Rebirth of the Super Battleship-Chapter 41: The Battlefield Unveiled!
Xiao Yu could almost picture the furious and exasperated faces of those detestable aliens.
With gravitational lensing technology now in his grasp, Xiao Yu no longer feared their cloaking techniques. According to Xiao Yu’s technological projections, it would take hundreds of years of normal development to master the ability to shield against gravitational lensing. The aliens, however, were only ten years ahead of him in technology.
This meant that even if they attempted large-scale interference again and cloaked themselves once more, Xiao Yu would find them and resume his relentless harassment. Over a century of sustained harassment could very well drive them to extinction.
Xiao Yu felt an extraordinary sense of satisfaction.
After the hydrogen bomb detonated, there was a brief silence on the alien planet. Then, a barrage of powerful radar and laser beams swept indiscriminately through space.
But Xiao Yu had only launched one hydrogen bomb in the first strike, rendering their frantic responses utterly futile.
Xiao Yu kept his detection equipment running at maximum power while emitting no radiation of his own. Like a ghost in the night, he silently observed his increasingly frantic opponents, waiting for their demise.
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The alien planet’s omnidirectional defenses ceased after two days. A day later, Xiao Yu’s second batch of hydrogen bombs arrived.
The second batch, consisting of 20 hydrogen bombs, saw 15 detonate successfully while five were intercepted.
This time, their omnidirectional defenses lasted five days.
When their defenses finally ceased, Xiao Yu’s third batch of hydrogen bombs arrived.
Watching the enemy spin in circles under his tactics, Xiao Yu felt a deep sense of vindication.
He almost burst into laughter, imagining the bleak and chaotic scene on the alien planet. Perhaps their lives had been forced underground into radiation-proof bunkers, where they scurried like groundhogs, struggling to survive.
Xiao Yu estimated that if humanity were subjected to such an assault, billions of lives would have already been lost by now. Fields would lie fallow, water sources contaminated, plagues would run rampant, and societal collapse would render normal order unsustainable.
In other words, under such circumstances, humanity would be teetering on the brink of apocalypse.
Of course, the aliens might fare slightly better than humans, given that their technology was far more advanced than humanity’s at the time.
While observing the enemy, Xiao Yu focused intensely on developing new weapons. The current arsenal had its limitations. For instance, interstellar missiles had a maximum speed of only a few thousand kilometers per second. In the vastness of space, measured in millions of kilometers, they were simply too slow. Moreover, while interstellar missiles were powerful, they were susceptible to interception by laser cannons. Until materials resistant to laser cannon strikes were developed, these missiles remained impractical.
Laser weapons, on the other hand, had their own drawbacks: high energy consumption and limited range. However, their advantage was clear—at this stage, in the vacuum of space, laser weapons were nearly impossible to defend against.
The beams emitted by laser weapons were not conventional visible light but high-frequency invisible radiation, making them immune to reflection by mirrors. The only feasible defense was to block the beam with an object before it hit the ship’s hull. Such a defensive approach was impractical for Xiao Yu.
However, the enemy’s situation was different from Xiao Yu’s. As a single fleet, Xiao Yu couldn’t rely on laser cannons to annihilate an entire planet. Thus, the hope of eliminating the enemy still rested on hydrogen bombs.
Xiao Yu quietly continued his calculations—anticipating the enemy’s next moves and planning his responses.
“They must have realized that I’ve discovered a way to locate them. Their next step will likely be to find me at any cost and engage in a massive direct confrontation…” Xiao Yu speculated. “If it’s a direct confrontation, then the high-rate rapid-fire cannons can come into play. I’d better start preparing in advance!”
The three largest ships in Xiao Yu’s fleet—Solar, Voyager, and Tianyuan (T/N: previously Proxima)—not only served as the fleet’s core but also acted as weapons manufacturing plants and equipment repair facilities.
During this period, Xiao Yu’s equipment ran at full capacity. A continuous stream of military supplies was produced, loaded into the cannon chambers, and kept ready for immediate deployment.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu had produced thousands of reconnaissance satellites. These satellites were incredibly small and had extremely simple functions. Their small size made them easier to hide, and their simplicity stemmed from their singular purpose: reconnaissance. Xiao Yu didn’t expect these satellites to inflict damage on the enemy. Instead, during an interstellar war, they would act as his eyes, gathering vital intelligence on the battlefield.
