Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 566

Chapter 564, Fleet Decisive Battle

Battle. Aboard the War Ark ‘Alfonzo II’, the Sages’ meeting was hastily concluded.

There was no need to continue.

The core purpose of their meeting had been to gather information and attempt to determine the location of the Alliance’s main fleet.

But now, that was no longer necessary.

The Alliance’s main fleet had already appeared before them and launched a powerful attack.

The screens surrounding the Sages’ large conference hall lit up, streaming in observation signals from outside the starship. Some of these signals were processed images, while others were pure data streams.

On conventional human ships, these data streams would require specialized technical experts to access, process, and translate the information before being reported to the captain or commander.

But aboard the Mechanicus’ fleet, this was unnecessary.

The Sages were both commanders and highly skilled technicians.

With information fed into their core processors, they could quickly comprehend what was happening.

They had been ambushed by the Alliance’s main fleet. Of the eight massive warships mentioned in the intelligence, seven were present. Only the Wing, severely damaged by the previous Fury attack, was absent.

However, the Wing’s absence was replaced by a Ghost Shark battle barge, the flagship of the Blood Shark Chapter, specialized in rapid strikes.

Overall combat effectiveness had undoubtedly increased.

Regardless, the Ark Fleet’s strength far surpassed that of the Alliance.

This filled the seven mechanical sages aboard Alfonzo II with a wave of disbelief.

“How dare they?”

This was not just a thought in their minds; one sage even exclaimed. No

matter how they thought about it, they couldn’t understand it.

An ambush?

It was indeed an ambush. After entering the Bovan system, they contacted the local planets. Bovan hadn’t sided with the Alliance yet, and they claimed to have observed no trace of the Alliance fleet.

Now it seemed that this might have been a deception, or perhaps the Alliance had somehow concealed their whereabouts, preventing Bovan from observing their movements in space.

The latter is more likely, as the Ark Fleet hadn’t detected any trace of the Alliance before the fleet proactively appeared and took action, so naturally, they couldn’t hold the people of Bovan accountable.

Of course, this wasn’t important anymore.

The Alliance had already appeared, and investigating the cause wasn’t the immediate concern.

Ambushes naturally offer advantages to the attacking side ,

but in interstellar naval warfare, the advantages they offer are very limited. This

wasn’t a precise ambush at a jump point, where void shields and firepower systems would need to be restarted. While ships wouldn’t fully activate their void shields during normal navigation, safe navigation standards dictated that these defensive systems remain at a minimum level.

Upon being attacked, they could immediately increase their power and enter combat mode.

The same applies to firepower systems.

Once the Alliance ships opened fire, the Mechanicus fleet could simultaneously use their fire control systems to lock onto the Alliance ships and swiftly return fire.

The Alliance’s ambush only gave them a preliminary advantage.

It certainly worked. Initially, the Mechanicus fleet took a volley of fire with its shields at low level. Then, with its shields fully activated, it took another volley before launching a counterattack.

Overall, however, the damage was minimal.

The Alliance’s ability to launch an attack without being detected by the Ark Mechanicus fleet was quite extreme. Even the most sophisticated stealth tactics couldn’t be detected until they were within striking distance of the Ark fleet.

The initial engagement was quite far away.

The greater the distance, the lower the accuracy of various weapons. Besides missiles, the power of macrocannons and lances also diminished.

As a result, the threat posed by the Alliance’s initial two rounds of fire was relatively limited.

The Ark fleet suffered some damage, but it was primarily concentrated on a few smaller ships.

Their destruction had little impact on the overall fleet’s strength.

When the Ark fleet launched its counterattack, the Alliance naturally suffered damage as well, with some smaller ships destroyed.

Overall, the Ark fleet undoubtedly suffered more.

But it was entirely within acceptable limits.

Next, both sides deployed their forces for direct engagement.

By this stage, the Alliance’s advantage gained through the ambush had been fully realized, and the two sides were finally faced with a test of fleet strength.

In this area, the Alliance fleet would have no advantage.

So, why would the Alliance fleet initiate this battle?

They had assumed the Alliance, so well hidden, was engaged in some profound conspiracy, and the sages had held numerous meetings to discuss it.

And so, this was it?

Had Gu Hang lost his mind?

Alfonzo’s sages simply couldn’t fathom this.

“It’s not a bad thing. At least we now know exactly where the Alliance’s main fleet is, right?”

“They’re right before us.”

“Destroy them! Victory to Alfonzo!”

From that moment on, a naval battle, arguably the largest in the entire Proud Claw Segmental System in centuries, erupted.

The two sides engaged a total of twenty-two battlecruisers and above! Combined, that might have been worth over a trillion tax coins.

The outcome of this battle will directly determine the trajectory of the entire southern front.

