Eave Patrol Missiles

For long-range precision strike weapons to penetrate enemy defenses, speed is paramount.

The faster the speed at the end, the shorter the window of time for the defender to react, and the greater the cost of interception.

The probability of success decreases drastically with the speed of the target missile.

However, in warfare, there is another type of missile weapon with a slower speed, called cruise missiles. In actual use, they actually account for the majority of the weapons.

Pansy.

In the darkness, it resembles a sharp trident.

Unlike traditional flying motherships on Earth, the Pansy has a wide, angled deck extending from each of its port and starboard sides.

Dragons do not need mechanical catapult systems; they can take off and land at extremely high density in a short time, so the "runways" must be sufficient.

Following Su Ming's command, the enormous iron-boned beast awoke instantly.

A large number of giant dragons emerged from the "hangar" and landed on the deck.

Large elevators rose continuously, delivering ammunition to the deck.

Thick cylindrical objects were transported by ammunition trailers, then hoisted and hung on either side of the dragon's abdomen. "Left side pylon number one docking complete!"

"Locking pin secured!"

"Next guest, this way please!"

The cruise missile was so heavy that even the dragon had to adjust its stance to maintain its balance.

After being equipped, the dragons, under the guidance of the instructors, lined up in the takeoff area.

****

Pansy's island superstructure is located to the right rear of the main deck. In addition to the command window, which provides excellent visibility, the outer walls are covered with various magical crystals.

Current wind speed: 10 knots.

"Headed against the wind, speed 30 knots!"

With these two factors combined, the dragon would have an initial speed of 40 knots.

Magelaili nodded. "Takeoff clearance with full load!"

On top of the bridge on the island superstructure, the flag bearer quickly raised the green signal flag, its surface stretched taut by the sea breeze. Ground crew nearby immediately removed their tools and trailers, clearing a path.

Dozens of monks went up to the front of the deck and began to cast spells together.

Cyan Magic Power erupted from the tip of the staff, converging in the air and creating a swirling, upward-moving vortex directly in front of the Pansy.

The tornado continued to grow larger, blowing large white foam into the surrounding seawater.

"Boost spell ready!"

"Attack team, take off!"

The pilot gave a hand signal.

The dragon at the head of the line raised its head and took a deep breath. Its chest swelled, and the muscles in its limbs taut beneath its scales.

He took a running start, accelerating along the main deck. His heavy Dragon Claw claws stomped down, creating a deep tremor.

The giant dragon burst from the deck of the Pansy, its wings immediately unfurling.

The wide wings caught the strong winds coming from the front, the body sank down, and then crashed into the whirlwind in front of the bow.

Lifted by the updraft, the giant dragon soared into the air, tracing an arc along the sea surface before stabilizing its flight and flying towards the sky. Next came the second and third giant dragons, each taking a running start and bursting off the main deck.

"Escort formation, take off!" the control tower then issued the order.

On the angled decks on both sides, the dragon squads tasked with escorting the convoy also began to take off.

They were only carrying lightweight ground-attack bombs, with a much lower load than the attack group, making takeoff much easier and eliminating the need for magical whirlwinds.

Giant dragons emerged from the left and right sides of the ship, kicking up plumes of water vapor. They made a turn in mid-air and then moved toward the flanks of the main attack formation.

****

Before long, all fifty giant dragons had successfully taken to the air.

The formation briefly adjusted its formation in the air before beginning to descend, pressing down until its wingtips were almost touching the waves.

The dragon glided across the water like a giant shadow.

The orcs were completely unaware of this.

The drones marked the activity tracks of the coastal sentry posts and patrol teams and transmitted the data in real time. The dragon swarm adjusted its course, passed through the gap between the two coastal outposts, and entered the hinterland of Water Chestnut Island.

But Water Chestnut Island had been developed over many years, with a complex and interconnected security system. Some totem poles hidden in the mountains and forests were triggered and lit up, the animal bones embedded at their tops opening their mouths and emitting eerie howls.

The orc army received the alarm and began a large-scale operation.

Elite ground troops were deployed in key areas, and wyverns took off from different bases and began to assemble.

All these movements were exposed by the reconnaissance of high-altitude drones.

Guided by the real-time battlefield situation, the dragon formation continuously evaded the enemy's main force and continued to penetrate deeper into Water Chestnut Island territory.

Before long, the team had reached the 50-kilometer mark.

"At two o'clock, a formation of orc wyverns!"

"Seventh and Eighth Groups, engage!"

Two groups of Flying Dragons, skilled in aerial combat, quickly broke formation and swooped down toward their target.

