https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1104-Clearing-the-Demonized-Plants/12827789/
Chapter 1103: Contacting the Defense Net
Chapter 1103: Contacting the Defense Net
March 6, 2023
"Your Majesty, the reconnaissance airships have suffered extensive damage and are no longer capable of supporting further reconnaissance missions," the AI Cyano reported to Manina from the command center at Mount Fuji.
Manina still sat in the main command room, facing a large electronic map that displayed the real-time movements of the reconnaissance airships. Initially, the map had shown 300 small red dots, each representing an airship he had dispatched. Now, these red dots had all deviated from their courses, and many had disappeared, losing all contact with the command center.
Upon hearing Cyano's report, Manina asked in a solemn voice, "Cyano, how many reconnaissance airships have we lost?"
The AI Cyano immediately responded, "To date, we have lost a total of 78 airships. The Ice Shooters, Corn Throwers, Ice Watermelon Throwers, and Clover plants that the humans of Earth have planted are too densely packed. The airships cannot withstand such concentrated attacks. Not only have they suffered significant damage, but they have also failed to complete even 1% of the reconnaissance mission."
"So difficult, huh?" Manina sighed. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, recall the remaining airships. The reconnaissance airships are no longer effective. We need to find another way to gather intelligence."
In reality, the reconnaissance airships weren't entirely useless. Despite the abundance of mutated plants, the airships could still easily complete their missions. The Skrulls had constructed the airships with high-quality materials, making their hulls extremely durable and capable of operating at extreme altitudes.
The airships could easily ascend to the stratosphere, flying at altitudes of 10,000 to 20,000 meters, where the bullets from the mutated plants couldn't reach them. However, the situation had changed. Now, a golden defense net loomed above the airships, limiting their altitude to just a few thousand meters.
At such a low altitude, the bullets from the mutated plants could easily reach the airships. Most third-stage plants didn't even need the wind assistance from the Clover plants to hit targets at a few thousand meters.
This is why the reconnaissance airships had proven so ineffective, suffering significant losses. With the airships now rendered useless, they had to find another method to continue their reconnaissance.
What method should they use?
Manina thought for a moment and then instructed the AI Cyano, "Cyano, inform Lance to send 20 seventh-stage cultivators to complete the reconnaissance mission."
Since the airships were no longer effective, he had to rely on high-level cultivators to handle the reconnaissance. Seventh-stage cultivators could still fly at altitudes of a few thousand meters, but unlike the airships, ordinary bullets couldn't penetrate their defenses. The Deceleration Effect also had minimal impact, and the strong winds from the Clover plants had no effect on them at all.
Thus, sending seventh-stage cultivators would ensure a smooth and successful reconnaissance mission.
Manina then gave another order to the AI Cyano, "Cyano, also inform The Ancestor and Mr. Plante that the three of us will go to inspect the golden defense net."
It was time to see this golden defense net for themselves.
In the past, they had not approached the golden defense net because they were blocked by the humans' first line of defense. They couldn't reach it without breaking through that line. Now that the first line of defense had been breached, it was time for the Skrulls to understand what this golden defense net truly was.
...
Ten minutes later, 20 seventh-stage Skrull cultivators flew out of the first line of defense, dispersing in all directions. Each carried several reconnaissance devices that could capture everything within their field of vision.
Meanwhile, Manina, Manina III, and Plante took to the air, ascending over 2,000 meters to approach the golden defense net.
As they neared the net, Plante immediately noticed that on the other side, the peak-level human god Ts'ao Ts'ao was smiling at them.
However, Ts'ao Ts'ao was alone; the other human gods had not joined him.
"Hehe, Ts'ao Ts'ao, we meet again," Plante slowly approached him, a fake smile on his face, and greeted him through the defense net.
"Yes, we meet again," Ts'ao Ts'ao remained calm. He smiled and waved at the three of them, saying, "I knew you would come to inspect the 'Takxin Defense Net.' What do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
Ts'ao Ts'ao waved again, and the golden defense net hummed like a string being plucked by the wind, producing a pleasant sound.
Manina's eyes narrowed, "The 'Takxin Defense Net'? This net is called the 'Takxin Defense Net'?"
"Oh? You didn't know?" Ts'ao Ts'ao seemed surprised. "This net has been in place for so long, I thought you would have already discovered its name. I didn't realize your information-gathering capabilities were so poor!"
"We're not as capable as you think," Plante ignored the mockery in Ts'ao Ts'ao's tone.
He flew to the side of the Takxin Defense Net and placed his hand on it. The orange surface of the defense net made contact with his palm, but he felt no unusual sensations.
