Sky-cracking Rider

"Wishing you a smooth journey!"

Miyoshi Xuesen, who hadn't slept all night, never left the control tower at Aircrew Base 633, watching as the sixteen "Big Mouth Monster" turboprop aircraft orderly slid towards the main runway one after another.

Including Chen Fei, ten of the "Big Mouth Monsters" were manned, while the other six were unmanned aircraft controlled by the artificial intelligence AI "Adam."

After all, to flatten an aircrew base in one fell swoop, it was crucial to carry an ample supply of weapons and ammunition, the more, the better.

Since the military contractor lacked professional bombers, they made up for the lack of quality with quantity—sixteen ammo-laden "Big Mouth Monsters" were more than enough to quench Aircrew Base 631's thirst.

"From now on, flight control authority is taken over by AI, everyone can rest for the time being, we're expected to arrive in the combat zone in about two hours."

Chen Fei's voice sounded in the public communication channel, reaching the ears of all pilots at Aircrew Base 633 and the control tower personnel.

Artificial Intelligence AI "Adam" immediately took control of the flight attitudes of these turboprop aircraft, bringing their flying altitude to about 50 meters from the ground and thoughtfully turning off the proximity warning—it would've been endlessly annoying otherwise.

Thanks to the "Big Mouth Monster's" trainer aircraft lineage, the control authority between the front and rear seats could be transferred at will, and a slight modification of the system module could switch it to remote control mode.

Outside the cockpit, nothing could be seen except the wingtip signal lights and the tail rudder signal lights flashing; there was only the pitch darkness of not seeing even a hand before oneself.

Nonetheless, the onboard radar and dashboard could still accurately display information like the aircraft's flying altitude, speed, and location, meaning they were practically flying blind.

If it was just about flying at about 50 meters from the ground, the pilots from Aircrew Base 633 wouldn't have much of a problem, but long-duration night flights required not just skill but also a stable mindset, something they did not possess.

If they did have such capabilities, Aircrew Base 633 wouldn't have been beaten so badly by Aircrew Base 631, with nearly a third of a fully-staffed combat flight squadron lost.

Nine pilots responded in unison.

Some promptly let go of the control sticks, allowing their craft, under the control of artificial intelligence, to maintain a neat and stable "V" formation with the other "Big Mouth Monsters."

Some seemed not quite confident, still clutching the control sticks and throttle push rods, yet there was no response.

The relaxed ones gradually began to snore, sleeping soundly inside the cockpit. Aviation helmets often come with active noise reduction facilities that counteract sound waves—it actually wasn't that noisy and could selectively amplify human voices.

The leader of the "V" flight formation was Chen Fei's "Big Mouth Monster," with a pilot in the right wing cockpit and the left wing cockpit empty.

If at this moment "Adam" harbored any ill intentions, these pilots would have nowhere to cry for help.

However, that trick wouldn't work on Chen Fei, whose metal elemental psychic power could firmly control the aircraft, not giving any abnormal control from software a chance.

Moreover, there was a more brutal delete file operation, a deadly strike.

The powerless "Adam" didn't even have a chance to cry, from start to finish just a tool AI's fate; hence Chen Fei didn't care whether it was subdued or not, subdued or not, it had to obediently listen.

An hour and a half later, urgent electronic alert tones and Chen Fei's voice resounded in everyone's ears.

"All units, attention, 15 minutes to the combat zone."

Approaching Aircrew Base 631 by 100 kilometers, the fleet's altitude even dropped to 30 meters, viewed from high above, the sixteen "Big Mouth Monsters" were almost indistinguishable from skimming the ground.

"'Florida' on standby!"

"'Red Narcissus' on standby!"

…

The pilots from Aircrew Base 633 responded one after another, ready to take control of their "Big Mouth Monsters."

Two hundred kilometers behind, the Huntsman Squad and the armed security personnel of Aircrew Base 633 were also aboard a small transport aircraft performing low-altitude flying.

The young-looking ninth rank psychic mage Tuert and a red-haired Grade A wind-type psionic ability user Masuya pooled their abilities together to escort the safety of the transport aircraft's flight, adding a dual layer of insurance. Otherwise, the transport pilot, with nerves stretched thin maintaining such low flying altitude for so long, might slip up and accidentally dispatch the entire crew.

Once Chen Fei led the combat flight squadron, leaving Aircrew Base 631 with no capability to fight back, the following transport would seize the opportunity to forcefully log out, consolidate the ground position, and execute a non-discriminatory annihilation plan.

"Unmanned drones break off from the formation!"

Artificial intelligence AI sometimes couldn't choose the best timing, and Chen Fei gave the instruction,

The six unmanned "Big Mouth Monsters" on the left wing broke away from the "V" formation in precise unison, taking another route. They were responsible for the second wave of strikes, forming an attacking rhythm with Chen Fei's right-wing flight team, giving the enemy targets no chance to catch their breath, enduring continuous punishment.

