Just as Igor went to liaise with the Xue Family team carrying Liu Hai's instructions, another incident occurred.
The Pioneers in the Second Spiral Arm could no longer withstand the continuous attacks from the Katon Civilization. Forced into retreat, they abandoned their outer territories and consolidated their forces to jointly defend several Star Regions under Reserve Lords, hoping to stabilize their position there and seek opportunities to reclaim their bases.
Meanwhile, in the First Spiral Arm, the Pioneers led by Reserve Lord Li Fang had escalated into full-scale conflict. Over a dozen Combined Legions and the Katon Fleet engaged in minor skirmishes every three days and major battles every five.
The tug-of-war repeated across various Star Systems, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Yet neither chose to cease hostilities—instead, they continuously deployed additional forces to compensate for combat losses.
Liu Hai sensed that both factions seemed determined to fight until dawn. The final victor remained uncertain, but the truth was clear: this prolonged attrition was becoming unbearable for the lower-ranking Pioneers.
Numerous mid-to-low-level Pioneers anxiously awaited developments in the war. Such a war of attrition was beyond their control—every warship lost on the battlefield represented the entire fortune of some Pioneers. Many now faced the grim predicament of surviving the war only to find themselves bankrupt.
Another piece of news left Liu Hai particularly awkward. The fleet of Xue Jiye from the Xue Family kept getting ambushed and beaten by Kadon Explorers, to the point where they now dared not venture beyond the Stardust Star Region alone.
While everyone understood the reason behind this, Liu Hai had accepted their mission after all—using Xue Jiye's identity to stir up trouble wasn't inherently wrong. It just made things rather uncomfortable for Xue Jiye himself, who kept becoming everyone's favorite target.
Liu Hai quickly switched messages—this particular update was too painful to watch, better left unseen.
As he prepared to continue reviewing messages, Li Yali's communication came through again.
"Boss, the Xue Family might be in serious trouble this time," Li Yali got straight to the point. "My third uncle just sent me a message saying the Li Family's reconnaissance ships detected the Explorer Fleet massing in large numbers. In the Third Spiral Arm, the only target worth such mobilization would be the Stardust Star Region."
"When did this happen?" Liu Hai grew even more puzzled. Why was everyone suddenly so well-informed? There wasn't even a whisper about this in the Pioneers' channels.
"Just now. Also, I heard the Xue Family plans to purchase a batch of Armament from us. Are you planning to take this order, boss?" Li Yali inquired.
"Do you have any thoughts on this?" Liu Hai knew Li Yali wouldn't ask about such commercial matters unless she had a specific reason or need.
Li Yali explained, "From the latest technical documents I reviewed, does the Group now have the capability to produce Energy Fortress Cannons?"
Liu Hai confirmed her question. This was technology he had just updated for the Star Sea Group's R&D department two days ago—slightly inferior to what the Federation currently displayed, but superior to ordinary Armament companies.
Primarily intended for researchers' study, the theoretical application system differed from the Federation's and couldn't be directly implemented. They still needed to absorb and adapt certain theories to Federation standards.
"These can all be manufactured. Are you suggesting we sell them?" Li Yali pressed.
"We could, though production capacity is limited at the moment. Current output is allocated elsewhere."
After receiving Liu Hai's response, Li Yali pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Boss, let's provide Stardust Star Region with a batch of Fortress-Class Energy Weapons. Otherwise, they might not hold out this time, and we'll be next in line to face the Katon Fleet."
"I've already considered that, which is why I sent Igor to negotiate the order with them. When do you expect the Katon Fleet to return?"
"Within three to five years. Their current assembled forces already exceed five legions, and the legions crippled in the last battle will likely be fully reorganized within that timeframe. This time, they probably won't give Stardust Star Region any chance to turn the tables." Li Yali meticulously laid out her analysis for Liu Hai.
Several years had passed since the defensive construction in the Brolly Star System began. With the orbital turrets and planetary armaments Liu Hai provided, its defensive capabilities far surpassed those of Stardust Star Region, which had been rebuilt multiple times.
Yet, even so, they stood no chance against the overwhelming Katon Fleet—its sheer size was too much.
With several legions at their disposal, they could easily overrun the Brolly Star System, whose fleet was less than half a legion in size. As for the nearby military fleet, neither of them factored it into their calculations.
"Go ahead and contact Igor. I'll grant you both access to the production specifics. You two can decide how to allocate them." Liu Hai delegated the matter to Igor and Li Yali.
After ending the call with Li Yali, Liu Hai reviewed the status of his Angel Fleet. After nearly two years of development, shipyards across the Gemini Starfield had taken shape and begun manufacturing warships. While corvettes and destroyers were manageable, progress slowed significantly for cruisers and above.
Further delays from unexpected setbacks meant that, as of now, the Angel-series warships consisted of 34 corvettes, 5 destroyers, and 2 light cruisers. The heavy cruisers and battleships remained mere shells, and the fortress was only a skeletal framework.
Name: Angel Series
Class: Destroyer-class
Energy Tier: Fifth-tier civilization technology
Energy Core: Antimatter Core (Instantaneous output: 1,200 degrees)
Hull Specifications:
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Height: 800 meters
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Width: 110 meters
-
Length: 110 meters
-
Wingspan: 600 meters
Armor: Fifth-tier high-energy alloy (Can withstand energy strikes below 300 degrees; self-repair capable)
Armament:
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6 Superluminal Energy Cannons (2,500-degree damage; Wing Force Field enhances energy concentration by 10%–20%)
-
12 Light-Speed Neutron Cannons (High-Energy Particle Cannons, dealing both energy and kinetic damage; Wing Force Field enhances energy concentration by 5%–30%)
Engines:
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Space Jump Engine (150-light-year range; immune to spatial disturbances within ±15%)
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Warp Drive (250x light speed; immune to spatial interference within ±20%)
-
Conventional propulsion (Maximum acceleration: 60% sublight speed; standard cruising speed: 15% sublight speed)
Shields:
-
Energy Shield (8,000-degree capacity; regenerates 3% per second)
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Force Field Shield (Specialized against physical strikes; withstands instantaneous impacts up to 5,500 degrees; regenerates 4% per second)
Name: Angel Series
Class: Cruiser-class
Energy Tier: Fifth-tier civilization technology
Energy Core: Antimatter Core (Instantaneous output: 1,600 degrees)
Hull: Height 1,600 meters, width 360 meters, length 160 meters, wingspan 1,200 meters.
Armor: Grade-5 High-energy alloy (capable of withstanding energy strikes below 400 degrees, self-repairing)
Armament:
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Eight Superluminal Energy Cannons (3,300-degree damage, Wing Force Field can enhance energy concentration by 10% to 20%)
-
Eighteen Light-Speed Neutron Cannons (High-Energy Particle Cannons, delivering both energy and kinetic damage, Wing Force Field enhances energy concentration by 5% to 30%)
Engines:
-
Space Jump Engine (150-light-year range, immune to spatial disturbances within ±15%)
-
Warp Drive (250 times light speed, immune to spatial interference within ±20%)
-
Conventional propulsion engines (maximum acceleration up to 60% Sublight Speed, standard cruising speed at 15% Sublight Speed)
Shields:
-
Energy Shield (8,000-degree capacity, recovers 3% energy per second)
-
Force Field Shield (specialized against physical strikes, withstands instantaneous impacts up to 6,000 degrees, recovers 4% energy per second)
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