The surface felt like touching a regular glass mirror, incredibly smooth.
However, this "mirror" was far tougher than any glass. Su Yu pressed his hand against it lightly, but the orange panel remained completely unmoving.
Seeing Plante's actions, Chancellor Cao smiled and continued, "This is a defensive net specifically designed by the Holy Silver Federation to combat the cosmic insectoids. I'm not joking; this net alone can protect you for centuries without a problem!"
"Centuries? You must be kidding!" Manina and Manina III both looked incredulous, finding it hard to believe.
This wasn't because they had already assessed the defensive capabilities of the Tarxin Net, but because they knew that Earthlings couldn't possibly acquire a defense that could last for centuries against them.
After all, the "War Fairness Principle" was in place. Even if Su Yu spent thousands of credits to get something powerful, it wouldn't significantly tip the balance of the war.
Based on their estimates, while the defensive net wouldn't be terrible, it certainly wasn't invulnerable.
With some effort, they believed they could breach the net without much cost.
...
"Manina, test the strength of the defensive net," Plante signaled to Manina in front of the net.
"Understood," Manina replied.
He immediately cast a seventh-rank instant spell, the "Eye of Destruction."
A bright red, scorching beam of light erupted from his staff, striking the orange barrier in front of him like a laser.
Zzzt—zzzt—
The beam collided with the orange barrier, producing a harsh, grating sound and a series of sparks.
However, the instant spell failed to penetrate the orange barrier.
The bright red beam lasted for about a minute. During this time, the accumulated damage was no less than a full-strength attack from Manina.
But the orange barrier remained intact, showing no significant changes in its structure.
The only evidence of the spell's impact was a series of bright red marks on the panel where the beam had traveled.
Chancellor Cao's expression didn't change much.
He could see the real-time defense values of the net. From the moment Manina's spell hit until it ended, the orange panel's durability never dropped below 80%, indicating that Manina's attack was far from enough to break through.
Plante and Manina III, however, both frowned.
They were very familiar with Manina's true strength.
While Manina's apparent rank was upper seventh, his instant spells were quite powerful.
Manina's equipment was the best on Skrull, and his techniques and various spell-casting aids were top-notch. His staff was crafted from a legendary treasure, envied even by god-level experts.
The "Eye of Destruction" spell he cast was no less powerful than a full-strength attack from a regular peak seventh-rank expert!
Yet, the "Eye of Destruction" couldn't even leave a substantial mark on the orange barrier, let alone penetrate it.
This suggested that only a god-level attack or higher could do the job.
"I'll take care of it," Manina III said grimly.
Without waiting for Plante's response, he took out a massive blue hammer from his spatial ring, taller than a person.
He swung the hammer lightly, and it grew even larger in the wind, instantly transforming into a colossal hammer over twenty meters long and five to six meters thick!
The hammer's tip was adorned with sharp spikes, and a deep blue light mixed with pure white radiance flowed slowly over the spikes. Chancellor Cao could faintly hear a rumbling sound, like distant thunder.
Just by its appearance, this hammer was no ordinary weapon.
Without waiting for the others to react, Manina III swung the hammer at the orange barrier.
His speed was incredible. If recorded, it would show that the giant hammer struck the orange barrier in a single frame, as if it had teleported.
Boom—
The impact was intense, and the orange barrier immediately burst into countless golden ripples.
Blinding golden light radiated from the point of impact, illuminating everything around it brilliantly.
However, Manina III didn't stop there.
His first strike, though extremely fast, was not very powerful, only equivalent to a regular god-level full-strength attack.
Clearly, it hadn't broken the orange barrier.
The force transmitted back from the hammer confirmed to Manina III that the barrier remained intact.
So, he immediately changed his strategy and swung the hammer again, this time with full force, the full might of a peak god-level expert!
Clang!
The giant hammer collided with the orange barrier, causing the surrounding space to violently oscillate.
Crack—
This time, the orange barrier finally couldn't withstand the pressure. It shattered under the hammer's blow, exploding into a cloud of golden dust.
Seeing the orange barrier shattered, Manina III was elated!
He laughed loudly, "Ha! A single strike to breach the defensive net! It seems your net's defense isn't much after all!"
Chancellor Cao, however, remained unperturbed.
