Back to the present.
Zhao Waner had received the task, and had carried it smoothly through to the third stage.
She still remembered clearly how she had felt when she led the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group quietly through the space fold-jump points the Devourer Civilization had made.
Passing through the pitch-black opening, when the scene before her eyes became wholly new,
she saw interstellar warships in twos and threes in the distance.
Because of the earlier probing by the interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships, there was no need to worry about the risk of exposure.
And whether the enemy's anti-stealth equipment would interfere with the cross-universe space fold-jump points, or whether they simply had not prepared equipment of that kind,
they used the enemy's space fold-jump points under the very noses of the Devourer Civilization's interstellar warships with great ease, and came into their universe.
Relying on the intelligence the advance party's interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships provided,
and with careful arrangements, they slipped past the Devourer Civilization interstellar warships all around them, and safely reached a secure spot on the periphery.
Next came sending the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group out in detachments.
For the Devourer Civilization had set up more than just this one front-line battlefield base; they were spread across several neighboring star systems.
The one Zhao Waner was in now was only one of them.
That too was their task: before slipping into the Devourer Civilization's universe proper, first lie low, and then scout out the positions of the enemy's front-line battlefield bases,
along with how many Soul Altars there were in all, and every high-value strategic target, and so on.
Through their efforts these figures had all been tallied, and now lay before Zhao Waner.
One grade-six Soul Altar, six grade-five Soul Altars, forty grade-four Soul Altars.
That was the intelligence Zhao Waner's Shadow Hunter ace fleet group had scouted.
And the dispatch of these Soul Altars was very likely in preparation for this very attack.
Think of it: if all these Soul Altars were put onto the Owl Dragon Empire's universe battlefields, what pressure they would bring on the Owl Dragon Empire's armed forces!
One could imagine.
Zhao Waner's task was to allow no such thing to happen, on any account.
These Soul Altars must be kept, every last one, within the bounds of the universe on this side.
For this, Zhao Waner and her people had prepared a great gift with care this time!
"Report: one grade-four Soul Altar has already passed through the space fold-jump point toward our universe," a subordinate reported.
Zhao Waner said without a change of expression, "We can't possibly catch them all in one net. So long as the main targets are all kept here, that's enough. The most important is still that grade-six Soul Altar!"
As she said it, Zhao Waner looked out the bridge viewport; with her own eyes she could see, far off, that grade-six Soul Altar, not yet unfolded, sitting on the deck of an interstellar transport.
Its bulk was dozens of times that of a grade-five Soul Altar!
For so important a task, it was naturally safest for Zhao Waner to take charge of it in person.
And at this moment the T6 Shadow-Phantom-class Medium Interstellar Stealth Bomber she was aboard lay quietly in hiding not far from this key target.
At a single order, this T6 Shadow-Phantom-class Medium Interstellar Stealth Bomber could throw every weapon and every round of ammunition it had at this Soul Altar in the shortest possible time,
making sure it was smashed to pieces!
"Report the position and state of every corps fleet." Zhao Waner glanced at the time and asked her subordinates.
A subordinate at once began reporting the state of each corps fleet in turn.
"Ninety percent of the interstellar warships of our First Corps Fleet have slipped into their combat positions, and eighty percent of the Second Corps Fleet's. We expect it will still take five minutes to be fully ready."
"The Shadow Hunter Third and Fourth Corps Fleets have entered their combat positions and locked onto their mission targets."
"The Shadow Hunter Fifth and Sixth Corps Fleets have run into a little trouble; to avoid exposing themselves, they're moving rather slowly. To reach the best combat positions will take an expected thirty minutes."
Zhao Waner frowned slightly.
Thirty minutes?
"But the commanders of both corps fleets have taken the time problem into account, and have prepared a fallback plan as well. If they change their hiding places, it should take fifteen minutes. The hiding places won't be the best, but they can make sure every top-priority combat target is destroyed when the fighting starts."
Hearing this, Zhao Waner's brows smoothed out.
The subordinate went on to go through the state of the other corps fleets one by one.
Most had already finished, or were about to finish, lying in wait; the rest could all finish this stage within fifteen minutes.
"Then tell every corps fleet that the planned time for the fighting to begin is fifteen minutes from now," Zhao Waner ordered.
"Yes," the subordinate said.
"How are the preparations on the periphery?" Zhao Waner asked.
"The lads on the periphery are all ready. They're just waiting for us to move," the subordinate answered.
Zhao Waner nodded; her keen eyes looked at the red dots marked one after another on the interstellar holo-table.
The purpose of this trip of hers was not as simple as only destroying those Soul Altars.
Having come all this "long way" on purpose, mustn't she prepare a great gift for this "guest" too?
The corners of Zhao Waner's mouth turned up in spite of herself.
If she could give that big fellow a thrashing, Brother would likely be very happy when he heard of it, and very angry too.
Angry because she had acted at a risk.
With that thought, Zhao Waner looked at another video window, and the big fellow in that video window.
It was the rumored Troll Monarch's own ship, the T6 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship.
Zhao Waner's gaze was somewhat burning.
As an "assassin," she naturally hoped the prey she struck down would be of higher value.
But at the same time she knew very well herself that the risk and cost of hunting this target were very great.
So it had not been included in the combat tasks drawn up before.
Before she set out, Zhao Chen had stressed it too:
this raid plan did not include combat-type interstellar warships!
That naturally included this T6 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship too.
But with meat set right in front of her, to say she did not crave it would be a lie.
But as supreme commander, Zhao Waner could only keep her little designs hidden.
Never mind; first finish the most important combat tasks in hand.
Zhao Waner consoled herself, but her eyes did not forget to sweep over that T6 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship!
