Chapter 17: White Terror, Section 7

How fast can a fully operational fleet really go? Many military strategists have studied this question. Yet strangely, despite being mechanically constructed warships, it’s impossible to determine an exact threshold. Although their energy cores determine everything, in most cases, control lies in the hands of the commanders.

By sacrificing protection, firepower, and even the energy output of their internal maintenance systems, the Blood Wolf Fleet’s speed surpassed everyone’s imagination. Just like China’s most famous forced marches during Earth’s era, they reached the 28th Star Region in just one day.

Of course, such speed comes at a cost. Aside from Li Feng, whose condition was slightly better, all the Sardine-class warships ran out of energy almost immediately upon exiting warp drive. Without supplies, it would take at least a week to restore them to full strength, and the remaining energy was only enough for a skirmish that wouldn’t even qualify as a proper battle.

But that was enough. From the start, Hei Fa had no intention of returning unscathed. Now, the shadows of those two droplet-shaped warships filled his vision.

Who was inside those two warships? Why were their insignias the Viper Fang? Could they be his former subordinates? Did the Moors have anything to do with them?

One question after another plagued Hei Fa’s mind, deepening the intensity in his gaze. On the surface, he seemed calm as ever, but inwardly, he was burning with anxiety.

“Boom!!” A burst of white light erupted in front of the vision crystal. When the view cleared again, it was a vast starry expanse. Chaotic footsteps echoed across all the warships as figures leaped out of their life support systems and rushed to their posts.

The fleet had exited hyperspace…

“Captain!!” Xue Tong and Baroka rushed to stand behind Hei Fa, both out of breath.

There was no way around it—since life support systems drastically slowed human metabolism, crew members who emerged from hyperspace would inevitably feel weak. Even the extremely strong Baroka and Xue Tong were no exception. But Hei Fa was different. This fact made many people envious.

“Confirm the coordinates. We must head to Rainbow Star immediately,” Hei Fa said calmly, waving his hand to urge them to act quickly.

The control consoles surrounding them were already filled with crew members, the sound of keystrokes filling the air. Soon, the information Black Hair wanted arrived.
“Captain, our coordinates are 78954, 44845, 24793, 147785. We’re only six hundred thousand kilometers away from Rainbow Star.”
“Full speed ahead.”
“Understood. Full speed ahead!” the crew members replied promptly.
The engines of the thirteen warships roared, turning them into a narrow streak in the starry sky as they rushed toward Rainbow Star at lightning speed.
Yet even at such speed, they still couldn’t change Rainbow Star’s fate. When they arrived, all they saw was a planet completely reduced to ruins. Its surface no longer held its once colorful, dreamlike glow but was covered in endless blackened debris.
Under the power of the Death Light, no matter what substance it was, it couldn’t escape being burned to ashes. Even Rainbow Star, once teeming with water elements, was no exception. Its oceans had evaporated, its land was scorched, and even the clouds in the sky had turned into acidic substances full of impurities. Where was any trace of beauty left on Rainbow Star before them?
“We’re still too late…” Blood-Eyed murmured, staring at the devastated planet, before slumping weakly in his chair. Around him, all the pirates were equally devastated, their eyes vacant.
Though they didn’t know why Black Hair was in such a hurry, they were aware of the concert planned on Rainbow Star. Seeing it reduced to ruins now, even a fool could understand just how serious things were. Moreover, many of them were fervent fans of that star.
Only Black Hair remained indifferent, though a cold glint flashed briefly in his eyes. He waved his hand.
“Next.”
Hearing this, everyone became excited again.
They knew Rainbow Star consisted of three planets. Although the first one had been completely destroyed, it didn’t mean the others would suffer the same fate. Even if the enemies really wanted to destroy all the planets, it would still take time.
At this thought, everyone let out an excited cry. The fleet made a sharp turn in the starry sky and headed in another direction.
It had to be said they were truly lucky. After passing another ruined planet and reaching the last one, they finally saw their target—the two strange, terrifying droplet-shaped warships.

