M36 Star Cluster border.
The crippled Winunder fleet, pursued by the Fourth Fleet, was still fleeing at maximum speed.
N'daba routinely asked, "How far behind are the enemy forces?"
"838 AU, Commander."
Even using the energy of other warships to accelerate, their speed was only 98,000 km per second, still slightly slower than the Fourth Fleet.
This meant that even though the Fourth Fleet was delayed by dealing with the Leavall fleet, the difference was still less than 1000 AU.
"They shouldn't catch up!"
N'daba's anxious heart settled a bit more.
But it hadn't completely fallen to the ground.
From a distance, he had seen that terrifying petal-like weapon, and he wasn't sure if the fleet behind still possessed it.
This had always been a thorn in his side.
"Has the front-line support still not arrived?"
Having traveled for so long, N'daba thought his relief fleet should have arrived earlier, but it hadn't.
Not only hadn't it arrived, but he couldn't even contact it.
"We've been trying to make contact, but it feels like all transmitted information is being blocked. Perhaps those guys set something up; our communications are being affected."
They had tried to find the cause but found nothing.
Everyone's face was filled with worry.
After the soldier finished speaking, his mouth remained slightly agape, but he ultimately said nothing more.
Because it was too absurd.
Had the M36 star cluster been breached?
How could such an absurd reason be voiced?
"Continue to investigate the cause. We must make contact."
If contact couldn't be made, N'daba would forever be in a state of tension.
He hadn't escaped the enemy's control.
The fleet continued its flight.
...
Seven months later.
The command deck received news from the leading ship: there appeared to be traces of ships ahead.
The entire fleet erupted in cheers.
"Has the reinforcement finally arrived?"
"It took them this long."
"We're so grateful, it's practically blooming season."
"With reinforcements here, the enemy behind us should retreat, too."
Watching his cheering subordinates, N'daba felt an inexplicable unease.
"Silence, everyone!"
"Transmit a message to the ship, verify its identity."
Because the distance was too great, even though a ship was observed, it wasn't necessarily clearly visible.
Even if a warship unit had optical observation instruments, it couldn't truly distinguish an object clearly from a great distance; it could only detect its presence.
It's similar to an astronomical telescope, which can see a star hundreds of millions or billions of light-years away, but the star is just a dot. One can only make judgments based on the star's light spectrum.
A ship, compared to a star, is too small and too dark.
It's like a black car driving hundreds of millions of kilometers away on a pitch-black night. Any telescope or detector would rely on transmitted light and other information to make a judgment.
If contact couldn't be made, N'daba would always be in a state of tension.
He hadn't escaped enemy control.
The fleet continued its flight.
...
Seven months later.
The command deck received news from the leading ship; traces of ships seemed to have appeared ahead.
The entire fleet cheered excitedly.
"Have reinforcements finally arrived?"
"It took them this long."
"We've waited so long, we could almost thank the flowers for blooming."
"With reinforcements here, the enemy behind us should retreat too."
Watching his cheering subordinates, N'daba felt an inexplicable unease.
"Silence, everyone!"
"Send a message to the ship, verify its identity."
Because of the excessive distance, even though a ship was observed, it wasn't necessarily clearly seen.
Even warship units had optical observation instruments, but they couldn't truly distinguish an object clearly from a great distance; they could only detect its presence.
It's equivalent to an astronomical telescope, which can see a star hundreds of millions or billions of light-years away, but a star is just a dot. Judgments can only be made based on the star's light spectrum.
A ship is too small and too dark compared to a star.
It's like a black car driving hundreds of millions of kilometers away on a pitch-black night. Any telescope or detector would rely on transmitted light and other information to make a judgment.
And the originally transmitted, observed objects were already sparse; after such a great distance, they had long since scattered sufficiently.
Across one AU, received information might only be one in a hundred million, or even less.
This is a physical law.
N'daba understood this point, so he needed confirmation.
Thirty-five days later.
N'daba received a reply.
"Neither Tachyon communication nor regular communication has received a reply, and the number of approaching ships seems to be a bit low." The reporter was visibly worried.
"Prepare to attack. No, attack directly. Do not give the enemy any time to react."
N'daba gave the order.
He wouldn't allow himself any mistakes.
But even as he gave the order, his heart sank.
The enemy appearing ahead. The most difficult answer seemed to have surfaced, it was just a matter of whether they wanted to admit it.
But N'daba was still unwilling.
He needed to confirm.
At the beginning of the deployment, the distance between the two sides was approximately 3000 AU.
Twenty-three days later, when the distance between the two sides shortened to 290 AU, finally, the enemy warship had a clear silhouette.