In an instant, the fleets of both sides engaged in a decisive fleet engagement, frantically bombarding each other.

The dazzling flashes of countless light spears, macrocannons, and missiles enveloped a vast expanse of airspace.

Across the starry sky, flames and explosions intertwined to form a spectacular warscape. The macrocannons and light spears of the Alfonzo fleet bombarded the Alliance ships, each strike trembling the very air as if ripping the very void apart. Although the Alliance fleet fought back vigorously, they were clearly outmatched in firepower. Their ships’ shields gradually weakened under the relentless assault, and some had already begun to crack.

The sages of the Alfonzo fleet exchanged battlefield information via the internal communications network.

“We have the firepower advantage, continue the suppression!” A sage’s voice echoed across the network, his words instantly echoed by the others.

In this contest of power, the Alfonzo Fleet was determined to decisively crush the enemy with a single blow.

The Iron Will, a Serpent-class battlecruiser of the Ark Fleet, was at the forefront of the battle.

Its main guns were like a deadly scythe, reaping the lives of enemy ships time and time again. Its captain, a Bishop of the Overmind, atop the ship’s bridge, practically fused with the ship’s command structure, was comprehending the battlefield situation through countless messages transmitted directly into his mind. Simultaneously, countless messages were also transmitted from his mind, and with the assistance of numerous Servo-Skulls and Engine Prophets, these messages were transformed into action commands activating the ship’s various functional units.

The overall strength of the Alliance Fleet still needed to be affirmed. Eight massive ships were a force to be reckoned with.

However, in the current head-on confrontation, the Ark Fleet, with its overwhelming firepower advantage, still quickly suppressed its opponent.

Especially the Emperor-class battleship and the War Arks, two massive platforms of interstellar firepower, one more powerful than three.

Under their protection, the Iron Will thrived on the battlefield, having already destroyed several Alliance vessels. And now, it had set its sights on an Alliance Lunar-class cruiser.

Its shields were already bleeding, and it was battered by the barrage from all sides. It was maneuvering within the Alliance fleet’s formation, trying to hide behind and buy time to regenerate its void shields.

However, the Iron Will had no intention of giving it that opportunity.

The Lunar-class hadn’t noticed it was being targeted, and a single shot from the X-class main gun, Destruction Judgment, would have been enough for the Iron Will to destroy it. While

a Lunar-class wasn’t one of the eight massive Alliance ships, it was certainly no less important.

Destroying one would significantly reduce the Alliance fleet’s firepower.

Victory was accumulated bit by bit.

However, at this moment,

the Iron Will’s void shield suddenly began to malfunction, its surface undulating as if torn by some unknown force.

Alarms blared from the bridge, and the captain immediately issued orders: “Stabilize the void shields with all your strength! Adjust course to avoid the concentrated fire area!”

But it was too late.

In the next instant, the Iron Will’s void shields collapsed completely.

Then, as if with premeditation, the Alliance fleet unleashed a barrage of missiles and lances upon the shieldless hull.

A battlecruiser’s armor was not its forte. Without its void shield, its speed advantage was of little use in this decisive battle. Under concentrated fire, the battlecruiser’s survivability was no better than that of the Moon-class vessel they had just targeted.

Amidst the fierce barrage, massive explosions ripped the once-mighty battlecruiser to shreds, sending debris and flames drifting through space.

This scene, captured by the other Alfonzo ships, immediately caused a commotion.

The loss of the Iron Will was a devastating blow to the Alfonzo fleet, not only in terms of strength but also in morale.

The sages quickly adjusted their tactics, attempting to compensate for this sudden loss.

“Investigate the cause immediately! We cannot let this happen again!” The sages’ voices echoed nervously and rapidly across the communication network.

The situation on the battlefield shifted in an instant. The Alfonzo fleet’s offensive was slightly disrupted by this sudden incident, and the balance of power seemed to begin to swing.

But they still possessed formidable firepower and unbreakable will.

The sages of the Alfonzo fleet knew that victory in this battle still lay in their hands.

However, the loss of a battlecruiser was still painful.

While the Alfonzo was impressive, their fleet only had nine such massive ships.

Moreover, the Iron Will’s demise was rather bizarre.

They had to find the cause, and more importantly, a solution, or else the trouble would be immense.

The cause was quickly identified: psionic energy.

It was the power of psionic energy that ripped through the Iron Will’s void shields.

“Gu Hang… and the Alliance’s Storm Mage Corps… the psionic powers they wield are even more powerful than the intelligence reports suggest,”

Dubo concluded.

Paulson spoke, “Sage Dubo, we can’t allow Gu Hang to continue this course. Even if we achieve ultimate victory, the losses will be unacceptable. Now, only you have the power to counter his psionic energy.”

