Silkworm Code

On a distant mountaintop, Su Ming was monitoring a swarm of rockets launched from the Youth Civilization rocket launcher via a tablet computer. A large number of 122mm short-range guided rockets soared into the air from the launch pad, tracing graceful arcs as they headed straight for the cave.

A red warning kept flashing on the screen: of the six hundred 122mm short-range guided rockets, only five hundred and sixty were successfully launched.

Forty rockets failed to ignite and remained on the launch platform.

Then, during the flight, another thirty malfunctioned and crashed like headless flies.

But that wasn't the worst of it. With three drones destroyed by Abigai, the positioning and guidance signals were completely cut off. Even worse, one of the drones was responsible for relaying communication signals, meaning their last link with these rockets was also severed.

In the absence of satellite systems and a comprehensive framework, this is a situation that is easy to encounter and yet unavoidable.

Su Ming put away the computer; since the rockets in flight had gone out of control, the tablet was no longer useful.

Zijin removed her blindfold, tossed it aside, and then unfastened the clasp at her chest. The magic-sealing cloak slid off her shoulders like flowing water and fell onto the snow.

She wore a light pink down jacket. The fabric was ripstop nylon, which shimmered with a soft, pearly sheen in the light. The large stand-up collar covered her fair neck, almost burying the lower half of her face, revealing only a pair of clear eyes and cheeks slightly flushed from the cold wind.

She wore a high-end robe under her down jacket, but being able to directly resist the cold through physical means was an advantage. Besides, today's battle would inevitably involve flying through the cold wind.

Zijin stretched her shoulders, enjoying the light and comfortable feeling of being wrapped in the down jacket. She walked over to Su Ming, took out a pair of silver ski goggles, and put them on, looking every bit the modern girl going on a winter trip.

Su Ming, standing next to him, was also wearing a snow camouflage outfit, paired with a tactical vest in the same color scheme, which was covered with magazines.

****

Zijin looked up, sensing Abigai flying higher and higher in the distance, like a large ball.

"Su Ming, this person is terrifyingly strong." Her expression was grave. "He easily took down three drones two kilometers away, seemingly with complete ease!"

"A veteran Saint Rank?" Su Ming asked.

"Without a doubt," Zijin nodded firmly, "I really don't know where such a powerful expert came from."

The Saint Rank is merely the starting point of a level, Abigai has clearly been immersed in this realm for a long time. The battle that follows is destined to be a difficult tug-of-war.

"And her ' Drifting Winter Ring ' can actually fly!" The scholar carefully sensed the flow of Magic Power in the air, a puzzled look on his face. "It's not quite like it; it seems much more powerful than the ' Ring of Winter ' I know!"

"What is that second ring for?" Su Ming asked.

"Based on Newman's speculation, it should be a defensive component, just like the outer layer, but the details are unclear."

"Then we'll rely on these little cuties to pierce through them!" Su Ming picked up the binoculars and watched the bright dots rapidly approach the target.

"But even in this state, how can they still work?" Zijin asked, puzzled.

"The inertial navigation system can still bring them near the target," Su Ming explained, his voice still confident.

Normally, out-of-control rockets should self-destruct in mid-air, but this is another world. To meet Su Ming's needs, Harvest Machinery Factory has rewritten the flight control software for these rockets.

Even in the event of a complete loss of contact, these short-range guided missiles will continue to carry out their attack missions by relying on basic inertial navigation!

As for the terminal guidance phase after approaching the target, more than 1,500 guided rockets flew into the airspace near Abigai one after another. They suddenly accelerated and rushed towards Abigai, like a school of piranhas that smelled blood.

Abigai was startled and immediately activated the "Star Wall" defense to its maximum while accelerating his dodge.

But these rockets were fixated on her, relentlessly changing direction and charging towards her one after another, crashing into the defensive wall and exploding into a dazzling rain of fire in the air.

Su Ming was not surprised by this scene.

When all communication is cut off and all signals are lost, these rockets will activate the lowest level of code:

Smear the biggest blow!

****

Abigai's hands flew, and beams of magical light shot out, accurately hitting the rockets in the air.

Some rockets exploded in mid-air, turning into dazzling fireballs; others went out of control, trailing black smoke as they plummeted to the ground.

However, more rockets, like flying Hyena, surged in one after another. Their sheer number and density quickly forced Abigai back, and he was constantly hit.

These rockets were far more intelligent than Abigai had imagined. Even if she dodged them at incredible speed, the rockets that brushed past her would detonate at the closest possible distance, and the shockwave from the explosions left her utterly humiliated.

Moreover, she felt her "Star Wall" shield was being worn down extremely quickly, perhaps due to the immense power of the enemy's weapon. She had to increase the output rate of her Magic Crystal Core to maintain the shield's strength.