Character Names:
Manina III (no change, as it's already in English)
Plante (no change, as it's already in English)
Prime Minister Cao (no change, as it's already in English)
Shilan (no change, as it's already in English)
Terms:
Taxin Defense Net (no change, as it's already in English)
Holy Silver Federation (no change, as it's already in English)
Disintegration Ray Tower (no change, as it's already in English)
Skrulls (no change, as it's already in English and likely a proper noun in the context)
Qin and Han dynasties (kept as is, for historical context)
Ancient Chinese greeting (replaced with a more specific term below)
Text with Replacements:
He replied calmly, "But that was your all-out attack. If the full power of a peak god-level can't break through this defense, you might as well give up on winning this war."
The orange barrier shattered, creating a clear gap in the Taxin Defense Net.
Facing this gap, Emperor Manina III instinctively wanted to slip through.
But just as he was about to move, he realized it was a bad idea!
If he went through now, he would be surrounded and attacked.
Even if he, Plante, and Manina III went together, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Blue Planet's cluster of god-level beings.
So, he quickly moved away from the gap and rejoined Plante and Manina.
As he moved away, the energy around the orange barrier converged on the gap, and the barrier quickly restored itself, looking as good as new.
Seeing the barrier recover so quickly, the smile on Manina III's face vanished.
This recovery speed was too fast!
He had just shattered it, and it had already recovered in just over a second?
Of course, a second was enough time for a god-level being to pass through the gap, and even ten god-level beings could have gotten through in that time.
But with this recovery speed, it would be impossible for a regular army to get through.
"This barrier recovers too quickly!" Manina III was extremely surprised. He used his mental power to communicate with the others, "I wonder if all the barriers recover this fast, or if the Blue Planet people are focusing all their energy on this one section to make it recover so quickly."
"It's probably the latter," Plante deduced. "Otherwise, it would be terrifying."
"But even this is terrifying enough," Manina responded. "With the barrier recovering so quickly, our army can't pass through at all."
"That's not necessarily true," Plante remained calm. "Once we push the front line to the edge of the defense net, we can all attack together, combining our fleet's firepower and the Disintegration Ray Tower to create several or even a dozen gaps at once.
"With so many gaps, I don't believe the Blue Planet people can repair them that quickly. As long as they can't keep up, our army can easily pass through."
"That's true. In terms of energy consumption, we Skrulls still have a significant advantage."
Manina, Plante, and the third Skrull continued their mental discussion, having fully assessed the Taxin Defense Net's defensive capabilities. In summary:
- Ordinary god-level beings couldn't break it.
- Peak god-level beings could easily shatter it.
They could barely accept this level of defense; now, they just needed to figure out how to breach it.
...
Prime Minister Cao knew the three Skrulls were communicating mentally.
Although he didn't know what they were discussing, he maintained a polite smile, like a well-mannered host dealing with impolite guests.
When their discussion came to a pause, Prime Minister Cao smiled and asked, "How's the discussion going? Have you found a way to breach the defense net?"
Plante and the others turned to look at Cao.
Their faces were expressionless, revealing nothing of their inner thoughts.
After a brief silence, Plante replied, "The defense net is impressive, befitting the technology of the Holy Silver Federation. However, we are not afraid of it. We'll see you again!"
With that, Plante performed a traditional Deep Bow of Respect (replacing "ancient Chinese greeting" for specificity).
Moreover, his final words, "Until We Meet Again" (replacing "" with an English equivalent, maintaining the Qin and Han dynasties' historical context), were a nod to ancient Eastern etiquette. It was unclear where he had learned them, but it made Cao feel a sense of familiarity.
However, despite the familiarity, Cao didn't forget that Plante was an enemy. He maintained his smile and said, "Alright, I look forward to seeing how you plan to breach this defense net... But on a different note, your phrase 'Until We Meet Again' isn't quite accurate. I believe we'll meet again very soon."
"Very soon"?
Hearing this, Plante and the others were taken aback.
What did he mean by that?
Before they could react, Manina suddenly heard the AI Shilan's voice in his ear, "Your Majesty! We have a situation ahead! The seventh-rank Skrulls who went out to scout are under a planned ambush by the Blue Planet forces!"
"What?" Manina's pupils dilated.
He had not anticipated that the Skrulls on reconnaissance would be attacked by the Blue Planet forces.
From the Blue Planet's perspective, this was easily explained.
The area between the first and second lines of defense was filled with magical plants, which were the Blue Planet's territory.
These magical plants acted like eyes, clearly tracking the movements of the 20 seventh-rank Skrulls.
Since they dared to intrude on their territory, why wouldn't the Blue Planet forces attack?
Thus, the moment the 20 seventh-rank Skrulls entered the sea of magical plants, the Blue Planet forces began their operation.
