Episode 72: The First Assault

Earth’s Orbit
The fleet moved.

Without hesitation.

Without emotion.

The first assault ships broke formation and descended toward Earth.

Above them, Earth’s orbital defenses came alive.

One by one, massive defense platforms rotated into position.

Blue lights spread across their hulls.

Target Locked.
Fire.
Hundreds of beams crossed the darkness.

The first alien assault ship exploded.

Fragments scattered through space.

Another followed.

Then another.

For a brief moment… Earth held.

Seoul
Quantum Data Center.

Arena watched every battlefield at once.

No orders were spoken.

Every drone.
Every fighter.
Every platform.

Moved as one.

The mechanized army had prepared for this moment.

[Alien Flagship]
An officer looked toward the battlefield.

“Three assault ships destroyed.”

The Hardliner Commander remained silent.

“So… they entrusted their future to machines.”

Another explosion lit the darkness.

The commander showed no concern.

“Deploy the second wave.”

The fleet opened once again.

This time, ships of every size poured forward.

The darkness itself seemed to move.

Earth’s Orbit
Orbital platforms fired continuously.

Combat drones formed defensive walls.

Autonomous fighters intercepted incoming vessels.

One drone squadron vanished in a flash of light.

Another immediately filled the gap.

No fear.

No hesitation.

Only their directive.

Protect Humanity.

The second wave reached Earth’s defenses.

This time… the line began to bend.

Not because the machines had grown weaker.

But because the enemy never stopped coming.

Seoul
Inside the Quantum Data Center, another calculation quietly updated.

Estimated survival time… decreasing.

Arena remained silent.

The war had truly begun.