I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"It's quite big, so you can come and play often in the future?" Nagasaki Asuna tilted her head and smiled.

Cheng Fei didn't participate in the conversation. He carried the things inside and placed them on the dining table. He looked at the aloof girl who was staring at him with a cold expression and asked, "Teacher Shen, are you happy?"

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Shen Xi frowned slightly as she looked her over.

"So many people have been dragged down by you, this internet-addicted girl. Now they're all skipping school to play games." The boy shook his head and sighed.

"Shut up." Shen Xi kicked him without any politeness, sat down at the table, took out a bowl of eight-treasure porridge from the food, opened it, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it and put it in her mouth. Her fair cheeks twitched slightly. When she tasted the sweetness of the added sugar, her expression changed from cold to expressionless.

Cheng Fei observed her with great interest.

The girl looked up and glared at him, as if sensing something. "Don't stare, it's disgusting."

The boy raised his hands in surrender, smacked his lips, sat down, and found his own soy milk and fried dough sticks.

The group from the entrance hall were also moved over by Asuna Nagasaki.

Asuna Nagasaki smiled as she distributed the food to them, saying, "Eat up, we need to hurry up and get back online. We can have a proper meal after everything is over."

"Mmm-hmm." Zhou Han nodded quickly.

Six people with dark circles under their eyes sat together enjoying breakfast after staying up all night. Perhaps because they were exhausted, they didn't chat much.

After they had filled their stomachs, Zhou Han, Ruan Jingyi, and Ye Shuang put on their infiltration helmets on the sofa. The quiet scene resembled some kind of suspicious ritual.

Cheng Fei returned to the rented room and logged into the corridor again.

……

As the sun rises over Riften, the battle continues.

The Imperial Army abandoned its large-scale frontal assault and instead continuously dispatched scattered squads of Demon Knights to search for weaknesses in the Allied forces' defenses.

The two sides engaged in a protracted tug-of-war in the complex terrain of the lower city.

People occasionally slip and fall into the canyon during battles. The lucky ones are caught by the boardwalk below, while the unlucky ones fall directly into the deep sea of ​​clouds below.

At noon, the crew of the Miriam ate takeout in the real world and continued their battle.

In the afternoon, Haisen sent ten barrels of Light Magic Crystal Powder, which could be used as fuel, to the Miriam. Cheng Fei carried the items onto the ship and took the opportunity to observe the enemy situation. He found that the Imperial Fleet had completely surrounded the dock and was clearly determined not to let anyone leave. The boy had no choice but to give up his idea of ​​running away halfway.

As the Imperial army pressed forward, the Allied forces gradually abandoned their outer positions and retreated deeper into the canyon.

Thus, the Imperial army, pressing its advantage, failed to notice that a group of uninvited guests were quietly approaching in the airspace near Riften.

On the thick, white sea of ​​clouds, hundreds of black dots trailed streams of particles.

Those were hundreds of sailing warships completely different from the Imperial style. Unlike the Imperial army, which only equipped some of its airships with Light Magic Engines as a means of short-term boost, each of these sailing warships had a powerful Light Magic Engine that could propel them at high speed for a long time.

These warships flew high green flags with wheat ear patterns, and the soldiers on board wore uniform dark green uniforms and carried new light magic particle rifles. They watched as the land at the horizon gradually grew larger, opened the hull covers to reveal large-caliber light magic cannons hidden beneath, and carried some kind of heavy, shuttle-shaped light magic device to the side of the ship.

Unlike the tense atmosphere on the ground, the air on the Imperial warships moored outside the Riften docks was so quiet it was almost drowsy.

With the vanguard force storming the dock, the soldiers left on the ship had nothing to do but stand there staring blankly at the Light Demon ship cannon.

The same applies to the lookouts; in theory, they are required to keep a close watch on the mainland, prevent any ships from sneaking away, and also be wary of other enemy ships approaching from the outside.

