For Hank, there was nothing to be disappointed about not being able to take down the other party in one fell swoop.
From the beginning of this duel, he had already planned to let the other party run.
Just as Barque hoped to cause fluctuations in the school city through the Task Force, Hank also hoped to seize the initiative in the entire war through this duel.
Now, it seemed that he had obviously achieved his goal. The First Fleet had suffered serious damage, and they had also lost valuable Legendary magic scrolls.
It was foreseeable that the Imperial Fleet would definitely shrink into a ball now, and in this way, Hank could freely explore the map.
"Order the Reconnaissance Fleet to release the probes, and the Defense Fleet to spread out in formation. Activate the exploration radar."
Although the enemy had suffered heavy losses, Hank would not underestimate them because of that.
The reason was simple — what they had shown before was not the true strength of the Imperial Fleet.
The Magic Fleet did not rely much on warships in the first place, and relied more on the high-level mages on them to fight.
Those high-level spells were, to a certain extent, more powerful than the cannons of warships. Hence, the warships of the Imperial Fleet were actually not considered excellent in terms of firepower.
If not for the suppression of mana, the magic barrier cast by the Task Force in the previous battle and the subsequent Flame Storm would be the true strength of the Imperial Fleet …
But even so, they were definitely not opponents that could be underestimated.
The activation of high-level scrolls required very strong mental strength, which was also a part of becoming a high-level mage.
A large part of the reason why Hank and the others were mage apprentices and low-level mages was that they did not have enough mental strength. In this way, even if they seized the other party's high-level magic scrolls, they could not use them.
On the other hand, although the other party's mana was suppressed, their mental strength did not change. This meant that as long as there were enough high-level magic scrolls, the Imperial Fleet could still turn the tables.
The reason why Hank did not choose to attack previously was that when the other party cast the Flame Storm, he was worried that if he pressed too hard, the other party might be driven to desperation and activate the Legendary magic scrolls in a large area.
Although the battleships in the school city were magic-resistant, they were no longer a match for Legendary magic. It would be fine if they were the direct fleet of the liege, but they clearly did not have the ability to resist Legendary magic.
"I wonder how many Legendary magic scrolls the empire has …"
Through the screen, Hank contacted Doronte again.
"There should be at least three or four of them. Anyway, the Magic Empire will never be willing to lose. I think they will choose to use the scrolls at the right time to change the situation."
"This is indeed troublesome …"
Hearing Doronte's answer, Hank sighed softly.
The biggest threat of Legendary magic wasn't firepower, but the strange characteristics of magic. No one knew what effects and functions a Legendary magic scroll could play. When he was a mage apprentice, Hank had also heard some rumors about Legendary magic, which were basically at the level of destruction.
The Flame Storm used by the Imperial Fleet was the same. The roaring flames raged over half of the mountain range, and the magical fire released from the Fire Elemental Realm completely turned everything in sight into ashes.
If it weren't for Hank's prompt decision to retreat, perhaps he wouldn't know what would have happened.
If the Magic Fleet had a few similar scrolls … It would be really troublesome …
Looking at the screen in front of him, Hank couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
At the same time, Barque's face was ashen.
Just now, the First Fleet, which had retreated to a safe zone, immediately reorganized, which made Captain Barque extremely depressed.
So far, the First Fleet had lost nearly a quarter of its warships. Not only that, but the special task force also suffered some losses.
The enemy's fierce firepower, precise aim, and fast speed were beyond Barque's expectations.
Among the remaining warships, nearly two-thirds were almost in a state of scrapping.
Putting aside the warships themselves, the problem was that the attrition in battle was the biggest headache for Barque.
The damaged warships could be restored and repaired with the help of magic scrolls.
However, there was no way to replenish the crew and soldiers who died in the explosion.
This also meant that even after the warships were repaired, they wouldn't be able to play any role due to the lack of manpower.
In desperation, Captain Barque had no choice but to order some of his men to abandon the severely damaged warships that had lost more than half of their crew and gather them on other warships. Then, they would use magic scrolls to repair the damaged warships. If there weren't any magical suppression, they could directly use magic to repair the warships. But now, they couldn't use advanced magic, and the only thing they could rely on was magic scrolls.
Moreover, Magic Scrolls were consumables. Every time they were used, they would be gone. In order to maximize the effects of the Magic Scrolls, Captain Burke had no choice but to use them.
This can't go on.
Looking at the busy warships under the night sky and hearing the wails and cries in the distance, Captain Barque knitted his brows.
Although they used the Legendary magic scrolls to stop the enemy's further attacks, Captain Barque had discovered in the previous battle that the enemy's warships were far stronger than his in terms of range and firepower.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have caused such a tragic outcome.
Although he didn't believe that these warships were created by the apprentices, the truth was right before his eyes.
It seemed like there was only one choice they could make now.
"Gather all our forces and try to solve the problem in a single battle!"
Looking at Christoph, Barque gave his answer.
"Currently, we don't have enough people on our warships, and magic scrolls are consumables. Hence, it's best for us to gather all our forces and defeat the enemy in a single blow!"
"Hmm … That's a good idea, but will the other party follow your plan?"
After hearing Barque's explanation, Christoph pondered for a moment and voiced his doubts.
"If we fight them head-on, they can finish us off outside their firing range.
I'm sure they won't take the risk.
Under such circumstances, I'm afraid it will be more difficult to lure them into the trap. "
"That's why we need a strong enough bait."
Hearing Barque's words, Christoph was taken aback. Then, he reacted immediately.
"Could it be that you plan to …"
"Just as you said, Christoph, we have no chance of winning if we attack head-on.
But if we attack head-on, will they turn a blind eye to us?
Will they turn around and escape instead of annihilating us? "
Barque said and clenched his fists.
"I've decided to use the First Fleet as bait to lure them in.
And when they are immersed in the joy of annihilating the First Fleet, I want your task force to deal them a fatal blow! "
"But this way, the First Fleet will also suffer heavy losses!"
Although Christoph had expected this, he still widened his eyes in shock after hearing Barque's plan.
But in response to his words, Barque shook his head firmly.
"On the battlefield, the victor isn't king. In fact, the survivors are king. As long as one of us can survive until the end, the empire will be the victor!"
With that said, Barque lifted his head and gazed at the flag fluttering in the wind on his warship.
"For the empire, I have no regrets … Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I won't hesitate!"