This silhouette wasn't the shape of the ship itself, but the shape of the fleet.
Each star nation's fleet would fly in a specific formation; this was part of Fleet-Syntax.
At a great distance, the fleet formation was unclear, but up close, it was instantly obvious.
"That's not our fleet. Engage!"
The warship unit decisively launched an attack.
It almost blocked the enemy's path.
Because the attack was invisible, the enemy could only guess at what range they would be attacked. They were gambling, betting that the enemy's threshold was very low, and that the enemy still wouldn't have changed position by the time the attack arrived.
It was only 30 hours.
The attack arrived.
But it was still a step too late.
The speeds of both sides were too high. After 30 hours, the Distance between them had shortened to a mere 150 AU.
Too close, far too close.
The enemy's Threshold would absolutely not be lower than 200 AU.
"Continue the Assault."
At this range, both sides entered an erratic Flight State.
Unless it was an Area-of-Effect Bombardment, it would be nearly impossible to strike the enemy.
Just as the Winunder fleet was adjusting its Tactics, the opposing fleet veered sharply toward the Winunder fleet's Flank.
At that exact moment, a new Fleet suddenly materialized from the side, startling N'daba.
"It's an Evasion Ship. They've bypassed our line."
"That Fleet in front was a distraction. Change Course, change Course, do not get entangled!"
N'daba was truly terrified by their previous encounters.
Now facing enemy Tactics again, he found it grueling to resist.
The moment they fell into the enemy's Tactical Tide, they would surely be dragged under.
N'daba's only thought now was to reach the M36 Star Cluster.
Deserting was deserting.
At least it was better than total Annihilation.
Not only N'daba, but the Soldiers of the Winunder fleet shared this sentiment. The moment N'daba issued the order, the entire disciplined Fleet instantly shifted direction.
N'daba even suspected that this Fleet, since the day of its creation, had never achieved such perfect Command Coordination.
...
A few days after the Winunder fleet changed its Course.
Mingna observed the incoming Data.
"It seems to be a success."
"If they continue flying in this direction, they will collide with the City of Nothingness."
Mingna was eagerly looking forward to the expressions on their faces when they bore witness to the City of Nothingness.
Someone beside her asked, "Do you want them to surrender then?"
Mingna had made that decision before, and the others assumed she would continue that path.
But Mingna shook her head.
"No need!"
Her voice was calm, but a hint of Amusement flickered across her face.
None of the Divines who emerged from Hyperdimensional Space were ordinary people, and she was no exception.
Before, she acted normally because she had to follow the Plan. As time passed, she no longer cared to stay on the intended Trajectory.
To be blunt, recruiting the enemy Fleet was a solid Tactic, but it wasn't a necessity.
...
Eleven months later.
Nearly an entire year had passed.
The Winunder fleet had not endured a single Attack.
Even N'daba felt quite surprised by the silence.
"Good thing we reacted quickly," another Captain remarked.
N'daba, however, did not share his optimism.
"The enemy must have a different Objective!"
The Captains all believed N'daba had become oversensitive.
"Commander, do not imagine the opponent is a God. Even the most secretive Plans have a flaw."
"Sometimes being this tense is a weakness."
The prolonged high Tension made it impossible for N'daba to stop his dark imaginings about the enemy.
He felt it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Just listen to me. The Fleet is changing Course, making a detour toward the M36 Star Cluster." N'daba would not be swayed by his subordinates; his Attitude was ironclad.
No one else could override N'daba's decision; he held the highest Rank in the sector.
The Fleet changed course.
But very soon, new Ships appeared on the side they were turning toward.
All Warships prepared for an emergency turn, but N'daba stopped them.
"No need to turn. Head straight toward them."
After receiving this Order, everyone in the Fleet was startled.
Advancing like this meant charging directly into the opponent's Trap, wouldn't it?
"Commander, this must be an enemy Conspiracy."
"There could be an entire Fleet hidden behind those Ships!"
"There might be Super Weapons on those vessels!"
"Those Ships…"
Everyone voiced different Concerns.
N'daba knew these people were scared senseless.
But it didn't matter.
He wasn't yet.
He knew the enemy's Conspiracy.
"The moment we changed Course and maneuvered, new Ships appeared around us. Use your brains."
"They hope we maintain our original Maneuver, but not to attack us."
"That other Maneuver is the real Trap!"
N'daba spoke with cold logic.
But inside the Warship, Chaos had already broken out. Not everyone believed his words.
His Credibility was bleeding away.
Fortunately, he still maintained Control over the Fleet, which came from the Main Server, his ultimate Authority.
No one dared disobey a Command from the Main Server. Disobedience meant Betrayal and would result in immediate Execution.
