The four primary monsters, E01 through E04, activated almost simultaneously.
Two of the colossal beasts leapt from the depths of the starfield, generating massive gravitational and energy distortions, like a tsunami detonating through space itself. They roared silently, fracturing the void like shattered mirrors; every movement sent ripples of collapse across the star system. Their massive claws swept through fleets, tearing ships apart like paper, scattering burning metal fragments that blossomed quietly as deadly flowers in the darkness.
The remaining two released high-frequency psychic shockwaves, sharp as blades, instantly piercing mental defenses. Scores of soldiers whose psionic control was unstable collapsed, blood streaming from their orifices. Bridge instruments malfunctioned; control systems temporarily went haywire. The Allied psychic network flickered violently as if electrocuted, issuing intense disruption alarms.
“Medical ships, activate frontline protection modules immediately! All psionic-compatible personnel, assume high-defense positions!”
Milton’s voice rumbled like cold thunder, cutting sharply through the chaos.
Holographic star maps expanded before him, data streams flowing like inverted galaxies, fleet positions recalculated. Unstable sequences were forcibly interrupted. Starships reformed their formations, advancing in precise “stellar coordinates” as Milton dictated.
Silver-white and dark-blue fleets intertwined, forming colossal geometric formations. The pattern slowly unfolded in the vacuum, as if the universe itself obeyed a newly drawn rhythm.
“Matrix protocol activated—Code One: Demon Suppression Tian Gang!”
Over a dozen core ships responded simultaneously. Ancient sigils lit across their hulls, pale cyan chains of light materializing in space. The runes pulsed like a heartbeat, weaving a network of psionics and technology.
Hundreds of warriors poured their mental energy into the crystal cores.
Boom—!
The spirit array descended from the starsea like a heavenly canopy, shielding the fleets from corruption and cutting off malignant energy. The two psychic-focused monsters shuddered and retreated, their enormous bodies losing coordination.
“Code Two: Windwheel Rift, engage!”
A dozen auxiliary arrays spun rapidly around the main formation, twisting space itself. Psychic waves were reversed and rebounded; E03 took damage, its malignant energy fission cores crushed under counter-pressure, each bursting like floating sacs, releasing twisted high-frequency energy streams.
“Main attack ships, adjust trajectory! Suppress G2 through G9! Objective: not annihilation, but retreat and control!”
“—Acknowledged!”
Hundreds of energy projectiles erupted from the ships, crisscrossing like silver rain. Psionic cannons and high-energy cutting beams traced long arcs across the void, carving hundreds of intersecting barriers through the starfield. E02’s left wing was sliced horizontally; black miasma sprayed out but was purified into pure light particles by the array.
Then, the battlefield boundary shuddered violently.
The monster swarm surged from the interstellar rift like a black tide, far exceeding expected numbers. Originally charging directly at Tumorafi Star, they suddenly turned after sensing the core entities—
They had noticed a change.
E01 through E04 no longer attacked independently but concentrated their energy in unison. They sensed a truly lethal threat within the Allied forces.
For the first time, they felt pressure.
Soldiers froze in shock, then erupted into cries of excitement:
“They’re retreating… the main monsters are reacting!”
“This is Admiral Milton’s command!”
“We held them!”
“They aren’t invincible!”
For the first time since the formation of the Star Alliance, defense shifted into counterattack.
But there was no time to celebrate; the data center issued a new alarm.
“Enemy psychic waves reorganizing… Core-level monsters may be evolving simultaneously.”
Before the words fell, E01 through E04 emitted low-frequency psychic resonance. Malignant energy wove and overlapped, forming a new strategic network.
E01’s spikes became blazing veins, its slime lashing like molten streams;
E02 spread wings, tearing space as it summoned countless flying beasts;
E03’s fission cores evolved, beginning to mimic Allied tactics;
E04 stood silently, its surrounding space shattering like glass, dragging even an entire cruiser into a dimensional rift.
“Sentient intelligence detected—they can reorganize tactics and command… They’ve learned.”
“This is no longer four individual attacks—they’re executing coordinated strategy!” an intelligence officer shouted in shock.
The Heavenly Dao spirit squealed: “This upgrade is cheating! They’re synchronizing ultimate abilities at the same time?! This script is broken!!”
The four monsters launched their first coordinated assault, their malignant energies intersecting to form a twisted, overlapping vortex.
—Boom!!!
The vortex collapsed, the Allied fleet at its center instantly scattered. Dozens of sigil-equipped ships vanished, psychic networks faltered, and large numbers of soldiers collapsed on the spot.
“C-can’t hold… ahhhh!!”
The spirit orb rolled frantically in Gu Qing’s mind: “Mimi, hurry! If we don’t unleash the ultimate, we’ll be reduced to psychic dust!!”
—Primary frequency signal activated.
“Data calculations complete. Deploy critical tactical module.”
Milton’s voice cut like iron: “All mech units, High-Dimensional Sword Formation, engage.”
Hundreds of silver-white mechs deployed from motherships, wings of light unfurling, moving into preassigned coordinates. Instantly, sixty-four sword silhouettes appeared above the starsea, forming a three-dimensional formation like constellations.
Gu Qing’s eyes narrowed: “This… I learned from my memories.”
“Formation—Break the Boundary!”
The sixty-four sword beams merged into one. Tens of thousands of blades converged at the formation’s heart, a silver-white great sword slashing through the starfield!
—Whoosh!!!
The sword’s light pierced time and space, striking E03 directly. Its malignant core was shredded and exploded into particles, scattering across space.
“Kill confirmed! E03 core destroyed!”
The battlefield erupted in cheer!
The spirit orb rolled frantically: “Waaaahhh—this is our Mimi!! One sword through the core! So cool! I’ll worship him forever!!”
All Allied flagship command bridges were stunned.
“That… that was E03? Killed… in one strike?”
“Is this bugfolk tech? What hidden trump card did they have…”
“We couldn’t even force the core monsters before… and now one is destroyed?”
“Have we… really succeeded in counterattack?”
For the first time, everyone witnessed damage inflicted on an E-level monster, striking the source of disaster.
And this strike came from Milton’s elite bugfolk forces.
At that moment, they lit the dawn of counterattack.
Morale spread across the Allied lines like a chain reaction in the starfield.
Meanwhile, Ais Mel piloted his light mech through the monster horde, striking bravely. He wielded his psionic energy as sharp light blades, cutting down enemies with every swing. Each strike glimmered, severing malignant energy, eliciting anguished cries from several monsters. His psychic energy also formed an invisible shield, repelling psychic waves from all directions.
Surrounded and encircled by dense enemy forces, Ais did not retreat. One swing of his blade pierced a spiked bone-shielded monster; mech shoulder armor splashed with dark blood. Calmly, he shouted: “Three o’clock right! Enemy!” The mech pivoted; light blades swept like meteors, carving a path for trapped teammates. A heavy mech followed, firing a dazzling energy column from its shoulder cannon, obliterating several monsters.
The comm channels erupted:
“Did you see that?! The Commander personally killed an E03, one strike through the core! Even capital ships dare not confront that monster directly!”
“Bugfolk secret weapon?! That firepower is insane!”
“Previously, the big monsters hadn’t even fully acted before we collapsed… and now a counterkill?”
“How advanced is bugfolk tech? They’ve been hiding this all along…”
Ais listened to the stunned and excited chatter, his chest swelling with fervor.
At the core, the silent, cold commander stood within the flagship, eyes sharp as cold stars, issuing precise commands, steadily driving the battle toward victory.
Ais struck down another leaping monster, a faint smile crossing his lips, whispering:
“Admiral Milton… truly the strongest war commander.”