Chapter 707: Dancing with Dragons

Although the aircraft excelled in aerodynamic properties and vector technology, making it a model designed for close dogfighting, anyone who truly underestimated the X-31’s mid-to-long-range combative capabilities was destined to pay a heavy price for their folly.

Its insufficient mid-to-long range attack power could easily be compensated for by various types of missiles, and America held an exceptional technological advantage in radar technology.

As the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet closed in, the Eagle King didn’t hesitate to strike first. He quickly targeted Lin Mo’s helmet-mounted sight and launched two air-to-air missiles from under his wings.

At first glance, the unassuming X-31, with its canard wings and underbelly air intake, might have led the average Chinese citizen to mistake it for a domestically produced J-10A. However, in reality, the X-31, featuring small clipped double delta wings and lacking a tail but equipped with a vector engine, was trickier to deal with than the J-10.

“Yuri, Monkey, be careful, two o’clock!”

Lin Mo forcefully pulled the control stick, halting the Hunting Sparrow Trajectory maneuver, and in that instant, a series of Gauss electromagnetic shells launched from the electromagnetic rails.

With Gold Coin around, Lin Mo had no worries about energy reserves.

The X-1’s electromagnetic cannon could also shoot in rapid succession, and while it couldn’t reach half its maximum range, it still outperformed cannon fire in distance.

“I see it, Number 13!”

Although Yuri and Monkey were being pursued, they were not entirely suppressed and were still looking for counterattack opportunities. When Lin Mo warned them, they had already spotted the X-31 fighter jet attempting to ambush them.

The C3I system connecting Lin Mo, Yuri, and other pilots in their faction remained operational. Despite some electronic pulse interference, communication had not been interrupted.

To a certain extent, all participants in the government army benefited from the Light Mirror Technique, which, along with the gold giant dragon’s reconnaissance module, continued to operate, constantly gathering the latest dynamic information from the sky. They completely ignored electromagnetic invisibility, making all fighter jets visible, even responding faster than onboard active phased array radar.

Attempting to ambush Lin Mo and his team wasn’t an easy task.

Lin Mo’s two Gauss electromagnetic shells exploded harmlessly.

The Eagle King was simply too cunning, and the X-31 moved as swiftly as a bird. The electromagnetic shells grazed its wings, causing a series of fireballs to erupt on the dunes below.

If even one hit, the Eagle King would be doomed, but unfortunately, luck wasn’t on Lin Mo’s side at that moment; he acted too hastily.

“Monkey, be cautious! Can you hold on? We’re about to perform a barrel roll to throw those two little guys off our tail and see if we can redirect the troublemaker behind us.”

Yuri glanced back at the F-14 Tomcat, which, despite having some damage to its wings, was still holding on, showcasing the impressive resilience of the F-14.

The retirement of the F-14 didn’t stem from outdated technology or its inability to adapt to modern warfare. Instead, it was due to its complex manufacturing process and high costs, preventing the U.S. Military from equipping it in large numbers.

A pursuing fighter jet relentlessly tailed them. Fortunately, both sides had limited ammunition; their opponent hadn’t unleashed all their firepower and was instead looking for a chance to strike with deadly precision.

“Alright, I’m still good! Let’s try again!”

Monkey pulled off his oxygen mask and spat out a mouthful of blood. He fished out a piece of chocolate from his pressure suit pocket and ate it. Though he sustained serious internal injuries, he felt luckier than the unfortunate souls who had already been shot down.

If he could hold out until the Team Battle ended, he would successfully upgrade to high tier pilot status and complete his mission.

At that point, he could retire in triumph with a sum of money that would let him live comfortably with his family for the rest of his life. Perhaps he might even go on a world tour, as that money would be enough to make him a small fortune, freeing him from such extreme efforts.

In the increasingly dire situation, Yuri and Monkey remained calm, just as they did when faced with various threats before. They skillfully executed evasive maneuvers to increase their G-forces, making it tricky to lure two incoming missiles into a trap while under pursuit.

The F-14’s airframe seemed to have reached its limits. With a sharp noise, Monkey glanced at the damaged wing, his face turning pale.

“Yuri!”

Monkey’s voice reached Yuri’s ears, calm as if he were sitting calmly on a sofa instead of in a violently shaking cockpit.

“What’s wrong, Monkey? Give me another Immelmann turn, and we’ll soon get those two missiles off our backs.”

