"We rescued part of the video data through Divination," the news anchor said.
Immediately afterwards, footage of the attack was played on the screen. People saw countless Empire battleships being bombed into pieces.
Compared with the streamlined and elegant design of the Empire battleship, the enemy fleet looks more brutal and rough, with the hull covered with sharp metal spikes.
As the enemy bombardment began, citizens watched helplessly as the bodies of their comrades were flung into deep space, lost forever in the darkness.
Several battleships tried to raise their shields for defense. However, for unknown reasons, these shields suddenly failed and the battleships were immediately destroyed.
The entire video is very visually impactful. Many battleships were more than ten kilometers in size, but they were still destroyed in an instant.
Watching this video, Empire citizens deeply felt the pain and despair of the soldiers, as well as their desire for miracles and the hatred in their hearts.
A few seconds after the video ended, the news anchor appeared again:
"According to the intelligence we have collected so far, this attack was launched by a race called 'Steel-Skin Folk'. After discovering them, Imperial Navy sent a diplomatic mission to contact them in the hope of peaceful exchanges.
"The leaders of Steel-Skin Folk ostensibly acquiesced to this exchange. But this was just a pretense. They used some means to successfully penetrate the control system of our fleet and paralyze the shields and weapon systems.
"Then, they Coldblood Carnage our fleet, even though we left with good intentions of peace and prosperity."
The anchor paused for a moment, creating a heavy atmosphere, and then continued, "This is a sad day for the Empire. Let us observe a minute of silence for our fallen comrades."
After saying that, she lowered her head and said nothing. Then, the whole Solar System fell into silence.
The noisy city becomes quiet.
The speeding vehicle stopped, and the flying car in the sky landed on the ground.
Most people stopped what they were doing and stood still for a minute, silently remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the Empire.
A minute later, the anchor said:
"I am Akana Mikasa from Arcane News Network. I will continue to follow and report the latest developments of this incident."
Immediately, the whole Empire was boiling. All the media were discussing this matter.
As the official and largest media of the Empire, Arcane News Network usually has the most accurate information. However, other news media also have their own news channels.
In the next few days, this became the only focus topic.
All kinds of social media are discussing this matter - including many celebrities.
The powerful Arcanist and scholars expressed their opinions on the current situation and analyzed the possible reactions of the Archon and Council.
Many people began to question, is this Steel-Skin Folk really powerful enough to annihilate a Empire fleet of such a size so easily?
Soon, the answer was revealed.
Commander Imperial Navy stated in an interview that Empire was caught off guard because he was not used to interstellar warfare, which was also the reason for such a disastrous defeat.
Many people accused him of dereliction of duty, but many people understood that this was a normal mistake.
As time goes by, although no official news from the emperor has been heard, the voices of the people starting to fight have begun to appear.
The vast majority of ordinary people hope that Empire can teach Steel-Skin Folk a profound and unforgettable lesson.
Only a few people opposed this radical method and advocated that they pay compensation and sign a non-aggression treaty with the Empire.
However, these peace factions are only a very small minority.
The old saying, "Those who are not of my kind must have different minds" became extremely popular during this period.
In the consul's residence, Ian is chatting with his aunt Amelia.
"I still think it's a waste to use such a huge fleet," Amelia said.
"If the scale is too small, it will not have enough impact to make people feel the seriousness of the situation," Ian replied.
"Having said that, in my opinion this is still a waste of resources."
"Don't worry about small things. Where are the crew members of that fleet? Are they all settled?"
"Yes. Most of the soldiers we selected are fatherless, motherless, and familyless soldiers. So it's no problem."
"Where's the evidence?"
"Don't worry, everything is taken care of. No one will know that the soldiers in the fleet have been replaced with clones."
Ian nodded. Empire needs an excuse to declare war, and the death of its own people is the best reason to mobilize people's emotions and stimulate patriotic enthusiasm.
But he didn't want his people to die in vain, so he replaced the soldiers in the fleet with clones.
After getting confirmation from his aunt, Ian continued to review the war plan. However, he quickly frowned:
"Any questions?" Amelia asked.
"Yes. Although we can easily win this war with our huge technological advantages, you have to remember that this is more of a military training than a war of annihilation.
"We can use this opportunity to test many of our theories about interstellar warfare."
Amelia nodded and took note. Then, the two went over many matters that needed to be supervised before the war.
At the end of the meeting, Amelia hesitated and asked:
"Is this final step in the war really necessary?"
Ian paused after hearing this and sighed loudly:
"I understand how you feel. From a personal perspective, I don't want to be responsible for so many lives. However, as Empire grows and develops, this is something we all must adapt to."
Amelia also sighed and looked deeply into his nephew's eyes, "Be careful not to become insensitive to this kind of thing. You can be rational and calculating, but you must not become insensitive."
"... I understand."
All citizens of the Empire were watching the screen with bated breath.
Today, Arcane Archon is finally going to address the nation on the current world situation and the future.
Soon, Ian appeared in front of everyone. He was wearing a white robe decorated with golden patterns, looking gorgeous and mysterious, and wore a black crown on his head.
Magical radiance enveloped his body, making him more noble.
He folded his hands on top of a short staff.
He did not sit on the consul's seat, but stood.
His deep blue eyes seemed to be staring at everyone watching this speech.
"My fellow citizens, the past few days have been a time of stress and fear. In our attempts to explore the universe, we have suffered great disasters."
Everyone could feel the solemnity of the situation, so they listened very carefully.
"I would love to tell you that this was an accident or an isolated incident. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The universe is a dark and scary place where laws and morals are often trampled by the powerful.
"Out there, technology and magic develop at any cost, without any restrictions, and without any morality or ethics. Thousands of races fight every day not only for survival, but also for dominance. Some races have existed since the beginning of time, and the conflict between them is eternal.
"And above all this, the gods stand at the top of the universe, Overlord, and weave the destiny of us mortals.
"Our Arcane Empire has made tremendous progress over the past few decades. We can say with utmost confidence that in our short history we have surpassed many races and civilizations that have existed for countless millennia.
"However, this does not change the fact that in the grand blueprint of the universe, we are just a seedling that has just been planted. Although our foundation has been solid, in the process of growth, we still have to withstand the baptism of wind and rain in order to survive and grow.
"It is unfortunate that our first gust of cold wind is coming so quickly. But fear not, my fellow citizens, for we are ready. Ready to face any adversity that stands in our way."
Then, he raised his right hand and put it on his shoulder:
"May Arcane Truth guide us through these turbulent times."
Everyone in Solar System stood up, put their right hands on their shoulders, put their left hands behind their backs, and repeated in unison:
"May Arcane Truth guide us through these turbulent times."