Anti-Air Weapons

"Just... for this pathetic reason?" Silver Mask felt his years of suppressed rage almost burst through his sanity. "Using such despicable means, just to maintain the facade of worthless people? You bunch of scum are utterly disgusting!"

"The chosen ones who made a pact with God, right?" Jielusi pointed her finger at the towering spire of the Sea of Divine Grace Academy in the distance. "Javier, we'll slaughter them all today!"

"How arrogant!" Javier exclaimed, as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. His face twisted with sarcasm. "Beneath the impregnable ' Everwatching Obelisk,' under the protection of the sacred and inviolable Divine Grace Knights, you bunch of insignificant ants? You will never, ever touch even a corner of their noble robes!"

Before the words were even finished, three figures suddenly launched an attack, lunging at Javier once again!

The battle instantly escalated into an even more intense confrontation!

****

Outside the Sheltered Valley.

The Fate Manipulator Aideluzi gracefully raised his right hand and waved it gently like a conductor of a symphony orchestra. The hundred war puppets behind him immediately responded, their alchemical wings unfolding simultaneously, reflecting a golden luster.

Just then, the sound of snow being trampled came from behind the ice wall opposite. Two figures, one tall and one short, emerged—it was Su Ming and Qiluo.

And now, this Ainz Bone King's signature feature will probably be a unicorn as well.

"Your Bone King, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Aideluzi gave a reserved smile, but his eyes behind his glasses gleamed with excitement.

"A pleasure to meet you, Fate Manipulator!" Su Ming replied. His gaze quickly swept over the neatly arranged battle puppet formation behind the other party, confirming once again that they were all light "Azure Sky Battle Puppet".

According to intelligence, Aideluzi also has a "Brown Earth Battle Puppet" regiment that excels in ground warfare. However, it is clear that the cumbersome "Brown Earth Battle Puppet" is not suitable for such a long journey to carry out a long-distance raid.

"I came to the Northern Lands to investigate the death of the Grand Puppeteer Bulenleifu," Aideluzi said, adjusting his glasses with a smug smile, "But I never expected to discover such a delightful surprise as you all!"

[Is this guy still chatting with us so smugly?] Qiluo's emerald green eyes were full of confusion. [Could he be completely unaware that we're working hard to destroy the Divine Might Prison over there?]

[This guy probably sneaked in from the Northern Lands, it's quite possible!] Su Ming replied.

[Why don't you chat with him a bit more?] Qiluo yawned. [Let's stall for time, and once things are settled on the other side of the mountain, we can all surround him together?]

[If that's possible, that would be great...]

Across from him, Aideluzi continued his eloquent account of how he had followed the clues all the way from the Northern Lands. He had initially thought it was just a group of merchants who had double-crossed and kidnapped the young girl.

"I never expected this," he said, shaking his head. "Bone King, you feigned leaving, but instead went to the foot of the Sacred Mountain to plot something nefarious." He looked around at the snow-covered valley, his voice rising with excitement, "And the fact that you managed to keep this a secret until now means the Cold Mountain Kingdom was involved too!"

"We're just here to collect something," Su Ming said casually.

He added in his mind, "Collecting your lives is also collecting things."

"I doubt you'd dare plot against the Divine Might Prison!" Aideluzi sneered, then feigned confusion. "But what exactly are you looking for in this icy wilderness?"

The Fate Manipulator is stationed in the Radiant Holy City year-round and rarely goes on expeditions. This time, leading his Battle Puppet Corps on this trip seems to have greatly excited him. Su Ming made this judgment in his mind.

"Aideluzi has always stayed in the background, yet he holds a very high position," Katharine's voice came through the earpiece. "There are envious people within the church who secretly call him 'the quasi-saint who doesn't fight with blood.'"

"It seems this guy is eager to earn military merit and prove himself," Dafulin said.

Looking at the menacing Battle Puppet Corps behind the Fate Manipulator, Su Ming finally understood the current situation completely—it was like a general who had been cooped up in a greenhouse, leading a full complement of elite troops to the countryside on a mission, and couldn't wait to show off his divine power at the slightest disturbance.

The child was so bored!

****

[That! That!] Qiluo suddenly jumped up excitedly, [Those puppets behind him, they have the aura of souls!]

[Those weren't puppets, just modified humans.] Su Ming corrected calmly. [They weren't the kind of soul-splitting entities Bulenleifu used; there was no opportunity for them.]

Upon hearing this, Qiluo's cheeks puffed up unhappily. [I thought I had another chance to easily and happily send them away with a single "Long River - Rebirth"! What a waste of my feelings!]

[If you manage to send all of these away, you'll immediately become the public enemy of all modified combatants worldwide.] Su Ming reminded him, [Do you want to experience what it's like to be surrounded and annihilated the moment you arrive at the spawn point?]

Qiluo pulled her four hooves back and shook her head repeatedly, "[No, I have no interest whatsoever, thank you!]"

Although he was secretly having a good time complaining to Qiluo, on the surface, Su Ming maintained a serious expression and chatted with Aideluzi.

