--4:05 AM, June 18, 2043--
As the two continued forward, the distance between them and "Gecko" steadily narrowed.
At that moment, "Gecko" had already engaged the conventional forces of the PPDC joint military. To stop "Gecko" from breaking into the Shatterdome base, the Chinese and American naval, ground, and air forces unleashed fierce artillery fire upon it.
Several armed helicopters swept past Rosen's ears. He could even see the resolute expressions on the pilots' faces. After a burst of gunfire, several Hellfire Missiles mounted beneath them immediately streaked toward "Gecko"!
More than a dozen Type 99 Main Battle Tanks poured out from the military base behind the Shatterdome. They rounded the street corner, formed up, and launched wave after wave of heavy artillery bombardment at the monster!
Even the missile destroyers that had originally been heading out to clear the battlefield turned back after receiving the order. The Zhengzhou and Haikou rode the wind and waves at high speed toward the Shatterdome base. They never ceased attacking along the way, launching Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles one after another, which fell upon "Gecko" like raindrops.
For a time, the air around the Shatterdome's southwest corner was thick with a scorched, acrid stench. The glass in the surrounding buildings was shattered by shockwaves, while countless explosions and flames surged into the sky. Even Rosen, standing far away, felt waves of heat continually rushing toward him.
Rosen had once believed that, aside from God, everything would be purified in these flames.
But now, there was one more thing the flames could not consume—the monster.
"Gecko" howled toward the sky amid the blazing inferno.
The powerful gust of air it expelled from its lungs swept away the flames and smoke.
The intense carpet bombing had merely forced it out of its cloaked state. Other than that, it had achieved very little.
The silicon-based lifeform's cells possessed such incredible heat resistance that they were nearly immune to conventional human artillery. Only super-large-caliber weapons could inflict some degree of damage upon the monster—such as a 609MM Heavy Cannon or twin-mounted 460mm heavy guns. The Type 99 tank's 125mm cannon was still incapable of posing an effective threat to the monster, and missiles were no different.
Still, such ferocious bombardment successfully drew "Gecko's" attention. It temporarily halted its assault on the Shatterdome and charged toward the tank forces at the street corner instead!
The once-mighty tank unit seemed like toys before the monster. With one sweep of "Gecko's" massive tail, the tank formation was scattered in all directions. Several began spewing black smoke, while others crashed headlong into buildings beside the street.
But those iron-blooded men did not give up resisting. The remaining tanks immediately scattered, firing as they retreated. Meanwhile, the armed helicopters began suicide attacks—they closed the distance and flew directly in front of "Gecko." Their externally mounted machine guns roared at maximum fire rate, blasting streams of fire toward "Gecko's" eyes!
Bullets struck "Gecko's" eyelids and threw off showers of sparks, but a few still pierced through them and stabbed deep inside!
"Gecko" let out a heart-rending roar. It hurriedly shut its injured eye, thrashing its head and tail.
Once it recovered, however, the long tongue in its mouth suddenly lashed out and firmly stuck to the armed helicopter that had wounded it!
The helicopter tried to climb, but it was beyond saving—it was dragged toward "Gecko's" gaping, bloody maw like a moth.
"No!!"
Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang roared at the same time.
Where were the Jaeger pilots? Where were the Jaegers? The Hong Kong Base had twelve Jaegers—now, wasn't even one of them able to move?
At that moment, Rosen desperately wished a Jaeger would descend from the sky, just like Crimson Storm had back then. Even though it had been an outdated model plagued with problems, that crimson figure had still saved Hong Kong twice—and saved him just after he had been born.
But now, was there truly no one who could save that life struggling desperately in the monster's mouth?
Sun Zheng Tang had already closed his eyes, his face filled with regret. Rosen, however, continued to face the scene.
"Is this the end?"
Rosen finally stared blankly ahead in despair.
A typhoon over the Pacific Ocean reached Hong Kong. Fierce winds tore through the sky, and the sun that had just risen was about to be swallowed by dark clouds.
Amid the howling wind and rain and "Gecko's" furious roars, Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang both heard the thunderous rumble of some kind of machinery. In the instant before the sun vanished, the earth began to tremble.
"This is..." Hope flared in their hearts as they turned to look.
"She's here!"
At the Shatterdome's southwest corner, which "Gecko" had breached, an enormous Jaeger suddenly burst through the wall!
That crimson figure stood less than two hundred meters from Rosen and Sun Zheng Tang. It stood tall and heroic. The instant it located "Gecko," it thrust out its chest, raised its head, slightly bent its left arm, and countless heavy weapons extended from beneath its armor.
It was a sight Rosen knew all too well.
"Full Burst!!"
The words nearly burst from Rosen's lips!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
At that moment, Rosen could clearly see how those K-Stunner oxygen-free missiles erupted from their launch silos. Their blazing tails screamed through the air, striking toward the heavens—but this time, those thick missiles did not bring Rosen despair.
"Gecko" was instantly engulfed by the magnificent barrage filling the sky. Its long tongue retracted, and the armed helicopter was saved, immediately wobbling away.
"I lost..." Rosen sighed, his face full of relief.
As expected of her. Rosen felt nothing but admiration and respect. While he had been racking his brains over how to obtain the right to pilot Kunlun, Lin Yin had only been thinking about how to win victory for humanity.
Her heart was pure, straightforward, and unconcerned with gain or loss. Even if she were not a pilot, she would still stand at the forefront of humanity's fight against monsters, just like her father.
And that was why she was strong.
"Lin Yin..." Rosen paused before speaking words straight from his heart—for the first time.
"You're the finest pilot... I'm not as good as you."
Before you continue