Chapter 102: The Price of Dawn

The "Black Box" observation station beneath Europa's ice layer hangs like a cold period over the upper echelons of Qiming City. Under Han Qing's command, the "Night Owl" has maintained tight surveillance for weeks; it has shown no movement, as if that scan was merely a procedural awakening before slipping back into eternal slumber. This silence is more unsettling than outright hostility.

"It's like a stranger walked into your house, doesn't greet you, doesn't touch your stuff, just sits there staring at you—this feeling is damn creepy!" Zhang Yang grumbled loudly at the military meeting, voicing many people's sentiments.

Chen Mo drummed his fingertips on the table, his gaze landing on the new black marker on the Star Map that signified the unknown. He recalled his first encounter with the Forged Fire Clan, whose cold, utilitarian attitude stemmed from a power gap. The Black Box civilization's technological tier is clearly higher, and its motives are utterly unknowable. A benevolent observer? A latent enemy? Or a detached watcher like the "Observer"? With insufficient strength, any rash move could bring ruin.

"Maintain top‑level surveillance, but take no proactive action for now," Chen Mo reiterated his decision. "Our primary task remains self‑improvement. Only when we are strong enough can we handle any variable and earn the right to seek answers."

The Fire Seed Tempering project was thus infused with greater urgency. Resource allocation tilted heavily toward it; the academy burned bright, and Kaiwen and his team were almost in a manic frenzy. Analysis of the Starlight Crystal achieved a breakthrough—they succeeded in isolating and stabilizing a unique energy frequency, which they named the "Stardust Resonance Wave".

"This thing is amazing!" Kaiwen, his hair a tangled nest, had fire in his eyes. "It's not a direct energy attack or defense, but more like an… 'information disturbance field'! Preliminary tests show it can effectively disrupt the Hunter Dog warship's shadow‑energy rule‑erosion effect. It doesn't fully cancel it yet, but it greatly weakens its power and penetration."

It's a crucial discovery! It means humanity now has a means beyond brute force when confronting the Hunter Dog and potentially stronger foes behind it.

Based on this, the next‑generation fleet defense system—the Stardust Shield was fast‑tracked for development. At the same time, the Starfire II‑type fighters equipped with preliminary Stardust Resonators entered mass‑production testing. The industrial gears of Qiming City began to churn wildly at unprecedented speed.

Just as everything seemed to accelerate, Su Yu's True Knowledge Vision caught another anomaly. This time it came not from Europa nor distant Deep Space, but from deep within the Oort Cloud beyond the Kuiper Belt, at the edge of the Solar System!

A faint yet stable "spatial fissure" signal was picked up by her perception. The fissure emitted shadow‑energy fluctuations of the same origin as the Hunter Dog warships, but more covert and massive, and… it seemed to be expanding extremely slowly!

"Is… is it a stable passage? Or perhaps… a 'gate'?" Su Yu's voice trembled with incredulous dread. "Are they establishing a forward base? Or… is this the prototype of the Door of the End?!"

The news struck like a thunderclap on a clear day! If the fissure were stabilized and enlarged, the enemy would gain a bridgehead straight into the Solar System, and the Stardust Defense Line would be besieged on all sides, effectively rendered useless!

"We must destroy it!" Han Qing declared resolutely. "Strike while it's not fully stable, concentrate all forces we can muster, and wipe it out!"

It's an extremely risky plan. An expedition into the depths of the Oort Cloud, far from home support, facing unknown foes and possible traps, with uncertain odds. Failure would cost Qiming City its precious core combat power.

The conference room erupted into heated debate. The conservatives argued for holding the line, accelerating development, and relying on the gradually perfected Stardust Defense Line for a war of attrition. The radicals insisted on taking the initiative, snuffing the threat in its cradle, warning that once the enemy gains a foothold, it will be too late.

Chen Mo did not take part in the command; he stood at the observation window of the Dawnlight, feeling the fierce energy collisions outside. The orderly force within his body circulated, resonating faintly with the Starlight Crystal. He waited for a chance—a chance to strike a decisive blow or even close the fissure. Su Yu stood beside him, eyes closed, fully sensing the fissure's energy structure, searching for its most vulnerable "node".

"Found it!" Su Yu snapped her eyes open, pointing to a spot slightly left of the fissure's center. "There! The energy flow is most chaotic, the key point that sustains the entire fissure structure—but… it has a strong defensive field!"

