"What? The Owl Dragon Empire actually counterattacked into the Devourer Civilization's universe!"
"Wiped out nearly 10 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships at one stroke, and dueled the Troll Monarch's T6 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship?"
"Is all this true? Is there any firm news?"
Within the Sacred Elf Empire's High Council, there was nothing now but the sound of discussion.
What they were discussing was beyond doubt the fighting now going on over in the Owl Dragon Empire.
The rumors now were truly too shocking; a good many present held a doubtful attitude, unwilling to believe them, or rather not daring to.
Just then a figure walked slowly into the High Council's great hall.
Every eye fell on her.
The Flame Elf Queen!
The Flame Elf Queen had come back this time because of this very matter.
As a commander who had taken part in the Owl Dragon Empire's war with the Devourer Civilization this time, the Flame Elf Queen's word was one they were still willing to believe.
The Flame Elf Queen could feel the eyes on her, eager for accurate news.
"Salaman, this emergency session has been called. Its business is very simple: the Owl Dragon Empire's military operation against the Devourer Civilization this time. We know some of it, but whether it's true, whether there's exaggeration in it, and some of the details still need sifting. So we need to hear what you've learned of the matter," the Radiant Elf King said.
The Flame Elf Queen looked around, and said calmly, "I know what you're curious about and doubt now. I can promise you on my honor as an Elf Queen: everything you've heard is true. In this military operation the Owl Dragon Empire raided the Devourer Civilization's home universe, destroyed nearly 10 million interstellar warships, and destroyed every universe-space jump point that linked to the Owl Dragon Empire's universe at the time."
An uproar swept the hall!
They had long guessed this result, but when they truly heard it confirmed from the Flame Elf Queen's own lips, a good many were still deeply shocked.
At once a high elf council member of some military distinction stood and asked loudly, "Lady Flame Elf Queen, may I ask how the Owl Dragon Empire did it? As far as we know, with the Owl Dragon Empire's military strength alone, never mind wiping out 10 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships, even holding its own on the main front is extremely hard."
The others looked over curiously too.
The Flame Elf Queen held nothing back either, and told them everything she knew of this war, every detail.
They listened to what the Flame Elf Queen told them as though listening to a legend:
from the Owl Dragon Empire's first dispositions, to the storming of the Soul Altars last time, which quietly slipped the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group into the Devourer Civilization's universe to lie in wait;
then to the start of the plan this time, and the surprise strike on the enemy's home base;
and at the same time the Owl Dragon interstellar hive-race fleets taking the stage, hundreds of millions of interstellar hive-race swarms pouring onto the battlefield and fighting their interstellar fleets in the Devourer Civilization's own interstellar universe;
then to the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group bringing out that super-weapon that destroyed nearly 10 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships at a stroke!
And then the present state of the Owl Dragon Empire's battlefields, where over 30 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships were trapped.
"A Supernova Ultimate Bomb?"
"That can destroy a star system!"
"That level of technology: that's T7 technology, isn't it?"
Everyone's attention now was fixed on this Supernova Ultimate Bomb.
After all, this was a weapon that could destroy a star system in a short time.
As for means and methods of destroying a star system,
the Sacred Elf Empire did not lack them.
But they were usually laborious, slow ways with very poor cost-effectiveness,
such as deliberately detonating the star of some star system, and using the star's explosion to wreck the system,
or gathering huge quantities of explosives and setting them off some way.
And methods of this kind usually took a great deal of time to prepare.
That alone made them impossible on a battlefield.
But this Supernova Ultimate Bomb the Owl Dragon Empire had brought out now was a small, movable piece of weaponry.
And by the intelligence received, it took less than fifteen minutes from placement to use!
That was enough to leave the enemy little time to react and wreck it,
greatly raising its cost-effectiveness in use.
"Salaman, do you have any concrete data on this Supernova Ultimate Bomb of the Owl Dragon Empire's?" the Emerald Elf King asked, somewhat interested.
For hardly any outsider had seen this weapon with their own eyes; so far there were only a few leaked photos of images of the weapon filmed in the early stage of its use,
and some of how it behaved while in use.
Intelligence was scarce.