Although the Main Server followed the orders of High-Ranking individuals 100%, Soldiers were not entirely without means of Insubordination.
If the Main Server determined that an officer had lost 99% of their support, that person would be relieved of their Position, even if they were the highest individual in the System.
In such a case, even without a formal Relief of Duty, it meant that person could no longer lead the Army. The Main Server's intervention simply made the process faster and prevented Internal Conflict.
As of now, N'daba's approval rating sat at 26%.
Because no one could prove whose Judgment was more accurate, the Soldiers could not reach a Consensus.
The Fleet finalized its decision within two days.
All Warships accelerated toward the enemy fleet that had suddenly appeared.
Barrage Fire surged forward.
Many Close-Range Weapons detonated, illuminating the deep Void so brightly it was blinding.
After the entire Fleet burned over 8% of its Energy, the enemy ahead vanished, leaving not even a scrap of Debris.
"Incorrect!"
"Those Ships were just Projections."
"The enemy wants to drain our Energy!"
[Warning! Your approval rating is decreasing.]
N'daba received the notification.
However, he ignored it; this was not the first Warning.
The Threshold for stripping his command was very high; they hadn't reached that point yet.
"Continue forward."
He doubled down on his Judgment.
"If another Fleet appears ahead, continue to Attack."
"They will exploit any moment of relaxation. Since we have come this far, do not dare to let your guard down!"
N'daba's voice echoed throughout all the Ships. More than being relieved of his post, he feared further Unforeseen Circumstances.
Coincidentally, Binom's warning message was also being broadcast at this time.
The combination of the two gave N'daba's words an inexplicably passionate feel.
Within the Fleet.
Every Soldier was stretched to the limit, silently praying to persevere and push through the Void.
They were about to reach the first Star City within the star cluster: they could escape this state.
This made them forget their earlier suspicions about whether the M36 star cluster still existed. Now, their only desire was to arrive: arriving was enough.
The entire fleet charged continuously.
No retreat.
Though they were fleeing.
Their momentum was sufficient.
At this moment, another, larger fleet appeared around them.
That fleet appeared to have tens of thousands of ships.
"Impossible!"
"The enemy can't possibly have so many ships here."
"Charge straight through! This is merely an illusion."
N'daba couldn't believe it.
If that were real, they might truly be annihilated here.
Now, advancing was actually better.
He even ordered the fleet not to fire a single shell.
600 AU.
300 AU.
100 AU.
The distance grew shorter and shorter.
Almost within touching distance.
Fleet and fleet were practically face to face.
THUMP!
It was merely an imagined collision, resounding in everyone's heart.
In reality, after the Winunder fleet collided with this fleet, this fleet became blurred and indistinct.
They actually found it hard to judge the authenticity of these ships because of the Rusty Star Nation's evasion-type ships.
Previously, they thought it was only on the level of the White Dragon, but after Binom's attack from the Void-Class Ship, they collected some debris and learned that the Rusty Star Nation could even evade the four fundamental forces.
This powerful technology made it impossible for them to determine whether the previous ships were intentionally evading other things by the enemy, or simply failed to evade light.
Fortunately.
As N'daba said.
These were all fakes.
N'daba's approval rating increased slightly again.
It was like riding a roller coaster.
After rushing through those projected ships, the Winunder fleet cheered. In their hearts, this perhaps meant the enemy had run out of tricks.
However, before their cheers died down, the Main Server issued a warning.
[Unknown Star City detected ahead!]
[Unknown Star City detected ahead!]
On the screens of all ships and warships, a gigantic Star City appeared, blocking their path.
"Haha, do they want to scare us away with this?"
"Ridiculous. How could a Star City exist here? They'll truly stop at nothing to block us."
"Charge straight through! No turning, no stopping!"
That Star City stood there, unmoving.
Its vastness carried a hint of mystery.
When N'daba saw that Star City, for some reason, a ripple formed in his heart.
"A Star City?"
"Such an obvious thing, why would it appear here?"
"The enemy's intelligence shouldn't be so low."
"But how can a Star City appear here?"
"Is there something hidden behind that Star City?"
"If we hit it, we're finished!"
N'daba simulated it in his mind.
But he couldn't imagine it.
Every step the enemy took was beyond his expectations.
Far beyond.
His imagination couldn't support him in thinking of more things. He felt as if his head was about to explode.
"Am I even right?"
"Should I turn now?"
Turned earlier, then directly collided, and now he wants to turn again?
Mind-boggling.
This kind of painful choice is hard for ordinary people to understand.
It's like asking someone whether to eat noodles or rice, and the other person replies, "Whatever!"
Are noodles better?
Or is rice better?
