novelraw Chapter 236 : Surging Tide
Chapter 236 : Surging Tide
Chapter 236: Surging Tide
Under the intense rumbling, the vortex generator of the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 began to operate at full capacity, generating violent underwater turbulence.
Using this thrust, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 shot into the rear of the island like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
It raised its Plasma Pulse Rifle and began strafing the nearest set of propeller cores.
The blue-white plasma beam pierced through the drive shaft. The high temperature instantly melted the shaft bearings, and the now unbalanced propellers and blades began colliding with each other. Amid the screeching sound of tearing metal, the entire propulsion system was destroyed in a thunderous crash.
The Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 then opened fire madly on several propulsion units. Soon, explosions erupted one after another at the rear of the island. Under the monsters’ desperate gazes, this Mobile Island completely lost its mobility.
While scoring a successful hit, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 also established contact with the Iron Oath MS-UM-O8.
At the moment the torpedo swarm struck, the two reached a quick consensus.
The former would spearhead the assault, while the latter would handle the torpedoes.
Just as the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 prepared to expand its success, it received a warning from its companion.
Two of the enemy's naval combat-type units were closing in. They had to face them now.
The pilot of the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 couldn’t help but let out a light sigh.
He had originally intended to press the advantage and destroy the armored base of the island’s underside in one go, causing the entire island to sink.
"So we really only have one minute... Let’s go meet them head-on now."
At this very moment, two naval combat-type Mobile Warriors from the monstrous forces charged in aggressively.
The Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 and Iron Oath MS-UM-O8 each moved to engage one opponent.
Monster Unit One immediately locked onto the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 and launched multiple supercavitating torpedoes during its charge. In response, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 activated its air curtain device, generating a dense wall of bubbles in front of it that successfully intercepted the torpedoes and blocked the enemy’s line of sight.
But Unit One had already anticipated this move. It instantly activated its High-Frequency Vibration Cutter, slicing through the bubble wall like thin paper.
Simultaneously, it raised its Plasma Pulse Rifle and opened fire, the blue-white beam piercing the murky waters.
At the very moment of impact, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7’s vortex generator revved at full throttle, creating chaotic underwater turbulence.
The plasma beam, originally aimed at its chest, was deflected and ended up merely scorching a melted mark across the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7’s shoulder armor.
At the same time, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 launched a counterattack.
It fired three alloy nets from its Net Launcher at close range toward the enemy unit. Although Unit One swung its cutters rapidly, it still got its right arm entangled by the alloy net.
Seizing this opportunity, the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7 raised its Vibration Blade and slashed toward it in one powerful strike!
But the enemy's machine reacted even faster. It suddenly boosted its vortex generator to maximum power, unleashing a fierce surge of underwater currents that violently threw both units apart.
The intense current even swept the Vibration Blade from the Iron Oath MS-UM-K7’s grasp.
When it came to piloting Mobile Warriors, the monstrous pilots also possessed formidable skill and discipline.
The Iron Oath MS-UM-K7's pilot didn’t mind. A Mobile Warrior usually carried multiple Vibration Blades on board.
Meanwhile, the battle between the Iron Oath MS-UM-O8 and Enemy Unit Two was approaching a boiling point.
In this underwater battlefield where even sunlight could not reach, the four naval combat-type Mobile Warriors clashed fiercely. The roar of steel and the thunder of nuclear engines composed the most violent of deep-sea ballads.
"Such an intense battle," Li Ye murmured.
He couldn't see the underwater fight between the Mobile Warriors, but he could see the aerial combat.
In his view, the aerial-type Mobile Warriors had far greater maneuverability than he had imagined.
At this moment, the Tomorrow Alliance was slowly advancing under the cover of signal-blocking devices and city camouflage.
The same was true for Heath’s Mobile City Battle Cluster.
To facilitate communication, Li Ye specifically had Heath’s Saint join the City Radio.
He proposed a suggestion:
To bypass the enemy's Mobile City Battle Cluster and directly strike their Mobile Island.
However, this suggestion was rejected by Heath.
“A Level 3 Mobile Island itself is already heavily armed. It's not something that can be easily taken down,” he replied. “According to intelligence, it has lost its mobility. We only need to eliminate the enemy’s City Battle Cluster, and then it will be a turtle in a jar.”
“Understood.”
As they gradually advanced, both sides quickly located the Mobile City Battle Clusters of the Blood Clan Civilization and the Ghoul Civilization.
Heath’s troops immediately engaged the Blood Clan Civilization, while Li Ye faced off against the Ghoul Civilization.
Just like the Tomorrow Alliance, Heath’s Mobile City Battle Cluster was also equipped with city camouflage and signal-blocking devices. At his command, the Mobile Cities under his command all shed their disguise and initiated combat.