Yuri didn’t look back; he tightly grasped the control stick as two strong G-forces swept over his body. One force pressed him into his seat while another pushed him against the sidewall. The fighter jet turned, and although the pressure suit provided cushioning, the seatbelt still dug painfully into his ribcage.

“Yuri, take some time to check on my family, please…”

The F-14 Tomcat didn’t continue to climb. Instead, it sharply increased its angle of attack, performing a Cobra maneuver.

No! It was even more extreme than a Cobra maneuver, reaching post-stall, with the nose of the aircraft suddenly pointing at the enemy plane haunting them from behind. The cockpit dashboard showed that only two missiles remained, and they were both activated.

Gotcha!

The post-stall maneuver unleashed tremendous G-forces throughout the entire Tomcat, pushing its already damaged wings to the brink of breaking.

A medium-range air-to-air missile quickly approached, targeting the lagging F-14 Tomcat.

Allahu Akbar!

…

“What, what?! What are you looking at? Hey, hey!”

Yuri, still caught off guard, responded casually, but then he heard a loud thud from behind, thump!

Could it be that the plan worked? The two ambushing missiles hit that annoying pest tailing them perfectly.

“Monkey, Monkey…” As he rolled and climbed, Yuri inadvertently turned his head back and found his wingman’s position empty. Where was the F-14 that should be right beside him? He looked again to the other side, but there was nothing.

Yuri’s face turned pale as the dot representing Monkey on the cockpit dashboard vanished.

Two massive fireballs exploded in the sky, while another enemy aircraft fell from the heavens almost simultaneously.

“Monkey! You bastard!”

Yuri yelled desperately in the cockpit, his eyes instantly reddening. He slammed his fist against the cockpit canopy and then forcefully pushed the control stick again. A missile that had been chasing him with all its might detonated less than thirty meters from the fighter.

The kill radius of a medium-range missile usually only extends to twenty meters, and Yuri’s cockpit shook from the shockwave, but the blast had little lethal force.

The fighter gracefully evaded the spreading fireballs and shot forward.

“What a fierce determination!”

The Eagle King felt a stirring in his heart as he watched the already straining F-14 Tomcat suddenly turn to face the pursuing enemy for a sacrificial strike.

His tactical plan crumbled, along with the two fighter jets that had just mutually destroyed each other.

Only five against five remained in the air.

“Monkey! Damn it!” Lin Mo’s face showed little expression, but it was filled with anger.

Though they had known each other for a short time and were participating in their first Team Battle, at least they were comrades.

“That guy is locking onto us again!”

The gold giant dragon, struck by a laser beam, noticed the pursuing fighter beginning to show signs of high-energy reactions and immediately tensed up.

Just moments earlier, Lin Mo’s dazzling series of Hunting Sparrow Trajectories had prevented the Eagle King’s partner, Orca, from dynamically locking onto them with his laser cannon. But to shoot down the Eagle King, Lin Mo had to keep the X-1’s nose stable for a short time, which allowed the enemy to seize the opportunity and sync with Lin Mo’s movements.

Dynamic synchrony balance depended on luck; it was not about combat skills but rather a mysterious human reaction. When a pilot forgets everything but the target, that heightened state of concentration might occasionally trigger this magical ability, allowing operations to sync with the opponent’s movements and obtain slightly more stable attacking stability.

“Damn it!”

Just as Lin Mo prepared to respond, the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet suddenly decelerated rapidly mid-air, nearly flipping around its cockpit as the pivot point.

“Gold Coin, what are you doing?”

The X-1’s forward-swept wing fighter jet appeared to lose control, but that was impossible with Gold Coin around; Lin Mo’s fighter could never go out of control.

The Forward-Swept Wing Fighter decelerated severely, violating physical rules, and its nose pointed straight ahead, lining up with Orca.

“I’m going to give that guy a taste of his own medicine; the great Dragon isn’t to be trifled with.”

Gold Coin grabbed the opportunity as Lin Mo rushed to rescue the situation, seeking personal revenge.

The mounting wheel under the belly flipped out at some point, revealing a weapon as thick as a cigar, which released three red guiding beams that illuminated Orca’s aircraft, even shining one beam right on his helmet.

“What, what is that…”

Before Orca could trigger the remaining laser cannon energy, a thick, scorching red beam rushed forward, causing him to lose consciousness in an instant.

Orca never figured out why he would have launched the laser cannon, and how the enemy could have such a fearsome laser weapon.

Could it be that they were returning the favor with the same method?