Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 108 Aerial Raid: Hope for Restoring Communications

More than an hour later.

When their ammunition was almost depleted, the various clearing forces began to withdraw from the territory of the Abyss Beast's lair under alternating cover, according to the pre-arranged plan.

The truck engine roared, carrying the tired but excited trainees on their journey back to the training camp.

Despite being physically exhausted and having sore muscles, they were wide awake.

For a moment, the truck was filled with enthusiastic and even excited conversations.

The trainees, fresh from the battle, couldn't wait to share their experiences, recounting the moments of defeating the abyss beasts and discussing their mistakes and improvements in teamwork.

Those groups who were fortunate, or perhaps unfortunate, to have encountered the oppressive power of the Stardust-level Abyss Beast and witnessed Lin Yi's earth-shattering attack became the focus of everyone's attention.

They were in the truck bed, spitting and exclaiming in amazement.

"My God! You didn't see it, when that guy pounced on me, I felt my heart stop beating, all I could think was, I'm going to die, I'm going to fight it to the death."

"And then? And then? Did the head instructor really just shoot it away from that distance in one go?"

"Nonsense, a flash of white light, just like that, 'whoosh,' and then 'boom.' That monster was gone, not even ashes remained."

"That's amazing! The video has become a reality. I'm so envious, why didn't I experience that?"

The atmosphere was equally enthusiastic inside a truck that primarily carried the delegation's observers.

Several young people surrounded the spot where Elizabeth and Adams were.

"Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Adams, I heard your group also encountered a Stardust-level enemy? Tell me, what was it like? Is the head instructor really that amazing?"

A student from a small European country asked eagerly, his face full of curiosity.

Elizabeth sat with her arms crossed, leaning against the partition of the carriage. Her golden hair was a little messy and dusty.

Her azure eyes gazed at the rapidly receding ruins outside the car, seemingly still immersed in the shock of the previous scene and not yet fully recovered. When asked a question, she merely pursed her lips, maintaining her usual aloof demeanor, and did not answer immediately.

Adams, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer.

The burly man showed no signs of fatigue; instead, his face was flushed with excitement. He slapped his thigh hard, the sound so loud it almost drowned out the noise of the truck.
"A feeling?! Let me tell you what that feeling is like! It's like death itself is waving at you right in the face!"

He gestured wildly, spitting as he began to describe, "That monster, purple, as fast as lightning! It was about to tear Elizabeth to shreds, we all thought we were doomed, and that's when..."

Adams deliberately dragged out his words, building everyone's suspense, before suddenly raising his voice: "I saw a beam of light, a light brighter than the sun, fly right over our heads. I felt like my hair was about to be singed. Then, the monster was gone! Completely blasted away! You didn't see it!"

He gestured wildly, vividly describing the thrill of the moment and the unbelievable reversal at the end, his tone filled with almost fanatical admiration for Lin Yi.

The other trainees in the carriage were stunned, and they involuntarily held their breath.

Just as Adam was getting into the most excited part, Elizabeth, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, interrupting Adam's rambling.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying an indescribable complex emotion, as if it had been deeply considered and confirmed:

"too strong."

These three simple words, without any embellishment, seemed to contain a thousand words, instantly silencing the noisy carriage.

Everyone looked at her, and saw the lingering shock and deep longing in her eyes.

Yes, that's incredible.

They were so powerful that they were beyond their comprehension, so powerful that they couldn't even muster the slightest thought of catching up, leaving only endless awe.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi, who was "too strong," had already returned to the training camp aboard the Little Flying Ball.

He had just finished tidying up his dormitory when Nie Chang came to his door, his face serious and anxious.

"Instructor Lin, there's an emergency." Nie Chang cut straight to the point without much small talk. "The General Staff just sent word that a batch of extremely important supplies and equipment was left behind in the chaotic evacuation at the beginning of the disaster, 420 kilometers to the south, in the former Factory 738 area."

"That area has now been confirmed as the territory of a medium-sized abyssal beast's lair. According to reconnaissance, a leader-level abyssal beast has been confirmed to be entrenched and active there."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "Among those supplies were some critical equipment. If we can successfully salvage them, we will have the hope of rebuilding a number of large base stations, which will not only allow us to re-establish contact with some satellites, but also establish a small-scale regional wireless network."

