Chapter 293: Disappearance
This skirmish erupted suddenly and ended just as quickly. The entire engagement lasted less than two hours, during which both sides exchanged over a dozen salvos. The swarm lost more than 30 Primordial-class bodies, while the Riken fleet suffered the loss of eight warships.
From a numerical perspective, it might appear that the swarm suffered greater losses.
However, the Primordial-class bodies of the swarm were essentially juveniles slowly growing into maturity, with the primary cost being time. As long as time was abundant, the swarm could produce as many Primordial-class bodies as needed.
Moreover, in this battle, none of the Primordial-class bodies were truly destroyed. They only needed a period of dormancy to repair themselves before reentering the battlefield, fully restored.
In contrast, the Riken fleet’s warships required a complex construction process involving vast amounts of manpower and resources. Each warship needed to be staffed by hundreds of crew members.
The training of these personnel also demanded significant resource investment.
From the perspective of practical losses, the swarm had clearly profited greatly.
Yet, the Riken fleet believed they hadn’t suffered a net loss, and perhaps even gained a slight advantage. Despite losing a few warships, they had acquired a crucial piece of information and managed to destroy over 30 enemy units. By their calculation, it was a fair exchange.
After the battle concluded, both sides astonishingly considered the engagement worthwhile. As for which perspective was more valid, it depended on one’s interpretation.