This alone is enough to agonize over for a long time.
Then, they say, "You absolutely must choose one."
After thinking for a while, the other person says, "You choose! I really can go either way!"
It feels like one is about to go crazy.
When they finally find a nearby restaurant, they ask, "Do you want spicy or non-spicy?"
The other person will definitively reply, "I'm fine with either!"
The cycle would continue, almost becoming a stalemate. Eventually, they'd choose a restaurant, eat a meal, both finding it unpalatable but saying nothing, quietly finishing and leaving.
Indecision ultimately leads to a bad outcome.
But N'daba agonized over what the enemy's true objective was.
He didn't know their objective, nor their methods. How could he guess?
Fortunately, he finally said with conviction, "Go around it!"
He trusted his intuition.
The fleet began to circle.
But who knew, that Star City also began to circle, constantly blocking their path.
Their options were already limited. If they continued to circle, the circle would grow larger, infinitely prolonging their return to the M36 star cluster.
What might have originally taken a few months would become years, then decades, or even longer.
Their hearts couldn't take it!
"Perhaps we should just hit it directly. It's clear they're playing on our psychology, making us doubt whether that Star City can even exist."
"But such an obvious thing, the simplest method is often the best."
N'daba still made the decision: to collide directly.
He wanted to see what was truly hidden behind that Star City.
This was indeed a gamble.
But they had no choice but to gamble.
At this moment, N'daba wouldn't even consult with other Captains. He believed consultation would only dilute and diminish his decision-making.
At this time, firmness was important, not correctness.
Because they had no way of being correct.
The fleet surged towards that Star City.
The closer they got, the more they could feel the Star City's immense size.
"This projection can actually be made as large as a real Star City. Where do they get so much energy?"
"Perhaps a real fleet is hidden behind the projection, ready for battle."
"This must be the very end of the end. Decades ago, someone told me it was the final battle. I'm truly tired."
"Forget it. I don't want to think anymore. Anyway, I'm just an ordinary soldier. I won't make any difference. If I die, I die."
They felt they had entered a vortex.
The shadow of defeat had long hung heavy over them.
They couldn't ignore those past failures. At this moment, many even foresaw their own misfortune.
But they had no idea where the misfortune would come from.
When they were 100 AU away.
The leading ship suddenly lost contact and its trace.
"There really is an enemy."
"Everyone be careful."
"We cannot avoid it. They can use this to move with us. We must deal with them."
"Their numbers cannot be many, otherwise they wouldn't need to do this."
Their nerves were never relaxed.
Until they were less than 1 AU from that Star City.
They saw the stillness of that Star City.
No ships on its surface, no lights whatsoever.
"Indeed, fakes are fakes."
"Scanned for ships?"
"None? Then continue forward."
1 AU, how short a distance.
A dozen minutes would be enough to cross it.
However, before even a dozen minutes passed, the entire fleet was suddenly blocked by a barrier. Some ships crashed into the barrier, directly shattering.
The remaining ships and warships made an emergency turn. Fortunately, the distance was still several million kilometers, barely allowing them to skirt the edge of the barrier.
But the further they flew, the more they felt something was wrong.
How had this barrier become a circle, enclosing them?
Now, that silent Star City suddenly glowed, and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of energy surges erupted.
A terrifying attack shattered countless ships.
Everyone in the fleet was dumbfounded, including N'daba.
"This!"
"This is a real Star City!"
"How can there be a Star City here?"
"Could it be that the enemy had it hidden all along?"
They couldn't figure it out.
This was too bizarre.
These conjectures were fundamentally untenable.
Not only is it very difficult to hide a Star City, especially outside a star system, where Star Cities often don't have that much fuel.
Also, because they occupied the M36 star cluster, they would definitely try every possible means to find any omissions.
Such a massive object like a Star City, with its immense gravitational pull, could not possibly evade their detection.
Therefore, they had not suspected it from the beginning.
Not to mention, this Star City was moving at high speed earlier.
Typically, Star Cities are almost stationary; moving them requires immense energy and is often not worth the cost.
However, an evasion-type warship has its advantages. Evading the four fundamental forces is almost equivalent to evading the vast majority of obstacles in the universe. This can make the Star City very light in the latter half of its acceleration, drastically reducing the energy consumed for acceleration.
This is not necessary for a void-class ship.
Because a ship unit is relatively too small.
It requires an extremely complex set of operations.
When evasion-type matter rapidly enters an evasion state, this process also generates some energy, much like fission or fusion. This portion of energy brings capabilities to the City of Nothingness.
When the City of Nothingness enters an evasion state, this energy is utilized for propulsion. When the City of Nothingness exits the evasion state, the generated energy is used to replenish the City of Nothingness's empty energy reserves.
