206: Initial voyage crisis and the interception by the "Stardust Beasts"

The maiden voyage of the "morning star" based on the "Resonance" principle was a complete success, exceeding all expectations.

The ship experienced none of the spatial tremors or temporal ripple effects predicted by theoretical models; instead, it slid quietly into its planned route in an extremely stable manner, with almost imperceptible acceleration, like an elegant giant whale diving into the deep, boundless interstellar ocean.

At the stern, the massive "Resonance" matrix engine emitted a stable, soft blue glow, becoming the only moving speck of light in the silent deep space.

Inside the ship, the artificial gravity field operated perfectly, the life support system provided an Earth-like comfortable environment, and the greenery in the ecological circulation units was vibrant.

The expedition team's life quickly settled into an orderly routine, and Excellence, Su Mu, and Evelyn gradually adapted to the rhythm of working, studying, and living in a confined space for a long period.

Excellence spent most of his time immersed in further optimizing the ship's energy systems and researching data on the "planet core"; Evelyn led the science team in continuously analyzing cosmic environmental data along the route and planning exploration protocols for after arrival at the target star region; Su Mu was responsible for daily ship management, security patrols, and monitoring the crew's psychological state.

Everything seemed calm, even carrying a hint of the refreshing, solitary beauty unique to interstellar voyages.

However, journeys in deep space are never devoid of "surprises."

To avoid potential surveillance from remnants of the "Prophet Foundation" or other unknown forces, the "morning star" did not choose the most direct route, but instead, according to the planned schedule, cautiously traversed an ancient asteroid belt located between two spiral arms, known for its dense and complex distribution of small celestial bodies.

This region was like a primeval forest in the universe, full of unknowns and dangers, but it also provided excellent natural cover for the ship.

Just as the ship was carefully weaving through giant, craggy asteroids at sub-light speed, a sudden change occurred!

A sharp, piercing, top-level combat alarm tore through the silence of the bridge without warning!

Red warning lights flashed frantically, casting a grim look upon everyone's faces!

"Report, Captain!" the radar operator's voice was slightly distorted by tension. "Ahead, port, starboard, and even astern! A large number of unidentified high-speed objects have appeared! The quantity... the quantity cannot be accurately counted, at least ten thousand! They are moving extremely fast and are forming a surrounding formation! Estimated contact in three minutes!"

On the main tactical screen, the slowly moving green dots that originally represented asteroids were instantly submerged by a tide of dense, ominous red flashing targets!

The energy signature signals of these targets were extremely bizarre; they were neither the physical reflections of cold meteorites nor the thruster or energy field characteristics of any known civilization's ships, but rather a kind of... energy fluctuation filled with biological activity, chaotic yet carrying a certain collective consciousness!

"All hands to battle stations! Everyone immediately assume your positions! Maximize shield energy! Pre-heat weapon systems!"

Serving as the captain of the "morning star" was the former commander of the "Fortress" squad, a veteran named Captain Lei Gang with a resolute face and rich experience.

He did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately issued the most decisive orders, his voice steady and powerful, instantly stabilizing the initial panic on the bridge.

Warship mode was activated instantly; the originally comfortable lighting switched to cold combat lighting, and heavy alloy bulkheads slowly descended to protect critical areas.

Stardust Beast Swarm: Bizarre Cosmic Creatures

Excellence, Su Mu, and Evelyn acted the moment the alarm sounded.

The three of them arrived on the bridge almost simultaneously via the internal transport system and quickly entered their respective stations.

Excellence stood at the dedicated console behind and to the side of the captain's chair, which was the hub connecting the ship's energy core and external systems; Evelyn sat in the science officer's seat, her hands operating rapidly on the control panel, calling up the database for comparative analysis; Su Mu held a data pad, quickly checking the status of personnel at each station and system conditions, ready to coordinate and support at any time.

The optical imagery and energy scan images on the main screen were transmitted simultaneously, and the scene before them made everyone seeing it for the first time gasp!

It was not the expected enemy fleet, but a group of extremely bizarre-looking creatures!

They varied in size, with the small ones the size of a sedan and the large ones comparable to small frigates.

Their shapes resembled jellyfish from Earth's deep sea; their translucent bodies exhibited a dark blue color, with countless points of light flickering inside like nerves, dragging long, shimmering energy tentacles behind them.

They had no obvious thrusters but relied on the rhythmic pulsation of their bodies to cruise through the vacuum, moving gracefully yet with immense speed.

They seemed to feed on background cosmic radiation and thin interstellar dust, but at this moment, the "morning star"'s powerful and stable energy field, especially the energy fluctuations emitted by the "Resonance" matrix, which to them were like an exquisite delicacy, had clearly become an irresistible temptation!

The entire swarm, like sharks that had smelled blood, swarmed out from the shadows of the asteroids, pouncing from all directions toward this "energy feast"!

