Sky-cracking Rider-Chapter 507: Section 503 - Military Takes Action

"Are you sure?"

Miyoshi Xuesen looked at Chen Fei in surprise.

It couldn’t be such good luck that a single shot had resolved all the issues.

Chen Fei carefully recalled the moment, then nodded.

"There should be no mistake!"

After all, the biggest threat to White Truffle Town and their mission target were both standing together, directly taken away by a single shot.

"Another shot?"

Chen Fei turned to Miyoshi Monk.

If one shot had taken out a third of the population, it was because the residential area and the only commercial district were densely populated around the small central square in town.

The contagion of "Blood Eye Heart Poison" by Tuert forced the town’s population to gather in defense against the chaos, but they hadn’t expected the demolition bomb to have such a devastating effect.

Moreover, the double-rail weapon platform typically targeted mutants and strategic defenses, not humans.

The surviving townspeople were now searching for survivors near the crater—if they fired another shot, it would be utter annihilation.

"No, let’s leave the rest to the local sovereignty!"

Miyoshi Xuesen silently nodded, mentally chanting "namu amida butsu"—after all, he was still a monk and should be compassionate at heart.

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The others weren’t the target of this makeshift diversionary mission.

Chen Fei withdrew the D-600 model parallel railgun, replenishing his energy points, after all, the wear and tear on the weapon platform were negligible, and the Dog System wouldn’t fuss over this aspect.

The next morning, the Huntsman Squad hadn’t left yet; several Sky Patrol Ships descended from the sky, and an army of over a thousand soldiers with more than ten beast-shaped quadruped step combat mobile armors surrounded the entire town.

Contrary to Miyoshi Xuesen and the others’ expectations, during the encirclement, the residents of White Truffle Town engaged in fierce gunfire with the military.

In the town, several reverse-joint bipedal step combat mobile armors appeared, and although their firepower was not strong, they were unexpectedly agile and nimble, causing the encircling infantry to cry out in distress.

If not for the armored vehicles forcefully taking the lead, the battle lines might have collapsed then and there.

Andrew, a Third Rank Earth Mage of the Earth Order, maintained an Earth Magic Shield and erected a ring of stone wall barriers, as stray bullets occasionally flew by—an inattentive soldier could easily lose his life unexpectedly.

"Hiss! Lucky we didn’t go scavenging last night!"

Tuert, who had regained a small portion of his spiritual power overnight, was eating a sandwich for breakfast on a hillside, watching the town inside and outside engage in a lively exchange of fire.

Even after killing the mayor and the Heavenly Order War Professional, the townspeople were still not to be underestimated, even having combat mobile armors at their disposal.

With their small team, plus a bunch of ninjas enhanced with Dark System Abilities, trying to wipe out such a town was perhaps too much of an overreach.

Everyone had a mortal body, and once their Special Abilities and magic power ran out, regardless of levels A through G, they were just a gunshot away from death—in case of bad luck, a brick would suffice.

Just like that unnamed Heavenly Order individual, when the 600mm caliber demolition bomb came, they didn’t even have time to flee before meeting their end.

The one who killed them was just a mere B-tier supernatural power user; such a cheap end for someone of the Heavenly Order.

"Don’t be greedy! Namu amida butsu!"

Hearing Tuert’s complaints, Miyoshi Xuesen serenely pressed his palms together.

Caution was one of the reasons he had survived so long; anyone dabbling in the dark business would eventually get their feet wet—countless examples had accidentally capsized in the gutter, so it was always safer to be careful.

"Namu amida butsu!"

A red-haired, A-tier Wind-type Ability User named Masuya glanced at the monk and, feeling the sentiment, also chanted reverently.

This monk had led them through so many hunting missions; he certainly had his ways.

The military’s War Professionals entered the fray, possessing at least Seventh Rank strength of the Human Order, and with lightning-fast speed, they burst into the battlefield. Their alloy warblades, charged with Battle Qi, dazzled as they wildly slashed through the reverse-joint bipedal step combat mobile armors of White Truffle Town.

Although the Battle Qi didn’t manifest as blades, the mobile armors fell apart like building blocks on the spot, clattering into pieces, and the mechanics inside were similarly severed.

Over a dozen missiles rose from the workshops in the center of the town, focusing on a corner of the encirclement.

Anyone with a bit of military knowledge could tell that the townspeople were planning to break through the siege, but it was unclear whether this was a feint or a full-force effort to open a breach.

Without the central force of the combat mobile armors, the capture of White Truffle Town by the military was just a matter of time.

The military’s intercept missiles launched continuously, shrieking toward the ascending missiles; only two were successfully intercepted, while the rest slammed heavily onto the ground.

The workshop that launched the missile was immediately blanketed by retaliatory curved artillery fire and a barrage of rockets, suffering at least ten continuous seconds of uninterrupted bombardment.

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Yikes!

Chen Fei could hardly bear to look; the casualty numbers for the Gaul military would undoubtedly be unsightly.

