Chapter 404: There's Still a Backup Plan

Yet this moment was also a rare opportunity for Mountain and Trisolaris, and perhaps the Guardians were too, avoiding "collateral damage" from the interstellar minefield. Their warships were currently moving away from the human warship fleet, and there were even signs of them clustering together.

But what they never expected was that an unprecedented storm was quietly brewing behind the Guardians. An overwhelming and unstoppable attack, like the gaping maw of an ancient beast, was silently sweeping in from their most relaxed side, predicted to arrive in 8 hours.

More critically, the Guardians' surveillance detectors had all been dispatched to the area where they were combating humanity, blissfully unaware of the crisis lurking in the dark abyss.

Not until the net of annihilation woven jointly by Mountain and Trisolaris quietly approached within less than 40 astronomical units did the Guardians' detection devices perceive it, and only then did they realize the sudden catastrophe befalling them in terror.

Faced with such a massive and impenetrable barrage, their warships were like a leaf boat in the vast ocean, unable to avoid it, forced to withstand the fury and roar from the abyss.

This scene was undoubtedly another soul-shaking challenge for the Guardian Civilization, for here lay a military power, immense like a colossal creature lying in wait, silently ready to deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment.

The voice of the Guardian Commander echoed in the vast command cabin, trembling with disbelief, "How is this possible? How could such a huge-scale void energy attack appear behind us?"

The chief of the Staff Office spoke with a solemn face, "This is our second major oversight.

"This battlefield was originally covered with countless surveillance detectors, forming an impregnable information network that allowed us to grasp every dynamic on the entire battlefield.

"However, to quickly eliminate the 5 million warships of the Unknown Civilization, we mobilized all available surveillance detectors nearby, thus weakening the surveillance network at the rear.

"Retracing our surveillance records, these sudden void energy attacks possibly originated from a small asteroid which we have overlooked all along.

"Those cunning warships, all hidden within this small asteroid, were like ghosts, achieving perfect concealment right under our noses.

"In fact, our detection systems had noticed this small asteroid half a century ago, because it would only pass by our defenses, and several such asteroids occur every year, so we marked it as harmless.

"It was this habitual negligence that made us overlook the need to deeply probe the interior of this small asteroid."

The voice of the Guardian Commander rang out like cold metal in the spacious command room, laden with uncontrollable anger,

"This is an unforgivable major dereliction of duty! The personnel responsible for marking it must face the harshest trial of the military court!"

Afterward, the Guardian Commander asked the Staff Office slowly, "Staff Office, according to your analysis, at what level of civilization technology is the civilization using void energy attacks?

"Is there any connection with the civilizations we have fought before?"

The response from the Staff Office came with a hint of unbelievable shock, "All signs clearly show that they are engaging in joint operations.

"However, in the current social system of the universe, joint operations between civilizations are virtually unheard of!

"The civilization using void energy attacks, we estimate its technology level to be around 1.8. And the technology level of the civilization we previously fought is 1.9.

"We have indeed encountered civilizations fighting jointly, but they each handle their sector of the battlefield, at most in coordinated combat.

"But now, they are handing everything over to deep cooperation with the other side, even having to expose their civilization core unreservedly to the other side.

"In such an alliance, any slight doubt, any lack of complete trust, could cause this fragile alliance to collapse instantaneously. Such a union, even within the same civilization, is hard to achieve. We cannot imagine how they have managed to do it.

"Their courage is indeed extraordinary. The civilization using void energy attacks secretly hid within an insignificant small asteroid half a century ago, using it as a cover to precisely project their military power onto the pre-set battlefield.

"The risk involved in this plan is astounding. If we had conducted any form of detection on that small asteroid, their entire plan would have dissipated instantly.

"This is undoubtedly a desperate gamble of putting oneself in a do-or-die situation.

"The civilization we previously fought also displayed an extreme level of resolve. We thought they were driven to desperation by us into the interstellar minefield, but who knew, it might have been their intention to lure us there, as they had already anticipated our prediction.

"Such extraordinary strategizing and tight planning send shivers down our spine.

"Such civilizations are too dangerous. There are still many things we don't understand, and we must destroy them completely."

The Guardian Commander's complexion soon regained its composure, "It's undeniable, they have brought us too many surprises.

"I can't imagine how they achieved such a high degree of trust among each other.

"Such a civilization is indeed dangerous, and now there are two of them.

"But they have also earned our respect, they are like a beam of light shining into the Dark Forest, faint, yet enough to draw our utmost attention and deep respect.

"Such a civilization, throughout our long history, is also unprecedented.

"Their tactics and strategic decision-making, it's simply a form that has transcended our understanding, whether it's the pinnacle of wisdom or the swan song of a gambler?"

The Guardian Commander paused, then continued to ask:

"What are the latest results of the military deductive exercises?

"Can our existing forces handle a combined attack from both civilizations simultaneously?"

The Staff Office responded promptly, "The results of the military exercises are out. According to the simulations, if we deploy all of our remaining eight warships into the battlefield, we still have the advantage.

"Our victory is without question, but our strategy also needs some changes.

"The previous force of five million warships, we can choose to ignore for the moment. If they continue to advance, they will fall into our interstellar minefield; if they retreat, they will also face our interception.

"Our primary goal is still to deal with the 'sea of warships' that has appeared behind us, we could dispatch the remaining eight warships to the rear of the 'sea of warships' to form a pincer attack from both front and rear.

"However, such a pincer maneuver could also lead to the 'sea of warships' from the Void Energy Attack civilization and the previous force of warships joining forces to launch a concentrated attack on our twelve warships, which involves certain risks.

"For further execution of the strategy and to reduce our losses, our plan is to send two warships to charge into their 'sea of warships', disrupting their coordinated attack rhythm and cutting them off for separation.

"The perimeter would continue to use warships for encirclement. Although this tactic is old-fashioned, it is nonetheless absolutely practical.

"However, there are risks associated with this tactic as well. If they focus fire on our warships that have charged into the 'sea of warships', those two vessels could potentially be destroyed.

"While our civilization has billions of warships, our defensive line is too long, and only twenty are stationed here.

"The loss of a few warships could lead us all to a military tribunal.

"Alas... this is all because we exposed ourselves too early, resulting in the current passive situation.

"If we had chosen to acknowledge them and wait for the right moment from the start, letting them enter the interstellar minefield before launching an attack, they would have definitely been destroyed, and this current situation wouldn't have arisen."

The Staff Office's tone was filled with helplessness and regret.

Guardian Commander: "It is indeed an unavoidable matter; our biggest mistake was not treating them as true adversaries from the very first moment.

"Perhaps, from that moment on, we had already fallen into their meticulously laid plans, like puppets led by invisible strings, with every move foreseen by them.

"They not only figured out our strategic intent, they even anticipated every shift in our mindset.

"For this reason, we have ended up in the passive situation we are in now.

"But that's not my greatest worry.

"My concern is, are we still underestimating them now?

"Is it possible they still have measures in reserve?"