The Failed Decapitation Strike

On Katharine's side, a special task force of fifty dragons continued its advance into the heart of the goblin kingdom.

As Su Ming continued to expand the reconnaissance range of his drones, the exact location of the goblin command center had already been exposed. It was located behind the goblin front-line troops, in a rather large valley, about sixty kilometers from the border front.

Also present was a guard force of nearly ten thousand goblins. They had built numerous simple huts that looked exactly the same, scattered throughout the valley like stars in the sky. These goblin soldiers, like their commander, were mixed in with them in twos and threes, scattered in small groups here and there.

The goblins' unique method of "hiding in the forest" made it impossible for Su Ming to discern the core location of the command structure from the images transmitted by the reconnaissance equipment alone.

That's why he and Katharine decided to launch a direct raid on the location, relying on visual identification to locate the high-ranking members of the goblin faction!

"The key to Meiwu'er's victory over the trolls back then was that while applying pressure on the main battlefield with a war of attrition, he simultaneously dispatched elite special forces to launch a flanking attack, successfully killing the troll leader," Katharine's voice came through the communicator. "This time, we can say we're using their own methods against them, textbook against textbook."

"Hmm, so it's like fighting poison with poison?" Su Ming replied.

"That word sounds a bit strange to me," Katharine, slightly annoyed. "Meiwu'er isn't some kind of poison."

"Speaking of which," Su Ming suddenly realized a crucial point, "Will we be facing Meiwu'er directly later?"

This contest with the Divine Covenant Faction is inevitably intertwined with the power struggle with the Star Empire. Moreover, Su Ming's plan also includes taking advantage of the Star Empire.

The thought of having to contend with the chief commander of this vast empire gave Su Ming a major headache.

Upon hearing this, Katharine fell silent and did not answer Su Ming's question.

****

The outline of the valley where the goblin command center was located came into view. According to the reconnaissance of the Rainbow Drone, a large number of defensive weapons such as Dragon-Breaking Cone were deployed around the valley. These were not portable versions carried by infantry, but complete land-based models.

They not only possess the ability to launch split attacks, but their power and range also exceed those of the portable version.

However, this valley is only a few dozen kilometers away from the Dragon Race's front line, still within the effective support range of the Final Bone Mad Machines!

"Final Bone Mad Machines Long-Range Fire Battalion, clear the launch site!" Su Ming issued the preparatory order.

About ten kilometers inside the border, in a dense forest area, a large number of obstructive tree canopies have been cleared away, revealing thirty 300mm medium-range rockets standing in a forest clearing.

With the Ruby Base's production capacity further increasing, not only are the propellants and warheads of these rockets produced in another world, but other relatively low-tech missile body structural components are also supplied locally, greatly reducing Su Ming's burden in terms of transportation.

With their key ramjet engines and advanced navigation and guidance systems alone, these rockets far outperform existing long-range weapons in this other world by several levels.

The enemies from another world lack electronic information technology, so there is no possibility of electronic interference or hacking.

To facilitate operation, Su Ming equipped these rockets with wireless data links.

The target's location coordinates and other characteristic parameters were quickly uploaded. On the control screen, the indicator representing thirty rockets changed from red to green, indicating a "ready" status.

"Clear the launch path!" Su Ming ordered the staff at the command center.

Air traffic controllers acted swiftly, clearing the airspace through which the rockets were scheduled to fly. A large number of dragons operating in the vicinity received the order and flapped their wings to avoid the area.

Airspace cleared!

Launch site ready!

Confirmation information from each stage was reported in succession.

Despite the lack of satellite support, the Rainbow Drone and Dandelion -type unmanned reconnaissance aircraft hovering high in the sky together formed a usable temporary positioning system.

Above the valley where the goblin command center was located, the fire control radar on the drone was turned on, and the cold scanning beam pierced through the night, clearly marking the targets on the ground!

With the establishment of guidance signal networks at all levels, another preparatory task was completed.

