I Am The Swarm

Chapter 292: Destruction

In the vastness of space battles spanning tens of thousands of kilometers, even a warship a kilometer long is incredibly difficult to hit precisely from such distances.

At this moment, the two fleets were less than 60,000 kilometers apart. Although the flight time of the Primordial-class electromagnetic artillery shells had been reduced to 12 minutes, this was still an extraordinarily long duration.

In 12 minutes, Riken warships could cover several thousand kilometers. This was akin to sniping a cheetah sprinting at full speed from tens of kilometers away—an almost inconceivable challenge.

However, the Riken energy weapons only required about a minute of flight time over this distance.

Thick, crimson energy beams streaked across the void. With over 800 warships, each equipped with 12 main cannons, the combined salvo unleashed nearly 10,000 energy beams—significantly surpassing the 8,000 projectiles of the Primordial-class in a single volley. Additionally, the beams’ vibrant hues made for a far more imposing visual display compared to the unremarkable electromagnetic projectiles.

One minute was sufficient for the Primordial-class bodies to travel several hundred kilometers, and the Riken fleet’s initial salvo yielded no results.

But this was merely a data-gathering trial. Soon, data on the Primordial-class bodies’ velocity, trajectory, and predictive targeting calculations were compiled. After adjusting the angles of their main cannons, the Riken fleet fired their second salvo.

A minute later, the energy beams streaked through space, passing within ten kilometers of the swarm’s forces.

Despite having no prior encounters with the swarm’s combat units, the Riken fleet had theoretically developed instruments capable of detecting the energy buildup of the swarm’s electromagnetic cannons. On the other hand, the swarm, having captured numerous Riken warships and equipment, possessed an even more advanced re

Initially, Hamis was reluctant to abandon these ships under the swarm’s assault. However, calculations by the fleet’s AI indicated that saving them would require positioning the entire fleet behind them, effectively taking the full brunt of the swarm’s barrage.

While this approach might save the damaged warships, it would expose the rest of the fleet to significant damage and casualties. If this cycle repeated, the entire fleet could be decimated.

After 0.1 seconds of consideration, Hamis decisively abandoned the damaged ships and ordered the remaining warships to accelerate and retreat at full speed.

The crew aboard the damaged warships quickly received the commander’s decision. With no time to protest, all personnel immediately evacuated. A large number of escape pods were launched from the warships.

Unlike the neighboring star system, this was the Riken home system. As long as the escape pods weren’t directly hit by electromagnetic shells, their chances of survival remained relatively high.

The warships, now under AI control, continued forward, desperately attempting evasive maneuvers. However, the swarm’s 8,000 projectiles had already blanketed all possible escape routes.

After more than ten minutes, the projectiles descended with immense kinetic energy, colliding with the warships. Their armor, compressed to its limits, tore apart, and subsequent impacts destroyed them completely.