329: Rescuing troops from the battlefield and "system vulnerability attacks"

The engine of the 'Hidden Dragon' was roaring.

Wen Youyi pushed the thruster power to 140%—40% over the safety redline—and the entire small ship, like a stone thrown with great force, carved a blinding blue trail through the starry sky.

Alarms blared continuously in the cockpit, all warnings regarding engine overload and structural stress limits being exceeded.

"Can we go any faster?" Wen Youyi stared at the countdown on the screen—seventeen minutes had passed since Luo Chen sent the distress signal; for every extra second, the danger on the battlefield increased.

Aila's fingers flew across the console, her indigo eyes reflecting a waterfall of data streams: "No! The engine core temperature has reached the critical point; any more acceleration and it will melt down! Furthermore, at this speed, our stealth System is essentially ineffective, which is equivalent to becoming a target for the Star Devourers!"

"We can't worry about that now!" Wen Youyi gritted his teeth. "Let's save them first!"

Twenty minutes later, the battlefield came into view.

The scene made both of them gasp.

"hope" and Luo Chen's "Blue Eye - 7" scout ship were hovering back-to-back, surrounded by a perimeter composed of three Star Devourers motherships and over thirty frigates.

The massive dark gold hulls of the motherships were like three moving mountain ranges, and every volley from their main cannons caused "hope"'s shields to flicker violently.

The situation for "Blue Eye - 7" was even worse. A huge tear had been ripped into its port side, with sparks bursting from within from time to time, and the ship was listing, barely able to maintain its position by relying on the cover of "hope"'s shields.

Further away, over a dozen more medium-sized Star Devourers warships were approaching—clearly intending to complete the encirclement.

"They're trying to encircle us!" Wen Youyi heard Zhao Iron Pillar's roar through the encrypted channel, accompanied by the background noise of energy weapons firing.

Aila quickly scanned the battlefield data: "'hope' shield remaining at 42%, 'Blue Eye - 7' shield broken, ship hull severely damaged. Enemy firepower coverage is at 87%, and the probability of a conventional breakout is less than 15%."

Wen Youyi forced himself to calm down. A programmer's instinct was actually triggered in this desperate situation—wasn't this just a typical 'many-on-few encirclement battle'? In games, for situations like this, you either rely on skill to fight through, or... find a System vulnerability.

"Aila, analyze the Star Devourers fleet's command network," he said. "With so many ships, there must be a unified command node. Find it, and we'll have a chance."

Aila immediately retrieved all the Star Devourers combat data collected previously. She had studied this enemy on "Green Scale", and although it wasn't comprehensive, it was enough to analyze the basic patterns.

"Found it!" A minute later, Aila pointed to a spot on the tactical map. "That frigate labeled 'α-7', its signal transmission power is three times that of the other frigates, and it is continuously sending fine-tuning commands to all units. It is very likely one of the command nodes!"

"One of?"

"The Star Devourers fleet usually adopts a 'layered command' structure," Aila explained. "The top layer is the mothership's central intelligence, the middle layer is the command ship, and the bottom layer is the combat unit. If you take out the middle layer, command transmission between the upper and lower levels will experience delays and chaos."

Wen Youyi's eyes lit up: "It's like cutting off the enemy's 'middle management,' so the boss's orders can't reach the grassroots, and the grassroots' feedback can't get back to the boss!"

"Something like that," Aila nodded. "But the problem is, that command ship is in the core position of the fleet, protected by eight frigates; we can't charge through at all."

Wen Youyi stared at the tactical map, his brain racing. Programmers have a special trick when dealing with complex Systems: if a frontal Breakthrough is too difficult, find an 'interface vulnerability.'

"Aila, you said there are 'echoes' of devoured civilizations inside the Star Devourers, right?"

"Yes, that mothership in the C7 Area that attacked the Star Crusher flagship is a case in point."

"Then what if we... give these 'echoes' some 'stimulation'?" Wen Youyi pulled the master key from his bosom. "The master key now has five fragments, carrying the memories of thirteen civilizations. If we use the master key to transmit a specially crafted 'memory signal,' specifically targeting the residual consciousness of those devoured civilizations..."

Aila understood instantly: "It's like pouring water into a pot of boiling oil! It will trigger a chain reaction! But the risk is high—we don't know which units in the Star Devourers fleet have 'echoes,' nor do we know how they will react after being stimulated."

"It's better than waiting to die." Wen Youyi had already started operating, "You help me adjust the output frequency of the master key, and I'll design the signal content."

He closed his eyes, calling upon those heavy memories within the master key. But it wasn't a complete transmission; he was extracting the 'emotional core'—the unwillingness of the Ranch World being harvested, the despair and anger of those civilizations in the Silent Graveyard, and also... the will to resist.

These emotions were encoded into a special spiritual frequency signal, amplified and transmitted through the master key.

Invisible ripples spread through the vacuum.

At first, there was no change on the battlefield. The Star Devourers fleet continued to besiege them in an orderly fashion, and "hope"'s shields had dropped to 31%.

But thirty seconds later, the change began.

