Chapter 696

Chapter 696: Pre-Battle

The cockpit of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet began to display large blocks of flashing holographic images, which did not surprise the two accompanying aircraft. The aerodynamic shape of the forward-swept wings was already quite unusual, so seeing some quirky functions was not unexpected; everyone had their secrets, and naturally, no one would carelessly pry into each other’s mysteries.

Then Yuri and "Raccoon" also heard the "Holy Knight’s" instruction, asking them to keep a close eye on Lin Mo, who had a secret weapon, the "long-range eye."

Yuri and "Raccoon" had no objections; they completely agreed with the "Holy Knight" regarding the X-1’s capabilities. In their simulation training, it was precisely because Lin Mo discovered the "Holy Knight" ahead of time that they avoided a disastrous defeat from the very start. This special equipment played an essential role before engaging the enemy: anticipating the opponent’s movements was the first and most crucial step to gain the upper hand.

The two fighter jets flew almost in perfect formation with the X-1, with their weapon systems all activated, ready for battle at any moment.

As a fighter jet possessing "monstrous" bloodlines, even the National Defense Star that manufactured it did not fully grasp the internal structure and functional module details as well as Lin Mo did. After all, a fighter jet is not an open system, and to understand what improvements were made inside, only he knew the answer. Plus, as a board member, Lin Mo had no obligation to explain anything to others, and with his disguise as a technical expert, coupled with the fact that he had even built a high-intelligent humanoid robot, he had plenty of reasons to keep secrets.

Technologies like the Light Mirror Technique already had similar effects on the "monstrous" fighter jet, even being able to simulate the floating holographic effects with holographic projection technology.

Lin Mo, Yuri, and "Raccoon" led their three-aircraft team at the front of the larger formation, positioned to both attack and defend. Following them were dual aircraft teams comprised of four pairs from the intermediate and novice tiers. The "Holy Knight" and "Red Feather" formed the left flank, while "Caesar" and "Storm" covered the right, forming a defensive position around most of the fighter jets.

Another intermediate pilot hovered at the rear of the formation, acting as a backup while also being free to move across the battlefield. Despite appearing free of fixed tasks, he needed to be ready to fill in whenever another friendly formation suffered losses. This versatile role demanded high adaptability from the pilot to team up smoothly with anyone.

The formation deployed by the "Holy Knight," while not particularly flashy, excelled in balance and stability, making it suitable for their mixed group of participants, preventing them from collapsing in the face of unforeseen events.

The massive formation of sixteen fighter jets spanned seven kilometers, resembling a flock of migrating birds flying northwest, with distances between smaller groups kept at over a kilometer to avoid being overwhelmed by enemy missile barrages.

The aircraft of the anti-government forces likely formed similarly large formations, charging toward them.

Everyone kept their communication channels open, activating the ECCM countermeasure mode early, waiting for feedback from the Chinese pilot "Number 13" ahead of them.

The reconnaissance system of that forward-swept fighter jet was incredibly powerful, able to ignore stealth technology directly, which boosted the confidence of many. Especially the two civilian participants in the novice tier, who imagined launching a few medium-range air-to-air missiles at the enemy from afar, rendering the opposing force’s qualitative advantage nonexistent.

Though threats from the medium-range air-to-air missiles to ace pilots were recognized, many still supported this idea. However, under the command of their leader "Holy Knight," no one was allowed to fire prematurely, even if they were shot down themselves.

A massive skirmish involving thirty-two fighter jets was quite rare after the two World Wars, with the organizers deploying reconnaissance aircraft at high altitudes, each capable of locking onto 200 aerial targets, including missiles, easily handling the observation tasks for this event.

As everyone waited in tense silence for Lin Mo’s message, his voice broke the tranquility in the communication channel.

“Brothers! Target aircraft spotted, at 11 o’clock direction, altitude 17,000 meters, speed 1.1 Mach. Begin data collection now; everyone activate the C3I system. I will act as the main server and mark each opponent’s position for you all.”

Lin Mo’s voice sounded like a melodic tune to everyone in the government army.

The enemy was now visible!

In the two mission centers of "Abyss Nirvana," each VIP box displayed two large-screen televisions.