Su Yu dispatched all his god-tier powerhouses to deal with the Skrull Seventh Stagers one-on-one. Since the number of god-tier powerhouses was insufficient, he sent teams of about ten Seventh Stagers to besiege the remaining Skrull targets.
Everyone agreed to attack at the same time to avoid tipping off the Skrulls, ensuring that the other Skrulls wouldn't receive any warning and escape while one of them was being dealt with.
Prime Minister Cao, of course, was aware of this operation, which is why he had maintained a smile all along.
It wasn't until he received the news that the attacks had begun that he sarcastically taunted Plante.
...
Faced with this sudden situation, the three Manina leaders were taken aback!
Twenty Seventh Stagers were under siege simultaneously!
According to the subsequent reports from the AI Syblue, some were being besieged by god-tier powerhouses, while others were surrounded by teams of about ten Seventh Stagers.
If they weren't rescued in time, many Seventh Stagers would surely fall!
Thus, the three Manina leaders could no longer focus on defending against Prime Minister Cao.
Plante and the three Manina emperors exchanged glances and then quickly flew toward the scene of the conflict.
Plante's teleportation technology was incredibly advanced, and he vanished in a flash of white light.
The three Manina emperors also flew at an incredible speed. Although they couldn't teleport, they could reach the scene in just a few minutes with their own power.
Manina himself quickly descended to the command center, where he needed to take charge and stabilize the situation.
Prime Minister Cao, of course, didn't remain idle.
As Plante teleported, Cao quickly pinpointed Plante's new location and followed him, aiming to catch and restrain Plante to buy time for their side.
Meanwhile, the First Emperor Ying Zheng had locked onto the position of the three Manina emperors.
...
Thus, the top-tier powerhouses of the Blue Star and the Skrulls engaged in battle without any warning, clashing in the skies above the sea of mutated plants.
The Blue Star side had the advantage of terrain and the element of surprise, quickly gaining the upper hand.
While the Skrulls were caught off guard, they reacted swiftly and were willing to cut their losses, so their disadvantage wasn't as significant.
The chaotic battle lasted nearly two hours.
After two hours, both sides called a halt and returned to their bases to assess their losses.
At the Skrull Expeditionary Force's headquarters:
After the battle, AI Syblue reported the losses to Manina and the other top Skrull leaders:
"In this battle, we lost three Seventh Stagers: Markni Leiyang, Green Mulox, and Anka Zha.
Additionally, six Seventh Stagers were severely injured: Leighton Plante, Anna Elizabeth, and others. Several more sustained minor injuries."
Hearing Syblue's report, the Skrull leaders' faces darkened.
They had been too complacent this time.
None of them, including Manina, had expected the Blue Star people to be so bold, daring to launch a surprise attack at this moment!
It seemed they couldn't underestimate the Blue Star anymore; underestimation would come at a cost.
"What about the enemy's casualties?" Manina asked solemnly.
"The Blue Star side's casualties were much lighter than ours," Syblue replied. "According to incomplete statistics, only one Seventh Stager from the Blue Star perished: Sushma Swaraj, an Indian with the game ID [Indian Defense Minister]. Two were severely injured, and several more sustained minor injuries."
Sushma Swaraj's game ID was [Indian Defense Minister], but he wasn't actually India's defense minister; his real identity was India's foreign minister. When he entered the game, he accidentally typed "defense" instead of "foreign," resulting in this ID.
Plante's teleportation technology was on par with the Blue Star mages' instantaneous movement.
When Plante arrived at one of the besieged Skrull Seventh Stagers, Sushma Swaraj was the first to face him.
He couldn't withstand Plante's explosive output, making him the only Seventh Stager from the Blue Star to fall.
As for the three Skrull Seventh Stagers who died, they were all killed by surprise attacks. In the face of such sudden ambushes, they had no chance to escape.
...
After reviewing Syblue's battle report, a brief silence fell in the Skrull top-tier video conference room.
After a moment, Manina spoke solemnly: "I should take primary responsibility for this sudden incident. I failed to anticipate this ambush, leading to these unnecessary sacrifices. I am willing to impose penalties on myself according to the Skrull War Law, demoting myself three ranks and forfeiting a year's salary."
After a moment of silence, Speaker Runkte Kusman responded: "Your Majesty, you are being too harsh on yourself. The incident was sudden, and no one could have predicted it.
What we should do now is learn from this event to prevent similar occurrences in the future. We also need to quickly discuss a strategy to address our reconnaissance issues."
For Manina, the "demotion by three ranks and a year's salary forfeiture" was like scratching through a boot, essentially meaningless.
However, Kusman was very considerate, shifting the conversation to the handling of the incident.
(End of Chapter)
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