Was this tactic considered merely "beating the grass to startle the snake"?
In truth, not quite.
In the realm of interstellar warfare, a few years of preparation is a negligible duration.
While the enemy's preparations cannot be entirely comprehensive, they (the attacking force) can still gather a substantial amount of intelligence. This fundamentally provides an advantage to the aggressor.
This assumed, of course, that their fleet had remained undetected by the adversary.
However, given that this was the enemy's home territory, Sucan deemed that possibility highly improbable.
The opposing forces must surely have been constantly monitoring the dimensional gateway.
Approximately one year later, Sucan finally received the data transmitted by those reconnaissance starships.
These starships were simply too diminutive to carry Tachyon communication devices.
In fact, while there certainly would have been adequate space to accommodate such devices, the starships themselves couldn't generate sufficient power for Tachyon communication.
It was akin to your electric car running out of battery, and someone offering you a small, five-cell battery.
Forget about starting the vehicle; even illuminating the headlights would prove challenging.
What Sucan received was a roughly sketched map of the defense grid, illustrating the system's layout following the Swarm's impact on the star system.
The innermost layer of this defense grid was positioned at a formidable distance of 20,000 AU from the star itself.
Previously, the Confinement Weapon attack had also allowed Sucan to compile a partial map of the defense grid.
The two systems were not vastly separated, merely a little over 3 light-years apart.
It was straightforward to calculate the time it would take for light to traverse and strike the star.
Then, by precisely computing the time difference, they could estimate the enemy's probable defensive deployment.
Ultimately, his margin of error exceeded 30 seconds. Theoretically, the enemy's defenses remained exceptionally robust.
Indeed, "Western" was the star system that had endured the Confinement Weapon attack.
The original star, having been annihilated, had subsequently collapsed into a white dwarf.
Following this, the luminosity of this white dwarf had fluctuated several times, prompting suspicions that the alien civilization had returned to reconstruct this star system.
And now, the reconnaissance findings definitively corroborated this speculation.
The newly acquired defense grid map was far more precise.
The fact that the opponent had established a defense grid so far out into the system unequivocally demonstrated their significant valuation of this particular star system.
Not for its inherent resources, but primarily for its strategic location.
This position was the closest to the dimensional gateway. To glean any intelligence about the dimensional gateway, they absolutely needed to operate from this star system.
Concurrently, occupying this star system also served to impede the three-dimensional civilization's efforts to establish a foothold in four dimensions.
A star represented both an energy source and a critical resource.
If a three-dimensional civilization successfully entrenched itself in four dimensions, its eventual invasion would become an inevitable outcome, subsequently expanding its influence to become increasingly intractable.
"20,000 astronomical units."
"After the preceding attack, even if this was initially a residential-type star system, it has most likely now transitioned to a military-grade deployment."
"Considering all factors, the adversary has at least covered the entire outer layer of the star system, with a defense network extending beyond 10,000 AU."
What precisely does 10,000 AU signify?
That's 1.5 trillion kilometers.
If they had truly constructed a defense network of such immense scale, even if the opponent's overall strength wasn't overwhelming, it could still pose a very substantial hindrance to their fleet's operations.
"It's a bit more formidable than anticipated, but our core strategy doesn't require alteration."
At this point, they were merely 1 light-year away from the Western star system.
Sucan broadcast a notification across the fleet.
"The enemy's current demonstrable strength remains modest; the energy output of their defense layer is not high."
"Perhaps they are feigning weakness to bait us, but I deem this possibility very slim. If the adversary were truly powerful, it is highly improbable they would have allowed our guard post to be established over these past hundreds of years."
"Destroying the guard post immediately would have been the most prudent course of action."
"Nevertheless, we must not underestimate them. And remember, our mission this time is conquest, not utter devastation."
If their objective were mere destruction, they would simply construct multiple super-range weapons at the guard post and unleash a barrage of attacks on the surrounding star systems.
But human civilization harbored aspirations for development within four dimensions.
Only by truly expanding into four dimensions could they genuinely comprehend its complexities.
Combat was not the paramount objective; understanding was the ultimate goal. To grasp four dimensions, five dimensions, and even higher dimensions, to truly master the intricate mysteries between dimensions, was the sole path to survival in this protracted dimensional war.
The Federation's constant plea was for survival, not for the defeat of any particular entity.
