Chapter 47: Flagship Destruction and Pandoras Box

Words : 1480 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

On the front lines of the battlefield, under the concentrated firepower advantage orchestrated by Xiao Yu, and amidst the relentless and costless barrage of ammunition, the alien flagship’s sturdy armor was finally breached. Xiao Yu could even see gas escaping through the ruptures along with some debris being swept out. The increased size and mass of the alien flagship translated into more powerful weaponry but also significantly reduced its maneuverability. This meant that escape was impossible—it could never outrun Xiao Yu’s fleet. The intense battle raged on. Out of the 150 ships assigned to entangle the alien fleet, fewer than 100 remained. Amid the roar of gunfire, the muzzle of the alien flagship’s energy cannon suddenly emitted a chaotic burst of blue sparks before dimming completely. “The energy weapon is down! Excellent!” Xiao Yu’s spirits lifted. With this major threat neutralized, the alien flagship was left with only conventional weaponry. “Fleet returning in two minutes!” Xiao Yu maintained razor-sharp focus, continuously calculating the alien fleet’s retreat speed while launching an all-out assault on the alien flagship. The once-formidable alien flagship was now in shambles. Its energy weapon was destroyed, its hull was torn in at least ten places, and gas was escaping from the breaches. At these points, intermittent blue sparks flickered—evidence of damaged internal circuits. “One minute remaining!” The countdown had begun. “Damn it, taste this hydrogen bomb! Let’s see if you still have effective interception capabilities now!” Xiao Yu grinned grimly as he commanded the remaining fleet to launch at least twenty interstellar missiles. Under normal circumstances, launching interstellar missiles in a stellar battlefield would be a futile endeavor. Their pitifully slow speeds made them easy targets for enemy laser weapons. However, this time was different. The alien flagship and its escort ships were virtually crippled, no longer capable of mounting a robust interception. Twenty spherical interstellar missiles roared toward the alien flagship. With the missile launch, several intense laser beams immediately fired in response. The engine of the lead missile exploded, sending the missile spiraling off into the void. The second missile was destroyed, then the third... Out of the twenty interstellar missiles, eighteen were intercepted within three seconds of flight. But the remaining two successfully penetrated the alien flagship. The moment the missiles were launched, Xiao Yu issued a new command. “All ships within a certain distance of the alien flagship, retreat at full speed!” In the vacuum of space, the destructive power of a hydrogen bomb was limited, but within a certain radius, it remained one of the most terrifying weapons. When the hydrogen bomb detonated, temperatures in the billions of degrees would vaporize all known materials, while its intense radiation would indiscriminately destroy sensitive components and circuits in nearby ships. The fleet’s incredible resistance to overloads became apparent as ships within the danger zone immediately accelerated to two kilometers per second and continued to gain speed, desperately fleeing the blast zone. The hydrogen bomb detonated. The interior of the alien flagship, filled with air and various materials, amplified the bomb’s devastating power. Xiao Yu witnessed a breathtaking sight. The colossal alien flagship, nearly 800 meters long, suddenly erupted with an intense flash of light from within. Its formidable armor, which had withstood countless attacks, was torn apart like fragile paper. Some fragments were hurled into space at high speeds, while others were completely vaporized. The two hydrogen bombs obliterated the alien flagship, leaving only a field of debris. Within close proximity, the hydrogen bomb reigned as the undisputed king of destruction. Even the sturdiest armor was as flimsy as tissue paper against its power. “It’s finally destroyed...” Xiao Yu let out a long sigh of relief and issued the next order. “Mission accomplished. Full retreat!” Xiao Yu could fully comprehend the importance of the alien flagship to their civilization. Firstly, the alien civilization’s interstellar warfare capabilities were extremely limited, disproportionate to the vast resources of an entire planet at their disposal. Among their limited stellar combat assets, the massive flagship, equipped with the sole energy cannon, was undoubtedly invaluable. With the loss of this flagship, the enemy’s interstellar fleet would see at least a 30% reduction in strength. Xiao Yu was ready to face their wrath. Following his