Chapter 265: Confronting the War Alliance! |
Compared to an aircraft carrier, Li Ye naturally wanted an Aerospace Carrier.
An aircraft carrier fleet could only be deployed at sea. Once the Mobile City entered inland territory, the carrier would simply have to be stored away in the warehouse to gather dust.
An Aerospace Carrier, however, was an entirely different matter.
Cruising through the skies, it could accompany the Mobile City anywhere while deploying aerial combat units in real time.
Compared side by side, the difference between the two was enormous.
Building an aircraft carrier was nowhere near as easy as it sounded.
It required an immense amount of Level 4 resources.
Li Ye's thinking was simple.
Rather than spending so many resources on an aircraft carrier, it would be better to save them for a Level 5 Aerospace Carrier.
“As a Mobile City Lord, carefully calculating resource consumption is certainly the right mindset,” he said seriously. “Air superiority is important, but naval supremacy is equally indispensable!”
He emphasized one crucial point.
An aircraft carrier fleet could be deployed anywhere across the globe. Once it received orders, it could quickly deliver overwhelming firepower.
“Long-range deployment...” Li Ye murmured thoughtfully.
Fang Ying had indeed reminded him of something important.
An aircraft carrier fleet didn't need to remain beside the Mobile City at all times.
As long as it had a complete crew, it could exist as an independent force operating at sea.
If the Tomorrow Alliance ever wanted to control or attack a continental region, there would be no need to mobilize the entire alliance.
Simply dispatching the aircraft carrier fleet would suffice.
Li Ye finally made up his mind.
“Then we'll build an aircraft carrier.”
However, before gathering the resources, he first needed to determine its scale and organizational structure.
At present, Tomorrow already possessed the capability to establish an aircraft carrier fleet.
Super Galaxy Transport Aircraft.
Shadow Falcon Fighters.
Reconnaissance Aircraft.
Electronic Warfare Aircraft.
Sea Hawk Anti-Submarine Aircraft.
Flight III Destroyers.
Deep Sea Hunter Submarines.
Wavebreaker Destroyers.
Mechanical Squids.
And the Orion Cruiser, which had yet to be constructed.
One thing that disappointed Li Ye greatly was that the Black Rain Bomber could not be deployed aboard an aircraft carrier.
The primary reasons were its size and weight.
Conventional bombers generally had wingspans exceeding forty meters, while an aircraft carrier's flight deck was only seventy to eighty meters wide. Their takeoffs and landings would severely interfere with the operations of other carrier aircraft.
Furthermore, with takeoff weights exceeding two hundred tons, they were far beyond the limits of aircraft carrier catapults and arresting cables.
Bombers also required long runways for takeoff.
An aircraft carrier's runway, however, measured only one to two hundred meters.
Even the aircraft carriers on Blue Star faced the same limitation.
Thinking of this, Li Ye frowned slightly.
Without the Black Rain Bombers, the carrier strike group's combat capability would be greatly reduced.
“A Level 5 Aerospace Carrier should be able to accommodate bombers, right?” he thought.
Unfortunately, Tomorrow was still some distance away from reaching Level 5.
After importing the Blueprint into the Production Workshop, Li Ye summoned both the War Council and the City Committee, instructing them to begin selecting and training personnel for the aircraft carrier.
Generally speaking, a standard aircraft carrier required between two and three thousand personnel, consisting mainly of sailors and aviation crews.
Its organizational departments were also extremely complex.
For example, there was the Ship Operations Department, responsible for navigation, propulsion maintenance, damage control, and firefighting.
The Aviation Department handled flight deck operations, hangar maintenance, and air traffic control.
Meanwhile, the Combat and Support Departments oversaw weapons systems, intelligence, communications, medical care, and logistics.
For Li Ye, transferring two to three thousand personnel from Tomorrow all at once was something he found extremely difficult to accept.
Fortunately, thanks to the Level 4 City Simulation Training Pods, personnel training itself wasn't a problem.
“Maybe Tomorrow needs another recruitment drive,” he thought.
While making preparations, Li Ye also dispatched Reconnaissance Aircraft to survey the entire supermassive cavern.
The Stone Mountain Range alone occupied nearly two-thirds of the cavern's area.
Surely it contained abundant mineral resources and Mutant Creatures.
Meanwhile, Nature H6 focused its efforts on surveying the Stone Mountain Range itself.
Half an hour later, Li Ye received two reports.
First, the Stone Mountain Range contained enormous numbers of mineral veins.
Second, a Monster force had been discovered on the opposite side of the plain.
Judging from the banner they carried, they belonged to the World-class Organization—the War Alliance.
“The War Alliance?” Li Ye asked in surprise. “How large is their force?”
According to the reconnaissance pilots, the enemy consisted of four Level 1 Mobile Cities equipped with full Level 4 configurations, along with a ground force of one to two thousand War Alliance soldiers.
Based on Li Ye's assessment, this appeared to be a Level 4 Mobile City Battle Group.