A large, circular wind spell was unleashed, causing widespread destruction and a series of explosions that cleared the entire airspace.

But more rockets appeared, and judging from the number behind them, there were still two-thirds left!

This kind of intelligent tracking alchemical weapon, does it cost nothing?

Fortunately, the power of a single explosion is not high. Abigai did some calculations and found that with the power of "Eternal Cataclysm Star Orbit," it was still possible to defend against it!

This conclusion relieved her, and she decided to conserve her Magic Power, especially since that annoying Zijin was nearby. She was preparing to unleash a transcendental spell, and couldn't pretend to be blind even if she wanted to.

As these attacks neared their end, Abigai would switch to "Starlight" at the opportune moment, letting those who attacked her taste the flavor too!

They then launched a fierce counterattack!

****

At the mountaintop, a magic array had been fully deployed at the feet of the Zijin, and the six colors of light were activated one by one.

"Su Ming, I have a question."

The wind around the girl gradually stilled, and only her long, light brown hair floated gently in the surge of Magic Power.

"This weapon of yours, which can be guided, detonate at close range, and intelligently locate targets, is it called a 'rocket'?" she asked, tilting her head.

A normal mage would be concentrating on locking onto the target at this point, but Zijin was chatting with him instead.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Then what does your term 'missile' refer to?" Zijin asked, puzzled.

Su Ming was speechless.

****

A sudden change occurred in the air!

The outer "Star Wall" of Abigai trembled violently, and the surface of the Magic Crystal Core embedded in it was covered with spider web-like cracks, emitting a series of subtle "crackling" sounds.

Before Abigai could react, the crystal cores exploded, turning into a cloud of dust. The light barrier surrounding Old Ji instantly disintegrated, shattering and disappearing in the cold wind.

Abigai widened; she quickly realized that these Magic Crystal Core were fake!

"You ignorant noble scum!" Abigai his teeth, his voice filled with chilling coldness.

But now is not the time to dwell on the past; she must deal with the immediate crisis.

Abigai flicked his wrist, and the inner "Starlight" component was instantly activated. Half of the floating block sank inward, while the other half bulged outward, forming the shape of a spiky ball.

"Starlight" damage reflection, activate!

Magic Power flowed, and a new light enveloped Abigai's outer edge, like sharp spikes. This was the power of the second ring of the "Eternal Cataclysm Star Ring," returning damage to the attacker!

While the "Starlight" is incredibly powerful, it is also relatively fragile. It requires energy to charge up and has a short duration; in normal combat, it is used in conjunction with the outer "Star Wall."

Fortunately, it has finally finished storing energy!

Several rockets, trailing plumes of flame, hurtled towards us, exploding with a deafening roar the instant they made contact with the "Starlight"!

The shockwave from the explosion was distorted by some mysterious force, suddenly contracting as if held by an invisible hand, and then violently swirling back along its original trajectory before disappearing in a flash.

In the distance, a deafening roar erupted from the location of the Youth Civilization. A small mushroom cloud rose into the sky, and blazing flames licked at the heavens.

Abigai's lips curled into a cruel smile. The power of the explosion far exceeded expectations; the attacker hiding inside the giant monster would surely be reduced to ashes!

However, her smile quickly froze on her face—the rockets that should have stopped firing with the death of the caster were still relentlessly attacking her!

"How is this possible?!" Abigai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Alchemical weapons should immediately become ineffective once they lose the caster's control! Abigai was filled with confusion.

The next moment, a violent explosion completely engulfed her. A dazzling flower bloomed in the air, and countless metal fragments scattered like meteors!

****

At the mountaintop, the Divine Favor Scepter in Zijin's hand was absorbing dazzling light. Six-colored Magic Power swirled around her like a vortex, gradually condensing into a tangible energy flow.

She finally stopped chatting, barely maintaining any respect for super-level magic.

The explosion on the Youth Civilization startled Su Ming, who immediately grabbed his binoculars to observe the train's condition.

He quickly deduced that a malfunctioning, unlaunched missile had detonated. Through the billowing smoke, he could see the entire rocket launch platform torn to pieces, and the train severed in half as if bitten by a giant beast.

"The losses are considerable," Su Ming muttered to himself.

The cable breakage paralyzed the auxiliary power systems in the middle and rear of the train. Worse still, the high-pressure gas tanks of the "fire extinguishing bomb" device were also affected and were hissing as they leaked high-pressure air—this projectile weapon system was temporarily disabled.

Fortunately, according to his plan, apart from the zombies, all other units were kept far away from the carriage where the launch platform was located, so there were no personnel losses.

Meanwhile, the explosions in the air also subsided; all the rockets had completed their mission and disappeared into the sky.