Chapter 48: The Fall of the Fleet

Odinxis, who had been skillfully operating the command console on the flagship, suddenly found his movements faltering. Just a moment prior, he had been in complete control of the battle, yet in an instant, he inexplicably lost all comprehension.

He could only surmise that the modifications His Majesty the Emperor had bestowed upon him had, by unfortunate coincidence, just concluded.

“No!”

Odinxis stared blankly at his surroundings, utterly unable to grasp the purpose behind his previous actions. All he could do was unleash his fury upon the command console, though he was now powerless to accomplish anything.

“Lord Odinxis, please order a retreat!”

His adjutants quickly stepped forward, urging Odinxis to issue a retreat order immediately. Their tone, however, was noticeably devoid of the previous disdain. It was clear that his recent series of maneuvers had thoroughly earned their respect. Yet, tragically, Odinxis now found himself utterly at a loss, even on how to command the fleet’s withdrawal.

He could only nod his assent frantically, his hands, however, remained incapable of any action.

At this moment, further action was futile. The outer perimeter of the entire fleet had already been breached. All the warships, still maintaining the formation used during command, were now on a path to certain destruction.

They had no other recourse but to brace themselves and forcibly engage the Zerg in a desperate struggle.

For reasons unknown, the command center had suddenly gone dark. Just before new directives ceased entirely, they had received a highly chaotic and illogical command message.

This incident led many warship commanders to suspect that something catastrophic had likely occurred on the flagship.

Consequently, numerous captains began to harbor their own intentions. With the Zerg now completely encircling the fleet, a failure by the commander to issue timely and correct orders would likely spell the annihilation of the entire force.

While the previous burst of extreme maneuvers had indeed instilled a modicum of respect for Odinxis as a commander among many operators, the current situation no longer permitted them to entrust their lives to someone who had only recently joined the Empire and had not even undergone formal imperial military training.

After nearly ten minutes passed without new orders from the flagship, and with the Zerg having penetrated deep into the fleet’s interior, many captains began to sever their connections with the flagship.

They then proactively launched assaults towards the weaker points of the Zerg encirclement.

The massive insect evidently noticed that some disobedient ships within the enemy fleet were not staying in their designated positions. Instead, they were attempting to break through where her ‘children’ were fewer.

This was essentially prey already within her grasp; the massive insect naturally wouldn’t allow them to escape. However, given the enemy warships’ capability to easily breach her children’s defenses, the massive insect personally intervened.

She intercepted each of the escaping warships before they could flee the Zerg encirclement.

Under the brief respite provided by this adjustment, the remaining warships that hadn’t attempted escape finally managed to disperse their firepower, engaging the newly arrived Zerg swarms. Indeed, these were truly Imperial warships.

Equipped with advanced weaponry, the Zerg swarms were not as indestructible as they had once been against the Alliance fleet. Many Zerg were instantly obliterated by the first wave of fire, while a greater number suffered severe damage and rapidly retreated for self-regeneration.

Seeing this, the massive insect grew frantic. Although the artillery fire caused no substantial harm to her, it posed a significant threat to her children. Faced with this predicament, the massive insect had no choice.

She began to systematically dismantle the enemy fleet’s firepower, hoping to eliminate them all before her children’s casualties reached an unbearable level.

Fortunately, her plan proceeded smoothly. The internal warships were clearly not as resilient as the ‘beans’ on the exterior. If one were to describe them with a dried fruit, they would be like macadamia nuts.

With a casual flick of her tentacles, the massive insect inflicted widespread casualties upon the warships. Realizing this, she accelerated her internal destruction, and soon the entire fleet completely lost its firepower advantage.

After all, if a ship possessed powerful firepower, the Zerg simply lashed out with a whip. Concentrated firing points were swiftly obliterated. Once the entire fleet lost its suppressive fire, the Zerg swarmed forward, ravenously devouring the warships and their remains.

As the entire situation devolved into a one-sided massacre, the massive insect finally let out a sigh of relief. She then began to search for the enemy’s command ship.

Based on the massive insect’s understanding of these intelligent species, this entire fleet must have a primary commander. She now sought to understand why they had previously unleashed such formidable combat power.

The terrifying operational skill had transformed this fleet from cowering submissively to striking with powerful blows. The magnitude of this transformation was almost unimaginable.

However, the answer was close at hand. After swiftly clearing a large wave of attack ships, the massive insect spotted a colossal warship unlike any other, located deep within the formation.

This was clearly the enemy’s flagship. The massive insect extended a tentacle towards it. Other warships rapidly reoriented their attacks, hoping to thwart the massive insect’s actions. But tragically, they had failed to inflict any substantial damage on the massive insect even during their high-burst phase.

What could these scattered, sporadic volleys achieve now? The massive insect completely ignored the warships, which were being infiltrated by her children as they fired.

She seized the flagship, wrapped it in a tentacle, dragged it to her maw, and swallowed it whole.

Upon witnessing this, the thoroughly decimated fleet completely lost all confidence in continuing the fight. They ceased firing and pushed their maneuvering speed into the red zone, attempting to flee the battlefield rapidly.

However, the outside had been completely sealed off by the Zerg. Even before they could accelerate, several Zerg had already latched onto their warships, frantically tearing at the thin armor of their combat-oriented vessels.

The entire fleet, engulfed in this despairing atmosphere, completely succumbed.

Once the last warship was devoured by the Zerg swarm, the massive insect scanned the surroundings with her radar, ensuring no stragglers remained. She then commanded her children to clear the battlefield, consume all resources, and immediately alter their overall plan to advance directly towards the former Alliance star system.

‘Without sharp teeth, aren’t they just meat on a chopping block?’