Chapter 948: Chapter 948: Ghost Fleet Cluster
Shortly after the fleet entered the void, we arrived at the nest of the Ghost Fleet. For the Imperial Dominions, these void drifters had indeed floated too close—though there are no concepts of distance or coordinates in the void, information proximity still serves as the only standard for judging “distance” in this place. The Royal Fleet reached the location of the Ghost Fleet after almost just one information calibration, which shows how extraordinarily close the “distance” between the two had already become.
With the Empire’s void detection technology, combined with the Macro World Network’s sensitivity to void fluctuations, and the special abilities of the Leaving World Courtyard System, we only detected the coordinates of the Ghost Fleet at such proximity, and this was under the premise of deploying tracing probes. I have to say, it’s an extremely embarrassing issue for the intelligence department. Had these ghost warships not been extraordinarily unique, I believe the intelligence chief would have dug a hole to hide in seclusion by now.
Upon approach, we discovered that there was an extraordinarily powerful information interference layer near the Ghost Fleet. This interference layer might be a crucial factor allowing so many warships to drift in the void without being devoured until now. By constantly constructing signals simulating a world barrier at the boundary, it “deceives” the void, allowing the fleet inside to remain as secure as if in a material universe. Although we do not know whether this barrier layer is formed by numerous warships together or due to a barrier generator function from the massive fortresses at the core of the Ghost Fleet, this barrier is astonishing enough: apart from the Xyrin Empire, I have not seen such a grand creation from any other civilization.
The Royal Fleet felt nothing while passing through this information interference layer, only a sudden tremor. According to Sandora, this tremor signified us penetrating the Ghost Fleet’s protective barrier. I was quite aware that those spaceships were now shipwrecked; otherwise, I might have to consider the matter of relocation compensation again…
Sandora and I sat sternly on the officer platform. Sandora was carefully analyzing the intelligence coming up from the lower information link, while I pretended to be seriously analyzing the same thing. The Pandora sisters were whispering about something. When the enormous formation of the Ghost Fleet appeared on the radar, Sivis reported detecting that some ghost ships had more active energy reactions than the other warships. However, they were located at the very core of the formation, a complete million kilometers from the formation’s boundary, and the energy interference along the way was severe, preventing the shipboard detection equipment from scanning more precise signals.
Sandora had been waiting for this moment and immediately ordered, “Deploy reconnaissance fleet and probe swarm to search for ghost ships along the way. The main force advances towards the black core. Be careful to set gravity traps along the way; one cannot be careless in this place.”
Pandora also began to command her Heavy Guard Corps. Despite standing and being as tall as Sandora sitting on the officer platform, her aura was no less than the latter: “Escort Fleet, deploy, set up rapid-fire cannon positions and be ready to fight at any moment. Counterattack any hostile actions from ghost ships!”
With their orders, the Royal Fleet first changed formation. A group of transport ships detached from the main force, releasing a large number of agile and advanced reconnaissance spacecraft. Equipped with the latest designed integrated shipborne scanners and the experienced Imperial Agents, these compact and agile reconnaissance spacecraft formed groups of three, quickly dispersing to head towards the nearest ghost ships, beginning to scan these silent tombs. Specialized warships also started setting up gravity traps and various space lockdown devices: In this dangerous era, a cautious attitude can never be excessive, especially with a Fallen Apostle possibly lurking somewhere ready to hit us with a brick…
Located in the outer sphere of the Royal Fleet, the Pandora Heavy Guard Corps then took action. Eighty percent of the medium-sized warships and carriers of the entire corps expanded the fleet’s formation until the Joint Shield’s range was maximized. After extending the fleet’s inner space, these warships, especially fond of the art of explosions, began continuously setting up super-heavy cannon towers, the latter being one of the specialties of the Pandora Heavy Guard Corps. The so-called super-heavy cannon tower consists of two parts: one is a fortress cannon larger than the Eiffel Tower, and the other… is another fortress cannon… A typical Pandora style.