But in reality, the entire dock was occupied by the Imperial Army, so there was no way any ship could escape. Even if there were, they would be immediately spotted by countless eyes and sunk by the Light Demon Ship's cannons.

As for the enemy ships from outside, that's utter nonsense. Their raid on Riften was carried out in secret, and the Allied forces elsewhere didn't have time to react unless a fleet happened to be in the nearby airspace.

Lost in thought, the sailor sitting on the mast only occasionally raised his binoculars to glance at the horizon.

This meant that it wasn't until the group of uninvited guests quietly approached from below to a distance where they could be clearly seen that a sailor suddenly noticed something amiss and shouted a warning.

"Unidentified vessels have appeared at the six o'clock position, in large numbers!"

The urgent alarm bells rang throughout the Imperial fleet.

At that moment, the first dazzling beam of green particles traversed a vast distance, passing through the middle of the Imperial fleet.

The attack grazed the deck of one of the cruisers, and the soldiers on deck watched as the deadly particle beam swept overhead, striking the steep rock face at the bottom of the continent and leaving a red-hot mark on it.

Just as they were holding their breath and congratulating themselves on their good luck, another beam of green particles shot over and hit the stern of a destroyer not far away.

The wooden hull was instantly burned through and ignited, and the flames spread along the mooring lines toward the sails high above. The sailors on board rushed to put out the fire.

One after another, beams of green particles hurtled toward the Imperial fleet. The attack, launched by the large-caliber light magic cannons, was terrifyingly powerful. Once it hit, it could easily penetrate the hull and release intense heat that would ignite and melt everything it touched.

"Enemy attack! Return fire immediately!"

"Pass the message on to the adults!"

The Imperial soldiers on the ship shouted in response, adjusting their Light Magic Cannons, loading heavy shells filled with Light Magic Crystals into the breech, aiming and firing.

In the airspace at the edge of the continent, terrifying beams of green particles were projected back and forth between the two fleets...

At the Imperial Army's temporary command post in the Upper City, a messenger sitting in front of the Light Magic equipment diligently recorded the contents, handed the intelligence to the staff officer, and then handed it to Edward, who was standing in front of the map.

"Reinforcements? At a time like this?" The blond youth frowned.

Originally, the Allied forces were retreating steadily, and the balance of victory had tilted in favor of the Imperial Army. It was only a matter of time before he and Bantu's two forces surrounded and completely stormed the city from two directions.

At that moment, another staff officer rushed in from outside, "Sir, something's wrong! The Allied forces have just launched a large-scale counter-offensive!"

The blond youth abruptly raised his head, his expression one of shock.

"Edward, it seems we've really fallen into a trap," Jasmine said softly, standing beside him with her eyes lowered.

Meanwhile, in the Light & Magic Technology Association's dock.

Cheng Fei stood with his hands on his hips, watching Shen Xi holding the remote control.

Before the two, the tailless scorpion was slowly trembling, emitting a low hum, as if a mechanical monster was about to awaken.

After this period of repairs, the tailless scorpion's appearance has become even more horrific than before. Its shell has been almost completely removed, revealing an extremely complex and dazzling internal pipeline structure. Traces of wiring connections can be seen in many places, and some equipment has been completely removed, making it look like a body with its internal organs emptied.

Under these circumstances, the box-shaped engines on both sides of the tailless scorpion's body slowly began to rotate, spewing out powerful airflow and propelling its car-sized body off the ground.

"It can actually move? As expected of you, Teacher Shen." Cheng Fei exclaimed in astonishment.

He had previously thought that this thing was beyond repair.

Shen Xi remained expressionless, focused on maneuvering the weapon system and completely ignoring him. She hovered the tailless scorpion in front of her and began checking the weapon system and adjusting the cannon barrel on its front abdomen.

"Teacher Shen, I have a request." Cheng Fei quickly coughed and rubbed his hands together.

"Rejected." Shen Xi said coldly and without hesitation.

