Chapter 323: Something's Not Right

A full 100,000 Warships, controlled by numerous Clones, departed from the Space-Air Carrier and set out for the Planet Two battlefield.

This maneuver immediately caught the Grand Commander’s attention.

‘Based on their tonnage and design, they look like Manned Warships. But… impossible. Absolutely impossible.’

The Grand Commander thought for a moment before making a firm judgment.

‘This is clearly an Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet. Their parent civilization must have completely degenerated long ago; they can’t possibly have the ability to pilot warships.’

‘Besides, if they still had the ability to pilot warships, why didn’t they bring them out before? It makes no sense!’

‘My overall assessment is that these are nothing more than larger Unmanned Warships. They’re clearly just making a conventional force projection because they couldn’t gain an advantage on the battlefield.’

Although he had made his judgment, the Grand Commander still maintained a degree of caution.

Under his command, his side also dispatched 100,000 Manned Warships, supported by a sufficient number of unmanned combat forces, to meet the enemy.

While his civilization had a large number of warships, even after a full mobilization, they could only control just under 500,000 at any one time. These 100,000 Warships represented more than one-fifth of his civilization’s entire combat strength.

Taking down this fleet would surely be a piece of cake.

Beyond the Planet Two battlefield, a second front was opened.

The great battle began.

And then…

‘Something’s wrong! This isn’t right!’

‘Why are these Unmanned Warships so agile? Why are their tactics so precise? How can they react so quickly?’

‘This is clearly something only Manned Warships should be capable of!’

‘And why are their Energy Shields so resilient?’

The Grand Commander clearly saw one of his largest warships fire a 60-gram projectile from its main cannon. It struck one of the enemy’s smallest warships—a hit that should have destroyed it in a single blow. But at the moment of impact, the smaller warship’s Energy Shield simply flashed, and the ship remained completely unscathed!

‘What kind of technology is this!’

‘Why is the rate of fire and muzzle velocity of their Energy Cannonballs so high? And how is the excitation level of their Strong Core Excited State so intense?’

‘Our medium-sized warships’ Energy Shields can barely withstand attacks from their small warships!’

‘Why is their maneuverability so high? Won’t their hulls be damaged by such high-speed maneuvers?’

‘Why is their operational endurance so long! How can they fight continuously for so long without needing to return to replenish their fusion fuel!’

‘Why is their Radar System’s scan speed so fast, and its accuracy so high!’

‘What is going on? What in the world is going on!’

Faced with the one-sided battle, watching his 100,000 elite warships being thrown into chaos and routed after only a short engagement, the Grand Commander’s mind descended into turmoil.

Just a short while ago, his side had gone all out to seize the advantage on the battlefield. Now, the enemy had deployed a mere 100,000 warships and had already…

In the conference room, the Grand Commander and all the other high-ranking officials of the civilization were pale-faced.

‘How can we fight this? It’s completely impossible!’

‘We’re all Strong Core Civilizations, so why are you so powerful? Can a Strong Core Civilization… really be this strong?’

The Grand Commander abruptly stood up, his voice filled with an icy, murderous chill.

“Our civilization… has reached its most critical moment of life and death. I order the execution of the highest level of civilizational mobilization! The entire civilization will be placed under military rule and a rationing system. All non-military schools will be closed. All non-military factories will cease production. All entertainment industries are strictly forbidden. Everyone—and I mean everyone—who is still able to work will report to the factories! All citizens with a certain level of education will undergo military training! Whether our civilization can continue to survive or will be erased from this Cosmos… will be decided in the next few years!”

The highest level of civilizational mobilization…

The faces of the high-ranking officials grew even paler. But no matter who it was, they all knew in their hearts that this was the only option at this stage.

Even if they couldn’t win this war, they had to at least possess the ability to contend with the enemy on equal terms. Only then could they engage in subsequent negotiations and escape this Star System.

Otherwise, they would truly die here!

“Yes!”

At that moment, an entire, vast civilization—all its people, whether willingly or unwillingly—was organized and thrown into the military-industrial complex.

Aboard the main fleet of Human Civilization.

Watching the Abyssal Civilization’s fleet, which was now clearly much more tense and grim, and seeing the numerous ordinary citizens being organized on the planet’s surface, Li Qingsong sighed.

He did not press his advantage. Instead, he maneuvered his fleet to gradually withdraw from the battlefield, then formed a perimeter around Planet Two at a distance of about 2 million kilometers.

Using 100,000 Warships to encircle an entire large planet, along with an enemy fleet several times their own number, seemed like something out of a fantasy.

But at this very moment, Li Qingsong had done just that.

Not a single ship could break through Li Qingsong’s defensive line. No ship could leave, and no ship could enter.

Only then did Li Qingsong take the initiative to send a message to the Abyssal Civilization for the first time.

“To the esteemed Abyssal Civilization: We are the Blutuk Civilization, having traveled a long way from the depths of space. We came here because of a certain connection we have with the Gravity Life dwelling on that White Dwarf Star. We saw that you were attempting to capture this Gravity Life, and because we feared that negotiations alone would not be enough to change your minds, we were forced to engage you in war. Fortunately, for us Strong Core Civilizations, warships are remotely operated. This war has not resulted in any casualties on either of our sides. We have no prior grievances, nor do we have any present enmity. On behalf of the Blutuk Civilization, I propose the following: If you abandon your attempts to capture the Gravity Life and leave this Star System, we are willing to allow you time to gather resources. We will then open our blockade and see your fleet off. During this period, we guarantee that we will not take any further hostile actions against you. What are your thoughts on this matter?”

Aboard the Eye of the Abyss Spaceship, the high-ranking officials of the civilization looked at the message before them, trading uncertain glances.

“A conspiracy! This is a conspiracy!”

One of the high-ranking officials slammed the table and shot to his feet. “This must be a trick to make us lower our guard! They plan to launch a surprise attack while we’re complacent to take us down at a lower cost!”

The Grand Commander’s head snapped up, and he rebuked him sharply, “Fool! Do they even need to trick us? Their main fleet has at least a million more of those Manned Warships!”

‘This definitely isn’t a ploy to make us lower our guard.’

‘Then… what does our opponent want?’

‘Could it be… that a benevolent civilization actually exists in this Cosmos?’