for dealing with all kinds of flashy speedsters."

"Third: B4-Class plasma torrent cannon, Red Tide."

The screen was instantly swallowed by a sea of crimson flames.

"Charge time: 10 seconds. A single shot triggers a chain effect of scorching, melting, and vaporization, raising the temperature to several million degrees in an instant. It also has a 'Tidal Eruption' mode, making it an excellent weapon for clearing the field."

"Fourth: B4-Class gravitational pulser, Star Fall."

This demonstration was the strangest of all. There was no beam. The target simply twisted and collapsed in an instant, as if an invisible giant hand had crushed it.

"Charge time: 14 seconds. It uses high-frequency gravitational waves to apply momentary gravity, ignoring external armor and directly crushing the target's bones and internal organs."

"It's like hitting a bull through a wall—an internal explosion."

"Fifth: B7-Class fragmentation scatter cannon, Crown Breaker."

This demonstration was the most violent. A beam shot out, then suddenly split into hundreds of deadly rays mid-flight, covering the entire area within a thousand kilometers ahead.

"Charge time: 9 seconds. Range: 4,000 kilometers. Area attack—ideal for wiping out cannon fodder."

After introducing the five weapons, 101's voice turned solemn.

"However, I must add that while these weapons are indeed fearsome, every attack comes at an extremely high cost."

"Any shot will draw a substantial amount of energy from the battleship. This vessel carries only one standard energy canister, with no backup."

"Once its energy is depleted, both stealth and propulsion will cease."

After listening to 101's detailed report, Lin Fan thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

Wasn't this the classic case of high attack, high agility, low defense, and low mana?

Its strengths were obvious too: it had to focus on attack efficiency. Getting drawn into a prolonged fight was this battleship's fatal weakness.

Lin Fan's lips curved into a smile, satisfaction clear in his eyes.

"Mm, not bad. Very impressive."

"You certainly live up to your name as a battleship."

"Thank you for your praise, Master."

Owl 101 bowed, its movements supremely graceful.