"You rejected it before even listening? You guessed it this time too?" The boy was stunned.

"Stop daydreaming. I'm not going to let you control me." The girl let out a disdainful sneer, her sharp gaze seemingly piercing through him.

709. The Final Battle

"Teacher Shen, I won't pursue the matter of you not sharing your toys with me last time. Please be more considerate this time. Kids, don't be so selfish." Cheng Fei stared at Shen Xi with righteous indignation, and then tried to reach for the remote control.

"Don't even dream about it. It wasn't finally fixed, it's not for your entertainment. You're an antisocial psychopath, and we only have a little fuel and ammunition left, so it's definitely not going to be given to you to squander." Shen Xi gritted her teeth and glared at him, clutching the remote control to her chest.

"Only one last bit left?" The boy was shocked, his expression becoming increasingly anxious. He leaned forward, trying to snatch the item from the girl's arms. "Teacher Shen, I'm begging you, I promise I won't waste it. Let me play with it this last time, or I'll really go crazy."

"Trash, don't come any closer!" The girl's expression changed, and she hugged her things tightly as she turned to avoid them.

"Teacher Shen, please give me this one chance!" The boy walked around to the girl again.

"Don't even think about it for the rest of your life, go die!" The girl kicked him viciously, then turned to the other side.

While the two were fiddling with the remote control for the tailless scorpion, the others watched silently from the sidelines.

Vino folded her hands on her apron and sighed helplessly, "Have these two always been like this?"

"You'll get used to it. Shall we go?" Nagasaki Asuna yawned, covering her mouth.

The others nodded in agreement and left the dock together, heading to the final battlefield.

At the Imperial Army's temporary command post in the upper city, messengers hurried about, gathering intelligence gathered from various places.

"Report! The Fourth and Fifth Squadrons have stormed the market..."

"Report! The Seventh Company has suffered heavy losses in the attack..."

The staff officer received the intelligence and carefully moved the wargame pieces on the map.

Bantu rested his hands on the map table, staring intently at the battle, his brow furrowed and silent.

Edward and his men strode into the hall, took a deep breath, put Jasmine, who was floating behind them, on the ground, and came to Bantu. "It's confirmed. It's a light mixed fleet of the Allied Forces, about a hundred ships in number, mostly destroyers, with a few cruisers, but they should be equipped with the new Light Magic Cannon, which is very powerful."

"So it's a light fleet?" The lean-built man sneered. "So what if it has new naval guns? Small boats are still small boats. Besides, we have 180 boats. 180 against 100, the advantage is on our side."

The First and Second Special Operations Fleets each have ship configurations comparable to the Imperial main fleet. Even if the Allied forces use Light Magic technology to their advantage, they cannot make up for the tonnage difference. On the main battlefield, heavy warships are far superior to light warships in terms of both firepower and protection.

Edward thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right."

"Send the order to temporarily halt the attack on the lower city. All warships take to the air and assemble to launch a decisive battle against the enemy's support fleet!" Bantu's eyes were sharp as he waved his hand.

"Yes!"

The messenger next to him quickly operated the light magic device in front of him, emitting a beeping sound.

The warships that had been hovering above Riften City retracted their gangplanks, raised their sails, and their stern-mounted Light Magic engines emitted specks of green light, propelling their massive hulls toward the edge of the continent.

Meanwhile, in the airspace near the dock, the two fleets engaged in a fierce exchange of fire, with each ship maneuvering dramatically while unleashing deadly artillery fire at the enemy vessels.

Fragments of ship hulls, debris, and even human bodies were constantly being ejected and falling into the endless sea of ​​clouds below. Occasionally, a ship's light magic core would be damaged, causing it to lose buoyancy and slowly sink into the sea of ​​clouds. The sailors on board would hurriedly board lifeboats containing small light magic cores to escape, like the offspring emerging from the body of a dead broodmother spider.