One Level 4 Assault-type Mobile City supported by several Level 1 Mobile Cities equipped with Level 4 configurations.
Earlier Intelligence had mentioned that the monsters had dispatched forces to attack the Stone Elemental Civilization.
Following that line of reasoning, Li Ye carefully analyzed the situation.
To reach Bedrock Abyss, the monsters must also have activated an Elemental Plane Teleportation Device.
This Level 4 Mobile City Battle Group had likely been randomly teleported here.
“But where is their Level 4 Assault-type Mobile City?” Li Ye wondered.
His eyes swept across the countless tunnels branching throughout the supermassive cavern.
He suddenly understood.
The Level 4 Assault-type Mobile City wasn't necessarily inside this cavern.
It was probably stationed elsewhere.
This Monster force was clearly the advance reconnaissance unit exploring the cavern on its behalf.
After all, a Level 4 Mobile City couldn't travel through these tunnels.
Even Tomorrow had only reached this place through the wormhole.
“It looks like this battle is unavoidable...” Li Ye said quietly.
As long as this War Alliance force remained inside the supermassive cavern, it would pose a constant threat.
Li Ye simply couldn't mine resources or hunt Level 4 Mutant Creatures with peace of mind.
Moreover, the wormhole was one-way.
Retreating through it wasn't an option.
There was still one final choice.
Before the War Alliance attacked, he could activate the Recall Device and withdraw directly to Home Island.
But he clearly wasn't willing to abandon the resources inside the supermassive cavern so easily.
In the end, Li Ye decided to confront the War Alliance force head-on.
Overall, the Tomorrow Alliance held the advantage.
The enemy's Level 4 Assault-type Mobile City wasn't present inside the cavern.
Without it, they couldn't deploy aerial forces.
They had effectively surrendered air superiority to Li Ye.
However, most of Tomorrow's air units were still Level 3.
Only the Shadow Falcon Fighters had been upgraded to Level 4.
Li Ye gathered everyone together and informed them of his decision to wage war against the War Alliance.
After their initial surprise, everyone became eager for battle.
“So when do we attack, Alliance Leader?” Yang Zheng asked.
“One day from now,” Li Ye replied. “We'll strike first while they're still establishing themselves.”
Although he said one day, it would effectively be much longer.
With the Level 4 City Simulation Training Pods, one real day equaled seventy-two days inside the simulations.
That was more than enough time for the participating forces to rehearse countless combat scenarios.
At Li Ye's command, everyone immediately began intensive preparations.
Li Ye himself entered the Simulation Training Pod to oversee battlefield command exercises.
However, only a few hours later, he received unexpected news.
The War Alliance force had already begun advancing toward their position.
“I really didn't expect the enemy to be even more impatient than we were,” Li Ye sighed. “In that case... let's begin.”
The Tomorrow Alliance officially entered battle against the War Alliance.
The primary battlefield was the petrified forest stretching across the center of the petrified plain.
Its complex terrain introduced countless tactical possibilities.
Iron Whale and Stardust immediately advanced.
As usual, Bullfrog Vehicles and Special Forces were deployed across Stardust's deck.
Peacemaker took up position in the rear.
Tomorrow began deploying its combat forces.
From the A1 deck, Vanguard Armed Gunships, Black Hawk Helicopters, Shadow Falcon Fighters, Reconnaissance Aircraft, Electronic Warfare Aircraft, and Swiftblade Mechs launched into the sky one after another.
Leopard 2A7V Main Battle Tanks.
Prometheus.
Leapfrog Mechs.
Rapid Cannon Bikes.
Armored War Bears.
Torrent Heavy Tanks.
Shadow Weaver Tanks.
Acid Maw Individual Combat Mechs.
They all departed in succession.
Watching the massive force march out, Li Ye couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Things were no longer what they once had been.
Tomorrow's military strength had become truly formidable.
And this didn't even include its naval forces.
Based on reports from the reconnaissance pilots, Li Ye confirmed the composition of the War Alliance's five Level 1 Mobile Cities.
Two Assault-type.
One Fire Support-type.
Two Defensive-type.
“Concentrate all firepower! Destroy that Fire Support-type City first!”
As a Level 4-configured Fire Support-type City, its deck was no longer packed with countless cannons.
Instead, it mounted seven Radiance-type Main Cannons.
The fighter pilots suddenly reported that all seven Radiance Main Cannons were slowly elevating their barrels.
Li Ye immediately realized what was happening.
“All aircraft, disperse and retreat immediately! The enemy is about to fire!”
The moment the order was given, Tomorrow's aerial forces scattered and withdrew.
Several seconds later, every Main Cannon aboard the Fire Support-type City fired simultaneously.
At first, only a tiny point of light appeared near the ceiling of the supermassive cavern.
The very next instant, that tiny point expanded into a gigantic sphere of blazing white light.
It was like an imprisoned star breaking free from its shackles.
Its brilliance instantly illuminated the entire supermassive cavern.
