"What？"
Li Ye was just about to continue questioning when he suddenly heard a deep, muffled thunder-like rumble coming from afar.
He turned his head and saw a dozen blazing orbs streaking across the sky.
They trailed long fiery tails through the air, like falling fire meteors.
On the distant ridge line, a dozen massive Zerg were lined up in formation.
They resembled beetles in shape, equipped with razor-sharp mandibles, and their mouths burned with roaring flames.
Fire-Eaters.
Zerg low-tier long-range heavy support units.
Each measured around 12–15 meters in length, with one-third of that taken up by the mouth, and compound eyes lined the sides of their jaws.
The exoskeleton of the Fire-Eater was extremely durable, able to withstand mid-to-small caliber weapon fire. Correspondingly, their mobility was quite poor. They relied on abdominal creeping and short-range burrowing, with a top speed of only 20 km/h.Their weapon was a self-synthesized high-explosive energy bomb within their bodies.
In flat-trajectory mode, the Fire-Eaters could bombard targets within 800–1200 meters.
At an elevation angle, they could reach 2500–3000 meters.
They did not need a gunner to operate; their biology had evolved a fully integrated firepower structure. These massive creatures possessed astonishing computational abilities, capable of calculating wind speed, firing angles, and energy bomb incline before launching.
The thunderous report of their firepower tore through the silence of the snowy peaks. The burning high-explosive energy bombs tore through the thin air, leaving trails of searing light.
The first energy bomb landed near the Tomorrow on the edge of a glacier atop a snowy peak. The ensuing explosion soared into the sky, shattering centuries-old ice layers in a deafening collapse. Huge chunks of ice were flung skyward by the shockwave.
The second energy bomb struck a snowy slope, triggering a chain avalanche. Thousands of tons of snow cascaded down like a massive white tidal wave.
Then came the third, the fourth—
Explosions lit up the entire plateau, the heatwaves from the blasts melting snow across hundreds of kilometers. Countless shards of ice and stone rained down like a storm.
Li Ye clutched his ears tightly, as if the entire world was spinning in a deafening roar of explosions.
The Tomorrow Alliance sustained no damage.
While traveling, Elder David had warned everyone that during combat they must cling to the snowy peaks’ flanks.
Back then, everyone had been confused. Now they understood completely.
Using the snowy peaks as shelter, the Tomorrow and the Peacemaker remained unharmed. The Iron Whale and Engineer had not entered the battle.
At the very front, however, the Warblade M3 became the primary bombing target.
The majority of the energy bombs surged toward it.
"It’s over！"Li Ye cursed inwardly.
The Warblade M3 was currently halfway up a snowy mountain, over two thousand meters above the ground.
It had also undergone highland climbing modifications, making its movements extremely sluggish.
At this speed, there was simply no way for the Warblade M3 to dodge the bombardment.
What awaited it was a fate of being blasted into pieces.
Just then, the Warblade M3 made an unexpected move that took Li Ye by surprise.
It suddenly retracted all its Rock Nail Anchors from the bottom. As these thick steel pillars withdrew, the mobile city immediately began sliding downward at an astonishing speed！
At the same time, it shut down the hydraulic system of the Universal Tread Cluster, causing the treads to stop gripping the ice.
Then, the left tread cluster suddenly braked, while the right treads spun at full speed. With a dangerous drift, it narrowly dodged the incoming shellfire！
Meanwhile, the upper deck of the city unfolded a large number of folding sails.
These folding sails all deployed in reverse direction, generating immense air resistance.
As the Warblade M3 shot down the snowy peak, the reversed sails let out explosive cracking sounds. Every sail stretched taut instantly, transforming the roaring winds into an invisible giant hand that stopped the city from plummeting off a cliff.
With the tremendous inertia from the abrupt sail deployment, the Warblade M3 began a lateral drift.
As the inertia from the drift gradually diminished, the previously halted Universal Tread Cluster and Rock Nail Anchors reactivated, beginning to decelerate the city.
Under the horrified gazes of all, the Warblade M3 finally arrived steadily at the foot of the mountain.
At this moment, no words could express the shock in everyone’s hearts.
So mobile cities could actually perform mobile evasion on the plateau!
Li Ye gazed at the Warblade M3 which had once again begun to move forward slowly, a sincere sense of admiration flashing in his eyes.
High-altitude mobile evasion—this was a maneuver only helmsmen of the highest caliber could achieve.
The precise timing of shutting down and reactivating the Universal Tread Cluster and Rock Nail Anchors, the deployment of the folding sails, the control of inertia through drifting—
Any slight mistake in these actions could result in the total destruction of the city and the loss of all lives.
