Battle of the Absolute (Part 1)

——June 18, 2043, 4:05 AM——

As the two of them pressed onward, the distance between them and the 'Gecko' gradually closed.

At this moment, the 'Gecko' had already engaged the PPDC and allied conventional forces. To prevent the 'Gecko' from breaching the Shatterdome base, the combined Chinese, American, naval, land, and air forces launched a fierce barrage of artillery fire against it.

Several attack helicopters whizzed past Rosen's ears. Rosen could even see the determined expressions on the pilots' faces. After a burst of gunfire, several Hellfire Missiles carried by the helicopters immediately sped towards the 'Gecko'!

Over a dozen Type 99 Main Battle Tanks poured out from the military base behind the Shatterdome. They rounded the street corner, formed up, and unleashed wave after wave of heavy artillery fire upon the Kaiju!

Even the missile destroyers that were originally en route to clear the battlefield turned back upon receiving orders. The 'Zhengzhou' and 'Haikou' cut through the waves, speeding towards the Shatterdome base. They hadn't stopped attacking along the way. Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles continuously launched from them, striking the 'Gecko' like raindrops.

For a time, the air in the southwest corner of the Shatterdome was filled with a scorching atmosphere. The glass in the surrounding buildings was completely shattered by the shockwaves, and countless explosives and flames erupted. Even Rosen, who was quite a distance away, felt a wave of heat constantly washing over him.

Rosen once believed that everything except God would be purified in this fire.

But now, there was one more thing that this fire could not consume—the Kaiju.

The 'Gecko' let out a sky-piercing roar amidst the flames.

The powerful airflow from its lungs cleared away the flames and smoke.

The intense carpet bombing had merely forced it out of stealth mode; otherwise, the results were minimal.

The high heat resistance of silicon-based life cells made it almost immune to conventional human artillery fire. Only artillery fire from ultra-large caliber weapons could inflict some damage on the Kaiju—such as the 609MM Heavy Cannon or the 460-unit heavy cannon. The 125MM cannons of the Type 99 tanks alone could not pose an effective threat to the Kaiju, and the same applied to missiles.

However, the fierce bombardment had successfully attracted the 'Gecko''s attention. The 'Gecko' temporarily halted its advance on the Shatterdome and charged towards the tank units at the street corner instead!

The once formidable tank units seemed like toys in front of the Kaiju. With a sweep of its massive tail, the 'Gecko' sent the tank formation scattering. Several tanks began to emit black smoke, while a few crashed directly into buildings along the street.

But the iron-willed men did not give up their resistance. The remaining tanks immediately dispersed, firing as they retreated. The attack helicopters, meanwhile, began a suicide run—they closed the distance, flying directly in front of the 'Gecko', their external machine guns firing at maximum rate. Powerful streams of fire roared towards the 'Gecko''s eyes!

Bullets struck the 'Gecko''s eyelids, sparking with each impact. However, a few rounds managed to pierce the eyelids and stab in fiercely!

The 'Gecko' let out a heart-wrenching roar. It hastily closed its injured eyes, shaking its head and wagging its tail.

When it recovered, its long tongue shot out from its mouth, firmly sticking to the attack helicopter that had injured it!

The attack helicopter tried to ascend, but it was too late—it was pulled towards the 'Gecko''s gaping maw like a moth.

"No!!"

Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang roared in unison.

What about the Jaeger pilots? Where were the Jaeger pilots? There were 12 Jaegers at the Hong Kong Base, but now—wasn't a single one operational?

At this moment, Rosen wished so desperately for a Jaeger to descend from the sky, just like the 'Crimson Storm' back then. Even though it was an old model with many problems, that crimson shadow had saved Hong Kong twice and had also saved him when he was just born.

But now, could no one save that life struggling desperately in the Kaiju's mouth?

Sun Zheng Tang had already closed his eyes in regret. Rosen, however, continued to face the scene.

"Is this the end?"

Rosen finally sighed with a sense of loss.

A typhoon from the Pacific reached Hong Kong. Fierce winds swept through the sky, and the sun, which had just begun to appear, was about to be swallowed by dark clouds.

Amidst the howling of the storm and the 'Gecko''s furious roars, Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang simultaneously heard a deafening mechanical roar. At the last moment before the sun disappeared, the ground began to tremble.

"What is this..." Hope ignited in their hearts. They turned to look.

"He's here!"

From the southwest corner of the Shatterdome, which had been breached by the 'Gecko', a colossal Jaeger burst through the wall in an instant!

That crimson shadow was no more than 200 meters away from Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang. It stood majestically. After locating the 'Gecko', it immediately straightened its chest and raised its head, bending its left arm slightly. Numerous heavy weapons then emerged from beneath its armor.

It was a sight Rosen was all too familiar with.

"Full Burst!!"

Rosen blurted out almost involuntarily!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

At this moment, Rosen could clearly see the K-Stunner Oxidizer-less Missiles erupting from their missile silos. They roared with their tail flames, soaring through the sky. But this time—these massive missiles did not bring despair to Rosen.

The 'Gecko' was instantly engulfed in the magnificent barrage of missiles. Its long tongue retracted, and the attack helicopter was thus saved, wobbling away into the distance.

"I lost..." Rosen sighed with relief and contentment.

As expected of her. Rosen's heart was filled only with admiration and respect. When he was still racking his brains on how to gain piloting rights for Kunlun, Lin Yin was only thinking about how to win victory for humanity.

Her heart was pure and straightforward, unconcerned with personal gain or loss. Even if she wasn't a pilot, she would stand on the front lines against the Kaiju, just like her father.

And this was the reason for her strength.

"Lin Yin..." Rosen paused, speaking a heartfelt sentence—this was the first time.

"You are the most outstanding pilot... I am not as good as you."