Chapter 695

Chapter 695: Ace Squadron

Although "Yasha" felt a sharp pain in his heart from spending a huge amount of points, he had no regrets. The danger level of the Death Team Battle was famously high, and no matter what, he would never drag Lin Mo down. Withholding weapons and endangering comrades was indistinguishable from murder.

If he lost an ace pilot because of his own actions, he would likely be the next one shot, facing a disgraceful end. This thought was unacceptable to "Yasha," who was filled with the principles of party and people’s interest. At the crucial moment, "Yasha," having been generous for once, filled all the missile bays of the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, as if he were sending Lin Mo to take on an entire team alone.

In the hangar behind "Yasha," new companions arrived. The previously spacious hangar began to feel crowded, with the number of people nearly doubling. The reinforcements and equipment arriving at Damascus Airport in military aircraft coincided perfectly with the upcoming Death Team Battle.

Lin Mo, armed to the teeth, was as fierce as the sharpened blades thirsting for cattle and sheep on the ground. White Wolf’s Flying Wolf was also refurbished, replacing its bullet-riddled outer armor. Nearby, two brand-new Flying Wolf rotorcraft stood ready, while three humanoid light combat-powered armors, nearly three meters tall, stood silently behind each rotorcraft, dressed in a low-key matte finish that gave off a sense of substantial weight.

The dense rocket pods, continuous ammunition supply for recoilless rifles, and six-barrel Gatling guns adorned the humanoid light combat-powered armors as if they were elite special forces, fully equipped and ready for combat.

Clearly, it wasn’t just "Yasha" investing heavily; higher authorities also deployed more advanced combat forces, the single-soldier light combat-powered armor "Ya Zi-2."

The remnants of the damaged machine recently salvaged by "Yasha” were promptly sent back home. A specially formed team of technical experts examined it as if it were a treasure trove, confirming its extreme research value.

This great success prompted higher-ups to significantly increase military investment. Not only were the combat losses of "Demon Hunter" squad fully replenished, but they were also provided with an additional batch of powerful weaponry.

The foreign pilots in the neighboring hangars shrank back at the sight of several imposing new machines in the Chinese hangar, fearing that the Chinese were ready to go all out. The majesty of a great power was evident.

The light combat-powered armor "Ya Zi-2," piloted by a single soldier, utilized special high-density, high-capacity vanadium battery energy to achieve a range of 500 kilometers and support a weight of up to 5.5 tons. It employed a reverse-joint bipedal stepping technology, capable of crawling, climbing, jumping, and running, with a ground speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Its firepower was equivalent to that of the American M1A3 main battle tank, capable of mounting various types of rockets and missiles. Whether sniping with an anti-material rifle or launching heavy fire assaults, it was incredibly well-suited for urban and mountainous combat.

Ordinary steel-core bullets and high-explosive shells below 20 millimeters could not penetrate its armor. The outer layer, made of reactive armor and composite materials, effectively resisted 12.7 millimeter armor-piercing rounds and explosive projectiles.

Though foreign advanced weaponry created envy, the Chinese military maintained its traditional low-profile. They possessed great weapons and were not shy to display them when it mattered to intimidate those of lesser status.

Many believed the future battles of the "Demon Hunter" squad would become more intense and explosive with the increased power of their weapons.

“Fully loaded with ammunition; now I can fight at my best!” With excellent aircraft performance and maximum firepower reserves, the Dragon Knight’s confidence soared; it was rare for him to go into battle fully armed.

Lin Mo was certain that, barring any accidents, twelve missiles would be enough to take out half of the opposing team’s forces from the anti-government faction.

“Brothers, I just received unfortunate news that cost me ten thousand dollars, but I think it’s worth it,” Yuri’s voice suddenly echoed across everyone’s public communication channel, catching all combat-ready pilots off guard, even those in the government army already on the runway.

Nobody knew what new intelligence this Australian pilot had uncovered, but many recognized that this jack-of-all-trades had keen instincts for information.

Yuri continued, “All four members of the opposing novice group are ace pilots, and they all had combat records before entering the competition.”

This revelation landed like a devastating cloud explosive bomb among the group, throwing everyone into disarray.

“F*CK? How could this happen?!” “Raccoon” exclaimed, instantly shrouded in a shadow of dread. This was truly the worst news imaginable.