The two fortress cannons occupied ninety percent of the energy supply and slot positions of the entire turret, rendering such a super-heavy space sentinel essentially without defensive power. Therefore, they could only be set up within the inner layer of the impregnable Joint Shield. This is why the Guard Corps had to expand the Joint Shield’s range just now. Pandora devised this tactic with this thought in mind: first, we create a large enough position and then aggressively fill it with cannons and explosives, and that’s the deployment…
Would you call this militaristic behavior, Pandora is so ruthless. Back in junior high when I fought people, every time I just brought a brick, and the teacher labeled me a fierce and unruly child. If I were like her, not only carrying a brick but also having two levitating bricks hovering nearby, I surely would have been dissected by the Chinese Academy of Sciences by now.
Nevertheless, I admit that such things are indeed quite intimidating. At least this tactic of utilizing cluster advantage to maximize firepower can make one ship exert the DPS of three ships. Although the sustainability and defense power, therefore, take a significant hit, Pandora’s strategic thinking has always been “first blast the enemy away, then you’ll naturally be safe,” so it has been used like this to this day.
While Pandora was establishing the fortress cannon positions, Visca was also doing the same thing, except her corps was not yet fully assembled, so her warships were simply mixed into the Pandora Guard Corps. This has led to every several silver-gray warships on the battlefield to appear a single black-and-red-painted standout, resembling a captain’s ship mixed in with the group when viewed from afar…
“All fortress cannons have locked onto large ghost ships within range,” Visca’s eyes were already flowing with tiny streams of energy light, just like her sister, “It is estimated that instantaneous firepower coverage can reach forty percent. Considering that a significant portion of the ghost ships are non-military civilian ships, it can be deemed that the threat capabilities of the targets fall within the scope of the fleet’s instant annihilation.”
“The outer layer of the Ghost Fleet has been scanned, no signs of life or activation found.”
The reconnaissance team that went to investigate has sent back a report. It was as expected, and after reporting this information, they immediately accelerated deeper into the gyro-shaped starship cluster. There, the onboard scanner detected some active ghost ship signals.
“Stay safe, they might counterattack,” I reminded, then shifted my attention to the massive ghost ships around us.
Honestly, this was my first direct encounter with the physical form of ghost ships. Previously, I had only learned about them through eyewitness reports and video materials, having never seen the real thing. Now that they are right before my eyes, the feeling is naturally different.
In terms of average size, ghost ships differ significantly from the Imperial battleships. Their main vessels are nearly twice the size of the most common Imperial ships, and those comparable to the Eternal Level are scarce enough to merely be observed from afar. Ninety percent of the ghost ships are painted black or very dark red, appearing oppressive and heavy. Coupled with their ghostly name, they give a deathly, tomb-like impression. The design style of these ships is filled with robust and “solid” lines, with spherical and semi-arc protrusions visible on their surfaces. Beneath these curved parabolic shells, streams of dark blue energy flow slowly, aligned in parallel like the shell cracks of some arthropod. This design is in stark contrast with the straight, rigid lines and bold, grand shapes commonly seen in the Imperial Army. Having grown accustomed to the sharp, crisp shapes of Imperial warships (except possibly for the roundish form of a certain Expedition Class fortress ship, which is more of an anomaly), these ghost ships seem somewhat outlandish and unremarkable to me.
“They look like rotten potatoes,” Qianqian commented with a pout. “Their aesthetic is terrible.”
Lilina shook her head: “They look like animal innards, like lots of rotten flesh chunks.”
I quickly tossed her aside — her words were too disgusting…
Just then, a response came from the communicator from the first wave of the reconnaissance team: “Reporting, Commander! We have boarded the ghost ship! A minute ago, this ship exhibited a reactivation response to the reconnaissance team’s approach, but after we took emergency measures, it suddenly fell silent. This ship will dispatch personnel to board and investigate the situation.”
