The last few warships of the Katon Fleet were destroyed under the combined efforts of Li Yali and Irina. The remaining fighter jets and mecha first shattered the enemy's shields before the fleet's main guns focused fire, reducing the ships to scrap metal.
Under the dazzling beams of energy, even antimatter had little room to expand and annihilate before being completely neutralized by the relentless barrage.
Thus, the skirmish that had lasted over half an hour came to an end.
The battle had begun with the sudden encounter between the two fleets. Thanks to Liu Hai's swift response, the Katon Fleet was completely annihilated, though the mixed fleet paid the price—over thirty thousand fighter jets and mecha lost, along with several damaged corvettes.
"Boss, should we upload the data now to convert the military merits?" Li Yali asked while coordinating repairs for the damaged warships.
"Convert them, of course. If we don't, we won't even recoup our initial investment," Liu Hai replied, immediately using his authority to upload the combat data to the military channel for merit conversion.
To ensure the authenticity of battle records, every federal warship was equipped with an external combat data collector—similar to an aircraft's black box, but designed to record external engagements rather than the ship's own systems. After a battle, the data would automatically connect to the StarNet and upload the relevant information.
This system had its pros and cons. The advantage was obvious: even if one didn't actively apply for merit conversion, the military would eventually allocate the appropriate merits after a certain period. Moreover, if the Pathfinder Fleet suffered a defeat, the military would arrange for nearby forces or other Pathfinder Fleets to attempt a rescue—though whether they arrived in time was a matter of luck.
The downside was that fleets were more easily monitored by the military, making certain operations difficult. But as Pioneers, they had no choice—military merits were a prerequisite for promotion to Lord.
As for the data collectors on Liu Hai's fleet, he had ways to bypass them. The Intelligent Nexus could simply modify and delete construction-related information.
The merit conversion was swift. With complete combat records and verified data, twenty-four military merits were deposited into Liu Hai's military account, half of which were then transferred to Irina as per their contract.
"Mr. Liu, I've received the twelve military merits transferred by the military. Thank you for your contribution," Irina said cheerfully. It was a pleasant surprise—earning merits so soon after deployment, with no losses on her end. Truly, money falling from the sky while sitting at home.
Liu Hai had initially planned to brush her off with a few polite words and end the call, but then it occurred to him that Irina's background might grant her access to insider information he lacked.
Changing his approach, Liu Hai engaged in enthusiastic small talk with her for nearly half an hour—complimenting her fleet's strength while she praised his command skills—yet neither broached the real topic.
"Miss Irina, what do you plan to exchange these military merits for?" Liu Hai finally asked, unable to bear it any longer. Irina had rambled on about everything from split-second reactions today to her fleet becoming a full army tomorrow.
Resisting the urge to punch something, Liu Hai took the initiative—which, as it turned out, was exactly what Irina had been waiting for.
"You're overthinking it, Mr. Liu. With just this small amount of Military Merits, you can't exchange for anything good. Better save them for later," Irina said dismissively, implying the merits were too few—just enough for a couple of military Destroyers at best, which wouldn't make much difference anyway.
Liu Hai wasn't convinced. If that were truly the case, everyone would burn through their Military Merits quickly. So where did all those merits go?
"I plan to replenish a few warships. My fleet's strength is too low—any minor losses drastically reduce our combat effectiveness."
Irina's eyes gleamed as she suggested, "I advise you not to rush, Mr. Liu. A few Destroyers or even Cruisers won't bring any substantial benefits. The real value of Military Merits lies in warships above the Battleship class."
"If you really want to exchange for some ordinary warships to boost your firepower, why not transfer your merits to me? You can pick any of my warships, and I'll give you a five percent discount compared to the military. How about it?"
Liu Hai excused himself, saying he needed to discuss it with Li Yali, and ended the call. He then relayed the matter to her, seeking her opinion.
Li Yali simply consulted her uncle and quickly obtained precise information: the military had prepared ten Advanced Fortresses for the Merit Exchange System in this expansion campaign. This was the reason all major factions and families in the Federation had mobilized their forces.
The value of dozens of fortresses was undeniable. Their sheer firepower and strategic utility made them irresistible prizes, drawing factions like moths to a flame, eager to fight in the outer star systems for Military Merits.
"Advanced military fortresses… Now that's a massive temptation."
Liu Hai wanted a fortress too, but one worth hundreds of billions was still far beyond his reach. Even the Military Merits required would amount to several hundred points. And even if he got one, what about the necessary supplies?
The crew?
All the miscellaneous costs?
It would take trillions just to get it operational, let alone combat-ready.
"Then should we exchange for a few warships to bolster our fleet?" Since fortresses were out of reach, warships seemed more practical.
"No need. Even if we did, we don't have the extra personnel to operate and train them. It's better to wait until we return to the Federation and exchange merits based on our actual needs at that time," Li Yali rejected Liu Hai's proposal.
Once they reached an agreement, Liu Hai sent a casual message to Irina informing her of their decision. A few hours later, the damaged warships were repaired, and the wreckage had been partially salvaged, with high-value metals fed into the Pyramid Core for recycling.
The combined fleet set off again. After their earlier encounter, the crew was extra vigilant—before each jump, a Corvette would scout ahead to ensure safety before the entire fleet followed.
In the following period, no one knew exactly what happened. The StarNet remained silent, but ever since the fleet entered the Third Spiral Arm, they had detected numerous traces of the Katon Fleet. Hundreds of probes were destroyed—who knew how many more lurked undetected?
Then, months later, a piece of news swept through the Hera Star System like a storm, electrifying both sides. Countless fleets, like sharks drawn to blood, surged toward the Third Spiral Arm.
The frequency of clashes between the Federation's Pioneer Fleet and the Katon Fleet has been increasing daily. Within just a few months, over a dozen Federation Pioneer Fleets were completely annihilated, with the largest one comprising more than three hundred warships being ambushed and destroyed by the Katun Civilization at the edge of the central region.
"You're saying they discovered Life Planets in the central area of the Third Spiral Arm? And not just one?" Liu Hai found it hard to believe, yet Xue Jiye's words turned out to be true.
But how exactly did this information get leaked?
Natural Life Planets were the most precious resource for both sides. With minimal modification, they could sustain life and serve as a springboard to control surrounding star systems spanning thousands of light-years, radiating influence across tens of thousands of light-years.