Toma K, along with Tissifa, boarded the ship with the soldier.
He asked the soldier his name. The soldier quickly introduced himself as Lithium Iron, a name bearing an element. Lithium Iron also explained why he didn't fear approaching Toma K. It was because he didn't know what kind of person Toma K was. Perhaps Toma K could crush him with a mere gesture.
A person like him had no inherent value to speak of; even his death would cause no loss to anyone. However, even such a humble person had family. He had told his daughter that he would definitely return alive. He didn't fear his own death, but feared causing his daughter the pain of losing a father.
Those words stirred some emotion in Toma K, but he would not easily reveal his sympathy.
After boarding, the fleet departed from Christine. Toma K did not reveal his identity on the ship; instead, he stayed with Lithium Iron. He questioned the soldier: "How did you gain the advantage in previous battles?"
Lithium Iron pondered for a moment, then surprisingly shook his head. "I don't know. It always felt like the war ended quickly, probably because the enemy was too weak. Those enemies guarding the M36 cluster were too fragile, incomparable to the enemy's true fleet."
What he said held no real value. This was the consistent answer Toma K had received from his inquiries over the years. No one could clearly explain how they conquered the M36 cluster. Ultimately, it was all attributed to the enemy being too weak.
But this was precisely why Toma K was diligently inquiring: was the enemy truly weak? This was the Ynun Star Nation. Among the four star nations involved in the current battle, the Ynun Star Nation was the most capable in conquest and combat, constantly fighting surrounding nations. How could they be weak?
Yet, the answer he received was precisely that. He couldn't refute it, so he needed to see it firsthand. Was the enemy truly too weak, or was his own side overly arrogant due to their strength?
...
Not long after they left Christine, news arrived. A patrol fleet of about 1,200 ships encountered the enemy forces and was instantly destroyed, disappearing without a trace. The only information obtained was that the enemy fleet possessed over ten thousand ships.
Then, a few years later, a star system fell.
Lithium Iron grew more terrified with each passing day. But Toma K took this war even less seriously. The previous recapture of the M36 star cluster actually cost them nearly ten thousand ships and dozens of warships; it wasn't taken easily. Now, the four major fleets combined numbered only about 90,000 ships and 1,134 warships. This was essentially the scale of a fleet sent by a single star nation.
And now, they had to face attacks from two, possibly three, star nations simultaneously.
...
13 years later, the fleet reached the main battlefield. They joined forces with another fleet. Toma K counted. The total number of ships in the two fleets was actually less than he had anticipated. Some patrol ships hadn't returned, and the remaining enemy forces within the M36 cluster were few.
Less than 37,000 ships for two fleets, facing nearly three times the enemy strength: how could they fight? To win with fewer forces, one needed at least some advantage. But where was their advantage? Toma K couldn't see it.
And reality also showed Toma K that they seemingly had no advantage. Five years after the two fleets merged, they engaged the enemy. An enemy fleet of 10,000 ships continuously harassed them, causing them to lose over 1,000 ships.
"Too weak! It seems my expectations of us were too high." The last remaining hope in Toma K's heart sank to the bottom.
"With you present, no one would assign you to the battlefield." Lithium Iron was much more nervous than Toma K.
"Maybe not. Perhaps those above don't even know I'm here?" Toma K had only been joking.
But he didn't expect that the very next day, Lithium Iron would release information about his identity, letting everyone on the ship know. Lithium Iron was truly terrified of death. The pitiable often deserve hatred. Toma K wouldn't blame him. This was all something that didn't affect the overall situation. He could only say that Lithium Iron's perspective was unstable.
Two more years passed. Another round of engagement led both fleet Strategos to seemingly decide on a direct charge. The Rusty Star Nation's ships and warships were the fastest among the surrounding star nations because their threshold for speed was lower.
The other star nations all had some outdated ships. Even if the fastest ship could match the Rusty Star Nation's speed, the entire fleet's speed was calculated based on the slowest vessel for cohesion. By leveraging speed, they could engage the enemy at close range.
But could they achieve victory this way? Toma K maintained his skeptical attitude. The fleet moved in what was almost a pursuit battle. They were chasing the enemy from the rear, while the enemy, appearing to flee, was actually deliberately maintaining its advantage, occasionally harassing them to wear them down.
This battle situation was extremely unfavorable, to the extent that Toma K even felt the two Strategos might not be as strong as he was. Inside a ship, Toma K watched as another vessel was destroyed.
