Chapter 292

Quantity confirmed: 8,723 units. Chen Guang's voice was dry, "That's 9.3% higher than Qiming's estimate."

Entities: Chen Guang, Qiming. Also maybe "unit" is generic, not named.

"What are we waiting for?" Wang Hao slammed the fire key on the Penglai weapons console, "Outer perimeter, fire!"

Entities: Wang Hao, Penglai. "weapons console" generic. "outer perimeter" generic.

In Jupiter's orbit, three Houyi platforms charged up simultaneously.

Entities: Jupiter, Houyi Platform.

The cross-shaped structure slowly rotated, focusing mirrors gathering solar energy toward the central barrel.

No named entities.

The barrel's diameter exceeds 500 meters, now blazing like a miniature star.

No named.

"Charge countdown: 30 seconds." The platform commander stared at the screen, "Target locked on the densest part of the enemy fleet."

"platform commander" generic.

29 seconds.

28 seconds.

At that moment, the Harvester fleet suddenly performed an unfathomable maneuver, with the three hundred lead units accelerating simultaneously—not a charge, but…

Entities: Harvesters. Also "fleet" generic.

Self-destruct.

They struck the intended path of the Houyi platform's beam, detonating in vacuum into three hundred purple fireballs.

Entities: Houyi Platform.

The energy shockwave disturbed space structure, and Houyi's star-level beam suffered severe deflection as it passed through the self-destruct barrier.

Entities: Houyi.

As if shoved by an invisible hand, it grazed the main fleet's edge and shot into deep space.

No named.

Only seventeen outer units were destroyed.

"They're using low-level units as shields?!" Li Yang yelled from the mech cockpit.

Entities: Li Yang.

Chen Guang quickly analyzed: "For the program, sacrificing three hundred low-level units to protect the main force is an efficient choice. But for a civilization with feelings…"

Entities: Chen Guang.

"That's insane behavior." Wang Hao gritted his teeth, "I can't learn that. Second wave, missile barrage! I want to see how many they can blow up!"

Entities: Wang Hao.

All launch tubes on the Penglai's belly opened fully.

Entities: Penglai.

Three thousand Bifang missiles poured out.

Entities: Bifang missile.

Each missile was loaded with a cursive-mode trajectory algorithm, weaving a death net in vacuum.

No named.

The Harvesters' response was equally ruthless.

Entities: Harvesters.

Eight hundred units broke formation to meet the missile swarm.

They deployed purple energy shields on their surfaces—not for defense, but—

Absorption.

When missiles hit the shields, they didn't explode but slowed rapidly like sinking into a mire, then dissolved into pure energy absorbed by the shields.

"They're eating our missiles!" the weapons control officer said, voice trembling.

"Let's see how many they can eat!" Wang Hao pulled up another interface.

Entities: Wang Hao.

"Spacetime disturbance bombs, load! Let me treat them to a feast!"

Three strangely shaped missiles slid out from a special launcher.

These are experimental weapons designed by Qiming based on γ-7 technology, whose principle is to induce spacetime ripples in a localized area.

Entities: Qiming. Also γ-7 maybe a tech term; not a name.

The effect is similar to a micro black hole, but unstable, and the cost is enough to buy half a street in Kyoto.

Entities: Kyoto.

"Fire!"

The missiles trailed azure tails, surging toward the Harvesters' densest area.

Entities: Harvesters.

This time, the Harvesters didn't meet it head-on.

The shields of the eight hundred units shifted simultaneously, forming an energy wall stretching thousands of kilometers.

The moment the spacetime disturbance bomb struck the wall.

Space itself began to fracture.

Like a mirror struck hard, black spiderweb-like cracks spread from the impact point through the vacuum.

Where the cracks passed, Harvester units were crushed as if by an invisible hand, turning to powder.

Entities: Harvesters.

But the cracks also spread toward the human defense line.

"Fall back!" Li Yang saw the data, "The disturbance range exceeded expectations!"

Entities: Li Yang.

Too late.

The thirty nearest Heaven's Punishment platforms were swept by the cracks, silently decomposing into elementary particles without even an explosion.

Entities: Heaven's Punishment Platform.

