Chapter 256: Critical Intelligence from the Super Continent |
The demons currently battling the Tomorrow Alliance forces suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
It seemed as though they had received some sort of command. The human forces before them instantly retreated in an orderly fashion like a receding tide, showing absolutely no intention of prolonging the fight.
Before the demons could even react, a figure slowly emerged beside them.
It was precisely the Thunderbolt Transport Vehicle.
The eight Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mechs deployed within the transport vehicle swiftly emerged, and they had already switched their high-pressure acid into mist mode.
In an instant, rolling smoke engulfed the battlefield.
Even though the demons possessed all sorts of forms, they were ultimately still living organisms. The mist formed from high-pressure acid possessed tremendously lethal killing power.
Immediately, large batches of demons collapsed one after another.
Seeing this scene, Li Ye could not help sharply nodding.
The Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mechs displayed overwhelming might, while the Special Forces members continuously opened fire from long range, causing the Demon Civilization forces that had landed on the island to steadily collapse in defeat.
In the skies, the Tomorrow Alliance aerial forces successfully crushed the demon fighter squadrons.
At this point, the quality of the Tomorrow Alliance pilots had gradually improved considerably. They were now capable of adapting to the rhythm of aerial combat.
As the Tomorrow Alliance successfully seized air superiority, the scales of victory completely tipped in its favor.
Bombers, fighter jets, and Black Hawk helicopters completely shed all restrictions and wildly unleashed firepower.
Countless demons were annihilated.
In the end, only scattered surviving demons fled in panic.
Li Ye slowly nodded.
The military’s performance this time had been quite good.
He immediately arranged for personnel to gather the dropped resources left behind by the demons.
Level 3 Coal, Level 3 Iron Ore, Level 3 Nitrate, Level 3 Cloth, Crystal Coins, finished products of Level 3 and below, and all kinds of Blueprints.
Because this battle had killed an enormous number of demons, the spoils had piled up into small mountains.
Li Ye carefully counted the Blueprints.
This time, a total of thirteen Blueprints had dropped.
Four Upgrade Blueprints.
Nine Design Blueprints.
Resources such as Iron Ore and Coal were mostly reserved for his own use. Meanwhile, the finished products of Level 3 and below were distributed according to demand among himself and his companions.
Soon afterward, his gaze landed upon those thirteen Blueprints.
The four Level 3 Upgrade Blueprints were handed over to the Engineer.
Although this Engineer-type Mobile City had only recently advanced to Level 3, many of its engineering vehicles and city facilities had still not yet been upgraded to Level 3.
As for the Design Blueprints, they were basically sold to subsidize expenses.
A single Level 3 Design Blueprint generally started at tens of thousands of Crystal Coins.
Looking at these nine Level 3 Design Blueprints, Li Ye suddenly realized that he no longer felt much excitement regarding the harvest.
The primary reason was that the Tomorrow had already advanced to Level 4. What it urgently needed now were powerful Level 4 combat vehicles and firearms ammunition. Level 3-scale vehicles and weapons had already become somewhat inadequate.
Thinking of this, he could not help sighing emotionally.
Not only was the Mobile City continuously advancing, but even his emotional threshold was steadily rising as well.
......
The following few days passed in extraordinary peace and quiet.
The Demon Civilization did not dispatch any further forces to trouble Li Ye and his group.
Because of this, Li Ye relaxed and sent out troops to extensively hunt Mutant Creatures for dropped resources.
As time passed, a new round of Intelligence refreshed.
【1. The forces deployed by the United Faith Sect within the Floating Island Zone are operating at full Level 4 strength, and some Mobile Cities possess Level 5 weapons. The United Faith Sect has already received reports from the Demon Civilization regarding the Tomorrow Alliance forces. (Intelligence Value: Ordinary)】
【2. A wormhole has appeared 48 kilometers northeast of the Peninsula Zone. The wormhole leads to a certain large island within Oceanic Azure Continent and will remain active for 2 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes, and 32 seconds. (Intelligence Value: Excellent)】
【3. In the western region of the northern hemisphere of Azurelan Star exists the super continent “Breathsoil Continent.” Approximately 35% of the continent remains unoccupied and suitable for development and operation. (Intelligence Value: Rare)】
【4. Azurelan Star possesses an “Inner World.” (Intelligence Value: Outstanding)】
【5. The Emperor Beasts have currently established themselves as kings within various regions of the Ruins Continent. In the future, they will invade one another’s territories and slaughter each other to determine the King of Monsters. Among them, the one with the highest probability of victory is “Calamity” Talros. Due to various reasons, world-level Emperor Beasts have not joined the war. (Intelligence Value: Outstanding)】
【6. Refreshing... (Intelligence Value: Epic)】
Li Ye rapidly digested the contents of the Intelligence.
The thing he cared about most was...
“Just how many world-level Emperor Beasts exist in this world?”
Not only that, but the fourth piece of Intelligence also greatly surprised him.
“Inner World? What kind of thing is that?”
As for the first, second, and third pieces of Intelligence, they could be linked together.