He muttered to himself: "Luna, weren't you omnipotent? Did you not foresee the current outcome? If the M36 cluster battle lines completely collapse, won't that tear apart a part of your confidence?"
Thinking of this, Toma K felt a sense of grim satisfaction.
...
Earlier.
Aboard the Royal Sword.
The 82nd Prince watched the enemy desperately pursuing and suddenly felt that the Ynun Star Nation seemed weakened as well.
"Was the Ynun Star Nation defeated by an army like this?"
"Is Binom completely spent?"
The attendant beside the Prince was a small, plump figure. He was a legend in the Saintees Star Nation, the only officer who had ever managed to escape from Binom's overwhelming advance.
Although it was an escape, it was still an impossible feat for 99% of people. He had witnessed the terror that Binom once commanded. He had studied Binom extremely thoroughly, continuously collecting information about the previous war.
"I heard that in the last war, Binom was careless. Combined with the Rusty Star Nation's suicidal attacks, he had to sacrifice his entire army to stop their advance."
The 82nd Prince actually had less intelligence than him.
"Oh, is that so?"
"It seems the Rusty Star Nation is nothing special after all. We overestimated them before."
"Look at their current state: they are clearly the defenders, yet they are chasing us around. It's simply ridiculous."
"An army like that, only relying on luck to secure temporary advantage, cannot last long."
"Before, I heard about how powerful the Supernova Technology Corporation was, and their CEO. He was human, and apparently quite strong."
"As expected, rumors are always exaggerated."
"You go collect the battle data later. I don't think I need to."
The 82nd Prince's words were arrogant, but he had the capital for his arrogance. The enemy now indeed looked weak. Their losses were simply enormous, making the situation almost laughable.
"Understood, Your Highness."
"I will act cautiously. Perhaps the enemy has a trick up their sleeve; it might keep Your Highness waiting for a while."
The 82nd Prince truly appreciated this chubby attendant.
"Damn it, if you can handle it well, I will report your name to His Majesty next time for recognition."
Shet was overjoyed. "Thank you, Your Highness. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations."
Recognition. That was something they couldn't easily obtain in the Saintees Star Nation.
From an outsider's perspective, however, this practice was somewhat repulsive. The person recognized by the Saintees King would be transformed into a special race female, then brought into the Saintees King's private chambers until she gave birth to a child for the Saintees King. That person could then join the royal family.
This was also the reason the Saintees royal family had so many members. Every royal lineage possessed excellent bloodlines and status. This method also made the Saintees royalty incredibly consolidated and unbreakable. It seemed to be for their own pleasure.
A few dozen more Rusty Star Nation ships were destroyed. The wreckage of those ships, mangled and broken, turned into streaks of light and shot far away. Massive kinetic energy erupted back and forth inside the wreckage, causing the fragments to emit strong radiation.
If such debris hit a planet belonging to a low-level civilization like the original Earth Civilization, it would be a catastrophe. The residual radiation alone would be enough to wipe out all life on a planet.
...
"This is simply seeking death."
"I knew it. We couldn't possibly be that strong."
"Those above have become dazed. Mr. Toma K, you must stop this. This pursuit serves no purpose."
Inside the ship, many people came to implore Toma K tearfully. But Toma K couldn't exert any influence.
"You shouldn't think that I hold authority on the battlefield."
"In fact, I already contacted them, but no one responded to me."
Did Toma K try? Of course. But there was no response. He actually used his authority, but it was still useless. He discovered that his authority was actually lower than that of the fleet Strategos.
To be the director of the Supernova Technology Corporation and find this unbelievable was a shock, but this was reality. Luna had weakened his authority.
"Only you can change everything."
"Only when you stop trusting the Strategos can I rise to control the fleet."
Toma K also didn't want those arrogant and incompetent fellows to command the fleet. If it were Luna, perhaps he could reluctantly consider that she might have other means.
However, those arrogant fellows, based on his observation, lacked the ability to coordinate with their arrogance. Toma K's words stirred up a wave within the fleet.
Only half a month later, the two Strategos immediately felt the pressure and agreed to let Toma K negotiate with them. Toma K took a fighter to the flagship.
On the flagship, he saw Fit and Chio.
"You must stop your actions. Fighting like this is just courting death; there is no way to achieve victory."
Toma K went straight to the point, looking directly at the two, hoping they understood this fact. But the two remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Mr. Toma K."
"If you continue to cause trouble like this, we will find it rather troublesome."
"This is war, not a children's game."