"It's 'Stardust Beasts'! An extremely rare, poorly documented type of cosmic schooling creature!" Evelyn, relying on her vast knowledge reserve, quickly retrieved relevant information from the ship's database's ancient archives and reported to the Captain and Excellence at high speed, her face grave. "Data indicates they are extremely sensitive to energy and have strong phototaxis and energy-seeking tendencies! Their attack method is not physical impact, but using energy tentacles to release a special corrosive energy stream capable of rapidly disintegrating conventional energy shields and eroding the ship's hull materials! They are very troublesome!"

Before she had finished speaking, the vanguard of the Stardust Beasts, like moths to a flame, slammed into the "morning star"'s conventional deflector shields, which had just been boosted to maximum power!

"Bang! Sizzle—!"

It was not a violent explosion, but a tooth-aching sound, as if strong acid were corroding metal, transmitted through the sensors! The impacted shield area instantly rippled violently, and the shield energy reading plummeted by a small fraction at a visible speed! Those Stardust Beasts' tentacles clung tightly to the shield, continuously releasing deep blue corrosive energy!

"Fire! Free fire! Prevent them from getting closer!" Captain Lei Gang ordered without hesitation.

In an instant, the hidden laser turrets and electromagnetic railguns across the "morning star"'s hull spat out angry tongues of fire! Dazzling laser beams and high-speed armor-piercing rounds, like a metal storm, shot precisely at the approaching Stardust Beasts. The Stardust Beasts that were hit directly had their bodies instantly riddled with holes, or even exploded in mid-air, turning into clumps of brilliant and bizarre blue energy fireworks.

However, the situation did not improve. The number of these Stardust Beasts was simply too great! Moreover, they seemed to have no fear at all; the individuals in front were destroyed, and those behind immediately filled the gaps, wave after wave, endless and inexhaustible. Even more troublesome was that the energy shock released when these creatures died, while not powerful, carried strong electromagnetic pulse and energy turbulence characteristics, seriously interfering with the precision of the ship's long-range sensors and fire control radar, causing the efficiency of subsequent attacks to drop significantly. Some Stardust Beasts that slipped through the net took the opportunity to get closer to the shields, and more tentacles attached themselves, causing the shield energy to plummet rapidly like a floodgate opening! The alarm sound became even more urgent!

To make matters worse, just at this moment, at the rear of the swarm, several particularly large "Stardust Beast Kings," nearly ten times the size of ordinary Stardust Beasts, slowly appeared. Their bodies were no longer transparent but exhibited a deep, sapphire-like substance, with points of light inside converging into complex, neural network-like light paths. They opened the energy chambers located in the center of their bodies, which looked like giant maws, and the surrounding space began to distort as visible, highly compressed, destructive energy rapidly gathered! The intensity of that energy made everyone on the bridge feel a palpitation! Once hit by this energy breath, even with the "morning star"'s shields fully deployed, it would inevitably suffer heavy damage!

"Captain! Shield energy is at 45%! The depletion rate is too fast! Conventional weapons can't clear them as fast as they replenish! Sensor interference is severe! We won't last ten minutes at this rate!" the tactical officer reported anxiously.

Cold sweat beaded on Captain Lei Gang's forehead. He clenched his fists, his gaze sweeping across the tactical screen before shifting to the few Beast Kings currently charging up. Conventional tactics seemed to have failed. Subconsciously, he turned his gaze toward Excellence, who stood before the energy console. It wasn't just him; at this moment, almost everyone on the bridge pinned their hopes on this young "Energy Controller" who had created countless miracles.

Turning the Tide: A Show of Skill in Energy Programming

Feeling the expectant and trusting gazes converging from behind him, Excellence took a deep breath. He knew that conventional methods could no longer handle the crisis at hand; it was time to use his true power. He stepped forward, his hands steadily hovering over the specialized induction control panel, which was directly connected to the ship's energy core. Complex and beautiful energy streamlines instantly lit up on the panel, resonating with the energy within his body.

"Captain Lei, please transfer shield control authority to me," Excellence's voice was exceptionally calm but carried an unquestionable confidence. "Initiate the 'Resonance Shield' protocol. I will directly perform micro-adjustments on the frequency and mode. All attack units, cease fire temporarily to avoid energy interference."

Captain Lei Gang did not hesitate at all: "Authority transferred! All ships, cease fire! Repeat, cease fire! All units, cooperate with Consultant Zhuo!"

The order was given, and the gunfire ceased abruptly. Without the fire suppression, more Stardust beasts surged toward the shield like a tidal wave! Everyone on the bridge had their hearts in their throats!

Just then, Excellence closed his eyes, concentrating all his mental energy to establish a deep connection with the "morning star's" powerful "Resonance Energy Matrix," which was improved based on "planet core" technology. In his "Perception," the spaceship was no longer a cold metal creation, but a massive living organism flowing with immense energy. The outer shield was like its skin.

"Energy Programming: Resonance Absorption Mode," Excellence silently recited in his heart.

In an instant! The energy shield on the ship's exterior underwent an earth-shattering change! The originally bright, solid, eggshell-like hard shield instantly softened, as if transformed into a layer of rippling, water-like energy waves resembling a deep-sea vortex! This rippling shield no longer resisted impacts head-on; instead, it was filled with a certain viscosity and energy-absorbing characteristic!

