The hour of five in the morning is when human beings sleep the deepest. Seizing this rare opportunity after replacing their shields, Audo immediately increased firepower and launched a lightning attack on Zi Ye's fleet, determined to crush the opposition in one fell swoop.

Their assault was incredibly swift. Frigates scouted the way, stealth bombers took the lead, battleships formed the main thrust, and electronic reconnaissance vessels acted as eyes on either flank, charging toward Zi Ye's fleet in a massive tide.

Zi Ye looked at the brand-new shields displayed on the light screen, chuckling. The Coalition had swapped shields, and they too had repaired their ballistics, with all anti-matter annihilation cannons now fully deployed.

She ordered the few laser cannon warships, which were currently using their lasers to distract the enemy, to pull back. Opening the comms system, she announced, "Warships equipped with adjusted ballistics, switch to full offense/full defense mode.

We will repay their actions in kind!" As the fleets closed in, she immediately initiated a secure call to Old Dog. "In ten minutes, increase your firepower on your side and bombard them relentlessly." Old Dog hesitated.

"Their firepower will be weak at that time, but so will ours. Many of our troops need rest; they’ve been fighting without sleep for days, eyes bloodshot." Zi Ye was confident.

"Their rear echelon will become chaotic shortly. The moment they start adjusting warships between the front and rear lines will be the perfect time for you to strike.

Just hold them off for a bit; it will pass quickly." Old Dog asked, "Have you cooked up another one of your schemes?" Zi Ye grinned slyly. "It hasn't taken effect yet.

We'll talk once it does." Old Dog didn't press further. Zi Ye terminated the call and focused her attention on the battlefield.

One could imagine: as the Coalition fleet advanced, shielded by their shimmer-alloy plating, the Tang Clan plunder ships lined up, their darkened weapon emplacements no longer spitting out dazzling, blinding lasers of every color, but instead launching anti-matter annihilation cannons—dark masses in space, like coalescing black clouds. Shimmer alloy meeting anti-matter annihilation cannon had only one outcome: corrosion!

The anti-matter annihilation cannon was intensely corrosive, comprised of noxious smoke, miasma, and poisonous gas. Upon contact with metal, it adhered tightly, initiating corrosion across all surfaces.

It couldn't be shaken off. If a pilot accidentally inhaled any of it, they would drop dead instantly.

Some Tang Clan warships had converted their laser cannons to anti-matter annihilation cannons, but neither her fleet nor the twins' fleet had changed, and the Tamer Pirate fleet hadn't either. Once the Coalition shields were corroded, these ships—armed with projectile launchers and railguns—charged to the front lines and unleashed a chaotic barrage upon the Coalition.

Warships stripped of their shields were as fragile as tofu, protected only by their outer plating, exploding upon the slightest hit. The few ships that rushed forward too quickly met unavoidable doom.

The sight struck fear into the hearts of the trailing vessels. Many in the Coalition forces had no idea what had happened.

Weren't they here to break the Tang Clan's laser cannons? Why was not a single warship using them?

Where had the laser cannon vessels, which were so prominent just minutes ago, disappeared to? The rapid, fierce, and high morale they possessed before the battle, their unquestioning confidence, vanished.

They began to retreat. When Audo saw that the launch platforms of the lead ships were firing anti-matter annihilation cannons instead of lasers, his face turned utterly ashen.

This couldn't be a coincidence! Could there be a mole?

Audo frowned at the main display. Besides the Star Federation, no other legion possessed the capability to replace the shields on over a hundred warships with shimmer alloy overnight.

Even if a mole had informed the enemy the moment he ordered the shield replacement, how could the enemy have managed to overhaul all their ballistic systems and switch all their ammunition to anti-matter annihilation cannons in just a few hours? That small legion, Wolf's Den, simply couldn't manage it!

Unless they had been preparing this for months, stockpiling anti-matter annihilation cannons long ago. This type of ammunition had only recently hit the market, supplied by a single source, and was notoriously difficult to acquire.

Could it be that he had unknowingly stumbled into a trap meticulously laid by Wolf's Den? Impossible!

Yet, the current reality forced him to believe it. Audo's rationality slowly returned as he reviewed the sequence of events, and suddenly his face turned deathly pale—Wolf's Den had been desperately fighting defensively for the past two months; how could they have found the time for this elaborate setup?

How could their response have been so swift? How could they have kept it completely hidden without anyone noticing?

Could this entire operation have been improvised? The more Audo thought, the colder his heart grew.

He suspected that a commander intimately familiar with his combat doctrine had arrived. He had to uncover the identity of this person!

He had no time for deep contemplation now. Since the micro-light shields were useless, he needed to adjust immediately.

He glanced back at his adjutant. His subordinates, without exception, all wore expressions of bewilderment.

Even their spines weren't held as rigidly straight as when they launched the attack. "Their strategy is to feign weakness to lure us in," Audo composed himself, then turned and broadcast to the fleet, "All frontline warriors, hold on for just two more minutes, and reinforcements will arrive!" He ordered some of the resting fleets from headquarters to come to the rescue.

It was not yet six in the morning in space, yet the area was as clamorous as high noon. Old Dog, watching from his position, was relieved to see the enemy fleet pressing them actually reduce their fire intensity.

