NOVEL NEXT Chapter 531
Episode 531. The big ship and big gun lovers are crying again today.
The reason the big ship and big gun enthusiasts are sobbing isn’t anything surprising.
What was their strategy in the first place?
It was to have the faction dispatch teams and mercenary groups handle the small ship firepower = tanking for the fleet.
Meanwhile, their “big and glorious” large ships would safely dish out damage from the rear, trying to revive the glory of the base’s main guns and defense fleets they felt in Phase 1.
But as soon as the event started, the enemy fleet that came rushing in was… well…
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Title: The current status of those who went into Phase 2 with only large ships loaded up.jpg
Author: Heisenberg
Content: [A picture of ships teleporting in, not aircraft.jpg]
By now, everyone must have experienced it, but the Ancient Empire fleet that appeared in Phase 2 had a twist we didn’t expect.
And what was it? Well, those damn large ships were teleporting small ships in.
To be precise, it seems only ships of at least Dreadnought-class or higher can do it.
But the important thing is this:
Players who thought, “Oh, it’s a fleet battle, so of course we’ll send out small ships first and bombard from the rear,” got completely screwed.
Meanwhile, the faction dispatch teams, mercenaries, and some small ship users who were sent out as tanks had to deal with torpedo spam from the teleported small ships, exploding left and right.
With no firepower support, they had to tank everything, getting absolutely wrecked.
Comments:
– [Why the hell is there teleportation out of nowhere?]
– [Aren’t small ships trash anyway? They’ll get wrecked fast, so what’s the worry?]
– [Most players don’t have S-class ships stacked like you, you lucky bastard.]
– [I hate people who flex their gacha luck.]
– [LOLOLOLOLOL]
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It’s truly baffling, but surprisingly, ships are teleporting right into the middle of our formation.
Of course, until now, players had this subtle assumption that teleportation = only aircraft, missiles, or torpedoes.
As mentioned in the gallery post, the 1,000-player corps I’m in also had a main force stacked with large ships and a small ship unit led by mercenaries, all spread out nicely…
Before the battle started, I sensed something was off after seeing the gallery reactions, so I kept my fleet together. But other than me…
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[Grand Cross Phase 2 Event Map Exclusive Chat Room]
– [Those bastards are using teleportation!!!]
– [WTF!!!!]
– [KYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOT!]
– [We’re screwed, man;;]
– [We’re winning, but maybe try something else?]
– [We’re so screwed;;]
– [Good job, lol.]
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So, in short, our precious large ships, with their mobility, armor, and outdated power sources (which made their beam weapons weak), were left to suffer against the Ancient Empire’s small ships, which were perfectly fine with missiles, torpedoes, and shells.
The problem is, after most players got screwed by the teleportation ambush, even the ones who were fine, like me, were suddenly thrown into a desperate bloodbath.
– BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!
– WHOOOOOOSH!
– “23 enemy destroyers approaching from the front!”
– “5 destroyers and 35 escort ships at 8 o’clock!”
– “Enemy fleet returning from the rear, small squadron including a light cruiser!”
“Leave the rear to Captain Lephan, and let Aquarias and Belial handle the front defense.”
– “Understood.”
– “Yes, Commander.”
Of course, it’s called a bloodbath, but…
“We have Kraken, Hreðsvelgr, and even Urong! What’s the problem here?”
“Uh… we don’t?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“…?”
Currently, among the players, my teleportation skill level is the highest. But even I can tell that this kind of teleportation is limited to once per day.
Which means…
While other players’ precious Dreadnoughts and battleships are getting beaten to scrap by those damn small ships, the enemy fleet that teleported in has no reinforcements and is burning through their strength.
As a result…
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[Grand Cross Phase 2 Event Map Exclusive Chat Room]
– [Damn it, Kraken!]
– [Kraken’s here, AHHH!]
– [Help us, Icarus-sama!]
– [Support is coming from other areas, so frontline players, stop pointlessly holding the line and retreat.]
– [KYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAH!]
The enemy’s teleport assault force, torn apart while fighting the super-large ships at the center of the formation, was completely annihilated.
Of course, while we were busy taking out the small ships rampaging in the heart of the fleet like that, the enemy fleets were also grinding down the user factions’ dispatched forces and mercenary groups.
—
[Grand Cross Phase 2 Event Map Exclusive Chat Room]
– [We’re winning, right?]
– [If the mercenaries get wiped out, just end the contract and buy new ones.]
– [These devilish bastards!]
– [But it’s true, isn’t it? Can’t deny it, right?]
– [Hmm, can’t deny the truth.]
—
Be that as it may.
From the users’ perspective (though some might not think so), the faction dispatch forces or mercenary groups getting shredded by the enemy’s main force of large ships?
Most just thought, “We can just recruit new ones,” so there was no mental damage whatsoever.
And above all, in a situation like this, the users were bound to have a huge advantage.
—
[Grand Cross Phase 2 Event Map Exclusive Chat Room]
– [Everyone with Rafflesia-Class, teleport and raid now!]
– [Let’s gooooooo!]
– [Yo, Icarus triple teleport is so sick;;]
– [I’ll use strategic missiles and missile swarm for the first wave of suppression.] (Icarus)
– [Everyone else, follow up with the second wave of all-out assault.] (Icarus)
– [Yes, Mr. President.]
– [LOLOLOLOL]
– [Ah, f***] (Icarus)
– [Even here, the chains of power won’t disappear.]
—
“Kraken 2 and 3, launch all aircraft for a full-scale attack.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Kraken 1, teleport and slam the enemy flagship with a missile swarm, including strategic missiles!”
-“Right away, Commander!”
—
Unlike before, now that ships capable of teleportation, like my Kraken, are somewhat available on the market (?).
Instead of just three carriers, the aircraft and missiles from at least dozens of aircraft carriers teleported toward the enemy fleet…
No, more accurately, toward the “enemy flagship” (probably) that had just teleported.
As expected, the fleet battle was a one-trick pony. Unless it was a Dreadnought-Class super-large ship, the anti-air CIWS on destroyers and smaller ships were limited to just 1 or 2.
Even cruisers and above rarely had more than 3, making it hard for the Ancient Empire to defend against the one-sided bombardment from the aircraft.
Of course, as I mentioned earlier.
Perhaps due to the Ancient Empire’s concept, their Dreadnought-Class ships had three times the anti-air systems of a regular Dreadnought.
As a result, our poor little fly friends, and even the close-range strategic missile assault, were intercepted in a rather spectacular fashion.
Moreover, because they invested so heavily in anti-air capabilities, their firepower and durability were somewhat lacking.
—
[Grand Cross Phase 2 Event Map Exclusive Chat Room]
– [Ah, damn, the flagship’s defenses are too strong, the aircraft can’t deal damage.]
– [First time seeing teleported strategic missiles get blocked.]
– [Someone stop that thing’s movement!]
– [LOL good luck with that.]
—
Maybe it’s because the command AI is directly controlling it.
The flagship left the overall combat to the nearby Dreadnoughts and battleships, focusing solely on anti-air and evasive maneuvers.
From the users’ perspective, it was a sight that made it impossible not to curse.
But…
—
-“Commander.”
-“Huh?”
-*Boom! Boom! Kaboom!*
-“We’ve successfully destroyed the enemy flagship’s propulsion system, but we’re out of ammo, so we’ll retreat now.”
-“Oh.”
—
In a way, Nerañzara, even more versatile than Hreðsvelgr’s all-purpose spear, quietly crippled the enemy flagship’s mobility.
The now immobilized enemy flagship was left flailing before being pummeled and blown to bits by our main fleet.