"If we want to give up the chance of victory just because of a few deaths, then why don't we just surrender to the other star nations outright?"
Chio looked at Toma K with alluring eyes, hoping to seduce him. But Toma K's gaze remained clear, which startled Chio slightly.
Toma K became furious upon hearing her words.
"A few deaths?!"
"Even with heavy casualties, sacrificing 30,000 ships against an enemy several times our size—as long as we win in the end, I wouldn't care at all."
"But where is the victory you speak of?"
"May I ask, do you truly intend to win this war?"
"I now seriously suspect you are enemy spies!"
"I will represent all the soldiers and relieve you of your current positions."
Chio opened her mouth, ready to retort. But Fit, standing beside her, spoke first: "Mortals who don't understand everything talk nonsense here."
"Do you understand?"
"I really dislike you."
"If you weren't a high-ranking official in this nation, you would have died long ago, but it's not too late now."
Fit's body instantly appeared in front of Toma K. He swung a hand out.
BOOM!
Toma K's body flew straight out, slamming heavily against the wall.
Fit sneered, "It's more satisfying to beat the drum yourself."
"Now, no one is arguing anymore."
Chio looked back toward the direction Toma K was thrown, the previous situation concerning her slightly.
But when she looked over, Toma K, who had been struck by a Divine, was already standing up without any apparent injury.
"Although I'm incapable of doing anything well, I at least won't commit such a low-level, yet arrogant, mistake."
"You are sending soldiers to their deaths. Whatever scheme you have in mind, it is unforgivable."
Toma K, encased in his mecha, charged toward Fit. His entire body transformed into a chariot, intending to ram Fit away.
But his wish ended in vain. Fit blocked the attack with a single tentacle. Then, with a casual flick, he sent him flying again, this time with increased force.
"As expected of high-ranking officials of the star nation. Their bodies are tough, but this time…"
Before he could finish speaking, Toma K attacked again, this time also unleashing laser fire.
Fit was provoked. He struck him away with every punch. Even though the mecha on Toma K's body was shattered, his real body suffered no damage.
The two were locked in combat, unable to determine a victor. Chio, watching this scene, grew curious about Toma K's identity. In the real world, a fellow possessing such powerful physical strength was certainly not simple.
"Alright, stop playing around, Fit."
"You can't kill him without going all out."
Fit asked her, "Do you think I'm just playing around?"
"I've been tired of it for a long time, but he simply refuses to stop."
He even tried to restrain Toma K, but Toma K used his warship authority to break free. Even though he held authority superior to Toma K, he couldn't imprison him.
"Doesn't he just want us to stop sending those soldiers to die?"
"Besides, we're close enough now."
"We agree with you. Afterward, there won't be another casualty among the ships. Be quiet now."
As Chio spoke, a ship was destroyed. It looked like a slap in her face.
However, Toma K finally stopped.
"Hearing you, it seems you really think you can win this war."
Chio covered her mouth and smiled, her expression showing complete indifference to the confrontation.
"Who knows?"
"But congratulations. You managed to save the lives of a few dozen, or perhaps a few hundred, ships."
"Originally, they were probably meant to be bait to lower the enemy's guard."
The Divine wasn't omnipotent. Even the Divine could be killed. Chio and Fit had sacrificed so many soldiers and ships precisely to reassure the enemy, so that when they made their move, the risk could be somewhat reduced.
Toma K indeed changed some of their decisions; they didn't want to continue antagonizing someone like him. After Fit broke free from Toma K, he asked the server for the current distance between them.
Receiving confirmation of 79 astronomical units, he said to Chio, "This might be within my range now."
Chio shrugged indifferently.
"The bet is still valid, arrogant fellow. You can make your move anytime."
Fit and the others had bet on who could destroy more ships in this war. After Chio's words, he immediately performed a blink-like maneuver, appearing outside the warship, and flew toward the enemy.
Toma K looked completely bewildered.
...
After Fit left the warship, the surrounding ships all moved towards it, pressing closely together.
They watched as parts of those ships were disassembled and reassembled, actually transforming directly into a colossal warship.
Toma K stared, mouth agape. Chio, however, was surprised.
"It's a Mechanic!"
Mechanics in Hyperdimensional Space can control and assemble delicate machinery to form a powerful technological construct. In reality, reaching this state would be impossible, but merging ships could achieve it.
A merged warship is essentially an integration of all the ships. Fit, as a Mechanic, can perfectly control the technological construct he creates; this is the core ability of a Mechanic.