Countless crystals refracted rainbow-colored light beneath the overwhelming radiance.
Scarlet flames resembling solar prominences rolled across the surface of the expanding sphere before erupting into a pure white tidal wave intense enough to burn the retina.
The vaporization shockwave swept outward in every direction.
Wherever it passed, centuries of accumulated fluorescent mineral dust ignited like countless stars.
Two aircraft that had failed to retreat in time were engulfed instantly.
They were completely vaporized.
When the explosion subsided, a perfectly circular void nearly one kilometer in diameter had been carved into the airspace above the cavern.
“What terrifying power!”
Li Ye was astonished.
He hadn't expected the War Alliance to possess such overwhelming anti-air capabilities.
The sight reminded him of Vanguard's simultaneous barrage from its Tier 1 Radiance Cannons back in the Twisted Garden.
After the bombardment, the War Alliance's Fire Support-type City activated its City Camouflage and disappeared without a trace.
When Li Ye asked the reconnaissance pilots whether they could still detect its signal, they reported that they had completely lost it.
“So it doesn't just have a camouflage system—it also has signal-jamming equipment?”
Li Ye pondered.
At his command, the Shadow Weaver Support Tank increased its output to maximum.
Rolling black mist rapidly engulfed the battlefield.
With that, the enemy's Fire Support-type City would lose its vision.
If it wanted to fire again, it would have to move around the black mist.
The moment it did so, it would reappear within the Tomorrow Alliance's line of sight.
Otherwise...
It could only bombard blindly from within the mist.
At this very moment, both armies had entered the petrified forest simultaneously.
Intense fighting erupted.
The War Alliance's ground forces were anything but ordinary.
They fielded a complete tank battlegroup supported by two to three thousand War Alliance soldiers.
The soldiers themselves were equipped with full Level 4 gear.
Some even wore Level 4 Steam Battle Armor.
The Tomorrow Alliance fought bravely.
Prometheus took the lead, charging directly into the enemy tank battlegroup and wreaking havoc upon its formation.
Leapfrog Mechs and Rapid Cannon Bikes darted swiftly through the battlefield, conducting hit-and-run attacks.
Torrent Heavy Tanks and Leopard 2A7V Main Battle Tanks fired relentlessly.
The brightest performers, however, were undoubtedly the Armored War Bears.
Roaring ferociously, they pounced upon the enemy and tore through them with savage force.
Occasionally, Tomorrow's aircraft dived from the skies, strafing and bombing the enemy's ground vehicles.
Within moments, the entire petrified forest was engulfed in thick smoke.
As the War Alliance continued advancing, an unexpected development occurred not far away.
A Thunderbolt Transport Vehicle suddenly emerged.
The Acid Maw Individual Combat Mechs riding aboard quickly disembarked and began spraying high-pressure acid in aerosol form.
Large numbers of War Alliance soldiers were caught completely off guard.
They fell one after another while screaming in agony.
Within the forest, the Special Forces once again demonstrated their overwhelming effectiveness.
Using Jetpacks and Grappling Anchors, they maneuvered nimbly through the petrified forest.
Electromagnetic Pulse Grenades disabled enemy ground vehicles, while relentless gunfire swept through the battlefield.
Thanks to the assistance of the Intelligent Fire Control Core, their firearms automatically locked onto targets, dramatically increasing their lethality.
Meanwhile, distant team members quietly raised their Silence Reaper Sniper Rifles.
One enemy after another fell without ever realizing where the shots had come from.
Their priority targets were enemy ground vehicles and Monster soldiers equipped with Steam Battle Armor.
The enemy's Assault-type and Defensive-type Mobile Cities also smashed into the petrified forest.
Powered by their Level 4 Engines and Level 4 wheels and treads, the gigantic petrified trees offered virtually no resistance.
They were knocked down one after another.
Before long, the enemy Mobile Cities had broken through the petrified forest and continued charging toward the rear of the Tomorrow Alliance's formation.
Their objective was obvious.
They intended to locate and destroy the hidden Level 4 Assault-type Human Mobile City—
Tomorrow.
“So they've abandoned the battle inside the petrified forest and switched to a decapitation strike?”
Li Ye's expression changed slightly.
“Yang Zheng! Lin Wu! Stop them!”
Upon receiving the order, Peacemaker immediately opened fire.
Cannons.
Missile launchers.
Electromagnetic Railguns.
Everything fired simultaneously.
The four Level 1 Mobile Cities were instantly swallowed by massive explosions.
Yet relying upon evasive maneuvers and their Level 4 City Armor, every one of them withstood the bombardment.
Seeing one Assault-type City steadily taking the lead as it drew closer, Li Ye finally spoke.
“It's time, Fang Yong.”
The space surrounding the Assault-type City suddenly distorted.
Its high-speed charge came to an abrupt halt.
Not far away...
Iron Whale deactivated its City Camouflage and revealed itself.
The Gravitational Wave Controller mounted upon its deck had already been activated.