Chapter 318: Wreckage and Sniper (Patreon)

Chapter 318: Wreckage and Sniper

"Spider Robot squads, move in to recover the wreckage immediately."

"Combat Drone Swarm, provide assistance."

Before the third biological warship that had been shot down could fully crash to the ground, Su Wu issued the command to collect the wreckage without delay.

Over a dozen hastily assembled Spider Robot squads nearby, under his command, split into two groups. One group rushed toward the third biological warship that had crashed on the mountainside, while the other, equipped with buffer landing assistance modules, leaped directly from above the Magma Canyon.

These assistance modules could somewhat slow the descent, allowing the Spider Robots to maintain a degree of mobility even after falling from several thousand meters high. However, due to the technology of the modules not being fully mature, the lifespan of the Spider Robots would significantly decrease after a single use. They could operate for only a few more hours before completely breaking down.

Nevertheless, compared to the precious time saved by quickly reaching the canyon floor, these losses were entirely acceptable.

A dozen seconds later, the Spider Robot squads heading to the mountainside completed a full scan and modeling of the third biological warship's wreckage. They then began gathering all nearby debris fragments they could find, waiting for several Twin-Winged Helicopters that had urgently taken off from a farmhouse to come and transport them away.

At this moment, the remaining Amethyst Crystal Entities on the surface began to react, spontaneously converging toward the location of the third biological warship's wreckage. They engaged in combat with the Combat Drone Swarm and the main force of the Spider Robot army that had arrived later to assist in defense.

Forty seconds later, over a hundred Spider Robots, descending in the most violent manner, landed at the bottom of the Magma Canyon. Taking advantage of the fact that not too many Amethyst Crystal Entities had yet emerged from the magma, they quickly rushed to the crash site of the biological warship.

Su Wu was well aware that he would not have the opportunity to retrieve all the wreckage of these biological warships that had crashed in the canyon. Therefore, his objective was clear: to prioritize collecting the more structurally complex parts identified by reconnaissance equipment, cutting them into fragments no heavier than 50 kilograms, and then having them transported away by Multi-Wing Drones. Successfully retrieving even a single fragment would be considered a worthwhile effort, and retrieving more would be a bonus.

A minute later, the Spider Robots in the canyon began to suffer losses. However, under the cover of the subsequently arriving Combat Drone Swarm, they still managed to recover the first piece of biological warship wreckage, loading it onto a Multi-Wing Drone. The drone, escorted by dozens of Combat Drones, quickly returned to the outside world.

At this moment, the Magma Canyon began to tremble again. The familiar situation added pressure to Su Wu, who had been closely monitoring the area. Just as he prepared for the emergence of more biological warships, no new Amethyst Crystal Entities emerged from the boiling magma lake. Instead, the Artificial Intelligence detected a peculiar signal from deep underground.

The intelligent lifeform hidden behind the Amethyst Crystal Entities, commanding their evolution and combat, seemed to be attempting to establish contact with Su Wu. Su Wu connected it to the communication channel and immediately heard a somewhat obscure voice:

"Humans, hand over the Psionic."

"We can spare the rest of your species."

This statement was delivered in the universal human language.

It was clear.

The other side had evidently conducted extensive research on them for some time.

"Spiritualists."

"What is that?"

Su Wu's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this.

He vaguely realized that the previous surge of the Amethyst Crystal Entity towards the farmhouse, and even the eventual emergence of the oversized biological warship, were all related to these so-called Spiritualists.

The other side did not respond.

But a few seconds later.

Su Wu seemed to hear a sound with a special rhythm in his ears.

Then, several marked coordinates naturally appeared in his mind.

No further explanation was needed.

He knew that the people currently at those coordinates were the Spiritualists.

"A total of five coordinates."

"The corresponding individuals are—"

Su Wu paused here, falling silent.

The people corresponding to those coordinates were Su Wu himself, the sisters Chen Xin and Chen Yue, as well as Wei Manman and Liu Qianqian.

Everyone currently residing in the core area of the farmhouse.

Not a single one was missing.

All were on the list.

Given this, what room was there for negotiation?

Even if the entire farmhouse were destroyed, and hundreds of millions of people perished.

He could never hand himself over.

"Can you explain?"

