Chapter 700

Chapter 700: The Wounds of the Sky

The attack of three waves of air-to-air missiles came quickly and left just as fast.

In the blink of an eye, the anti-government forces lost three fighter jets. The remaining jets employed their unique skills, dodging missile after missile, but they could not break through without losses.

Thirty-five medium-range air-to-air missiles caused chaos in a pure ace formation and successfully shot down three fighter jets, which was quite an achievement.

Unfortunately, this tactic was effective against pilots below ace level, but for the seasoned ace pilots participating in "Abyss Nirvana," it was only effective when used unexpectedly just once.

Using the same tactic a second time wouldn’t work, as dodging missiles and triggering close-in detonations are essential lessons every ace learns in training.

Most of the missiles that did not hit their targets were successfully induced to detonate, and the remaining missiles were automatically detonated after falling a short distance from the sky due to a loss of power.

In terms of numbers, the anti-government forces had just one more ace than the government army; however, the government forces had just launched a beyond-visual-range attack and remained unscathed, now with three more fighter jets on their side.

As a result, the balance of power in this death team battle had become subtle.

Originally, the gamblers who had shifted their bets to the anti-government forces changed their expressions slightly, with some regretting their rash decisions. However, it was too late to change anything; the organizers had long stopped accepting bets and locked in the odds and total stakes.

If they had no rules, "Abyss Nirvana" probably wouldn’t be organized by them at all.

“‘Number 13’ has increased its survival rate by 5 percentage points, reaching 77%. Maintain close surveillance.”

Through satellite connections, “Adam,” relying on a small array of machines, continued its analytical computations in the mission center of the government army within "Abyss Nirvana," using two "Lion Star 4" units.

Humans clearly could not operate in such a massively parallel manner; only a computer program system could manage this tirelessly.

This accidentally created intelligent system attached itself to human society in a manner similar to an ant colony, acquiring more and more survival resources through its own abilities.

“Sally, it seems the knight has a good chance of winning this time.”

With a brilliant start, Abik’s perfectly timed compliment caught the appreciative gaze of Dragoon Group’s female president, Sally; true heroes see eye to eye.

……

The government army team, despite being weaker than their opponents, launched a full-scale attack first. Thirty-five medium-range air-to-air missiles were exceptionally fierce.

This unexpected opening made most of the gamblers in the mission centers of Aleppo and Damascus restless, while a few big shots among the organizers hid in the corners, secretly enjoying themselves.

The more unpredictable it became, the more thrilling it was, making people addicted. The more intense the battle was, the better, as they would attract more clients and generate more income when the next "Abyss Nirvana" was held.

War profiteers are always the devil’s devotees.

“Brothers! Let’s go! ‘Red Feather’! Stay close!”

The team captain of the government army, “Holy Knight,” coldly stared ahead at the rapidly moving black dots. Suddenly, he shouted loudly, pressing the throttle hard. The powerful thrust pushed him firmly against the aviation seat’s backrest.

Although manufacturers designed aviation seats to be more ergonomic and comfortable, squeezing into a cramped, vibrating cockpit was hardly a pleasant experience.

The enormous thrust quickly magnified the target ahead. A slight movement of the control stick caused the world to shake, and the vibrations generated when the fighter jet broke the sound barrier were akin to a euphoric climax, sending adrenaline racing.

The pursuit of speed was virtually every aerial knight’s favorite, without exception.

Those guys had just recovered from the medium-range air-to-air missile attack; now was not the time to hesitate and spare the defeated!

In dogfights, it was crucial to strike first. The government army’s team quickly gained the advantage under Lin Mo’s X-1 with the precise targeting of their fighters.

“Let’s get them!”

“Prepare combat missiles!”

“Attack! Charge!”

The pilots on both sides shouted loudly at the same time.

Once again, multiple white trails appeared in the sky.

As both sides entered each other’s visual range, they wasted no time and launched themselves into a desperate charge.

In a narrow fight, the brave prevail.

The cannons roared, weaving deadly trajectories through the sky.

One close-range combat missile after another left their launch bays, shrieking toward the enemy aircraft.

The battle escalated to a fever pitch from the very moment they engaged.

This is the combat style of Air Knights; once they enter the lethal range, they unleash an overwhelming barrage of firepower.

Once more, several massive fireballs erupted in the sky. During the initial round of close-range combat missile salvos, some pilots were caught off guard, struck by missiles that came flying at them from the front, exploding alongside their jets into shattered remains.

