Chapter 704

Chapter 704: The Perfect Balance of Odd and Even

From the battle videos collected from "Eagle King," one can easily gather a piece of data. Starting from the moment they entered visual range, "Eagle King’s" battle records never exceed two minutes. Typically, he delivers a swift and decisive blow, taking his opponents down without mercy.

Enemy ejection survival rate: zero!

This was similar to Lin Mo; it wasn’t cruelty but rather a complete lack of chance for the opponent to turn the tables, not even an opportunity to escape.

As for "Eagle King’s" wingman, Lin Mo had already retrieved his details from the gold giant dragon’s data storage devices.

A German, combat code: "Orca," high tier one, with 22 confirmed kills.

Much like "Eagle King," "Orca" was also a brutal fighter. Perhaps his current kill count in this team battle was enough to elevate him to the special tier.

Like the Matthew effect, the Death Team Battle offered both high risks and high rewards. Indeed, it was a step into heaven and a step into hell; weaker participants had to accept the harsh rule of survival of the fittest, while stronger participants could gain considerable rewards.

When Lin Mo first reported to "Abyss Nirvana," he was already the high-tier "Eagle King," and with his achievements during this time, he was likely not far from the special tier.

This meant Lin Mo could potentially face two special tier opponents at the same time and place!?

The draw, filled with great randomness, meant any side might luck out, or, as Lin Mo and his team currently faced, it felt like a group of sheep attacking a pack of tigers and lions!

Was this a joke?

Moreover, at this moment, Lin Mo believed their side’s high-tier pilots were in serious trouble. He and Yuri were up against a group of fearsome opponents, not just the intermediate-tier fighters as previously reported.

Regardless of the reason, he and Yuri shared the same goal: to save "Monkey" and preserve their team’s combat strength.

After a brief thought, Lin Mo immediately shook off Yuri.

Drop the external fuel tanks!

The forward-swept wing aircraft suddenly felt much lighter.

Though Yuri was not weak in combat, he couldn’t keep up with Lin Mo’s attack pace and efficiency when Lin Mo was going all out.

The Dragon Knight’s combat awareness clearly differed from the aerial knights of this world.

Rather than being dragged down, it was better to go solo and have more freedom.

“Yuri, you go protect Monkey. I’ll draw them away.”

Lin Mo’s cold, emotionless voice shocked many people.

His communication channel was not only open to his team but also relayed to the organizers’ reconnaissance aircraft, which forwarded it to Aleppo and the Damascus Air Force Base.

Many people in the mission centers of both the anti-government forces and the government army were paying close attention to Lin Mo’s battle. Naturally, they heard his words and were all shocked. Was he trying to get himself killed?

A newly promoted intermediate-tier pilot facing two opponents who might already have achieved special tier status.

This was madness; not even the phrase "a mantis trying to block a chariot" could capture the arrogance of Number 13.

Although the tier divisions in "Abyss Nirvana" might not be entirely accurate, practical tests showed that the higher the tier, the closer one was to real combat power standards.

Could an intermediate-tier pilot really take on two special-tier fighters?

“Number 13, are you insane?!”

Yuri’s eyes turned red. He believed Lin Mo was risking his life to buy them a chance. Only the closest comrades would put themselves in harm’s way for their brothers. Number 13 was treating himself as a brother, unaware that the Dragon Knight found him too much of a hindrance and sent him aside to watch from a distance.

“Shut up! Stay out of the way!”

Lin Mo’s eyes flashed with brilliance, and the proud coldness of the Dragon Knight was stripped away, revealing his true self.

For survival, he used every means possible, as if he had returned to his childhood in a small town on the empire’s border, rummaging through the foul garbage for a morsel to fill his stomach, seizing every fleeting chance to live.

It was precisely because he feared death that he displayed bravery; those who stood in front would ultimately be crushed by unstoppable force.

The image on the visor of the "Dragon General" helmet trembled, with a few sparks of light element energy spilling from Lin Mo’s gaze seemingly interfering with the tactical helmet’s signal collection system.

The X-1 forward-swept wing fighter jet charged recklessly toward the two enemy aircraft.

Engaging in a single-plane attack against a formation seemed like a death wish to many.

At this point, neither the Eagle King nor Orca could ignore Lin Mo’s assault; they had to let the struggling “Tomcat” flee and face the oncoming fighter jet head-on.

Both sides unleashed all their attack power in an instant. The cannons fired at maximum capacity, with fiery red projectiles smashing toward each other, while all three fighter jets launched white trails behind them, combat missiles speeding towards their targets.