Theoretically, Fit could now make hundreds of ships act like his own limbs. Weapons could also be integrated into one. In fact, the server could also achieve this. By gathering all the ships in the fleet, even if they didn't form a single warship, they could maximize combat effectiveness through this kind of unified effect. It's as if the server is slightly more powerful than the Mechanic in composition.
After all, composition isn't always superior.
"Is this the capital for your arrogance?"
"It looks dazzling, certainly, but merging ships like this will only turn them into living targets."
Even with Toma K's understanding, he could see this point. Chio also had doubts. She wasn't necessarily aligned with Fit; they simply hadn't interfered with each other's matters recently.
However, when she saw that there were no thrusters behind this assembled warship, she knew what Fit intended to do.
...
Inside the new warship, Fit was positioned at the front.
He directed the energy storage of several ships behind him. All of this constituted roughly only 4% of the entire "warship's" volume. This was a detached unit.
Behind it, there was actually a massive base platform. Facing him from this base platform was the hidden propulsion system. Now, it transformed into an emitter.
This wasn't a warship. More accurately, it was a railgun.
The rear part was the emitter; the front part was the projectile. This device would launch him outward, allowing his speed to exceed 200,000 km/s.
In space, one could continuously accelerate to near light speed given sufficient fuel. But accelerating hundreds of ships required too much energy. This kind of launch platform only needed to propel the small, low-mass front section, which could bypass some mass limitations and allow for rapid acceleration.
This method was often applied in the Federation for launching small probes.
Why not launch the ships themselves? Why not create many such base platforms to launch ships or even warships?
In fact, the speed limitation of ships and warships stemmed not only from limited energy capacity, but also because their movement consumed immense energy. Launching this way incurred an energy cost five times or more than normal acceleration.
Theoretically, this was an extremely fuel-intensive maneuver with prohibitively high launch costs. Fit was wasting resources at this moment, but he had to catch up to the enemy ahead and ensure he carried a large reserve of energy. Otherwise, he couldn't utilize his capabilities.
He was launched directly, his speed rapidly boosted by the adjacent assembly base platforms, much like the booster stage jettisoned by a rocket.
Such an action would naturally draw the enemy's attention.
...
Aboard the Royal Sword.
After observing this phenomenon, Shet immediately ordered the firepower to focus on the approaching object.
Although the Royal Sword was currently being pursued, the entire fleet was moving directly toward them. Acceleration was complete; this would not affect their speed.
"Don't let that thing get close."
"It must be a new weapon from the enemy."
Tens of thousands of ship weapons focused their fire, supplemented by warship weaponry. Such an attack could intercept anything attempting to approach them; even a fly would be hit.
Fit, without being hit, saw the lasers approaching. But he knew those lasers were coming.
"Why is a Mechanic called a Mechanic?"
"Let me show you."
At this moment, inside the small projectile-like compartment where Fit was situated, he was rapidly manufacturing something. Those things looked small, not even half a meter long. But Fit manufactured them quickly.
The tiny objects had no obvious special features; they had a regular pyramid structure. As soon as they were manufactured, they flew out of the compartment, slightly faster than the ship Fit was on. These objects formed a shield in front of the ship until those attacks arrived.
The small pyramids, upon being struck by the energy beams, were not vaporized but instead absorbed the energy. Fit named these small items Mirrors.
As a Mechanic, his academic foundation was exceptionally profound. In Hyperdimensional Space, combat skills could be learned, and the vast wealth of knowledge flowed endlessly, like a river.
Mechanic was not a martial profession, but an administrative one. It involved using one's vast reserve of knowledge to fight. The Mirror was Fit's self-designed artificial construct, capable of emitting a field that absorbed high-energy radiation. It was called a Mirror because after absorption, it could release the energy back, much like a mirror refracts light.
This was Fit's hidden strength.
If this were in Hyperdimensional Space, he could actually create star-sized warships and star-sized weapons. He could even, in a certain world, single-handedly create a colossal mechanical galaxy. This was considered basic Divine operation.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Beams of light struck the Mirrors and were immediately reflected back. Tens of thousands of laser trajectories returned, almost without any energy loss. This caught Shet completely off guard. Over a thousand ships were hit and damaged.
Shet didn't understand what had happened. But he knew this was the enemy's counterattack.
"Continue attacking! Those guys, intensify the attacks!"
The number of lasers fired by the ships could vary, but the intensity did not increase. The Mirrors could actually be easily shattered if the laser energy was too high, or if the weapon wasn't a laser.
