CHAPTER 878: CHAPTER 878: COUNTERATTACK!

Shelter No. 404, browsing room on Floor B4.

The holographic screen floating above the coffee table was showing footage of the airship’s crash, including the sea of fire that bloomed after its fall.

Heya clicked her tongue, casually remarked how cruel it was, and then turned away from the browsing room to return to her lab to continue her work.

War was not something she was interested in.

And graviton-related technology was not her domain of research either.

As for Yin Fang, he stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at those two airships, seemingly calculating something in his mind.

Sitting on the sofa, Chu Guang also watched the holographic screen, though his focus was somewhat different from ordinary people.

For instance, he first noticed that the growth curve of the airship’s descent speed was not uniform; its acceleration kept changing, with considerable fluctuations up and down.

This was actually easy to understand.

Firstly, the deflection shield’s efficiency on different materials is variable, generally speaking, the higher the atomic number, the stronger the deflection effect.

The deflection shield is based on graviton interference, and the Gravity Well operates on similar principles. Similarly, one could infer that materials with higher atomic numbers are more affected by gravitons, and the macroscopic interference effect is stronger.

For example, metal would fall faster than carbon-based life forms.

Moreover, the uneven change in the acceleration of the airship’s descent might also relate to the uneven distribution of gravitons on the Gravity Well’s surface to some degree.

Besides, the airship itself also experienced some air resistance during acceleration.

But delving deeper into this issue becomes too academic and outside his realm of knowledge.

Just when Chu Guang wanted to ask Yin Fang what his thoughts were, Yin Fang suddenly released his crossed arms, sighed, and said.

"...I never thought the Academy’s database stored such technology."

Chu Guang didn’t find it odd since he had encountered stranger things in this world for longer.

"Is there anything special about this technology? I mean... compared to other devices based on graviton manipulation like deflection shields and anti-gravity devices."

"Well... you got me there. Let me put it this way, theoretically speaking, we could use Gravity Well to create a singularity with infinite density..." Sneaking a glance to see whether Chu Guang understood, Yin Fang paused for a moment before continuing, "To say it another way, it can not only alter the forces between macroscopic objects but can also be used to create black holes."

Chu Guang did in fact catch the meaning.

In simplified terms, it’s a force capable of destroying planets.

"But it shouldn’t be easy, right? From an energy consumption standpoint."

Yin Fang nodded.

"It definitely isn’t easy; to create a black hole sufficient to swallow a star system, you’d probably need a star-sized reactor... Of course, that’s just my conjecture; I can’t give definitive answers without experimental validation."

Perhaps in the distant future, deeper insights into gravitons might emerge, potentially eliminating the need for star-level reactors.

Much like how a long time ago, fusing two atoms was deemed impossible, yet now we can harness that force to create usable energy.

During the Prosperity Epoch, United Human only touched the edge of graviton-related technology, and most of the devices developed based on these immature theories were blind guesses; they hadn’t really grasped the invisible dimension.

"...To be honest, what surprises me the most is that the Academy actually handed over such technology to us."

Chu Guang asked.

"Is there a problem with that?"

Yin Fang nodded, expressing a complex emotion.

"Of course, and it’s a big problem... Because compared to technologies like plasma or electromagnetic acceleration, this technology reaching singularity poses the greatest threat to them."

After a pause, he continued.

"Neither missiles nor railguns can stop a starship equipped with a warp engine and deflection shield, but gravity can. With slight modifications, this technology can not only close the hyperspace passage of the Earth-Moon system but also pull starships hovering in high orbit back to the ground."

To Yin Fang, this was the most unbelievable aspect.

The Academy handed a potential threat, tantamount to a dagger that could kill itself, to the Alliance.

Given the usual behavior of those folks, it was almost instinctive for Yin Fang to suspect whether there was a trap behind this or other moves hidden by the Academy.

After Yin Fang’s exposition, a slight surprised expression appeared on Chu Guang’s face, but soon, it was replaced by an amused smile.

"Perhaps it was a judgment call on their part after weighing pros and cons."

Although ironically nuanced, the Academy indeed knew him well.

Just like they anticipated his involvement after assessing the situation in Brocade River Province, they were confident that he wouldn’t misuse this epoch-making technology.

