Chapter 686

Chapter 686: Team Formation

At the service desk, Lin Mo and the others registered for the Death Team Battle using their competition identity cards.

Once the host announced the list of participants, almost all the pilots listed checked in at the service desk before 5 PM.

Lin Mo noticed two pilots with worried expressions on their faces, looking quite gloomy.

Without guessing, it was obvious these two must be beginners from the novice tier, likely not even military personnel. They had extremely bad luck, being drawn into such a deadly battle, and it seemed they were doomed to become cannon fodder.

A large-scale aerial battle involving thirty-two fighter jets from both factions was equivalent to a national war among the world’s top countries.

The Death Team Battle is also the most rigorous test of a pilot’s air combat skills and the performance of their aircraft.

In this battle, there are either living or dead, with no cowards allowed. Sponsors wouldn’t permit their pilots to flee in such a grand tournament. Facing execution by their own people is less preferable than going out with a bang.

“Hey everyone! I’m ‘Yuri’! This is my partner! It’s an honor to fight alongside you all.”

Yuri greeted the selected participants as if he were setting out for a team picnic, casually chatting with everyone, regardless of familiarity, making polite conversation first.

“Uh, I’m also honored, ‘Yuri.’ I’ve heard of you; your organizational skills are quite impressive. I’m ‘Holy Knight’!”

A middle-aged man, resembling a fitness coach, reached out his hand to Yuri.

“‘Holy Knight’! I’m thrilled to see you! Fighting alongside you is truly my utmost honor.”

Yuri was taken aback; this was a big shot, a true special tier king. Every special tier pilot has survived numerous life-or-death situations, mastering an immense wealth of battle experience—his skill was far beyond that of ten basic pilots combined.

The man’s warm approach left Yuri feeling pleasantly surprised, and he quickly extended his hand to grip the other firmly, shaking it vigorously to express his excitement.

“‘Holy Knight,’ you are too kind. I’m just trying to ensure my brothers have a way out; I must give it my all.”

Yuri’s expression of admiration was evident, winning the favor of the special tier pilot known as “Holy Knight.”

Foreigners have no idea what humility means; they insist on boasting to the extreme. If it were a Chinese person, their politeness might look like offering "simple tea and light meals," a gesture that outsiders might misunderstand as an insult or an extravagant attempt to hide something valuable.

The outcome would be simple—during the Eight-Nation Alliance’s invasion of Beijing, if you don’t provide good food, I’ll just take it for myself. Isn’t that courting trouble?

Yuri, being clever and slick, quickly connected with the special tier pilot “Holy Knight,” as well as high tier pilots “Caesar,” “Red Feather,” and “Storm,” and didn’t forget to greet the five intermediate and four novice tier participants.

With a friendly presence like Yuri, “Holy Knight” secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Once the atmosphere became lively, communication among everyone would flow better.

Familiarity among teammates is advantageous; it reduces the worry of being used as a shield in battle, and might even lead to vital support during critical moments.

Such seemingly trivial gestures can sometimes be worth a life in battle, making them all the more significant to observe.

High and special tier pilots were unfazed by the Death Team Battle. Except for the three from Yuri’s team, the expressions of the other two intermediate and four novice pilots didn’t look so relaxed; tension was inevitable.

After all, this wasn’t a one-on-one match or a small team duel. Who knew if they might unexpectedly be taken out by a missile in the chaotic aftermath of the battle? The lower the tier, the higher the likelihood of death.

The organizers of “Abyss Nirvana” thoughtfully provided Yuri, “Holy Knight,” and the other sixteen participating pilots with a private booth in the mission center hall.

Such pre-battle communication is essential, allowing for quick familiarity with each other’s combat abilities and habits, which is crucial for the Death Team Battle three days away. It’s likely that participants from the Anti-Government Forces were doing the same.

In team battles, individual heroes find it nearly impossible to survive; it’s only through collective strength that unimaginable combat power can be unleashed.

Regardless of which country’s military it is, since ancient times, power has been the standard for determining ranks. As the top-tier special pilot, “Holy Knight” was rightfully acknowledged as the team leader.

Not only does the special tier pilot have extensive combat experience, but he also has remarkable insights into the team battle format. Everyone unreservedly agreed with the formation strategy proposed by “Holy Knight.”

No one can prevent their fall from the sky, but it is well known that unity can improve survival chances.

