Chapter 680

Chapter 680: Strike First, Arrive Last

An invisible layer of special energy enveloped the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, a secret known only to Lin Mo and the gold giant dragon.

The two meticulous engineers at National Defense Star would never guess that this was magic; they simply defaulted to scientific explanations for everything beyond their understanding.

The Demon Hunter squad was equally discreet, hearing no evil and seeing no evil. Protecting secrets was their duty; they had no interest in learning about the mysterious elements on the X-1. Science itself was a wondrous discipline, capable of achieving what were once considered miracles.

Unless Lin Mo revealed it himself, no one could uncover the secret behind the strange patterns on the X-1’s surface.

Some bullets aimed directly at the X-1 could not even touch its surface, as they were gently deflected by the flowing energy of the magic circle, displaying a similarity to the armor of Belong’s UFO—one was tangible, the other intangible.

Even when bullets fortuitously struck the aircraft from certain angles, they would lose most of their potential energy through the magic circle, allowing the hidden gold giant dragon inside the aircraft to munch on them as snacks.

Without this filtering, the dragon might have been at risk of exploding from its own food intake, as it could digest the food but couldn’t process all the kinetic energy.

Even a human could be killed by a meat bun, which was originally meant as food.

Amid the dense hail of bullets spewing from the UFO, Lin Mo patiently searched for new opportunities.

Missile attacks were suppressed by the bullet storm, leaving no chance to launch. Lin Mo’s finger returned to the Gauss electromagnetic cannon, his signature weapon. Only such a high-speed weapon could seize a fleeting moment.

Meanwhile, Raccoon’s battle did not seem promising.

While dogfighting with the MiG 1.44, Raccoon stole a quick glance and let out a quiet groan; he and Lin Mo were stuck in a stalemate almost simultaneously.

Not just them, Yuri and the rest of the team also underestimated this British Belong and his UFO.

It seemed the K-582 "Shadow" UFO, with its firepower frequency and sustained attacks, had completely taken the upper hand against Lin Mo and his X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter.

The perfect combination of the UFO’s maneuverability and attack power far exceeded their expectations.

No wonder so many aviation professionals, both official and civilian, continued to tirelessly conduct various experiments and technology validations.

“Haha, die, die! Number 13, this is your tomb! Don’t worry; I will send someone to drag you from your wreckage for a proper burial. I, Belong, keep my word. What are you still resisting for? Your cannon can’t touch me, and you can’t fire any missiles, can you? That laser cannon you think is your trump card? My armor has its own defense layer against directed energy weapons. Just accept your fate! I am invincible.”

As Belong reveled in his moment of triumph, suppressing the forward-swept wing fighter to the point of helplessness, he began to get carried away.

Just as Lin Mo and the others initially underestimated the fighter capabilities of his UFO, he had also made a mistake.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter was equipped with a Gauss electromagnetic railgun, not a directed energy weapon. The beam that Belong and the other participants saw was just for targeting—it did not possess any lethal capability.

“Idiot!”

Lin Mo was unsure whether he was deriding Belong’s arrogance or his self-importance.

…

Despite the UFO’s omnidirectional firepower causing significant headaches, the Flowing Wave Heavenly Transformation Magic Circle’s protection, along with the gold giant dragon, kept the X-1 completely unscathed.

Though he spoke arrogantly, the British pilot Belong felt a nagging anxiety.

Though the Shadow had more ammunition than a typical fighter, it was not limitless.

The side-mounted machine guns had been firing continuously for so long, yet the opposing aerodynamic design lacked natural all-around angled defense technology and still managed to weave effortlessly through the rain of bullets.

If he were to take a hit from a large-caliber bullet, it could spell disaster. Yet, incredibly, that forward-swept wing fighter had suffered no injuries at all, leaving Belong in disbelief.

The evasion skills of Number 13 were simply extraordinary. If he weren’t piloting the Shadow, he would have been shot down by now!

The Dragon Knight scoffed.

There is a saying: strike first and the later opponent will fall behind, but another phrase exists: "arrive last and still strike first."

Previously, the cannon of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet had left some inconsequential scars and charred marks on the surface of Belong’s UFO.