However, laser-type weapons had always been mainstream in human Civilization for tens of thousands of years. Who wouldn't like cheap weapons that could be stacked to their maximum limit? As long as the limit was high enough, it was difficult to counter.
In fact, the lasers of normal ships were already quite powerful. A small star nation like the Rusty Star Nation could only use energy shields for defense, unable to employ many more tricks.
But Fit was a Divine. Fit's technology, nurtured under Hyperdimensional Space, was actually the pinnacle of human Civilization.
Countless lasers fired, and countless lasers returned. The Royal Sword's attack was even fiercer, so the attack they received was also more intense. This created a bizarre phenomenon: they were fighting themselves.
Meanwhile, in the rear Rusty Star Nation fleet, there was no damage. At this moment, Toma K in the rear was extremely shocked. He knew that his own fleet certainly didn't possess such technology.
Although Chio was slightly surprised, her surprise was mostly directed at the technology Fit possessed, not his ability to repel the Royal Sword's attack.
"A Mechanic is a Mechanic, capable of manufacturing such powerful artificial constructs so quickly using mere junk."
"I underestimated him after all!"
She hadn't known Fit was a Mechanic initially. Fit's working style even made her think he was just a brute. That's why Chio hadn't been anxious before. But now, the Mechanic's terrifying ability made Chio slightly worried that Fit alone could resolve the situation.
"Server, use the remaining energy to accelerate. Quickly shorten the distance between us and the enemy to within 50 astronomical units."
Chio could no longer sit still. Toma K also felt this. This feeling of impatience made Toma K feel somewhat unfamiliar. It was as if they were chasing prey. Yet, clearly, it was an entire fleet!
What had that fleet become in their hearts? Dummies waiting to be slaughtered?
"These guys, they actually possess such capability!"
"Moreover, it's an individual…"
An individual whose power reached this level—Toma K could say he had never heard of it. Where did these guys come from? Toma K was certain that such an entity did not exist in the Rusty Star Nation.
His skill was astonishing.
On the other side, Fit had already closed the distance to within 30 astronomical units of the opponent. The Royal Sword also realized why the enemy's attack was so powerful: it turned out that it was entirely their own attack.
The 82nd Prince had just handed over authority to Shet, and upon hearing this information, he couldn't help but pay attention.
"Is there a way to break through the enemy's reflection?" He directly established communication with Shet and asked.
Shet replied, "Things that can reflect light are also immune to physical weapons. I will launch some missiles to test it. The missiles will be equipped with metal fragments to increase the success rate."
The 82nd Prince was very satisfied with Shet's quick response. Such a matter seemed simple, but in reality, many people would panic at such a moment, perhaps choosing to disperse the fleet to attack from multiple directions, or perhaps ignoring the opponent and allowing them to approach freely.
Since the fleet rarely stocked missile equipment, manufacturing missiles required a certain amount of time. However, Shet still prioritized stability.
"The equipment on the fighters can be used for missile launch. The missile fabrication will be completed in 2 days, by which time the enemy will be much closer. Your Highness, I believe the enemy closing in is the main objective. Next, I will fully intercept their approach."
The 82nd Prince nodded. "Yes, proceed!"
Shet mobilized 10,000 fighters.
These fighters rapidly approached the ship where Fit was located.
They did not close in too much; they stopped around 1 astronomical unit from Fit's ship, then released a field, using the field to directly strike the ship.
This was also a type of energy, but it was a disruptive energy. Reflection was useless; the fighters themselves could shield against the field's interference.
In a normal battle, this move would be very effective. The enemy might be caught off guard and directly controlled.
Fit showed no panic at all.
"1 astronomical unit, light takes 8 minutes. That is indeed a good distance."
"A Mechanic's essence is to modify machinery, and the prerequisite for modifying machinery is to understand machinery. The Looa GCWu28 model fighter, commonly disc-shaped, has a symbol that looks like a cleaned hook at the front, which from above appears as a circular front half divided into two fan-shaped sections."
"The GCWu28 model fighter's opening is for offensive purposes; this is its most famous feature. It is an offensive fighter. The Royal Sword seems to have modified it to release fields, a type of control weapon."
"The GCWu28 model fighter's DataNode uses Bancyeng Corporation's kkz8311gc. This DataNode system seems to be Bancyeng Corporation's self-developed striped tiger system. The system version should be between 73.01.552 and 73.05.201. This version of the system has a flaw: because the GCWu28 model fighter uses the operational framework of a small company like Strict City Company, Bancyeng's striped tiger system is extremely difficult to adapt. This problem was not resolved even in the latest 73.05.201 version, leading to Bancyeng Corporation only selling 17.3 million GCWu28 fighters, after which they developed the new GCWu29 fighter to salvage their reputation."