He even coughed a few times, feigning weakness.

"Our journey here is solely to collect snow lotus flowers from deep within the snow-capped mountains," he said, sighing. "I have been frail and weak since childhood, and rely on this herb to sustain my life; it is truly out of necessity."

"Driving such a massive steel train all the way to this frozen land, just to collect mere herbs?" Aideluzi sneered. "Do you think I'm a fool?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Fate Manipulator suddenly waved his hand. The war puppets behind him surged with azure light from their wings, took to the air, and swarmed in like locusts.

"Want to chat a little longer?" Su Ming's lips curled into a dangerous smile as he tapped his finger on the tactical tablet with the lightness of a jump puzzle in Silk Song.

Behind them, several plumes of white smoke suddenly rose, and a dozen small-caliber short-range air defense missiles roared into the sky. They drew graceful arcs in the air, trailing bright tail flames, like dance partners who had been invited to dance, heading straight for the group of war puppets.

Aideluzi's expression changed slightly. He had seen rocket weapons before, but the trajectory of the weapon launched by the other side was so stable and clean that it made him instinctively feel that something was amiss.

Moreover, to his knowledge, he had never heard of rockets being able to accurately strike aerial targets.

****

Without his command, the well-trained flying combat puppets immediately took evasive action. They quickly dispersed, their bodies glowing with an earthy yellow shield light.

In the instant the missile approached, the war puppets accelerated and changed direction, leaving a ring-shaped vacuum zone in the path of the missile.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"

A series of explosions rang out as anti-aircraft missiles detonated helplessly. These lightweight missiles had very low warhead charges, and the explosions produced only small sparks.

The nearest Azure Sky Battle Puppet was also more than ten meters away!

Aideluzi's lips curled into a mocking smile. With such negligible power, he dared to dream of harming his powerful battle puppet!

But the next moment, his smile froze on his face!

Countless sprays of blood erupted in the air, and a large number of war puppets were cut in half at the waist and dismembered in mid-air!

Red rain fell from the sky, showering down shredded limbs, severed mechanical parts, and broken metal wings. The 30-meter radius around each missile's blast point was completely cleared!

As if erased by an eraser, the Azure Sky Battle Puppet Legion suffered a massive loss in an instant!

"This... this is impossible!" Aideluzi stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his composure and arrogance replaced by immense shock and pain.

His formidable cyborg army, the unparalleled masterpiece of war, was utterly annihilated in the blink of an eye by a mere dozen or so strange "flying bombs" whose names he couldn't even recall, resulting in such a tragic end?

This Fate Manipulator, renowned for his manipulation of life and alchemical machinery, could never have known that these unassuming lightweight missiles contained a linkage-type warhead widely used on Earth for air defense.

Hundreds of metal rods made of ultra-high-strength alloy were welded end to end to form a closed, rigid ring structure. These rings were tightly folded and tightly wrapped around the cylindrical explosive.

Upon entering the target area, the explosives detonated violently inside, generating immense expansion pressure that instantly stretched and expanded the deadly metal ring!

Combined with the centrifugal force generated by high-speed flight, the expanding ring instantly stretched to an astonishing 30-meter diameter and began to spin wildly at more than six times the speed of sound, exceeding 2,000 meters per second!

This is a "super steel saw blade" created by modern military industry. No matter how powerful the modified bodies of the war puppets are, they cannot withstand it!

Before the smoke and dust from the missile explosion had completely dissipated, the elite warriors of the Iron Crown Imperial Guard's First Squad finally arrived. They quickly passed by Su Ming's sides, rapidly deployed into formation, and charged towards the remaining, panicked Azure Sky Battle Puppet.

"You know nothing about our military technology!" Su Ming put away the tablet computer and untied the Thorn Long Whip from his waist.

Air defense weapons that simply pile up explosives were rendered obsolete by humanity in the last century. Discrete linkages, directional fragmentation, and a variety of warhead technologies—there's bound to be one that suits your needs.

Su Ming stared directly at the pale-faced Aideluzi ahead, his pupils flashing with fighting spirit like a tempered, cold star.

"Fate Manipulator, it's our turn!"

****

Deep inside the dungeon, the air was thick with the stench of blood and rust.

Yise and Captain Laswage of the Guard clashed again in the narrow stone passage. The two longswords clashed fiercely, sparking blinding flashes, and the enormous impact forced them both back several steps.

Yise was slightly out of breath, fine beads of sweat appearing on her smooth forehead and sliding down her delicate cheeks. The cramped terrain severely limited her mobility, forcing her to switch from her versatile swordsmanship to a tactic primarily based on direct confrontation.

Although she was exhausted, she was clearly stronger than her opponent. If she could just stall for a little longer and find the right opportunity, she could deliver a fatal blow!

Laswage clearly realized the unfavorable situation. A ruthless glint flashed across his face, and he suddenly pulled out a bronze plaque gleaming with runes from his waist.

With a firm grip, the bronze medal shone brightly.