He raised a fist and shouted, "All warriors who have finished resting, let's charge back out!" Zi Ye, the twins, Nine Hands, Tang Jing, and several fleet commanders under Tang Jing were all gathered on Zi Ye’s command ship, smiles etched on their faces—this battle had been executed beautifully! Zi Ye finally had a moment to catch her breath, taking a sip of lemon water to clear her head.

"We let them think we were weak and easy targets. Now look, they won't dare underestimate us again!" Everyone burst into laughter, exhaustion instantly swept away.

Tang Jing stood up. "Next, let's bare our fangs and leap at them with full force!" At that moment, everyone felt incredibly invigorated by this turning point.

... Compared to the high-spirited, hastily assembled fleet, the morale of the Coalition fleet had plummeted to rock bottom.

The opponents they had casually dismissed had delivered one slap after another, right to their faces. By now, everyone understood they had been thoroughly tricked by Wolf's Den.

Anger, frustration, and pressure flooded their senses. The adversary they thought negligible had suddenly become inscrutable.

Concealing the complete overhaul of ballistic systems and ammunition changes so perfectly—who knew what other trump cards they held? The Coalition forces were veterans of countless engagements, whether small skirmishes or full-scale interstellar wars; they had never been defeated in comparison.

To suffer a scorched-earth setback while simultaneously being struck head-on like this was unprecedented. Would the Coalition really crash and burn in the hopeful theater of war?

Losing to a powerful opponent was no shame, but losing to those they looked down upon created an enormous psychological gulf. Some in the Coalition began entertaining dark thoughts.

They had confidently vowed to conquer Wolf's Den within a month, expanding the Star Federation’s territory anew. Now that seemed impossible.

Had Audo grown old, unable to keep pace with the evolution of warfare? Had their opponents brought in some truly formidable aid?

... The way prideful individuals react to failure is starkly different from those who struggle in adversity.

Those who fight through hardship, when knocked down, brush off the dust and keep striving, because crying is useless, and rolling around won't get anyone a sweet treat. The proud are different.

Their first thought upon falling is: How could I have fallen? Did anyone nearby see?

Did the media reporters catch it? Will I be ridiculed?

As these thoughts compounded, the pressure became overwhelming, leading them to simply shut their eyes and refuse to face reality. There was one small comfort for this proud group: the combat reporters were currently resting, so for the moment, no one was broadcasting this disaster.

Audo understood his soldiers’ mindset well; thinking of the consequences at Waterloo, he too felt deeply humiliated. However, as the supreme commander, when his troops felt lost, he had to enact a salvage operation and promptly dispel any unwarranted thoughts.

He cleared his throat. "When paths narrow, the brave prevail.

We are halfway across this single-plank bridge; we cannot retreat, nor can we stop. Only by pushing them off the bridge can we be safe.

If we fall back, they will push us off!" He gritted his teeth, his voice turning harsh. "Comrades, we fight for the honor of the Star Federation's dominance!

We will not allow defeat this time! We must break their defense line before they break ours!" Only by shattering the enemy's defense line first could they win this battle, as their soldiers' morale was continuously sinking; only victory could restore their confidence.

"Yes!" the soldiers responded in unison. But their voices lacked the robust sound of old.

Audo shifted the warships without the micro-light alloy shields to the front lines, turning the battlefield into a thorough slugfest of offense and counter-attack. Zi Ye changed the previous full offense/defense mode to a triangular offensive formation, accelerating the pace of the attack to eliminate several key warships before the enemy could organize their lines.

This wave of offense was brilliant and fluid, displaying the caliber of top-tier interstellar strategists. Daybreak neared, and the battle reporters, piloting their round, egg-like shielded vessels, circled, observing and filing live reports back to headquarters.

"Wolf's Den's morale today is incredibly fierce, their attacks advancing in tidal waves, deeply inspiring. Hmm?

Have the Tang Clan's plunder ships all withdrawn today? There are no laser cannons at the scene!

This is a true marvel! Yesterday, a crucial factor in Wolf's Den's endurance was the deployment of Tang Clan aid fleets." The reporter’s commentary was both rational and calm.

"Currently, Wolf's Den's combat director is still detained at Kora's wedding. With the Tang Clan fleet having pulled back, it's truly astonishing that Wolf's Den's soldiers can mount such a potent offense.

Conversely, the Coalition's morale seems somewhat lacking today—perhaps they slept poorly last night? Though, that’s understandable.

These battles have raged for days and nights; even an iron man would suffer." Saying this, they adjusted their display screen to focus on the plunder ships, then cried out in shock: "This is impossible!" "The Tang Clan fleet is still here, but they are not using laser cannons!" The war correspondent shouted in alarm, "At midnight, they were still using lasers, and seven hours later, their ammunition has become..." He paused, checking his data, "...anti-matter annihilation cannons! My God, they converted from laser cannons to anti-matter annihilation cannons in just seven hours!" "The Young Master of the Tang Clan might cry seeing this, as the laser cannon was his favorite weapon, but I believe he will laugh, because the destructive power of the anti-matter annihilation cannon is immense.

Look at the Coalition shields, riddled with holes from corrosion."