If the probability of risk occurrence is zero, the risk itself becomes negligible, leaving only benefits.

Both parties could gain what they wanted from each other.

The Alliance needed the Academy’s technology to transform the decaying old world, while the Academy required the Alliance to construct their ark to the new world.

In reality, their gamble paid off.

Chu Guang wasn’t interested in harming others without benefiting himself.

Or maybe this wasn’t exactly a gamble, but more an open strategy.

The imagery in the holographic screen continued, but it soon turned monotonous, leaving only the blazing fire.

Like Heya, whose curiosity was satisfied, Yin Fang didn’t stay in the browsing room for the spectacle and turned to his tasks.

Unlike some mischievous fellow, Chu Guang didn’t care to watch the grotesque writhings of the Weilante people in the flames, so he turned off the screen.

Most of them were ordinary people swept by the times.

The ones truly deserving of demise weren’t in this blaze, and judgment on them lay beyond its conclusion.

Resting her cheeks in her hands, Xiao Qi sat on the pen holder in silence until the browsing room fell into quiet again and sighed softly.

"...I don’t know how many people this inferno will kill."

"No idea, maybe ten thousand, or maybe tens of thousands,"

Offering this offhand remark, Chu Guang’s attention suddenly fell on another report lying at the table’s corner.

It was the report on the West Sail Port massacre, from several months ago.

Back then, this report was among a pile of documents on his desk; most were archived, yet this paper remained.

Due to many events over time, he even forgot why he left this document here originally.

Chu Guang reached out to take the paper and perused it.

The fire that took three thousand lives seemed to be the catalyst for everything.

And the price paid by the Weilante people in this fire was far beyond that number...

...

As Chu Guang turned off the holographic screen, the fire continued to rage fiercely in the west suburbs of Tiandu.

Though Commander Ryan issued the retreat order, retreat did not mean surrender, and the Weilante soldiers withdrawing from the explosion center hadn’t abandoned resistance.

To cover the strategic retreat of the main forces, small groups from the Southern Legion remained at their posts, putting up tough resistance against the advancing Poluo Country army and Alliance volunteers.

However, without artillery support and air force aid, such resistance was largely futile.

Confronted by the Goblin Corps’ relentless bombs and the howling rocket artillery, those hundred-member teams left behind to cover weren’t able to hold for even five minutes before being surrounded by Poluo Country soldiers.

In an abandoned small village.

The face of Ten Thousand Leader Peteruk from the 311th thousand team was marked by unsettled expressions.

An hour ago, he had escaped here with the security team under the cover of two hundred-member teams.

However, just as he barely caught his breath, the sound of gunfire crackled outside, followed by the roar of machine guns and the whistling of rotors above.

The alliance’s air force was relentlessly pursuing them, along with the Poluo Country soldiers chasing with rifles in hand.

Those guys seemed determined to reclaim all the frustration from earlier, leaving them no chance to breathe.

Peteruk watched as a burst of orange-yellow bullets descended from the sky, crushing the tile-roofed house directly in front of his window, not a single soldier inside escaped.

The defense line had a breach blown through it.

No time to mourn for the fallen comrades, two machine gunners stepped on the rubble and rushed up, colliding head-on with Poluo Country soldiers, sparking intense firefights in the alley.

Under the cover of guards, Peteruk moved to another half-collapsed cowshed.

The chaotic battle made him involuntarily widen his eyes, filled with fear.

The adjutant beside him gasped for air, drawing a handgun and chambering a round, glancing towards the direction of gunfire occasionally.

Yet the gunfire didn’t come from just one direction, but from all around.

"Damn it! There are people everywhere outside!"

The adjutant groaned with a tremble, his dirt-stained face also marked with terror.

Peteruk grabbed the communications officer beside him, shouting at him.

"What about the command center? Have you contacted them yet?!"

The communications officer shook his head nervously, stammering in response.

"Not yet... Their radio might have some issues."

"Damn it!"

Peteruk cursed under his breath, glancing at the meteors streaking across the sky, then turned his gaze forward.

"Staying here means waiting for death! We must find a way to break through!"

The adjutant nodded nervously but said nothing.

This was obvious.

The problem was how to break through...

Just as everyone was like ants on a hot pan, the distant houses and courtyard walls collapsed with a bang.

