Chapter 274: Space Octopuses
A Riken warship, over a kilometer in length, would indeed seem massive within a planetary atmosphere. But in the vastness of space, it was little more than a speck in a sea of stars.
The projectiles hurtling across the 600-million-kilometer expanse had been accurately locked onto the positions of the Riken fleet at launch. However, after traveling for over a day, subjected to various forces and minute deviations, the chances of actually hitting their targets were slim.
Despite their emergency evasive maneuvers, one of the Riken warships sustained damage to its left armor, forcing it to withdraw for emergency repairs. This was the sole casualty among the hundreds of projectiles launched.
While the bombardment yielded little in terms of direct damage, it disrupted the Riken fleet’s defensive formations. In their scramble to evade, several turrets lost their original firing angles, leaving some targets out of reach.
Space combat was inherently a three-dimensional battlefield. It required accounting for enemies from every angle—above, below, to the sides—and factoring in the ship’s orientation and the risk of obstructing allied vessels. The complexity was immense.
After a rapid calculation, the fleet’s AI adjusted the turrets, redistributing targets based on the new formation.
“Fire!”
“Launch!”
As soon as the unidentified objects entered effective range, the Riken fleet unleashed their firepower. Over 300 warships, armed with more than 2,000 high-powered main turrets, unleashed several salvos, filling the void with tens of thousands of energy beams.