Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 1239 - 695, Extinction Order Implemented, Reiaductus Battle (11)_2
Chapter 1239: Chapter 695, Extinction Order Implemented, Reiaductus Battle (11)_2
The battle is indeed not over, however, it has practically entered a new phase.
From the first phase of airborne operations to the second phase of base defense, it’s now the third phase: the strategic offensive phase.
Taking advantage of the death of the Insect Nest Overlord and the retreat of the Insect Species Biological Titan Legion, the vast area surrounding the human base no longer possesses a sufficiently strong military force to hinder the advance of the human army.
Seizing this great opportunity, Gu Hang naturally wouldn’t waste it.
He decisively continued to increase the deployment of military forces on the ground, even intending to send all four of them — Salius, Matins, Xi Rui, and Youwin — down there.
These four, not to mention anything else, are at least no weaker than Leroux. Leroux among them could only rank fourth because Xi Rui is at the bottom.
Yeerma Youyin, the Blood Shark Battle Group Leader, might seem quiet normally, but Gu Hang knew very well that his actual combat power is quite formidable.
From the soul, from the trace of Subspace essence he possesses, Gu Hang could instinctively perceive his strength.
Moreover, under Gu Hang’s command is arguably the most elite batch of warriors in the entire Human Alliance: Phoenix, Otaubis, Blood Shark, all from three battle groups, were also transported to the ground as a batch.
Taking advantage of its ailment to finish it off, Gu Hang handed over the command of ground operations to Salius, the Western Front Army’s Commander-in-Chief, replacing Leroux. He demanded Salius rapidly expand the human base area within two months and destroy every Insect Nest they could find.
With elite forces in place, ample manpower, and formidable firepower, even after beating back the enemy’s main forces, how could such a battle not be won?
Salius fulfilled Gu Hang’s task quite well.
When the Human Alliance ensured a security zone on the ground extending more than 1,500 kilometers both horizontally and vertically, they found that airdrops could be carried out with much higher success rates.
This not only meant no ground-based anti-air interception remained, but also allowed a change in the starship naval warfare near the planet’s orbit.
From both scale and combat power perspectives, the human fleet was stronger than the Insect Species Biological Fleet. However, it was hindered by ground orbital fire, causing them to suffer slightly higher losses. Engaging in battle seemed restrained, and often they found themselves sacrificing ships when providing ground support.
Now, with a whole area secured, it meant there was a relatively safe orbital space for the starships above.
Although 1500×1500 isn’t large for the entire planet, and many orbital fires can still reach if battles occur far from the planet, the reduced number is a positive change. Moreover, if human starships decrease their distance from the planet sufficiently and remain directly overhead this safe zone, all of the insect’s orbital cannons would lose striking angles due to surface curvature issues.
Thus, a safe zone was established, allowing human ships to face fewer disadvantages in naval battles.
This would feed back into ground operations, smoothing them; once ground operations proceed smoothly, more insect nests can be destroyed faster, reducing in turn the threats from above, thereby expanding human starships’ operation range, which in turn supports ground operations…
Thus, a positive cycle was forming.
Yet, this still wasn’t enough to claim victory.
The Human Alliance’s goal wasn’t merely to win; they had to win within a year. Otherwise, reinforcement forces arriving from the ’tentacles’ would change the situation drastically.
At present, conditions already safely facilitated deployment of Extinction Order weapons with high success rates.
However, similarly, Gu Hang faced the same dilemma he once did with the Northern Line Army: whether to burn them along with the Queen.
There was no need for such a drastic measure.
Gu Hang himself couldn’t bear to see Phoenix along with Matins burned to the ground.
Even setting aside emotional factors, from an interest standpoint, Gu Hang might replenish the numbers of Phoenix at a relatively low cost, even at the Company Champion level. Yet beyond the Company Champion, advancing to the Battle Group Exemplar and Battle Group Champion tier individuals was irreplaceable.
Although the [Hero] interface could realize enhancements, subsequent upgrades required sufficient natural talent.
Having talent alone wasn’t enough; adequate experience was also essential.
These factors limited Gu Hang’s ability to create masters.
Even upgrading to the system’s highest attainable Level 9, coupled with relevant Interstellar Warrior training, would still slightly fall short of a Battle Group Champion in overall power.
Take Psychics, for example; even if Gu Hang acquired numerous reward templates and had blessings from the Storm God Kingdom, reaching Level 9 was merely an A+, with only one achieving S-Class.
Interstellar Warriors were similar.
Beyond Phoenix, even Furyflame and New World Torch had ones reaching Level 8 and Level 9, but they generally didn’t achieve Battle Group Champion levels. The leaders of those two battle groups weren’t as fierce in typical understanding as a conventional Interstellar Warrior Battle Group Leader.
Only Matins, this unique sapling, had some extraordinary experiences, achieving personal breakthroughs, and with Gu Hang’s Subspace Inferior God blessings from the Storm God Kingdom, could exhibit the top-tier power among Battle Group Champions.
Such circumstances were rare and hard to come by. Even though Gu Hang controlled Divine Chosen blessings, realistically, it still required the recipient to bear them, and the number of blessed individuals was limited.
Should Matins perish now, even recreating another wouldn’t be possible for Gu Hang; there were no candidates.
Abandoning him, Gu Hang truly couldn’t bear it.
As for the likes of nearby Salius, Xi Rui, Youwin, Gu Hang couldn’t let them die carelessly either. Gu Hang had intentions concerning Youwin’s Blood Shark; the former two were influential figures across the Empire’s scope. Should anything happen to them, the political ramifications would be massive.
Although Gu Hang made a decision akin to that during the first battle with Leroux, the scenarios were fundamentally different.
Ultimately, if it came to the point of no alternatives, burning them together wouldn’t matter. Yet currently, this wasn’t the case.
Up in space, the human starships had the advantage in scale and quality. Although the battle remained closely contested, it was due to ground orbital fire supporting naval battles. As ground warfare steadily progressed, the human side was bound to regain superiority.
Ground combat was indeed advancing smoothly.
Why be so anxious?
There was still more than half a year until the battle deadline.
Not directly deploying Extinction Order weapons on the ground didn’t mean they wouldn’t be used.
Gu Hang employed several transport ships to deliver five Extinction Order weapons to the ground.
The Insect Race could still perceive the presence of Extinction Order weapons, and they exerted every effort for interception.
Yet this time, interception failed.
The extent of ground orbital interception fire disruption surpassed its critical threshold, insufficiently pressuring; those able to fly beyond the atmosphere first faced a round of ground human anti-air fire interception.
Due to the lack of ground orbital fire, the human fleet was able to provide closer and more comprehensive protection for these transport ships.
Even though the Insect Nest Fleet launched a complete strike and suffered substantial losses under human fleet assaults, ultimately only four were intercepted, and one Skyburn Torpedo still safely made it to the planetary surface.
At this point, human forces rapidly contracted, boarding landing ships to evacuate from relatively secure regions.
During evacuation, despite only an 85% success rate, bad luck would result in entire ships being intercepted by the Insect Species Biological Ship before reaching starships or transport ships.
Yet it’s better than staying on the ground, to be buried with the insects across the planet in a month’s time.
————
To make up for yesterday.
One more Chapter before sleep.
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