Fit was intimately familiar with this information.
These small star nations had the capability to produce their own fighters, but not enough to lower the price. Therefore, they usually adopted mature fighters from large corporations.
Bancyeng Corporation was also a super corporation with a market value exceeding dozens of quadrillions of Energy Credits, but it collapsed in subsequent fighter competition.
Don't underestimate the size of Human Civilization.
The companies genuinely capable of mass-producing fighters, starships, and ships, and trading them, were not many; count them all, and there were only about a hundred. DataNodes were actually even fewer, with only dozens of commercial suppliers.
These were still hardware-related items. Software competition in the past was definitely at a cutthroat level. There were only a few virus corporations, and now only three companies monopolize server systems across all Human Civilization.
Of these, 70% were Federation, 20% from star nations, and 10% from the Eternal Cycle Star Nation.
This isn't to say other server system companies didn't exist, but they were largely negligible. These server system companies basically all used closed systems.
The difficulty of a system was very simple: it needed to be compatible with various hardware, and also needed well-installed artificial intelligence. This required immense financial resources to cooperate with hardware companies and artificial intelligence companies.
The three major server system companies basically controlled the three largest forces in Human Civilization today.
DataNodes were actually no simpler than server systems.
This relationship was more akin to computers and phones in the Earth era, where DataNode difficulty lay in compatibility. The DataNode market was basically 100 times larger than the server market. A large market meant complexity.
Mechanics were, in fact, also virology experts. Virology included hacking techniques.
Although not strong enough to contend with a large corporation like Flaorse, hacking into a few small, outdated fighter systems was still possible.
Fit created a virus on the spot and launched it towards these fighters. These viruses successfully bypassed the fighters' firewalls, directly damaging the DataNode operations.
All fighters instantly froze.
...
Royal Sword.
"How…?"
"How could this be?!"
Inside his battlesuit, Shet could hardly believe that the 10,000 fighters he had dispatched were dealt with in such a short time.
If the opponent were a warship, it would be understandable. The server possessed absolute computational suppressive power over DataNodes; given a certain amount of time, it could invade a fighter's system. However, this still required time. And the opponent, from all appearances, was just a strange ship.
"What is more dangerous than I imagined? How many missiles have been produced?"
[14,821 missiles.]
"That's enough."
"The missiles only need to open a hole in the opponent's reflective layer. Server, target the missile explosion point, calculate the missile's detonation time. The laser weapons must breach that hole within 2 minutes after the missile explosion."
[Yes.]
Having issued the complete command, Shet waited.
Two hours later, the missiles were successfully launched. Each missile did not resemble a primitive missile; instead, it was disc-shaped, resembling a fighter jet, because the warship's launcher was shaped that way.
Fighters basically had no self-propulsion after launch and could be considered fired projectiles, so their shape wasn't important. Moreover, shaping them like this could also deceive the enemy into thinking they were all fighters.
The missiles launched. The speed of a fighter jet could usually reach 150,000 km/s, so they quickly approached the enemy ship.
...
Aboard the ship.
Fit saw the approaching missiles. The exterior of the missiles might deceive others, but as a Mechanic who understood machinery so intimately, he recognized at a glance that those were not fighters.
"Coming for my mirror?"
"Breaking a mirror is actually very easy, but for you, it should be quite difficult."
Fit released the ship's internal energy, and leveraging his own abilities, unleashed this energy to directly affect the incoming missiles.
"A Mechanic, truly the Lord of Machinery."
Those missiles exploded prematurely, none of them harming him in the slightest.
At this point, the distance between the two sides had shortened to 25 astronomical units. If the Royal Sword hadn't continuously changed direction, and Fit's ship required manual steering to change direction, the distance would actually have been even closer.
Fit, however, didn't bother with the Royal Sword fleet in front of him.
"That person is about to make a move, too. Within 50 astronomical units, if it doesn't make a move…"
He hadn't finished speaking.
A terrifying energy blast directly swept past his ship, flying towards the Royal Sword.
This energy carried a "fragrance." It was simply like a fragrant breeze passing through the universe.
Fit was stunned for 7 seconds before regaining his senses. He was extremely wary.
"Sound!"
"Sound transmitted through energy."
"This kind of sound has a specific frequency that can affect the human mind. But is it only the human mind?"
