Chapter 298: Ch

Yet the temptation to survive was stronger for many, perhaps for all, than loyalty to their own clan.

Still, none voiced it openly just yet. There were too many unknowns, and they were unwilling to place their trust in mere speculation.

After all, there was also the possibility that those ships were already under enemy control.

Someone spoke this thought aloud, and it pulled many back from the edge, distracting those who had begun to consider surrender.

“But how could they have boarded our ships?” one Minotaur demanded over the comms. “And that too, from the very center of our formation. Even if it were possible, they would have had to enter in complete stealth.”

“And even then,” he continued, his voice tightening, “their movements should have been detected. No matter how small the team they sent, it couldn’t have been in the millions. And if it was large, how could such a force move unnoticed?”

The question echoed across the channels, heavy with doubt and unease.

Many agreed, and one particularly high-ranking Minotaur added, “Yes, I agree with the point that was made. Even if they had large numbers, they wouldn’t have millions. To take control of a ship like ours, they would first need to seize the two main command brigades, as well as the power rooms, propulsion, and other critical systems.”

“To reach those areas, they would have to pass through countless personnel. And there are many of us. It would be almost impossible to do that without alerting anyone. No matter how powerful they are, they cannot defeat millions of our people without making a sound.”

“That makes sense,” many Minotaur said in agreement.

But another high-level Minotaur immediately countered, “No, it doesn’t. Think about it carefully. Why would they go through the trouble of subduing everyone?”

“If their ship-borne prowess is this overwhelming, who’s to say they don’t also possess advanced combat suits with high-level stealth systems? With that, they could move through our ships completely undetected. Our people might not even realize the enemy was standing right in front of them.”

The channel fell silent once more.

But the one who had previously called it impossible spoke again. “Let’s assume what you’re saying is correct, Trok. Even then, at some point they would have to fight, right? To enter the command brigades and take control, they’d be forced into combat.”

“And if that happens, it’s bound to alert others, isn’t it? Before they could even reach those high-security zones, they would have to fight through the guards stationed there. So sooner or later, they would be exposed.”

“What you’re saying makes sense, Rob,” another voice interjected, “but it can still be explained. They may have breached our firewalls and hacked our ship systems, controlling key functions like alerts and communications at will.”

“And even if fighting did break out, who’s to say they don’t have silent fields? We have similar equipment ourselves. If they do, they could suppress all sound and signals. They could infiltrate and even seize our ships without anyone realizing it.”

Hearing this, many hissed uneasily. Rob frowned, but he couldn’t come up with another theory. Slowly, he began to believe it.

And he wasn’t the only one. Others, too, were starting to fully accept the words of Captain Trok.

Meanwhile, back aboard the Eclipse-class super battleship, everything was now in place. The captured battleships had long since withdrawn from the main line of attack and were currently moving toward the left and right flanks.

And just as the Minotaur had been speculating, those seven ships had already completely fallen under the control of the First and Second Shadow Divisions. Within them, a slaughter was unfolding.

Thousands upon thousands of Tier One combat bots were tearing through millions of Minotaur with brutal precision. The Minotaur fought back desperately, but it made little difference. They were being cut down like chickens, one after another, their attacks utterly ineffective.

It was not a battle.

It was an extermination.

To the Minotaur, this was a battle to protect themselves, to live another day against these unknown heaps of metal turned into combat robots that were relentlessly erasing their kind. This should never have happened on this ship—a ship that was once theirs.

But they were being continuously slaughtered, and no reinforcements were coming. They realized that command had already fallen into enemy hands aboard the ship. That realization only made them more desperate.

And the more desperate they became, the harder they fought. Rage took hold of them, and at one point they even began to overwhelm a contingent of combat bots from the First Battle Fleet.

The sight filled them with excitement and relief. For the first time, they saw hope.

With enough strength, they might truly break free from this killing field—and perhaps even escape the ship with their lives.

Yes. The first thought that came to most of the Minotaur when they gained even a small advantage against those cold killing machines was not to retake the ship—but to escape it.

Again and again, just as they began to push forward, more combat bots would arrive. Each time, the pressure increased until they were forced back once more.

The Minotaur realized the truth. These machines were endless. There was no end to them. If they wished to live, there was only one option left—to flee. If they stayed, they would die a meaningless, tragic death, one without honor or glory.

After another fierce assault, the Minotaur managed to push the combat bots back once again and reclaim the upper hand. This time, they did not hesitate. With a single surge of momentum, they rushed toward the hangar bays.

“Come, comrades! We must get away from this ship!” one of them roared. “We can survive only if we combine our strength. Do not split up! If we do, we will die here, hunted down one by one by these cold machines that are practically endless!”

The call spread through the ranks as they ran, hope and terror driving them forward together.

“And even the ones we damage are repairing themselves at a terrifying rate before lunging at us again. It’s only a matter of time before we’re surrounded once more—and when that happens, we won’t break out of that encirclement. So we either escape together… or we die here!”

The words came from a resolute Minotaur who radiated an overwhelming aura. His eyes were completely red, his horns glowing with crimson light as the runes carved into them flared brightly. They were granting him strength he had never possessed before—power he had never even had the chance to reach.

Standing at the edge of death, his hidden potential had awakened, pushing him into the legendary Third State of Rage.

Yet unlike the mindless berserkers of old, he controlled it.

By mastering his rage instead of being consumed by it, he was able to wield his strength with terrifying precision rather than losing himself to it.

He did not know it, but across the corridors of the ship, there were others like him. The sheer intensity of this life-and-death battle—something they had never faced before, despite lifetimes of war—had unlocked dormant potential within many of them.

Some had not reached the Third State like he had, but were instead in the Second State of Rage, fully in control. They were fewer in number—no more than ten—but their presence alone was enough to hold the line, if only for a little longer.

Time, however, was still their greatest enemy.

That was enough. With their numbers, and with him and the ten others leading the charge, they were able to smash through the blocks of combat bots that stood in their way.

They ran. And kept running.

As they pushed closer to the hangar bays, the number of bots they encountered lessened. Still, every so often, small groups appeared, cutting down more of their comrades before being destroyed in turn. From this, they began to realize a horrifying truth—this slaughter was happening throughout the entire ship.

That realization filled the group of nearly a thousand Minotaur with burning fury… and buried deep within it, a growing chunk of fear.

They had no time to dwell on it.

A few of them broke into a full sprint toward the hangar bay, now painfully close, panic driving their steps. Others followed without hesitation. This was not an isolated incident. Due to the limited number of combat bots arriving through the teleportation channels, many Minotaur across the ship managed to escape the encirclement. Some even did so without a single wound.

Their escape did not go unnoticed.

Tim, Jaxson, Zena, and the others observed it all—but they did not move. They already knew the outcome. No matter where these Minotaur fled—whether to the hangar bays or toward the escape pods—they were doomed.

Every one of them had already been planted with explosives.

And soon, they would dive into a quick… yet far more gruesome death.

Meanwhile back on board the eclipse ……

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