Chapter 160: Hideous Biological Fleet

Time, in an intangible sense of oppression, flowed minute by minute, second by second.

The half-month deadline, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over all humanity's heads, finally reached its last moment.

Solar System, the first line of defense.

In the deep space fifty billion kilometers from Pluto, a steel array of three thousand Federal warships hung silently in the darkness.

Each warship's main gun had finished charging, all missile launchers were opened, and tens of thousands of automatic defense platforms, like loyal sentinels, locked onto the dead void ahead.

Inside the New Chasing Sun command ship, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed almost to drip water.

Zhang Xianzhong stood at the center of the bridge, his eyes fixed tightly on the massive holographic star map.

On the star map, the blue dots representing the Federal fleet contrasted sharply with the vast darkness ahead representing the unknown region.

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, all units have entered first-level combat readiness and can fire at any time."

"First, second, third defense lines, all personnel in position."

"Mars, Moon, Blue Star near-Earth orbit defense systems, all online."

Report after report sounded in the command channel, clear and calm.

But everyone could hear the tension suppressed beneath that calm.

Qin Hao stood beside Zhang Xianzhong, silent.

His perception had extended outward, covering the space of hundreds of millions of kilometers ahead.

The superhuman genes' powerful senses allowed him to detect any slightest energy fluctuation.

He was waiting.

Waiting for that massive fleet to tear off its disguise and reveal its fangs.

"The Heaven Eye System has reacted!"

Suddenly, a monitor's voice broke the bridge's silence.

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on the main screen.

Only seen, at the farthest end of the star map, the numbers representing curvature fluctuations began to jump wildly like an electrocardiogram.

Immediately after, that pitch-black space of space seemed to be torn open by an invisible giant hand.

Space violently twisted and folded, forming a vortex huge beyond imagination.

At the vortex's center was not dazzling light, but an extremely deep darkness, as if connecting to another dimension's hell.

"They're here!"

Zhang Xianzhong's voice was a little hoarse.

The next second, a colossal creature slowly emerged from that dark vortex.

When the full appearance of that warship became clear, everyone inside the command ship sucked in a breath of cold air.

That was fundamentally not an industrial object conforming to human aesthetics.

It was more like a living, ferocious cosmic beast.

Overall it was an irregular spindle shape, its surface lacking smooth metal armor, instead covered with a layer of carapace-like biological tissue that glimmered with a dark purple sheen.

Countless thick conduits like veins twisted and knotted across the carapace, faintly pulsating, as if transporting some kind of energy.

At the warship's "head," there was no bridge, no portholes, only a gigantic, seemingly compound-eye-organ sphere emitting a chilling scarlet light.

This beast's size exceeded one hundred kilometers.

Before it, the Federal fleet's largest five-kilometer-class warship was tiny as a firefly.

"My heavens..."

A young officer stared at the screen, muttering, his face pale.

This was only the beginning.

Close behind the first beast came the second, third, tenth, hundredth...

Countless slightly smaller but equally ferocious and terrifying bio-warships surged out of the space vortex like a swarm.

Their forms varied wildly, some like deep-sea jellyfish dragging long energy tendrils.

Some like gigantic beetles, their backs covered in sharp bone spines.

Some like twisted giant serpents, winding and moving through the cosmos.

They were not like a fleet, but more like a group of alien monsters crawling out of a nightmare.

One minute later, the space vortex slowly closed.

And ahead of the Federal first line of defense, over four hundred thousand such bio-warships were densely packed.

They formed a massive array exuding an ominous aura, countless scarlet compound eyes spanning the distance, coldly gazing at humanity's fleet.

The eleven-to-one numerical disparity, at this moment, was presented to everyone in the most direct and shocking way.

That overwhelming sense of oppression made every Federal soldier on the front line feel a wave of suffocation.

"Is this…… the enemy we are about to face?"

Zhang Xianzhong clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening from the force.

He had spent a lifetime in military campaigns, experienced countless drills and crises, but had never felt his own insignificance as he did now.

"All units, take note: do not be deceived by the enemy's appearance; this could be a psychological tactic!"

He forced himself to calm down and issued orders through the command channel.

"Say it again, this is merely the enemy's psychological tactic! We have the strongest warships, the most powerful weapons! Behind us are seven billion compatriots!"

His voice steadied the hearts of many soldiers who had been trembling slightly from fear.

Yeah, what's the use of being afraid?

Behind them lay their homeland; they had nowhere to retreat.

Qin Hao's brows also furrowed tightly.

These bio-warships made him feel an extreme discomfort.

That was not fear, but a disgust arising from the life instinct.

Just like ordinary people seeing cockroaches and spiders.

"System, scan the enemy flagship."

【Scanning…… target is the Moyun Civilization King Insect-class Mothership, a mix of biotechnology and energy technology……】

【Warning: Detected large-scale high-intensity spiritual fluctuations; the enemy is constructing a spiritual broadcast channel.】

"Spirit Pollution Attack?"

Qin Hao's heart jolted.

Indeed, just like that scout, this civilization is also adept at this strange attack method.

At that moment, a cold, arrogant, emotionless thought surged like a tide into the brains of every human in the Solar System.

It came without any communication equipment, but directly resonated on the consciousness level.

"Insignificant lowly life, your struggles are meaningless."

That voice was grand and imposing.

"I am the Commander of the Third Expedition Legion of the Moyun Civilization, Ka La Fa."

"Now, I, on behalf of the great Mo Yun Empire, give you your final choice."

"One, open your planets, offer up your genes and souls, and become the Empire's most lowly slaves. Your civilization might be able to continue in another way."

"Two, resist."

That voice paused for a moment, then a thought full of contempt swept over.

"Then, your planets will be purified, your race will be erased, and all traces of your existence will be completely wiped out from the universe."

"Now, make your choice, you worms."