Sky-cracking Rider

Draining all the diving potential energy was not an easy task; even with the effects of the Magic Array and despite the strong repulsion from the planet's gravitational field, the Mechanical Dragon was still perilously close to smashing into the ground. It tumbled along the brink of falling apart, its internal load-bearing structure constantly groaning. Even the tips of its spread wings touched the ground, slicing various things into pieces, whether they were rebel soldiers, combat equipment, or fortifications.

The fierce winds also scattered nearby non-fixed objects every which way.

It was merely the aftermath, yet it had already thrown the rebel formations on the ground into complete disarray.

32 missiles hit the ground, creating 32 fireballs, nearly dumbfounding those "Sky Falcon" units.

Even short-term training at the Eagle Nest private airfield couldn't change Chen Xiao'er's unconventional combat methods.

The panoramic three-dimensional projection in the cockpit of the Mechanical Dragon came with optical anti-shake features and a specialized computation model for correction, which, with the help of technology, prevented a disorienting whirl.

In some ways, the cockpit technology of this Mechanical Dragon was similar to Chen Fei's Psi Skill "Basic Optical Observer" in its "Visual Assistance" feature, and if you added the nearby propeller-type drones, it even achieved a "Macroscopic Perspective."

No wonder they are from the top-tier enterprise of Blue Star Civilization, sparing no expense in flaunting their technical prowess, even managing to almost reach the level of Psi Skills.

The forceful leveling process took several seconds before Chen Fei could stabilize the continually shifting weight of the Mechanical Dragon and soar into the sky once again.

Directly ahead, the rebel's Light Wing Fleet, comprising four Main Force Lightwing Ships each two hundred meters long, hovered at an altitude of 6000 meters from the ground.

A combination of the Magic Array, Psi Skills, and the native capabilities of the Mechanical Dragon, plus the ultra-complex calculations by the AI "Adam," was essential; lacking any of these elements would have turned the series of perilous maneuvers into a flat-out disaster, from showing off to making a fool of oneself.

"That guy... is a bastard!"

The squadron leader of the "Sky Falcon" formation was trembling with anger, causing his own Assembled Combat Aircraft to wobble uncontrollably.

He then frantically issued orders.

"Chase it down and shoot it out of the sky!"

The "Sky Falcons" once again tried to lock onto the target.

The battlefield data link integrated every combat unit; if one "Sky Falcon" successfully locked onto the Mechanical Dragon, the other "Sky Falcons" could share the targeting data.

Given the massive size of the Mechanical Dragon, it was no surprise that it got locked by the enemy fire control system. Even the ground-based anti-air systems assisted in tracking, with massive real-time data being quickly exchanged, bringing new pressures to Chen Fei.

This time it was a volley of 16 missiles; the "Sky Falcons" had learned their lesson, wary of Chen Fei's Mechanical Dragon pulling any tricks again.

Sure enough, they wouldn't fall for the same thing a second time.

15 kilometers away from the rebel Light Wing Fleet and 12 kilometers away from the "Sky Falcon" squadron.

Well designed and executed, the Mechanical Dragon neatly spliced between the two.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, the perfect local advantage rendered the enemy oblivious to this strategic setup from the start.

But Chen Fei was not worried. As long as he maintained the right distance, the enemy's Directed-energy Weapons would be too risky to use and rendered largely ineffective.

If they fired rashly, there was a good chance they would hit their own people, particularly the large-caliber Railguns on the Light Wing Ships that posed a threat to the Mechanical Dragon.

While the enemy temporarily couldn't use their Directed-energy Weapons, Chen Fei could still use his, shooting either forwards or backwards since they were all enemies anyway. He excelled at taking advantage in such chaotic battles.

Isn't this being too harsh?

Yes indeed, bullying feels so good!

Chen Fei, who had once boarded a similar Main Force Lightwing Ship, understood the structure of the ship and its weapon systems to some extent.

As the Mechanical Dragon climbed at a high angle of attack, it shook its wings, shedding myriad dazzling points of light. The Jamming Bullets, emitting both infrared heat signatures and simulated electromagnetic signals, danced through the air towards the incoming missile swarm.

Seconds later, 16 missiles plunged into the dense range of Jamming Bullets. Unable to resist the temptation, some missiles abandoned the Mechanical Dragon and collided with a Jamming Bullet instead.

Bang!~

Pointless fireballs erupted, almost causing the "Sky Falcon" knights to twist their joysticks off with their bare hands.

Then, a few more foolish missiles collided with the Jamming Bullets, adding a few bursts of color to the sky.

There were too many temptations; really, one cannot blame the missiles for being led astray.

Although bulky and harder to dodge enemy fire, the Mechanical Dragon carried an impressive amount of ammunition. Jamming Bullets were continuously released, occasionally trapping missiles for self-destruction.

As the leading missile closed to less than 5 kilometers from the Mechanical Dragon, behind it, only a few of its companions remained.