Soon, that area of airspace was suddenly ignited.

Several thin, silver beams of light shot out from the Silver Dragon's mouth.

They tore through the night, slanting across the sky, illuminating the silhouettes of a group of terrified green bipedal dragons, and exploding on several of them.

Immediately following, crimson flames and cyan wind blades erupted, unleashing a web of interwoven light and shadow, a spectacle of death.

****

On the home team's side, the observers could clearly sense the dragon's stamina decreasing.

Although the aircraft involved in the mission are the strongest and most skilled flying dragons, carrying four cruise missiles is no easy task.

The relevant information was promptly relayed back to Pansy.

"Launch the ' Eave Patrol ' missiles in groups!" Magelaili ordered.

"Receive!"

The observer quickly deactivated the safety fuse.

The five giant dragons in the first group rose to a height of 100 meters, and then, gathering their remaining strength, began to accelerate.

The missile's air intake opens, and driven by wind pressure, the rotor of the turbofan engine begins to rotate.

But that wasn't enough. The observer began casting a spell, forcibly injecting compressed air into the engine core.

The rotor speed increases, emitting a deep, dense hum. Then the fuel valve opens, and the system ignites.

A deep "boom" came from inside the engine, and the nozzle spewed out a straight tail flame. It was dark red at first, and then turned into a bright orange-white.

Once a stable jet stream is formed, the entire missile enters its operational state.

The padlocks were released one by one, and the missiles accelerated forward as they fell.

Click!

The missile's folding wings unfold.

A slight whistling sound came from the edges of the missile wings as the falling missile completed its attitude correction, its nose lifted slightly, and it entered stable cruise.

"Turn around!" the team leader shouted.

The first group quickly turned around, giving the launch position to the members behind them.

Missiles were launched one after another.

Twenty-five giant dragons, carrying a total of one hundred cruise missiles, stretched out like a swarm of fireflies, disappearing into the night horizon. ****

Unlike ballistic missiles that use the thin air at high altitudes to advance, cruise missiles fly in the dense atmosphere at low altitudes.

On the screen, one hundred missiles were arranged in a two-kilometer-long line, winding their way along the terrain at an altitude of about thirty meters.

This characteristic makes it extremely difficult for the enemy to detect.

Whether it's the technological side or the magical side.

However, its drawbacks are also obvious.

Su Ming glanced at the data; the current distance was 250 kilometers, and the estimated arrival time was another 20 minutes.

Yise poured him a glass of hot water and brought it in.

Su Ming took the glass and saw that the water inside was a cool green color and had a pleasant fragrance.

"They even have tea leaves." Su Ming was very surprised.

"Made with Jinxiu and Yuye."

Yise looked at the tablet. The missile swarm's path was not a straight line, but a winding curve.

"How did it go?"

"It depends on the orcs' interception capabilities."

Su Ming answered.

"The speed of these missiles is, after all, a weakness."

"Although we have deliberately avoided the orc cities and strongholds."

But unexpected events are inevitable.

Before the words were even finished, several red dots flashed on the screen, indicating that the missiles had been destroyed.

"Quarter Hand this area and search for the orcs' hidden military strongholds!" Chihuo ordered.

He wasn't worried about the missile swarm because they had reacted extremely quickly.

Once the missile in front is destroyed, the entire missile convoy seems to have a collective consciousness, deviating and circling to the other side.

The column traced a smooth arc in the night. Meanwhile, several more missiles accelerated slightly, advancing a short distance to continue serving as "pathfinders."

The intelligent system was functioning normally, and the losses were within acceptable limits, so Su Ming did not intervene manually.

Over here, the dragon squadron, having completed its launch mission, began to disengage from the battlefield.

Occasionally, sporadic firefights still break out.

Taking advantage of its mobility, the dragon seized a group of enemy soldiers within the encirclement, swarmed them, destroyed them, and then emerged through the torn gap.

A dark shadow with flapping giant wings swept past, leaving only scattered firelight and falling corpses.

****

From high above, the "Eave Patrol" missile swarm resembles a moving band of light.

They sweep across rolling hills or along river valleys, sometimes swooping down over dense forests, the air currents causing the treetops to undulate and tumble.

This is a throwing knife hidden in the night, approaching along the gaps in the enemy's defenses.

Soon, the missile swarm arrived at the outskirts of the Blackstone Mining Area.

Su Ming rubbed his knuckles and pressed the activation button. The command was relayed via satellite and then forwarded by the "Eave Patrol" missile flying at the forefront.

Within the Blackstone Mining Area, the mechanical rats that had been silent for so long began to awaken one after another.