When dealing with such resistance forces, why bother with a siege? Just send in bombers for a scorched-earth campaign, and it’d be over in a minute, or simply a single 2000-pound thermobaric bomb would ensure not even the chickens and dogs are spared.

The Huntsman Squad didn’t rush to leave and instead started preparing lunch. Aunt Caroline, a B-level Fire Ability User, glanced at White Truffle Town, which was being bombed to smithereens, and smiled dismissively.

"Heh, that’s not powerful enough!"

She then looked at Chen Fei, her smile filled with warmth and kindness.

The Demolition Bomb that detonated in the town square last night—that was powerful. It turned the square into a huge crater with an admirable shape; that’s the true essence of an explosion!

If it were up to Caroline herself, there’d be a variety of effects like inward blossoming, inside-out blasts, earth-shattering quakes, and collapsing houses… she was sure she could concoct at least a hundred different types.

Since ancient times, those with Fire abilities have produced eccentrics; not fond of burning, but of exploding.

A series of crackling sounds started up as fragments of flying rocks landed on Andrew’s Earth Magic Shield.

With the Magic Shield in place and Andrew being a Third Rank Earth Mage, Chen Fei didn’t bother using a metal plate engraved with "Repulsion Shield" spells to defend, as that would consume Crystal Energy.

Despite Crystal Energy having a higher Energy Level, even with a conversion process to electricity that’s highly efficient and nearly lossless, it still wouldn’t yield much Crystal Energy.

Chen Fei’s "Light/Electric/Magnetic/Crystal Energy Universal Converter and Management Component" for converting Crystal Energy was also rather awkward. After all, a Metal Ability User isn’t a professional generator, and there was the problem of leakages. If it weren’t for a military-grade Crystalline Block from over thirty years ago, these Magic Arrays would be practically useless to him; the small amount of Crystal Energy converted from his Special Ability alone couldn’t maintain the arrays for long, one… two… three, and it’s gone!

"The army has started to contract!"

Andrew, who maintained the Magic Shield, noticed that the Gaul Sovereignty’s military was no longer charging violently as before and was starting to regroup and stabilize the siege lines.

War Professionals from the military, who had taken out all the Reverse-Joint Bipedal Combat Mobile Armor, didn’t pursue the victory, likely because the ordinary foot soldiers at the rear were subpar. After unexpectedly being showered with missiles, they were slowing them down. Without support, War Professionals probably didn’t dare venture too deep into enemy territory alone.

The first round ended in an anti-climactic manner.

Thirty years after the great war, the Blue Star civilization had been at peace for a long time, and an inevitable decline in military combat effectiveness manifested, with many troops showing fragile wills to fight.

A cat fed too much cat food often can’t even beat a small mouse.

That the Sovereignty’s army had not collapsed by now was already commendable.

As for fighting spirit, it was the privately-owned military contractors who dared to fight fiercely and ruthlessly, both towards their enemies and themselves. They often fought to the last man and would not break.

If the employees died, the supervisor stepped in; if the supervisor died, then the manager took over; and if the manager died, the CEO would lead the board of directors into the final battle, refusing to give up until the last person stood.

It was just like the time when Aircrew Base 911 clashed head-on with Meman Brothers United Defense Consortium. Despite its size, it was ferocious, ferocious to the point of being untouchable and something to be evaded.

Chen Xiao’er, who was audaciously eager but lacking skills, could thrive in such a job, merrily like a fish in water. Anyone else would likely not last three days.

As the Gaul Sovereignty’s military contracted their skirmish lines and started to regroup, the resistance in White Truffle Town had not yet ceased, with sporadic gunfire continuing in fits and starts. One could easily get shot if not careful during this time.

Both sides tacitly ceased fire for an hour around noon, to eat, drink, rest, and treat the wounded—each busy with their own.

Just as Chen Fei thought there might be an afternoon tea inside and outside of town, a torrential downpour of artillery fire cast into the town, signaling the start of the afternoon’s battle.

He yawned lazily, feeling uninterested.

Compared to the relentless corporate wars between military contractors, the battle of the Gaul military laying siege to the town was a minor affair.

Chen Fei and Chekhov, the Big Bear, could have a more exciting time bombing the enemy’s aircrew base while drunk than watching this.

Up to now, air strike forces had still not appeared.

It was probably because they couldn’t bear even the slightest damage; several Sky Patrol Ships ferrying troops stayed out of the fight like bystanders, kept their distance, and floated in mid-air.

Hearing Chen Fei’s yawn, Miyoshi Xuesen, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground chanting with his prayer beads, calmly said, "It should be over before it gets dark."

In the incense burner beside him, several sticks of incense were lit.

The air around was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder.

The military’s tactics were rigid like the ones found in textbooks, utterly uninspiring. Their methodical advancements inevitably depleted the town’s resistance forces.

After all, people get hurt, people get tired. After a day of nerve-straining tensions, it would be difficult to hold on any longer.

Just as Miyoshi Monk had predicted, before sunset, the exhausted and depleted White Truffle Town finally raised the white flag.