The prototype had passed its tests and, as expected, moved into mass production.
However, the technological content of the drive core was simply too high. With the Hades' current technological reserves, automated production was impossible.
The cores could only be crafted by top-tier chanists, who used their psionics to shape specially treated biotal into a single seamless unit.
Even the conduits for the Warp energy circulation system required psionic processing by chanists.
As a result, the entire manufacturing process was long and grueling.
Fortunately, psionic catalyst devices had already entered full-scale production. All chanists and researchers who had not yet awakened psionics, as well as warriors who tested positive for psionic potential, were prioritized for distribution and training, striving to awaken their psionics as soon as possible.
With the aid of these catalysts, Whitebeard, Kaido, Sengoku, and other top veterans finally broke through. They fused their haki in one surge and successfully awakened psionics!
The psionic power they accumulated over decades erupted at once—its strength and magnitude a full tier above that of Nuwa, Odin, and the others. They once again claid the highest spots on Lord Roya's paper-strength rankings.
During this period, the Hades maintained maximum fivefold warp speed, racing toward the next marked Ancient Saint Ruins planet.
Roya remained imrsed within the Warp, continuing to deduce, from the data gleaned in the Star Dragon's remains, the secret of free movent within that dinsion.
Suddenly, his physical body in the material world jolted violently.
All his awareness, poured into the Warp, lacked inertia—and for an instant, it beca decoupled from his body.
From a god's-eye view, Roya clearly saw it: his astral projection, pulled by the montum of his psionic sense, surged forward a fraction ahead of his physical self.
It was only the tiniest sliver of distance—yet it was like a searing bolt of lightning, cleaving through his stalled thoughts and illuminating the path forward!
At last, a direction for breakthrough!
Roya tamped down his excitent, withdrawing from his urge to imdiately dive deeper. His psionic sense returned to the material world.
The sudden deceleration of his physical body could only an one thing: the Hades had abruptly slowed down.
Which ant—enemy contact.
The mont his awareness returned, Im's urgent voice rang out:
"My lord! Energy monitors have detected two unknown ships approaching at nearly eightfold warp speed! They are moving in from both flanks to pincer the Hades!"
"Had we not decelerated instantly, we would already have been intercepted!"
Roya gave a small nod. Im continued her report:
"The two warships are adjusting their course and velocity. They will arrive in this sector within fifteen minutes."
Roya swept his awareness outward. Beyond the Hades was nothing but emptiness—an utterly void expanse, not even a stray asteroid in sight.
Such an environnt was clearly disadvantageous for the Hades.
Im explained:
"My lord, scans confirm that within one light-year, it is all the sa—bare, unshielded vacuum. We've walked right into an ambush."
Ambush.
Roya's brow arched. Only the Fearless Dynasty could have tracked the Hades' signal trajectory so precisely, then laid a trap accordingly.
After all, this was his own strategy: using the Hades as bait.
He chuckled coldly.
"I wonder which Dominator the Silent King has sent to die this ti. What's the status of the Warp-powered cha production?"
Im replied:
"The problem of automating drive core manufacture remains unsolved. Everything must still be made by hand. At present, including the prototype, we have only ten units."
Roya smiled.
"Ten is more than enough. Order Nuwa to lead a team and prepare for sortie. Let's give these two death-lords a proper welco."
Im departed to carry out the command.
Of the ten Warp-powered cha, five naturally went to Nuwa, Odin, Thor, Mars, and Athena—the Mythic Squad.
The remaining five were claid by Whitebeard, Kaido, Kizaru, Aokiji, and Squard, on the grounds of quickly adapting to psionic combat and the new cha-centric doctrine.
Thus, these ten would et the coming battle.
Whitebeard and the others understood well: this fight had to be a decisive victory. More importantly, it was their chance to assert the dominance of the veteran battle groups. They could not afford to lose face before Nuwa's new generation.
Inside his cha, Kaido flexed his fists and sent out a psionic transmission:
"Brothers, sa old plan. Whitebeard smashes the front. The two Navy brats harass the flanks. Little Spider stays back, strikes when the ti cos."
Whitebeard laughed.
"So you're planning to sneak off and steal a ship again?"
Kaido grinned.
"Old man, you know best! Don't worry—if there's a big prize, you'll get your share!"
Squard drawled lazily:
"No chance for that. The enemy's already here."
Kaido blinked in surprise, craning to peer through the porthole. His limited vision showed nothing.
Then he realized—he was still far from fully adapting to a psionics-centered way of life and battle. He kept forgetting to use his psionics, relying instead on mundane senses.
Psionic perception was far more efficient than sight.
He hastily cast out his awareness. Sure enough, in the void tens of kiloters ahead, two strange figures lood.
On the left was a figure with a pair of vast wings, spanning over three ters.
They were made entirely of biotal bones, cloaked in feathers of burning necro-fla—both terrifying and grotesque.
Yet his body bore none of the traits of a space wraith. He was a normal human figure of flesh and blood, dangling limply beneath those skeletal wings like a lifeless ornant.
Only the pulsing red eye embedded in his chest betrayed that this was no ordinary form.
No fragile mortal body could survive in the naked void of space.
Compared to him, the figure on the right looked almost normal.
His body was mostly encased in dark crimson armor, save for his exposed left arm.
That arm was wholly biotal, wreathed in sputtering necro-fla.
It stayed bent behind his back, gripping the hilt of a massive black cleaver the size of a door panel. He stood utterly still.
But the storm of violent aura rolling off him left no doubt—once he moved, he would unleash a ravenous maelstrom across the void itself!
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