Chapter 353: Extremely Shocking Attack

Following the Fleet Commander's order, all the outer monitors began their tense search efforts, striving to locate the source of the unknown high-energy particle beams. However, due to the limited surveillance range of the monitors, which could only cover up to 20 astronomical units, they ultimately failed to obtain any information.

But this news itself was enough to shock humanity. The enemy had launched such high-energy particle beams, which could change direction, from beyond 20 astronomical units, striking the human neutron star warship that was on a high-speed flight path.

This fact was undoubtedly a colossal challenge to the technological level and imagination of humanity. The Fleet Commander was filled with shock and bewilderment, as if he were being pushed by an invisible force into an unknown abyss. He would rather believe that this was some inscrutable deception by the Trisolarans or that the unattended monitors had malfunctioned and issued a false alarm.

Of course, the Fleet Commander understood that it could not be a ruse or false alarm from the Trisolarans because all the unmanned monitors had transmitted the same information, ruling out the possibility of error. Additionally, the Trisolarans, whose technology was far behind that of humans, could not possibly reach such an inconceivable level.

At the same time, the unmanned monitors transmitted another piece of intelligence, that the space traversed by the unknown high-energy particle beams had triggered intense space storms on the microscopic level. The strength of these storms was so great that they were also reflecting on the macroscopic level.

This discovery added to humanity's confusion and unease, as they were utterly unable to guess what it was. Everything was challenging human knowledge.

But everyone understood that a new war had begun.

In the face of this sudden unknown high-energy particle beam, every member aboard the human neutron star warships felt an unprecedented threat.

There was less than 15 minutes until the attack would arrive.

In the virtual command halls of the various neutron star warships, captains were urgently discussing countermeasures with their crews. The target of the incoming unknown high-energy particle beams was clearly the human neutron star warships, and such an attack had a high probability of breaking through the defenses of these warships.

The best strategies seemed twofold. The first was to use phase-plane defense to shift the unknown high-energy particle beams away from the attack. However, according to the computer-simulated attack plan of the enemy, each warship was very likely to be hit by two beams attacking from different directions at the same time. And the phase-plane defense could only protect against an attack from one direction.

The second was for the warships to enter into maximum power mode and rapidly maneuver in an attempt to evade the unknown high-energy particle beam attack. But the biggest concern was the extent of the unknown high-energy particle beams' ability to change direction. If they could make significant changes in direction, then the human warships would also have difficulty evading.

There were other options, such as seeking shelter nearby to avoid high-energy particle beams, but it was unclear how effective this would be.

Of course, the best strategy would be to flee at all costs, even to initiate light-speed travel, but this was out of the question. Until the end, the Solar System Alliance would not relinquish the secrets to activating light-speed travel.

The 800 neutron star warships quickly settled on a strategy. At that moment, the only thing humanity had was an unwavering belief.

Regardless of the kind of "enemy" they faced and how incomprehensible the attack was, it could not sway their military spirit.

All the warships chose to bravely confront the attack from this unknown civilization.

They understood that the "enemy" hiding in the shadows dared to launch such an attack because they must have had confidence in destroying these 800 neutron star warships. They might even have some understanding of human weapons.

Instead of struggling futilely under such a fierce attack, searching for that slim chance of survival, they'd rather resolutely face the enemy and ascertain the true principles behind their attack!

Even the most powerful weapon, once its underlying principles are revealed, could surely be countered. The attacked human warships needed not just "life" and "existence," but as much intelligence as possible about the attack so that the humanity of the Solar System could prepare in advance.

Isn't this also a kind of spirit that faces death to seek life?

A portion of the warships chose to activate maximum power and flee in different directions to test the unknown high-energy particle beams' minimum deflection radius.

Some neutron star warships chose to enter the Three-Body Foggy Regions or create various "shelters" around the warships to probe the extent of their impact on unknown high-energy particle beams.

Some neutron star warships distorted the space around them into low lightspeed regions or low lightspeed surfaces, attempting to block or change the trajectory of the unknown high-energy particle beams.

A few neutron star warships opted to induce vacuum energy fluctuations, or dark energy, virtual energy fluctuations, at maximum power to explore their effects on the unknown high-energy particle beams.

Several neutron star warships deployed Sophon Blind Zones around themselves, trying to interfere with or block the attack of the unknown high-energy particle beams.

...

Soon, the heart-thumping 15 minutes silently passed.