He looked forward.
That powerful energy struck the defensive shield of a warship ahead.
At 50 astronomical units, a warship's attack could easily hit the enemy; the only question was whether the attack was strong enough. Judging by the energy level of that blast, it was less than 300 mel.
This was the level of conventional warship weapons, not even main or secondary cannon class.
What could it do?
...
Royal Sword.
Shet watched the flash of light erupt across the energy shield of a distant warship.
"To unleash an attack like that, the enemy's energy must be failing. Prepare the counterattack. When the timing is right, bypass that ship and strike their rear base directly."
"I want to see what talent they have left once their base is incinerated."
Shet made his judgment. He believed it was just a conventional strike. Judging by the energy levels, the light from that beam dispersed rapidly.
However, the moment the light faded, the energy shield flared with blinding intensity before rapidly collapsing. That collapse triggered a terrifying release of power, shredding the warship's outer hull and leaving the entire vessel paralyzed.
Shet's body went rigid.
"What is that thing?"
He wasn't looking at the light that gutted the warship, but at the object positioned in front of the vessel behind it.
A halo, resembling a magic circle, enveloped the front of the warship. It wasn't filled with symbols, but with musical notes.
"Are you kidding me?"
"This is a world of technology, not a world of magic."
Seeing a massive magic circle in the middle of modern warfare felt unreal. Shet felt it, but Toma K felt it even more acutely. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Once the distance between the two fleets closed to 50 astronomical units, Chio's mecha transformed into a mage's robe. In her hand, she held a magic staff. She exited the warship, waving her staff in the void, harnessing the ship's internal energy to draw that massive circle.
"Are we still in this universe?"
"Did we pass through a wormhole into a parallel reality without knowing it?"
Fit was a Mechanic, but Chio was a Great Magister.
In Hyperdimensional Space, professions had no restrictions; even the weakest path could lead to the peak of the Divine. There were differences between a magician and a Great Magister. Magicians primarily cast spells, while Magisters had to be proficient in alchemy.
To put it simply: magic was the application of energy, while alchemy was the transformation of matter. Combined, a Magister could alter the properties of both, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Take that previous attack, for example. That energy was no longer simple; its photons had been transformed into artificial particles. If studied closely, one would find their speed was slightly slower than the speed of light.
The purpose of these particles was simple: to induce energy collapse. The laser beam was essentially collapsing as it moved; it would dissipate completely if it didn't hit its target within a certain range. That was the reason for the 50 astronomical unit limit.
"Server, continue the assault through the magic circle."
The circle's function was to transform energy, but it didn't actually need to be that large. The reason it was scaled to such an immense size, visible from 50 astronomical units away, was purely for show.
...
"That sultry witch!" Fit cursed under his breath.
Chio could strike from long range, while his Mechanic abilities were most effective in close-quarters combat. He had to get closer to the enemy.
"Energy is too low; I can't be as reckless as I was in Hyperdimensional Space. I'll have to approach slowly."
With one long-range and one close-range combatant—Fit defending and Chio attacking—they flipped the situation, posing a massive threat to the Royal Sword.
Shet found it incredibly difficult to manage.
"The missiles were detonated too early; that ship has more tricks up its sleeve. We can't launch a large-scale counterattack until that ship is destroyed. Deploy the black hole weapons. One clean strike for lasting peace."
Black hole weapons were an insurmountable force on a battlefield like this, unless the opponent could counter with gravitational forces. Since it was only one ship, Shet wasn't worried. These weapons were energy-intensive, which was why he hadn't used them immediately.
[Black hole weapon ready. Target locked. LAUNCH!]
Black hole weapons were created either by the collapse of massive energy or by harnessing gravity. The former used dozens of times more energy than the latter. The Star Nations here could no longer utilize the former technology.
But the latter had its own flaw: gravitational forces were hard to condense, meaning the enemy would detect the shift in gravitational waves.
Fit was extremely sensitive to this. He knew his own weaknesses. Sensing the gravity shift, he chose to maneuver around it.
"Damn it, the speed still isn't fast enough. But once I dodge, let's see how that witch blocks the enemy's fire!"
As expected, once Fit bypassed the threat, Shet ordered his fleet to launch a full-scale attack. The distance was so close now that their fire would be devastating. That conspicuous magic circle became the priority target.
Terrifying energy poured out, including main-cannon lasers exceeding 10,000 mel. The defensive shield of any ordinary warship would shatter after two or three hits; attacking was always easier than defending.
