Chapter 252: Level 4 Firearms and Single-Soldier Combat Mechs |
The reason Li Ye decided to launch the attack one hour later was mainly because he was waiting for the Intelligence refresh.
The system cooldown had already reset. This refresh cycle only required eight hours, and there were five pieces of Intelligence.
Naturally, he intended to wait for the Intelligence refresh before determining the military’s next course of action based on the contents.
One hour later, the Intelligence was refreshed.
【1. There are no Monstrous Civilizations within the Floating Island Zone. (Intelligence Value: Ordinary)】
【2. There is a medium-scale mine northeast of the Mirror Forest Island where you are currently located. (Intelligence Value: Excellent)】
【3. The monstrous world-class organization “United Sect” has deployed forces within the Floating Island Zone. Exercise caution. (Intelligence Value: Excellent)】
【4. The three major human world-class organizations intend to redeploy low-level human forces upon the wasteland. (Intelligence Value: Rare)】
【5. The Demon Civilization’s control level over the Floating Island Zone stands at 37%. (Intelligence Value: Rare)】
What particularly intrigued him was exactly how the human side intended to complete deployment upon the wasteland.
Although there were no Level 4 Monstrous Civilizations within the Floating Island Zone, the pressure he faced was still immense.
The United Sect had deployed armed forces within the Floating Island Zone, and judging from the Demon Civilization’s 37% control level, the region clearly also contained armed demon forces.
“In that case, should I deploy the Stardust and Peacemaker here as well?” he silently pondered.
After thinking for a while, he decided there was no need to rush.
The Floating Island Zone was enormous, and his forces were positioned at the outer edge. The enemy would not find them anytime soon.
“Then let’s capture that mine first!”
Following the Intelligence guidance, Li Ye led his forces to the mine.
Capturing the mine was not as easy as expected because it had been occupied by a group of Mutant Creatures.
As Li Ye looked at those creatures, hesitation appeared in his eyes.
“......Are these mutated worms?”
Within the distant mine, over a hundred worm-like creatures wandered everywhere.
Their bodies were as thick as giant pythons, entirely covered in segmented black chitin armor. Every body segment could rotate independently.
The surface of their armor was covered in dense bone spines and grooves, reflecting a damp, oily sheen beneath the dim light.
As for the worms’ heads, they resembled perfect killing machines.
Four serrated jaw petals split apart in all directions, revealing layers upon layers of circular blade-like teeth inside. Every tooth was as sharp as a surgical knife, while at the center extended a retractable pale probe dripping cloudy digestive fluid.
When the mouth fully opened, it was large enough to completely swallow the upper body of an adult human.
What Li Ye did not know was that these worms were called Bone-eroding Vortex Worms.
This name had been given by Titan Throne because of their astonishing chewing and digestive abilities.
Although Li Ye did not fully understand the Bone-eroding Vortex Worms, these were still Level 4 Mutant Creatures. Thus, he carefully arranged the battle plan.
Leopard 2A7V Main Battle Tanks, Rapid-fire Assault Bikes, Bullfrog Mechs, Torrent Heavy Tanks, and Prometheus units spread into formation, ready to unleash overwhelming firepower at any moment.
The Wave-suppressing Destroyers deployed at long range.
Gunships, bombers, and fighter jets provided aerial fire support.
“Damn it, I’m actually using a modernized military force to fight worms inside a mine,” Li Ye silently thought.
Although it sounded ridiculous, he had no choice.
Because the rules of the world had already completely changed.
With a single command from Li Ye, all forces began wildly pouring firepower onto the worms.
However, they were still Level 3 vehicle weapons, so their destructive power was somewhat lacking.
Even so, after relentless bombardment, the Bone-eroding Vortex Worms were ultimately exterminated.
After confirming the mine was secure, Li Ye immediately ordered mining operations to begin.
This time, the workers dispatched were residents from the Iron Whale, some of whom were equipped with Level 3 Hercules Single-person Engineering Mechanical Arms.
These external giant mechanical arms looked extraordinarily powerful and made mining iron ore incredibly efficient and convenient.
But judging from their imposing appearance, Li Ye felt those things were probably meant for combat.
About half an hour later, the medium-scale mine had been fully excavated.
Li Ye briefly counted the harvest.
1,354 units of Level 4 Iron Ore, 823 units of Level 4 Saltpeter, 763 units of Level 4 Coal, 311 units of Copper Ore, 204 units of Silver Ore, and 52 units of Gold Ore.
“Not bad.”
The hundred or so Bone-eroding Vortex Worms had also dropped numerous Level 4 resources.
What Li Ye cared about most were naturally the Blueprints.
