Chapter 1237: Preemptive Defense
A powerful, opalescent beam painted the bridge in hues of deadly beauty. The blast carried tremendous force, blowing away the isolating shroud as it rushed toward its distant target. The engines needed another 40 minutes before they could be deployed, so Zac had opted to creep closer to their target while hidden by the Yphelion's shroud, hoping it would catch their prey unaware.
They'd even found a dense pocket of ambient energy to add to their disguise. Everything was perfect except the location. Zac grimaced upon seeing the weblike cracks that spread out from the beam. The leakage was bad even in the unusually calm region they'd stopped in, and only a third of the energy remained when it reached its target.
The Kan'Tanu Destroyer's purple barrier lit up like a sun to block the ambush. Zac looked on with rapt attention, waiting for the second stage. The next second, the laser transformed, its colors shifting darker. It was now a literal Death Ray, a unique feature the System had added to the Iliex schematics. The alternation between Life- and Death-attuned beams followed the pendulum concepts he'd read about in [Book of Duality], creating an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
The damaged shielding was unable to endure the sudden shift. It popped like a soap bubble, prompting an explosion near the ship's aft. The damage was immediately overshadowed when the laser dug into the ship. A ripple of explosions spread along the breach as the destroyer's engine was ripped apart, spewing out all its fuel.
Streaks of chaotic energy mixed with rapidly propagating spatial tears. Zac could only imagine the mayhem taking place within the ship. The destruction quickly reached critical mass, and the oblong ship blew apart in the middle. Half the ship immediately fell into another dimension, but it wasn't enough to make Zac relax just yet. The Yphelion's subsidiary cannons unleashed a second salvo after the main cannon had paved a path, straining the ship's energy circuits further.
These smaller armaments would normally be useless against a ship like the Kan'Tanu destroyer. They were designed to deal with small, fast-moving targets or intercept raiders. They found another use now that they were dealing with an exposed wreckage without any protection. Their gunner shot a dozen streaks of smaller projectiles against any energy-dense spot. It would either be a strong cultivator who'd survived the initial blast or a piece of the Cosmic Vessel to blow up.
Zac almost dared hope they could deal with the threat without a fight. However, a huge, fleshy tendril appeared from a rift to dash those hopes. The thorn was almost as large as the destroyer, allowing it to form a resilient wall against the bombardment. The next moment, a stream of cultists came pouring out of the wreckage.
"What in the blazes is that!" Bubbur swore.
"And how much is hiding beneath the surface?" Kruta said, glancing at a pale-faced Jaol.