Over 40% of Breathsoil Continent remained unoccupied, making it highly suitable for development and operation by the Tomorrow Alliance.
And the reason those regions had become vacant was probably because the world-class human organizations had launched indiscriminate attacks against the Monstrous Civilizations upon Breathsoil Continent.
“This Intelligence is pretty good...” Li Ye muttered thoughtfully.
The current Tomorrow Alliance already possessed the preliminary capability to control multiple low-level regions.
What surprised him was that the United Faith Sect’s forces deployed within the Floating Island Zone were actually so powerful.
When he first learned that the United Faith Sect had deployed forces within the Floating Island Zone, Li Ye had assumed they were merely Level 3-scale troops and had even entertained the thought of clashing with them.
Now it seemed better to forget that idea.
“Perfect opportunity to head toward Oceanic Azure Continent through the wormhole,” he thought.
Previously, inside the Satellite Control Station, Li Ye had already gained a basic understanding of Azurelan Star’s continental distribution.
Oceanic Azure Continent was located in the center of Azurelan Star, relatively close to Breathsoil Continent in the western northern hemisphere. It would only require several days of sea travel to reach it.
At this moment, the human side should already have begun constructing the Super Mobile Giant Island.
After arriving at Oceanic Azure Continent, Li Ye could conveniently spend a few hours observing what exactly was going on there.
After making up his mind, Li Ye immediately began preparing for the military withdrawal.
Considering that the Tomorrow Alliance was about to head toward the northern hemisphere, Li Ye deliberately returned aboard the Tomorrow and used the city radio station to recall the Dawn, which was currently gathering resources outside.
He was not in a hurry to leave immediately. Instead, he remained within the Floating Island Zone for another day, extensively hunting Mutant Creatures.
After all, opportunities to obtain Level 4 resources were incredibly rare.
Even when finally leaving, Li Ye still felt somewhat reluctant.
Upon returning to the Peninsula Zone, the human side’s extraction operations for the region’s oil fields and natural gas fields had already concluded, and the Tomorrow Alliance had completed its escort mission.
The six Mobile Cities immediately advanced in grand formation toward the wormhole.
Li Ye opened the system interface.
During the past two or three days, the Epic-grade Intelligence had also refreshed.
【6. The Elemental Plane occupied by the Rock Element Civilization contains enormous quantities of mineral veins. (Intelligence Value: Epic)】
“Rock Elements? Elemental Plane?” A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
Very quickly, he formed a plan.
While visiting the Super Mobile Giant Island, he would also take the opportunity to meet the human leadership stationed there and learn exactly what the Elemental Plane and Inner World truly were.
Since there was still another hour or two before arrival, Li Ye simply began reviewing the drops obtained from hunting Mutant Creatures over the past few days.
3,412 units of Level 4 Iron Ore, 2,451 units of Level 4 Coal, 1,752 units of Level 4 Nitrate, and 127,182 Crystal Coins.
Nine Level 4 Blueprints.
A huge pile of finished products from Level 4 and below had also dropped, with all sorts of miscellaneous categories: Level 4 Military Knives, Level 4 Security Doors, Level 4 Bicycles, Level 4 Water Guns...
Out of curiosity, Li Ye tested the capabilities of these Level 4 items.
The Level 4 Military Knife was capable of slicing through metal as though it were mud, even cutting through armor plating.
The Level 4 Bicycle possessed a distinctly futuristic appearance. It was not human-powered, but energy-driven, with a maximum speed reaching 120 kilometers per hour.
The water streams sprayed by the Level 4 Water Gun possessed freezing effects.
As for the Level 4 Security Door, it was capable of withstanding missile-level bombardment.
After seeing the Level 4 Security Door, Li Ye’s mouth twitched slightly.
“What’s the point of having such powerful defensive capability? Even if it can resist nuclear bombs, it’s still ultimately just a security door!”
What delighted Li Ye most, however, were those nine Level 4 Blueprints.
They consisted of:
Tier 4 Naval Combat Vehicle Upgrade Blueprint.
Tier 4 City Structure Upgrade Blueprint.
Level 4 Tire Upgrade Blueprint.
Level 4 Firearm Accessory - Silencer Design Blueprint.
Level 4 Land Combat Vehicle “Shadow Weaver” Design Blueprint.
Level 4 Field Dining Truck Design Blueprint.
Level 4 Armored War Bear Design Blueprint.
Level 4 Land Combat-type Mobile Warrior Accessory — “Wheel-type Hybrid Feet” Design Blueprint.
Level 4 Automated Mining Vehicle Design Blueprint.
Li Ye immediately looked toward the Land Combat Vehicle Design Blueprint.
【Item Name: Shadow Weaver Tank】
【Level: 4】
【Additional Effects: 1. Black Mist Range +70% 2. Black Mist possesses the additional effect of blocking all detection methods】
【Crafting Requirement: 300 units of Iron Ore (Level 4), 50 units of Precision Vehicle Components (Level 4)】
According to the Blueprint description, the Shadow Weaver was a support-type land combat tank.
