MTLNOVEL Chapter 188: Battlefield of Thunder and Smoke
The superluminal fighter carrying Ores flew across the Star Sea, with red contrails trailing long behind its wings in the dark space.
Flipping the fuselage, the fighter entered the distant Star Sea Fleet, flying through the wide gaps at the tips of the battleships, continuing to accelerate. Compared to the endless black deck beside it, this fighter traversing the starship's abdomen seemed pitifully small.
However, it's this tiny fighter that bears the hope of trillions of people from the Federation. If time weren't so pressing at this moment, no one would allow Ores to rush to the target location on a fighter.
Hours later, the fighter caught up with the main force of the Sixth Fleet and entered its largest Titan Flagship.
The jet streams slowly weakened, and then the fighter adhered to the ground's fixed frame. The cockpit opened, and Ores and a few accompanying maids disembarked under the escort of an elite squad of officers.
"Welcome, Lady Ores." The Sixth Fleet's General and a group of officers came to greet her, then led the way ahead, heading together with Ores to the flagship's core command zone.
"Currently, the 'Throne' system framework has been fully constructed. The related personnel are also conducting further tuning and preparations. If Miss Ores is worried, she can visit the Throne Hall for an inspection."
"Thank you." Although she had great trust that the Sixth Fleet wouldn't encounter any issues, considering the significance of this mission, Ores still sent two of her maids to inspect and stand by in the Throne Hall.
Afterward, Ores met with the commanders and staff officers of the Sixth Fleet in the staff hall. They exchanged brief updates on the current situation.
"Currently, we are very close to the Western Star Region's fleet and could enter combat status at any time within the next 3-5 days."
"If we only consider fleet power and strength, we surpass them by far, but we're worried about the presence of Songstress Blanchi." No matter what, Blanchi, capable of raising the Solar Crowns, is a massive variable.
"We'll rely on Miss Ores afterward."
"I understand." She nodded slightly, listened to the report for a while, and then returned to her quarters on the massive warship.
After bathing, Ores leaned against the bedhead. Originally, it was time to rest, but given the current situation, she couldn't fall asleep.
Anxiety, tension, unease, even a trace of fear, these were her true emotions within.
Ores had a clear understanding of her own strength. Though gradually approaching the Full Moon Level during the Moon Phase, there was still a long way to go to reach the Sun Songstress. She also didn't understand how Blanchi could advance so swiftly; this was unprecedented in history.
Initiating the Throne system forcibly in this state was practically a life-and-death gamble. Yet, with the arrow already on the bowstring, there's no turning back. If she fled now, her career as a Songstress would be effectively over, and her family and others would also face terrifying repercussions.
She could only pray that the war wouldn't escalate to a fight to the death, hoping Blanchi's previous success was merely luck and that she wouldn't raise the Solar Crowns a second time.
Tossing and turning for a long time, Ores finally fell into an exhausted sleep.
In the dark Star Sea, the fleet concealed its fluctuations and signals, advancing slowly like a giant whale beneath the deep sea. Outside the fleet, numerous reconnaissance fighters spread across various locations in the Anlin Star Domain, continuously probing for the main force direction of the opposing fleet.
In this state, every minute was a torment for both commanders, as no one knew when the battle might suddenly erupt.
Anlin Star Domain time, at 4:27 AM on May 3rd, a stealth fighter crossed the asteroid belt, observing a large number of warships from the Western Fleet at close range. It was soon discovered and subjected to concentrated fire from the fleet, destroyed in seconds, but by then, the location of the Western Fleet's main forces had already been exposed.
"All ships, turn around, level 4 power propulsion, begin entering combat status." Orders continued to be relayed down from the Titan Flagship. The entire fleet then began to 'come alive', turning directions, accelerating, and progressively adjusting formation arrangements.
As the main force, the 'Copper Mountain Dragon' class battleships and other cruisers and destroyers were arranged in a 1-3-10 ratio, that is, one battleship, three cruisers, and ten destroyers formed a small combat unit. These units were then interlocked to form a large-scale battle formation.
In each combat unit, the battleships served as the main firepower output, breaking through the opponent's main force and key targets. Cruisers mainly provided auxiliary roles, forming force fields to deflect enemy ion streams and also creating one-way protective barriers to shield against enemy firepower. As for destroyers, they primarily dealt with those fast, small fighters and close-range breakout mechas, sometimes releasing special magic power fluctuations to disguise themselves as major targets, deceiving the opponent's radar and AI, securing opportunities for the main battleships in chaotic battles.
In the silent Star Sea, the Sixth Fleet gradually revealed its form and continued advancing. As the distance closed, a brilliant beam of light pierced through the Star River, illuminating the darkness ahead.
With the advantage of intelligence, the Sixth Fleet seized the initiative, setting up the formation in advance. Running at full power, the dazzling ion streams continuously burst forth, spanning hundreds of thousands of miles to strike the distant enemy forces, instantly vaporizing the vanguard warships of the Western Fleet.