"This means that, if successful, we will be able to initially restore communication systems in some key areas."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's gaze sharpened slightly.

communication!

This is an extremely important yet extremely scarce resource in the apocalypse.

Current communication relies primarily on radio, which has many limitations and is inefficient.

Restoring some communications would bring immeasurable benefits to military command and control, communication between settlements, and even the allocation of civilian supplies.

"After Chief Li returned, he brought back information that you could kill the intermediate-level nest leader. The General Staff attached great importance to this and, after repeated study and screening, formulated a plan for this operation."

Nie Chang continued, "According to the plan, the strategy is to concentrate the available air assault forces at close range to launch a surprise attack. The objective is to quickly penetrate the area, attempt to kill the leader-level abyssal beast, and simultaneously use transport planes and helicopters to seize the supplies!"

"The General Staff would like to hear your opinion on this proposal."

Lin Yi thought about it and realized that if there was only one leader-level creature in a medium-sized nest, it would be quite feasible.

He nodded and said, "I agree. Restoring the communications system is crucial and worth the risk. An air raid is the fastest and most feasible option at present. What do you need me to do?"

Seeing Lin Yi's support, Nie Chang breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "No, you just need to adjust your state."

“Oh right.” Nie Chang slapped his forehead. “I almost forgot, that’s what I was going to talk about.”

"There's one more thing. The logistical supplies, ammunition, and materials needed for the operation to eliminate the three surrounding micro-nests have all been delivered to the front-line assembly point. The General Staff is asking whether the operational plan needs to be changed or adjusted based on the recent situation?"

This definitely needs to be adjusted.

With so many Origin Warriors participating in the war, the nature of the conflict will certainly be quite different.

After a moment's thought, Lin Yi said, "I suggest that the General Staff refine and adjust the original plan based on the data collected during this practical training on the cooperation between energy warriors and conventional troops."

"The key is to optimize how both sides can coordinate defense and counterattack more efficiently when encountering small groups of abyssal beasts or when elite units may appear. You are more professional in making specific tactical adjustments."

"Understood, I will relay your suggestion immediately!"

Nie Chang nodded emphatically, then turned and left decisively.
-
Two days later, the tranquility of the training camp was shattered by a loud, ever-approaching roar. The trainees, who had just finished their morning exercises, looked up curiously.

On the horizon, a large fleet of helicopters was flying toward the training camp.

The roar of the engines was deafening, like a flock of giant steel eagles soaring through the sky.

As the formation gradually came into focus, it turned out to consist of fifteen armed helicopters laden with missiles and rocket pods, and six larger transport helicopters.

They formed a tight battle formation, exuding an unparalleled aura and a powerful sense of oppression.

"So many helicopters!"

"What's going on? A large-scale operation?"

The trainees discussed amongst themselves, speculating about the purpose of this powerful air force.

To their even greater surprise, one of the transport helicopters broke away from the formation, slowly descended, and finally hovered precisely before landing on the temporary take-off and landing field outside the training camp gate.

The hatch opens.

Just then, Lin Yi, dressed in combat uniform and standing tall, strode out of the training camp.

Without any hesitation, he boarded the waiting transport helicopter.

Soon, the helicopter's rotors began to spin faster again, kicking up clouds of dust. The helicopter lifted off lightly and climbed rapidly, rejoining the formidable helicopter formation in the air.

The massive fleet adjusted its course, its engines roaring even louder, like a drawn sword, speeding southward until it became a string of black dots on the horizon.

All that remained was the gradually fading roar of the engine and the students standing there, looking up with excited hearts.

The hatch slowly closed, shutting out most of the roaring noise from the outside world.

Inside the cabin, besides Lin Yi and several fully armed and stern-faced special forces members, Liu Qiying, who had been waiting there, immediately came to greet them.

"Chief Instructor Lin."

Liu Qiying saluted, then quickly got into the zone and explained the situation to Lin Yi in a clear and concise manner: "For this operation, the air formation consists of fifteen 'Night Owl' attack helicopters and six 'Kunpeng' transport aircraft."

