With a thunderous blast, the massive radar array twisted and collapsed, metal fragments flying everywhere.
The second wave of stealth cruise missiles followed close behind, striking the ammunition depot with precision. Explosions rang out one after another as the stockpiled ammunition detonated, sending fireballs towering over the desert.
Tandem penetrator warheads blasted deep trenches into the airfield runways, leaving the fighter jets unable to take off or land.
The final arc-plasma missiles reached the airspace above their targets, their warheads instantly releasing violent, superheated plasma shock waves.
The searing torrents of energy swept across the entire missile launch site. The metal shells of the launch vehicles rapidly melted, every onboard circuit burned out, and the entire long-range strike system was crippled.
"Reporting, sir! All three radar stations have been destroyed, Ammunition Depot One has detonated, the airfield runways are out of commission, and the long-range missile launch site has lost combat capability!" the communications soldier reported in a trembling voice.
The general slammed his fist onto the command console, his face livid.
He had never imagined that their planned long-range strike would not only fail to destroy Amba City, but instead allow the enemy to devastate their frontline deployment with missiles modified using arc technology.
"Send in all the ground forces!" the general roared. He refused to believe he could not deal with a mere armed organization.
"General, isn't that too rash? Their high-energy weapons are too powerful. Sending in ground forces would only get them killed!" his adjutant immediately urged.
"Hmph, the ground forces don't have to attack. Contact Base Nine immediately and have them launch their missiles. The Ten Rings have only been developing high-energy weapons for a few months. It's impressive enough that they managed to fire those missiles even once.
"I refuse to believe they have many missiles left!"
"Also, launch missiles at the other major cities controlled by the Ten Rings. Test whether they have high-energy air defenses. If not, send the ground forces straight in!"
An utterly crazed expression appeared on the general's face.
Inside a luxurious villa in Amba City.
Wenwu raised his hand and used his metal manipulation ability to remove Tony's armor.
"Shit, what kind of ability is that? Mind telling me, young man?"
Tony marveled as he looked at the young man before him, who was in his early twenties and easily young enough to be his son.
He had actually calmed down now. Since he had fallen into enemy hands, he could only leave his fate to chance.
"Tony Stark, this is the leader of the Ten Rings. Show some respect!"
Razor Fist lowered his faceplate and gave him a fierce glare.
"The leader? You?"
Tony was stunned. "My God, I thought the leader of the Ten Rings was some thousand-year-old monster. I never expected a young man!"
"Mr. Stark, my name is Wenwu. It's a pleasure to meet you here," Wenwu said with a smile.
"Not for me," Tony said helplessly.
"Mr. Stark, you're probably going to die soon."
Wenwu sat on the sofa and looked at Tony with a smile, speaking in an even tone.
"What did you say? You want to kill me? Think about the consequences!"
Tony's expression stiffened. He had not expected the leader of the Ten Rings to want to kill him at the drop of a hat.
Just then, Hamid suddenly entered and reported, "My lord, the United States military has launched another large-scale missile attack. They've also declared that unless we hand over Tony Stark, they'll send their army against us!"
"See? You may have my technology, but you can't outlast the United States military," Tony suddenly said with a smile.
Wenwu ignored Tony's words. As things stood, the Ten Rings indeed could not outlast the United States military.
He told Hamid, "Keep intercepting them. I'll deal with them myself."
He rose calmly, then turned to Tony. "Mr. Stark, you'd better prepare some ransom money. A word of warning: my appetite isn't small. I hope we can make the exchange when I return."
With that, Wenwu left the villa, leaving Tony looking utterly helpless.
He said to Razor Fist, "Big guy, how much do you think your leader will ask for?"
Razor Fist did not answer. Hamid, standing nearby, smiled. "How much do you think your life is worth, Mr. Stark?"
"Can I say one dollar?" Tony shrugged and joked.
"You can, but your secretary will probably receive nothing but a strand of hair," Hamid said with a chuckle.
"Being taken prisoner is what I hate most. I never thought you people would capture me a second time," Tony complained.
Hamid shook his head. "I've already clarified it on a livestream. We never kidnapped you, Mr. Stark."
Tony sneered. He did not believe that for a second.
"JARVIS, did you hear that? Contact Pepper," Tony said to the Mark Armor lying on the floor.
"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied.
Tony soon reached Pepper to let her know he was safe, then had JARVIS prepare the cash.
Meanwhile, after Amba City intercepted another round of missiles, Wenwu put on his vibranium armor and flew toward the nearest United States military base.
His armor had no propulsion. He was simply using his metal manipulation ability to carry himself through the air at high speed, yet he was no slower than the Second-Generation Armor.
Does this count as lifting myself up to fly? Wenwu thought with a strange feeling as he flew.
"General, someone in armor is flying toward our base. He's too fast-we can't lock on!" a soldier beside the general hastily reported inside the United States military base.
"Shit, it must be Iron Man Armor deployed by the Ten Rings! Intercept him!" the general roared.
But what happened next stunned everyone. Rather than continuing to evade, the man flew straight toward the countless interceptor missiles.
Boom, boom...
Countless missiles exploded against Wenwu, but he remained completely unscathed. Without even pausing, he continued charging toward the United States military base.
"What's going on? The missiles aren't doing anything to him?"
"General, he's a monster! Our missiles can't penetrate his defenses!"
Countless soldiers in the command hall instantly fell into an uproar.
The general, too, was horrified. This man's armor offered such powerful protection!
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Wenwu descended from the sky like a meteor, stomping heavily onto the turret of a main battle tank.
The thick armor instantly caved in, and the terrifying force crushed the entire tank flat against the ground.
"Kill him! I refuse to believe he's invincible!"
The general shoved open the command hall doors and roared the order, his eyes bloodshot.
Ratatatat!
Boom, boom...
Hundreds of soldiers instantly pulled their triggers. Pistols, automatic rifles, howitzers, Gatling guns, MBG rockets, and tank shells all fired at once.
At the same time, even more soldiers farther back joined in the shooting.
In an instant, the concentrated firepower wove a devastating storm, with Wenwu standing alone at its very center.
Yet faced with the overwhelming hail of fire, Wenwu remained calm and composed, letting countless bullets and shells rain down on him. He merely used his metal manipulation ability and spiritual power to protect his exposed eyes.
A minute later, the smoke gradually dispersed. He still stood in the same spot, without having moved so much as half a step.
"Oh, God!"
"My God, he... he's completely unharmed!"
"He's a monster! We can't penetrate his defenses at all!"
Seeing their unscathed enemy, some soldiers broke down completely, dropping their guns and collapsing to the ground.
The Pentagon, United States.
The senior military officials stared at the screen showing Wenwu standing unharmed amid the storm of conventional firepower, every one of them drawing a sharp breath.
"It's vibranium! Look, the bullets around him aren't ricocheting. They're losing their kinetic energy and falling straight down! His armor must be made of vibranium. There's no doubt about it!"
A weapons expert pointed at the screen, his voice trembling.
"What? Vibranium? The same material as Captain America's shield?"
"My God, where did he get so much vibranium?"
All the senior officials' expressions changed. As high-ranking United States officials, they naturally knew the value of vibranium.
A single gram cost ten thousand dollars on the black market, and even then, none was available for purchase.
The secretary of defense frowned deeply and said gravely, "For the Ten Rings to possess so much vibranium, they're clearly more than an ordinary organization."
He paused, a gleam flashing through his eyes. "Now that they have arc technology, once miniaturization is achieved, could the Sentinels project be launched?"