In high-speed large formations, pilots can briefly experience a form of mental degradation— a common ailment in aerial combat. When processing complex situations beyond their limits, the human brain can struggle to react in time, leading to poor coordination or delays.

After a round of close-range combat missiles flew in a furious exchange, casualties were unavoidable. The formations of both sides collided as if two cavalry units violently crashed into each other’s ranks, stirring up a storm of blood and fire.

Only a single parachute descended from the sky; the first confrontation led to the demise of two fighter jets, while three others sustained unusual damage.

No one’s fighting spirit wavered; even the civilian pilots in the government army were inspired by the soldiers’ will. They no longer thought of life and death but fought with all their might against the enemy, even though they faced overpowerful and highly experienced ace pilots from the intermediate tier and up.

“Formation One, follow me! Open fire!”

Lin Mo’s Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet suddenly veered to the side as he, Yuri, and "Monkey" simultaneously pressed the cannon’s firing buttons. The cannons that could shatter any armor roared, unleashing arcs of bright red projectiles that intertwined like a fire dragon charging toward the enemy aircraft, shaking the cockpit violently from the strong recoil.

Everyone held one belief in their hearts— to fight!

Suddenly, two rapidly extending white trails appeared between the opposing formations. Before they could reach Lin Mo’s formation, they collided with incoming projectiles, coming to an abrupt stop.

Two fireballs burst into flames at the midpoint, just two seconds before the formations intertwined.

The fleeting moment of fierce attack vanished in an instant as Lin Mo’s three-aircraft team and the enemy’s dual aircraft team whizzed by each other at almost close range.

A dazzling, massive fireball erupted behind Lin Mo’s team while the sole remaining aircraft of the dual team, trailing black smoke, wobbled and plunged toward the ground.

Yuri and "Monkey" barely had time to think when the enemy’s launched close-range combat missiles were caught in the dense barrage of their three aircraft and exploded mid-air.

Almost simultaneously, among the coiling enemy formation, an aircraft featuring canards, 45-degree swept wings, and dual vertical tails turned into a blood-soaked hell. The cockpit was shattered by a massive projectile, leaving behind hardly a complete fragment of the body inside.

A fragile human body stands no chance against cannon ammunition over 23mm in caliber; a simple hit results in shattering destruction.

The severely damaged aircraft lost its flight posture after the exchange, rolling helplessly like a tiger in a jump, unable to withstand the heavy damage shortly after, and detonating mid-air.

In clashes between experts, life and death are often determined in seconds.

Fortunately, Lin Mo and his companions emerged unscathed. With his hands gripping the control stick, Lin Mo felt a slight sweat on his palms. Although his two wingmen couldn’t distinguish the barrage of cannon fire surrounding them, only he knew how perilous the moment had been; he had personally shot down two enemy missiles, and his allies Yuri and "Monkey" lived up to expectations, taking down one opponent and heavily damaging another.

Another enemy aircraft, still trailing black smoke, crashed violently onto the desert a moment later, creating a small mushroom-shaped cloud, with crimson flames flickering within the haze.

No parachutes!

“Nice job!”

“Monkey” stuttered, never expecting the first charge in the Death Team Battle to be so perilous; they had managed to shoot down two air-to-air missiles with their cannons— it felt as if divine power had intervened.

In just one confrontation, Lin Mo, Yuri, and “Monkey” had escaped the clutches of death.

Before Lin Mo and his companions could catch their breath, another barrage of stray bullets swept past them, startling the three into a scattered formation, like acrobats in mid-air.

Furthermore, they had to be wary of missiles coming from unknown directions, which posed a true danger to their lives. They didn’t feel grateful for long before being entangled by other opponents again.

The sky transformed into a chaotic battlefield filled with fighter jets chasing one another, trails of combat missiles filling the atmosphere, and the black smoke from explosions coalescing into a dark harvest of evil.

Cannon tracers repeatedly struck, pushing all fighter jets into a state of unprecedented frenzy.

Fight, fight, continue the fight until struck down by a sudden cannon sweep or blown to smithereens by a missile.

In an instant, four novice tier pilots from the government army were eliminated by ace pilots from the anti-government forces. Although they lost three in the initial missile barrage due to being caught off guard, this did not disguise their reputation as the fiercest aces on the battlefield.

Volume Fifteen