Chapter 39 - Titan Super Battleship
Chapter 39: Titan Super Battleship
The communication ended, and the invisible pressure dissipated. The network signals and various energy wave scanners that were searching for information within the “Qinyuan” all vanished, and everything quickly returned to normal.
It was clear that the “Qinyuan” passed the inspection.
In fact, in the presence of such a powerful hero, nothing could be hidden. He was just relieved that he hadn’t rashly taken out that secret treasure…
“Big brother, was that just now the fortress’…” Lin Ke took a breath and was about to ask, but was stopped by a stern look from Lin Zhichen.
In the presence of such a powerful being, even merely discussing matters related to them might attract their attention. This wasn’t superstition but a tangible reality of power.
The “Qinyuan” did not linger and quickly followed the military’s designated route, heading to the other side of the star system.
To avoid suspicion, he refrained from using the “Qinyuan’s” radar waves to scan the star region. Needless to say, in this tightly guarded system, every step concealed secrets, and knowing too much was not a good thing.
“Admiral, why did you let him go so easily?” A female officer in a general’s uniform behind Sigrid asked with some confusion.
“A highly potential psionic, and he even has a psionic warship capable of spatial jumps. Even if he doesn’t grow into a legendary hero, just reaching the hero rank would make him a formidable warrior, which is exactly what we need.”
Sigrid was silent for a moment, then said hesitantly, “I don’t know, but my psionics tell me not to constrain him…”
The generals behind her exchanged glances, showing expressions of disbelief.
Does psionic foresight have such a function? Or is my psionic cultivation too shallow?
“It’s strange, isn’t it? But this is the guidance of psionics; it has never deceived me,” Sigrid said slowly. “Keep an eye on this person. I want to know his information, but do not interfere with him.”
“Yes, Admiral!” The female adjutant saluted.
Standing by the porthole, Lin Ke looked at the massive starships in the darkness, his expression one of shock, almost speechless: “Mammoth-class Titan…”
The Titan super battleship, the pinnacle of conventional fleets, a gem in the crown of interstellar civilization’s industrial achievements!
The Mammoth-class Titan was one of the highest technological achievements of the Human Federation. The ship was 13 kilometers long, 5.2 kilometers at its widest point, with a conical bow and a smaller cross-shaped stern, connected by a slender bridge.
Apart from the numerous gun ports scattered across its hull, the most powerful weapon of the Mammoth-class Titan was the Inferno Ray, capable of focusing and firing massive amounts of energy, destroying large warships like battleships in a single shot.
In front of the Titan’s massive hull, the “Qinyuan” appeared minuscule, almost imperceptible, like a dwarf standing before a giant. The sheer size difference alone was enough to sap the enemy’s will to fight.
Even in the interstellar age, a massive size still represented a significant advantage, allowing for more powerful onboard energy reactors and larger energy focusing arrays that powered formidable main cannons.
The Titan flagship grew more distant, soon disappearing from view. Lin Zhichen and Lin Ke stood by the window, silently watching, losing interest in speaking.
“There’s a rumor on the star network that building a Titan costs 1%-2% of the Federation’s annual military budget, and such a project often takes over ten years to complete,” Lin Ke murmured.
“Big brother, do you think we will ever have the chance to pilot our own Titan in this lifetime?”
“Of course!” Lin Zhichen answered resolutely.
The Dakan star system was 3.2 light-years from Redor Fortress and about 6 light-years from Earth.
After four days of hyperspace travel, the “Qinyuan” arrived at the Dakan star system, a wilderness yet to be illuminated by civilization.
Just after crossing over, the ship was at its most vulnerable. For the next ten minutes or so, the “Qinyuan” remained in a state of almost exiting hyperspace but not yet fully out, making it a stationary target.
But fortunately, this was not a completely uninhabited dark star region but the forward position of Redor Fortress. At the end of the hyperspace corridor was a large-scale guard fleet.
After a period of stagnation, the “Qinyuan” finally fully escaped the influence of the hyperspace corridor and began to explore the inner star region.
At this moment, Lin Zhichen finally became alert, activating the gravity sensor radar at full power. His psionic energy expanded along with the radar waves into the vast starry sky.
Now, they were in truly dangerous territory. Without the protection of the Federation fleet, enemies lurked everywhere.
As the radar activated, Lin Zhichen quickly detected a roaming NPC rebel fleet.
Note that these were rebels, not pirates!
In the starry sky, the two major types of wild NPC fleets were a constant worry for countless intelligent civilizations. One was the pirate NPC fleet, equipped with outdated gear and more akin to militia or modified merchant ships, known for their numbers, speed, and weak combat power.
Rebels were different. As the name suggested, they were regular military forces that rebelled—though, in reality, they were NPC fleets spawned in the starry sky.
Unlike pirates, rebel fleets operate military-grade warships. These range from basic warships to second- and even third-generation advanced fleets, including everything from frigates to battleships. In some remote, unpatrolled star regions, rebel bases that developed to a certain extent could even acquire flagships or Titan super battleships!
Do not underestimate such fleets; NPCs could also awaken psionic abilities!
Especially in large wild NPC bases, it was possible for elite or even hero-level NPCs to emerge!
These awakened NPCs were no less intelligent than natural humans and possessed a wide array of skills. A single mistake could lead even powerful heroes to fall. Those who arrogantly believed their lone ship’s strength allowed them to charge in and out unscathed often ended up as frozen corpses in the starry sky.
Currently, what lay before the “Qinyuan” was a small rebel fleet numbering over a hundred ships.
Led by a cruiser, the small-scale fleet of over eighty frigates and a dozen destroyers was turning its direction, targeting the “Qinyuan.”
A cruiser was a class above a destroyer. The Federation’s standard cruiser was over 600 meters long and could be equipped with various weapons, including carrier-based aircraft.
This rebel warship clearly lacked a hangar, as no carrier-based aircraft were being deployed.
Due to its longer hull, a cruiser had an additional warship section compared to a destroyer. If fully equipped with large turrets, it could mount two large main cannons and simultaneously accommodate two medium turrets.
“It’s a heavy artillery configuration,” Lin Zhichen made a quick judgment. The rebel fleet’s radar was superior to that of the “Qinyuan.” By the time he detected the enemy, they had almost completed their turn.
This was thanks to the “Qinyuan” being equipped with a gravity sensor. If it had been using a basic radar or lacked the boost from a gravity propulsion system, it would have been slower, and by now, the rebel fleet would have surrounded them.
This was the danger of pioneering in the outer regions: you never know what you will face. By the time you realize it, you might already be encircled by enemy fleets.