Chapter 98: Stardust Defense Line

The hostile signal from Deep Space, like ice water poured over the head, jolted the whole Qiming City awake from its dream of peaceful development. The premonition that had been flagged became reality; the unknown enemy is now in sight.

Maximum combat readiness was activated. The city's lights were restrained at night, and energy was prioritized for defense systems and critical industry. The number of soldiers patrolling the streets increased, their expressions solemn. Schools remained open, but basic defense and evacuation courses were added. An oppressive feeling, as if a mountain storm were about to break, permeated the air, yet alongside it was a resolve forged through hardship.

"They've used a twisted Luo Ya identification code; that's both a provocation and evidence that they understand the Luo Ya civilization, perhaps even... have dealt with it before," Chen Mo said at the emergency military meeting, pointing to the general direction of the signal source on the Star Map. "Their target is likely the intact Luo Ya heritage, or... my humanoid 'key'."

"Whatever they want, if they dare to come they must be ready to have their teeth knocked out!" Zhang Yang flexed his fists, the newly outfitted Siege‑breaker Gun, incorporating Tempered Fire alloy technology, gleaming with a cold, hard luster.

"Based on signal strength and propagation models, if they use conventional warp travel, the vanguard could reach the outer reaches of the Solar System in as little as six months," Kaiwen reported, his face grim. "But if they possess more advanced jump technology... that timeline becomes uncertain."

"Six months..." Han Qing mused. "Time is tight. Our interstellar fleet has only just gotten started, with only a few retrofitted escort ships and small warships assisted by the Guardians."

"No matter how strong ground defenses are, if the enemy seizes the space‑control authority, we can only take hits passively," Su Yu pinpointed the crucial issue.

Space‑control authority! That's Qiming City's biggest weak point right now.

"We can't let the battlefield be at our doorstep," Chen Mo said, his gaze sharp. "We must deploy forward, establish a defense line at the edge of the Solar System, and keep the enemy as far out as possible!"

A bold plan was put on the agenda—the Stardust Defense Line project. Leveraging Qiming City's existing space‑construction capability, combined with Luo Ya's spatial stabilization technology and heavy industrial support provided by Tempered Fire, a series of automated defense platforms, reconnaissance outposts, and hidden minefields would be built on key gravitational nodes at the outer Kuiper Belt. Rather than constructing an airtight wall, the goal is to create a death zone riddled with traps and obstacles to slow and weaken the enemy, buying time for the main fleet.

In the following months, the Kuiper Belt on the outer edge of the Solar System had never been so "lively".

Hundreds of engineering ships and transport vessels shuttled among the cold asteroids and debris. Massive automated construction platforms, like iron behemoths in the star sea, ingested ore mined from the asteroids and, on pre‑selected orbits, gradually assembled sharp‑edged defense platforms. These platforms were equipped with powerful Luo Ya energy cannons, heavy railguns supplied by Tempered Fire, and a broad‑spectrum jammer that Kaiwen's team hastily developed to counter unknown energy signatures.

Reconnaissance probes disguised as meteors were deployed to the farther edge of the Oort Cloud, acting as vigilant eyes constantly monitoring Deep Space. Countless intelligent mines were silently scattered along potential invasion routes; while dormant they were indistinguishable from cosmic dust, but once activated they delivered lethal strikes.

Chen Mo personally boarded the newly commissioned Qiming Ship destroyer (integrating Luo Ya core technology with portions of the Guardians system) to inspect the defense line's construction progress. Standing at the bridge's massive observation window, he watched welding sparks flicker in the distance like stars and the steel fortresses gradually taking shape, bearing humanity's hope; a sense of urgency and responsibility filled him.

"Progress is fifteen percent ahead of schedule," the captain—a veteran ship officer from the former Ark, now fully loyal to Qiming City—reported, "but the supply of energy cores remains a bit tight, especially for the shield generators of the large platforms."

"Prioritize the energy allocation for the early‑warning system and the mobile fleet," Chen Mo ordered. "The defense of the fixed platforms can be graded appropriately."

Su Yu was in the Qiming Ship's quiet contemplation chamber, repeatedly attempting an extremely cautious "contact" with that cold marked consciousness. She dared not probe deeply, merely sensing its movements as if lightly touching a water surface. She discovered that the consciousness was not static but was slowly and regularly intensifying, as if its source were drawing nearer. At the same time, she confirmed that beyond this primary mark, numerous similar but far weaker "secondary" consciousnesses existed, like scattered Hunter Dogs searching the vast starfield for something.

"They're approaching, speed... fast," Su Yu relayed her perception to Chen Mo, her face grim. "Faster than the maximum speed we estimated. Possibly... only four months left."

Time was compressed again!

Just as the main construction of the Stardust Defense Line barely reached seventy percent, the outermost reconnaissance probe transmitted a silence‑shattering alarm!

Multiple faster‑than‑light jump signals broke out of warp in the outer Oort Cloud! Their signatures matched the previously captured hostile signals with high fidelity!

The enemy arrived early!

"All ships to Condition One readiness! Activate all defense platforms! Set the minefield to trigger‑ready!" Chen Mo's command instantly rippled across the entire line.