This requires a high-power energy utilization device to accomplish. Perhaps at some point in the future, such a device will be miniaturized, but not now.
Even N'daba would never truly believe that this Star City was real.
But the most difficult kind of situation had occurred.
A fleet could certainly destroy a Star City.
But that's under long-range conditions, because a Star City itself doesn't have super-long-range weapons. Star Cities often deploy an outer defensive and offensive system. If the periphery is breached, how much use would the Star City's own super-long-range weapons be?
It's like having finished all your outer troops; what good is guarding a city then?
But this doesn't mean the city has no combat power. It just means when you're far away, the city can't retaliate, but when you want to lay siege, you need to be prepared for heavy losses.
The difference is:
Many warships have super-long-range weapons, equivalent to catapults, but only useful from a distance.
A catapult loses its effectiveness once it's dragged to the city gates.
The current situation is exactly like this.
Due to a misjudgment, the fleet entered a certain range, and the Star City, relying directly on its sheer energy advantage, seized the enemy.
But would N'daba sit idly by and wait for death?
"Don't give up, everyone attack."
"A Star City cannot withstand our firepower."
A Star City is not as specialized as a warship. In fact, it doesn't have many weapons itself, especially its defensive capabilities are still incomparable to a true warship.
N'daba's order was based on seeing this point.
"This level of energy shield is not very strong. Launch the main cannon; one shot can shatter it."
The main cannon charged.
But the fleet was continuously bombarded.
The situation once again reminded N'daba of the intense moment when they confronted the void-class warship.
Now, it was so similar to before.
Fortunately, this time they had made some preparations.
The main cannon only needed a few minutes to power up.
Before N'daba could even think of the next plan, the entire warship's lights flickered, and a beam of white light shot towards that enormous Star City.
The white light rotated, even carrying protrusions like fingerprints on a screw, forcefully colliding with their energy shield.
It wasn't just one beam, but dozens of white light impacts.
The energy shield was instantly torn apart.
Then, the white light continued straight, unyielding, impacting the Star City.
BOOM!!! A terrifying explosion. The City of Nothingness suffered some damage; it was not built to withstand this kind of assault.
At the wound on the City of Nothingness, countless rays of light dissipated, in all sorts of colors.
And where those lights dissipated, the originally metallic color became dull and translucent.
N'daba instantly realized why this Star City had appeared here.
"This entire Star City is actually made of evasion-type material."
"Too crazy!"
"Such a Star City is enough to produce hundreds of thousands of evasion-type ships!"
N'daba trembled inwardly.
Could the Rusty Star Nation building such a Star City mean they had even more hidden combat power?
This was highly possible.
Could they win this?
N'daba gained another layer of pessimism.
His pessimistic emotions had actually long since hit rock bottom. There was no lower to fall.
This war was a grave, utter mistake.
"Leave immediately. Do not stop."
His only thought was still to escape.
Escape.
He had no more strategies left.
His mind was blank. He had never once thought of counterattacking or anything of the sort throughout the journey.
The remaining fleet once again began to flee.
But the Star City wouldn't be directly paralyzed just because it took a few hits. To destroy a Star City in such a short time would require a true fleet composed of warships, no matter what.
...
The Fourth Fleet.
St. Anthony.
Mingna received news that the Winunder fleet had once again fled. The Star City blockade caused them to lose 2766 ships and 14 warships.
The battle results weren't actually very good.
After all, the City of Nothingness also suffered damage.
But for Mingna, it was all worth it.
Her objective had changed.
It wasn't to annihilate the enemy, but to play cat and mouse.
"They should be very panicked now. Continue to build up the illusion. I believe they will turn later."
"If they keep circling, then once they enter the M36 star cluster, we will definitely catch up to them."
In fact, due to the previous detour, they had already closed the distance by over 50 AU.
Upon hearing Mingna's command, many in the command deck felt a chill run down their spines for some reason.
Mingna now felt as if she had become a different person.
When there was still suspense before, she was a convincing Archon Commander.
But now, she seemed more like a deeply possessive individual.
...
Deep space.
Heading towards the M36 star cluster.
A fleet that wasn't particularly large.
Giotto and Toma K were discussing what to do after reaching the M36 star cluster.
They had absolutely no understanding of the situation in the M36 star cluster.
"Why didn't you think to ask Luna?" Toma K grumbled.
"Well, you didn't ask either!"
Giotto didn't want to bear all the blame himself.
"Actually, we can ask now. Our warship is specially equipped with Tachyon communication. It won't take long."
"If we arrive then knowing nothing, it would be awkward. We wouldn't be able to help with anything."