BANG!
The first strike pierced the magic circle, slamming into the warship's defensive shield. At that moment, Chio, standing in the void and moving at high velocity alongside the ship, took on a look of grim focus.
"This is the first time I've faced a war of such scale in reality."
"Although I've performed missions on star nation and Federation battlefields before, those theaters never required individual combat prowess."
"Hahaha…"
"Truly, I'm looking forward to it!"
"What level is my strength, exactly?"
"To what level can a human reach?"
Her Divine power was activated.
It was a terrifying force transmitted from a distant region, channeled across a wormhole. This power endowed her with unparalleled magic.
"Come!"
Chio saw no attacks ahead, but she knew the strikes had arrived. She raised her magic staff, silently chanting in the vacuum. Terrifying energy released from her body, converging to form an energy vortex.
...
Inside the warship.
Toma K felt a chill run down his spine.
"I have never heard of an individual being able to reach such a level."
He had been astonished more than once. However, each time, Chio's strength would refresh his understanding. Through his mecha, he could easily sense the terrifying energy Chio was now unleashing.
"1 million mel!"
"Perhaps 2 million mel!"
"Where is the conserved energy? How can such a tiny body contain such powerful energy?"
Perhaps he had been confined within this small star nation for too long. He no longer knew how far Federation technology had advanced. Such a terrifying technological gap. Could they truly achieve their goals?
No, that's not right. There was that person.
Toma K was lost in thought.
The terrifying energy converged by Chio formed an even larger magic circle, and not just one, but dozens, hundreds of them. They continuously overlapped, blocking the front of the warship. That energy arrived a moment later, striking the magic circles.
The attacks continuously penetrated the magic circles, but each penetration weakened them until they were neutralized. A single attack could only penetrate a dozen layers. But a ship's main cannon could penetrate over 30 layers.
Thousands of lasers could not completely penetrate these magic circles; it was simply the strongest defense in the world.
"One person is still too strained. When facing so many enemies, one can only passively defend."
"Warships! Full counterattack!"
Chio commanded all warships in the fleet to begin attacking. Fit had been blocking the front earlier, meaning not only could the enemy not attack, but they couldn't either. Now was the perfect opening.
In the instant Chio was distracted, a terrifying beam of light directly shattered 10 layers of magic circles. With extremely terrifying power, it pierced through numerous obstacles and hit the warship directly.
The warship shuddered, its speed slowing by about 1000 km/s.
"A warship's main cannon?"
"Even this level of defense can't block it?"
Chio's beautiful face showed a hint of disappointment. Reality was indeed reality; she couldn't truly unleash her full Divine power.
However, Divine power wasn't just one type of ability.
"The profound meaning of alchemy cannot be understood by ordinary people."
"Everything, turn into solid matter!"
As she spoke, all the energy that had pierced through the magic circles surprisingly transformed into meteors, colliding with the warship. The speed of these meteors became sluggish, dropping below 20,000 km/s.
Although each one contained enough energy to destroy a planet, at such a slow speed, the warship could easily dodge them.
"Am I dreaming?"
"I guess I can no longer distinguish between reality and dreams."
"Does this mean I need to go to sleep?"
"I am indeed a little sleepy."
Toma K refused to accept what he was seeing. He went straight back to his room and started snoring. He was certainly not unintelligent; he had simply received too much information, more than his mind could process in a short time.
...
Aboard the ship.
Fit felt a little disappointed.
"This person is also very strong; truly impressive."
"But unleashing Divine power in this situation... does she want a quick victory?"
"Mechanics don't need such violent methods."
"It seems those people aren't paying much attention. The current distance… Hehe!"
From his ship, countless tiny objects flew towards the Royal Sword. These small objects, nearly bird-shaped, moved incredibly fast, reaching sub-light speeds.
Fit named them Wailing Birds.
It wasn't that they wailed, but that anyone who saw these birds would utter a desperate wail. It was a mechanical tool containing extremely complex and precise structures. Its overall precision was max, and it had only one function: super-microscopic turbulence.
The Eternal Cycle Star Nation's super-microscopic technology was also introduced into Hyperdimensional Space, becoming a Divine ability.
As a Mechanic, he didn't easily acquire this. For Fit, this was simply a gift-like technology.
Mechanic was an ordinary profession; even upon becoming Divine, it wasn't particularly strong. Its Divine power was much weaker compared to other professions. Technology was the source of the Mechanic's power—not just a part, but the entirety of its strength.
"Wail!"