Su Ming checked the checklist on the control panel again to make sure he had performed all the necessary actions.

He took a deep breath, picked up the communicator, and issued the command, "All rockets, fire!"

At the launch site, accompanied by a deafening roar, five rockets suddenly erupted with dazzling flames from their tails. The heavy missiles soared into the air under the powerful thrust, adjusting their attitude in the air and leaving long trails as they pierced the eastern sky.

The missile continued to accelerate, and the color of its tail flame gradually changed from orange-red to pure dark blue, and then to dazzling incandescent white, with its trajectory remaining smooth and stable.

With the expansion of large-scale industrial production at the Ruby Base, the quality of the propellant used in this batch of rockets has been significantly improved!

****

As the rocket continued to accelerate, the shockwaves generated during its high-speed flight became clearly visible. The tail jet gradually expanded into a cone shape, and bright, regularly arranged diamond-shaped Mach rings appeared. These dazzling rings extended continuously along the direction of the jet, flashing in and out of the high-speed airflow.

Five rockets were launched in sequence. Soon, all six groups, totaling thirty rockets, roared into the sky. They left behind thick trails of smoke and formed a string of dazzling points of light in the deep night sky, their brilliance even outshining the brightest Stars in the heavens.

"It feels like we can start preparing to launch the satellite!" Su Ming murmured to himself as he watched this scene.

The special operations team ahead dispelled their camouflage. They had gotten this close that even with magical concealment, the goblins should have detected the anomaly.

The dragons split in two from the center, clearing a flight path to the left and right.

Minutes later, fifty gleaming bright spots sped towards us, traversing the center of the pre-arranged path in an instant. They tore through the air at high speed, leaving behind a sharp, violent whistling sound, and continued rushing forward without stopping.

As they approached their target, the rocket swarm entered a downward trajectory. Guided by the fire control radar of the drone above, they began terminal maneuvers.

With the final, minor trajectory correction completed, the rocket's guidance system fulfilled its mission. Accompanied by a few soft, crisp explosions, the rocket's tail engine was separated and jettisoned, while the guidance components were ejected from the side of the warhead.

Immediately afterwards, the warhead, having lost power, slammed into the ground with its inertia, causing a violent explosion. The goblins' meticulously constructed Dragon-Breaking Cone launching position was instantly engulfed by the shockwave and raging flames!

Countless Dragon-Breaking Cone and other weapons were affected, triggering a series of secondary explosions. Fireballs of various colors, mixed with fragments, rose one after another into the air on the battlefield, creating a colorful spectacle.

"Our turn!" Katharine ordered. "King Nilunke's portrait has been synchronized to all tactical terminals in real time. Prioritize capturing the target alive, while ensuring the safety of the operation!"

"Receive!"

According to the latest intelligence, the supreme commander of the goblin forces in this operation is none other than King Nilunke himself.

Based on this intelligence, Su Ming and Katharine adjusted their raid plan on the goblin command post, changing the objective to capture them alive.

Fifty mighty dragons swooped down like meteors. Some spread their wings and hovered above the plowed-up defensive positions, continuing to suppress any possible resistance from the remaining goblins. The majority of the dragons launched a full-scale attack on the makeshift shacks below.

A small group of dragons crossed the valleys without stopping, pursuing the enemy at high speed along the road, determined to cut off any possible escape.

Silver Mask leaped down from the dragon's back and joined the search, carefully examining the simple buildings.

Fifteen minutes later, the battle in the entire valley area came to an end. The saturation bombardment of rockets, coupled with the dragon's thunderous air raid, caused even a relatively well-equipped regular goblin army to crumble and flee under this double attack.

Katharine frowned slightly; the enemy's retreat was still too swift—this was not a good sign.

As expected, information gathered from various units began to arrive. The high-ranking goblin commanders, including King Nilunke himself, had already fled the scene in panic before the attack even began.

"The commanders have all fled; no wonder this unit collapsed at the first contact," Katharine said disappointedly.

