Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 204 Offense and Defense Shift, Crowds Surge

The fierce battle lasted for four hours.

The scorched earth was riddled with craters, as if the land had been cleansed anew by artillery fire and energy.

When the massive vortex of the nest, continuously infused with source energy by fifty Stardust-level Tier 3 officers, finally twisted and collapsed completely, turning into countless scattered purplish-red energy specks, a moment of silence fell over the battlefield.

Immediately, the abyssal beast reinforcements from the giant lair seemed to have had their spines removed, and they fled in panic back the way they came.

The tense atmosphere inside the forward command post eased.

Nie Chang watched as the deep red torrent representing the enemy on the main screen rapidly receded like a receding tide, and then pulled up the records of the disappearance of energy signals of high-level enemy units that Xuanji had previously compiled.

The data indicates that all high-order energy signals had been eliminated in the previous shock waves.

Nie Chang wasn't surprised. After all, those high-level abyssal beasts were strong and fast, and they had basically joined the battlefield in the first few waves. Therefore, it was reasonable that they were all killed.

Therefore, although in terms of numbers, more than half of the giant nest beasts retreated, since all the high-level beasts had been killed, the remaining beasts only had the highest source energy strength of the sixth level of Stardust, which he considered to be no threat.

Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Nie Chang's face.

He turned to the combat staff around him and said, "Gentlemen, the reinforcements of the giant abyss have retreated."

He paused, then sneered, "However, to come and go as one pleases? It's not that easy! The balance of power is now reversed!"

“Xuanji, relay my orders!” Nie Chang’s voice suddenly rose. “The entire army is to attack. Divide each unit into pursuit sectors and give them a tailing and kill. I want these beasts to die on their way back to their lair.”

Almost at the same time the order was given, the merit bracelets of all the participants in the "Iron Wall" defense line vibrated simultaneously.

[Pursuit Operation Mission Issued]

Mission Name: Offense and Defense Shift, Crowds Surge!

Mission requirements: Utilize the existing formation to maximize the damage to the retreating Abyss Beasts, pursue them to the designated warning line, and then decide whether to return.

Mission rewards are calculated in real time based on pursuit distance and kill efficiency.

"The roles of offense and defense have shifted, and the crowds are surging?"

Chen Yu just pulled the gleaming battle blade from the skull of an elite "Cracked Claw Beast" that was trying to put up a last-ditch resistance.

He stared at the words on the bracelet, paused for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. His laughter was still clearly audible amidst the chaos of the battlefield. "Hahaha! What a great name! It's always 'Abyss Tide,' it's time to let these beasts who only know how to destroy taste what it's like to be overwhelmed by a human tide!"

Then, Chen Yu brandished his longsword, the blade humming, and roared at the assault team members behind him:

"Brothers, those who can still fight, charge with me! Let's give them no chance to even crawl back to their lair!"

"rush!"

The once rock-solid defensive line was instantly transformed into a surging torrent.

The steel torrent was launched first.

The tanks and armored vehicles that had previously served as fixed firing positions roared violently, their tracks crushing the scorched earth, their onboard weapons spitting fire as they chased after the fleeing herd of beasts, unleashing a deluge of ammunition.

Behind them, the heavy artillery began to extend its fire further, and dense explosions erupted behind and on both sides of the fleeing beast horde, forming a barrage of death that effectively cut off their retreat.

Several "Pulse Nova Towers" were fully charged again, and the dark blue aura suddenly spread out. All the abyssal beasts within the range became sluggish and viscous, as if they were stuck in an invisible swamp, creating excellent conditions for the pursuit from behind.

The "Eye of Death" node, which was originally suspended above the base, changed its attack mode. Instead of aiming to accurately snipe a single high-value target, it shot out beams of relatively thin but extremely fast source energy, like the light whip wielded by the Grim Reaper, sweeping back and forth through the dense horde of beasts. Wherever it passed, the abyssal beasts were dismembered like butter being cut by a hot knife.

With a deep rumble, the "Ring of Judgment" system, which was previously mainly used for defense, increased its power. The blinding electric snakes surrounding the protective wall were no longer static barriers, but spread outwards like living things, accurately striking the abyssal beasts that tried to escape and turning them into charred remains.

In this frenzy of steel and source energy, the torrent of human source warriors became the sharpest arrows.

Elizabeth sheathed her rapier "Frostwhisper," glanced at the ironic quest name on her bracelet, and a hint of a smile flashed in her icy blue eyes.

However, instead of roaring like Chen Yu, she calmly issued orders through the squad channel: "Attention everyone, maintain the 'Arrowhead-3' formation and pursue in stages. Lily, take the high ground. Kevin, coordinate with Lily and prioritize sniping elite units and spellcasters in the team that are trying to regroup. The rest of you, follow me and push forward, pay attention to flank security, and avoid going too far alone."

"Understood, sir!"

The members of the English team responded in unison, their movements swift and orderly.

With her longbow slung over her shoulder, Lily leaped onto the ruins of a half-collapsed building in a few bounds. As the bowstring vibrated, the spiraling arrows seemed to have eyes as they pierced into the horde of beasts.

Kevin then set up his meticulously designed sniper rifle with its complex energy rails, the muzzle gleaming faintly. With each burst of fire, the head of an elite abyss beast would explode.

The entire squad was like a sophisticated war machine, transforming into a sharp blade that precisely cut into the flank of the fleeing beast horde.

