Chapter 440.1: Ready To Fire

Petra Fortress.

Under the escort of two light pickup trucks, Count Losjin, who shared a motorcycle with a servant, drove out of the city with a grim face.

Resting his arm on the car window, the captain of the guard in the passenger seat of the pickup waved to signal the driver to speed up and get closer. He leaned out the window towards Count Losjin and said with a smile, "If you need help, remember to shout loudly. We're not petty people. We'll come to help."

"No need for your help! I'd be thankful if you'd just keep your distance!" Losjin glanced at the machine gun in the back of the pickup and winced, then turned his face to shout over the howling wind, "Can you put that thing away? We're not going to war... Are you trying to kill me? What if our distant friends get the wrong idea?"

The guard captain and the driver exchanged a puzzled look, not quite understanding his point, but they ultimately complied with his odd request.

He reached out the window, tapping on the roof. "Put away the machine gun."

"Yes!" At the captain's command, the gunner in the back of the pickup skillfully dismantled the 10mm heavy machine gun from its mount.

The other pickup did the same.

Meanwhile, both pickups slowed down and maintained a distance from Count Losjin, who was riding ahead on the motorcycle. Seeing the pickups pull away, Losjin finally heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly.

Despite his reservations about Lord Sien's orders and knowing that the pack of wolves was ruthless, his heart still harbored a sliver of hope.

What if there was some misunderstanding between the two sides?

If he could beautifully resolve the misunderstanding, turning their cannons into bread for the fortress, he would undoubtedly become their hero! He might even be the hero who saved their kingdom!

The nobility of Petra Fortress always dreamt of achieving republican autonomy like Silvermoon City to the south, freeing themselves from feudal contracts.

The mercenary families who supported the royal family were the biggest obstacle.

If he could use the opportunity to forge a friendly agreement with the Army, perhaps his family's long-standing wishes could be fulfilled! There was certainly risk involved, but it was also an opportunity.

"Speed up!" Regaining his courage, Count Losjin resumed his spirited demeanor, looking at the dashboard and urging the servant riding it. "What, did you skip breakfast? Or did you not fill up the bike? Why are we only going 40 miles per hour?"

"Lord... The road conditions here only allow us to travel so quickly. Any faster and we might go flying into the earth..." The servant replied with a wry smile.

"Useless thing." Losjin muttered a curse, knowing that urging was useless, so he stopped talking.

The convoy, consisting of two pickups and one motorcycle, soon approached the area close to the Lost Valley.

Crossing the layered sand dunes and looking at the valley that appeared intermittently in the horizon, Losjin felt his heartbeat accelerate.

"There... Right up there!” He shouted.

Both pickups behind him drew closer, and the guard captain leaned out the window and shouted, "Do you want us to follow?"

"No need! Wait here for me! I'll be back soon!" With that, Losjin urged his servant to increase speed and continue forward.

Though the thought of approaching the Army's camp made the servant's shoulders tremble, he dared not disobey the count's order and reluctantly twisted the throttle.

The dust kicked up by the tires soon drew attention from the opposite side. Before long, two three-wheeled motorcycles approached from nearby.

Seeing the Army's flag, Losjin’s face lit up. He was about to wave and shout when suddenly two gunshots rang out from the other side. The bullets whizzed by, landing in the sand next to them, causing the servant driving the motorcycle to quickly swerve and turn back the way they came.

Losjin was completely shocked, not expecting the other side to shoot without warning. He yelled loudly, "Don't shoot! I am Count Losjin of Petra Fortress! There might be some misunderstanding between us! Why don't we sit down and talk?"

However, the only response was more gunfire.

Those people didn't say a word and opened fire on sight. As they closed to about a hundred meters, the machine gunner in the passenger seat of the three-wheeled motorcycle pulled the trigger.

“Ratatatata....”

The thick tongues of fire spat out, and bullets chaotically whizzed over the sand dunes. Though they lacked accuracy, the sheer volume was overwhelming. A sudden sharp pain in his leg made Losjin tremble all over, nearly fainting as he collapsed onto the servant's back.

"Lord? Are you alright?"

Looking at his blood-soaked left leg, Losjin managed to stammer out a few words. "Quick... Let's get out of here!"

The off-road capabilities of the three-wheeled motorcycles were somewhat inferior to those of two-wheeled ones, but fortunately, the guard captain who had come with him heard the gunfire and came to support in time.

Remounting their machine guns, both pickups stopped on the nearest sand dune, and the gunners awkwardly cocked their guns and unleashed the heavy machine gun's firepower on the three-wheeled motorcycle crossing the dune.

Dust plumes erupted in the desert, and the leading three-wheeled motorcycle was instantly riddled with bullets.