Their eye sockets glowed faintly, and their antennae and ears stood up.

With the cruise missiles flying at high speeds, there was ample time for the communication system to establish connections. As the missile swarm approached the mining area, the signals from the mechanical rats were captured one after another, the communication link was verified, and the data link was successfully established.

"Signal connection is normal!"

Navigation data updated!

Su Ming completed the terrain matching and designated the magic array area in the center of the mining area as the attack target.

One after another, "Eave Patrol" missiles entered the coverage area of the "Obscuring Barrier Canopy".

The satellite positioning signal was directly interrupted.

However, the missile swarm did not lose its direction. They used beacons provided by mechanical mice for positioning and combined this with terrain contours collected by onboard equipment to correct their respective flight trajectories.

Suddenly, a large patch of Magic Power light shone brightly within the Blackstone Mining Area.

A dozen or so stone-built magic towers rotated. The rhomboid crystals floating atop the towers emitted a sharp buzzing sound, crackling with electricity, and suddenly shot out beams of lightning. Several missiles were struck in mid-air and exploded into orange fireballs.

Other defensive formations unleashed a barrage of wind blades, slicing several missiles in half and causing their fuel to explode.

"As expected of the key defensive area of Plundering Clock, "Su Ming thought to himself.

"Low-altitude avoidance!" he quickly issued the order.

With each missile destroyed, the missiles behind it immediately scattered like startled flies.

They plunged into the densely built mining area, weaving through the gaps between factory buildings, mining towers, and large machinery, their wakes causing window frames and iron structures along the way to vibrate violently.

This caused great trouble for the orcs' interception; the magic circle or defensive tower would often just capture the target, only for the opponent to disappear into the building's cover the next moment.

But as more and more defensive weapons were activated, lightning, flames, and ice spikes attacked from all directions. Missiles were destroyed one after another, exploding into bursts of fireworks in the sky above the mining area.

However, even a subsonic missile is still very fast relative to the area of Blackstone Mining Area, which is only a few kilometers away.

From the moment the first missile appeared close to the ground to the moment the entire missile swarm poured into the center of the mining area like mercury, only a dozen seconds passed.

The orc spellcasters on duty had no time to make any effective responses.

More than twenty "Eave Patrol" missiles broke through layers of interception and emerged from the mining area buildings. The field of vision suddenly opened up, and the core magic array of the "Obscuring Barrier Canopy" covered the ground. Circles of array patterns nested each other, hundreds of animal bone totems were arranged in a regular pattern, and thick array nails were deeply driven into the rock layer, constantly transmitting Magic Power to the high sky.

The journey has come to an end.

The missile locked onto the target array and crashed down.

A defensive magical shield rose from the center of the magic circle, enveloping the entire core area. Layers of scale-like patterns appeared on the surface of the shield, with Magic Power flowing between the patterns.

Cruise missiles are highly fuel-efficient.

For a mere 300-kilometer run, the fuel and propulsion system do not take up too much space in the missile body; the warhead of the "Eave Patrol" missile accounts for 40% of its weight.

A missile struck the protective shield, sending a fireball soaring into the air.

The shock wave spread along the surface of the photomask, and the hemispherical barrier suddenly caved inward.

Before it could recover, a second and a third missile followed.

Flames piled up one after another, and shockwaves repeatedly rolled over the barrier. The Magic Power light on the surface of the barrier flickered wildly, and by the tenth wave, it could no longer hold on.

The cracks spread abruptly from the point of impact, instantly covering the entire light shield, before shattering with a deafening roar, turning into countless grayish-white light fragments.

The remaining missiles encountered no further obstacles. They flew over the still-burning flames and crashed into the magic circle one after another.

The flames spread across the ground in patches.

The high-pressure blast wave from the explosion swept across the ground, snapping large sections of the totem bone pillars in half. The broken animal bones tumbled and flew into the distance, embedding themselves in the factory walls.

The Magic Power, now unrestrained, surged from the broken nodes, collided with each other, and then exploded a second time.

Smoke billowed into the sky.

The entire magic circle instantly turned into a tattered piece of cloth.

The thick gray fog that had enveloped the sky suddenly stopped churning and then began to dissipate gradually.

Before long, cracks appeared between the layers of fog.

The cool moonlight poured down from the cracks, falling on the burning Blackstone Mining Area floor.

****

"Star-Patrolling Missile, launch!"

Su Ming gave the order. On the Pansy, the vertical launch units distributed in many places on the hull were activated simultaneously, and missiles ignited, trailing straight columns of fire as they shot into the night sky.

They broke the sound barrier, climbing rapidly amidst a sharp whistling sound.