“You don’t have to tell me,”

Sage Dubo said, leaving the bridge.

His body, aided by mechanical structures, floated at breakneck speed through the ship’s interior corridors, arriving at a hidden compartment.

There, a massive machine, its surface covered in intricate patterns and symbols, emitting a faint blue glow that whispered the universe’s most ancient secrets. At its center, a sphere of energy held a vast and bizarre creature imprisoned within.

Its appearance was terrifying, resembling a long, worm-like being. Its body was a deep purple, covered in writhing veins and tendons, giving it a twisted and disgusting appearance. Its head was unusually large, encased in a chitinous shell. The crevices of this shell were densely packed with eyes, each emitting a faint green glow, revealing its psychic power. Its tentacles constantly rubbed within the energy field, emitting an unsettling hum.

Those with a deep understanding of the Void Zerg could quickly identify this as a highly rare species among them: a Neurozoan, or perhaps a Cerebrate Tyrant.

Cerebrates are likely the most recently evolved form of Void Zerg. The few historical records of Void Zerg dating back a millennium do not reveal this creature.

The earliest reports date back a millennium. Their presence has become increasingly prevalent in the last few hundred years.

Some reports suggest that this is a new war machine, developed after the Void Zerg successfully deciphered and transformed the genetics of certain psykers, even those of a powerful psyker race.

These powerful psykers can harness the psychic energy concentrated within the hive mind.

These creatures have evolved to the extreme, their shrunken bodies and bloated heads powered entirely by psychic energy. They rely solely on psychic energy to levitate, hovering above the battlefield, launching psychic attacks on enemies below or relaying commands from the Hive Mastermind to smaller Tyranids.

“Tyrant” is the name given to powerful individuals within the Void Zerg.

Combined, the neurozoan known as the Cerebrate Tyrant possesses immense power.

This particular one, even among the Cerebrate Tyrants recorded in the Imperium, is exceptionally large.

Sage Dubo extended his hands, and countless neural cords emerged from his arms and back, connecting to the device before him.

As he manipulated it, the Cerebrate’s eyes began to flicker more frequently, and its tentacles accelerated their stroking rhythm.

Suddenly, a powerful wave of psychic energy emanated from the Cerebrate’s body, piercing the energy field and spreading out into space. Like a vast net, it captured the psychic forces roaming through space.

These forces, previously controlled by Gu Hang and operating with impunity, now faced an unprecedented adversary.

In the void of space, two psychic forces engaged in a fierce clash.

Psionic energy is inherently intangible, but the moment they collided, they emitted tangible waves of light.

The psychic storms collided, unleashing a deafening roar—a sound not transmitted through vibrating sound waves, but resonating directly within the minds of every living being.

Visible light waves intertwined with the storms, sometimes the brainworm’s psychic waves prevailed, suppressing the storms; sometimes the storms counterattacked, ripping the light waves apart.

This silent battle unfolded across the starry sky, like two invisible beasts battling each other. Each collision distorted the surrounding space, directly impacting every starship present.

Communication between and even within starships was severely disrupted. Even with the highest level of anti-interference equipment, it was unable to completely block it.

The decisive battle between the two ships became chaotic and unrestrained.

Gu Hang, on his own bridge, the azure light in his eyes shone with unparalleled brilliance.

Countless Storm Mage Corps psykers were connected to him, their powers linked. However, in the previous confrontation, several Storm Mage had collapsed. Those who were

in good condition were only bleeding from their mouths and noses, and their expressions were languid. They were still able to sever the psionic connection and crawl aside to rest.

Those in poor condition had their brains explode into a bloody mist.

Gu Hang’s brow furrowed.

The psychic power that suddenly appeared on the battlefield was of a strength he had not anticipated.

Gu Hang was certainly not naive enough to believe that Alfonzo’s Ark Fleet, with its sheer size, would be without means to counter psychic energy.

But generally speaking, the Mechanicus was not a force adept at utilizing psychic energy. They might possess some unique technology that could provide protection, but actively using psychic energy to do something was uncommon.

However, the current situation exceeded his expectations.

It was not impossible that Alfonzo also had powerful psychics.

However, the scale of the psychic power that appeared on the battlefield was a bit excessive.

It was definitely at the level of an Alpha-class psychic.

This meant that this power was definitely not something that a mortal could master.

Where would Alfonzo find a stable supply of Alpha-class psychics for them to use?

Even stranger, Gu Hang could sense that the psychic energy opposing him had a very strange… smell.

That doesn’t look like a human psychic, nor does it look like the psychic power used by the abyssal demons that Gu Hang has dealt with many times.

What the hell is this?

————

5k

still owed 115

(End of this chapter)