Toma K strongly agreed.
Previously, when he left Supernova Technology Corporation and arrived at Sheltondine, it took him a long time to integrate into that system.
But it was only after his marriage and everything erupted that Toma K realized there were many things he still didn't know. His integration was merely the tip of the iceberg.
He didn't want to repeat past mistakes.
So, he still needed Luna's help.
Fortunately.
This time, it wasn't a face-to-face request.
From a distance, it was much more convenient for them to speak.
Although they had been through so many years, their hides were also very thick. Presumably, they feared nothing.
But this kind of request didn't hurt their pride: it hurt their self-esteem.
After the inquiry.
The reply was sent back a dozen days later.
The two began reading as if they had found a treasure.
The more they read, the more incredible it seemed.
"We're actually counterattacking?"
"The battle results don't seem bad."
"Not just not bad, the enemy's casualties are almost dozens of times ours!"
"When did our army become so strong?"
"No wonder Luna told me not to worry about the battlefield earlier."
"There must be something wrong here."
"It seems a new group of Strategos has taken over. We don't recognize any of them."
"..."
After those three dots, both fell into a brief silence.
"Wait, Mingna is a Strategos? I thought she died there earlier. I didn't expect Luna to take her for deep training."
"Although the war is still going well, we're only attacking the existing forces in the M36 star cluster. The armies of the Three Nations have arrived: that's when it gets most difficult."
"Following this trend, we'll probably have to fight a defensive battle upon arrival."
"We're still useful as a place for combat."
"One last sentence: we shouldn't casually question the Strategos. What are they saying? Are we those kinds of people?"
"Luna doesn't seem to trust us much."
"True, we haven't really succeeded at anything."
"..."
Another period of silence.
...
The Fourth Fleet.
Mingna's cat-and-mouse game with the Winunder fleet had scared them almost to death.
This brought them closer and closer.
Finally, they were even within 150 AU.
This distance was already within their attack range.
Generally speaking, within 200 AU, one could attack, but with limited accuracy.
However, within 150 AU, there was a certain degree of accuracy. Large-scale attacks would inevitably hit some targets.
100 AU was considered close-range in interstellar warfare, meaning the war had entered a "melee" phase, where fighting was the most brutal.
Mingna was truly toying with the mouse.
In the Winunder fleet, some ship captains couldn't withstand the pressure and began secretly sending surrender signals to the rear.
But presumably, they were discovered. The entire ship was stripped of its energy and then abandoned, and many on board had died.
Almost every day, one or two such incidents occurred, which was an extremely severe blow to the enemy's confidence.
"Miscalculated by 20 AU. When we reach the M36 star cluster, we estimate we'll still be about 70 AU away from them." The data analysis officer reported the information to Mingna.
As a Strategos, Mingna needed to receive information from the main server and from these analytical experts. Neither could be missing.
Almost every 10 minutes, someone would come to report.
And this was the worst news.
Mingna's expression changed instantly.
"What error led to this?"
The officer scanned the data and said, "The enemy conducted some exploration later on. Their evasive maneuvers became straighter, and our pursuit speed slowed."
This was a very low-level mistake.
If it were in Hyperdimensional Space, Mingna would have long since gone on a rampage, slaughtering the entire fleet, then completing the objective herself. These were all her burdens.
But this was reality. Her abilities were weakened. She couldn't be truly invincible, and many things couldn't be guaranteed.
"Continue the pursuit."
"A little scare is enough."
The cat played with the mouse, but in the end, the mouse still escaped.
Mingna was displeased to the extreme.
Fortunately, this segment of the journey was meant to be a tuning process.
The objective was indeed for them to reach the M36 star cluster from their starting point, not to intercept them.
Mingna relaxing meant the entire fleet relaxing.
She had lost interest, so there was no need for further projections.
Those projections were actually arranged by the City of Nothingness earlier. They were placed in specific positions and could move slightly.
After Mingna gave up, her attention shifted.
She heard someone chatting in the command deck.
"Logically speaking, the enemy fleeing like this should have reinforcements coming to meet them, but even now, they don't have a fleet to rendezvous with them. Strange!"
Hearing this, Mingna instantly remembered the matter.
In fact, she also felt something was off.
But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
"So that's what it was."
"It seems something must have happened in the M36 star cluster."
"What happened?"
The Winunder fleet thought it was the Fourth Fleet playing tricks, but it actually wasn't.
...
Ahead.
The Winunder fleet.
N'daba was exhausted.
This time, the projections vanished, but he dared not say the enemy wasn't pursuing, or had given up.
There must be other methods.
What method could it be?!
He was about to enter another round of speculation.
