Both the T3 Self-detonating Beetle and the T3 Corrupted Wyvern are Zerg combat units bred and incubated by the T3 Nest Mothership.
The T3 Self-detonating Beetle is only about the size of an adult Human, and its combat capability is not strong—it is even inferior to the T1 Flying Insect.
However, it possesses one astonishing characteristic.
That is self-detonation!
The power of its explosion is sufficient to blast a large hole in the Starship Armor of a T2 Starship, posing a significant threat even to the hull armor of a T3-class Starship.
Simultaneously, its self-detonation consumes an enormous amount of star shield energy!
It is easy to imagine the scenario if over a hundred Self-detonating Beetles were to swarm a Starship and successfully detonate at close range.
Fortunately, the number of T3 Self-detonating Beetles is extremely limited. A single T3 Nest Mothership can only cultivate and maintain between one hundred to three hundred Self-detonating Beetles at any given time.
Most of these Self-detonating Beetles remain in a dormant state within the hive.
It could even be said that when they are awakened, it is time for them to carry out their suicidal mission.
The actual survival time of a T3 Self-detonating Beetle typically does not exceed half an hour.
Perhaps this is due to concerns that they might go out of control and detonate, potentially destroying the mothership itself.
The T3 Corrupted Wyvern is a mutated and evolved version of the T2 Spiked Serpent. Its individual size is ten times that of the T2 Spiked Serpent, equipped with two pairs of wings, and its bulk is even comparable to that of a T1 Interstellar Warship.
It can fly in the interstellar environment and possesses the ability for short-range rapid assaults. Its mouthparts can spray highly concentrated Biological Sulfuric Acid, which has medium Firing Range and extremely rapid firing speed!
Once the T3 Corrupted Wyvern breaches a Starship's armor, it will release a staggering number of eggs into the ship's Cabins. These eggs will hatch into large quantities of T1 Mutant Insects.
These T1 Mutant Insects will invade every department of the entire Starship in an extremely short time. The fluids they spray possess strong corrosive properties and electromagnetic interference characteristics.
At this very moment, these terrifying Swarms are like a gaping abyssal maw, sweeping toward the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser from above, below, left, and right, aiming to devour this tiny prey.
"Report, enemy aerial units will be the first to enter our ship's attack range!" a Starship Crew member reported.
"Bow Cannon and Main Cannon, continue to stand by.
Secondary cannons, conduct precision strikes on enemy T3 Zerg units. Close Defense Cannons, fire at full capacity to intercept the enemy Swarm!
Stellar Drones, enter Defensive Auto-Combat Mode," ordered Deputy Captain Charlotte.
Zhao Chen stared at the holographic image; the scene resembled a game.
The model representing the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser had already begun to fire.
Large swathes of the T1 Flying Insects charging at the forefront were being shattered in waves.
The seventy-two Medium Close-in Defense Guns of the T3 Blizzard were firing incessantly, their bullets forming vast Bullet Curtains.
Due to the dense nature of the Swarm, a single bullet could often kill several T1 Flying Insects.
One Medium Pulse Laser Secondary Gun rotated, aimed at a section of the Swarm, and immediately fired!
A beam of laser shot out, piercing through dozens of T1 Flying Insects before accurately striking a T3 Self-detonating Beetle hiding among them.
Due to their inherent frailty, T3 Self-detonating Beetles often require coordination with other Zerg units in combat, using them to conceal their own forms.
Another laser shot out, this time striking a T3 Corrupted Wyvern and blasting a large hole through its body.
The Stellar Drones also continued their relentless assault on the swarm.
In just a few dozen seconds, the T3 Blizzard had already eliminated at least several thousand Zerg units, and that number was still climbing rapidly.
Despite this, the swarm continued to surge forward fearlessly, closing the distance to the T3 Blizzard.
Some T2 Spiked Serpents had even begun spewing venom to attack the starship.
Fortunately, all of these attacks were blocked by the star shield on the T3 Blizzard's forward section.
"Report, one T3 Nest Mothership and four T2 Hive Motherships have entered the firing range of our bow cannon and main cannons," a crew member reported.
Deputy Captain Charlotte gave the order without hesitation: "Fire!"
The long-charged Blizzard-class Heavy Cluster Laser Bow Cannon unleashed a massive blue energy beam. Wherever this blue beam passed, whether it was T3 Corrupted Wyverns or T3 Self-detonating Beetles, let alone T2 Spiked Serpents and T1 Flying Insects, all were utterly annihilated!
Unlike the earlier pulse lasers, the beam laser was a sustained attack.
Thus, from the outside, one could see the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser's bow cannon continuously outputting energy. The blue energy beam surged forward, tearing a gap through the dark swarm and finally revealing its intended prey.
A T3 Nest Mothership!
Zhao Chen watched on the screen as the beam laser directly impacted the heavy armor plating on the T3 Nest Mothership's head.
Boom!
Although no actual sound could be heard, Zhao Chen's mind seemed to perceive the violent impact.
Upon initial contact, the beam laser did not immediately destroy the T3 Nest Mothership. Instead, it continuously pounded against the mothership's heavy armor.
Similar to interstellar warships, Zerg units only become truly 'militarized' Interstellar Zerg starting from the T3 level.
Unlike T3 interstellar warships, T3 Nest Motherships do not possess star shields. Instead, they have developed terrifyingly formidable biological armor, with average strength per unit area dozens of times greater than that of T3 interstellar warship armor!
Furthermore, the size of a T3 Nest Mothership is dozens of times that of a T2 Hive Mothership.
A T3-class Starship appears as insignificant as a tiny grape next to a watermelon in comparison.
If Zhao Chen were to ram the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser into a T3 Nest Mothership now, it would be uncertain whose hull would be torn apart.
Inside the T3 Blizzard's hangar bay, several professors and instructors were crowded around the originally narrow viewports, with those behind unable to see anything at all.
"Holy crap, is that an attack on a T3 Nest Mothership?!"
"Although we can't see the weapon systems on the starship, judging by the attack, it should be a beam laser-type weapon."
"This T3 interstellar warship is a Stellar Battlecruiser. The beam laser it's equipped with likely can't directly kill a T3 Nest Mothership. The heavy armor of a T3 Nest Mothership is a terrifying defense that can even withstand the main cannon fire of a T3-class Interstellar Battleship!"
The professors and instructors discussed animatedly.
The teachers and students behind could only hear their words, completely unable to see the scene outside the viewport.
Teacher Qin suddenly asked the professors and instructors in front to step aside, then operated her handheld terminal a few times, capturing and projecting the view outside the viewport into the hangar.
This way, everyone could see the battlefield footage.
In the hangar, all the teachers and students stared at that blue beam of light, holding their breath in tense silence...
"What an incredible cannon..." Xue Xiaoxiao gaped, looking utterly stunned.