Additionally, Xiao Yu developed a large number of small missiles made from highly stealthy materials. These missiles were only a fraction of the size and mass of interstellar missiles and were equipped with conventional high-explosive warheads. While less powerful than hydrogen bombs, they were far more concealed, agile, and cost-effective, allowing for mass production.
The intermittent nuclear strikes lasted for half a year, until finally, it seemed the alien planet had had enough. Pushed to their limit, they resorted to their ultimate strategy:
A large-scale, all-encompassing, no-blind-spot detection system. Under such scrutiny, Xiao Yu could no longer hide. So, he chose to reveal himself.
“So, they’ve decided on a direct confrontation… Bring it on! I’ve been waiting for this!” At that moment, Xiao Yu felt a rush of adrenaline.
Xiao Yu could already deduce the enemy’s previous strategy. Their plan had been to remain hidden, slowly wearing down Xiao Yu’s forces. Once his strength had dwindled to a certain point, they would engage in direct combat to secure an easy victory.
But the situation had completely reversed. Not only had they failed to locate Xiao Yu, but they had also been discovered, suffering through hundreds of nuclear strikes. Unable to endure the harassment any longer, they were forced into direct confrontation.
After all, if they didn’t fight now, they might lose the ability to fight Xiao Yu altogether.
Xiao Yu was certain that his harassment over the past six months had dealt them significant damage. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made such a desperate, all-in move.
Forcing the enemy into such a situation meant that Xiao Yu’s chances of winning this war had increased by at least 30%. Such was the advantage of operating from the shadows.
For the first time, Xiao Yu saw their interstellar fleet.
Most of Xiao Yu’s ships featured butterfly or circular designs, allowing for even distribution of force across the hull, reducing the risk of damage from high G-forces. However, the enemy’s ships were different.
Their ships followed a triangular structure and were smaller in length and volume compared to Xiao Yu’s vessels.
“Perhaps they use stronger materials and more robust structural designs,” Xiao Yu mused.
The smaller size likely provided greater maneuverability, but at the cost of reduced endurance and firepower. It was a trade-off with its own advantages. Xiao Yu wasn’t afraid of a direct confrontation in space.
The alien fleet comprised over 500 ships, including one flagship that was 50% larger than Xiao Yu’s County-Class ships and two others roughly the same size as Xiao Yu’s County-Class vessels. The remaining ships were all smaller than Xiao Yu’s Village-Class and Town-Class ships.
Xiao Yu stopped concealing his position. Leading the remaining 800 ships in his fleet, he activated their fusion engines, propelling them forward in a grand formation.
The two sides were separated by 30 million kilometers, closing in at a speed of 200 kilometers per second. In about 40 hours, they would meet head-on.
Twenty hours later, at a distance of 15 million kilometers, Xiao Yu deployed reconnaissance satellites, which discreetly hid in space.
Large-scale space warfare was unlike any terrestrial conflict. The battlefield spanned tens of thousands of kilometers in all directions and was three-dimensional. Under such circumstances, relying on individual ships for intelligence gathering was impractical. The reconnaissance satellites were essential for providing Xiao Yu with a comprehensive view of the battlefield, enabling better command and control.
This was the most rational strategy Xiao Yu had deduced after running tens of millions of simulations.
Thirty hours later, the two sides were 8 million kilometers apart. At this range, the Solar and Voyager began to decelerate, leading 100 escorting Village-Class and Town-Class ships to detach from the main fleet. The remaining ships clustered around the Tianyuan, charging menacingly toward the battlefield.
Xiao Yu wasn’t about to commit all his forces at once. When the battle commenced, these detached ships would serve as his rear guard.
Thirty-five hours in, the two fleets were 4 million kilometers apart. The first wave of engagement was imminent.
Xiao Yu launched a barrage of small missiles. These missiles, with their high speed and exceptional stealth, posed significant interception challenges. Additionally, using these missiles to deplete the enemy’s fuel reserves was a profitable tactic.
Forty hours in, the fleets were just 500,000 kilometers apart. Xiao Yu’s modified high-rate rapid-fire cannons roared to life. A torrent of bullets surged forward, covering the space ahead like a storm. These bullets, traveling at extremely high initial velocities, were compact and resembled the size of standard Earth bullets. As such, they were nearly impossible to intercept.
The destructive power of these bullets came from their immense kinetic energy. At this stage of interstellar warfare, they were among the most common and widely used weapons.
