The Zerg currently have fewer than twenty Carrier Bugs.
Each has a displacement of around 10,000 tons, and even with the shipyards of the Kingdom of Clear building at full capacity, their production cannot match the Empire.
The Dawn Empire's dream of hegemony began over a decade ago. During the war with the demons, the average strength of their land army rose steadily, and the navy began large scale construction to control the globe.
Their current scale is already massive.
"Gaining sea superiority is a bit difficult, but I must send more bugs to the other side. It seems I will have to bet the entire navy to support a wave of the army reaching the front lines."
Currently, the Zerg are fighting a guerrilla war in the Huiwei and Lümingte regions, simultaneously resisting the southern countries and the Dawn Empire's advance from the west. If they fought a direct confrontation, they would likely be wiped out.
There are still tens of thousands of bugs. Since burrowing is less effective, they have to stay deep underground to avoid aerial reconnaissance.
The Dawn Empire is also frustrated. Swarms appear everywhere for sneak attacks. Mages are not available on every line, and even when they are, negligence can lead to heavy losses from an ambush.
Battles around coastal cities are intense. The Dawn Empire tries to control the streets, but after killing 2,000 bugs, they find the swarm is still endless, seemingly replenished from the city.
To transport the upgraded swarm to Huiwei quickly, the entire Zerg fleet is preparing to depart.
Directly over 60,000 banelings and 1,000 mutalisks, paired with massive anti aircraft fire.
Two Carrier Bugs sacrificed parts of their holds and decks to mount 480mm giant naval guns.
This powerful fleet, along with Escort Carrier Bugs, was divided into six small groups, 100 kilometers apart, forming a large circle.
Inside the circle are many low combat power transport ships.
Including iron and wooden ships from occupied areas such as the city states and the Kingdom of Clear, even canoes. The goal is to carry more land bugs.
On top of the existing 60,000 scourges, Xia Jin added another 10,000 to this central landing fleet for protection.
To transport enough, the bugs went to the Kelu region to hire labor for small wooden boats.
A boat of a few meters has little capacity, but connected by strong ropes or metal chains, with high pressure jet propulsion bugs at the lead, they can tow a long chain of dozens of boats.
A shipyard in the Kingdom of Clear launched ten 1,000 ton class iron clad ships, joining the fleet.
Before departure, four new Carrier Bugs and ten Escort Carrier Bugs were produced, forming a separate patrol fleet 40 kilometers around the central landing fleet.
The Zerg are betting everything on this move.
In total, the combat and landing fleets are transporting 150,000 upgraded land bugs.
The Empire likely will not expect such a scale.
With fleets 100 kilometers apart in a circle, scourges can explore a large range in any direction.
If the enemy locks onto one group, they will likely mistake it for the main force.
The weak landing ships can move away while the two nearest combat fleets reinforce, protecting the bugs.
This relies on the reconnaissance of massive scourges.
Everything is set. The massive fleet departs with six outer combat groups, an inner patrol fleet, and the landing fleet in the middle.
...
At the same time, in the capital of the Dawn Empire.
"The demons have been pushed to the coast. The new weapons are excellent; ordinary people have killed Tier 8 demons with heavy firearms." A smiling officer puts down a report. "Gentlemen, the moment of the Empire's rise is coming."
"What about at sea? The 9th Fleet just reported heavy losses. They wiped out a Zerg fleet, but their own losses were staggering." A naval general is displeased.
"I must admit we underestimated the enemy's combat power. That foreign race can actually build ships. After controlling the territory of the Kingdom of Clear, they have integrated human technology well. But according to intelligence, the current Zerg controller is actually that princess from the Kingdom of Clear. If I recall, she is a girl of about sixteen?" The officer mutters, "Can a young girl really govern a country well?"
"Regardless, the city states region has fallen to them. I heard the remnants of the gnolls fled to Gexilu to survive. The Zerg threat is imminent; those small countries need to make a big fuss even over mere gnolls. I suggest reporting to His Majesty for authorization of military aid—at least 300,000 sets of land combat equipment for them." An army general said.
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