Ch.281The situation isn’t looking too good. (1)

# Chapter 281: The Situation Isn’t Looking Good (1)

Fortunately, the command structure where we were located, while completely wrecked…

“Internal power source, approximately 35% energy remaining…”

“Surprisingly, quite a bit left.”

“Well, all the defense weapons were destroyed before the power source could overload.”

Thanks to the intact power core inside, despite the Orbital Defense Command looking like a shipwreck drifting through space.

-Whirr… Crackle, Crackle!

“Ugh, sparks.”

Though various sparks were flying everywhere, the gravity field generator and other equipment necessary for survival were somehow functioning properly.

However, unlike our relatively stable situation inside, the conditions outside were not looking good at all.

“Riel, what’s the current external situation?”

“It’s a complete disaster with everything in total chaos. Where should I even begin?”

When Riel put it that way, I asked her to start with what was closest to us.

“Oh right, well, starting with Ka’Zan, the planet’s surface is in turmoil due to the collapse of the orbital elevator.”

“…”

“The area where the orbital elevator’s base was located has been completely annihilated, with hundreds of thousands of casualties.”

Her words hit so hard from the start that I was momentarily speechless.

[Event: Orbital Elevator Collapse!]

[The Holy Seveli Empire’s orbital elevator has collapsed, resulting in numerous casualties and massive property damage.]

[Ka’Zan Planetary Stability -10]

On top of that, I couldn’t help but shake my head at how the system confirmed this disaster with such a casual event notification.

“…What about other situations?”

“The Annihilation Fleet has suffered over 70% losses. They’re now fighting alongside what remains of the Capital Defense Fleet.”

If they started with 14,000 ships and lost 70%, that means fewer than 5,000 remain.

“Levia and Ash are trying to minimize fleet losses, but the situation is extremely dangerous.”

“…Indeed, it’s not easy.”

With nothing but bad news coming in, a wave of sadness washed over me.

“But there is one piece of good news?”

“Oh?”

“The Scourge’s Hiveship has been destroyed. According to Capital Defense Fleet communications, reinforcements arriving through the warp gate concentrated their attacks on the Hiveship and sank it.”

I felt surprised by this news, but also wondered if there might be some mistake.

[Quest: Kirsanid Scourge]

[After the First Emperor of Seveli obtained a dimensional splitting bomb from the capital of Eternia.]

[To recover from wounds inflicted by Eternia’s Saint and to avoid the possibility of losing the bomb, he drifted in outer space for a while.]

[During this time, he made contact with a group of Kirsanid Scourge moving through the void outside the galaxy.]

[How this process unfolded is unknown to us.]

[He succeeded in using some method to direct the Scourge toward this galaxy.]

[For some reason, he is also returning to this galaxy along with the Hiveship containing the Scourge Queen.]

[Objective: Death of the First Emperor, Capture or Death of the Scourge Queen]

(Scourge Queen Deceased)

‘Oh, really?’

Just to be sure, I checked the quest list in my status window, and seeing the content clearly displayed there, I found myself nodding involuntarily.

‘How on earth did they manage to tear her apart?’

Of course, I could guess the cause.

The original Scourge Queen would normally be protected by at least 100,000 Scourge ships in an impenetrable formation, commanding an insane force of a million troops.

But now, as if the First Emperor had discarded her like a throwaway card, she had entered with only a few thousand escorts.

‘It’s basically like she got ambushed by the galactic reinforcements.’

The important thing, however, was that our main enemy, the Kirsanid Scourge Queen, had been utterly destroyed.

“Wait, so what’s the current state of the battle line…?”

“The United Fleet of the galaxy has reversed the previously retreating front line. The fleets that pushed back the Scourge forces are continuously arriving here.”

With the Scourge having lost their unified hive mind leadership, they not only lost their powerful breakthrough capability but were also severely weakened by the debuffs I had acquired through various events.

Empowered by this, the United Fleet was decimating the Scourge forces and returning to the capital planetary system to participate in the raid against the First Emperor.

[Event: The Queen’s End.]

[Whether it was the First Emperor’s mistake or intentional action is unknown.]

[The Scourge Hiveship was exposed without proper escorts and came under concentrated attack from the great fleet of Ztrakfor arriving as reinforcements.]

[Finally, with only a minimal escort, the Queen, whose forces had mostly been requisitioned by the First Emperor…]

[Met her bitter end, with the grotesquely transformed massive Hiveship serving as her coffin.]

[Kirsanid Scourge granted the trait ‘Queen’s Death’ (Accuracy -50%, Damage -50%, Mobility -50%)]

[Ztrakfor Council granted the trait ‘Queen Slayer Nation’ (Damage +20% against Kirsanid Scourge)]

With additional events like this popping up, showing that the Kirsanid Scourge was no longer a threat…

‘Excellent.’

Nodding at Riel’s report, I asked if there was anything else to mention.

In response, Riel pointed outside and said:

“The rest is as you can see, Minister. The First Emperor is getting thoroughly beaten by His Majesty the Emperor, the Saint, and others?”

“Hmm.”

Looking outside after hearing Riel’s words, I could see that the First Emperor’s appearance was in a terrible state.

How should I put it…

“He can still dominate an Ether Dragon alone in that condition?”

In human terms, his injuries were so severe that even dozens of doctors performing emergency surgery would struggle to save him.

From the beginning, while sweeping through forces including the Orbital Defense Command, the First Emperor couldn’t avoid taking damage.

With reinforcements from the entire galaxy continuously pouring in, he had been reduced to a miserable state.

Of his six massive arms—grotesque and bizarre appendages that could crush an entire fleet squadron with a gesture—one was gone up to the forearm, another up to the shoulder.

The remaining four arms were covered in all sorts of wounds, punctures, and burn marks seared by extreme heat.

His flesh, which had previously withstood Ash’s corrosion and our 850,000-ton ultra-mass projectile collection without flinching, was now torn to shreds, leaking dark red blood into the vacuum of space.

-KUUUUUNG!

-Whoosh, KWANG!

“Fire! Don’t spare any shells or energy!”

Whenever he tried to do something—

No, even before he could act, the massive barrage of shells and missiles restricted every action where he might use his psionic abilities.

And if he tried to charge in with his unique power?

-KWAANG!

Instead of firing their main guns, Levia and Ash had switched from damage dealers to tanks, using armor plating and shields equipped with Dark Age technology.

-CRUNCH!

If he made a wrong move, he would be exposed to Artraia’s zero-distance breath attack.

Or he would be blocked by the one-two punch body slams from Lady Maria and Artraia.

Meanwhile, he continued to take damage from the unified bombardment of the ever-increasing fleet.

“The First Emperor’s power seems both stronger and weaker than I expected.”

Watching this scene, I felt slightly puzzled.

“No, Minister, you said that ‘the minimum force needed to capture him while minimizing damage’ would be about twenty Ether Dragons plus the Annihilation Fleet, right?”

“Mm.”

“If we’re fighting like this, taking heavy damage in the process, wouldn’t it be possible with even less force?”

Riel’s argument was such sophistry that it left me feeling oddly perplexed.

‘…I don’t know.’

Not knowing how to respond to Riel’s twisted logic, I felt frustrated and decided to just watch the First Emperor getting pummeled.

But at that moment.

“…Huh?”

I felt my gaze lock with the bizarre main body of the First Emperor, who was being beaten to a pulp in real-time.

And immediately after that.

-HWAAAK!!

-KWANG!

“KYAAAAH!”

“UWAAK!”

…I realized that the damn monster had suddenly jumped toward and latched onto the drifting Orbital Defense Command where we were.

‘You bastard.’