Chapter 228
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 228: The "Fire Grapes" in the Sky
“Where is it? Where is it? Did you see him?”
The squad leader in charge of guarding the castle, known as the Big-Eared Fox, Lila, shouted into a walkie-talkie. Due to his angle, he couldn’t see the J-10 fighter jet, which was escaping supersonically, but judging by the continuous sounds of the engine and the explosions in the distance, the aircraft was not only still alive but doing quite well.
“I don’t know. It’s to the south and getting closer. I can only hear the sounds; the radar can’t pick him up because the mountains are blocking the radar waves.”
“I see the missile trails! Goodness, this guy is like a god! I’ve shot down no less than two fighter jets, but I’ve never seen someone so hard to deal with.”
Reports flooded in from the subordinates scattered throughout the castle walls.
“Prepare all firepower! We must shoot him down today. Mr. Lawrence just made an offer: if you can bring him down, each of you will get $5,000. The shooter will receive a whopping $100,000, and I’ll give you a week off. That lucky guy will be promoted from private to squad leader, and then from squad leader to deputy squadron leader.”
Lila shouted into the walkie-talkie, enticing his outlaws with money. These guys were not much stronger than mercenaries, but at least they were cheaper and somewhat loyal; once they died, they could just be tossed into a ravine without having to pay for burial costs.
“Boss, I want to be a squad leader!”
A guy, spurred by the bounty, shouted recklessly.
“Sure, but you need to bring down ten planes first. Otherwise, I’ll use my gun to poke you right up the rear, ha ha ha! Those who love to brag are the least likable.”
Lila revealed a sinister smile. These guys needed discipline; reasoning with them was useless. They needed to be taught what unconditional obedience to the commander meant, what authority was.
These damn fools had gotten a little carried away.
He set down the walkie-talkie, tucked it back into his belt, and picked up a loaded Stinger RMP Block II shoulder-fired missile launcher, aiming it at the southern sky.
“Come on, come on! Be good and let me take you down. I love those fragrant, green dollar bills. If I can take you down, I’ll buy myself a house in Hawaii and treat myself to a nice long vacation.”
Lila muttered to himself, activating the guidance system. A beeping sound filled the air as the crosshairs aligned with a ridge where the increasingly closer roar of the fighter jet approached.
“Brothers, get ready! Allah will guide him into my missile. I swear by my talisman!”
“No, no! He’ll hit my missile! I’ll blow him up and scatter him to pieces, ha ha ha! Then I’ll collect scrap metal; I’m sure many will want it!”
Nearby, several men carrying anti-aircraft missiles howled loudly.
“Shut up! You idiots!”
Unable to tolerate their noise any longer, Lila shouted furiously, and the platform fell silent. Atop this higher building of the ancient castle, there were not only anti-aircraft missiles but also anti-aircraft machine guns and small-caliber anti-aircraft guns.
Boom!
A black-gray fighter jet roared out from a distant ridge like a fish leaping out of water, followed closely by two SA-2 “SAM-2” surface-to-air missiles. These were not the basic shoulder-fired missiles; they pursued like ghosts relentlessly.
The SA-2 “SAM-2” was the first-generation all-weather medium-range surface-to-air missile manufactured by the Soviet Union, measuring 10.79 meters in length, weighing 2.37 tons, and with a maximum range of 48 kilometers. Although it could reach four times the speed of sound, Lin Mo dodged left and right, leveraging the terrain to evade, successfully prompting one of the missiles to detonate prematurely.
Lin Mo was confident that these two medium-range surface-to-air missiles were certainly not original; they were supposed to be standard with radio command, but given their relentless pursuit, it was evident they had modified guidance and maneuvering systems. Not only did they include infrared guidance, but they also possibly had active radar guidance, and maybe even optical imaging guidance.
It was unimaginable how someone could invest so much effort to upgrade a 1957 vintage relic. The cost could have bought a Patriot missile!
“Cloud explosive bomb ready!” Lin Mo planned for a decisive strike. The screen’s green signal confirmed that all units had successfully evacuated the ancient castle. Even though a large number of enemies still pursued them, it shouldn’t be an issue for a group of kings of soldiers.
Another plume of white smoke rose from the direction of the “Lapis Lazuli” castle.
These damn guys were treating this one J-10 as if it were part of a large formation. It was all about money!
The 23mm cannon on the belly of the aircraft fired off a quick shot before rapidly climbing and engaging the missiles in mid-air. Even the oldest missiles were practically akin to suicide missions.
Release!
