Chapter 346: Tactical Gambits and Superluminal Warfare

Professor Weitman, this is Du Qiu. Please immediately search the trajectory from which the Oumuamua Meteorite originated, especially for any abnormal light spots within 20 astronomical units of the Solar System.

Du Qiu promptly contacted Professor Weitman again, insisting that this area be thoroughly searched.

If the invading fleet truly split into two groups, then we should already see a fleet near the 20 astronomical unit boundary of the Solar System.

Based on the knowledge Du Qiu gleaned from the extraterrestrial civilization in Dreamland regarding faster-than-light travel, any civilization traveling at speeds below 50 times light speed is classified as an early adopter of superluminal technology.

Fleets of this type dare not venture within 20 astronomical units of a star system while in superluminal flight, or they risk catastrophic accidents.

This is because current superluminal technology cannot adequately control force fields against stellar gravitational pulls, leading to ruptures or distortions in the curvature of space that inevitably destroy the warships caught within.

Du Qiu speculated that the enemy fleet’s technology likely maxes out at this early stage—essentially the dawn of a Type 4 civilization.

If the adversary were mid-Type 4 or higher, they wouldn’t cautiously deploy Meteor Warships for reconnaissance, nor would those warships be blown apart by Wyvern Fighters.

It was on this basis that, once Du Qiu determined he could construct and organize 100 new main battle ships within three months, he decisively opted to risk everything in a final showdown.

Moreover, he planned to deploy a fortress defense system across the Asteroid Belt and Mars using new weapons within the same three-month period.

Currently, Dream Technology’s overall technical level is barely at the early Type 3 stage, with many theories still in development.

However, Du Qiu had encountered a Type 6 extraterrestrial civilization in Dreamland and possessed comprehensive knowledge of a Type 4 industrial system.

Especially since he could leverage the AI Warship Simulation from the Type 6 civilization for complex calculations.

As a result, the manufacturing capabilities of Dream Technology had developed in an almost abnormal, accelerated manner.

The three technological breakthroughs Du Qiu derived from his warship simulations achieved levels beyond Type 4, nearly reaching Type 5 standards.

For instance, the fusion engines now boast energy utilization and reactor lifespans that only a typical Type 4 civilization could achieve.

Similarly, the combat prowess of the main battle ships can easily rival that of mid-Level Type 4 warships.

The one uncertainty was the enemy fleet’s size; if they fielded over a thousand warships, Du Qiu would struggle to withstand their assault.

After all, facing ten against one in the early stages of a Type 4 civilization is an almost insurmountable challenge.

While Du Qiu’s main battle ships had sufficient offensive power, their defenses—particularly the energy shields—were somewhat lacking.

This vulnerability was due to Dream Technology’s current inability to produce magnetic field generators that met the simulation’s specifications, possibly because of inferior materials.

In short, Dream Technology was still too immature, having not been around long enough to develop proper depth.

Upon receiving Du Qiu’s orders, Professor Weitman immediately launched a targeted search—such scans did not take long.

Professor Weitman soon reported, “Boss, our scan along the trajectory from which the Oumuamua Meteorite originated revealed no suspicious light spots.”

Hearing this, Du Qiu was momentarily perplexed. Had he misjudged the situation? Could it be that the enemy’s superluminal speeds are actually below 10 times light speed, keeping their fleet locked in superluminal mode?

Unfortunately, without the specialized detection instruments equipped on warships—which can easily trace superluminal trajectories—he was at a disadvantage.

Otherwise, whether three, ten, or even twenty light years away, such superluminal ships would be detectable using those instruments.

Suddenly, Du Qiu paused, a thought crossing his mind.

“Professor, it seems we overlooked a basic fact. The light spot observed three light years away likely corresponds to an event from three years ago.”

“In other words, if the extraterrestrial fleet had set off back then, they should have reached the Solar System by now. Yet they haven’t appeared. Could it be that they simply cannot perform superluminal travel?”

Professor Weitman was taken aback before replying, “Well, that does seem to be the case.” His tone then became excited as he added, “Boss, they clearly lack superluminal capability. At the speed of meteorite ships, it would take at least 180 years for them to reach the Solar System.”

Shaking his head, Du Qiu cautioned, “Don’t celebrate just yet. If they are traveling at conventional speeds, we should have seen them by now. Either they’re exceptionally good at hiding, or another factor is at work. We must remain on our guard.”