The next second, the surging swarm of Stardust beasts slammed into this "viscous" shield! A bizarre scene unfolded! They were not repelled or corroded as before; instead, they were like insects trapped in incredibly thick pine resin, their movements instantly becoming extremely sluggish, struggling but unable to break free! Even more astonishingly, the energy fluctuations emitted from their bodies began to be assimilated and absorbed by this special shield, instead converting into energy to maintain the shield itself! After an initial brief drop, the shield's energy readings actually began to rise steadily! With the ebb and flow, the momentum of the beast swarm's charge was forcibly curbed!

"Shield energy stable! Absorbing and converting external energy! The efficiency... is incredible!" the officer in charge of monitoring the shield exclaimed in disbelief!

The crisis was temporarily alleviated, but the real threat was yet to come! The energy breath of those few "Stardust Beast Kings" had condensed to a critical point. Deep blue, destructive energy spheres were spinning violently in their mouths, about to erupt!

Excellence snapped his eyes open, his gaze like lightning, instantly locking onto those few Beast Kings! His hands traced afterimages across the control panel, mobilizing a completely different energy frequency filled with aggression and mental oppression!

"Energy Programming: Fear Scream!" he shouted in a low voice!

An invisible and intangible special energy fluctuation, containing extreme fear, coercion, and mental shock, was amplified and modulated through the ship's long-range communication array. It transformed into a highly concentrated mental energy shockwave, precisely firing at those few "Stardust Beast Kings"! This attack was not physical destruction but acted directly on the creature's most instinctive fear center. It was a "mental weapon" created by Excellence by simulating the mental coercion and death omens of certain top Predators in the universe!

The effect was immediate! Those few originally aggressive Beast Kings stiffened abruptly the moment they touched this "Fear Scream"! The destructive energy spheres condensed in their mouths, about to erupt, instantly lost control and dissipated like punctured bubbles! They let out silent wails—which could be clearly "heard" through energy sensing—filled with extreme fear, as if they had seen some incomprehensible natural enemy that crushed them from the level of life itself! Their massive bodies trembled violently, no longer caring about the "delicacy" before them, and they turned around and fled frantically into the depths of the asteroid belt at a speed faster than when they came!

With the leaders fleeing, the remaining Stardust beast swarm immediately fell into great chaos. They lost their unified command and cohesion, and were unable to move an inch before Excellence's "Resonance Shield," which was like a quagmire. The originally orderly siege formation became a complete mess.

"Now is the time! All weapons, free fire! Clear the remnants!" Captain Lei Gang seized the opportunity and immediately gave the order!

Having lost the threat of the Beast Kings and their cluster advantage, these ordinary Stardust beasts were vulnerable before the powerful firepower of the "morning star." The guns roared again, but this time, it was an efficient, one-sided cleanup. Soon, the remaining Stardust beasts were either destroyed or fled in panic into the asteroid belt, disappearing without a trace.

The crisis was resolved. On the bridge, a deathly silence lasted for a few seconds, followed by deafening cheers of survival! Everyone, including the battle-hardened Captain Lei Gang, focused their gazes—mixed with admiration, gratitude, and disbelief—on the young figure who was slowly withdrawing his hands, his face slightly pale but his eyes bright! He had not only resolved a seemingly unsolvable crisis but also demonstrated a combat style that transcended conventional weapons—elegant, efficient, and full of wisdom! It was simply art!

Aftermath of the Battle: Confidence and Reflection

Excellence breathed slightly heavily; the high-intensity energy manipulation just now had consumed a significant amount of his mental energy. Su Mu, who had been nervously guarding him, immediately handed him a specialized high-energy nutrient supplement, her eyes filled with heartache and lingering fear. Evelyn also quickly walked over, taking out a portable scanner to rapidly check his vital signs.

"I'm fine, just a little exhausted," Excellence took the nutrient supplement and drank it, offering the two women a reassuring smile. His pale complexion regained some color. He looked at the starry sky on the main screen, which was gradually returning to normal, his tone carrying a hint of teasing: "It seems that in this deep space, sometimes just 'reasoning' doesn't work; one must also 'flex one's muscles' at the right time. But fortunately, our 'muscles' are quite unique, and they didn't understand them, so they were afraid."

The humorous words completely eased the tense atmosphere on the bridge, and everyone let out relaxed laughter.

Captain Lei Gang walked up to Excellence and gave a solemn military salute: "Consultant Zhuo, on behalf of the entire crew of the 'morning star,' I thank you for saving this ship! Your power is breathtaking!"

"This is what I should do, Captain," Excellence returned the salute seriously. "We are comrades-in-arms and a single entity."

The first battle was a victory. The "morning star" and its core combat strength had undergone their first real-world test since entering deep space. Not only did they successfully resolve the crisis, but it also greatly boosted the confidence of the entire crew. They had witnessed the tremendous power of Excellence's miraculous "Energy Programming" ability in actual combat and realized that this journey would inevitably be full of unknown challenges. But at this moment, there was no longer fear in their hearts, only the courage and conviction to face all difficulties. The journey through deep space was destined not to be smooth, but they were ready.