Panic and disbelief flooded the communication channel, with everyone aware that the results of the novice group did not truly reflect their actual strength.

An ace was an ace, no matter which group they belonged to. Given a few more battles, advancing to the intermediate tier was almost inevitable.

The once-anticipated evenly matched situation tilted drastically. This was no longer a contest; the anti-government forces, made up solely of ace pilots, overwhelmed the mixed composition of the government army’s formation.

There had likely never been a team of all ace pilots in the history of aerial warfare. Their battle capability was astonishing.

“This is ridiculous! How can we fight? Our novice group stands no chance against theirs; it’s so unfair.”

“This is terrifying; the anti-government forces are starting with intermediate members. With twelve intermediate pilots, we’re at a significant disadvantage.”

“This isn’t fair; we demand a redraw by the organizers! How can we compete? Excluding the true novices, we’re down four pilots.”

“I don’t want to die! I want to withdraw!”

“This is disgraceful! I’m not in the right mental state for battle; I also want out.”

“Don’t lose heart! Our novice team is strong! We can’t lose our confidence.”

“What are we afraid of? They’re human too; one bullet can take them down. In team battles, we rely on formation. As long as we don’t crumble, they won’t easily take us out.”

Civilian pilots lacked the tough psychological resilience of military pilots. The instant they learned of the opposing team’s overwhelming strength, their fighting spirit waned. Experienced pilots from military backgrounds quickly initiated psychological interventions; a moment’s loss of morale, even from just two pilots, could severely impact the overall battle capability of the team.

As if sensing the outrage from the government army participants, the staff of the "Abyss Nirvana" organizers seized the moment to interject into the communication channel, “Please note: there has been no cheating in the unit selection for the Death Team Battle. It reflects complete randomness. Luck is also a part of strength for participants. This draw cannot be redone, and since we are about to start, any participant attempting to withdraw will be executed on the spot. Finally, I wish you all good luck.”

A chilling silence enveloped the communication channel, leaving everyone feeling cold. The organizers’ firm stance cut off the escape route for the two civilian pilots. Going forward meant death, retreating also meant death. The two civilian participants shut their mouths tightly, as the alarm sound from the threat alert system rang in their cockpits, weapons nearby locking onto them.

“Abyss Nirvana” was not the Olympics, where one could come and go as they pleased. The words “execute on the spot” proved to everyone that "Abyss Nirvana" was not a soft touch; the organizers would kill.

The betting fees and profits from being the house were significant sources of revenue for the "Abyss Nirvana" competition. If participants withdrew in fear of death, how could the competition continue? A deserter from the Death Team Battle tarnished the reputation of the "Abyss Nirvana" organizers, and they would never let such deserters go.

“Current weather conditions for the operating airspace are favorable. Takeoff is permitted!”

All fighter jets completed pre-takeoff preparations, and the control tower issued the takeoff command.

The special tier pilot “Holy Knight” in the arrow-shaped fighter jet calmly said on the communication channel, “Brothers, we are departing!”

The twin engines erupted with a tremendous roar, and with the onboard computer’s control, the auxiliary engine and vector nozzles achieved a balance state. The fighter jet did not sprint onto the runway but rather gently lifted vertically from the concrete of the parking area. After the twin vector nozzles adjusted to level flight, they suddenly expelled high-temperature, high-pressure gas, rapidly propelling the aircraft into the sky.

Following closely, the fighter jet of the high-tier pilot “Red Rain” ascended, catching up with the “Holy Knight” and forming a dual aircraft team.

Due to group rankings, the fighter jets of “Caesar” and “Storm” lacked vertical takeoff capabilities. Launching in synchrony, they propelled down the runway for about 400 meters before simultaneously lifting off.

During the brief training period of the past two or three days, pilots from different squadrons developed a certain level of synergy; despite hailing from all corners of the world, forming teams was not an overwhelming challenge.

“’Number 13’, you lead the charge. Among all these fighters, only your X-1 has the best reconnaissance system. I leave the pre-contact scouting to you.”

The voice of the "Holy Knight" echoed in Lin Mo’s ears, and he promptly replied, “No problem! Leave it to me!”

Using the Light Mirror Technique to scout enemy formations was Lin Mo’s forte. The instruction from the "Holy Knight" was merely a simple task for him.