The Blood Clan Civilization retaliated, and the two sides immediately engaged in battle.
Heath’s mood was far from calm.
The enemy’s Mobile Warriors had already been left to the Iron Oath Brotherhood, but the deployed Wind Element forces had yet to appear.
“No matter what, trust in your comrades,” he thought silently.
Sure enough, the moment Heath’s troops appeared, the sea began to tremble slightly.
At first, there were only scattered wisps, drifting gently across the waves. But as time passed, they began to accelerate, spiral, and intertwine—
Eventually converging into full-fledged Wind Elements.
Like Mobile Cities, Wind Elements also possessed stealth capabilities—
In fact, even more so.
All they had to do was stop flowing, and they would vanish into the natural world.
Only high-grade detection measures could reveal them.
The leading Wind Element spoke in a resonant voice.
“Together! Destroy the enemy forces completely!”
At its command, the Wind Elements rapidly gathered together.
The air currents between sea and sky began to twist. The Wind Elements frantically wove spiraling trajectories, shredding the sea into frothy white foam.
They were no longer drifters of the ocean, but furious dancers in the storm, whirling wildly within the vortex.
Air pressure plummeted. The clouds were dragged into a funnel shape, like a greedy giant hand reaching for the sea.
At last, a colossal tornado formed over the ocean.
The Wind Elements surged and howled within it, hurling seawater thousands of meters into the sky—then flinging it back down with force.
They were no longer graceful spirits but incarnations of violence, with the spinning vortex filled with the rhythm of destruction.
The ocean surface was torn into a massive wound, countless waves surging and shattering beneath the tornado’s foot.
Seeing the colossal tornado roaring toward their own troops, expressions of astonishment and fear appeared on everyone's faces.
It was a pitch-black giant pillar piercing the sky and sea.
Its diameter exceeded two kilometers. Within the spinning wall of clouds flickered bluish-purple lightning, like the thunderous whip wielded by a god. The sea surface was gouged into a terrifying depression several kilometers wide, with tens of millions of tons of seawater sucked into the sky, transforming in the vortex into twisting, silvery-white water dragons.
The roar emitted by the tornado as it moved drowned out all other sounds in the world — it was the terrifying volume of a thousand jet engines screaming in unison.
This was the enraged form of the elemental monsters — an apocalyptic symphony composed by wind and water.
Even more shocking to the crowd was the tornado’s extreme speed. In just a moment, it was about to engulf Heath’s forces.
“.Is this the power of a Level 4 Monstrous Civilization?” a middle-aged Combat Deacon murmured, momentarily dazed.
Judging from the Wind Elements’ approach, they clearly intended to cleanly and thoroughly annihilate all of Heath’s forces.
Heath’s expression remained calm.
He stared at the approaching colossal tornado and quietly said,
“Come, my comrades!”
Almost at that same instant, a Submersible-type Mobile City of the Titan Throne class surfaced from beneath the waves.
The pre-deployed device inside the city roared to life, emitting a sound.
At first, the sound was extremely low, almost imperceptible, but it sent the entire sea into an eerie trembling.
The Wind Elements forming the massive tornado immediately sensed something was wrong. Their transparent forms began to shiver, like silk gripped by an invisible hand. The frequency of the sound cut precisely into the vortex’s core, creating a deadly resonance.
Before everyone’s eyes, the tornado shattered with a thunderous crash.
A colossal column of water exploded from within, turning into a torrential downpour that pelted the sea.
Level 4 Anti-Elemental Device: Infrasonic Oscillator.
Under its suppression, the Wind Elements' forms twisted into bizarre wave patterns before collapsing one after another.
But the Wind Elements quickly reformed their shapes, struggling to fight back.
However, the Infrasonic Oscillator kept them firmly suppressed.
The Wind Elements had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield, disappearing far into the distance.
While everyone else was overjoyed, Heath gave a slight nod.
“Now, we begin the battle against the Blood Clan Civilization!”
“It’s about to begin.”
Li Ye spoke softly.
At this moment, the Mobile City Battle Clusters of the Tomorrow Alliance and the Ghouls were less than five nautical miles apart.
The alliance immediately entered combat readiness.
On the A1 Deck of the Tomorrow, all types of warplanes took off one after another.
The fleet that had been deployed in advance rumbled into motion.
The Starshine, the Peacemaker, and the Iron Whale all moved into position one after another.
Once its forces had been deployed externally, the Tomorrow re-entered camouflage mode.
Through reports from the reconnaissance aircraft, Li Ye learned the details of the enemy forces.
One Level 3 Assault-type Mobile City.