Silver Mask dragged a trembling goblin and slammed it onto the scorched earth in front of Katharine.

"He's the adjutant of the garrison," Silver Mask reported succinctly. "He's the highest-ranking officer I could find alive on the scene."

Katharine's gaze swept over the prisoner's body, noticing several obviously abnormally twisted limb joints, indicating that Silver Mask had already interrogated him before bringing him in.

"What was the result?" she asked directly.

"According to his account," Silver Mask replied, "The person suspected to Janet's target was also here overseeing the battle. But about half an hour ago, her expression suddenly changed drastically. She pulled out a glowing necklace from her chest, shouted something like ' The Dragonborn is here,' and then immediately fled with her guards."

"She's carrying powerful detection equipment," Katharine sighed helplessly.

"King Nilunke and the rest of the goblin high command followed suit and all left," Silver Mask continued.

Katharine didn't dwell on the matter. Man proposes, God disposes; the raid had already achieved its intended objectives in terms of execution.

"Silver Mask, you stay with the goblins," Katharine instructed. "You must find a way to locate their possible hiding places!"

Silver Mask acknowledged the order and quickly left the smoke-filled battle zone, disappearing into the depths of the goblin territory.

After sneaking away for a distance and making sure he was far from human presence, he removed his signature silver mask, revealing a slightly pale face beneath.

With the help of medical contact lenses and growth factor eye drops provided by Su Ming, he no longer needs a mask to protect his eyes.

Silver Mask put away his combat weapon, adjusted his attire, and transformed into the appearance of an ordinary human, blending into the goblin world ahead.

****

In the early hours of the morning, Katharine led her team back to their camp in Dragon Valley. Although the special operations team failed to capture the enemy's high command, this attack had already crippled the goblin command center at a crucial moment in the battle.

The goblin's third wave of main attacking forces failed to receive effective cover from the rear support troops during their hasty retreat.

This allowed the 250 dragons that confronted them to unleash their destructive dragon breath and claws at them with the same ferocity as hunting a flock of panicked chickens, causing immense casualties.

The guidance systems and engines that were separated from the rockets at the last moment before the attack were also recovered. These components contained a large amount of rare materials, saving Su Ming considerable resources for re-transmission.

As dawn broke, the smoke from the battlefield in Dragon Valley gradually dissipated, and nearly 20,000 goblins, who had been part of the third wave of the goblin army, remained forever on this scorched earth.

Gelie led six hundred dragons gathered from the surrounding area to this ravaged battlefield.

Although these dragons have not undergone integrated training and are not as powerful as the officially organized elite war dragons, a dragon is still a dragon, and its enormous size and innate strength should not be underestimated.

Katharine quickly organized them into teams of five dragons, and assigned a full member and observer from the "Dragon Scale Corps" to each team as team leader. She then ordered a cross-border pursuit attack on the remaining goblin forces.

These defeated goblin remnants, though retreating back to their homeland, were now exhausted and their morale had plummeted, making it the perfect opportunity to press their advantage and expand their gains.

On the other hand, the goblins have constructed numerous defensive positions and stockpiled a large amount of war supplies outside the border of the Kingdom East of the Ridge. Taking advantage of their recent defeat and chaotic command, destroying them all will surely dismantle the goblins' subsequent combat capabilities in the East of the Ridge region.

"Pursuit distance strictly limited to within fifty kilometers!" Su Ming issued a stern order to all dragons operating across the border. "Once the fifty-kilometer red line is crossed, no matter how tempting the target may be, abandon the pursuit immediately!"

The six hundred dragons responded sparsely, their voices somewhat chaotic, causing Su Ming to frown—these hastily recruited dragons clearly lacked a strong sense of military discipline. However, the fact that eight dragon elders had been specially assigned to lead the team should be enough to keep them in check and maintain order.

He nodded solemnly to the leading dragon elders, then watched as the massive but somewhat disorganized dragon horde took off like a dark, overwhelming cloud, roaring across the border to begin their sweeping operation.