There will always be civilizations that surpass your own.
If one cannot maneuver strategically within the universe, then one must honestly and cautiously proceed, one step at a time.
"Let the plan commence."
"Not a single enemy warship must be permitted to escape."
As Sucan finished speaking, the 100,000 warships were segmented into five distinct fleets.
Each fleet comprised 20,000 warships.
One fleet was designated for the front, with one each assigned to approach from above, below, left, and right.
Sucan's intention was to completely encircle the star system.
Previous scouting efforts were also undertaken to validate or adjust the initial plan.
If the enemy had proven too powerful, Sucan would not have fragmented his forces.
But now, the enemy's posture was not overtly aggressive, so Sucan resolved to pursue the calculated risk.
Of course.
The danger had to remain within a manageable threshold.
"The Ghost ships can deploy first and conduct large-scale elimination operations."
One hundred two-thousand-meter class Ghost ships were launched. Their speed could attain 93,000 kilometers per second, making them marginally swifter than the main fleet.
Ghost ships were, in essence, the Federation's evasion-type vessels.
They were conceptualized based on the White Dragon.
In three dimensions, these ships were not deployed on the battlefield to avoid attracting the attention of Giotto and the civilization he represented.
But in four-dimensional space, these ships could prove highly effective.
These Ghost ships would enter the star system approximately half a year ahead of the main fleet.
However, due to the main fleet's dispersion (the frontal fleet would decelerate to await other fleets reaching their designated positions), the Ghost ships would actually arrive 1.5 years sooner than the coordinated main fleet.
Three years and three months later.
The Ghost ships successfully penetrated the Western star system.
There were no human operators aboard these vessels.
They were simply programmed for an unyielding charge forward.
Ghost ships were, in truth, lagging behind the White Dragon's development, as Ghost ships lacked any competitive drive and had not undergone the rigorous refinement of actual warfare.
The White Dragon, conversely, had been subjected to numerous modifications, evolving to become increasingly perfected.
Upon breaching the star system, the Ghost ships were swiftly engaged by the enemy's defense network.
Countless laser beams struck at the Ghost ships, but every single one of them evaded.
Upon activating their evasion protocol, these evasion-type ships also entered a stealth mode.
This immediately plunged the star system's defense network into disarray.
The network found itself unable to pinpoint the exact location of these stealthy vessels.
...
At this very moment, within that civilization's military headquarters.
All personnel observed as the Ghost ships vanished from their screens.
Confusion rippled through their ranks.
"Were they destroyed?"
"No, our attacks didn't even make contact with those ships. They simply disappeared on their own."
"But they're utterly undetectable. What method are they employing?"
Yet, many individuals maintained their composure.
"Change the scanning mode. Discontinue pure radiation scanning. What about gravity scanning?"
Among the four fundamental forces, only electromagnetism and gravity could exert influence over infinite distances.
Consequently, scanning technologies were limited to utilizing either electromagnetic or gravitational principles.
They activated their high-precision gravity scanning devices, and finally, the Ghost ships reappeared within their visual range.
Evasion-type ships still required a physical force to exist. If no such force were present, it would imply the ship itself didn't exist. Therefore, evasion-type ships were not operating on a fundamentally different plane of power.
But even so.
These beings quickly uncovered a critical issue.
Their offensive attacks proved utterly ineffective against these vessels.
The Ghost ships swiftly accelerated towards the core of the star system.
At such incredible speeds, they would soon reach the Star City nestled within the system.
No one knew the true nature of what these ships carried.
If they were laden with some form of destructive payload, a direct impact on the Star City could trigger the collapse of the entire urban center.
Previously, their Star City had already endured one devastating blow due to the destruction of a star by super-range weaponry. Having only just recovered, it simply could not withstand another assault.
"This situation bears a striking resemblance to the last incident."
"History must not repeat itself."
"We must halt these intruders. Engage gravity. They interact with gravity."
This military base was, in fact, the former Star City, now repurposed.
It currently housed a substantial number of troops.
Over the years, the entire civilization had continuously deployed forces here.
They had, in essence, anticipated this attack long ago.
The entire military base was designed in the sleek shape of a "(" bracket, much like the perfectly clipped edge of a fingernail clipper.
Its front face was riddled with countless openings.
From within these openings, dazzling light now erupted.