He looked toward his core teammates: "Han Qing, you will be the fleet commander. Kaiwen, ensure the 'Stardust Resonator' can operate stably in actual combat. Zhang Yang, Wang Hu, your mission is to tear open the enemy's defenses. Su Yu, you will accompany the fleet on departure, responsible for sensing early warnings and analyzing fissure energy structures."

He turned and headed toward the hatch of the ship‑borne assault boat.

"Hui Jin, the safety of Qiming City is entrusted to you." Chen Mo said solemnly, "If... if we cannot return, you will be the last line of defense."

Operation Dawnbreak fleet unprecedented in scale. With the newly launched Dawnlight cruiser as flagship, supported by four squadrons of Starfire II fighters, two Forged Fire-class destroyers equipped with heavy railguns (built domestically after acquiring some technology via trade), and several support ships. This is nearly the most elite mobile force Qiming City can currently muster.

The fleet silently crossed the Kuiper Belt, delving into the frigid, desolate Oort Cloud. Here lies the edge of the Sun's gravity; starlight is dim, and only the distant Sun appears as a slightly brighter star.

As they continually approached the target coordinates, an oppressive, suffocating feeling grew stronger. Su Yu's complexion turned ever paler; she could clearly 'see' in the void ahead a dark fissure, like an ugly scar, pulsing faintly and emitting a nauseating shadow energy. Around the fissure, dozens of black dots circled—these were the Hunter Dog warships guarding it, among them mixed with several larger vessels whose energy responses were stronger, of unknown types!

"Target sighted! Enemy numbers……far exceed estimates!" On the Dawnlight bridge, Han Qing's voice was calm without a ripple: "All units, follow the plan, deploy attack formation! Stardust Shield at full power!"

No extra words; the battle erupted instantly!

The human fleet thrust into the enemy formation like a blade! The Starfire II fighter squadrons struck first, the 'Stardust Resonator' under their wings emitting an intangible wave that spread like ripples. The effect was immediate! The Hunter Dog warships enveloped by the wave saw their shadow-corrosion attack's light visibly dim, and their speed and agility were also affected!

"Haha! Effective! Brothers, hit them to death!" Zhang Yang laughed wildly over the comms, piloting his exclusive Starfire fighter like a tiger among sheep, his precise point-blank shots blowing up one after another of the affected, sluggish enemy ships into space fireworks.

Wang Hu commanded the Forged Fire-class destroyers; their heavy armor and powerful railguns became the fleet's backbone, stubbornly enduring enemy fire as they hurled deadly solid shells at the large enemy warships and the fissure itself!

Han Qing held the Dawnlight, calmly allocating overall firepower like a master chessmaster seeking the enemy's weak point. Kaiwen, meanwhile, in the lab compartment, closely monitored the Stardust Resonator's operational data, constantly making fine adjustments to ensure it achieved maximum effect.

However, the enemy obviously also recognized the threat of the Stardust Resonance Wave. Several new-type enemy ships suddenly changed tactics, no longer firing shadow beams but instead, like suicide trucks, rushing straight at the human vessels, then violently disintegrating upon reaching a certain distance, unleashing a wide-area pure shadow energy shock!

Such suicide attacks placed immense pressure on the Stardust Shield! A Starfire fighter failed to dodge in time, its shield overloaded and instantly consumed and shattered by shadow energy!

"Careful! They've changed tactics!" Han Qing issued an urgent warning.

The battle entered its most brutal stage. Fighters kept being shot down, ships kept suffering heavy damage. In the void of the Oort Cloud, explosions flared up one after another, like brief and cruel stars.

Chen Mo did not directly participate in command; he stood before the observation window of the Dawnlight, feeling the intense energy collisions outside. His internal power of order flowed, resonating faintly with the Starlight Crystal. He waited, waiting for an opportunity—a chance to deal a heavy blow or even close that fissure in one go. Su Yu stood beside him, eyes closed, fully sensing the fissure's energy structure, seeking its most fragile 'node'.

"Found it!" Su Yu snapped her eyes open, pointing to a position slightly left of the fissure's center: "Here! The energy flow is most chaotic, also the key point supporting the entire fissure structure! But……there is a strong defensive field!"

Chen Mo's eyes flashed with sharp light: "That's the spot!"

He turned and walked toward the hatch of the carrier-based assault craft.

"I'll go and come back quickly."