Monster Appears

"Roger. Updating combat orders!"

Hong Kong—Shattered Dome Base—

Cai Tiantong stared grimly at the source of the flashing alarm on the Holographic Screen.

Just now, the Command Room had sounded the alarm again. It was the familiar alarm announcing the opening of a wormhole, and its location was right at one of the wormhole sites where monsters frequently appeared.

Exploration showed that two monsters had appeared this time. Both were Category IV monsters. Since they were both hugging the seafloor, their exact appearances could not be observed, so their code names had yet to be finalized. But

After emerging from the wormhole, the two monsters headed straight toward Edo without hesitation.

"All mobile jaegers, deploy immediately."

"Where is the monster signal coming from this time?"

"Based on their route, their target is Edo, sir!"

"What are the monsters' characteristics and levels?"

"They're both Category IV." Cai Tiantong replied, "But they're hugging the seafloor, so we still can't detect their characteristics, sir."

"Sound the alarm immediately."

As the alarm's shriek tore across the sky, the Shattered Dome Base in Hong Kong erupted into activity. The enormous mechanical gates slowly opened, and steam carrying the salty sea wind surged inside.

Eureka Striker, this nearly eighty-meter-tall behemoth, gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. Hydraulic vents expelled waste gas from every nozzle, churning it into thick clouds that concealed the lower half of the jaeger, making it seem like a giant descending from the heavens.

The instant Heck Hansen and Chuck Hansen confirmed that the neural handshake was complete, they glanced at each other. Although the father and son had a deep rift between them, they still worked together with one heart when it came to protecting Human Civilization.

"The neural handshake is perfect. The Transport Aircraft are lowering the suspension rig. Prepare yourselves."

The enormous transport platform beneath their feet slowly carried Eureka Striker to the designated position.

Dozens of workers waited for the steel cable locks hanging from the Transport Aircraft above.

Once the locks had been fastened one by one, Cai Tiantong, standing at the center of the Command Room, said to Stark Pentecost, "Everything is ready, sir."

"Depart."

"Yes, sir."

"All personnel not involved in operations, evacuate the work platforms within thirty seconds. Departure will begin in thirty seconds. Pilots, prepare yourselves."

As the transport helicopters slowly gained altitude, the enormous Eureka Striker gradually left the transport platform and rose into the air.

Those gigantic steel feet made every worker below crane their heads and stare upward. Even though they had seen them countless times, everyone still instinctively swallowed whenever this happened. They felt fear and dread, but also excitement and pride.

This was the might of Human Civilization's industrial power.

"The work platform is clear. Cherno Alpha, prepare yourselves."

As one of the pinnacle products of the Soviet industrial age, Cherno Alpha perfectly inherited the rough style of heavy industry.

The towering battery reactor atop its head, resembling heavy hammer-shaped armor, and the steel gauntlets clasped around both hands like a boxer's gloves all displayed the Soviets' wild style.

Especially when the red cyclopean helmets of Alexis Kadenovsky and Sasha Kadenovsky dropped inside the rough, wasteland-punk-style cockpit, this rugged close-combat jaeger officially came online.

The instant it activated, uniquely Soviet hardcore music rang out inside the cockpit.

As armor plates across the jaeger began to rise, lower, and spread open, terrifying heat poured from the enormous twin turbines on either side of its head.

The jaeger had fully activated. It slowly raised its massive fists, then smashed them together. The resulting boom made several nearby workers instinctively cover their ears.

"Pilots, prepare yourselves."

The mechanical roar mingled with the howling sea wind. Like a giant roc spreading its wings, the heavy transport aircraft hovered above the base as the hatch on top slowly opened. Thick steel cables descended toward the ground like silver serpents.

After the workers had secured the cables, the work platform was completely cleared. An indicator light suddenly flashed. The transport aircraft's engines instantly released an ear-splitting roar, and the cables slowly tightened, steadily lifting Cherno Alpha into the air. Its heavy red-and-silver feet once again appeared above everyone's heads—especially the sharp objects protruding from the openings beneath them: Explosive Steel Needles.

They could anchor Cherno Alpha to the ground when necessary, turning it into a steel fortress.

When its base left the transport platform, fierce winds howled.

"Everyone, let's fight for humanity once again."

Stark Pentecost's authentic British accent rang out inside the cockpits of both jaegers.

"For humanity."

Japan, the Cabinet!

"Bastards!" the Prime Minister cursed furiously. His face had flushed red with anger, the veins on his forehead bulging. This was too much for an old man in his seventies.

"Monsters appeared in Sapporo just yesterday. How can they have appeared again today?"

"Prime Minister, it's very likely that demon and the armored man are responsible."

"Do you think I don't know that?" the Prime Minister roared at the subordinate trying to make himself useful. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Have the Mount Odomo base prepare itself. If the situation becomes impossible to control, destroy the base and transport everything inside as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

Quan Tiehua and all the Battle-Brothers had assembled. Only forty-three of them remained alive in total.

The Chapter Master and Gers were unable to carry out combat missions because of their injuries.

Although they had survived and regrouped, their area of activity had expanded during the process. The soldiers had already discovered their position.

Tanks, armored vehicles, and soldiers carrying heavy weapons were slowly converging on them. Armed helicopters circled the area from time to time, marking their position.

This forced some Astartes to waste their already scarce bolter rounds to blow all the helicopters out of the sky.

Although the standard bolter rounds remaining in their hands were no longer powerful enough to penetrate the armor of a modern main battle tank in a single shot, they could still destroy these lightly armored gunships.

Relying on the combat experience and reaction speed of several veterans in the Chapter, they even took a few seconds to aim, predicted the aircraft's trajectories, and successively shot down three or four fighter jets that streaked past them at high speed.

This directly silenced the entire air force. To be honest, aircraft were easy to build for countries with the necessary technology, but pilots were difficult to train.

"Go, go, go! Fire!"

The American soldiers shouted loudly. Behind them, the turret of an M1 Main Battle Tank slowly turned, its barrel aiming at the bunker where the Blood Angels were hiding.

Behind it, the AAVs also found cover and stopped, allowing the American soldiers to leap out from the rear.

Boom.

A shell blasted out, sending smoke and dust billowing and shrapnel flying. But to the Astartes, whose reaction speeds surpassed ordinary humans, it was insignificant. Aside from the shock wave and the vibrations caused by the explosion, it did them no harm.

"Flank them. Close combat." Quan Tiehua had already seen the soldiers pulling individual rocket launchers from the armored vehicles.

What do you all think? Should they enter the wormhole later and go to the world of the Precursors? I'm a little stuck right now. Any good suggestions?