An unknown high-energy particle beam, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, aimed straight at its target, the human warship most proud of, the Neutron Star Warship.

The closest Neutron Star Warship to the particle beam directly faced the two streams of high-energy particle beams attacking it.

But the particle beams, like intangible ghosts, effortlessly pierced through the warship's sturdy armor forged from Neutron Star Material with an irresistible force. At that moment, time and space seemed to freeze, and the whole world was immersed in a deathly silence.

Neutron Star Material, once considered by humanity as the hardest substance known in the universe, seemed like a mere illusion in front of this mysterious and terrifying high-energy particle beam. Its structural integrity rapidly disintegrated under the onslaught of the particle beams, becoming extremely fragile, like an ice layer scorched by the blazing sun, collapsing and disintegrating in an instant, turning into nothingness.

The once-prized strongest defense seemed like an absurd joke in front of these particle beams. As the beams penetrated deeper, the unimaginable massive energy they carried erupted within the warship's interior, like a mini star being suddenly ignited at the core of the warship, releasing a destructive brilliance and heat that could obliterate heaven and earth.

Under the impact of this unstoppable force, the Neutron Star Warship, like a paper mache, was torn to shreds. It then exploded violently, turning into dust scattered across the sky, leaving nothing but silence and endless sorrow.

Before being hit, this warship was sprinting at 10% of the speed of light, performing rapid and complex maneuvers, trying to dodge this fatal strike.

However, the reaction speed of the high-energy particle beam was beyond everyone's imagination. It was like a mysterious hunter with precognitive abilities, always able to accurately predict the warship's every maneuver. No matter how the warship tried to evade, the particle beam followed closely, locking on tightly.

Until the warship was destroyed, humanity had roughly estimated the energy intensity of this high-energy particle beam, which far exceeded the high-energy particle beams accelerated by the two Super Particle Accelerators during the Battle of Doomsday.

If the Super-Energy Particle Beams accelerated by humanity were such that each particle held the energy of a pebble falling from a height of one meter.

Then the current Super-Energy Particle Beam, each particle's energy would be comparable to that of a boulder falling from a thousand meters in the air. This was an intensity of energy beyond human imagination; not even the Solar System Accelerator could accelerate particles to such a high degree.

And the number of particles in each particle beam stream was initially estimated to be in the trillions, allowing a simple calculation – such energy could even push the Moon out of the Earth-Moon system.

Converting this into a more tangible comparison, such a particle beam striking a Neutron Star Warship was like the entire Moon crashing down onto a single point at a speed of 1 kilometer per second. Such overwhelming energy acted upon a single point, making even Neutron Star Material seem utterly vulnerable.

If this kind of attack was indeed launched by an unknown civilization's warships, then the energy provided by this one warship would be tens of thousands of times the power released by all Planetary Engines on the Moon. Such monumental power transcended all human understanding of force, challenging the limits of human imagination.

In the face of such a staggering scene, whether scientists, engineers, or ordinary observers, all were deeply shocked by this unprecedented sight. Their faces were filled with astonishment, disbelief, and awe, their mouths wide open, yet unable to utter a sound. At this moment, time seemed to stand still, everyone immersed in this indescribable shock.

At this moment, humanity seemed to sense its own insignificance and ignorance. They were as if in a collective stupor, unable to recover for a long time. They never imagined that an attack by an unknown civilization could so far exceed human expectations; this was even more shocking than the slaughter humanity encountered with The Waterdrop in the original timeline.

However, the humanity of now was no longer that of the original timeline. They had undergone 500 years of arduous struggle, witnessing countless challenges and transformations. Over these long years, humanity continuously broke through their limitations, challenging the unknown, their convictions as firm as they had ever been.

Facing the attack of this unknown civilization, humans might feel fear but not despair, nor would they be intimidated by this unknown civilization's demonstrated capabilities.

In their hearts, there was only the determination and belief to fight to the death.

Moreover, humanity also understood that there were definitely mechanisms they had yet to grasp; perhaps this unknown civilization was not as powerful as it seemed.

A simple fact was that this unknown civilization was very likely here to save Trisolaris.

If they were truly so powerful, then why would they care about humanity or Trisolaris?

It was likely, then, that their technological level wasn't exceedingly beyond that of humanity, so such an attack should at least be something humans could comprehend.

Since this kind of attack could reach such a potent level, its weaknesses might also be just as apparent. Once these vulnerabilities were found, the real contest between civilizations might just begin.