Perhaps among those who survive, there might be someone from their own side. Therefore, regardless of their country or organizational background, the pilots communicate openly and completely trust each other before the battle.

Everything is in the name of survival.

Honor, heroism, achievements, and invincibility—all terms related to "greatness" have nothing to do with the participating pilots during the battle. All they care about is eliminating their opponents and seizing the chance to stay alive.

Following the principle of strong alliances, the high tier pilot “Red Feather” and the special tier “Holy Knight” formed the first dual aircraft team responsible for the main offensive power.

The same tier pilots “Caesar” and “Storm” paired up to form the first attack duo.

Yuri, Lin Mo, and “Monkey” already made up a small group. Team leader “Holy Knight” planned to keep them together and directly formed a three-aircraft team dedicated to defense and interception.

The remaining five intermediate tier and four novice tier pilots partnered up as small dual aircraft teams, with one extra intermediate pilot acting as a free agent for battlefield support, responsible for coverage and filling gaps in formation.

In this way, sixteen pilots formed seven combat teams and one free agent, quickly devising a battle plan.

“Does anyone have anything to add?”

“Holy Knight” wrote down each pilot’s formation on an A4 sheet of paper and sketched out the cruising flight formation. At the forefront were Yuri, Lin Mo, and “Monkey,” followed by four dual aircraft teams composed of intermediate and novice pilots, with high tier and special tier teams responsible for the third wave, and finally, one intermediate pilot as the reserve team.

If there were no further questions, copies of this diagram would be distributed to everyone.

This method of ranking and arranging was somewhat like a horse race, where top-tier faces off against intermediate tier, intermediate against novice, and novice against top-tier.

While some people were destined to be sacrificed, “Holy Knight” paired every novice pilot with an intermediate ace, providing them with at least some protection. The rest would come down to luck, temporarily soothing the anxious novice pilots.

After all, it’s not the fear of facing a god-like opponent that worries them; it’s the dread of having teammates who are completely disorganized. “Holy Knight” and the others also preferred to avoid a fragmented team.

Thus, the formation plan not only preserved a strong combat power within the team but also aimed to maintain lower-tier effectiveness.

At some point, novice pilots could use their numbers to counteract the disadvantage of their tier.

“Can I say something? I just joined ‘Abyss Nirvana’ not long ago, and I’m only at rank 8. The tournament organizers expect us to fight like this, and the casualty rate is terrifying. It’s practically sending us to our deaths! Are pilots now as common as hot dog stands on the street?”

The Moroccan pilot with the flight code “Thunder” suddenly voiced an unexpected concern.

“Thunder” was the pilot who fainted upon hearing he was selected. Although he had received prompt assistance and was now recovered, he was the one other pilots worried about the most.

What was slightly reassuring was that during the earlier discussion, he had not shown too much fear or self-destructive tendencies, not even appearing numb to the situation.

Perhaps he had accepted his fate and no longer cared about whether he would be among those who survived in the team battle. Nonetheless, this frustration needed to be vented.

However, this question was one that every participating pilot had pondered deeply before coming to “Abyss Nirvana,” having become a fixed mindset.

“‘Thunder,’ do you know how many pilots are recruited worldwide?”

Before speaking, Yuri exchanged a glance with “Holy Knight,” indicating he would answer. “Holy Knight” nodded in agreement.

“Thunder” was taken aback, his lips moving as he shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Does it matter?”

“Of course, it matters!” Yuri confirmed, nodding emphatically as he continued, “For example, taking jet fighters into account, countries around the world recruit over seven thousand pilots annually. The retirement age for fighter pilots is around 50, typically with about 25 years of flying experience. This means that globally, there are approximately 175,000 jet fighter pilots, and at times, this number can even reach 200,000.”

Many people perked up, listening keenly as Yuri shared this information.

“Thunder” widened his mouth in astonishment.

“Based on the data I collected, each session of ‘Abyss Nirvana’ averages around 1,100 participants on both sides, and by the end of the tournament, fewer than 30 usually survive. Do you understand now?”

Yuri seemed to be revealing a grim reality to everyone: the pilots that perish in each round of “Abyss Nirvana” are just a tiny fraction of the total worldwide, comprising less than 0.6% of all fighter pilots.

In the quadrennial “Abyss Nirvana,” human life is simply undervalued.