That frigate labeled as the command ship, α-7, suddenly stopped sending commands. Its hull began to vibrate irregularly, and the dark gold light on its surface flickered on and off, like a lightbulb with a bad connection.

Immediately after, among the eight frigates protecting it, three also showed similar symptoms. One of them even turned its cannons and fired a shot at a neighboring friendly ship!

"It's working!" Aila said excitedly.

But Wen Youyi's expression was grave: "It's not enough. This is just small-scale chaos; its impact on the overall battle situation is limited."

Sure enough, the Star Devourers mothership reacted quickly. A thick beam of energy shot out from the central mothership, directly hitting the 'mutinous' frigate. The frigate disintegrated in the explosion, and the 'echo' consciousness inside it was annihilated along with it.

The other ships showing anomalies seemed to have received a warning and began to forcibly suppress the chaos within. The light on the surface of the α-7 command ship stabilized once again.

"They are using their central intelligence to forcibly 'format' the anomalous units," Aila analyzed. "Our interference can only create brief chaos; it cannot cause substantial damage."

Wen Youyi stared at the battlefield, suddenly noticing a detail: among the three motherships, the one on the far right was half a beat slower in its movements than the other two. Furthermore, its shield strength reading... was about 8% lower than the other two.

"Aila, scan that mothership, the one numbered... γ-3."

The data came out quickly: "γ-3 mothership, shield energy 92%, engine output power only 87% of the standard value, weapon System response delay 0.3 seconds. Wait... there is an abnormal fluctuation in its energy network, and the frequency has a 17% resonance with the signal the master key just transmitted!"

A flash of inspiration struck Wen Youyi's mind.

He remembered what G-7 had said: the Star Devourers were a contingency left behind by the 'Continue Research Faction,' and the initial order was to 'collect data and wait for the return.'

If there were sufficiently strong 'echoes' inside the γ-3 mothership, and these echoes still retained memories of the Star People, then the master key, as a token of the Star People, might be able to...

"Let's gamble on it." Wen Youyi took a deep breath. "Aila, send a signal to 'hope,' tell them to concentrate their firepower and attack the γ-3 mothership. At the same time, we will transmit the master key signal at maximum power, but this time it won't be a wide-area broadcast; it will be a directional focus—aimed at γ-3!"

"This is too risky! If γ-3 doesn't have a strong 'echo,' our position will be exposed!"

"Then we run," Wen Youyi said. "But if it does... perhaps we can create a miracle."

The signal was sent.

On the bridge of "hope," Zhao Iron Pillar was stunned for a moment after receiving the order, but he immediately executed it: "Attention everyone! Adjust firepower! Target—that big one on the right! Give it everything you've got!"

All of "hope"'s weapon Systems turned, and silver-white beams of purification energy slammed into the γ-3 mothership like a rainstorm.

At the same time, the "Qianlong" reduced its cloaking System power to the minimum and injected all its energy into the master key.

The master key erupted with unprecedented brilliance, and a golden beam of light, condensed into substance, crossed the Void Realm and struck the hull of the γ-3 mothership with precision.

Time seemed to stand still for a second.

Then, the γ-3 mothership... stopped.

It wasn't destroyed; it was as if a pause button had been pressed. Its main cannon charging was interrupted, the shield generator ceased operation, and even the glow of its engine nozzles dimmed.

Even more eerie was that countless tiny light patterns began to emerge on the surface of its hull—not the dark gold of the Star Devourers, but silver-white, azure, crimson... a kaleidoscope of colors, as if the emblems of a dozen different civilizations were appearing all at once.

In the communication channel, a distorted consciousness mixed with countless voices resonated:

[Star People... key... return... command... conflict... error... error...]

The "echoes" inside the γ-3 mothership had been awakened by the master key. They remembered the civilizations they once belonged to, remembered the pain of being devoured, and remembered the "Order Maintenance" command originally bestowed upon the guardians by the Star People.

These memories clashed violently with the current "Devour and Evolve" command of the Star Devourers.

The mothership's central intelligence began to fight against itself.

"Now!" Wen Youyi roared, "hope! Green Eye-7! Break through! Charge out from the direction of γ-3!"

Everyone on the battlefield saw the opportunity.

hope's engines were at full throttle, its shield energy concentrated at the bow, charging like a maddened silver-white beast toward the direction of the γ-3 mothership. The Star Devourer frigates along the way tried to intercept, but were affected by the chaos inside the γ-3 mothership, causing gaps to appear in their formation.

Luo Chen's "Green Eye-7" also gave its all, dragging its battered hull close behind.

The other two of the three motherships tried to adjust their formation to block them, but the γ-3 mothership suddenly made a move no one expected—it turned its body and blocked the pursuit route with its massive frame!

[Cannot... harm... key... holder...] that mixed consciousness stuttered, [Original command... priority... higher...]

The γ-3 mothership was resisting its own kind.

hope and Green Eye-7 seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, slipped through the gap between the γ-3 mothership and another mothership, and instantly broke out of the encirclement!

Wen Youyi and Aila Xinghen also piloted "Qianlong" to evacuate at full speed. Less than ten seconds after they left their original position, two main cannon energy beams slammed into that spot—the retaliation from the other two motherships had arrived.