The ghost ship that the reconnaissance team boarded was a large vessel near the inner ring of the starship cluster, measuring twenty-three kilometers in length. It was a big piece even within the ghost fleet. We quickly switched the footage to the officer platform, and the first thing we saw was this unremarkable black warship already having two large holes blown open on the front by light missiles…
I think I know what the reconnaissance officer meant by “emergency measures” just now.
Several well-trained Imperial Agents entered the ghost ship after activating the invisibility system. The live feed showed the surroundings, and the interior of the ghost ship was just as “lumpy” as its exterior, which had an animal-organ-like feel. Jagged cables lined the black corridors and ducts. Instead of being buried beneath corridor walls, the cables were exposed, resembling tendons and veins visible after ripping off muscles, or perhaps as entangled vines. Occasionally, a flash of light could be seen passing through the thick cables, indicating that the ghost ship’s energy system was still operational. The Imperial Agents, who advanced cautiously deeper into the ship, found no life signs on any detectors. Then, an agent from the Mind Assault Unit began scanning the surroundings.
“No cognitive responses or advanced logical processes, it’s ‘dead’ here.”
The agents disengaged their invisibility but remained vigilant, gripping their weapons as they continued forward. The ghost ship interior still had an atmosphere, allowing sound to propagate. The hollow echo of boots stepping on the alloy corridors was the only noise within the ghost ship, making the soldiers walking in the eerie, dark vessel feel like they were moving through a nightmare. The scenes transmitted from the communicator were like those from a bizarre horror movie by some director who won seven or eight Oscars. If a few aliens suddenly jumped out from the diagonal of the screen, I’d process this footage and mail it to Hollywood…
First-hand information from the agents on the scene kept coming:
“Artificial atmospheric pressure is normal, and the pressure fluctuation has ceased, indicating that this ship has sealed the breaches itself.”
“We seem to be walking along a passageway meant for personnel, exceptionally wide, possibly suggesting the ghost ship’s builders were gigantic beings. Along the way, we discovered enigmatic signs, with general information parsing rules indicating they might be directing to locations and exchange points. The walls have emergency lighting, but the main lights can’t be activated; energy has been cut off.”
“…The artificial atmospheric environment contains a large amount of ozone and chlorine, additionally discovering three other elements outside the sequence. Preliminary judgment indicates the ship’s passengers were carbon-based life forms, but no traces of life remain.”
“Alright, the corridor has reached the end… Hmm, Commander, it’s strange, the energy flow of the ghost ship seems to have stopped, instruments show nearby ghost energy internal pressure is decreasing… III, what’s the situation on your end?”
III refers to the reconnaissance ship docked outside the ghost ship responsible for aiding the investigation inside the ship. While the agents were inside inspecting the situation, this small warship circled the massive ship’s hull, scanning its exterior structure. It reported an astonishing intelligence: “The target spaceship’s energy is retracting back to the central zone, its outer hull has lost power…”
The reconnaissance ship activated stronger scanning devices, commencing in-depth detection of the spaceship’s internal situation, then suddenly issued an urgent alarm: “Retreat! Retreat!! Energy readings from the ship’s core are soaring! It’s going to self-destruct!”
The agents immediately activated space transmission to return inside the reconnaissance ship, afterward, the reconnaissance ship and two nearby supporting single soldier fighter jets fled like runaway… whatnot, with lightning speed to the distance, the three flying devices formed bright lines in the sky, and at the origin of these lines, a massive ghost ship suddenly produced a large patch of blood-red patterns, like a suddenly engorged heart, then…
Exploded into a dazzling giant fireball.
Pandora immediately stood up and ordered loudly: “Prepare for battle! Charge all cannons!”
A rapid report resounded in the command hall: “A large number of ghost ship engines have been activated, they’re starting!”