Millions of ships, by precise count, poured forth.
These were presumably that civilization's true warships, though by Federation standards, they would merely be classified as capital ships.
These capital ships possessed immense power, their speed directly reaching over 100,000 kilometers per second.
This statistic underscored that this civilization was, in reality, far from weak.
It was simply that their technological development had taken a divergent path.
After exiting the military base, the capital ships rapidly arranged themselves into a strategic formation.
Upon closer inspection, one would discern that these capital ships formed a standard Penrose triangle.
It formed a triangle composed of three cuboids, where each corner could be viewed as a vertex, allowing for a perspective projection of the triangle. In three dimensions, it was a pure optical illusion, an impossible figure.
But within four dimensions, such a Penrose triangle body was directly actualized.
These capital ships weren't even purely Penrose triangles; their centers weren't hollowed out but remained a solid, integral whole.
In other words, while a typical triangular object might be a tetrahedron, these capital ships were 5-cells.
A 5-cell is a geometric figure formed by five tetrahedral shapes.
In short, these capital ships were simply incomprehensible to the perceptions of three-dimensional beings.
When the Ghost ships recorded them, they could only interpret them as a Penrose triangle through light. Any further details necessitated complex mathematical formulas for illustration.
These capital ships collectively formed a massive Penrose triangle.
And this time, the Penrose triangle was perfectly regular.
However, due to its existence in four-dimensional space, it gained an additional layer of dimensional depth for the Penrose triangle itself.
This depth caused a tremendous amount of gravitational force to accumulate within its interior.
It seemed all gravitational forces converged towards the precise center of that Penrose triangle.
This civilization employed Gravitons.
This terrifying gravitational force appeared to approach the intensity found on the surface of a neutron star.
Even the fleet stationed outside the star system would eventually detect this immense gravitational force, though that realization would come months later.
Now, the Ghost ships were directly confronting this gravitational force.
It wasn't quite powerful enough to completely pull in the Ghost ships.
But it was alarmingly close.
The opposing force could concentrate gravitational energy and also direct and project it.
A Gravity Channel!
The Olive Branch Civilization had previously achieved this level of gravitational manipulation.
It was just that this particular application of gravity was a degree more sophisticated than what the Olive Branch Civilization had accomplished.
After all, the Olive Branch Civilization still needed to rely on celestial bodies like stars.
"Control and crush that warship."
The high-level command of that civilization decisively issued the order.
A powerful gravitational current surged towards the Ghost ships.
It intensified, becoming more and more terrifying during its trajectory.
Finally, it literally "tore" space apart.
In reality, it manifested as numerous small black holes forming instantaneously in mid-air.
These were black holes generated purely from gravity, not from compressed matter.
This civilization's mastery of gravity seemed incredibly profound.
But this also shared an inseparable connection to its four-dimensional existence.
In four dimensions, the utilization of gravity could be more direct and inherently easier.
The gravitational current, potent enough to rupture space, moved at the speed of light and quickly struck the Ghost ships.
[Warning!!]
[Impacted by powerful gravitational source!]
[Abnormal scale mode activated!]
Immense gravitational force acted upon the capital ship.
It threatened to rip the entire vessel apart.
Large cracks began to appear on the surface of the Ghost ship.
These fissures weren't intricate patterns like lightning or random breaks, but rather resembled clean cuts from a blade.
Terrifying gravitational force.
However, the areas grazed by the gravitational force did not shatter further.
The entire capital ship exhibited unprecedented rigidity.
Unprecedented, because it had never before experienced a gravitational attack of this sheer magnitude.
The effect of abnormal scale fluid was to become stronger when faced with an opposing force.
Even when confronting black hole-level gravity, it could briefly resist for an instant, perhaps a few nanoseconds, or even shorter.
But now, the enemy's gravitational attack only approached black hole level.
Locally, it reached black hole level.
Most of it was actually at neutron star level, and even some areas only reached white dwarf level.
Such gravitational force was insufficient to tear apart the Ghost ships utilizing abnormal scale fluid.
Indeed.
Ghost ships were not constructed from a single material.
A long time ago, Ayla had already pondered how to effectively combine abnormal scale fluid with evasion-type materials.
To create one material that possessed the characteristics of both.
Ayla achieved it.
She called this specialized alloy "Ultima metal."
