System Points: 14,500
Task points: 35
A happy haul of System points and task points, and a T3 interstellar frigate technical blueprint besides.
This might be said to have resolved, at just the right moment, the pressing crisis of Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Fleet's T3-series warship formation. For now Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Fleet had a T3 Phoenix, and a batch of T2 Lion Kings besides. The T2 Black Rhinos alone couldn't shoulder the task of escort, and so the T3 Blizzards had been made to take on escort duty. Though it worked for the short term, this was bound to affect the overall attacking rhythm of operations. It was no lasting plan. Now that he had a T3 heavy interstellar frigate, the T3 Blizzards could naturally return to their original combat posts.
Triceratops-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate
Ship-type: interstellar frigate
Tech grade: T3
Hull armor strength: 6,800–9,000 units
Shield energy value: 150,000 units
Cruising speed: 160 star-knots
Warp engine: tier-6 warp engine
Length: 888 meters
Mass: 470,000 tons
Crew posts: 250
Ship weapons: 200 T3-grade six-barrel 600mm-bore heavy point-defense energy cannons (one shot at a time, with no interval between)
Special performance: three-face shield system, short-distance assault mode
Having looked over the data of this T3 Triceratops-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate, Zhao Chen found that it truly was exceedingly similar to the T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate. Its design philosophy was one and the same.
But the T3 Triceratops had been greatly raised on the defensive side; its 200 T3-grade six-barrel 600mm-bore heavy point-defense energy cannons were enough to make any visiting foe not dare take it lightly. And its shield system was quite special: it could open three shields at the same time, and the shields' area was several times larger than that of a normal shield! This technology had appeared on the T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship too — indeed, that one could open six independent shields at once. But where the T3 Triceratops differed was that its shields' deployment range was exceedingly broad; the black-tech it was fitted with could make its shields' deployment range dozens of times farther than the normal range. Suppose 10 T3 Triceratops were to coordinate the release of their shields — they could even, straight on the battle front, seamlessly deploy one "giant shield"! Composed of 30 independent shields! And this meant, too, that the T3 Triceratops could deploy its shields ahead of a friendly ship — quite simply a considerate meat-shield support, and no mistake!
Beyond its defensive ability, it also had the T2 Black Rhino's highly symbolic "ramming spur" design — and this time three of them were installed at once. And within these three "ramming spurs," moreover, was fitted high-particle vibration-magnetic-field technology. Though invisible to the naked eye, once these three ramming spurs pierced into an enemy warship's hull and this high-particle vibration-magnetic-field was activated, then under the high-frequency vibration, it could, to a certain degree, destroy the molecular structure of the enemy warship's armor material — producing an exceedingly strong armor-breaking effect!
The build cost of such a T3 Triceratops was quite low — needing only 2 million star coins! Mind you, the sale price of a T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer before this had come to a full 4 million star coins! And if it was undertaken by the T3 Furnace-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship, then a single T3 Furnace could build 10 T3 Triceratops in a single month! Cheap, sturdy, hard-wearing, and mass-producible on a great scale — this seemed to be the very hallmark of this type of interstellar frigate. If these System interstellar warships had designers behind them, then Zhao Chen was certain: the T2 Black Rhino and the T3 Triceratops were absolutely designed by one and the same designer!
"With this, then, the Owl Dragon Fleet's T3-warship constitution can be said to have taken its first rough shape." Zhao Chen was much satisfied in his heart.
This risky expedition had, sure enough, not let down Zhao Chen's hopes. Not only had it let Zhao Chen obtain a functional strategic interstellar warship, the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship — it had also given him the happy delivery of a T3 Triceratops-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate!
"I recall the quarterly mission can be completed too, I believe." Zhao Chen opened the quarterly-mission interface.
Quarterly Mission: Redeem one T3-grade auxiliary-type interstellar warship technical blueprint (incomplete). Combat-type interstellar warships reach one hundred (100/100) (complete).
In the construction plan of this year's last quarter, the requirement of 100 combat-type interstellar warships had long since been met. Only, Zhao Chen, because he'd earlier had no System points, had had long put off redeeming a T3-grade auxiliary-type interstellar warship technical blueprint. The rewards of a quarterly mission were generally quite rich, and a T3 auxiliary-type warship was, for a complete interstellar fleet, indispensable as well. Zhao Chen began leafing through the System mall, searching for a suitable auxiliary-type warship.
Before long, he'd locked onto his target. A T3 heavy interstellar supply ship.
An interstellar supply ship — as the name implied, an auxiliary-type warship that carried out resupply operations on warships upon the battlefield. Though this sort of resupply task could be performed by an interstellar industrial ship too, the efficiency was under a tenth of a same-grade interstellar supply ship's! For the professional work, after all, had to be handed to the professional ship to be responsible for.
Expend 8,000 System points and 15 task points to redeem the item "T3 Virgo-class Heavy Interstellar Supply Ship"?
"Confirm."
Congratulations — acquired the "T3 Virgo-class Heavy Interstellar Supply Ship" technical blueprint.
Before — System points: 14,500
Before — task points: 35
Spent — System points: 8,000
Spent — task points: 15
After — System points: 6,500
After — task points: 20
Quarterly mission complete — please claim your mission reward.
Zhao Chen willed it.
Acquired 10,000 System points, and 30 task points.
Before — System points: 6,500
Before — task points: 20
Gained — System points: 10,000
Gained — task points: 30
After — System points: 16,500
After — task points: 50
Sure enough, the quarterly mission's reward was quite rich; at a stroke, it restored the System points and task points Zhao Chen had spent!
Zhao Chen browsed a while through the data of this T3 Virgo-class Heavy Interstellar Supply Ship. It was fitted with a rapid-resupply system that could dock onto any warship whatsoever. And within it were a great many cargo holds, dedicated to storing all manner of strategic materials. Such a T3 Virgo was enough to satisfy the needs of a regular corps-grade interstellar fleet on an expeditionary campaign! For instance, take Zhao Chen's T2 Lion King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship: if a T3 Virgo were fully loaded with the interstellar missiles required, the interstellar missiles it stored would be the equivalent of the amount needed for 100 T2 Lion Kings. It could carry out resupply operations on 10 T2 Lion Kings at the same time, and within 20 minutes it could let a T2 Lion King that had fired off all its interstellar missiles rise once more in its full might and glory!
Zhao Chen, just now, felt his heart singing with delight.
The T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship.
The T3 Triceratops-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate.
The T3 Virgo-class Heavy Interstellar Supply Ship.
At a single stroke he'd obtained the technical blueprints of three interstellar warships; and once these warships joined the Owl Dragon Fleet, it would beyond doubt let the Owl Dragon Fleet's combat power be raised a further step!
"Commander, we're about to enter warp-voyage mode; it's projected we'll return to the Owl Dragon System in five days!" Lilith reported.
"Let's go home," Zhao Chen said, in a fine mood.
He wondered whether those two princes, on seeing the "little gift" he'd left for them, would be in a fine mood as well.