To his delight, the Bone-eroding Vortex Worms had dropped two Level 4 Blueprints.
Filled with excitement, Li Ye looked toward the Blueprints.
The first Blueprint belonged to a Level 4 sniper rifle.
【Item Name: “Silent Reaper” Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle】
【Level: 4】
【Additional Effects: 1. Accuracy +40% 2. Damage +35% 3. Recoil -50%】
【Crafting Cost: 60 units of Iron Ore (Level 4)】
Judging from the Blueprint, the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifle possessed an appearance filled with futuristic technology. Its sharp body lines and circuitry delivered an overwhelming visual impact.
“It’s actually an anti-materiel sniper rifle?” Li Ye said in surprise.
An anti-materiel sniper rifle was a large-caliber sniper weapon specifically designed to target armored vehicles and defensive fortifications. Its destructive power was astonishing.
A Level 4 anti-materiel sniper rifle could probably disable an armored vehicle with a single shot.
The second Blueprint appeared even more special.
It was a single-soldier combat mech.
【Item Name: “Corrosion Throat” Single-soldier Chemical Combat Mech】
【Level: 4】
【Additional Effects: 1. Defense +40% 2. Radiation Range +35% 3. Acid Corrosion Power +25%】
【Crafting Cost: 70 units of Iron Ore (Level 4), 20 units of Nuclear Waste (Level 4)】
Judging from the Blueprint, the “Corrosion Throat” Chemical Combat Mech possessed a highly distinctive appearance.
Its surface was covered in dark green fluorescent patterns resembling corroded blood vessels. Opaque solution tanks were mounted upon its back, while sprayers hung from its shoulders.
The helmet resembled a giant insect compound eye, its visor emitting a dim green glow. The mouth section contained filter-like gill air vents. Exposed biochemical tubes extended across the mech’s body, carrying high-pressure glowing green acid internally.
Overall, its design existed somewhere between an industrial mech and a Mutant Creature.
The Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mech possessed only one weapon—
A high-pressure acid-spraying gun.
Its range was thirty to fifty meters.
Not only that, but the acid it sprayed also carried severe radiation.
Clearly, this was a single-soldier combat mech specifically designed for biological targets.
Li Ye was not worried about obtaining Level 4 Nuclear Waste. His Tomorrow had just completed construction of a Level 4 Nuclear Power Plant, and Level 4 Nuclear Waste was essentially a byproduct produced in endless quantities.
Overall, Li Ye was quite satisfied with these two Blueprints.
After storing the Blueprints away, Li Ye could not help but fall into thought.
Whether the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifle or the Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mech, the power of these two Level 4 items had already surpassed the weapons of Blue Star.
Not only that, but even city structures and vehicles had begun exhibiting futuristic technological styles, leaving Blue Star far behind.
From this perspective, this catastrophe had not only transformed Blue Star into a wasteland of disasters, but also provided unprecedented developmental opportunities.
Li Ye immediately arranged for a Super Galaxy Transport Aircraft to carry the Level 4 resources before personally boarding it back to the Tomorrow.
He immediately input the Blueprints and resources, producing six Silent Reaper Sniper Rifles and four Corrosion Throat Mechs.
The reason he did not spend all the newly obtained Level 4 Iron Ore was because he knew they would definitely acquire more Level 4 firearms and vehicle Blueprints in the future, which would continue consuming Level 4 Iron Ore for production.
During this process, Li Ye noticed a critical issue.
He needed to purchase a Tier 4 City Structure Upgrade Blueprint to upgrade the Tomorrow’s Steel Mill to Level 4.
That way, the Steel Mill would be capable of producing Level 4 steel.
“I wonder whether Tier 4 City Structure Upgrade Blueprints are expensive...” he muttered thoughtfully.
At present, the Tomorrow Alliance still owed the Apocalypse Sect a debt of 200,000 Crystal Coins.
After production was completed, Li Ye boarded the transport aircraft with the batch of Level 4 equipment and returned to Mirror Forest Island.
“Now, we can finally start considering how to attack Lava Island,” he solemnly told everyone.
Li Ye planned to first test the power of the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifle.
The Tomorrow’s Special Forces contained numerous expert snipers who had previously displayed overwhelming prowess while fighting the Giants.
Li Ye distributed the six Silent Reaper Sniper Rifles to them and ordered them to test the rifles’ power against the Mutant Creatures on Lava Island.
Lava Island and Mirror Forest Island were not very far apart, separated by merely one or two kilometers.
One Special Forces member selected his target.
A Molten Giant Lizard.
At this moment, the Mutant Creature was wandering beside a lava lake, occasionally raising its head to spew flames.
