171: Chapter 171 Shields Fully Activated! Withstanding the First Blow
"Shield power at 70%! Target lock complete! 'Thunder Department' charging at 75%!"
The Chief of Weapons' roar and the Sensor Officer's "Enemy attack launched!" alarm almost overlapped. Everyone on the bridge's pupils constricted in that instant, staring intently at the main screen.
the piercer's dark-red light, like clotted blood, condensed to its peak within fractions of a second. Then, three dark-red energy beams of varying thickness silently erupted from three different protrusions on its surface, tearing through the void and heading straight for the soaring heavens!
It wasn't the eerie "Void Beam" used by the Ripper, but a high-energy particle stream closer to traditional concepts yet far more terrifying in power; its energy density and degree of condensation far exceeded current human weapon levels. The thickest beam pointed directly at the central hull where the bridge was located, while the other two aimed at the soaring heavens's "zhurong engine" nozzle array and a cluster of secondary cannons on the broadside.
Nuwa's response was complete the moment the attack was launched: "Joint Force Field Shield System, activate at full power! Optimizing regional energy distribution, prioritizing defense for targeted areas! Fine-tuning hull attitude to endure the main impact with the smallest cross-section!"
Buzz—!
A low resonance, deep enough to nearly shatter the soul, emanated from the depths of the hull, as if the entire warship was groaning in pain. On the surface of the soaring heavens, the pale golden force field shield, which had been a mere shimmer, suddenly erupted into brilliant, dazzling light! At the front and flanks of the warship, the thickness and brightness of the shield increased sharply, causing the space there to exhibit visible, water-like ripples of distortion.
The first and thickest dark-red particle stream was the first to collide with the reinforced shield directly in front of the bridge!
There was no thunderous explosion, only the sharp, high-frequency screech (simulated through structural conduction) emitted as the energy annihilated! The two vastly different energies, dark-red and pale gold, frantically eroded, annihilated, and neutralized each other. The point of impact on the shield's surface erupted in an incandescent glow brighter than a star. Massive ripples centered on the impact point instantly spread across the entire frontal shield, which flickered and shook violently as if it might shatter at any second!
"Shield energy readings are plummeting! Frontal area load peak has exceeded the 85% safety threshold! It's still rising!" the Defense System Operator's voice was hoarse.
"Structural stress alarm! Abnormal thermal conduction and secondary shockwaves detected on the armor plates in front of the bridge!" the Damage Control Officer shouted immediately after.
The entire bridge trembled slightly, and the lights flickered. On the screen, the curved indicator bar representing shield integrity visibly shortened in the frontal area, its color changing from a healthy green to a cautionary yellow.
North Heaven Gate—it held! That dark-red particle stream, capable of instantly vaporizing a mountain peak, finally exhausted its power after frantically consuming nearly a quarter of the soaring heavens's frontal shield's reserve energy, leaving behind a slowly spreading, gradually fading scorch mark on the shield's surface without penetrating a single inch!
Almost simultaneously, the two thinner particle streams also struck the shields of the engine section and the broadside. The shield load there was relatively lighter, but it still triggered intense energy ripples and flashes of light. The engine section's shield successfully deflected the attack, but dissipated high-energy particles still left several obvious erosion marks on the external armor. The broadside shield was slightly strained; the armor of a secondary cannon array was grazed, tearing a shocking gash in the outer defense plating, exposing internal wiring and sending sparks flying, though the core structure remained undamaged.
The first wave of physical attacks ended. From launch to impact to energy dissipation, the entire process took no more than two seconds.
A dead silence filled the bridge, broken only by the sharp alarms of the instruments and the heavy breathing of the crew. Everyone felt that world-destroying power and the exhaustion of having survived after the shields successfully held.
"Nuwa! Shield status! Damage report!" Long Zhantian roared out the command immediately. Cold sweat seeped from his temples, but his voice remained steady.
"Frontal shield energy at 61%. Load overload has caused local field generators to overheat; the cooling system has intervened at full power, and stable output is expected to resume in 17 seconds. Engine section shield energy at 78%, minor damage. Broadside Zone C7 shield energy at 55%; secondary cannon arrays B12 to B15 below are damaged with a 35% loss of function, no risk of sympathetic detonation, and Damage Control Teams have been dispatched," Nuwa's report was fast and clear. "Overall hull structural integrity: 98.7%, within safe limits. Energy data from the enemy's first wave of attacks has been fully recorded. Attack frequency, energy composition, and decay patterns are being analyzed."
"Noticeable traces of fine-tuning aimed at our shield's initial frequency were recorded in the attack beams," the Electronic Warfare Officer added, his voice tinged with lingering fear. "They were trying to find the resonance point! But our 'Spectrum Camouflage' worked; their adjustment was 0.05 seconds too slow, failing to keep up with our chaotic changes!"
0.05 seconds! The difference between life and death!
Long Zhantian wiped the sweat from his forehead, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. They had withstood it! Although it was harrowing and the shield energy consumption was massive, the most critical thing was that they had obtained precious data and verified the effectiveness of the "Spectrum Camouflage"!
"Well done!" he shouted into the communication channel. "Brothers of the shield team, well done! Damage Control Team, speed up the repairs! Nuwa, transmit the attack data, especially the frequency tracking data, back to the system with the highest priority! Consultant Lin's speculation was correct; they really are looking for our 'resonance weaknesses'!"
His gaze locked onto the main screen again. After a round of volley fire, the dark-red glow on the surface of the piercer rapidly dimmed, seemingly entering a brief "cooling" or "recharging" period. However, its speed did not slow down at all, and the distance between the two sides had closed to within twenty thousand kilometers!
"We can't let it fire at will!" Long Zhantian knew that being a passive target would only lead to death. The shield energy couldn't withstand many more consumptions like that. "Nuwa! Calculate the optimal counterattack window! What is the charging status of the 'Thunder Department' main guns?"
"Thunder Department main guns are at 88% charge! Expected to reach the 95% optimal volley threshold in 3.2 seconds!" the Chief of Weapons responded quickly.
"Nuwa's calculation complete. Based on the characteristics of the enemy's energy drop-off after the attack and our ship's maneuvering attitude, the optimal counterattack window is in 2.7 seconds, lasting for approximately 1.5 seconds. Recommendation: Aim the main guns at the suspected energy core area in the middle of the enemy ship, and simultaneously launch Special Jamming Shells No. 3 and No. 7 to interfere with their potential point defense systems and energy distribution," Nuwa's plan was generated instantly.
"Approved! Set the parameters!" Long Zhantian did not hesitate.
Inside the bridge, the atmosphere instantly shifted from the tension of withstanding an attack to the sharp prelude of a counterattack. Everyone knew that the soaring heavens's next roar would determine the first turning point of this life-and-death gamble.
The pale golden shield light flowed over the hull's surface, repairing the wounds from moments ago.