However, Lin Mo had successfully marked the exterior of the opponent’s aircraft, allowing him to roughly estimate its direction.

He could create a visual blind spot for the enemy.

Facing the UFO-shaped aircraft with a fierce fighting style, the Dragon Knight boldly initiated an attack while carefully observing the opponent’s weaknesses.

After all, experts in the intermediate tier often struck lethal blows unexpectedly.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet had once again activated the launch mode of the Gauss electromagnetic railgun.

Two sets of Gauss electromagnetic cannons began to charge.

Three rounds were prepared in a single tube.

The output power was set to 300%, with the fire rate of the electromagnetic shells being adjustable, especially since it used a terminally guided warhead, making it more powerful than other projectiles of the same caliber.

The electromagnetic railgun technology was a homegrown Chinese innovation, and when Lin Mo equipped the X-1 with this weapon, he surprisingly did not embrace a foreign bias. In fact, Chinese weapon technology possessed a generational continuity, advancing through early development of next-generation technologies to narrow the gap with foreign counterparts.

“Gold Coin! Set Void Magnetism output to 80%!”

“Got it! Have you finally had enough of the punishment?”

“Get to work!”

Lin Mo suddenly pushed the throttle, causing both engines to unleash a 120% high-load G-force, jolting the fighter jet and propelling its speed to Mach 3, which showed signs of further increase as the aircraft weight significantly decreased.

The sudden burst of speed from the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter startled Belong, the pilot of the UFO. Before he could react, the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter had curved back to his peripheral vision and then abruptly climbed vertically.

“Not good!”

Belong realized the danger — the opponent was attempting to use speed to escape his line of sight, which would negate his advantage in omnidirectional attack and put him in a perilous situation.

As the pilot of K-592 "Shadow," he was well aware that although the UFO had benefits like all-around firepower and excellent maneuverability, it also had some critical weaknesses.

God is always fair; if you have prominent strengths, you equally have frustrating weaknesses.

The UFO could achieve zero radar wave reflection and had inherent advantages with high-angle defense technology, but the surface area on the top and bottom was significantly large. This ensured strong firepower but also increased its hit probability, even more so than a typical fighter jet.

Even though the "Shadow" UFO had made improvements to mitigate many inherent flaws, some deadly weaknesses from its aerodynamic properties were inscribed in its design and could not be compensated for; relying on the pilot’s timely adjustments was crucial.

This was not merely a case of the UFO being unlucky; every aerodynamic shape has its pros and cons, and the skills needed to pilot a UFO differ entirely from those needed for jet fighters.

Belong skillfully exploited this advantage, leaving his opponents helpless as he smoothly moved into the intermediate tier.

If he could take down this Chinese pilot, he would successfully advance to the high-tier pilot rank and gain full access to the redeemable points list.

But as the critical moment approached, things became more likely to go wrong.

Belong faced his most challenging opponent yet, with an impressive speed that even the "Golden Fleece" hydraulic omnidirectional overload cockpit couldn’t respond to in time.

He pulled the throttle fully back, yanking the control stick back to perform a backflip, rotating the nose of the aircraft. At this moment, the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, still in supersonic mode, appeared directly above the UFO.

The most vulnerable side of the UFO was fully exposed to Lin Mo, and he had finally found the enemy’s weakness.

Belong reacted quickly, activating two missiles, launching them directly upward.

Both sides showcased their capabilities, with the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet aiming vertically at the shell of the K-592 "Shadow" UFO. A rapid series of crimson projectiles erupted from the clouds, simultaneous with a maneuver enhancing the impact area for the target.

Boom! Boom!

The dense barrage clashed violently with the two launched short-range air-to-air missiles.

This time, the cannon firing at the missiles was not a special air combat technique from Lin Mo; it was a basic concept any university student would know, called probability.

The concentrated hit area formed a large net with no gaps, producing a scenario where the two combat missiles had nowhere to escape and collided explosively with the 23mm caliber cannon ammunition.

Not only that, but the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, the missiles, and the UFO also aligned perfectly on the same straight line.

The Dragon Knight certainly would not waste this fleeting opportunity.