Although this was likely just leftover technology from a super civilization, for the current Federation, it represented an unparalleled, absolute top-tier item; there wasn't even a second one of its kind.
In the face of Ultima metal, all of human civilization could only watch from behind, utterly outmatched.
"It wasn't destroyed!"
"What happened? What exactly is that thing?"
"Are you kidding me? Our gravitational weapon actually failed to destroy a single capital ship."
While there were no living beings aboard the Ghost ships, they were populated by countless tiny robots, capable of repairing any damaged areas almost instantaneously.
Ghost ships.
Undoubtedly a product of super-technology, achievable only by a Type 2.8 civilization.
As a civilization even weaker than the Federation, how could they possibly hope to win?
This disparity was even greater than the difference that had previously existed between the Galactic Federation and the Olive Branch Civilization.
The Ghost ships effortlessly breached all defense networks and flew into the star system.
It suddenly began to decelerate.
Then it halted at a position 100 AU from the central white dwarf.
Here, it emitted a signal.
[Dimensional differences will not impede civilizational communication. We hail from three dimensions, from a powerful civilization—human civilization. We are dedicated to the unification of all dimensions across the entire universe. Our civilization comprises dozens of unique civilizations.]
[Choose, four-dimensional civilization: surrender or war.]
This signal was translated into a complex series of mathematical functions.
Despite the dimensional difference, mathematics, notably, could transcend such barriers.
The true universal language in the cosmos was, in fact, mathematics.
If dimensions genuinely couldn't communicate, then the very concept of a dimensional gateway would be nonexistent. The dimensional gateway was, in fact, jointly opened by all high-tier civilizations across various dimensions. Within human civilization, there was internal consensus that mathematics guided every aspect of this endeavor.
After the mathematical information was translated, the beings of this civilization precisely understood the Galactic Federation's intentions.
"Surrender? This is simply an insult to our civilization."
"To demand our surrender with merely one capital ship—this three-dimensional civilization is far too presumptuous."
"A three-dimensional civilization, just a low-dimensional entity. How dare they be so arrogant in our home territory? Do they truly believe we possess no countermeasures?"
"That capital ship indeed blocked the gravitational weapon's attack, but it clearly cannot stop black hole weapons. Its surface doesn't even have any visible weapons installed. I'm afraid it's impossible for it to withstand such an assault."
To compel a civilization to surrender is an exceedingly difficult task.
Unless they are genuinely driven to utter despair, a despair from which there is no conceivable recourse.
But clearly, the Ghost ship had not yet achieved this.
It still preserved a sliver of hope for this civilization.
The Ghost ship simply remained stationary. Although it possessed incredibly advanced technology, that was the extent of its presence.
"There's no need for black hole weapons. From the precise cut we just made, the exposed parts already indicate that its primary advancement lies only in material science."
"It actually utilizes a significant amount of traditional cable connections internally. If those cables are severed, this capital ship won't withstand a single blow."
After all, this was a civilization.
And it was a battlefield where civilization clashed with civilization.
This particular civilization had also assembled a large contingent of scholars and experts on the front lines.
They were not novices.
But truly skilled, able to discern the Ghost ship's strengths and weaknesses at a glance.
The Federation, admittedly, had not yet fully grasped evasion-type materials and abnormal scale fluid. The Rusty Star Nation's version was, in fact, only 1.0.2, still a considerable distance from truly mastering these materials.
The technical challenges involved were no less than asking an ancient person about computer chips, expecting them to understand the underlying technology and create modified products.
"Adjust the plan. Destroy that capital ship."
Although a three-dimensional object entering four dimensions would also naturally possess four-dimensional spatial characteristics.
However, in the fourth dimension, perfection was an elusive concept, unlike in three dimensions.
The beings of this civilization, highly advanced, eventually uncovered this inherent flaw.
This time, they abandoned their grandiose displays. Instead, with the precision of a surgical scalpel, they directly targeted the weakest point in the fourth dimension.
A spatial rift tore through the Ghost ship's fourth-dimensional surface.
Was it a case of both strength and vulnerability?
By exploiting a single point, an entire tactic could be rendered ineffective.
...
Four months later.
The Federation's frontal fleet.
Sucan received the critical intelligence transmitted from the Ghost ship.
