Chapter 154: Surprise Assault

Three chapters in one, vote support is appreciated!

The torrential rain poured down violently. The front and rear decks of the Shark suddenly resounded with roaring engines as the metal defensive plates slowly opened up. Six Longbow helicopters were lifted up by the elevators, and immediately, the propellers of each aircraft began to spin, rising into the air within mere seconds.

This type of Longbow helicopter was characterized by extreme agility and a unique takeoff method: the tail would lift first, then the fuselage would clear the ground, and the nose would dip downward at an angle, soaring rapidly into mid-air like a diving bird.

The sudden ascent of the Longbows stunned the commander of the Chiyoda, "Bawangwan." He had never imagined that the opposing side possessed such an awesome piece of machinery.

Hovering in mid-air, the six Longbows closed in on the Chiyoda to form a semicircle. Then, the twelve XM-230 machine guns mounted on their wings began spitting fierce tongues of fire. The muzzle flashes cut through the night sky like golden-yellow longswords, and 30mm armor-piercing shells rained down overwhelmingly. Because the bullets were so dense, the bright trajectories they carved through the air were clearly visible.

The front deck of the Chiyoda was peppered everywhere, the steel plating peeled back under the onslaught. The debris kicked up by the shattering metal formed a white mist, testifying to the sheer ferocity of the machine guns' firepower. Of course, it had its flaws as well: the rate of fire was twenty rounds per second, meaning a hundred-round belt would be depleted in just a few seconds. Moreover, since the guns were mounted on the wings, their ballistic trajectory formed a "T" shape designed for carpet-bombing devastation.

Although the machine guns created a dense coverage net, the actual damage inflicted was not overwhelming. Dune Witch reported the data: "Chiyoda damage rate at 18.4%."

Azure Star gazed into the distance and said coldly, "Notify Little Sprite and Angel to fire the Hellfire missiles."

The helicopters paused in mid-air. A streak of arrow-like flame erupted from the wings—propelled by the rocket motors at the tails of the missiles—and then six radar-targeted, laser-guided air-to-ground missiles surged toward the Chiyoda from all directions. Their airborne trajectories converged like a closing folding fan. This time, it wasn't just a single shot drawing blood; it was a barrage drawing fire.

The Hellfires were characterized by extreme range, blistering speed, and moderate destructive power, generating intense flames upon detonation.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The colossal fiery explosions ignited the sea surface itself. Massive detonations erupted across the Chiyoda's deck, hull, superstructure, and cabins, sparking fires in multiple locations. The entire vessel was engulfed in blazing infernos.

Dune Witch cheered, "Damage rate at 42.4%. Their shipborne radar has been taken out."

This spectacle elicited thunderous cheers from those aboard the Longwind. Although Azure Star was also ecstatic, her expression remained stoic: "Machine guns, maintain cover. Engage full speed ahead and ram them to finish them off. Warrior squad, prepare for boarding operations."

Wuhu nodded. Azure Star had not been blinded by victory. This time, Qimen Corporation had prepared twelve Hellfires for the six Longbows, specifically intended for dealing with bosses. Due to structural constraints and the need to preserve the Longbows' agile flight characteristics, each helicopter was only permitted to carry a single missile at a time; after firing, it had to return to the warship to reload.

According to Mr. Iron, a single Hellfire missile was valued at 100,000 credit points—essentially blowing up items more expensive than the target itself. Therefore, these missiles were conserved whenever possible. Ultimately, no matter how formidable missiles were, players remained supreme. The Longwind served as a classic example right now. It was about to collide with the Itsukushima, with the distance between the two ships shrinking to less than a hundred meters.

The Shark also charged directly at the Chiyoda. Japanese players fought desperately with shipboard artillery to resist, but such resistance was futile. With over half their warship damaged, their morale had plummeted significantly. Once the Shark's propulsion boost system was activated, its speed surged to a staggering eighty knots. There was simply no possibility of the Chiyoda escaping.