These screens could show what the VIPs needed, whether the entire combat formation or a specific team or individual fighter jet, with a highly flexible information display setup, thanks to the professional team that resembled a large television station behind the organizers.

The left screen displayed moving light points representing the two formations, while the right showcased footage captured by reconnaissance aircraft.

In a small picture-in-picture segment on the lower right corner, the host and two guests were chattering away, analyzing and commenting on the situation. Such commentary was entertaining but should not be taken too seriously; believing their ambiguous words could lead to losing everything.

Moving subtitles at the bottom of the screen displayed betting amounts, various odds, and a countdown to the end of betting.

“Miss Sally, we just received news that all the participants from the anti-government forces are of intermediate tier strength. Currently, the odds between the government army and anti-government forces are 1:1.45. Would you like to change your bet?”

A "Abyss Nirvana" staff member, who just took a high-stakes bet valued at 300 million dollars, stood respectfully in front of Sally, the president of the Dragoon Consortium from Afghanistan.

For big clients, the organizers were generous, providing free accommodations and betting boxes, along with dedicated personnel to assist with betting and related inquiries.

Compared to the enormous betting fees and the substantial interest generated every second from the betting amounts, those minor expenses were almost negligible.

As long as one had money, enjoying royal treatment during the competition was no problem at all.

The intelligence dealer providing information to Yuri certainly sold to others as well; news about the anti-government forces spread fast like a wind through a wheat field.

Many, including the staff member, did not have high hopes for the government army, believing their strength was too lacking. Setting aside the four true beginners made for a significant disadvantage in a twelve against sixteen scenario, prompting many bettors to change their bets and place large sums on the anti-government forces when they heard the news.

“No need, just add an additional 50 million dollars to the government army’s ‘Number 13.’”

Sally seemed not to hear the staff member’s words, placing another bet on one of the pilots, this 50 million dollars being receivables that arrived that day.

Since arriving in Syria for the high-tech and deadly gambling event of "Abyss Nirvana," she had not hesitated to place full bets on Lin Mo. Her current total had accumulated to nearly 400 million dollars, nearly equal to all the assets of the Dragoon Consortium.

If she stopped betting and secured the money, the Dragoon Consortium’s influence would double, ranking among the top ten powers in the entire Afghan region.

The betting options for this Death Team Battle included the winning team and the survival of participants, adding variety and excitement to the entire fight.

Even if the team lost, they might still earn back winnings from bets on the participants, preventing a complete loss. This rule reduced risks significantly, making the game even more appealing to gamblers.

“No problem, Miss Sally.”

The staff member said nothing more, respectfully beginning to process Sally’s betting transaction. Even ten minutes before the battle officially commenced, the organizers could still accept or change bets.

“Number 13” really had good fortune! But first, they must consider whether they could survive this battle before thinking about the allure of beauty.

The staff member silently buried a small seed of jealousy deep inside; he had no courage to act foolishly, as the boss would surely turn him into concrete blocks.

Rumors circulated among the mission center employees about a certain wealthy woman from West Asia having her eyes on a pilot, leading to countless versions of tales about mountains moving and earth-shattering events.

Such stories about rich beauties crying out to fall for poor guys would remain an evergreen classic gossip among the struggling young men.

After glancing at the two 120-inch televisions hanging on the wall, and knowing the battle was about to start, Sally turned to the man in military attire sitting on the other couch and said, “Abik, aren’t you going to bet a bit?”

“Miss Sally, I already placed a small bet.”

Abik, the former mercenary leader, blushed awkwardly as he smiled. Taking advantage of Sally’s inattention, he quietly bet two million dollars—the bulk of his entire fortune.

“How much?” Sally looked at Abik in surprise; he wasn’t foolish and recognized the opportunity for profit.

Like Sally, Abik was confident in the embodiment of the angel Azrael in the human realm, and he had directly placed his bet on Lin Mo.

“Not much, two million dollars; it’s pretty much all I have.”

Back when he was a mercenary, Abik thought a hundred thousand dollars was a considerable sum, enough to last a lifetime, but now his wealth had ballooned to more than ten times that initial amount.