"The Ghost ship actually possesses such a vulnerability. Indeed, the one who understands you best is not yourself, but your adversary."
An enemy would relentlessly strive to uncover your weaknesses; to fail would mean their own demise.
During his own focused inspections, Sucan would never have employed such terrifying gravitational attacks for testing.
The influence of gravity had the most profound impact on the fourth-dimensional surface. Some areas even deformed under the strain, which was precisely how the opposition had pinpointed the Ghost ship's flaw.
However, it was inconsequential.
Sucan had never intended for a single Ghost ship to compel the enemy's surrender.
Merely instilling fear in the opponent was sufficient.
The Ghost ship's primary role was also to probe and analyze the enemy's tactics.
"Gravitational attacks are undeniably powerful. The Ghost ship can withstand them, but these conventional warships cannot."
"Fortunately, we brought an ample supply of negative energy this time."
"The enemy exhibits considerable proficiency in spatial manipulation and gravity. Other operational aspects are also commendable."
"But ultimately, they are solely relying on advantageous terrain for their resistance."
"The other fleets are now in position. Let us commence the true baptism of firepower."
Another vital objective of the Ghost ship was to gain time.
This engagement also allowed them to expose the Ghost ship's inherent deficiencies.
They now understood that the Ghost ship's only apparent shortcoming was its lack of four-dimensional production, failing to fully account for the fourth dimension's intricacies.
This was a systemic issue affecting many of their warships, not exclusive to the Ghost ship.
However, these particular warships boasted more comprehensive defensive measures; their outer shell provided no direct defense to the warship itself.
"The warships can begin their combination sequence."
"The Federation has truly invested a fortune in this war, even modularizing these warships for this purpose."
Sucan relayed the order to all active warships.
The Captains swiftly began to acknowledge and execute the command.
In mid-air, all the designated warships commenced decomposing into their constituent fragments, then began an intricate reassembly process.
Finally, these warships converged to form a colossal, grotesque cannon.
It was a cylindrical structure. At the front of the cylinder were twenty-four enormous rings. The outer periphery of these rings was further adorned with tens of thousands of bundled devices.
These components were critical for energy stabilization.
The cylinder itself was, in fact, a massive energy module.
These combined warships had formed a super-range weapon.
It was designated "Satan's Hand."
Satan's Hand was constructed from 7,283 individual warships. These were, of course, not ordinary vessels.
Within the broader fleet, the remaining warships were standard models; only these 7,283 were the specialized modularized units.
The personnel count on these particular warships was minimal. Compared to the hundreds of thousands or even millions of soldiers on other vessels, these typically housed only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands.
Sucan had harbored suspicions earlier, but upon understanding its full purpose, he knew this was the Federation's ultimate weapon.
It was engineered for absolute victory in this conflict.
"Satan's Hand, begin energy accumulation."
"Fleet 0283, advance, enter the Western star system, and destroy the star system's outer defense network."
The fleet was already in close proximity to the star system, virtually just a step away.
Fleet 0283, comprising 1,553 warships, accelerated into the star system, engaging with their main cannons.
Soon, the enemy's defense network began to retaliate.
Massive energy beams launched their attacks.
But just like the previous reconnaissance conducted by the Swarm, the power level of these energy beams was not high. Once the warships' energy shields were activated, they could completely withstand them.
These warships, enduring tens of billions of energy beams, successfully breached the defense network.
Because they were also high-tech, these energy beams all possessed predicted trajectories. There was no chaotic saturation fire; each beam represented a precise strike.
Even with robust warship defenses, the energy shield consumption from such sustained energy attacks was enormous.
On board the warships, all Captains ordered their main servers to switch to an offensive posture.
The warships' main and secondary cannons commenced indiscriminate attacks, firing at an astonishing rate of 297 times per second.
Each shot was calibrated to hit its target and destroy it.
The war had officially begun.
Countless lasers flew wildly. Each individual laser, if it struck a planet, would possess enough destructive power to annihilate a small nation on that planet.
The inherent lag in information propagation meant that the interior of the star system would require some time to receive updates about the defense network's status. Even if the enemy also possessed Tachyon communication, the processes of information collection, organization, and decision-making still demanded a certain amount of time.
And this precious time was sufficient for Satan's Hand to complete its energy accumulation.
The super-range weapon would once again descend upon this civilization.