Chaptet 606.1: The Irresistable Bait

North of Brocade Lake Municipality, in an old residential settlement.

Two Viper transport planes flew in one after the other, landing on the empty ground beside the collapsed wall at the entrance of the Qi Tribe.

Most of the Burning Corps members were equipped with lightweight protective gear of at least the Type 5 Light Cavalry exoskeleton. A single Viper could only carry 10 to 15 of them.

To ferry all 500 players of the Burning Corps back to the Heart of Steel more than 60 kilometers away, just those two aircraft would have to make several round trips.

Honestly speaking, most players did not really want to go back.

The event was about to end, and everyone wanted to rack up more points on the front line.

Besides, the idea that Mutant Humans might ambush the Heart of Steel was only Spring Water Commander’s speculation. It was not a certainty.

Old White did not force anyone either, since the aircraft capacity was insufficient to begin with.

Other than a few veteran players of higher rank in the Burning Corps, the rest chose what they wanted to do, whoever wanted to return could follow. Whoever wanted to stay could remain at the front.

Truth be told, even Old White was not very sure of what to expect.

The possibility that Mutant Humans might attack the Heart of Steel sounded a little far-fetched, something even the Army would not bother to attempt.

The key problem was... There was no airfield nearby!

Perhaps Spring Water Commander was just overthinking?

“Will Mutant Humans really come?” Sitting in the cabin, Night Ten muttered under his breath as he felt a wave of unease hit him.

“No one knows. Everything we do now is just precaution for the bigger picture.” Ample Time glanced at his VM screen. The mission log had no related updates, maybe they were really just overthinking.

Still, unease lingered in his heart.

As for why...

Perhaps as Spring Water Commander said, their offensive had gone almost too smoothly. In just four days, they had wiped out the Qi Tribe’s main base.

And what was bizarre was that those Mutant Humans still clung desperately to the Torch Church-controlled Champion Biopharmaceutical Research Institute.

It was hard not to suspect that those zealots had promised them some kind of benefit, or still held one or two trump cards in reserve.

Just then, a hand suddenly reached into the cabin, grabbed the door handle, and with a grunt, a figure climbed in.

Seeing Jiang Xuezhou carrying a suitcase, Night Ten froze, blurting out instinctively, “What are you doing here?”

“Heading back to the airship, of course,” Jiang Xuezhou looked at him strangely, as if he had asked something stupid. “Sample collection has finished. If I don’t return to the airship, am I supposed to stay here?”

She wasn’t wrong.

The Academy’s Researcher hadn’t come to fight for the New Alliance but to study Na Fruit and the synthetic monsters created by the Torch Church, searching for scientific solutions.

That EMP missile strike against the precision jammer was just her showing off. He almost forgot she wasn’t a combatant.

Watching her buckle her seatbelt without needing a reminder, Night Ten found himself unable to refute her. But remembering what players had been discussing on the forums, he couldn’t help but advise, “You... Maybe you should stay here.”

Jiang Xuezhou glared at him. “What nonsense are you talking about, staying here? I don’t want to spend the night in this place! If anyone’s staying, you stay!”

Not only was there no proper bed, the whole camp reeked of filth, filled with all kinds of unpleasant things. She certainly didn’t want to have nightmares that night.

He actually had the heart to leave her overnight in the dump!

Her good mood soured as she thought about it, anger rising.

From her expression, it was clear she misunderstood him. Night Ten, helpless, was about to explain that it was for her safety, but then remembered that the Mutant Humans attacking the Heart of Steel was only a forum theory, not something that has been confirmed.

And forums, and forum discussions, were hard to explain. After thinking for a moment, he gave up on explaining and nodded helplessly. “Alright then.”

Seeing his reluctant face, Jiang Xuezhou rolled her eyes. “Do I need your approval? I already applied with your Administrator! Who do you think this plane was waiting for?”

Watching from the side, Ample Time and Gale barely suppressed their laughter. Night Ten’s expression was so embarrassed he had to quickly change the subject.

“Uh... where’s your Wangy-2?”

“Oh, I left it here,” Jiang Xuezhou answered casually. “I’ll be coming back anyway, no need to lug it back and forth. Besides, it wouldn’t fit in the plane anyway, so I just left it.”

That thing was about a third the size of a Chimera, definitely not convenient to move around. Night Ten had no rebuttal.

Still, he was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected her to be so considerate...

As they talked, the cabin doors closed, and with the roar of plasma engines, the two Vipers rose into the night sky.