This was a charge to death!

Pushing the throttle, maneuvering the controls, rolling left and right, Lin Mo concentrated entirely, his reaction speed at its peak, constantly dodging the cannon fire coming his way. The projectiles grazed the cockpit, and he could hear the piercing whistling of air being ripped apart.

Just one cannon shell striking the cockpit could turn the pilot inside into an unrecognizable puddle of blood.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Like the graceful flight of a swallow, to ensure steady shooting, all three fighter jets performed intricate maneuvers within a radius of just a few meters, their noses pointing straight ahead.

With their nimble skills, they avoided the fierce cannon and missile attacks, each combat missile detonating at extremely close range, demonstrating everyone’s adept handling of the situation.

In this perilous contest, Lin Mo noted an oddity; the two enemy aircraft reacted incredibly quickly, almost predicting his movements so well that they evaded his cannon fire with slight adjustments.

Not a hit!

The Dragon Knight rarely gained the upper hand in the cannon duel; his opponents’ piloting skills had also reached an extremely precise level, moving with an agility that mirrored his own.

Lin Mo’s forward-swept wing fighter jet darted between Eagle King and Orca, their wingtips almost less than a meter apart, allowing them to catch glimpses of what was happening in each other’s cockpits.

Yet none of the three pilots flinched; they executed a scene reminiscent of acrobatics.

Lin Mo did not see Eagle King give him the finger once again; instead, in that fleeting moment, he locked eyes with him.

The three fighter jets engaged without pretense; apart from wasting some ammunition, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Thunderous applause erupted in the two mission centers below; it was nothing short of spectacular, as if witnessing a high-quality aerial battle film.

Many shared the same appreciation for the art of aerial combat.

Perhaps eager to satisfy the audience’s attention, the organizers had the reconnaissance aircraft’s long-range cameras capture several angles of Lin Mo and the others, turning it into a typical live combat broadcast.

“Eagle King! Number 13 is indeed formidable! This will be tricky.”

Orca exhaled deeply, his fighting spirit bubbling.

“Be careful; this guy is not easy to deal with. If you underestimate him, you’re finished.”

While Eagle King provoked, he respected Lin Mo’s abilities, having placed him on the same level as himself during the first round, thus losing any disdain.

This was the respect his adversary deserved.

The two fighter jets split to the left and right, executing sharp turns and gaining speed once more, heading straight for the X-1 forward-swept wing fighter that was now angled up at 360 degrees.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Mo noticed Yuri had successfully reunited with “Monkey.” The slim chance and time he had fought for finally bore fruit.

Yuri remembered Lin Mo’s warning and did not recklessly rush to assist; instead of abandoning Lin Mo, they continued looking for other targets to fight while circling nearby, waiting for the right moment to attack.

The battle in the surrounding airspace had entered a final deadlock. Most participants had fallen within the first five minutes of the skirmish, the fighting horrendously intense, with missiles and wreckage filling the sky, leaving very few parachutes visible.

The remaining pilots engaged in combat were all formidable fighters, exerting their full combat capabilities, using every technique against equally strong opponents in a death struggle.

As the battle progressed, it became more brutal than war itself; every pilot had no way to retreat—either they lived or their opponents did.

Round two!

Lin Mo did not maintain his original tactic; instead, he launched into full speed, employing a leapfrog high-altitude tactic, accelerating suddenly and changing direction abruptly, as the cannon, Gauss electromagnetic cannon, and missiles all aligned to lock onto their targets under Lin Mo’s "Dragon General" tactical helmet’s guidance.

Perhaps adding the X-1’s forward-swept wings, blessed with the gold giant dragon’s influence, this National Defense Star self-built prototype could even be used as a close-range weapon. In the "Abyss Nirvana" battle, Lin Mo had already forged a surgical scalpel-like record in combat.

The dual aircraft team of Eagle King and Orca sped back around, with Eagle King’s X-31’s flight path becoming increasingly unpredictable.

As Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War, "In battles, one combines the ordinary with the extraordinary to achieve victory!"

This phrase perfectly described the tactical characteristics of their dual aircraft team.

The Dragon Knight, however, showed no hesitation; his approach was bold and fluid. No matter what strange techniques his opponents used, he would break through with sheer force. In terms of close dogfighting capabilities, the X-31 performed exceptionally well, yet Lin Mo’s design of the "monstrous" aerodynamic layout, coupled with the American engine system and the support of the gold giant dragon, ensured that he was not at all inferior to his opponents.

Once again, combat missiles were released in aerial combat, as the fighting between the two sides transformed into a war of attrition.