It was still impossible to tell from the vision crystals; it was only now, through direct observation, that they realized those two warships were actually far larger than they had imagined. Their massive hulls were extremely smooth, yet they gave off a sense of immense thickness, as if indestructible armor plates lay hidden beneath their smooth surfaces. Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the Blood Wolf Fleet, those two warships not only showed no sign of retreating but instead raised their bows and charged straight at them.

“Captain, there’s an energy reaction at the enemy’s bow!” one pirate suddenly exclaimed.

“What!?” Blackhair’s pupils constricted sharply as he immediately went into battle mode. “Disperse the fleet! Evade!”

“Boom!!”

The moment Blackhair spoke, a blinding white light suddenly appeared on the opposite side. At the same time, one of their own Squirrel-class ships staggered and tilted sideways. Blackhair saw that a huge hole had appeared at its bow, with the surrounding armor blown apart like flowers, and countless bright blue arcs shooting out from within.

“No!!” Almost all the pirates cried out in horror. They could never have imagined that those two warships would start attacking without any prior communication—this clearly violated interstellar rules.

But one thing was clear to everyone: this situation had now turned into a fight to the death.

“Captain, let’s fight!” Baroka stood up abruptly and shouted.

Having followed Blackhair for so long, he hadn’t suffered any losses yet. To have one of their Squirrel-class ships destroyed before even engaging in combat was simply unbearable. A fierce anger surged through him, even making him forget about the enemy’s strength.

But just because he forgot didn’t mean others would too. As Blackhair’s closest combatant, Bloodpupil remained silent. At this moment, his brows were tightly furrowed as he stared intently at the still-rolling Squirrel-class ship, his expression grim.

“Boss, is that the energy-concentrated death beam you mentioned?”

“That’s right, it is.” Blackhair’s face was also pale as he stared at the rapidly approaching warships on the screen, then raised his eyebrows sharply. “Order the fleet to scatter and fight in guerrilla tactics. Deploy all mechs for close combat!!”

Without waiting for a response from the crew, he stood up and left the cabin.

Behind him, Bloodpupil and Baroka followed closely.

In fact, Kuroha was also filled with rage. Though he wanted to resolve the doubts in his mind, it was obvious that the other party wasn’t willing to give him that chance. The battle had already begun before they even came into contact, leaving him with no other choice.
Forced invasion… this bloody phrase flashed through his mind for the first time.
With no other option, since the battle had already started, he had to continue. The only way to unravel the mysteries in his mind now was to use mechs to break through the enemy’s armor and invade their interior.
It sounded simple, but in practice, it was incredibly difficult. Everyone knew how strong a warship’s armor and defense systems were. Not to mention invading—just approaching them was a problem. And since the enemy possessed an unstoppable weapon like the Energy Death Beam, even Kuroha wasn’t entirely confident.
But lack of confidence didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. The purpose of Kuroha ordering all the mechs to be deployed was to distract the enemy and create an opportunity for himself.
Just one opportunity was enough… Kuroha thought silently as he climbed into his mech.
Interstellar battles were brutal. While they were getting ready, the Blood Wolf Fleet had already deployed all its combat mechs according to Kuroha’s orders. Like wasps flying out of a hive, they scattered in large numbers, rushing at the enemy from every angle and direction. Excited howls filled the channel instantly.
Thirteen warships—excluding one Salmon-class ship that had been destroyed from the start—had all deployed their mechs, creating a truly stunning sight. At first glance, it was impossible to count them due to their sheer density. It was an overwhelming display!
Under such circumstances, the three red mechs that suddenly flew out from the Li Feng naturally wouldn’t draw much attention.
But no matter how impressive they were, they were still just mechs. Breaking through a warship’s firepower still required a heavy price.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Violent explosions rang out. Almost as soon as Kuroha and his team left the Li Feng, seven dazzling light orbs suddenly appeared in the sky. The pirates’ dying screams were transmitted through the public channel to everyone’s ears, tearing at their hearts.
What formidable firepower! Kuroha’s pupils constricted sharply. He pushed the control joystick hard, causing his mech to roll suddenly and trace a perfect arc before disappearing into the vast starry sky. Baroka and Blood Eye behind him followed the same move, closely in pursuit.
The answer? Death?
As he watched the giant warships approaching, these two words flashed through Kuroha’s mind…