Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Carrier Arrives at Port
After transforming the sub-light speed assault into a psionic combat skill, Lin Zhichen finally had some free time and planned a trip to the asteroid belt.
For the next month, aside from checking the progress of the large-scale battle in the Dakan star system every few days, he stayed at the headquarters base. He waited for the arrival of the carrier and trained the NPC crew members.
When the new month arrived and the Gate of Time and Space refreshed again, the previously captured pirate NPC crew members and the newly recruited NPC crew members and pilots, who were to operate the carrier and its carrier-based aircraft, had all mastered the basic skills of refining essence into qi with the help of NZT-50. Their physical condition had greatly improved thanks to the conditioning of psionic potions.
The NPCs refreshed by the system were generally at the lower end among their peers in the same profession, much like clone soldiers. Compared to naturally trained soldiers, they often fell short in terms of physical fitness.
Of course, this was their initial state. They would all undergo professional training later on. In fact, this was a common practice for all military forces. Whoever could train the most outstanding NPCs at the lowest cost would have a greater advantage in battle.
“This month, no new instance worlds appeared…” Lin Zhichen felt a bit disappointed but was mentally prepared for it. After organizing his thoughts, he looked at “Event Horizon.”
“We now need a second psionic warship.”
Looking at the psionic light orb floating in his hand, this was the spirit of a slaughter ship, a rare treasure and unique entity. Within this instance world, the most precious thing one could obtain was this light orb, capable of transforming a frigate into a psionic warship.
“This psionic warship will be given to Ah Ke,” he pondered. “But it can’t be in the solar system, or even within the Federation’s territory.
Unfortunately, I am still quite a distance away from reaching the Hero rank.”
If he were to advance to Hero, transforming psionic skills into a domain, the “Qinyuan” could easily carry a fleet and jump directly from the solar system to the Dakan star system, avoiding the current dilemma.
“Big brother, our carrier has arrived. The Earth star network is buzzing with the news!” Wei Peng burst into the training room, speaking excitedly.
“It has arrived already?” Lin Zhichen was slightly surprised. He had been focused on the Gate of Time and Space and had overlooked the messages on his holographic wristband.
As he walked towards the parking area, he opened his holographic wristband and immediately saw a pinned new message—”Shocking! The Solar System’s first carrier appears, Earth enters the era of main battleships!”
Opening the video, the view was of the space starport, where a colossal vessel was docked in the shipyard. The nearby ships looked like small boats compared to a cruise liner in comparison.
As an aircraft carrier that relies on carrier-based aircraft for combat, its size was always an order of magnitude larger than warships of the same class.
Lin Zhichen had ordered a light aircraft carrier, considered a small member of the carrier family, but it still boasted a hull length of 2,853 meters, surpassing the largest battleships and comparable to flagship-class warships!
“Finally! Earthlings finally have a large warship!”
“That massive carrier makes the nearby frigates look like giants and dwarfs.”
“A hull length of 2,800 meters—wow, I couldn’t run from one end to the other without stopping for breath!”
“A carrier! It’s invincible in the solar system now.”
“My mom asked me why I was watching the video on my knees.”
“Whose is it? Does anyone know which tycoon ordered it?”
“Use your brain, the person above. Could any individual own this big guy? It must have been purchased by some big family, right?”
“Everyone, wash up and go to sleep. It’s the royals and conglomerates again. This is a game for the wealthy families, it has nothing to do with us commoners.”
“…”
“Public opinion on Earth isn’t very good. It seems quite a few people are resentful,” Lin Zhichen remarked casually.
“Big brother, don’t be misled. Most of the people who have time to go online are those who lack ambition. They rely on federal welfare and still live quite comfortably,” Wu Tianyi, standing nearby, shook his head and said:
“You have to understand, even the most ordinary civilians can receive some benefits, like free basic cell optimization fluid, which can extend their lifespan by several years to a decade.
Think about it, if you can live comfortably without effort, who would be willing to venture into the stars?
According to some surveys published by private organizations on the star network, the number of people willing to enter virtual academies to become professionals in the interstellar era—such as captains, warship pilots, and other important professions—is not high, only about 15% of the total population.”
“So few? What about the other administrative planets of the Federation? What’s the ratio there?” Lin Zhichen was slightly surprised. He usually didn’t pay attention to these matters and didn’t realize so many people preferred to take it easy.
But if one thought about it, it made sense. After all, dying once would deduct 10 years of lifespan. If one could comfortably lie flat*, who would want to risk their life?
*It refers to a lifestyle choice where individuals opt to disengage from the rat race and societal pressures, choosing instead to do the bare minimum to get by. This can include avoiding high-stress jobs, not striving for promotions, and generally rejecting the traditional expectations of hard work and ambition.
“Less than 10%. In fact, our Earthlings rank in the top ten in terms of enthusiasm within the entire Federation. Surprised?” Wei Peng said with a smile.
Lin Zhichen: “…”
Soon, over a hundred flying cars soared into the sky, heading towards the outer space starport.
“Truly spectacular,” Lin Ke remarked as they approached the starport dock. A colossal beast of a ship loomed ever closer.
The massive metallic hull, like a dormant giant beast, lay quietly docked. The nearby frigates, with hulls less than 200 meters long, looked like insignificant little boats in comparison.
The energy radiance flowed over the entire body, and the massive carrier’s exterior gleamed with a cold metallic light. The angular hull, combined with the enormous size, exuded a unique sense of dominance.
Unlike the carriers of the planetary era, which had exposed decks where planes took off directly, the carriers of the interstellar era featured fully armored hulls. The runways for space planes were hidden within thick layers of armor.
It wasn’t just a single runway. Several hangar doors along the long hull were now closed. From the outside, the hull’s armor was seamless, with no visible indication of where the exits were.
Lin Zhichen opened the attribute panel of the carrier:
“Tiger Whale-class Carrier I
Dimensions: Length 2853 meters, Width 1132.7 meters, Height 489.5 meters
Hull Value: 8900
Armor: 23
Shield: 4500
Shield Recharge Rate: 12%
Damage: 3.08
Speed: 30
Evasion: 15.5%
Carrier-based Aircraft: 144*5”
As a large warship on the same tier as battleships, the carrier’s armor and firepower were not particularly outstanding, but it always relied on its carrier-based aircraft for combat.
In the interstellar era, space fighters, equipped with energy batteries and cannons, generally had lengths exceeding 30 meters, comparable to shuttles and flying cars.
“The space fighters we procured are the Liuguang II multi-role fighters. They can serve as attack aircraft to defend against enemy fighter swarms and can also take the initiative to strike, supporting fleet operations,” Wu Tianyi explained. The model of the space fighters was chosen by him, and Lin Zhichen was responsible for the purchase:
“The Liuguang II fighters are versatile. When equipped with missiles, they become a swarm; with torpedoes, they become torpedo bombers; and if they carry space mines, they can even serve as minelayers.”