For a few minutes, Pol explained Major General Howard’s arrangement of placing a tech orb along the empty space route as a contingency measure. As the commander of the tech orb unit, he had long been aware of Howard’s setup, but when Yang Ying asked why he hadn't mentioned it sooner, Pol simply replied that Yang Ying and the brigadier captain hadn't asked before!

Of course, this answer was within Yang Ying’s expectations. After twenty-five specialized fighters were eliminated, the remaining mass-produced units posed no threat to the Ghost fighters.

The Ghost fighters already held an almost two-to-one numerical advantage, coupled with their superior performance and stealth capabilities, they effortlessly dealt with all the remaining fighters. Cosmo had narrowly dodged two near-death experiences today—the destruction of his bridge and the explosion of his battleship—but his luck had finally run out; he was wiped out along with his flagship by a Ghost fighter.

His wreckage drifted silently in space, just like all the other pilots. Not long ago, he had been commanding the most advanced battlecruiser in the solar system.

After the last Caesar fighter was destroyed, the entire engagement could be considered over. The Laurel Fleet, which was terrifying throughout the asteroid belt and boasted the ability to annihilate any major mercenary group, was utterly routed!

And the Golden Flame, a Laurel-class battlecruiser that possessed half the combat power of the entire Laurel Fleet, became floating space debris without firing a single shot. This was not to say the Laurel-class battlecruiser was weak.

If Yang Ying had sent three heavy cruisers to engage the Golden Flame in a pure gunnery duel, it likely wouldn't have been enough to withstand a single salvo from that super-sized warship. The sixth-tier cannons of the Laurel-class battlecruiser and the fifth-tier cannons of the heavy cruiser were weapons operating on entirely different levels.

A direct hit from a sixth-tier coilgun onto a heavy cruiser, even if not hitting a vital spot, could reduce the heavy cruiser to scrap! Just one shot!

The destructive power of uranium projectiles increased exponentially with every tier increase, making a heavy cruiser engaging a battlecruiser akin to a child fighting an adult—the chances of success were minuscule. However, Yang Ying’s forces possessed Ghost fighters, the tech orbs’ Iodine Pulse, and the permanently cloaked Protoss Observers.

More advanced technology not only bypassed the deficiency in firepower but also created an overwhelming advantage, leading to the Golden Flame being destroyed before it could fire a single cannon. Truly, technology is the foremost fighting power—that is the principle.

After erasing all traces of the battle, the fleet reassembled and headed toward the next sector of space. Another Laurel Fleet awaited resolution there.

All Ghost fighters were recalled to their carriers to replenish ammunition. Twelve missiles seemed like a lot, but they were expended rapidly; a few skirmishes used them up entirely.

Without support vessels, the remaining ammunition would have been insufficient to handle the second Laurel Fleet after just one battle. During the transit, Major General Howard opened a communication channel with Yang Ying, stating, “Sir, we have fulfilled our mandate in this battle; it has concluded successfully.” “Very successfully,” Yang Ying laughed.

“Your planning for the entire engagement was meticulous. I almost thought that Caesar fighter would escape the interference zone, never guessing a tech orb was lying in ambush there.” “One must always keep reserves on the battlefield; without them, one loses the initiative in the rapidly changing environment.

Ambushing a tech orb is quite normal; it doesn’t merit the term meticulous,” Howard demurred. “If we were truly meticulous, we wouldn’t have allowed those fighters a chance to escape the hangars in the first place.” Howard paused, then continued, “However, having experienced this battle, I will ensure such things do not happen again when dealing with the fleet led by the battlecruiser Iron Hammer.” Yang Ying nodded.

“Go prepare for the next battle.” Howard bowed. “Yes, Sir,” before closing the communication.

The asteroid belt contained areas dense with meteoroids and areas where they were sparse. The fleet was currently traversing one of the sparse regions, where only thumb-sized micro-meteoroids floated—harmless to a fleet covered in alloy armor.

A little over an hour later, a staff officer suddenly shouted, “Target acquired!” “Switch to the main screen!” the brigadier captain commanded. The screen flashed, displaying a radar image dotted with over a hundred blinking points.

“Indeed, there shouldn’t be this many large meteoroids appearing simultaneously. It can only be a fleet,” the brigadier captain affirmed.

“By scale, it’s about the size of a Laurel Fleet; it must be our target,” Yang Ying agreed. “Distance?” the brigadier captain inquired.

“Directly ahead, 3.2 million kilometers out. They are closing on us,” the staff officer replied.

Yang Ying clapped his hands and grinned, “It seems they haven’t noticed that the Golden Flame is finished yet.” The brigadier captain was less optimistic. He shook his head.

“It has been three hours since their last contact. They could initiate contact again at any moment.