The driver was killed instantly, and both passengers jumped off, using the motorcycle as cover to return fire with rifles towards the pickups on the sand dune. But they couldn't withstand the fierce firepower of the heavy machine gun and soon met the same fate as their driver.

The other three-wheeled motorcycle managed to escape.

Taking advantage of the pursuers being suppressed by gunfire, Count Losjin's servant, riding the motorcycle, desperately fled toward the direction of the two pickups.

The master on his back was already silent. Just a moment ago, it seemed he had been shot in the back again.

A flare rose from the desert's reverse slope, and the guard captain sitting in the passenger seat frowned, stretching his right fist out the window and waving it backward.

"Retreat!"

...

In the camp not far away...

Watching the flares rise into the sky and hearing the nearby gunfire, McClennan who was standing on the airport runway furrowed his brows and picked up binoculars to look west, but could see nothing.

It was too far away.

He asked the officer standing beside him, "What's happening over there?"

The officer was clearly unaware of the situation, but responded quickly, "That's the area Wester is responsible for patrolling today."

McClennan put down his binoculars and growled. "Call him over here."

"Yes!" The officer turned and left.

It wasn't long before a burly man came over and stood at attention to salute. "Report! There are two pickups and one motorcycle to the west, likely a caravan from the distant oasis. They've killed three of our men from the reserve army... I've already sent men to pursue them."

Hearing that only a few soldiers in the reserve army had died, McClennan didn't inquire further. There had been many clueless traders venturing into their territory recently. “Don't bother with the caravans. Tell your men not to chase too far, and keep an eye on patrolling within the defensive zone. A plane is coming soon."

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Yes!" Wester saluted and ran off.

Watching his departing figure, McClennan slightly frowned. For some reason, a sense of unease crept into his heart. But the strange emotion quickly dissipated with the appearance of a silvery figure on the horizon.

The temporary control tower by the runway received a landing request.

The long, silver plane, with a wingspan of several tens of meters, approached the runway. Quickly lowering its landing gear, it landed amidst rolling dust.

The plane stopped beside the runway as the stairs were lowered. Ground personnel hurriedly surrounded it with forklifts and fuel trucks.

The valuable jet plane couldn't possibly be left to members of the reserve army. The pilots were all noble men with big noses!

Two pilots descended the stairs and came before McClennan to salute, one of them puffing out his chest and reporting, "Captain of the 11th Air Squadron of the First Division, H55 chief pilot Kaylen reporting for duty!"

McClennan returned the salute, looking at the plane beside him, his eyes gleaming. That was a H55 Hurricane bomber!

It had twin jet engines, and its fuselage was made of specialty alloy steel. It could reach a maximum speed of Mach 2!

Although the Army’s headquarters command designated it as a tactical bomber to support front-line troops, due to its high-strength armor and durability, as well as the powerful engines, it could also perform strategic bombing missions.

It was known as the flying tank... Or the butcher's scalpel!

Following the Hurricane bomber, which had just landed, was another plane responsible for its escort... Or rather, to draw fire in its place! It was the H44 Cutlass Fighter.

Compared to the Hurricane, it was much smaller. Not only did it only have a single jet engine, but it was also made from lighter titanium alloy.

Although the fighter was designed to contend for air superiority and handle high-threat targets that propeller planes couldn't manage, because the equipment was designed by a research institute under the Army, its ground support capabilities were also not weak. The 20mm guns mounted on the nose had an astonishing ammo capacity of 2,000 rounds, and under the wings were two pretty expensive guided bombs.

As for why they didn’t mount air-to-air missiles... That was because they hadn’t seen other planes in the Sunset Province!

If it was known that the River Valley Province had the New Alliance... If they learned that the Pioneer was heading to the desert to find Shelter 0, the Army might have prepared something from the west.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

McClennan extended his hand and firmly shook hands with both pilots, expressing his delight. "The stage is set for you! Let those bugs see what real hell is!"

Kaylen grinned, shaking the unfortunate general's hand. "That's exactly what I came here to do."

Although Griffin hadn't delayed informing McClennan of the full plan, after so many years of collaboration, McClennan could tell what that cunning skunk was up to by the way he pouted his rear. Undoubtedly, what was mounted on the Hurricane bomber was a nuclear bomb! One with a yield of a megaton!

At that moment, a few sporadic gunshots came from nearby, and Kaylen instinctively turned his head to look westward. "What's going on?"

McClennan said with a smile. "Probably just some trash from the wasteland. We're near Oasis No.4, don't worry about them... Those cowards wouldn't dare mess with us. Oh, and before I came here, I got a few bottles of red wine from that stinky...

Ahem,

old man Griffin, do you want to try some?"

Kaylen quickly waved his hand to decline.

"No thanks... I've got a mission tonight, and I'd rather save that fine wine for after we return!"