Chapter 556: Meeting
Due to the constraints of conventional propulsion, even though the Swarm was faster, they weren’t significantly quicker than the Ketou Race. With the Ketou Race having already departed several hours earlier, it was almost impossible for the Swarm to catch up.
Even if they did, the gains would be minimal, and a large-scale pursuit would be more trouble than it was worth. Thus, after the dead zone of space dissipated, the Swarm only dispatched a small force to pursue, while the main force returned to the star system to continue basking in the sun’s energy.
The pursuing Swarm units were slightly different in design. After Luo Wen identified certain limitations of the Space Octopuses, he decided to develop some specialized units. The creatures responsible for this pursuit were one such example.
If the Primordial-class were Space Octopuses, these units could be called Space Squids. Their main bodies were larger and more elongated, with shorter tentacles. Their specially optimized propulsion systems allowed them to achieve greater speeds under conventional travel.
Their narrow frontal profile made them difficult to hit with weapons, and their pointed heads were made of a specialized metal that was both extremely sharp and durable.
They weren’t equipped with any weapon systems. In Luo Wen’s vision, they were impact weapons, designed to slice through enemy hulls like blades.
In the previous war with the Yuntu Race, the Space Octopuses, despite their formidable close-combat capabilities, were vulnerable to mutual destruction tactics. These Space Squids were meant to complement the close-combat role. They were faster, more destructive at point-blank range, and more agile. More importantly, by sacrificing many functions, they were cheaper to produce and could be grown more quickly.
However, while these Space Squids were fast, they had a several-hour head start disadvantage. If the pursuit was long enough, catching up wouldn’t be an issue.
But in reality, the pursuit was short. Once the Ketou Race ships reached a certain distance, they would enter warp speed. Even the slowest warp travel was far faster than the fastest conventional propulsion.