Through the Qiming Ship's high‑magnification observation system and the real‑time footage from the reconnaissance probe, people saw the enemy's vanguard—three oddly‑shaped warships. Their hulls were entirely matte black, with no visible portholes or lights; their lines twisted as if formed from solidified shadow, and their bows resembled the mandibles of some insect, constantly opening and closing, emitting ominous energy fluctuations.

"So that's... the 'Hunter Dog'?" Kaiwen gasped into the comm channel. "The design is really eco‑friendly—purely natural horror‑movie style!"

The enemy showed no intention of communication or probing; after the jump, they surged forward like sharks smelling blood, heading straight toward the inner Solar System!

"Let them taste the 'Stardust'!" Chen Mo said gravely. "According to plan, intercept them in stages!"

When the first enemy ship entered the preset minefield, the silent mines were instantly activated, swarming toward the target like a disturbed hive of bees. Explosive flashes flickered briefly against the black void; most mines were destroyed by the enemy ship's precise point‑defense system before reaching it, but a few broke through, detonating clusters of energy turbulence on the twisted black armor, causing its shield to flicker noticeably.

"The shield strength is high, but not impenetrable!" Han Qing analyzed the data calmly.

Immediately afterward, several defense platforms hidden behind meteors opened fire simultaneously! The blue beam of the Luo Ya energy cannon and the solid railgun projectiles supplied by Tempered Fire sliced through the void, slamming into the enemy ship's shield. The violent energy impact warped the surrounding space.

The three enemy ships immediately scattered, evading fire with unimaginable agility, while the bizarre mandibles at their bows opened, spewing an attack that was neither energy nor solid projectile but resembled liquid shadow! These shadow beams struck the defense platforms; the platforms' shields dissolved as if corroded, and the metal structures became visibly fragile and crumbled at a rapid pace.

"It's a rule‑level erosion attack!" Su Yu exclaimed. "They're negating the very 'existence' of matter and energy!"

Under the continuous bombardment of the shadow beams, a defense platform finally gave way, explosively disintegrating into a lump of space debris.

"Dammit! This is so freaky!" Zhang Yang cursed from the Qiming Ship's gun turret, wielding the bow main cannon in a fierce barrage, trying to relieve pressure on the defense platforms.

The Qiming Ship and several other human warships joined the fray, engaging the enemy vessels in a fierce chase among the Kuiper Belt's debris. Beams crisscrossed, explosions erupted continuously, and the silent void turned into a noisy battlefield.

Chen Mo did not rush to fire; he kept his eyes on the battle, searching for the enemy's weakness. He discovered that while the 'Hunter Dog' warships wielded bizarre attacks and robust defenses, they seemed heavily dependent on the shadow erosion attacks; against purely physical kinetic impacts (such as railgun projectiles) their defense was relatively ordinary, and once they performed high‑maneuver evasion, the accuracy and persistence of the shadow attacks waned.

"All units, attention! Prioritize kinetic weapons! Force them to maneuver! Han Qing, you and your team, find an opening to attach and ram! Test their internal defenses!" Chen Mo swiftly adjusted the tactics.

The new tactics took effect immediately. Dense railgun barrages forced the enemy ships to constantly dodge, causing the shadow attacks to become intermittent. Han Qing led an elite ground force equipped with the latest powered armor and demolition tools, riding high‑speed assault craft and using the cover created by allied fire to successfully close in on one of the enemy ships!

The boarding process was exceptionally arduous; the enemy hull seemed to possess a kind of vitality, attempting to swallow the assault craft. Yet under powerful directed explosives and energy cutting, the ground troops managed to breach the ship's interior.

The footage sent back was harrowing. Inside the ship there were no conventional compartments; instead, it was filled with writhing, bio‑like conduits and viscous darkness, with the air saturated by psychic contamination. The "crew" inside were not organisms but shapeless phantoms composed of shadow energy!

After a brief but intense firefight, Han Qing's squad, having inflicted some damage, was forced to withdraw, bringing back valuable internal data and several pieces of forcibly cut "hull tissue" that still twitched faintly.

At this point, the three enemy ships, under humanity's desperate resistance, also paid the price—one had its engine destroyed by concentrated fire from several defense platforms and now floated in space; another was heavily damaged by the Qiming Ship's main cannon, its hull torn; the remaining one, sensing the unfavorable turn, attempted to flee the battlefield.

"Trying to run? Stay where I can get you!" Zhang Yang maneuvered the secondary cannon, clamping onto the fleeing enemy ship.

Chen Mo, however, ordered, "Cease pursuit, let it go."

"Chief?" Zhang Yang asked, puzzled.

"We need it to bring back the 'hard‑bone' intel from here," Chen Mo said, his gaze icy as he watched the enemy ship that had hastily jumped away. "The first battle was a victory, but only the beginning. Let them know this place isn't one they can run wild in!"

The first battle of the Stardust Defense Line ended with the destruction of one enemy ship, severe damage to another, and the expulsion of a third; humanity also lost several defense platforms and dozens of elite warriors.

The cost of victory was heavy, but the significance was extraordinary. It proved that humanity can stand against a powerful unknown foe in the star‑sea! Qiming City's Starfire, for the first time in the distant Kuiper Belt, ignited the beacon of home defense!

And everyone knows that this is only a faint lightning before the real storm arrives.