The Special Forces member narrowed his eyes and fired.
The bullet tore through the air at incredible speed. Its casing ignited from violent friction, dragging behind it a scorching trajectory of death.
The shot accurately struck the Molten Giant Lizard’s head. Upon impact, the bullet pierced through its obsidian-like scales.
The Molten Giant Lizard’s head exploded apart.
Golden-red lava mixed with shattered bone fragments sprayed outward in all directions. Boiling blood gushed from the creature’s throat as the headless body staggered several steps before collapsing to the ground.
After witnessing this, Li Ye slowly nodded.
“The power is indeed impressive.”
He was already beginning to anticipate how the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifle would perform against vehicles.
What he never expected was that this single shot would cause enormous commotion across Lava Island.
The instant the gunshot rang out and the Molten Giant Lizard’s head exploded, all Mutant Creatures across the entire Lava Island were simultaneously frightened, crazily fleeing toward the nearest lava lakes and volcanic craters.
The Molten Giant Lizards sprinted across the scorching rocks with their powerful limbs, dark-red patterns glowing upon their obsidian scales from violent movement. The largest Molten Giant Lizard suddenly turned its head toward Mirror Forest Island before leaping without hesitation into the boiling magma, splashing enormous golden-red waves.
The Molten Core Worms rapidly burrowed underground, their gigantic bodies generating waves of scorching heat beneath the surface.
The Flame-shell Crabs surged toward the volcano crater like a tidal wave. Their heavy shells collided against one another with crisp clattering sounds. Several slower Flame-shell Crabs were crushed beneath the panicked swarm, and the high-pressure steam erupting from their shattered shells bleached nearby sulfur crystals pale white.
The Sulfur Wingbat swarms panicked and circled wildly through the sky before diving into the volcanic crater and disappearing amidst the thick smoke.
Within mere dozens of seconds, the once lively Lava Island became deathly silent, leaving only the still-bubbling lava lakes behind.
After seeing this scene, everyone instantly became dumbfounded.
“These Mutant Creatures are actually this cowardly?” Fang Yong said in shock.
Li Ye was also somewhat surprised.
According to his original plan, the Special Forces would continuously fire the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifles, remotely killing the Mutant Creatures on Lava Island.
Once enough had been eliminated, he would dispatch forces to collect the drops.
But now it seemed that idea had been far too idealistic.
Even ordinary beasts within forests would rapidly flee upon hearing gunshots, much less Level 4 Mutant Creatures.
After thinking for a while, Li Ye slowly shook his head.
“Fang Yong, these Mutant Creatures aren’t cowardly.”
“On the contrary, they’re intelligent.”
“They clearly realized Mirror Forest Island possesses long-range weapons capable of threatening their lives, so they immediately chose to flee.”
After careful thought, Fang Yong realized Li Ye’s words indeed made sense.
Although he understood the reasoning, Li Ye still felt an intense headache.
At present, he had no way to drag those Mutant Creatures out from the lava lakes and volcano craters.
It had to be said that the ecosystem of this Level 4 region was far more magical than he had imagined.
The ecology and scenery of Lava Island represented only the tip of the iceberg.
Li Ye did not become discouraged, however, and instead continued considering how the military should proceed next.
For development, the military needed to massively hunt the Floating Island Zone’s Level 4 Mutant Creatures to obtain their dropped resources.
The primary weapons relied upon would be the Silent Reaper Sniper Rifles and the Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mechs—
Li Ye believed the latter would demonstrate tremendous effectiveness.
“Let’s wait patiently. These Mutant Creatures will come back out eventually,” he told Fang Yong.
Li Ye’s judgment was correct.
Roughly ten minutes later, apparently believing the danger had passed, the Mutant Creatures of Lava Island gradually emerged from the lava lakes and volcano craters, resuming activity across the island.
Li Ye immediately began redeploying forces in preparation for attacking Lava Island.
According to his arrangements, Leopard 2A7V Main Battle Tanks, Rapid-fire Assault Bikes, Bullfrog Mechs, and Torrent Heavy Tanks boarded the destroyers one after another.
Prometheus units traveled toward Lava Island by “swimming” through the Atmospheric Ocean.
Gunships, reconnaissance aircraft, bombers, and fighter jets rapidly arrived above Lava Island and awaited orders to begin bombardment.
Li Ye could not help glancing toward the two Wave-suppressing Destroyers.
Within the Floating Island Zone’s Atmospheric Ocean, they truly gave the impression of space battleships, which felt remarkably novel.
“By the way, Alliance Leader, why didn’t you deploy the Deep Sea Hunter Submarine and Mechanical Squid?” Fang Yong asked.