……
The T6 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship · the bridge
"Lord Sovereign, so far we've sent nearly 20 million interstellar warships into the battlefields all over the Owl Dragon Empire. We're now arranging for the Soul Altars to go in. For your safety, there's no need for you and the Troll Monarch to come to the Owl Dragon Empire in person." A subordinate officer knelt on the floor, speaking respectfully.
"Are you saying I'm afraid to die?" The Troll Monarch looked coolly at the subordinate officer kneeling before him.
The subordinate officer answered at once, "That's not what I meant. You are a mighty Sovereign; there's naturally no need for you to lift a hand to deal with those lowly ants."
"Hmph, saying that now. If you'd fought properly before, how would I be here?" the Troll Monarch said with a cold laugh.
The subordinate officer dared say nothing more at this moment.
"Send the Soul Altars over first. My flagship and my legion fleet and I will arrive after that. If you really don't want to see me take the field, then clean up all those ants before then, instead of just spouting useless nonsense here," the Troll Monarch said coldly.
The subordinate officer said at once, "Please rest assured, Lord Sovereign. In this round of attack we will surely defeat the Owl Dragon Empire's legion fleets!"
The Troll Monarch said nothing more, but looked coolly at the state of the fighting on several of the Owl Dragon Empire's interstellar holo-tables.
The subordinate officer set about handling matters on every front too, making sure nothing unexpected happened at this point; otherwise he would become the Troll Monarch's rations.
But what you least want is just what happens.
Just then, on the flank beyond the bridge viewport, flames appeared!
This sudden turn drew the eyes of a good many on the bridge.
The Troll Monarch frowned as well.
"What's happened?"
Before the Troll Monarch's words had died away,
more and more bursts of explosion appeared, and alarms began sounding on the bridge too.
"Report! Several of our interstellar transport fleets and interstellar supply ship fleets are under attack by unidentified interstellar stealth bombers. Requesting support!"
"Report! Several of our interstellar transports carrying Soul Altars are under attack by unidentified interstellar stealth bombers!"
"Report! Our star port is under attack by unidentified enemy ships!"
"Report! …………"
Message after message came in, every one of them reporting an attack.
The Troll Monarch's face grew darker and darker.
At the same time he looked up and saw, beyond the bridge viewport, that what had been flames in twos and threes had now grown to dozens of points.
That meant that in the area he could see alone, as many as dozens of places were under attack.
And by now several relay video windows showed the outlines of the attacking interstellar warships.
They were interstellar stealth bombers, one after another!
And on the hulls of these interstellar warships was a fleet crest, a fleet crest all too familiar.
The moment they saw these fleet crests,
the whole bridge began to shake.
Every bridge soldier's face showed terror, but not one dared raise their head.
And most unluckily, one bridge soldier was seized outright by a pair of huge hands.
"Aaah…… help……"
Then this bridge soldier watched helplessly as he drew nearer and nearer to a great reeking mouth, and after that there was only the sound of bones breaking.
The subordinate officer from before at once threw himself flat on the floor, not daring in the least to look at the giant who had risen.
They knew very well that when this Troll Monarch stood up, it meant his fury had reached its limit.
At the slightest misstep, everyone on the bridge might become food in his mouth.
"Lord Sovereign, calm your anger!"
"Tell me! Why are these Owl Dragon interstellar warships here!" The Troll Monarch's voice was cold beyond measure, without any of its usual mocking good humor.
It made everyone feel as though thorns were at their backs.
"This…… this…… this happened too suddenly; we can't learn in a short time why these Owl Dragon interstellar warships are here. But please rest assured, Lord Sovereign: we will surely get to the bottom of this in the shortest possible time and give the Lord Sovereign an answer. But the urgent business now should be to deal with the emergency in front of us first. The aim of these Owl Dragon interstellar stealth bombers is very clear: in this surprise attack they mean to destroy our Soul Altars, our interstellar transport fleet groups and interstellar supply ship fleets, and star ports and other important strategic facilities. Once the enemy achieves that strategic aim, the pace of our attack from here on will be badly affected!"
The subordinate officer kept his head down, but he could see a black shadow already looming over his head, as though it might crush down on him at any moment.
In this moment he felt as though his heart were being pressed under a huge mountain.
He shut his eyes tight in fear.
But the crushing weight he had imagined did not come.
He opened his eyes.
That huge figure had sat down on the throne again, but there was only icy cold in those eyes now.
The subordinate officer let out a long breath; he knew that for now, at least, he was safe.
As for how long he would live, that truly was in the hands of fate.
"Send people to find out in the shortest possible time how these Owl Dragon interstellar warships appeared in our universe. If they built a star gate, or used a one-time, one-way universe-space crossing device like the Sacred Elf Empire's, then hold the people responsible for monitoring that accountable. Seize them, and bring every one of them before me!"
"Yes," the subordinate officer answered.
"At the same time give the order at once: every interstellar warship under attack anywhere is to go into combat condition at once. Don't let this sudden attack of the enemy's cost us heavy losses. If anyone's losses are too heavy, bring the fleet commander responsible here to me! Remember: I will not allow even one Soul Altar to suffer harm!"
"Yes."
The subordinate officer answered again, and at the same time mourned in silence for those fleet commanders, hoping only that nothing went wrong on their side.
Otherwise their fate was plain to see.
But very unluckily,
very soon a piece of bad news arrived.
"Re…… report…… grade-four Soul Altar No. 07, after being attacked by…… by Owl Dragon interstellar stealth bombers…… has exploded……"
This department soldier had only just finished reporting this news
when his body was pierced through by a barbed shaft shot at him, with an iron chain trailing behind the shaft, which dragged him straight over.
Then he fell straight into that huge mouth.
"Bastards, damn them, these good-for-nothings!" The Troll Monarch's furious voice echoed through the bridge without end; everyone who heard it trembled!