"I understand everyone has gathered here today to purchase this weapon, but I must regrettably inform you that no finished products are currently available for sale."
Liu Hai paid no attention to the murmurs below and continued at his own pace.
"However, since you've all come, Star Sea Group can't let you leave empty-handed."
"Although this weapon of mass destruction isn't ready for sale, we have another functional weapon nearing mass production that we can offer to you Pioneers."
The Pioneers, initially disappointed at hearing no weapons were available, perked up slightly upon learning there was another option. Still, they remained skeptical, continuing their hushed conversations without much hope.
Liu Hai understood this and didn't waste words. Instead, he directly activated a projection, linking to the weapon's field-test subject—Xue Jiye of Xue Jia.
This unlucky fellow had long been targeted by the Katon Fleet, forcing him to remain within the Stardust Star Region for safety. Even routine patrols often resulted in inexplicable ambushes, making it safer to stay within his home star system.
After Liu Hai deployed the Angel Battleship, the Katon forces—familiar with the corvette model—immediately realized the origin of the unknown warship.
Yet, they didn't abandon their vendetta against Xue Jiye. According to their intelligence, Liu Hai was merely an arms dealer with a base in the Third Spiral Arm. Supplying Xue Jiye with powerful warships was nothing unusual.
They simply added Liu Hai to their revenge list—though his overwhelming combat strength (wiping out two Legions effortlessly) forced them to reluctantly push him to the bottom of their priorities.
During Xue Jiye's journey to the Brolly Star System, he was ambushed again—only to be rescued by Li Yali.
Liu Hai chose him as the weapon's demonstrator partly out of embarrassment and partly because Xue Jia, as the leading force in the Stardust Star Region, was his primary support target. Letting them test the weapon early would give them a clearer understanding.
In the boundless darkness of space, a fleet of hundreds of conventional warships, led by Xue Jiye, patrolled the edges of the Stardust Star Region. Such patrol fleets had to be replenished every six months, suffering higher attrition rates than even main Legion Fleets.
This patrol was prompted by their probes detecting traces of a Katon Fleet—a perfect opportunity to showcase the new weapon.
At Liu Hai's signal, Xue Jiye immediately ordered the fleet to combat readiness, with weapons warming up and Jump Engines charging.
At the fleet's periphery, after silently activating the Space Stabilizer, an unmanned corvette warped away—reappearing three light-years away within an asteroid cluster.
The moment it arrived, an intense gravitational force erupted abruptly. The entire corvette was crushed into a metallic sphere by the black-hole-like pull of the Gravity Source.
When the gravity source appeared within the asteroid field, it instantly controlled an area five light-minutes in diameter. Within this region, space warp capabilities, warp drive functions, and conventional propulsion systems were all severely compromised.
Simultaneously, the gravity source continued contracting inward, pulling asteroids from their original orbits as they hurtled toward its center. The Katon Fleet, hidden among the asteroids, had detected the warp fluctuations and was preparing to counterattack when the immense gravitational force trapped them firmly in place.
The next moment, the Patrol Fleet led by Xue Jiye warped to the outskirts of the asteroid field. The moment they arrived, they launched an immediate assault on the exposed Katon Fleet without hesitation.
Every weapon was deployed in a relentless bombardment. Antimatter Missiles and Space Mines were unleashed as if they were free, all aimed directly at the Katon Fleet.
At this moment, the Katon Fleet was immobilized by the intense gravitational pull, struggling even to turn their ships. Asteroids drawn in by the gravity source collided with the warship shields, pushing them further toward the gravitational epicenter.
Faced with this sudden and ferocious attack, the Katon Fleet could only return fire from their stationary positions—they couldn't even deploy their Fighter Jets.
For a full two minutes and twenty seconds, the Katon Fleet endured the assault as sitting ducks.
Wave after wave of firepower decimated the fleet. By the time the gravity source weakened enough for the warships to move freely, nearly half of the thousand-strong Katon Fleet had been lost.
During this time, the Antimatter Missiles and Space Mines launched by the Patrol Fleet reached their targets. Despite the Katon Fleet's Close-in Weapon Systems intercepting most Sublight Missiles, a few Antimatter Missiles still struck home, leaving the fleet battered and scorched.
Another portion of the remaining ships was annihilated, while the metal debris from detonations further obstructed their own defensive fire.
Space Mines, mixed with the debris, shattered the Katon Fleet's formation, causing their counterfire to dwindle rapidly.
Half an hour later, the battle concluded with a decisive victory for the Xue Jia Patrol Fleet—35 losses against 1,103 enemy ships.
The Pioneers watching the real-time projection in the conference hall were electrified. This was a gravity weapon—one with a condensed range and amplified gravitational force, strong enough to immobilize an entire fleet. The only question was how effective it would be against a Fortress.
"This is our company's latest upgrade—the Gravity Restraint," Liu Hai announced. "As you've seen, once a standard fleet is caught in its gravitational field, they'll be unable to maneuver freely for at least two minutes."
"Whether used to cover a retreat or to ambush an enemy, this is one of the most effective Armaments available."
As Liu Hai finished speaking, the Pioneers in the hall began analyzing the projection data, quickly devising tactical applications for the weapon.
Their responses fell into three categories. The first group—ordinary Pioneers—saw it as a lifesaving tool, something to deploy when outmatched to buy time for escape.
The second group, the aggressive Pioneers, envisioned using the gravity weapon selectively in mobile warfare to amplify damage. After all, if you couldn't even hit a stationary target, what good were you?
The most delighted were the veteran Pioneers, led by Cactus Sister, who had already had considerable interaction with Liu Hai. To them, Xue Jiye's ambush this time was too crude—whether in terms of firepower or the timing of the attack, it was below average.
The only commendable aspect was the emergence of this new tactic: using a Warp to deliver a Gravity Source into the enemy fleet, then launching a coordinated assault. Any fleet of similar scale encountering this would be forced to surrender in defeat.
With the debut of the Gravity Source as a weapon, the atmosphere in the venue grew lively. Pioneers swarmed in to inquire about the weapon's price and delivery time, overwhelming the sales staff of the Star Sea Group.
Next, Liu Hai showcased the High-Efficiency Space Warp Engine, the High-Speed Warp Drive, the Space Stabilizer, and energy...