Once they realize they’ve lost contact with the Golden Flame, suspicion is bound to arise. In fact, I think the probability of them not making a routine check-in within three hours is infinitesimally small; they are likely suspicious already.” “Is that so?” Yang Ying turned toward the screen.

“But even with suspicion, they can't know we’ve already destroyed the Golden Flame.” Meanwhile, aboard the bridge of the massive Iron Hammer, Captain Hydebov, with bloodshot eyes indicating a lack of sleep, asked the staff officers seated below his command chair, “Still no word from Cosmo?” Not a single staff officer responded. Hydebov leaned back in his command chair, closed his eyes, and massaged his temples.

“Cosmo and I agreed to contact each other hourly, but since the routine check-in three hours ago, the Golden Flame has gone silent. Someone must have jammed their communications.” He had developed a headache since the vice-captain woke him two hours prior to report the loss of contact with the Golden Flame.

This was because Laurel-class battlecruisers were masters of electronic and information warfare, equipped with the most advanced gear manufactured by the Caesar Group, making them highly effective at jamming other warships’ communications, yet rarely suffering such interference themselves. This situation implied that any interference they experienced must be extremely troublesome!

“Increase speed immediately and proceed to the rendezvous point. The Golden Flame might be in fierce combat; we must join them quickly,” Hydebov decreed firmly.

“Yes!” None of the staff officers proposed the possibility that the Golden Flame had been annihilated; to them, that was simply impossible! Hydebov added, “Also, connect me to the Ista representative.” Another half-hour passed.

Howard, aboard his flagship, watched the fleet led by the Iron Hammer enter the prepared battle zone and said, “Notify everyone, prepare.” “All units prepared!” the staff officers responded. “It is now 05:05 hours.

The target has entered the designated combat zone. Battle commences!” Howard announced.

“Yes! Battle officially commences!” The staff officers immediately relayed the order.

Quentin yelled into his headset, “Brothers, let’s go to war!” “Yes!” the Ghost fighter pilots roared back. Instantly, one hundred ready squadrons of Ghost fighters launched!

This time, Howard had adjusted the combat plan based on the performance of the Golden Flame’s fleet. In addition to keeping fifty fighter squadrons to guard the main fleet, the remaining one hundred squadrons—a total of 1,200 Ghost fighters—were sent out.

Pol also led his tech orb unit forward ahead of the main force. Outside the Iron Hammer’s reconnaissance range, Pol shouted, “We finish this target and we’re done for the day, everyone attack!” The six tech orbs unleashed four waves of Iodine missile attacks consecutively!

Against the first Laurel Fleet, they had only fired two waves of Boron missiles—partly to test their resistance and partly to conserve ordnance for the second Laurel Fleet. But now, none of that mattered, so the tech orbs were lavish with their four-missile strikes.

This Laurel Fleet, under the command of the Iron Hammer, also launched numerous interceptor missiles, attempting to neutralize the incoming barrage. The result was the same as with the Golden Flame; they were hit.

Twenty-four Iodine missiles: two targeted the Iron Hammer, ten aimed at the ten large warships, and twelve distributed among the other medium and small vessels. After four waves of electromagnetic pulses, the entire Laurel Fleet was instantly paralyzed.

Following that came the one hundred squadrons of Ghost fighters. They split into two large groups, positioning themselves one hundred kilometers directly above and below the Iron Hammer.

Then, they charged straight toward the Iron Hammer, unleashing a rain of missiles upon it. This employed the same tactic used against the Golden Flame, but this time it was a pincer attack, driving 2,400 anti-ship missiles into the golden net launch ports on the Iron Hammer’s back and the hangar bays on its belly!

Based on the previous experience, they already knew that only the hangar bays of the Laurel-class battlecruiser within the fleet possessed quadruple shielding. Thus, the first wave of attacks instantly destroyed all deployable fighters still inside their hangars!

Simultaneously, subjected to 2,400 anti-ship missiles, the Iron Hammer detonated even faster and more spectacularly than the Golden Flame! In barely half a minute, the outwardly magnificent warship was reduced to cosmic dust by a violent reactor explosion!

Crew members aboard the other warships of the Laurel Fleet who witnessed this scene were instantly dumbfounded. Caesar’s Laurels dominated the asteroid belt; since the appearance of these warships, they had been invincible across the star seas.

But! In these brief few minutes, the pride of the Caesar Mercenary Group, the battlecruiser Iron Hammer, had been turned into cosmic dust by a series of attacks launched from an unknown source.

How could these crew members possibly process the reality? However, they wouldn't need to worry about processing it for long.

Soon, the Ghost fighter units dispersed, operating individually by squadron, and with no enemy fighters to contest them, they leisurely destroyed the paralyzed warships one by one. Yang Ying witnessed this extremely swift victory through the physical viewscreen, his mood complex, and he murmured, “This battle was unexpectedly easy, wasn't it?

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