He couldn't help but speculate, because their lives depended on it.
This was the most tiring war he had ever experienced, mentally exhausting.
"When will it end?"
It felt like over a century.
No, it wasn't just a feeling.
It truly had been over, several centuries even.
But never before had he felt a few hundred years would be so long.
Approximately eight months later.
They finally entered the M36 star cluster.
The fleet cheered again.
"We've arrived!"
N'daba didn't know why he wanted to use "again," but such things seemed to have happened countless times, and each time after the cheers, there was no good outcome.
He hoped this was the last time...
Just as they were thinking that.
Suddenly, a fleet appeared from the front.
This fleet was different from the previous projections. This fleet could be detect by gravitational data.
Theoretically.
That was a real fleet.
"This time, it must be our fleet," everyone thought.
They were numb from being fooled so many times; they couldn't immediately believe it.
However, their hearts were full of anticipation.
Yes, this was the end.
The fleet approached rapidly.
It reached them in less than a month.
The main server alerted first.
WARNING! UNKNOWN FLEET APPROACHING!
"I knew it wasn't our fleet!"
Everyone seemed to be used to it, and began to turn.
But this time, the enemy didn't let them go; instead, they relentlessly pursued them.
These ships were very fast, even exceeding 120,000 km per second.
However, they looked no different from the fleet they had fought before.
Speed couldn't increase out of nowhere.
There was only one answer.
They had been accelerated.
How were they accelerated?
Only within the star system were there acceleration rings.
Normally, small-scale fleets would use acceleration rings, but large-scale fleets took too long to accelerate, and some acceleration rings were not designed for warships.
In the Federation, there might be many acceleration rings prepared for warships, but here, most acceleration rings were very small and lacked maintenance.
This fleet clearly used acceleration rings.
"There might be some problems within the star cluster," a Captain still said subtly at this time.
But N'daba was different.
He spoke directly: "Still not clear?"
"It's been occupied. No need to guess. None of our communications were answered. We should have thought of it earlier."
"We lost."
"The star cluster has a problem. We simply cannot return to the star nation."
"Surrender!"
A sudden sigh of relief.
N'daba again fell into confusion.
Did he really want to surrender just like that?
He was unwilling.
Clearly...
Clearly, he had tried so hard.
From the beginning, he had always been fleeing.
Every time he felt happy, something bad was surely waiting for him. He was truly fed up with this period of time.
"Surrender?"
N'daba's decision silenced everyone.
But now, it seemed, this was the only choice.
After striving for so long, the result was still the worst. Anyone would have their will shattered.
"Commander, where are you going?"
Everyone watched N'daba leave the command deck.
N'daba didn't look back, silent for a moment, but as he finally left the command deck, he still said, "You surrender. I am the glory of the star nation; I should not surrender."
He was actually the one most afraid of death.
N'daba was almost ready to surrender.
But in the end, he still couldn't do it.
He had grown up with the star nation, yet he would become a traitor to it. Even if he survived this way, after the Ynun Star Nation was annexed, he would still hang from that pillar of shame.
He should have been indifferent to such things, but for some reason, at this moment, when N'daba truly made his decision, he found that perhaps he still harbored different feelings for the star nation.
This was only a part of it.
More likely, it was because he was weaker than he imagined; he couldn't endure too much.
"Ridiculous!"
He laughed at himself for making such a decision at the very end.
He had imagined countless endings for himself, but never this one, not now.
When faced with a choice, people sometimes do the craziest things. N'daba now abandoned his rationality, giving in to his raw emotions.
He walked down the familiar corridor toward the belly of the ship.
There was almost no air here.
He didn't use a Mecha but allowed himself to be exposed to the vacuum. He felt a sudden sense of suffocation.
"Main server, open the hangar door."
[Commander, abandoning your soldiers is not a good idea. You have more options, such as feigning surrender and then delivering a fatal blow to the enemy.]
The main server offered a cold suggestion.
Its intelligence was too high, capable of guessing what N'daba intended to do and his current mental state.
But due to its programming, it couldn't offer words of comfort.
It only gave the best possible answer for the current situation.
"The enemy isn't foolish. Gasp... Even if we surrender, before controlling everything, pant... they won't let our fleet approach."
"Gasp... You're giving foolish advice. Open the hatch, pant!"
In just one minute, N'daba had already begun to feel dizzy.
Because they had mechanical aids, they hadn't undergone intensive training in enduring deprivation. On the contrary, due to the body's internal expenditure and ability to contain and deliver, modern organisms actually had a tremendous capacity for consumption.
N'daba didn't want to die inside the warship.
He urged the main server to carry out the command quickly.
[Alright, Commander. Good luck.]