“Boss, I’ll intensify our search in that void to ensure we spot any signs in time,” Professor Weitman responded.

After some thought, Du Qiu mused, “Let’s assume they do have superluminal capability. Their absence in the Solar System over the past few years might mean they’re waiting for data from the meteorite ships.”

Currently, it appears the alien fleet either requires centuries to reach the Solar System or has the ability to enter it but, for unknown reasons, has paused its advance.

Lost in thought, Du Qiu was interrupted when Professor Weitman tentatively asked, “Boss, is superluminal travel really possible?”

“Of course it is,” Du Qiu replied.

Du Qiu quickly explained the principles behind superluminal travel, clarifying Professor Weitman’s earlier misconception that the speed of light was an unbreakable cosmic limit.

Still, his explanation sparked a surge of interest in Professor Weitman.

“Boss, may I apply to research this method?”

The prospect of pioneering superluminal travel would etch his name in history—a thought that thrilled him to the core.

After all, mastering superluminal technology would enable humanity to truly step beyond the confines of the Solar System.

“You have my support. In fact, I haven’t even arranged research on this yet—consider joining the project. By connecting to the Nebula in the Heaven Realm, you can access some relevant data,” Du Qiu instructed.

Although Professor Weitman worked at the Astronomy Institute, he was a leading astrophysics scholar who had even led his team to the Kuiper Belt to study dark energy and dark matter.

By a twist of fate, that very expedition led him to discover the mysterious light spot.

Upon hearing Du Qiu’s approval, Professor Weitman was overjoyed, especially at the prospect of obtaining additional data from the AI Nebula.

All researchers knew that securing such data was crucial for breakthrough progress in their studies.

After finalizing matters with Professor Weitman, Du Qiu immediately contacted Song Yuanting.

“Old Song, arrange for Wyvern Fighters to patrol continuously in the 20 astronomical unit area beyond the Kuiper Belt of the Solar System!”

“Boss, what’s happening? Has the alien fleet appeared?”

While leading fleet training, Song Yuanting asked excitedly.

At that moment, under his command, there were 110 main battle ships, 60 escort ships, and 500,000 Wyvern Fighters assembled.

In the Asteroid Belt, the entire fleet was engaged in live combat exercises. Thanks to Song Yuanting’s relentless training, Dream Technology’s space fleet was finally battle-ready.

This fueled in him an insatiable hunger for combat—he thrived at the very thought of battle.

Although the current status of the alien fleet was unknown, Du Qiu intended to deploy a detection and warning network to prevent them from approaching the Solar System via superluminal travel.

Du Qiu explained, “The alien fleet hasn’t appeared yet. Recall when I outlined the stages of superluminal travel for space fleets based on civilization and technology levels?”

“Heh, of course I remember—the initial, stable, intermediate, advanced, and super stages,” Song Yuanting promptly replied.

Du Qiu then added, “I forgot to mention one critical point: during the initial phase of superluminal travel, there is a taboo—you cannot approach within 20 astronomical units beyond the Kuiper Belt while in superluminal mode, or you risk catastrophic losses. You must exit superluminal travel before reaching that limit.”

“Understood. I’m dispatching Wyvern Fighters immediately,” Song Yuanting responded.

Previously, when Du Qiu briefed the entire space fleet on space combat theory, he had already imparted the basics of superluminal travel to Song Yuanting and the other commanders—a lesson every space fleet leader needed to learn.

However, preoccupied with implementing the three technological breakthroughs, Du Qiu had not emphasized the 20-au restriction at the time.

Now, with main battle ship construction running smoothly—producing 10 more ships than planned—and with four superweapon systems already deployed in the Asteroid Belt and on Mars…

Yet the alien fleet remained nowhere to be seen. With his mind at ease, Du Qiu recalled the 20-au limit and began to speculate on where the enemy might be lurking.

With the fleet nearly complete and more robots being manufactured for mining and production under the Stardust directive, progress was unmistakable.

Today, Dream Technology resembled a war beast in full throttle—Wyvern Fighters were built daily, and a new batch of warships joined active service every month.

Even more newly trained crew members queued up, eagerly awaiting the commissioning of the new warships.

At this very moment, Du Qiu burned with an intense desire for battle.