The 'Night Owl' is fully equipped with anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, and machine guns, sufficient to effectively suppress and eliminate most ground-based Abyss Beast units.

He pointed to the attack helicopters escorting the aircraft outside the porthole: "The action plan has been issued to each crew. After arriving at the target area, the attack helicopter formation will first conduct a round of fire to clear the area and create landing conditions for you. Your core mission is to locate and eliminate the leader-class abyssal beast entrenched in the 738 factory area."

"Once the leader-level abyssal beast is eliminated, our transport plane will land immediately."

Liu Qiying pointed to the several elite special forces members behind her and several people in technical uniforms who looked tense but excited.

"Special operations teams such as 'Sharp Blade' will be responsible for establishing temporary defensive positions to hold off any possible influx of ordinary abyssal beasts."

"The technical team is responsible for locating, identifying, and moving the target equipment as quickly as possible."

"The entire operation requires a quick in-and-out approach, minimizing the time spent on the ground."

Liu Qiying concluded, looking intently at Lin Yi, "The success or failure of this operation hinges on your ability to quickly eliminate the biggest threat."

Lin Yi listened quietly, then nodded to indicate that he understood.

The plan is very clear: air support, he is responsible for the decapitation strike, and ground troops take the opportunity to carry out operations; it is a standard special operations model.

But looking out the porthole at the vast, almost luxurious formation of attack helicopters, Lin Yi couldn't help but ask, "Is it necessary to deploy such a large-scale air force to deal with the guardian beasts of a medium-sized nest's leader?"

According to his calculations, he could kill the leader-level abyss beast and also take down the abyss beasts guarding it.

The remaining cannon fodder will fall into chaos in a short period of time, greatly reducing their threat level.

There is no need for fifteen fully armed attack helicopters to provide fire support; five or six helicopters to guard against and eliminate sporadic threats and block nearby support should be sufficient.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiying hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Lin Yi before finally offering a frank and honest explanation in a low voice.

"Chief Instructor Lin, to be honest, this was a decision made after careful consideration by Chief Li and the General Staff."

"The General Staff's idea is to be on the safe side."

He organized his thoughts: "After all, that's the leader of a medium-sized lair. We need to mobilize sufficient armed forces, just in case..."

"I mean, in case of any unexpected special circumstances, such as the leader being more difficult to deal with than expected, we will have enough room to maneuver and firepower to cover our retreat."

Liu Qiying lowered her voice even further, her tone extremely solemn: "The first order issued by the General Staff is: this operation can fail, the supplies can be abandoned, but you, Chief Instructor Lin, must not be lost."

"The primary mission of these armed helicopters is not to attack, but to provide you with the strongest firepower shield to ensure your safe evacuation under any circumstances."

After hearing this, Lin Yi was slightly taken aback at first, then understood and felt a warmth in his heart, but then he was also at a loss for words.

He got it.

The General Staff was still influenced by its previous statement that "the source energy would be exhausted after one strike."

Their deployment of such a massive armed force was probably not primarily aimed at dealing with the ragtag soldiers, and their main target was not even that leader-level abyssal beast.

Their core logic is likely this: if Lin Yi's prediction is accurate and he can kill the leader in one shot, that would be ideal, and these attack helicopters would be responsible for clearing out the miscellaneous troops and providing escort.

But what if Lin Yi's prediction is wrong, and he fails to kill the leader instantly, only inflicting ordinary injuries?

Or what if other unexpected events occur?

Then these fifteen Night Owl attack helicopters, fully loaded with ammunition, will instantly transform into the most ferocious firepower network, either focusing fire to finish off Lin Yi at all costs, or doing everything possible to cover Lin Yi's retreat if he is "power exhausted" or in danger.

Ultimately, the General Staff had considered the worst-case scenario, and was willing to mobilize a large force and consume precious aircraft ammunition and fuel in order to ensure his absolute safety.

This is treating him like a "national treasure" that needs to be strictly protected.

"I see."

Lin Yi nodded without saying much. He felt both gratified at being highly regarded and helpless at being looked down upon.

He looked out the porthole at the desolate land rushing past, his gaze becoming profound.

It seems we'll have to put in a little more effort this time to put their minds at ease.

　A tiny day, a handful, grasped.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)