Abyss Solo
Chapter 361 - 171 Fifth Rank Insect Swarm Attacks!_2

Chapter 361: 171 Fifth Rank Insect Swarm Attacks!_2

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The primary cannons of dozens of main battleships began covering fire, swiftly destroying the ’insects’ attempting to flee.

The outer protective shield of the pitch-black battleship suddenly shattered, and the ion beam from the main cannon struck directly at the ship’s body!

Two seconds later, this mysteriously appearing battleship was engulfed in light, transforming into a massive fireball that devoured the Insect Swarm trying to escape.

Dabicky breathed a sigh of relief.

"General, the target battleship has been destroyed...it really was the insects."

"Mm, release space interference waves," Dabicky said, "that battleship’s purpose might have been just a decoy."

No sooner had Dabicky spoken than a piercing alarm sounded from the detection station nearby.

"General! Large-scale warp jump!"

"The space coefficient is rapidly dropping, spatial expansion expected to begin in three minutes!"

"Prepare to retreat!"

Dabicky reacted with lightning speed, "Front warships immediately retreat, Tactical Model Three! We cannot handle the enemy capable of warp jumping! All ships prepare for immediate withdrawal!"

"Yes!"

The five foremost main battleships quickly withdrew.

Three hundred and sixty warships maneuvered in an orderly fashion, rapidly contracting from their previously organized fan-shaped formation. With two battleships, six Star Patrol Ships, twelve gunships, three Shield Ships, and over ten auxiliary ships, they formed nine mixed firepower units in the shortest time.

Ahead, only fragments of the pitch-black battleship remained. Some large, bloated special insects unexpectedly retained relatively intact bodies.

Their bodies were more robust than human battleships.

What rank insects were these?

Dabicky pressed his lips tightly together.

All data had already been synchronized with the goddess’s command, so there was no need for him to report the event specifically.

A faint ripple appeared in the space ahead as a large, bloated ’battleship’ appeared out of thin air.

Dabicky instinctively stood up, and the busy crowd around him suddenly went still, their eyes wide as they watched the battleship appear on the screen.

The battleship was about thirty thousand meters long.

Surrounding its hull, gold-colored adult insect limbs were interlinked, layers upon layers thick, yet without any sense of disorder.

"Fire all ships! Auxiliary ships, begin jumping back!" Dabicky shouted loudly,

"Don’t lead them towards the Administrative Star! Set jump positions to the border no-man’s zone! Move quickly!"

The crowd around him immediately began running, and the messenger’s voice trembled continuously, yet fortunately without affecting the relay of orders.

The glow of ion beams flashed incessantly.

Yet compared to the golden energy shield radiating from the outside of that battleship, these bombardments were insignificant.

The energy shield showed no fluctuations, and the gigantic Insect Race Battleship was slowly, yet resolutely, accelerating forward.

Behind this battleship, sixteen five-thousand-meter-class Insect Race Battleships successively completed their jumps.

These large insect warships began to disassemble their outer layers, reducing their size by about a third. In the near-vacuum environment, insects took wing, creating a dense formation that rapidly crossed over the ’flagship’ and hurled themselves toward the third and fourth defense legion of the Wind.

...

"Boss, it’s a Fifth Rank insect swarm."

Lyu’s voice carried an undercurrent of urgency.

"The Dabicky fleet is retreating while fighting; these insects have clear objectives and are accelerating toward Miss Hera’s transport ship."

Yang Ming frowned and asked, "How are the insects flying in a vacuum?"

"Simulated gravity," Lyu said softly, "Current research has verified that insects can construct simulated gravitational fields. The larger the number of the swarm, the stronger the simulated gravitational field it generates."

She spoke softly, "It is estimated that in about six hours, they will sweep across the Constant Star System where the eleventh Administrative Star of Wind is located. That Administrative Star has a population of over 200,000 and a very low level of development."

Yang Ming fell silent.

The pitch-black battleship was intercepted in time; these insects would need at least several tens of Galactic Time to approach Hera.

Of course, this calculation assumed no further warp jumps and a straight line forward.

High-rank insects could withstand the pressure generated by sub-light-speed travel.

As long as the enemy continued to accelerate, it would eventually become an unstoppable torrent destined to swallow the transport ship carrying Hera.

Moreover, this issue should not involve the public and soldiers of Wind.