But it was too late.

The three ships successfully rendezvoused and fled at full speed toward Guixu without looking back.

Behind them, the Star Devourer fleet fell into chaos. The "mutiny" of the γ-3 mothership triggered a chain reaction, and at least five more frigates showed similar symptoms. Of the three motherships, one was pursuing the fleeing enemies, one was trying to "suppress" γ-3, and the other was hovering in place, its central intelligence seemingly recalculating the situation.

The battlefield was a complete mess.

One hour later, hope, Green Eye-7, and "Qianlong" rendezvoused in a safe Star Domain.

In the docking bay, Wen Youyi and Aila Xinghen had just stepped out of "Qianlong" when Zhao Iron Pillar nearly squeezed the life out of them with a bear hug.

"Boss! Sister Aila! You finally made it back!" Zhao Iron Pillar's eyes were red, "That was too dangerous earlier! I thought we were really done for this time!"

Senior Brother Zhang, Wang Wu, Senior Brother Li, and others gathered around, all of them wounded, but their eyes shining with the glow of survivors.

Luo Chen walked over, supported by Lia. His left arm was bandaged, and he had burns on his face, but his spirits were good: "Wen Youyi, we owe this to you. If you hadn't disrupted γ-3, we might have already..."

Wen Youyi waved his hand: "Helping each other. You were besieged to cover the hope, and we couldn't just stand by and watch."

He looked at the master key—the previous overload had caused some fine cracks on its surface, but it was still largely intact. The five fragments emitted a steady glow.

Aila Xinghen had already begun damage assessment for Green Eye-7: "Engine damage is at 40%, life support is barely functioning, and the weapon Systems are completely destroyed. This ship... I'm afraid it can no longer continue to fight."

Luo Chen smiled bitterly: "It's good enough that we saved our lives. However, Green Eye-7 has important reconnaissance equipment on board. If possible, I hope to transfer it to the hope."

"Of course," Wen Youyi agreed.

Just then, Old K squeezed out from the crowd, holding a strange instrument in his hand—it was something he had salvaged from Green Eye-7.

"Kid, look at this," Old K turned the instrument's screen toward Wen Youyi, "Just now, when the γ-3 mothership was in chaos, the deep-scan instrument on Green Eye-7 captured some interesting data."

The screen displayed an energy distribution map of the interior of the γ-3 mothership. At the very core of the mothership, there was an independent high-energy reaction source, completely different from the energy characteristics of the Star Devourers in other parts.

"That is..." Aila Xinghen leaned in.

"Doesn't it look like the energy signature of a star key fragment?" Old K's mechanical eye flickered with red light, "But it's more... complete than the fragments."

Wen Youyi was shaken: "You mean, the core of the γ-3 mothership might contain a complete star key? Not a fragment?"

"Or rather, that fragment has already fused with the mothership's core System," Aila Xinghen analyzed the data, "No wonder it reacted so strongly to the master key. The fragment inside it is larger and more complete than any other unit's."

This discovery left everyone in deep thought.

If the core of a Star Devourer mothership is a star key fragment, what does that mean?

It means that to collect all seven fragments, we might not only have to search for the fragments scattered everywhere, but also... dig them out from inside the Star Devourer motherships.

"This is trouble," Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his glasses, "We can't rely on stimulating the 'echoes' to create chaos every time, can we? And not every mothership has strong 'echoes'."

Wen Youyi was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked: "What happened to the γ-3 mothership afterwards?"

Luo Chen pulled up the final battlefield record: "After we escaped, the other two motherships concentrated their fire and destroyed γ-3. The energy readings when it exploded... were abnormally high, as if the fragment inside was also annihilated."

One fragment, just like that, gone.

Wen Youyi felt a pang of heartache. That was something that carried the memories of countless civilizations, destroyed just like that by its own "kind."

"But at least we proved that the Star Devourers are not monolithic," Aila Xinghen said, "They have internal conflicts, and there are weaknesses that can be exploited."

"And," Wen Youyi looked at the master key in his hand, "the master key can awaken those 'echoes.' This is our advantage."

He raised his head and looked at everyone: "Now, we have five fragments in our hands. The sixth is inside Guixu, and the seventh... very likely in the core mothership of the Star Devourer Royal Court."

"The next goal is clear: head to Guixu at full speed, get the sixth fragment, and then..."

He paused, then stated the almost impossible mission:

"Then, find a way to steal the last one from the Star Devourers' lair."

The bridge was silent.

But no one objected.

Because other than that, they had no choice.

The voyage continued.

Destination: Guixu.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Universe, in the Star Devourer Royal Court Star Domain, the Star Crusher's flagship received the report that the γ-3 mothership had mutinied and been destroyed.

That figure made of pure energy fluctuated violently in the center of the bridge, emitting a silent roar.

['Key holder'... must be eliminated...]

[Initiate 'Final Contingency Plan'. All fleets, gather at Guixu.]

[This time... failure is not allowed.]

The aura of a decisive battle permeated the starry sky.

(End of Chapter)