Towering steel armor and tracks rolled in from the front like a bulldozer blade.

Seeing the rising gun barrel and menacing coaxial machine guns, everyone’s faces instantly lost all color.

A head poked out from the gun turret, arms rested on the hatch, Mole holding the speaker’s mic shouted at the Weylent military officers.

"Listen up, drop your weapons and surrender."

"This is your last chance, I’m giving you three seconds to think about it."

Mole cleared his throat, preparing to count down.

But before he could count to one, Peteruk immediately threw his handgun to the ground, snatched the adjutant’s gun beside him, and tossed it in front of the tracks as well.

"I surrender!"

Shouting towards the person on the turret, Peteruk raised his hands in the perplexed gaze of the officers beside him.

He recognized this tank’s appearance.

Surrendering to the alliance’s forces was better than being captured by Poluo Country’s soldiers.

Seeing this sensible guy, Mole smirked slightly.

"Buddy, you’re lucky to run into us."

Catching live ones can earn big points, the higher the rank, the more points.

The expansion pack reward points can eventually be exchanged for money and contribution points, so generally, for live captures, the players wouldn’t give prisoners much of a hard time, especially the veteran players.

But it was different with the neighboring allied forces, getting beaten up badly was the least of it.

Leaving those words behind, Mole had no time to observe the expression on the prisoners’ faces, diving back into the turret and closing the hatch.

Subsequently, several players armed with assault rifles emerged from behind the tank, detaining those Weylent military officers with their hands on their heads one by one.

All prisoners were gathered in the center of the village, guarded by two squads of players.

The remaining players boarded the armored personnel carriers, continuing to advance with the tanks.

The Goblin Corps’ aircraft had already marked the next location for them, with a pile of walking contribution points waiting ahead for them to collect.

Meanwhile, shortly after the Skeleton Corps left the village, not far from the village, a hapless group of Weylent people were caught by General Pickley’s security detail.

Two hundred people surrounded twenty, leaving no gap in the encirclement.

The twenty Weylent lads behind the barricades attempted three breakouts, but apart from leaving three corpses, to no avail.

Seeing reinforcements were late, and their ammo exhausted, the 17 lads’ faces slowly turned from resolute to despair.

Resistance had lost its meaning.

Ultimately, someone realized reality, tried tossing his rifle out of the trench, shouting while raising hands, attempting to climb out to surrender.

However, just as he shouted the surrender words, before he could climb out of the trench, he was struck on the head by the rifle thrown back.

"Dammit! Who gave you permission to surrender! Pick up those guns!"

"Aren’t you all pretty tough? Then keep fighting!"

Personally picking up the rifle and tossing it back, Pickley cursed while inserting his sidearm into its holster, then snatched the rifle with bayonet from a guard.

"Fix bayonets!!!"

The sudden shout startled the adjutant beside him.

No time to stop him.

Seeing that lunatic charging, he could only shout "charge," then hurriedly followed.

In the lead of General Pickley, the 200-men guard charged with roaring fury, chopping the seventeen Weylent lads hiding in the trench into mincemeat.

Personally engaged, Pickley was completely filled with a bloodlust.

When he descended from the front lines carrying a head, he was captured right on camera by the accompanying journalist.

Seeing the camera aimed at him, Pickley even smiled.

That blood-drenched figure, like a god of death emerging from hell.

This guy really was ruthless enough.

There were quite a few Poluo Country officers daring to lead charges personally, but very few attendants dared to charge into the fray with bayonets like him, at least his boss, General Duwata, would never dare.

The wildfire burning on the barren field lasted the entire night, charring the earth black, melting steel into molten iron, only stopping reluctantly at dawn.

According to alliance battle reports, in just this single battle, the Southern Legion suffered over 40,000 casualties, with losses of over 1,200 heavy and light vehicles.

For Poluo Country, who endured pressure for months, this battle was indeed a vent for resentment!

By 8 AM, the last stubborn thousand team also declared surrender.

Upon hearing the victory news from the front lines, Absek, who hadn’t slept all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief, energetically stepping out of the Governor’s Mansion basement.

Yet before he could celebrate, a piece of bad news came from the Heavenly Palace.

That Heavenly Palace suspended tens of meters in the air would collapse in just another 24 hours...