"Keep your spirits up. In 5 minutes, start taking over the control; climb to 500 meters and then dive, begin by wiping out the air-to-ground missiles. I've set the targets for you, just press the launch button, and let's execute a spirited volley."

Chen Fei wasn't one to spout vulgar jokes like Chekhov Big Bear to boost morale; he didn't engage in those unfamiliar stunts that didn't suit his temperament. Straight to the point, stick to business, no additions necessary.

"Yes!" times nine!

Ever since boarding the Big Mouth Monster, the pilots of Aircrew Base 633 had all been holding their breath, determined that this time they must fiercely retaliate against Aircrew Base 631 and avenge their recently fallen captain and comrades. Discover exclusive tales at My Virtual Library Empire

Since most aircrew bases were constructed according to the same blueprint, Chen Fei had been able to preset the air-to-ground missile launch plan beforehand, applying template parameters for launching without needing to aim and lock on, catching the enemy completely off guard.

Even if Aircrew Base 631 had been on alert, they couldn't escape this severe blow that left them battered and bruised.

"One-minute countdown to readiness!"

Chen Fei's vision loaded with a "macroscopic perspective," overlooking the squadron he personally led as they flew straight toward Aircrew Base 631.

Everyone tightly gripped the control sticks and throttle levers.

The countdown ended, and the remote control state was deactivated.

A slight lag in feedback reached the pilots' hands, and almost simultaneously, they pulled back on their control sticks, and ten turboprop aircraft performed a high-angle, near-vertical full-speed climb maneuver.

Fully armed and at full capacity, the climb was somewhat strenuous for the turboprop aircraft, but they quickly reached an altitude of 500 meters above the ground.

Not far away, Aircrew Base 631 finally reacted tardily, as ten turboprop aircraft appeared on the duty radar screens without warning, and even the most powerful ground-based radar hadn't had time to power up.

"Level out! Countdown to air-to-ground missile launch, 5, 4..."

Chen Fei gave the command.

The flight formation was at an altitude of 531 meters, slightly off target, but at that moment, it was inconsequential.

The nose of the aircraft was pointed directly at Aircrew Base 631, some 5 kilometers away.

"...3, 2, 1! Launch!"

Twenty missiles disengaged from the underwing stations of ten Big Mouth Monsters, their tails ignited successfully, trailing bright flames and long exhaust plumes as they shot forth.

"Next is the rocket nest, release everything immediately, hold nothing back."

Chen Fei hadn't finished speaking when a bright light exploded ahead, even illuminating his cockpit.

Aircrew Base 631 was devastated by twenty air-to-ground missiles, the ground shattered and flames shot into the sky. Critical locations like the ground-based radar, control tower, hangars, and aprons were overwhelmed by a deluge of fire, enormous fireballs continuously rising, and the raging shockwaves swept everything around, including equipment and even people, as if a category 18 typhoon had passed, scattering everything asunder.

Just as the squadron was about to reach directly above Aircrew Base 631, the rocket nests on the aircraft unleashed an even denser barrage of fire, raining down like a meteor shower – 400 seventy-millimeter rockets – and once again fiercely plowed through the entire base, turning it into a sea of fire.

This time, the focus of the attack was on the dormitory area; modular accommodations couldn't withstand the barrage of rockets and were blasted into fragments like they were made of paper, with countless individuals likely trapped inside.

Super-saturated strikes are indeed the pinnacle of ground attacks.

The Big Mouth Monster is one of the preferred aircraft for ground attack, almost faultless except for not being a jet.

"Spread out, drop bombs!"

Chen Fei issued the command for the third wave of attacks; the Big Mouth Monster squadron had now entered the airspace over Aircrew Base 631.

The dazzling attack rhythm was incredibly fast, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Wild Fists Kill the Old Master, almost as if pummeling the opponent's face with a relentless barrage of deadly strikes.

The ground-based anti-aircraft fire remained silent, completely unable to retaliate, and the Big Mouth Monsters from Aircrew Base 633 at this moment moved through the area as if unbeatable, dropping aerial bombs from the centerline belly position toward the next target.

Together with the 500-pound incendiary bombs, the emptied rocket nests were also dropped, serving as an extra physical strike.

Fields of fire covered the entrances and exits to the underground defense positions.

"'Adam,' finish them off, everyone else climb with me to 3000 meters."

Chen Fei pulled back on the control stick, raising the nose, leading the other nine Big Mouth Monsters in a climb.

If two "clearing the field" operations could wipe out everyone inside Aircrew Base 631, that would be the best outcome.

As planned, another six unmanned Big Mouth Monsters circled back, bombing the ground once again in the same manner, exacerbating the already devastated Aircrew Base 631.

That's how combat aircraft operate, delivering the most ferocious attacks with the smallest size, forsaking all, unstoppable in their might.

System: Ding! One Crystal Jet shot down, Energy Points +1000 (unfinished)

"Huh?"