[I will sing your praises.]
The main server opened the hangar door.
Looking at the brilliant starlight of space, N'daba jumped out without hesitation.
His senses were already blurring now. He couldn't clearly see his surroundings. He only felt himself spinning, endlessly spinning, as if he would never stop.
Then, darkness.
...
The other Captains saw N'daba's body and knew exactly what had happened.
"Surrender. The Commander is dead."
"This is also his final instruction. Shut down all main servers. Buy some time. They might be able to disable our Anti-betrayal system for us."
The Anti-betrayal system was very stringent and required a period of verification, but during this time, it could also be shut down.
The method for shutting it down was physical: the power supply to the main server was directly severed.
After completing all these tasks, they used conventional communication devices to announce their surrender to the enemy.
At the same time, they shut down all warship and ship weapon systems, awaiting judgment.
They still had over a hundred ships and dozens of warships remaining.
They believed the enemy had no reason to refuse.
However, their belief was mistaken.
Both the ships appearing from the front and the ships pursuing from the rear launched attacks almost simultaneously, the moment their fleet ceased its erratic movement.
These attacks, unimpeded, struck ship after ship and warship after warship, directly destroying them.
"Not accepting surrender?"
"Why?"
"Why are they still attacking?"
Everyone in the Winunder fleet was utterly astonished.
If the enemy had merely been toying with them from the very beginning, then what was the point of their surrender?
This was utterly clownish.
They felt an unprecedented surge of rage.
The rage of being deceived.
"Kill them! Kill them!"
Countless such voices rang out in everyone's mind.
So resolute.
But they were so powerless.
They simply couldn't offer any resistance.
The enemy was too strong.
And they were pitiably weak.
The main server was urgently rebooted.
[A new Commander has been appointed. The enemy is approaching. Please counterattack.]
"Counterattack?"
"What counterattack methods are left?"
"We have no super-range weapons, we have no tactics. We are just a bunch of fools being toyed with. How can we resist?"
The newly appointed Commander felt no joy whatsoever.
Clearly, this was a moment he had eagerly awaited.
[Counterattack!]
[Any counterattack is better than doing nothing!]
The main server repeated.
The new Commander said, "I have a better way."
"Everyone, commit suicide. To show our resolve."
"Transmit this information to the Star Nation, so the Star Nation can avenge us."
His final decision was this.
This could potentially ignite his own strong emotions.
[That is truly a good idea.]
The main server agreed without hesitation.
[Your wishes shall be granted. These wishes, along with the video, will be transmitted outwards.]
It wanted to go a step further.
The message of mass suicide was transmitted throughout the fleet. Countless people fell silent, but ultimately, they had no other options. The enemy was clearly coming to annihilate them; they would not survive either way.
At least, doing so could conceal their surrender.
They could be called heroes, for this period of time.
Some people directly chose suicide, without any hesitation.
While others did not. They directly abandoned their ships, fleeing into the distance with Mechas. They wanted to live.
But their speed was still insufficient to escape the main server's control. The main server assessed them, then executed them, completing their suicide for them.
In a brief 10 minutes.
No one survived in the entire fleet.
It wasn't until the two Rusty Star Nation fleets rendezvoused, and personnel were sent to clean up the wreckage, that it was confirmed everyone inside had died, with most succumbing to suffocation and self-induced genetic destruction.
...
The Fourth Fleet.
Mingna had lost some interest. She didn't even pay attention when she saw this kind of mass suicide.
What interested her more now was where the other fleet had come from.
When the opponent reported that it was from the First Fleet, Mingna immediately sensed something was wrong.
She thought that others who received Luna's mission would be faster, but now, it seemed, she was not just a little bit slow.
This would affect the assessment of her current mission.
As a Divine, the rewards for missions weren't actually that alluring. Instead, after each mission concluded and upon returning to Hyperdimensional Space, the mission assessment would grant large amounts of attribute points and ability currency. Accumulating these, Divines could advance further.
"To what extent have you progressed?"
Mingna asked directly.
That fleet's Captain wasn't initially going to answer, but Mingna pressured them, saying, "This is simple resource sharing. If you refuse even this, I will hinder your promotion later."
A very blatant threat.
A Captain's military rank was already quite high.
To be promoted to Commander, Strategos' approval was required: not just one, but all of them.
This facilitated unity among the fleets, rather than the formation of factions.
The opposing Captain spoke directly: "We have already breached the outer region of the M36 star cluster and are surrounding the central region."
Hearing this, Mingna immediately knew what the other four Divines were doing.
The appearance of this fleet here already indicated a problem.
They weren't eager to breach the central region; there was only one possibility.
To encircle a point and strike reinforcements.