Full-Time Public Enemy-Chapter 769 - 525 Rescue Operation (Part 2)

All equipment on Andrei, including his "Complete Invisibility" system, completely lost power. He was not only abruptly exposed but also plummeted downwards.

The insect swarm reacted instantly. The nearest scout flies swarmed him, their saw-like mouthparts whirring, ready to tear him to shreds.

Andrei's blood ran cold. This was the problem with much of the Empire's current equipment: their reliability was wildly inconsistent. When they were robust, they were indestructible; but when they were fragile... they shattered like glass.

While falling, Andrei frantically attempted three restarts before his power core finally reignited, but the delay exposed the entire team.

Andon cursed. Two hatches then opened on his Mecha's back, each revealing thirty-six small, densely packed missiles with orange-red warheads.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...

One by one, the missiles launched, blasting the sixteen scout flies surrounding Andrei to smithereens in a series of explosions.

However, this drew the attention of a nearby group of main combat flyers. On the ground, a large swath of insects snapped their heads up, their gaze fierce.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—

This group of main combat flyers were the pterodactyl-like creatures Chen Gu had encountered before—a new species that had appeared six months prior, officially named "Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insect."

Their numbers exceeded ten thousand!

They flew in formations, their combined roar as deafening as heavy bombers from the Homeworld era.

Andon felt his scalp prickle. He twitched his shoulders, and a large-caliber energy cannon rose, taking aim at the swarm.

But powerful as the Mecha's cannon was, it struggled against such a massive swarm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

BOOM!

A blast erupted, striking one Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insect. The ensuing energy wave, sixty meters in radius, vaporized several nearby creatures.

But that was all. In the face of the enormous swarm, it was like a single pebble tossed into the ocean.

Benjamin's eyes lit up. "Star State lads," he said cheerfully over the comms, "time for our specialty! Target the Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insect swarm! Saturation fire!"

They deactivated "Complete Invisibility." The Star State warriors, six in total including Benjamin, hovered side-by-side in the air. Then, around the power cores on their chests, four square energy cannon ports snapped open on each Mecha!

A total of twenty-four energy cannon ports for six Mechas.

Their power cores surged to maximum output, charging the cannons. Simultaneously, weapon bays on their thighs snapped open, ejecting racks of missile pods. Each pod housed twelve tactical nuclear missiles with yellow warheads!

"Begin!"

WHIZZ—

WHIZZ—

WHIZZ—

The energy cannons fired in unison, followed by a missile salvo!

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

The insect swarm erupted into chaos as countless Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insects were blasted from the sky. Benjamin surveyed the devastation with satisfaction. Their saturation fire had wiped out nearly a quarter of the ten-thousand-strong Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insect swarm.

Although their energy reserves were plummeting and they had expended a third of their tactical nuclear missile payload, Benjamin felt they could handle the entire Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insect swarm themselves. He had every reason to be proud.

Just then, he heard Chen Gu say, "You can handle this small group, right? If there's no problem, I'll go deal with that larger group over there."

Huh? Benjamin thought. Was that a hint of contempt from our Confederation friend? What's he implying? Can't he see the devastating effect of our saturation fire?

He turned his head and couldn't help but shudder.

In another direction, a colossal dark cloud blotted out the sky, an oppressive wave rolling towards them.

These were colossal creatures, each over 150 meters long with a wingspan exceeding 200 meters, resembling moths magnified to an immense scale. Dozens of large, bio-luminescent orifices pulsed around their bloated bodies, shimmering with bright light—primed to unleash devastating bio-plasma incendiary charges!

This new swarm numbered over 30,000. Compared to them, Benjamin realized, the Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insects they were fighting truly were "a small group," perhaps even just "a handful."

Saturation fire was the Star State military's signature tactic, ideal for dealing with such massive swarms. Yet, Benjamin felt that if *he* couldn't handle that enormous swarm of "Titan Moths," the Confederation pilot stood even less of a chance.

"Can you handle that?" Benjamin asked, his voice laced with skepticism. He then added with a sigh of resignation, "How can monsters like this even exist here? Where does the swarm get the energy to incubate such a vast horde of Titan Moths?"

Chen Gu didn't directly address the skepticism. Instead, he adjusted his Mecha's stance and accessed a holographic list displaying new equipment installed by Dr. Oubayang.

Chen Gu selected "Destruction Cannon" from the menu and tapped "fire."

A modular unit on the Mecha's back detached, shifted to Chen Gu's right shoulder, and transformed, extending a short, thick barrel.

This cannon barrel was unlike any other Mecha weaponry. It was multi-layered, and deep within, dark red flames seemed to smolder.

Then, Chen Gu saw his Mecha's power core output spiking wildly, which gave him a jolt. Dr. Oubayang wouldn't set me up, would he? What if one shot drains the entire energy bar...

But it was too late for regrets. With a ROAR, the Destruction Cannon unleashed a blindingly bright flare, reminiscent of the all-illuminating white light from a generator powering up to full capacity.

The incandescent projectile lanced into the Titan Moth swarm, triggering four successive shockwave explosions.

The first wave had a radius of 300 meters, the second 1,800 meters, the third 4,500 meters, and the fourth an astonishing 18,000 meters!

Within this vast kill zone, all Titan Moths ignited and plummeted. Those at the epicenter were instantly incinerated.

A single shot had annihilated one-third of the Titan Moth swarm!

Benjamin and his team were dumbstruck, even forgetting to initiate their planned second wave of saturation fire.

There was no doubt: if Chen Gu had targeted their opponents, that "small group" of Sub-Dragon Sky Combat Insects would have been wiped out instantly.

The Star State pilots suddenly felt a chill. Has our most vaunted "saturation fire" tactic been not only figured out but also *surpassed* by the Confederation?!

Benjamin felt an urge to confront Chen Gu. You Confederation types are supposed to be good at infiltration and tactical maneuvering! What are you doing horning in on saturation fire?! If you master that too, what's left for us Star State pilots?!

Commander Charles of the Freedom Alliance felt his eyelids twitch. While such destructive power wasn't unheard of in the Star Sea—many Close Range Attack Ships could achieve similar results in planetary assaults—this was from a *single Mecha*!

The difference in scale was immense.

Regardless of this operation's outcome, Charles thought, I must advise High Command to strengthen technological cooperation with the Confederation. It doesn't matter whose hardware we buy; the Confederation's tech clearly has a brighter future!

Andon, Andrei, and their Imperial comrades were practically tearing their hair out, letting out wild, ecstatic cries!

The Star State's saturation fire is just...boring, they thought. All those cannons blazing away—it's a dead end! *This* is what we need! A weapon that can take down any opponent, no matter how big or strong, in a single shot! If one shot isn't enough, the cannon just isn't big enough! Chen Gu's cannon... now *that* has the right caliber!

Chen Gu's Mecha swayed. Just as he'd feared, firing the Destruction Cannon had drained his energy bar completely.

Fortunately, Dr. Oubayang had also upgraded the power core. Though the Mecha shuddered, the core didn't flame out; reserve power kicked in.

Chen Gu's eyes widened. After using the Destruction Cannon for the first time, a surge of confidence washed over him. Looks like I can handle rescuing my comrades on my own after all! I don't need your help!