Jiang Xuezhou covered her ears, while Night Ten’s eyes wandered uneasily, landing on the misty night beyond the porthole.

But then, staring at that gray haze, he frowned slightly and nudged Ample Time with his elbow.

“Do you hear something?”

Ample Time froze, frowning.

“... Something?”

“Yeah.”

Night Ten closed his eyes, nodded slowly, and said uncertainly. “Kinda sounded like...”

Everyone turned toward him at once, except Jiang Xuezhou, who didn’t understand the language he was using.

After he listened carefully for a while, Gale asked seriously.

“Sounded like what?”

Night Ten opened his eyes, voice carrying a hint of certainty.

“... Like wings beating!”

...

On the bridge of the Heart of Steel.

Standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, Chu Guang silently gazed into the gray night outside.

Little Seven perched on his shoulder, whispering into his ear, reporting what it had just gathered from the forums.

At that moment, the hatch behind him opened, and an officer strode in, saluting smartly. “Report! Active jamming signals detected from the direction of Brocade Lake Municipality!”

The so-called active jamming was different from passive means like chaff. It involved actively flooding the radar with wide-band electromagnetic signals to drown out echoes, making friendly aircraft invisible.

A crude but vivid analogy would be shining a blinding flashlight into someone’s eyes.

The Heart of Steel’s radar system was extremely advanced, capable of spotting birds 100 kilometers away. Since its emitters were airborne, it had almost no blind spots, functioning like a shielded, long-endurance Airborne Warning and Control System.

The enemy clearly had no confidence in fooling the Heart of Steel’s eyes, so they resorted to brute force. But that also exposed their intent and the presence of active jamming.

“The bait is hooked, then.” Chu Guang smiled faintly, his expression sharpening as he gave the next order. “Relay my command. All units to full alert, all gun crews load and stand by. Carrier air wing, prepare to board and be ready for launch!”

“Also, have the radar teams continue to locate the jamming device. Once found, destroy it immediately!”

“Yes, sir!” The officer saluted solemnly and hurried out.

Chu Guang turned to the captain beside him. “Since our enemies have already taken position, I have every reason to believe they’re fully prepared. Do not underestimate them. I trust in your ability. I am leaving the command of this airship in your hands.”

After the crucible of battles in the Sunset Province, he had considerable confidence in the captain he had promoted.

Normally, Chu Guang only handled strategic deployments. Unless players came up with ideas requiring NPC coordination, he rarely intervened in frontline command.

He preferred leaving the tactical details and execution to professionals.

Feeling honored by the administrator’s trust, the captain nodded firmly, pressing his right fist to his chest. “Leave it to me. I won’t let you down!”

But after saying that, he hesitated, then couldn’t help but add, “Administrator... forgive me for speaking out of turn, but if the Torch Church really intends to target the Heart of Steel, this place may not be safe. I suggest you consider withdrawing for now.”

He wasn’t worried about his own safety, he had accepted death the moment he boarded the airship. But the Heart of Steel did not only carry him.

If anything happened to the administrator, it would be a loss to the entire New Alliance.

Clearly, he wasn’t the only one thinking that way. Lu Bei, who was usually quiet, also stepped forward, speaking with rare initiative and loyalty. “Sir, I feel the same! Your safety...”

Meeting their earnest gazes, Chu Guang only smiled faintly. “No need to worry for me. I can take care of myself. Those pests aren’t enough to make me run.”

It wasn’t recklessness. Mainly, both Vipers transport planes hadn’t returned. Staying on the ground wasn’t necessarily safer.

Besides, what would it look like if he ran at the first sign of trouble?

Would the administrator have no dignity?

Seeing them about to say more, Chu Guang, for once, cut them off with unyielding authority. “Enough. Me standing here means I have absolute confidence in you. Your job is not to persuade me otherwise, but to be yourselves, to do what you must do now!”

“Go. Do it.”

“I will be here to witness your valor!”

His words rang out with finality.

The reply came in a chorus of high-spirited cheers.

“We will complete the mission!”

Fighting spirit blazed in their eyes.

The trace of unease and hesitation before facing the unknown threat was burned away completely by the flame.

Even if born of good intentions, such emotions had no place in them now.

From the communications officer to the adjutant to the captain, everyone clenched their fists unconsciously, including the guards standing behind Chu Guang.

They had faith they could defeat any foe, no matter who it was!

Not only for honor and belief, but because that towering figure always stood shoulder to shoulder with them.

A voiceless cry thundered in their minds.

For the administrator!

For the New Alliance!

...