Chen Fei playfully toyed with his opponents, making them uselessly waste their ammunition.

The "Sky Falcons" didn't carry more missiles than the main combat aircraft of Blue Star Civilization, so in a battle of attrition, the Mechanical Dragon was simply bullying them.

"'Adam,' fire one back at them!"

Chen Fei's visual interface underwent a change again, isolating a separate image.

The mechanical dragon's head twisted backward, opened its fanged maw, and fired a blue-white particle beam.

The highly penetrative stream of positrons mixed with protons not only instantly destroyed the nearest missile, but a "Sky Falcon" on the same linear path failed to evade in time. Its pilot couldn't even escape the combat aircraft he was controlling, vanishing in an explosion and plummeting to the ground as a fireball.

Inertia existed not only in the missile's trajectory but also in the tactical maneuvers of the opposing pilots.

A slight oversight on the battlefield could immediately invite fatal disaster.

Realizing the threat of the mechanical dragon's counterattack, the persistently pursuing "Sky Falcons" immediately utilized their mobility to scatter like birds and beasts.

They were far from being determined to fight to the death at any cost, even lacking the awareness for such resolve.

The army of Cangqiong Star had been at peace for too long, naturally not as fierce as military contractors who battle mutants every day, where a mere slip could lead to annihilation.

"Fire another one at the Light Wing Ship ahead, the first one on the left!"

Chen Fei had scattered the "Sky Falcon" squadron, effectively deterring them, and he once again focused his target straight ahead, which was also his primary tactical objective.

The Light Wing Ship was a real threat to the mechanical dragon, equipped with weapons capable of breaking through the Repulsion Shield and two types of Elemental Magic Shields. He had wanted to eliminate them from the start to vie for air supremacy in this area.

Once the support of the Light Wing Ships was lost, the remaining "Sky Falcons" posed much less of a threat to the mechanical dragon, at most, they could be considered an annoying swarm of flies. If it weren't for the need to conserve Crystal Energy reserves, Chen Fei could almost manage by just maintaining defensive measures, allowing the enemy to attack at will.

A particle beam column pierced the sky, hitting directly the first vessel of the four primary Light Wing Ships.

The Light Wing Fleet, as if facing a formidable enemy, nearly deployed all its defenses. The blue-white beam brutally struck about ten meters off the flank of the Light Wing Ship, as if an invisible force had forcefully blocked it, the chaotic lights and colors spreading out to dissipate the violent particle energy.

The defense of the Light Wing Ship was not only magical but also technological.

Cangqiong Star and Blue Star each emphasized technology applications according to their civilization's characteristics.

Ultimately, it all boiled down to maintenance costs.

"It didn't explode!"

Chen Fei was somewhat surprised; this was his first time firing the Particle Beam Cannon at a Light Wing Ship.

After all, except during the civil war on Cangqiong Star, there was usually no opportunity like this; any time he dared to fire, he would end up in prison for life.

Adam: Detected 17 protective barriers, recommend increasing output power or multiple shots.

The artificial intelligence AI "Adam" provided an assessment of the strike's effect, as breaking defenses was never a matter of technique—it was all about brute force.

"Tsk, such defense, it's really exaggerated!"

Chen Fei had seen Light Wing Ships being relentlessly assaulted by endless sea monsters and crashing down, and though they were knocked down, it was not an easy task.

If those monsters attacked the mechanical dragon in the same relentless, group-battering manner, he would have to concede with a "GG," or he would have to run away full force at the sight of such a scene.

"Can evolve into a large Particle Beam Cannon!"

The artificial intelligence AI "Adam" utilized the structure and modules of the X-D-005 Giant Dragon-type Combat Mobility Armor to extrapolate a superweapon that would gather all resources for a concentrated strike.

Transforming the entire mechanical dragon into a floating super cannon, it utilized the high efficiency of the Crystal Energy Furnace to fire a shot powerful enough to pierce through an entire Light Wing Ship.

"No, no, no, seize the attack weak spots of the Light Wing Ship, prepare for close combat!"

Yet Chen Fei decisively rejected the suggestion, as any behavior that voluntarily surrendered mobility was contrary to a pilot's instinct.

He was a combat pilot, not an artillery man, and relying solely on artillery fire was no solution.

The mechanical dragon, entering supersonic rush once again, closed the distance with the Light Wing Fleet. The enemy's large-caliber railguns kept firing, but the conspicuous cyan predictive trajectories allowed Chen Fei, piloting the Giant Dragon-type Combat Mobility Armor, to dance between them with ease, as if gracefully dancing on the blade's edge.

"Full speed ahead, don't give them a chance to react!"

Chen Fei pushed the throttle all the way forward.

The mechanical dragon, which had been holding back since the battle began, once again accelerated dramatically.

Three times the speed of sound!

"Wind Cone(2)" Magic Array was specifically designed to break the sound barrier.