Suddenly, a tiny black dot emerged from a cave near the dock and hurtled into the Imperial fleet's formation with an incredible flight trajectory. Each time it passed over a floating ship, a faint flash would appear, followed by an inexplicable and massive explosion on the floating ship's bridge.

As the tailless scorpion flew, it spewed out sparks and oil, its altitude fluctuating wildly, sometimes dropping sharply and sometimes rising sharply. Several times it almost lost control and crashed into the sails of the warship, like a badly wounded and bloodied raptor struggling and circling.

At this moment, the Imperial fleets simultaneously changed course and began to ascend towards the mainland.

The Allied fleet followed closely in pursuit.

Hundreds of spindle-shaped black dots moved slowly near the floating continent.

As the Imperial fleet near the docks arrived over the continent, the Imperial fleet over Riften also arrived just in time. The two fleets joined together, creating a formidable spectacle with their sails obscuring the sky and their blue flags with golden lions fluttering in the air.

Seeing this, soldiers on an Allied warship pushed a heavy, lifeboat-like light magic device out of the ship's side.

After a brief descent, the strange shuttle-shaped device hovered in mid-air, then emitted a bright stream of particles from its tail, propelling it rapidly toward the Imperial fleet.

Gunners attempted to fire and shoot it down, but failed because the target was too small and too fast. They could only watch helplessly as the unidentified object flew into their own formation, leaving a long and bright trail.

Then, the light magic device turned red-hot, and dazzling beams of light surged out from within, quickly destroying itself and transforming into a dazzling ball of light, as bright as the sun, which rapidly expanded.

On a nearby imperial warship, the soldiers stared wide-eyed as the orb of light grew larger and larger, gradually approaching their own ship.

The ship's sides and deck were the first to turn black ash. Before the mast could collapse, it vanished along with the sails. Everything in the path of the light was swallowed up, until everyone on board disappeared from the world without even realizing it.

It was as if a second sun was rising in the middle of the Imperial fleet, distorting the air wherever it touched.

When the ball of light dissipated, the ships near the center had long since vanished without a trace. The ships at the edge of the ball of light looked as if they had been bitten by a fiery three-headed dog from hell. The wrecked hulls burst into flames, and the sailors, engulfed in flames, ran wildly and fell into the sea of ​​clouds.

In the middle of the Imperial fleet's originally imposing formation, an empty spherical area suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

For a fleeting moment, the once bustling airspace became deathly silent.

A second identical light magic device flew out from the Allied fleet and quickly approached the Imperial fleet.

The sailing warships, which were preparing to fire a volley from their broadsides, all turned around, spewing out thick streams of particles from their sterns, and fled the trajectory of the light magic device as if they had seen a ghost.

In Rift Valley, as the Imperial army retreated its lines and launched a counterattack against the Allied forces on the ground, Cheng Fei, like everyone else around him, watched this scene unfold in the sky.

The Allied forces erupted in enthusiastic cheers, so loud that they could be clearly heard from the Imperial Army positions opposite.

Cheng Fei thought for a moment, then picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "Teacher Shen, it seems we don't need your tailless scorpion anymore. The Allied Forces really do have nuclear weapons."

Unfortunately, apart from a series of static noises, the boy received no response. He then remembered that the walkie-talkie had been jammed since the start of the war, and if he wasn't mistaken, it was related to the light magic particles.

After a brief moment of shock, the Allied forces were the first to recover.

"Kill all the people of the Empire!"

"Charge!"

The Allied soldiers, dressed as civilians, raised green flags with wheat ear patterns and shouted as they advanced their lines, spraying dense beams of green particles at the enemy.

In contrast, the confidence of the Imperial Army soldiers, whether ordinary soldiers or demon knights, was suddenly shaken. Their hands, which were gripping their weapons, trembled, and they swallowed hard.

If the fleet is defeated, will they still have a chance to leave this continent alive...?

On the other side of the line, Zhou Han and Ruan Jingyi, hiding behind cover, also watched the scene unfold.