"Battle damage report!" Feng Yan roared from the bridge.

Entities: Feng Yan.

"The spacetime disturbance bomb destroyed enemy units……217." The communications officer's voice trembled.

"Our losses: thirty Heaven's Punishment platforms, seven lunar orbit monitoring stations, and the Europa forward base completely destroyed."

Entities: Heaven's Punishment Platform, Europa, Europa Forward Base.

Wang Hao stared at the screen, his lips turning pale.

Entities: Wang Hao.

"The exchange ratio……" he muttered, "217 to 37…… is it worth it?"

"Now isn't the time to settle accounts." Li Yang piloted his mech to dodge a purple beam, "Mid-layer defense, engage the enemy!"

Entities: Li Yang.

In Mars' orbit, twelve Dinghai Shen Needle gravity disturbance operators ran at full power.

Entities: Mars, Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle.

Also "gravity disturbance operator" generic.

The invisible gravity field dragged the Harvesters' speed like a mire, but this time the enemy numbers were too great.

Entities: Harvesters.

It was like trying to stop a tsunami with a fishing net.

"Gravity field overload!" the controller screamed, "Core temperatures of disturbance operators three and seven exceed limits!"

Entities: maybe "Number Three", "Number Seven" are designations; not names.

"Hold on!" Zhao Kaiyuan's hologram appeared on every console, "I'm remotely adjusting the output curve; give me thirty seconds."

Entities: Zhao Kaiyuan.

Before his words finished, the Number Three disturbance operator exploded.

The mass body of the gravity generator underwent a chain reaction under overload, the entire space station crumpling like a crushed paper ball, twisting and collapsing in vacuum, finally becoming a mass of plasma fire.

The blast's shockwave disturbed the gravity fields of adjacent disturbance operators, initiating a chain reaction.

"All hands, attention!" Zhao Kaiyuan roared, "Activate emergency ejection procedure! Throw the mass body out!"

Entities: Zhao Kaiyuan.

But it was already too late.

Twelve Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needles, four were lost within seven minutes.

The remaining eight gravity fields saw their strength sharply drop; the Harvester fleet surged forward like a flood breaking through a dam, rushing toward the inner defense line.

"Loss rate: 33%." Chen Guang stared at the data. "Time: 41 minutes after the battle began. At this rate…"

He didn't continue.

But everyone understood: 72 hours might be too optimistic.

Blue Star orbit, inner defense line.

Originally 912 Heaven's Punishment Platforms; after emergency replenishment, 875 are now manned, while adjusting their angles.

Their surfaces' purple coating reflects an eerie sheen in sunlight—an energy-deflection layer reverse‑engineered from Harvester technology that, in theory, could boost laser defense efficiency by 50%.

Of course, that's only in theory.

When the first wave of Harvester units broke through Mars' orbit, the 875 platforms fired simultaneously.

A hundred thousand laser beams wove a net in the vacuum, a sight as spectacular as a cosmic‑scale fireworks display.

The effect……was pitifully limited.

The Harvesters had clearly deciphered the deflection coating's principle; their shields shifted frequency, so only 30% of a laser's energy was absorbed on impact, the rest being diverted harmlessly.

"They're evolving." Chen Guang quickly analyzed.

"Every encounter updates their tactical database. Qiming estimates that, at this learning pace, all our weapon systems will be disabled in six hours."

"Then we won't give them six hours!" Li Yang's voice came from the battlefield: "Mecha units, charge! Entangle them, don't let them catch a breath!"

Three hundred Responding Dragon‑Ω mechs; after replenishment, 287 are actually in position, launching from the Isle of the Immortals.

Their chest‑mounted smiley‑face paint flickers in the laser rain, like a troupe of madmen dancing through a hail of gunfire.

Li Yang charged at the forefront.

His mecha is a specially modified model, with both arms replaced by experimental spacetime shock blades—similar in principle to a missile, but far less stable.

Each slash creates a minute spatial rift along the blade's edge; though it lasts only a fraction of a second, it's enough to tear open a Harvester's shield.

The cost: for every ten swings, the mecha's frame develops cracks from being unable to withstand the spacetime ripples.