The specific invasion process is as follows: The Mir people use interstellar delivery methods to launch moth eggs and mechanical moth nests onto the planets they intend to attack.
The mechanical moth nests are advanced war machines that automatically search for mineral veins on the planet, extract metals, and manufacture identical copies of themselves. This characteristic is called self-replicating machinery; without any manipulation, it multiplies like a virus.
Once a mechanical moth nest lands on a suitable metal ore deposit, it can split itself twice a day. As long as there is sufficient metal, it will not take long to replicate countless mechanical moth nests.
The mechanical moth nests have two functions: first, to hatch poisonous moth larvae, and second, to produce metal moth heads.
Each mechanical moth nest contains five thousand honeycomb-like cells, and each cell continuously produces metal-infused moth heads. The moth heads are small, about the size of soybeans, but intricately structured. They have small electric drills at the front and can control the brains of the poisonous moths. They look a bit like moths wearing iron helmets.
Jiang Ye interjected, "Essentially, they are combat mechs built for the moths?"
Commander Leng Anxing replied, "Exactly! Your understanding is correct. The metal moth heads are combat mechs for the poisonous moths, and the mechanical moth nests are the factories that produce these mechs."
Commander Leng Anxing continued, "After the poisonous moth larvae hatch in the moth nests, they automatically extend their heads into the metal moth heads. Enduring the pain, they allow the metal moth heads to insert into their brains. This process is made possible because the Mir people modified the genes of the poisonous moths, causing them to instinctively do this from birth."
Commander Jiang Ye exclaimed, "Terrifying."
Commander Leng Anxing explained, "Once the metal moth heads are inserted into the brains of the poisonous moths, they stimulate the moths' brain nerves with electric shocks, driving them to feel pleasure and excitement. The happy and excited poisonous moths become exceptionally active, flying everywhere to find heat-emitting creatures, consume them, lay eggs, and eventually die from exhaustion."
Commander Jiang Ye asked, "What is the reproduction rate of the poisonous moths?"
Commander Leng Anxing stated, "It depends on the number of metal moth nests. With sufficient energy and metal ore, one metal moth nest can hatch 24 times a day, producing a total of 120,000 poisonous moths. Simultaneously, this metal moth nest will create two new identical moth nests. These two new moth nests will also produce a large number of poisonous moths and continue to replicate themselves."
Jiang Ye was stunned.
Without needing to calculate, he knew this was a terrifying rate of replication.
It was truly viral reproduction, explosive growth!
Commander Leng Anxing described his observations: "I have inspected three planets that were overrun by poisonous moths. All plant and animal life on the planets was completely extinct. The ground and air were filled with flying poisonous moths, obscuring the sky like sandstorms, emitting sounds like tsunamis. These moths ate everything on the surface and then began to consume each other. Billions of them gathered and fought, until only layers upon layers of metal moth heads remained on the ground. This scene would persist for a long time until all the planet's metal ore was depleted and all the metal moth nests ceased to operate."
Jiang Ye's forehead was beaded with cold sweat.
He had watched many doomsday horror films, but he had never encountered such a chilling scenario.
The Ice Green Planet Governor asked, "Senior, I've already wet myself listening. Please advise on how to prevent such a disaster."
Commander Jiang Ye echoed, "Me too! It's too terrifying!"
Commander Leng Anxing advised, "The key is to strike first. Intercept the Mir people's airdrop devices and destroy the moth nests before they reach the ground. Speaking of which, do you have a planetary defense system?"
The two rookies fell silent; such advanced technology was naturally absent.
Commander Leng Anxing continued, "If you cannot prevent the moth nests from landing on the ground, then you must destroy the moth nests on the metal ore deposits as early as possible. Poisonous moths are typically weak in the early stages and invincible later on, so you cannot delay. The longer you wait, the more troublesome it becomes."
Commander Leng Anxing inquired, "Do you all have satellites?"
The Ice Green Planet Governor replied, "We have a small satellite."
Commander Jiang Ye also stated, "Me too, a cheap small satellite."
Commander Leng Anxing instructed, "Use satellites to observe the planet's landmass, focusing on heat sources. When the metal moth nests are operating, they generate large areas of high temperature because they need to refine metals from the ore. From a satellite's perspective, this appears as hot zones and towering smoke. Once observed, open fire. Cover the high-temperature areas with concentrated firepower, repeat the coverage several times, and leave no survivors."
The Ice Green Planet Governor asked, "What if the moth nests land on the other side of the planet, too far for me to reach?"
Commander Jiang Ye asked the same question, "Yes, they're too far to hit."
Commander Leng Anxing questioned, "You... don't even have global strike capability? Is your military equipment that weak? If your firepower cannot cover the entire planet, how can you claim to be the king of a planet?"
The two rookies remained silent, their own capabilities being too poor, and they were once again looked down upon by the senior.
Commander Leng Anxing offered, "You'll have to figure that out yourselves. Intercontinental missiles, orbital strike weapons. If you're really short on funds, use some cheap, old-fashioned methods, like using warships or bombers to get there and attack."
The High Priest of Hal Star suddenly chimed in, "I'm done with my tasks, this is killing me. I'll send you photos."
After a moment, several photos were sent into the group chat.
Jiang Ye gasped in shock!
The photos showed street scenes of Hal Star. It was nighttime, and the brightly lit city was almost entirely occupied by poisonous moths.
Large swarms of poisonous moths flew like whirlwinds through the streets. They all had white wings, and each moth was about the size of a ping-pong ball. The streetlights were covered with moths, with only a sliver of light seeping through the gaps in their wings. A small spaceship flew past a streetlight, its surface completely covered by dense moth wings, like a sunken ship encrusted with barnacles.
The air was filled with fine, snow-like powder, presumably the toxic dust from the moths.
The hundred-story glass buildings had their windward sides plastered with a thick layer of white, while the leeward sides remained glass walls, with only the bottom dozen floors covered by moths.
The cornfields outside the city had been plowed, leaving only half-stalks of corn and corn leaves scattered on the ground. The entire field rippled with countless white moths, like whitecaps on a sea after a torrential downpour.
Soldiers stood at the intersections, clad in thick black rubber suits, wearing gas masks resembling pig snouts, and wielding flamethrowers to blast the flying moths with flames. The burnt moth corpses on the ground piled up half a meter high, still smoldering, like heaps of ashes.
The High Priest of Hal Star reported, "Many civilians have been bitten, and over a dozen soldiers have died. I won't send you photos from the hospital; it's too disgusting. About a dozen cities are in this state. These moths suddenly appeared, billions per hour. My husband has already launched missiles to attack their moth nests."
The Ice Green Planet Governor exclaimed, "Too terrifying, I've wet myself again. My prostate has some issues."
Commander Jiang Ye asked, "What do you do after the moths enter the city? Just use flamethrowers to burn them?"
The High Priest of Hal Star replied, "Burning is only a temporary solution. We need biochemical weapons. I have already signed the documents to requisition specialized moth-killing solution from the armory. In two hours, spray planes will be airborne to disperse it, dousing everything like rain. A few rounds of spraying should eliminate most of them."
Commander Leng Anxing warned, "Cleaning up the moth corpses will take weeks. The key is that the moths lay eggs before they die, and the hatched eggs will create another swarm. They also develop resistance, making it very troublesome. Never let the moths enter the city on a large scale; it's disgusting and will ruin your New Year's Eve dinner."