Enter Sherman Empire territory, draw the disaster of the insect swarm into Sherman Empire?

Though such a move was somewhat unethical, only the Sherman Empire’s Imperial Dreadnoughts could contend with swarms of such magnitude.

Yet...

Yang Ming squinted his eyes slightly, with thoughts racing across his mind.

He was not one for sentimentality.

But now, he had to consider how many innocent civilians this high-rank insect horde would affect.

"Lyu, based on calculations, there is a batch of Sixth-Rank adult insects among this swarm," Lyu stated quickly, "They could warp jump at any moment!"

"Send a communication to Hera."

"Yes, boss...it is connected."

Lyu’s efficiency in this action impressed even Yang Ming.

She explained, "026 has been maintaining communication with me on that side."

Yang Ming swiped his left hand, revealing 026 and Hera’s images on the projection screen.

Hera was tied to a chair by 026.

Her breath was rapid, her face was flushed, a hint of blood in her eyes. Upon seeing Yang Ming’s image, she immediately shouted,

"They’re coming, Ming! They’re here for me! Kill me, now, immediately! They’re all high-ranking insects; I can see their queen! She’s already approaching the level of a Divine-level Civilization of existence!

"My experiment offended them!

"Don’t hesitate—I have no regrets or reluctance. Insisting on protecting me is a betrayal to the human race!"

"Calm down!"

Yang Ming rebuked softly.

Hera tightly pursed her lips, forcibly holding back tears as she gazed at Yang Ming.

Yang Ming closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead twice, and exhaled slowly.

Lyu quickly said, "The Fifth Rank insect swarm is not invincible, they hail from a corner of the Milky Way. This disaster is but one of the hidden dangers in the galaxy."

"Hera, I want you to make a choice," Yang Ming said, "Head to Sherman or the New Federation; give me your answer now."

"Sher..."

Hera’s words paused as she tightly furrowed her brow, her eyes shadowed with thought.

Half a minute later, Hera answered calmly,

"Rather than hiding in these powerful countries, I am more inclined towards self-destruction.

"I had long foreseen that my Insect Race communication experiment might incite the wrath of the Insect Race...but I never imagined such a powerful swarm existing beyond our sight.

"If you only give me these two choices, I choose to return to the New Federation, to the place where everything started."

She unexpectedly chose the New Federation.

Yang Ming contemplated briefly, then replied gently, "Very well, I’m on my way back. In about four hours, I will rendezvous with you."

Hera asked softly, "Ming, am I not permitted to decide my own life or death? This is my fundamental human right."

"Sorry, you cannot decide that at this moment."

Yang Ming replied coolly,

"Rather than entertain thoughts of self-abandonment, why not pursue an experiment that could genuinely threaten the Insect Race.

"The New Federation has been cultivating insects for so many years—why have you alone attracted the attention of these high-rank insect swarms?

"Hera, you are on the right path. Your future achievements will be limitless.

"Do not fear threats, Hera, overcoming threats and challenging strong foes is the sole path to becoming a hero. Think of the movies you’ve seen; you crave heroes, you long for a hero’s protection, and even more, you yearn to become one yourself.

"Now, you have that chance."

Hera’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed as she met Yang Ming’s gaze.

"Boss!" Lyu’s usually calm voice was touched with urgency, "The swarm has divided. About ten percent of the insects are moving towards the Head Star of the Wind Empire, forcing us to abandon Miss Hera."

Yang Ming instinctively clenched his fist and, after a few seconds, gave his answer,

"Let the Wind Army soldiers do what is befitting their status, prioritizing the safety of Wind civilians.

"Send a request for aid to neighboring military allies, prepare the fleets under our control for an immediate warp jump to intercept.

"The transport ship carrying Hera should leave Wind territory, navigating through the International Public Star Domain, avoiding the Trade Route Administrative Star. Remember, do not jump now; otherwise, the swarm is very likely to follow the jump. Maintain moderate navigation speed until I can rendezvous."

Yang Ming added softly, "026?"

"Boss! I’m here!"

immediately jumped to attention.

"By whatever means necessary, bring Hera to me alive."

"Yes!" 026 saluted in a mock-style military gesture.

Hera suddenly interjected, "Release me, 26."

hesitated for a moment, "Uh, but you’re..."

"I’m going to the lab," Hera said calmly, "I haven’t completed my concept yet."

"""