Li Ye instinctively looked at the screen, and saw a message appear there.
【Warblade M3: We are born for battle.】
When the smoke cleared, the snowy peak was unrecognizable. Ice layers shattered, cliff walls collapsed, and the once tranquil and pure white world had been scarred black by cannonfire.
【Peacemaker: Report—these Fire-Eaters are using the flanks of the snowy peaks as cover. My artillery strikes can hardly hit them.】
【Tomorrow: Leave them to me.】
On the distant snowy peak.
Perhaps sensing that their last volley had failed, the Fire-Eaters let out low hissing roars from their mouths.
The compound eyes flanking their mouths flickered, as though communicating among themselves.
Next, blazing heat surged once more from inside their mouths.
Just then, a roaring sound suddenly came from high above.
The Fire-Eaters seemed to sense something, raising their heads in unison to look skyward.
A massive creature broke through the clouds, rushing toward them at full speed.
It was none other than the Vanguard Armed Gunship.
The Fire-Eaters clearly perceived the threat of this airborne behemoth, and instantly let out sharp, shrieking cries in unison.
Nearby, the ice layers and rock beneath them burst open, and a swarm of Frostblade Beasts and Burrowers surged out, using their bodies as meat shields to protect the Fire-Eaters.
"Vanguard Armed Gunship has locked onto multiple targets simultaneously,"a crew member said softly."Initiating maximum firepower strike."
The BK-27 Rotary Heavy Autocannon aboard the gunship opened fire, its high rate of fire transforming the bullet stream into a blazing red whip that lashed through the swarm on the snowy peak.
Simultaneously, the "Odin’s Hammer" 105mm Heavy Howitzer at midsection fired, and the bomb bay under the gunship’s belly opened—dozens of MK80 Droppable General-Purpose Bombs fell straight down.
The entire snowy peak was instantly engulfed in overwhelming flames. The shockwaves from the general-purpose bombs radiated out in circular waves. Temperatures of several thousand degrees erupted, vaporizing the swarm into charred remains in a flash.
"Excellent！"Li Ye nodded sharply.
With that, the threat to the mobile cities was eliminated.
【Warblade M3: Impressive. I didn’t expect you to have a Level 3 Flying Vehicle. We can now proceed.】
【Peacemaker: Report—next round of artillery support will be ready in 5 minutes.】
【Tomorrow: Situation is progressing surprisingly smoothly. Shall I send the gunship directly to the rear to bomb the swarm’s base?】
【Warblade M3: Don’t do that！The swarm has anti-air firepower！】
【Warblade M3: We cannot afford any mistakes against the swarm—we must proceed step by step！】
【Tomorrow: Understood.】
The Tomorrow Alliance followed Warblade M3 as it continued to push forward.
The Warblade M3 had already deployed a large number of combat forces.
Light Airships swept rapidly across the sky, raining firepower down upon the swarm below.
Jet Planes accelerated forward to engage the incoming Windrippers.
Spider Tanks with eight mechanical legs weaved nimbly at the front line, continuously gunning down insects emerging from beneath the ice layer.
Some Spider Tanks even carried a knight clad in Powered Armor. With cigarettes clenched in their mouths, they shouted hoarsely while pulling the trigger to open fire.
Though the Zerg were vast in number, they could not withstand such concentrated firepower.
The human mobile cities advanced steadily.
Upon seeing the Mycelial Mats up close, Li Ye couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
【Tomorrow: Elder David, should we deal with these Mycelial Mats?】
【Warblade M3: Ignore them. Without the Earth-Eaters to maintain secretion, these Mycelial Mats will gradually evaporate and disappear.】
【Warblade M3: In fact, these Mycelial Mats are surprisingly clean, composed purely of organic matter.】
As the two exchanged messages, a thunderous roar echoed across the distant sky.
Li Ye immediately furrowed his brows tightly.
Judging from the scale of the sound, it was clearly a massive creature.
【Warblade M3: This is bad. I didn’t expect the swarm to have even created a Thunder Beast.】
【Tomorrow: Thunder Beast？】
【Warblade M3: That’s the swarm’s ground-based heavy combat unit—their battlefield fortress.】
A distant tremor echoed forward—and drew ever closer.
Li Ye turned his head and saw a colossal Zerg beast, hundreds of meters long, charging furiously toward them.
Its body was covered in layered, dark-purple biological armor, its surface crisscrossed with thick vascular veins. Its mouth bore a bone jaw shaped like a giant scimitar, dozens of meters in length.