One each of Level 1 Defensive-type, Fire-support-type, and Submersible-type Mobile Cities, and two Level 1 Assault-type Cities.
A fully-equipped Level 3 Fleet and Level 3 Aerial Force.
Undoubtedly, the Level 1 cities were all equipped with Level 3 configurations.
What especially caught Li Ye’s attention—
“A Level 1 Submersible-type City with Level 3 equipment — isn't that essentially a Super Submarine? We must prioritize its elimination!”
The Ghoul forces launched their assault first.
Their aerial force and fleet surged forward at full speed, while the Level 1 Mobile Cities collectively accelerated to charge.
Among them, the Fire-support-type City launched a massive volley of Smoke Shells to obscure the view of the Tomorrow Alliance’s forces.
As for that Level 3 Assault-type Mobile City, it activated its City Camouflage and Signal-Blocking Device, vanishing without a trace.
Li Ye picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke in a deep voice.
“Open fire!”
At the command, the Zhenlang-class Destroyer and Flight III-class Destroyer unleashed thunderous roars from their vertical launch units. A barrage of anti-air missiles and cruise missiles lifted off, trailing orange-red plumes behind them.
The triple torpedo launch tubes mounted on the destroyers' flanks slowly rotated toward their targets. As the fire control officer pressed the launch button, high-pressure gas expelled three torpedoes from the tubes. Upon hitting the water, they immediately corrected their posture and surged forward, leaving faint blue trails behind.
At the same time, the Peacemaker began its first wave of suppressive bombardment.
On its deck, the black artillery barrels pointed forward like a forest of spears.
At the moment of firing, the entire city shook violently.
All the cannons roared in unison, spitting tongues of blazing fire. The shrill whistle of the shells tearing through the air drowned out the fury of the waves. The iron rain formed an intensely intimidating parabolic barrage in the sky.
Countless towering water pillars exploded across the sea’s surface. White sea spray and black smoke fused into savage mushroom clouds.
Simultaneously, the Electromagnetic Railgun locked onto the enemy fleet and opened fire.
The enemy fleet began evasive maneuvers at once, but one Cruiser was still hit.
The moment the railgun’s projectile struck the side of the cruiser, it was as if a giant had punched it — a five-meter-wide dent exploded into the hull. Under immense pressure, the shattered armor turned into a deadly storm of metal fragments, sweeping through multiple compartments aboard the ship.
The hull’s armor was cleaved like butter. The armor-piercing blast detonated a fireball inside the vessel, and the shockwave tore wildly through corridors and cabins.
As the bombardment ended, the Peacemaker launched a round of smoke shells to conceal itself, and began reloading for a new barrage.
High above, the aerial battle between both sides' warplanes had begun in earnest.
The iron-grey clouds were shredded by the roar of engines. Human and Ghoul aircraft collided like two flocks of metallic raptors at ten thousand meters altitude.
The Peregrine Falcon fighters dove in a wedge formation into the enemy ranks, their thrusters carving countless white spirals in the clouds.
The sparks of missile explosions bloomed repeatedly among the clouds. Chaff and flares painted bizarre blue blossoms against the azure sky.
Amidst the swirling smoke, the enemy’s three Level 1 Mobile Cities emerged.
Awaiting them were the Starshine and the Iron Whale.
While giving commands, Li Ye’s gaze was fixed on the enemy fleet.
“It’s your turn now,” he said softly.
Beneath the waves, several Mechanical Squids were stealthily swimming forward.
Before the enemy fleet realized it, one of the Mechanical Squids burst from the water like a nightmare.
Its eight tentacles coiled around a destroyer like giant pythons, each joint groaning with a harsh metallic screech driven by hydraulics.
The inner side of the tentacles was lined with retractable, serrated suction pads that clamped tightly onto the ship’s hull. The longest two limbs extended special Mechanical Clamps, latching viciously onto the destroyer’s vertical missile launchers on the bridge.
With a grating screech of deforming metal, the missile launcher was torn open like tinfoil. Exposed wiring erupted in dazzling electric sparks.
Beneath the murky sea, the Mechanical Squid’s head armor peeled open like flower petals, revealing a double-layered beak-like mouthpart.
Its outer layer was a high-speed rotating drill, while the inner layer was a tube spraying high-pressure acid.
Under the pilot’s control, the mouthpart locked onto the underside of the destroyer’s hull. The drill bit spun at thousands of revolutions per second, gnawing into the metal.
Meanwhile, the tube injected massive quantities of high-pressure acid into the hull.
The destroyer’s bottom collapsed with a thunderous crash. Amid multiple ear-splitting metallic tears, the ship’s keel split in half — like a cookie crushed by a bite.