"What is so special about Spiritualists?"

Although the outcome was already determined.

Su Wu still wanted to try to gather more information.

However, the other side showed no intention of continuing to answer.

They merely repeated their previous condition.

"Hand over the Spiritualists, and peace can be achieved."

After multiple attempts yielded no results, Su Wu realized he could not extract any more useful information.

However, during this repeated questioning process.

He gradually came to understand.

The Spiritualists mentioned by the other side were likely not the legendary individuals with special abilities.

Most likely, it was simply because Su Wu had once bestowed Spirituality upon them.

The key point was not the person, but the Spirituality.

"If you want the Spiritualists."

"Come and get them yourself."

Knowing that continuing the stalemate was pointless.

Su Wu decisively expressed his refusal.

This time, the obscure voice on the other side finally showed a slight change in tone.

"—As you wish."

A few minutes later.

The Magma Canyon, which had been trembling continuously.

Began to shake even more violently.

The exit above the canyon.

Started to visibly widen on both sides.

From its original width of nearly a hundred meters, it gradually expanded to four or five hundred meters.

During this process.

The mountain body of the Qinling Range began to collapse in succession.

Billions of tons of rocks and soil, mixed with ice and snow.

Turned into a destructive torrent, pouring towards the lower surrounding areas.

"Something big is coming out."

This familiar process.

Made Su Wu realize that perhaps something even more powerful than the biological warship.

Was attempting to crawl out from the depths of the earth.

And without a doubt.

After the previous four biological warships were successively destroyed.

Any enemy daring to appear now.

Was likely beyond the scope of what the large electromagnetic railgun could handle.

In his tension.

Su Wu turned his gaze to the holographic map.

Where the super-large electromagnetic railgun had already deployed into combat mode.

If he still had any means of resistance.

Then there was only this super artillery piece and the Eden Satellite located in geostationary orbit.

But these two final trump cards.

Both had a pre-charging period of over a minute and an excruciatingly long cooldown period.

In actual combat.

This meant he had only one chance to activate them.

No room for error.

After pondering for a while.

Su Wu suppressed the impulse to activate them immediately and chose to wait and see.

As it turned out.

His choice was correct.

After the tremors of Qinling Mountain gradually subsided.

There was a long period of calm lasting several hours.

Until the sky completely darkened, and thick darkness covered the ground.

The massive creature that had been lurking deep underground finally began to emerge from the surface of the magma lake.

Under the illumination of several drone searchlights in the sky.

A mountain-like entity, as if weathered for countless years in the Gobi Desert, slowly rose bit by bit from the magma.

Then it almost filled half of the canyon.

"Activate the Skyfall Strategic Strike System."

Su Wu, who had been closely monitoring the situation, immediately activated the space-based weapon of the Eden Satellite.

As for the super-large electromagnetic railgun.

Since it was still uncertain whether the mountain-like monster would leave the cover of the Magma Canyon and expose itself within the railgun's firing range one minute after the electromagnetic cannon completed its charging.

To avoid a missed attack, Su Wu did not activate it simultaneously.

Half a second later.

A faint white light appeared in the dark sky.

It was the intense light from the Eden Satellite, illuminating the night and the clouds.

Then.

A pure white beam.

Pierced through the clouds and landed on the mountain-like monster in the Magma Canyon.

Illuminating it in every detail.

As if sensing the threat from space.

The monster, illuminated by the beam, began to accelerate its ascent.

Attempting to escape the confines of the Magma Canyon to increase its evasive space.

However, due to its enormous size.

Its overall ascent speed did not increase significantly.

Maintaining only between 5 to 6 meters per second.

"Heavy artillery cluster, fire at will."

"Open the Farmer's Courtyard, strategic rocket armory."

"Launch all rockets."

Although, based on the enemy's speed.

The attack from the Eden Satellite would likely arrive before it could truly fly out of the Magma Canyon.

Out of caution.

During this critical period, Su Wu did not hold back.

He still deployed all the weapons at his disposal that could potentially be effective.

To hinder the mountain monster's ascent as much as possible.

After several rounds of previous battles.

The heavy artillery cluster, now reduced to just over 30 155mm self-propelled howitzers.

Deployed on an ice field outside Qinling Mountain, assumed combat positions.