This colossal Zerg had dozens of pairs of compound eyes, each covered by a translucent crystal membrane. As its pupils contracted, a crimson savagery gleamed forth.
Its limbs were incredibly strong. Bone blades even jutted backward from its joints. Every step it took brought earth-shaking rumble.
To this, Elder David spoke concisely.
【Warblade M3: Deploy maximum firepower.】
In an instant, all three mobile cities opened fire in unison.
The Tomorrow’s Frost Cannons and Molten Cannons, the strafing Black Hawk Helicopters, and the fully unleashed firepower of the Vanguard Armed Gunship.
The Peacemaker once again unleashed a full artillery barrage, its might roaring like thunder.
The Warblade M3 opened fire with full force, the entire mobile city bursting into successive flashes of cannon fire.
A torrential and dense storm of firepower swept down onto the Thunder Beast. Its hardened shell was blasted into pieces, and its legs cracked and slowed.
Even so, this colossal Zerg still erupted with ferocity, launching a charge straight through the shelling！
"So strong."Li Ye’s expression turned grave.
The Warblade M3, with its astonishing combat loadout; the fire-support-type city, the Peacemaker; and the heavily armed Tomorrow.
The concentrated fire of three Level 2 Mobile Cities—yet this Zerg behemoth endured it by brute force！
After charging several hundred meters, the Thunder Beast finally could not hold on and collapsed with a mournful wail.
【Warblade M3: Keep advancing. We must eliminate them before the swarm creates more combat units.】
The further they advanced, the stronger the resistance became.
The swarm assaulted from nearly every direction, forcing the mobile cities to keep firing without pause.
During the battle, a large number of swarm creatures invaded the deck of the Tomorrow. Fortunately, the Tomorrow's deck defenses were sufficient to withstand the pressure.
Eventually, the Zerg base came into view before them.
Upon seeing it clearly, Li Ye couldn't help but be stunned.
Compared to a Zerg base, it looked more like a fortress.
This fortress seemed alive. It resembled a writhing mountain of flesh, its surface covered in a thick outer shell, and its interior filled with Mycelial Mats.
It took the shape of a spiraling tower, rooted into the earth at its base, while massive hatching duct tubes extended from its top, continuously spewing Mycelial Mats.
From top to bottom, it housed various Swarm Structures like hatching nests, evolution chambers, living Zerg turrets, Zerg tunnels, and digestion chambers.
Inside the hatching nests were densely packed eggs, with dozens of larvae emerging every minute.
These larvae crawled into the evolution chamber and were transformed into various Zerg units.
【Tomorrow: Elder David, what is this?】
【Warblade M3: That is the Broodmother.】
【Tomorrow: What？！】
【Warblade M3: Once it chooses a location, the Broodmother will transform into different forms to reproduce the swarm. What you see as a fortress is just one of its forms.】
【Warblade M3: It takes on countless forms. Can you imagine a Broodmother in the form of a mobile city?】
【Tomorrow: That’s hard to believe.】
【Warblade M3: This stationary form is manageable. It’s the mobile ones that are troublesome. Let’s attack—blast it down.】
Compared to the Thunder Beast, the Broodmother was actually easier to deal with.
The three mobile cities took aim, then opened fire.
That strange and grotesque living swarm fortress was instantly engulfed in rolling flames.
During this, a large number of Zerg shrieked and launched a counterattack, but were ultimately suppressed.
Once the swarm fortress was destroyed, the previously raging Zerg instantly paused.
Their movements lost coordination and turned chaotic.
Without the Broodmother as the command center, the Zerg were no different from common monsters.
They screeched restlessly, pacing back and forth, and even fought and bit each other.
The scene descended into total chaos.
The Warblade M3 was clearly familiar with this type of situation and immediately mobilized firepower to sweep up the remaining Zerg.
The Tomorrow and the Peacemaker joined in.
In the end, the majority of the Zerg were eradicated, with only a few scattering away in escape.
Just as Li Ye and the others were about to pursue, Elder David called out to them.
【Warblade M3: No need to chase. Killing the Broodmother already fulfills the strategic objective.】
【Warblade M3: Without the Broodmother’s command, even thousands of swarm creatures are just scattered sand.】
【Tomorrow: Understood.】
【Warblade M3: Thank you for your assistance. The swarm crisis has been successfully resolved.】
【Tomorrow: You’re too kind. In truth, we’ve also come to understand just how serious a threat the swarm really is.】
【Warblade M3: The Iron Oath Brotherhood will remember your contributions. We won’t let your efforts go unrewarded.】
【Warblade M3: Speak—what kind of reward do you want? If it's something I can provide, it’s yours.】