It possessed absolutely no combat capability.
Its sole function was to release large-scale black mist to conceal allied advances or retreats.
Although referred to as “black mist,” it was actually composed of countless shadow-material particles generated by the Shadow Weaver.
In simpler terms, the Shadow Weaver could create large quantities of “fog of war” upon the battlefield out of thin air.
Li Ye nodded slowly while reading.
This support-type land combat tank was genuinely excellent. If used properly, it could produce miraculous battlefield effects.
Next, he looked toward the firearm accessory Blueprint.
【Item Name: “Ghost Protocol” Universal Firearm Silencer】
【Level: 4】
【Additional Effect: Complete Silence】
【Crafting Requirement: 2 units of Iron Ore (Level 4)】
After seeing the description, Li Ye’s eyes instantly lit up.
This firearm accessory was genuinely excellent, both because of its extremely low crafting cost and because of its complete silence effect.
The Silent Reaper Sniper Rifles currently in his possession not only possessed automatic targeting, but now could also achieve total silence.
That was honestly rather terrifying.
The Special Forces members could now kill enemies from over a thousand meters away without exposing their existence whatsoever.
The third Blueprint was the Armored War Bear.
【Item Name: “TK-21” Armored War Bear】
【Level: 4】
【Additional Effects: 1. Defense +35% 2. Speed +25% 3. Anti-infantry Lethality +40%】
【Crafting Requirement: 125 units of Iron Ore (Level 4), 10 units of Precision Land Combat Vehicle Components (Level 4)】
The moment Li Ye saw this thing, his interest was immediately piqued.
According to the Blueprint description, the “TK-21” Armored War Bear was positioned as a heavy melee/assault unit. It combined beast-like savagery with mechanical firepower and was suitable for urban street warfare, wilderness charges, and breaching small fortress strongholds.
Judging from its appearance, the “TK-21” Armored War Bear’s entire body was covered in composite laminated armor plated with battlefield camouflage. Its primary weapons were powered impact claws and a rotating chainsaw jaw mounted beneath its chin, making it a purely melee combat vehicle.
Just like the Corrosion Throat Single-soldier Mech, the “TK-21” Armored War Bear possessed very obvious strengths and weaknesses.
Li Ye then quickly finished reviewing the remaining three Design Blueprints.
The Level 4 Field Dining Truck was incredibly miraculous. It only required corresponding vegetables and fruits to rapidly produce steaming hot dishes within a short period of time.
The military logistics and food supply system that Li Ye and Lin Wu had previously envisioned for the armed forces had now been more than halfway realized because of its appearance.
The Level 4 Automated Mining Vehicle was equally astonishing. As long as programming was completed, the mining vehicle could autonomously gather resources in the wilderness. It could mine not only ore veins, but also wood, stone, and other resources.
It possessed the additional effects of “Speed +70%” and “Solar-powered Electricity Generation.”
Seeing this, Li Ye immediately had an idea.
By constructing a rocket launch platform and using the Sky Shuttle-3 Rocket to launch a batch of Automated Mining Vehicles into space for resource extraction.
However, to realize this concept, he would need to construct a space station or deploy a Mobile City in outer space, while also installing a resource transmission device.
Once everything was completed, the Tomorrow Alliance on the ground would continuously obtain resources from outer space.
This method should be feasible.
Finally, he looked toward the Design Blueprint for the Land Combat-type Mobile Warrior Accessory.
The so-called Wheel-type Hybrid Feet could provide Mobile Warriors with high-speed mobility and all-terrain adaptability while moving on land.
It possessed two forms.
The first was a wheel form powered by electromagnetic engines.
The second exposed five-toed hydraulic foot pads, transforming into a biomimetic foot form for climbing difficult terrain.
The five-toed hydraulic foot pads were extraordinarily sophisticated, possessing core components such as magnetic levitation bearings, terrain sensors, and impact absorbers.
What shocked Li Ye even more was that this Mobile Warrior accessory could provide speeds as high as 120 kilometers per hour.
This meant the Mobile Warriors’ mobility on land would become extraordinarily powerful.
“Fast movement is only natural,” he thought.
On massive battlefields filled with countless troops, if Mobile Warriors moved too slowly, they would easily become living targets.
Li Ye believed land combat-type Mobile Warriors required much higher defensive capabilities.
However, according to his current plans, the production priority order for Mobile Warriors was aerial combat-type, naval combat-type, then land combat-type.
“For now, I’ll keep this Mobile Warrior accessory Blueprint. The Tomorrow Alliance might need to produce land combat-type Mobile Warriors someday,” he silently thought.
The moment he thought about Mobile Warriors, Li Ye recalled something else.
His Intelligence trade with the Apocalypse Sect.
After thinking carefully, so many days had passed, yet the other side had not sent any reply at all.
Li Ye therefore took out the Level 4 satellite phone and contacted Albert.
“Our people have already obtained that Level 3 City Crystal,” Albert answered. “As for the 1.8 million Crystal Coins we promised to pay you, it’s currently still undergoing approval procedures.”
“Ah?”