Andrei roared with excitement, ripping open his somewhat tattered coat and yelling into the communicator, "Guys! The party's started! Make way, let our 'Furious Ones' give them a good clean-up!" One of his heavily modified armored vehicles, resembling a steel hedgehog, accelerated and charged forward. The twin-mounted large-caliber energy cannons on its roof spun wildly, spewing out dense barrages of bullets trailing blue flames, like the comb of death, tearing apart and detonating swarms of low-level abyssal beasts.

"Hahaha! Yes! That's it! Let them run! Let's see how fast they can run!"

Andrei himself wielded a giant sword the size of a door panel, which emitted a piercing shriek as it was infused with source energy.

He charged into the herd like a bull, leaving limbs and broken bodies flying in his wake.

The pressure in the area where the "Lynx" team was located decreased sharply.

The old cat watched the abyss beasts recede like a tide, then glanced at the new quest flashing on its bracelet and its highly provocative name, and spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"Damn it, chase them! Bamboo pole, switch to the maximum range 'Armor-Piercing-Explosive' sniper arrows, and target the fast runners or these elite targets!"

"Monkey, go ahead and scout, but don't chase too deep. Mark any high-value targets immediately! Bear, put away your shield and keep up with the pace. Use your axe. Nightingale, control the field and don't let the remaining elite units have a chance to retaliate."

"Roger that!"

The team members responded enthusiastically.

Big Bear, who had been at the forefront, chuckled and somewhat laboriously secured the heavy shield that had served him so well to the special attachment point on his back. He then pulled out a short-handled but unusually heavy energy battle axe from his waist, the dark red patterns on the axe blade lighting up.

He roared out like a human tank, cleaving a "fanged beast" that was trying to turn and pounce in two with a single axe stroke.

The monkey swayed and disappeared into the shadows and dust of the ruins like a ghost, with only the occasional flash of a dagger foreshadowing its impending death.

Zhu Gan knelt on the ground, quickly drawing an arrow from his multi-functional quiver that was noticeably longer and more complex in structure. He then nocked it onto his equally upgraded sniper crossbow, which was equipped with a source energy-assisted calibration device, and his sharp eyes searched for valuable targets.

Nightingale lightly leaped onto a twisted piece of metal debris, her fingertips radiating energy, and several thin, willow-leaf-like flying blades, their edges gleaming with high-frequency vibrations of cold light, hovered and circled around her.

Her gaze swept calmly across the battlefield, ready to cut off any possible counterattack or to rescue the bear and monkey that had charged too far ahead.

At the same time, various types of mechanical combat units deployed throughout the defense line and directly controlled by Xuanji also joined the pursuit.

The “Vigilant-III” combat robots have now formed several rapid response squads.

They rely on tracks and articulated feet to move at high speeds through complex terrain, while their arm-mounted rapid-fire energy guns fire continuously, accurately targeting lone or wounded abyssal beasts. Their efficient friend-or-foe identification system allows them to weave freely among human warriors.

Meanwhile, the larger "Guardian-II" heavy robot, equipped with heavy armor and fixed energy turrets, is like a mobile fortress, strode heavily, and used fierce firepower to cover a large area, suppressing any possible sporadic resistance nodes.

These tireless and absolutely obedient steel soldiers greatly enhanced the density and sustainability of pursuit firepower.

The balance of power on the entire battlefield was completely reversed in an instant.

The black tide that had just roared and surged, seemingly endless, has now become duckweed, chased and crushed by the crowd.

The sounds of gunfire, shouts of battle, and the desperate howls of the dying abyss beasts intertwined to create an exhilarating symphony.

Amidst this frenzied atmosphere of all-out pursuit, only Lin Yi remained standing quietly high in the sky, seemingly independent of this clamor.

He did not participate in the pursuit, but calmly looked down at the fierce battlefield below.

Watching the human warriors unleash their fury like tigers released from their cages, pursuing the fleeing enemy, Lin Yi felt a sense of satisfaction.

"The years of tempering in blood and fire, and constant battles against races like the Abyss Beasts that rely mainly on instinct, physical superiority, and sheer numbers to launch devastating wave-like attacks, have indeed honed the basic skills of Blue Star warriors to a very solid level."

"Furthermore, it is clear that from the top to the bottom, they have gradually developed their own combat tactics to deal with this type of enemy. From the early passive defense to the 'cage' tactic of limiting and attrition, to the 'Dawn Operation' of luring the enemy out of their hole, and now to the pursuit and killing tactics, their thinking is growing and becoming more proactive and aggressive."

While feeling gratified, Lin Yi also felt a subtle sense of unease.

"I don't intend to delay the civilization advancement assessment for too long, but the starry sea is vast and turbulent. How could the enemies of the future only be relatively simple alien races like the Abyss Beasts?"

"Those space pirate groups that roam the stars, resorting to any means necessary for profit."

"Those powerful families with long histories, intricate relationships, and a view of inferior civilizations as ants."

"Even within some seemingly legitimate, powerful factions, there are black-clad armed groups that perform dirty work and are proficient in all sorts of underhanded methods."

"The battle with these people will never be as simple and straightforward as it is now. It will be another, more complex, more dangerous, and more challenging battlefield that tests wisdom and adaptability."

Thinking of this, Lin Yi couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"But clearly, Earth is not ready to face all of this."

(End of this chapter)