Firing three rounds of over 100 heavy artillery shells rapidly towards the direction of the Magma Canyon.

Then immediately began to relocate.

They would move randomly about 3 kilometers before continuing the next phase of multiple rounds of firing.

Until the mountain monster was finally killed, or they were completely annihilated.

Several dozen kilometers away at the Farmer's Courtyard.

During past renovations, the vertical launch platform had been relocated to the edge of the shelter.

Slowly opened the sealed hatches on the launch silo.

Revealing inside, a long-range rocket with a diameter of 2.5 meters, comparable to a ballistic missile.

According to Su Wu's current technological level.

They had already acquired the capability to manufacture complete intercontinental ballistic missiles.

However, considering cost, attack efficiency, and the fact that their greatest hypothetical enemy was the nearby Amethyst Crystal Entity, the decision was made to replace the originally planned intercontinental ballistic missiles in the shelter's armory with long-range rockets of equivalent specifications.

These long-range rockets of the same specifications had a maximum range of only 300 kilometers.

But the warhead payload they carried could exceed twice that of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Essentially, this could be seen as sacrificing range for greater destructive power.

At the same time, their manufacturing cost was lower.

The armory was routinely stocked with three such rockets, ready for immediate deployment.

At this moment.

Under Su Wu's command.

All of them would be launched within the next few minutes.

As all the control gates on the launch silos were opened.

The icy cold air from outside invaded the interior of the silos through the vertical channels.

Freezing the water vapor inside into visible white mist.

The massive long-range rockets began to ignite.

Propelled by the intense flames from their engines, they gradually accelerated and ascended into the sky.

Within seconds.

They transformed into meteors streaking across the sky at hypersonic speeds, heading towards the direction of the Qinling Mountains.

Qinling Mountains.

Magma Canyon.

Over 100 artillery shells, fired in three volleys by the heavy artillery cluster, first arrived above the canyon.

Learning from the previous experience where heavy artillery shells were destroyed by the high-energy lasers of the biological warship.

This time, facing the clearly more terrifying mountain monster.

The Artificial Intelligence adopted a new tactic.

As the first volley of over 30 heavy artillery shells just reached the canyon's sky.

It preemptively detonated them one after another.

Then, taking advantage of the flames and shockwaves that filled the canyon entrance.

It allowed the second volley of shells to successfully enter the canyon's interior.

Following the same method.

It actively detonated the second volley of shells.

Letting the chaotic air currents generated by the explosions.

Spread all the way to the location of the mountain monster.

Paving the way for the third volley of shells.

Ultimately.

More than 20 of the final 30 heavy artillery shells successfully hit the mountain monster.

Leaving dark marks on its thick shell.

Demonstrating the feasibility of the new tactic with actual results.

After the heavy artillery assault.

It was the turn of the long-range rockets.

High above the clouds, the long-range rockets reached their designated positions.

Adjusted their direction and began to descend vertically.

In this final phase.

The engines at the rear of the rockets continued to accelerate.

Causing the rockets to reach a speed exceeding 14 times the speed of sound as they arrived at the entrance of the Magma Canyon.

Such an extreme speed.

Clearly exceeded the reaction capability of the mountain monster.

As it only managed to activate several high-energy lasers, all of which missed.

The high-speed descending long-range rockets.

Slammed squarely into its massive body.

At that moment.

A grand and magnificent sun was born within the Magma Canyon.

The expanding flames and shockwaves radiating in all directions.

Caused the canyon walls on both sides.

To crumble and collapse like fragile tofu.

Turning into tens of thousands of tons of debris.

Heavily crashing down.

The mountain monster, which had been steadily ascending.

Under the influence of this tremendous explosion.

Its entire massive body descended instead of rising, falling back hundreds of meters.

Before it could stabilize again.

"Its energy shield has sustained minor damage."

Su Wu, who was closely monitoring the battlefield, noticed that at the moment the Long-Range Rocket exploded, a deep red energy shield was activated around the body of the mountain monster.

The shield experienced significant fluctuations, and its color, initially a deep red, slightly lightened.

This indicated that it could not withstand attacks from conventional weapons at the level of ballistic missiles without sustaining damage.

(End of Chapter)