As the J-10 climbed quickly, the last 500-kilogram liquid hydrogen cloud explosive bomb was dropped. The onboard laser targeting system remained fixed on the ancient castle despite the movement. For a 500-kilogram cloud explosive bomb, a deviation of around a hundred meters was insignificant.
The 500 kilograms of weight reduction made the fighter jet much lighter. Almost simultaneously, two auxiliary fuel tanks were also jettisoned. Not caring if they became burning debris, the speed of the J-10 fighter jet climbed to a new level. Now, it was truly lightweight—aside from a few cannon rounds, Lin Mo was left with just two short-range air-to-air missiles and two bunker-busting missiles, but it seemed like he wouldn’t need them.
The 500-kilogram liquid hydrogen cloud explosive bomb earned the nickname “mini-nuclear bomb.” Lin Mo smirked. “Go ahead and launch all your missiles; I’ll take them all.”
After all, having too many bugs doesn’t itch, and having too many missiles would only cause one explosion at most.
Little did the two squadrons and the staff back home know that Lin Mo’s reckless actions were making them sweat. They had never witnessed such a situation; the East Turkestan militants inside the ancient castle were actually launching so many missiles. It was utterly insane.
It was already a miracle that the J-10 had survived this long while being chased by so many missiles.
The J-10 swiftly executed a series of barrel rolls, cutting through the incoming missiles at a precise angle Lin Mo calculated. This angle wouldn’t allow the missiles to gain enough speed to hit the fighter jet, nor would it affect the agility of the J-10’s maneuvers.
In a fleeting moment, fireballs erupted from the tail of the jet. Fireball after fireball closely pursued Lin Mo’s tail, and the sequential detonations caused more foolish infrared-guided missiles to blow up in the air.
It was as if the J-10 was dropping bombs behind it, with the continuous explosions trying to engulf the aircraft. However, they could never catch up, creating a stunning visual effect in the sky, as if a string of fiery grapes danced amidst flames of death.
Strong shockwaves rattled the cockpit, and countless fragments clattered against the fuselage and wings, with some debris embedding itself into the aircraft, turning its once smooth surface into a pockmarked disaster.
“Wow, I’ll need a major overhaul when I get back. It’s all taxpayer money,” Lin Mo managed to glance aside before a blinding flash caught his attention. The sudden shockwave shoved the fighter jet sideways, causing it to move nearly a meter. Several fragile shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles were blown apart.
If Lin Mo’s “monstrous” self had found itself in this situation, he might have felt like giving up on life.
The once dense missile swarm had nearly vanished, leaving only the stubborn SAM-2 behind.
A scorching red light penetrated the visor of his aviation helmet, and he could still feel the incredible heat. A massive fire cloud enveloped most of the ancient castle, and the powerful shockwave destroyed a large portion of the castle walls, resembling a small nuclear warhead. A mushroom cloud of dark red flames and thick white smoke slowly rose.
The immense explosion completely drowned out the roar of the J-10’s AL-31FN jet engine. Even though it was only a little over two kilometers away, Lin Mo’s ears were still ringing beneath the protection of his aviation helmet.
That was intense! The power of the liquid hydrogen cloud explosion far exceeded that of conventional high-energy cloud explosive fuels, unleashing more terrifying heat and shockwaves that turned half of the ancient castle into rubble.
Beep! Beep!
A piercing alarm suddenly blared in the cockpit, its tone distinct. At the same time, an indescribable strange smell filled the cabin.
Lin Mo felt the jet, having just crossed into supersonic speed, shudder violently as it lost speed. Damn it, the cockpit canopy exploded with lightning speed, throwing Lin Mo from the cockpit as the rocket booster beneath him unleashed a torrent of flames.
Boom!
The runaway J-10 was quickly overtaken by a gray shadow in the sky, exploding into a fireball. The shockwave from the explosion sent the ejected pilot seat swaying in mid-air.
What a tragic end to joy.
“You fool! Why are you holding on to this broken thing? You should have ejected long ago!”
Lin Mo heard the Gold Coin yelling beside him.
Huh?! What just happened? It felt like the jet’s performance suddenly dropped sharply. Lin Mo hadn’t had time to react before being ejected, clearly due to the work of the gold giant dragon.
If he had been even two seconds slower, he might have become a fireball along with the J-10. Even if the gold giant dragon could protect him, how could he explain it? Coming out unharmed from an exploding fighter would be less than human; it would make him seem monstrous, and his life as an aerial knight would probably end there.
How infuriating!
Even the best can slip up sometimes.
Was he too overconfident? This was retribution.
Lin Mo angrily shook his fist as his mount ejected him, and his parachute deployed gracefully, allowing a white canopy to slowly lower him toward the ground.