The Flame Elf Queen said, "The intelligence I have is in truth much the same as yours. This is the Owl Dragon Empire's secret weapon, after all; we're partners, true, but they can't possibly tell us information of this kind either. Just as we, too, have some important top-secret information we won't tell them. But some details show that this weapon is not numerous in the Owl Dragon Empire either. Each one costs a great deal to build and has very high building requirements. This time they used seven[1] at once; I expect there aren't many left. Otherwise they'd have used them long before this, rather than waiting for the best chance. Besides, though its name says supernova, it's in truth only a weapon that imitates a supernova. It can't be called a full supernova explosion; as everyone knows, a true supernova explosion would never be only this powerful."
Hearing the Flame Elf Queen say this, everyone nodded in agreement too.
The Flame Elf Queen went straight on: "I've come back specially this time not just to tell you this. What matters most right now is the situation on the Owl Dragon Empire's battlefields. Because the Owl Dragon Empire's military operation before destroyed the seven universe-space fold-jump points the Devourer Civilization had built for this attack on the Owl Dragon Empire's universe, the over 30 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships that had been fighting on the Owl Dragon Empire's universe battlefields have had their retreat cut off. No logistics, no support, even their communications are cut. Right now they're nothing but live targets. It's a perfect chance to wipe out all these 30-million-odd interstellar warships!"
When she came to this, the Flame Elf Queen's tone grew several degrees heavier.
The high elf council members broke into talk now too.
"If we can work with the Owl Dragon Empire to wipe out these 30-million-odd Devourer Civilization interstellar warships in a short time, it will be as good as cutting off both the Devourer Civilization's arms! Even if we don't attack the Devourer Civilization ourselves afterward, at the very least the Devourer Civilization can't possibly launch any threatening attack on us for decades!"
This time the Flame Elf Queen said nothing outright about attacking the Devourer Civilization's universe.
For through her dealings these past few times she had seen clearly that this lot on the High Council truly would not fight the Devourer Civilization to the death unless they had no other choice.
Perhaps these centuries of peaceful days really had worn down the elf race's edges.
So the demand she put forward now was only the proposal with the least risk and the greatest gain: wiping out the 30-million-odd interstellar warships inside the Owl Dragon Empire's borders.
"Yes! Wiping out 30-million-odd of the Devourer Civilization's interstellar warships at one go will certainly maul the Devourer Civilization badly!"
"It's a rare chance. Those 30-million-odd Devourer Civilization interstellar warships have no logistics support; once their fleets have used up the supplies they carry, they'll be fish out of water, without a scrap of fighting power!"
"That way, all told, the Devourer Civilization will have sunk nearly 50 million interstellar warships into this war against the Owl Dragon Empire! Never mind resisting the Devourer Civilization's invasion; we could even counterattack the Devourer Civilization's home universe ourselves!"
Some were stirred, some excited; those who had always shrunk from war were now crying out for a counterattack too.
But very soon some discordant voices made themselves heard as well.
"As things look now, it's a rare chance, true. But we've already sent 10 million interstellar warships all told; sending more may be rather too risky…… And in wiping out these 30 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships, we're bound to take no small losses ourselves too."
"Those three Sovereigns of the Devourer Civilization will never sit and watch these 30-million-odd interstellar warships be used up for nothing on the Owl Dragon Empire's battlefields. They're sure to bring out some further means. Don't forget, they've gone over to Order."
"That's right! That's right! They must still have some means hidden in hand that they haven't used yet. If we rush blindly into the fighting now, what if we take the losses later! We must be careful and cautious!"
Hearing these words, the Flame Elf Queen held back with difficulty the urge to tear these people's mouths open and see whether they had any nerve in them at all.
Holding back her anger, the Flame Elf Queen looked at the Elf Sovereigns.
What could decide this matter was still in the hands of the Elf Sovereigns.
Next, as always, the Elf Sovereigns held a small meeting of their own.
And the high elf council members went on discussing it outside without end, the two factions arguing fiercely over it.
This meeting was quick; in a dozen-odd minutes all told, the Elf Sovereigns came out.
And none of them went back to their thrones; they stood there instead.
The Emerald Elf King looked around and said, "After our deliberations, we have decided: because of the opportunity in the present state of the war, we will send another 5 million interstellar warships to the Owl Dragon Empire's battlefields. At the same time, every interstellar legion fleet within our empire is to go to first-grade readiness, and await orders at any moment!"