Azure Star personally armed herself for battle, standing on the ship's side wielding a giant sword, her silver armor gleaming brightly. Her gaze was steadfast and cold, completely ignoring the pounding rain. The rest of the crew was similarly high-spirited, their morale soaring like a rainbow, eagerly awaiting the moment they could board the enemy vessel for a slaughter.

Dancing Angel piloted her helicopter back. Wuhu stood below and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Little sis, don't land! Hoist me up."

Dancing Angel stuck her head out, recognized Wuhu, and immediately yelled, "Handsome big brother, what are you up to now? Don't tell me you're wire-walking again?"

Wuhu shouted back, "Hook me across! The Longwind over there is barely holding on. If they go down, we're finished even if we manage to wreck the Chiyoda."

Azure Star gave the decisive order: "Send him over!"

Dancing Angel nodded. Wuhu hurriedly pulled out his multi-purpose tactical watch, fired a steel wire cable, and suspended himself below. Longbow No. 1 hoisted him and took to the air once more.

Tu Tu remarked, "Crazy bro really has guts. Is he going over there alone to seek death?"

Cango beside him chuckled, "If anyone else went over alone, it'd definitely be a death sentence, but with him, it's hard to tell. This kid is naturally full of crazy ideas; maybe he can actually pull it off."

Tu Tu nodded, half-doubtful.

The night was dim and the torrential rain was fierce.

The Longbow hovering in mid-air resembled an agile dragonfly circling the Itsukushima. The gunmen below continuously fired upward into the sky, but it was utterly useless. Unlike transport aircraft, the Longbow was manufactured using advanced technological energy, and ordinary gunfire couldn't even breach its fuel tanks.

After circling a few times, Dancing Angel felt that low-altitude dive-firing was too difficult and failed to provide adequate cover for the Longwind. However, upon seeing Wuhu suspended by the steel wire beneath the Longbow, Xiaoyao realized that the Shark had come to provide cover for them.

"Hit the front deck! Hit the front deck!" Xiaoyao screamed over the comms.

This command was also overheard by the Japanese players. Yagyu Jubei inwardly sighed, recognizing that these opponents were exceptionally formidable. Once the front deck was breached and the Longwind closed in to board within minutes, things would spell disaster. Following a rapid series of orders, the Akitsu immediately maneuvered over, subjecting the Longwind to a crossfire caught between two ships.

Having cooperated with Wuhu on several major missions, Dancing Angel was quick-witted. Hearing Xiaoyao's shout, she understood he wanted her to circle around to the rear deck of the Itsukushima.

More than a dozen gunmen holding rifles had crowded onto the rear deck, firing desperately at Wuhu.

Wuhu laughed loudly in mid-air, "Hey kids, try this on for size!" With that, he tossed down a cola can—his very last Type-98 flashbang. A plume of black smoke rose below. Because it was pitch black, the two dozen Japanese players were completely caught off guard and blinded instantly, unable to open their eyes.

Wuhu roared with laughter and pulled out a Type-G5 offensive grenade developed by Iced Coffee: "I never thought I'd be testing new products on the little Japs. Haha, this feels great!"

With a dull thud, a dark, bulky grenade rolled across the deck a few times.

With a deafening explosion, the grenade was thrown with exquisite technique, blossoming right in the dead center of the cluster of gunmen. After a uniform string of "-1500" damage numbers popped up, the immense shockwave blasted the majority of the gunmen flying straight out into the sea. Wuhu saw it clearly: the G5 model was twice as powerful as the G4. The high winds whipped up by the outer blast radius caused Wuhu to sway wildly in mid-air.

Glancing across the sea, Xiaoyao truly lived up to his nickname of a madman, aggressively ordering the Longwind to ram straight ahead. Two gunmen were crushed to death under the impact, and two pillars of white light rose from the sea surface. Casualties had finally begun to mount in this fierce battle.

Wuhu manipulated his wristwatch, lowering the steel cable. Miraculously, he dropped safely onto the rear deck of the Itsukushima. Dancing Angel's eyes widened in amazement as she gave him a thumbs-up: "Awesome! I love you, big brother."