The entire fleet almost instantaneously entered combat status, each spaceship began charging its main cannon, and the pre-established sentinel cannons locked onto their respective targets, merely awaiting the command to launch a full assault. The nerves of the imperial soldiers were already close to a cerebral hemorrhage, seeing a clear “murder” signal at this moment, they finally succeeded in getting a cerebral hemorrhage…
However, just being moments away from commencing the full assault, Lin Xue suddenly issued an emergency cease action command across the command link, loudly saying: “Stop!”
As a prophet, Lin Xue possesses a very special privilege within the imperial army, that is, in extreme emergencies, she can issue a halt command to any unit, even the Imperial General and Emperor—of course, for the latter two targets, her pause methods usually involve a hand strike and ear twist. This privilege is quite remarkable, far exceeding the words “Mistress”, but for Lin Xue, this power is essential, for we need the power of the prophet, and this power is often employed to reverse situations in emergencies, historical evidence proves Lin Xue sometimes generates very intense passive premonition moments before certain actions are executed, yet these few seconds are clearly insufficient for her to write an application and then have me and Sandora deliberate for half a day… Bureaucracy will kill people.
Thus, Sandora and I readily granted Lin Xue such an emergency stop function, after all, everyone believed she wouldn’t jeopardize the chain at crucial moments. Yes, for the imperial army, if even the prophet starts breaking the chain, then there probably aren’t many who wouldn’t.
“What’s up, girl?”
I gasped, looked at Lin Xue, “You scared me—if anyone started the charge by now, they would’ve cracked their backs.”
“No need to attack them, watch the ghost ship’s actions.”
Lin Xue pouted, gestured with her chin toward the nearby holographic projection, “I suggest you start preheating the Leaving World Courtyard system right now, these ghost ships are about to run away.”
Several seconds had passed since Lin Xue spoke, in normal circumstances, should a conflict occur at such a close distance between two fleets, these mere seconds would suffice for both sides to extract their brains, head busting weapon warfare transitions from polished armor to broken heads merely require the time to press a button, yet, in fact, the imperial army did not act, and the ghost fleet showed no signs of launching an attack.
The self-detonation just now seemed not to be an indication of an attack, perhaps its purpose was merely to distract us, or maybe their goal was to initiate attacks on the surrounding dilapidated ships—as Lin Xue’s foresight indicated, the ghost fleet plans to escape!
“Detected the formation of a large void jump field,” a voice from the ship’s bridge urgently sounded the alarm, “the target fleet will abandon the scene in one minute!”
The holographic projection on the officer platform swiftly switched, the massive ghost fleet hundreds of kilometers in size was sliced into multiple independent parts by the display, some ghost ships were uniquely highlighted, with flashing warning boxes beside them marked “about to escape,” among these, the largest box surrounded the fleet core’s Planet Fortress—that colossal entity also intends to flee!
Fortunately, with Lin Xue’s tip-off, I had already linked to the Leaving World Courtyard, the powerful multi-functional law intervention equipment could normally exert its effects in the void, in just a moment, the void occupied by the fleet conglomerate warped, those identified, seemingly somewhat unclear ghost ships and the core fortress were struck like under a sudden blow, violently shivering, simultaneously reverting to physical form.
In the nick of time, we blocked these ships from fleeing.
If just now the imperial army had truly begun sweeping away other ghost ships, then at least a part of these warships would have had the opportunity to escape.
“What’s happening?”
Sandora glanced at Lin Xue, “They’re fleeing?”
“Forgot the intelligence we already held before?” I said, “Ghost ships will evade imperial battleships.”
After the escape was thwarted, the ghost fleet conglomerate quieted down again, yet those hundred-plus ships identified, suspected to have human control, and exhibiting escape consciousness did not shut down engines, including the enormous Planet Fortress at the center of the conglomerate. The lights on their surfaces flickered uncertainly, with ship bodies gently drifting, as if in a state of extreme hesitation.
“I feel… they’re trembling.”
Lilina grasped the railing before her, eyes gleaming brightly as she said. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian () to vote for recommendation tickets, vote for monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)