Chapter 384: The Unseen Force

The first barrier consisted of 2,000 warships.

In that instant, the previously tight formation of the fleet was shattered – the ships were tossed like helpless boats in a raging storm, scattering wildly.

Some warships even collided with each other, triggering violent explosions in a flash.

In the void, it was as if some unseen force had suddenly emerged!

Although some warships did not crash into one another, their shields erupted in brilliant light and then split into two pieces, as if sliced by a mysterious entity.

About 100,000 kilometers beyond the first barrier lay the second barrier, also composed of 2,000 warships, which suffered the same fate.

Countless shields burst into light, clearly struck by an invisible attack.

One by one, as the shields finally gave out, the warships exploded, disintegrating into cosmic dust.

The third barrier, formed by 3,000 warships, was positioned 150,000 kilometers from the second.

Yet when the unseen force surged forth, the warship formation remained intact!

However, every ship’s shield lit up – but only for ten seconds before extinguishing, as if nothing had happened.

In other words, the third barrier managed to block that terrifying, invisible force.

Lin Feng and his team were stunned by what the super-magnetic imager displayed. Just what was this invisible force?

In mere moments, it had annihilated 4,000 main warships of a fourth-level civilization!

Had Lin Feng not orchestrated such a defense formation, the fleet would have suffered massive losses – especially his own fleet, with at least 4,000 crew members on each warship.

After all, 1,000 warships meant 4 million souls!

A wave of fear washed over Lin Feng as he asked, “Researcher Sun, what on earth caused this? It travels faster than light, impacting an area nearly a light-year wide – it’s terrifying!”

Cold sweat broke out on Sun Chunyi’s brow; Commander Lin’s countermeasures were simply brilliant!

“Commander Lin, your actions saved everyone,” he added.

Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively and replied, “It’s what I had to do. Now tell me – what do you think this is? Could it be weaponized?”

At that moment, Lin Feng’s eyes glowed with a strange green light. If this invisible force could be weaponized, it would be an ultimate weapon.

Its destructive range could reach up to a light-year!

After pondering for a while, Sun Chunyi said, “Since none of our warship sensors picked up any alarms, this likely isn’t any particle or energy we know of.

Because it travels faster than light, I suspect two possibilities: one involving a type of negative matter, and another related to spatial energy.”

Back when the Nebula Simulation was affected, we assumed it was caused by space fluctuations – though we never really understood what that entailed.

The head of the expert team stepped forward and said, “I lean toward negative matter. Look at the Tur warships – their shields resisted the attack.

That indicates there was some kind of material reaction between them, and the third barrier ultimately held the line, similar to how negative matter attacks have an effective range.”

“Alright. Let’s wait here a while; if nothing further occurs, we’ll dispatch warships to inspect the two barrier lines. I expect you to study it further.”

Lin Feng addressed the expert team leader.

“Okay, we hope to uncover some answers soon.”

Over a span of more than ten days, no new incident occurred, and the reinforcement fleet reached the rendezvous point.

The experts eventually found no abnormal particles; all that remained were fragments of destroyed warships. The fleet then recalled the remnants and had the reinforcements converge.

After the two fleets joined, Lin Feng immediately resupplied the Transport Ship with the exhausted Negative Matter Ammunition.

He then dispatched several Tur warships, controlled by artificial intelligence and smart robots, to fly at faster-than-light speeds toward the vicinity of the neutron star collision.

These warships carried a batch of Meteor Detectors, ready to restore the destroyed monitoring network.

By approaching for close-range observation, they aimed to determine if any neutron star material still remained. If it did, Lin Feng intended to command the fleet to attack and completely eradicate it.

Keep in mind that neutron star material is extremely unique – if it manages to maintain its state, its mass is not very small.

Should its volume diminish too much, it would lose the immense pressure and high temperature required to sustain the neutron star’s degenerate state.

Without those conditions, the neutron star material would change, with free neutrons decaying in less than 15 minutes, triggering beta decay.

In that decay process, neutrons transform into protons, electrons, and anti-neutrinos, releasing energy.

Such energy release comes with a massive explosion.

Thus, when the two pieces of neutron star material collided, part of it stripped away and decayed, releasing energy that sparked the explosion.

Following the blast, the total mass decreased, but the newly freed protons, electrons, and the undecayed neutrons combined to form new elements – with hydrogen being the dominant product from beta decay.

Due to the differing neutron configurations in the expelled neutron star matter, the decay process could also form gold and other heavy elements – the very origin of the gold, platinum, and other precious metals we know.

When the material from the neutron star detached, it resembled the cosmic event that created hydrogen during the universe’s birth. The emerging elements would form nebulae, from which some matter would coalesce into asteroids or larger celestial bodies.

At that moment, a nebula was born at the neutron star collision site. Occasional explosions within it gave rise to new nebulae.

Rapidly, the nebula expanded to cover over 100 astronomical units. By the time the scout warships decelerated from faster-than-light travel and arrived nearby, they were already engulfed by the nebula.

The scout ships weaved through the nebula, deploying Meteor Detectors, and soon a new monitoring network was established.

The search for neutron star material was swiftly completed.

Though hidden behind the nebula, the unique high temperature and strong gravity of neutron star material ensured it would be easily detected as long as it existed.

With confirmation that the neutron star material had been completely eradicated, Lin Feng exhaled deeply and immediately reported the situation to Longtar and Headquarters.

Du Qiu, upon receiving the report, issued orders for Lin Feng to lead a fleet to the mouth of that wormhole, and to send an unmanned, intelligent warship to conduct exploratory reconnaissance.

This mysterious wormhole, whose destination remains unknown, left Du Qiu deeply concerned for the safety of the Solar System.

Especially since a neutron star might traverse it in mere seconds.

Now that a neutron star had emerged from within, and Lin Feng’s fleet happened to be right there – along with the reactivated Tur fleet using their material disintegration ray cannons to split the neutron star in two, triggering a collision and subsequent annihilation.

Otherwise, who knows if the fleet’s Negative Matter Ammunition would have been sufficient to obliterate the neutron star?

To be safe, the reinforcement fleet did not return to the Solar System but was instead placed under Lin Feng’s command to proceed toward the wormhole.

After receiving Du Qiu’s orders, Lin Feng immediately led the fleet into action.

A few days later, the fleet reappeared near the previously marked wormhole on the star map – just 5.8 astronomical units from the neutron star collision site.

The area was completely obscured by a nebula formed from transformed neutron star material.

Lin Feng deployed an unmanned intelligent warship toward the designated wormhole, with everyone intently watching the super-magnetic imager.

When they saw the warship glide effortlessly past the wormhole’s entrance, it was clear that it hadn’t entered any wormhole.

Lin Feng and Ding Shaoqiu exchanged bewildered glances. How could the wormhole be inaccessible?