Chapter 1102: Three Days of Rest
Chapter 1102: Three Days of Rest
None of the methods below the Divine tier could resolve the issue, and that was not a good sign!
In the Skrull Alliance, only a handful had reached the Divine tier, while the vast majority were still below it.
If those affected by the "Defeated One's Steel Seal" couldn't be resolved, they would have to passively endure the torment. And Manina thought about himself as well.
He hadn't even reached the Divine tier, not even the peak of the Seventh Rank. His strength was only at the Upper Seventh Rank.
What would he do if he were ever invaded by the "Defeated One's Steel Seal" in the future?
...
While Manina furrowed his brow, contemplating a strategy, Lanchi rushed back from the front lines and saluted him. "Your Majesty, Sir Styme asked if we should open a second passage?"
Lanchi was inquiring about a different matter.
The silver passage created by Styme had been destroyed, so the Skrull fleet could no longer pass through the first line of defense to reach the outer perimeter.
Now, the question was whether they should open another passage for the fleet to advance. This was a crucial decision. Manina forced himself to focus, pushing the "Defeated One's Steel Seal" issue to the back of his mind and concentrating on the present problem.
After some thought, he stroked his chin and said to Lanchi, who stood opposite him, "No, we won't open a second passage. Let's wait for now."
"???" Lanchi was taken aback.
He widened his eyes and asked, "What? Not open a second passage? Shouldn't we capitalize on our victory and pursue them?"
Lanchi had assumed that a second passage was a given, and he had only come to confirm the procedure. He hadn't expected the Emperor to outright reject it!
"There's no need right now," Manina turned away, his hands behind his back, and looked toward the direction where the high-ranking Blues had retreated to the south. He explained slowly:
"We had Sir Styme open the first passage to catch the Blues off guard. They didn't know we had the means to create a passage, and such a bold move could disrupt their rhythm.
However, now that the first passage has been destroyed and the Blues are prepared, there's no point in opening another one. It wouldn't make much difference to push forward now.
We can wait until the chaotic spiritual energy and spatial fluctuations in the first line of defense are cleared. Then we can advance steadily and methodically."
"Alright, as you say," Lanchi nodded.
Lanchi agreed that this made sense. After the recent battle, the troops were exhausted and in need of a rest to recover their morale and energy.
"And..." Manina emphasized, "And when the first passage was just opened, I saw a large number of demonized plants outside."
"Demonized plants? ... Wait... You mean the demonized plants that appeared in Busan during the 'Gravity Funnel' operation?" Lanchi immediately understood.
During the "Gravity Funnel" operation, the Blues had planted a large number of demonized plants along the coast of Busan. While the individual strength of these demonized plants was not strong, typically only at the Second or Third Rank, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. They covered the landscape, creating a dense and sprawling mass that left a deep impression on Lanchi.
Now that Manina mentioned the demonized plants, Lanchi immediately recalled them.
"Your Majesty, how many demonized plants are there?" Lanchi asked immediately.
"I don't know," Manina shook his head. "From what I saw, the entire field of vision was filled with demonized plants. The Blues are using demonized plants to slow down our advance. The number they planted must be substantial.
It's even possible that the entire area between the first and second lines of defense is covered with demonized plants."
"If that's the case...
Lan Qi frowned, his expression turning grim. "We'll have to adjust our tactics."
Their original plan was to launch a rapid assault. After breaking through the first defensive line, they would swiftly advance, using overwhelming force to breach the second through ninth lines of defense, all the way to the edge of the golden defensive net.
The second through ninth lines of defense were longer and thus couldn't match the strength of the first line. The farther out they went, the weaker the defenses became.
The Skrullians had planned to capture these eight lines of defense within seven days of Blue Planet time. However, the appearance of the mutated plants disrupted their plans, forcing them to slow down and rethink their strategy.
Manina patted Lan Qi on the shoulder. "So, we won't rush to open a second passage. Instead, we need to rest and regroup. Once the dust from the first line settles, we'll advance more cautiously."
"Understood, Your Majesty!" Lan Qi replied.
...
...
For the next three days, the Skrullians took no major actions, staying in their camp to rest and regroup.
Skrullians of the sixth rank and above were all mobilized to assist the fleet in clearing the first defensive line. It took three days, but they successfully cleared the line, dispelling the violent spirit energy and stabilizing the turbulent space with their formations.
By the evening of the third day, June 14th, the first defensive line was completely cleared. The scorched black earth was still slightly warm, but otherwise it was no different from regular ground, posing no hindrance to the army's advance.
With the first defensive line cleared, the vast expanse of mutated plants from the "Plant Sea Project" came into the Skrullians' view.
The Skrullians dispatched reconnaissance drones in all directions to determine the extent of the mutated plants' territory.
However, they did not expect the drones to face such fierce resistance from the plants.
On the morning of June 14th, just as the initial clearing of the first defensive line was completed, Manina sent out 300 reconnaissance airships in all directions.
But as soon as the airships flew past the first line, the idle mutated plants immediately launched their attacks.
From the airships' perspective, they saw a sky filled with ice melons, corn kernels, and frozen peas flying toward them.
The density of these plant projectiles was so high that the airships couldn't possibly dodge all of them.
Bang—bang—bang—
With the sounds of impact, many airships were shot down. Those that weren't hit were covered in ice, cornmeal, and slowed down significantly.
But the worst was yet to come.
A few of the airships, more agile and adept at adjusting their positions, managed to dodge the initial onslaught and ventured deeper.
But soon they discovered—terrifying gales were coming!
Vast fields of Three-Leaf Grass, with their spinning blades, whipped up gales, and hurricanes of over 15 on the Beaufort scale roared toward them.
The Skrullian airships, primarily powered by air currents, were very adept at utilizing high-altitude winds to save energy.
Faced with such fierce gales, almost all the airships were thrown off course, some veering off their intended paths, others blown away into unknown directions.
In the end, the 300 reconnaissance airships achieved little, and 78 of them were lost. This outcome left the Skrullians feeling utterly humiliated.
(End of Chapter)
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