retreat order, all remaining ships on the battlefield disengaged from the enemy and began their escape. Accelerating with tremendous force, Xiao Yu’s remaining fleet of over 300 ships fled at top speed, pursued relentlessly by the alien fleet. Gradually, The Tianyuan, heavily damaged during the flagship assault mission, began to lag behind the main group. The Tianyuan continued to resist, but its counterattacks grew weaker and weaker. Finally, its laser cannon flickered once but failed to emit a beam, and its high-speed machine gun turrets spun futilely, unable to fire a single round. The Tianyuan was indeed out of fuel and ammunition, but this was all part of Xiao Yu’s plan. Xiao Yu deliberately made The Tianyuan appear as an abandoned ship, stripped of power and weapons. According to his calculations, the enemy would eagerly seize such a gift. After all, in the previous two large-scale engagements, neither side had managed to capture even the smallest vessel from the other. The opportunity to fully analyze the technology of an enemy ship was too enticing to pass up. Xiao Yu had prepared a special “gift” aboard The Tianyuan. These gifts were housed within a Pandora’s Box, and the moment this box was opened, the devastation it would unleash would be relentless. Indeed, Xiao Yu had placed 80% of the Phantoms inside this box. He hadn’t forgotten their unique characteristic: they evolved by devouring the intelligence of sentient beings. When faced with intelligent life, they would become uncontrollably frenzied. Over the millennia spent in the Solar System, Xiao Yu had tested and proven this hypothesis countless times. Xiao Yu calculated that there was a 99% chance the enemy would transport The Tianyuan to their surface base for disassembly. There, they would likely find the conspicuous, seemingly intricate, and harmless-looking box. Attempts to scan its internal structure would be thwarted by its high-radiation-resistant material, prompting the enemy to open it. Xiao Yu estimated a 90% likelihood they would do so. The moment the box was opened, even by a millimeter, the invisible, intangible Phantoms, existing in the form of radiation, would surge out. Xiao Yu calculated an 80% probability they would begin consuming the intelligence—perhaps even the souls—of their hosts. And, under the atmospheric conditions of a planet, the aliens would likely have no means to effectively combat the Phantoms. By the time they analyzed the Phantoms and devised countermeasures, Xiao Yu estimated they would have suffered devastating losses. It would be a slaughter of unprecedented proportions. Based on comprehensive analysis, Xiao Yu estimated a 60% chance of success for this plan. If it succeeded, everything would fall into place—he would gain access to the enemy’s technology and resources and have the means to rebuild a vast interstellar fleet. If it failed, given the current technological and material limitations, Xiao Yu would have no chance of countering the enemy. In that case, he would lead his remaining ships in a desperate retreat. If he were lucky, by the time he reached another star system, he might still have three or four Village-Class ships left to start anew. These Phantoms represented Xiao Yu’s final hope. He had to deploy them at the most opportune moment, not waste them as a last resort. As he fled at breakneck speed, Xiao Yu saw The Tianyuan, now adrift and powerless, surrounded by dozens of enemy ships, including a County-Class vessel. The aliens first conducted a series of probing attacks. When The Tianyuan showed no response, they launched a satellite, which entered the ship’s interior. Still, The Tianyuan remained inert. Encouraged by the satellite’s feedback, a small alien ship approached and docked with The Tianyuan. After three hours of thorough investigation, the enemy finally determined that the ship posed no threat. Several smaller ships then worked together to tow it away. Watching The Tianyuan disappear from his view, Xiao Yu sighed and turned his focus back to his escape. The chase through space lasted two days, covering tens of millions of kilometers. Only then did the enemy abandon their pursuit and begin their return, granting Xiao Yu a rare moment of respite. “The losses are truly devastating,” Xiao Yu muttered. “Only The Solar remains of the County-Class ships, and there are fewer than 300 Village-Class and Town-Class ships left.” “Now, we wait,” Xiao Yu thought quietly. “I have no way of obtaining real-time intelligence on the Phantoms. All I can do is wait.” “One month. In one month, my fate will be decided.” “Though the future is uncertain, I believe that in the end, the victor will undoubtedly be me.”

Chapter 47: Flagship Destruction and Pandoras Box

Comments (0)