Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 791

Chapter 791

Chapter 791: Defeat

After sitting in stillness for over five minutes, Middle Heaven began to move again . It chased after its own armada in pursuit of the enemy, back toward Angel .

Solar Flare was a strong attack, but it had its drawbacks . The heat it produced was so intense all of the ship’s systems overheated after use . The ship needed at least five minutes to cool off and come back online . This was only possible because of An Lun’s rocky surface which acted as a heat shield . Without it the situation would be worse for the Bastion . Middle Heaven would have needed over an hour to let the heat radiate off . Right now Solar Flare could only be used three times in a day to ensure it didn’t damage important systems .

Poseidon’s Soft Water Bombs bore similar restrictions, they cost the ship a lot of energy to produce . The ship even had a specialized area where volleys were made and prepared, but even then they could only be used three times . Afterwards they needed three days to replenish energy stores and prepare another battery . The problem lay in soft water’s inability to be stored . It had to be used in a short time because there was no way to contain it safely .

In this way the balance was maintained; the stronger something was, the more serious its consequences or challenges . It was the same for universal protogenia .

The aliens fled quickly and with wild abandon . They made the wise decision to try and spread out and run in all directions from the danger . The human pursuers could only clip off the stragglers, leaving the bulk of the alien force free to make their escape .

Still, humans made gains at their enemy’s expense . The value of the vital crystals they harvested was hard to measure . They simultaneously shot down the fleeing beasts and took their precious crystals, for the future betterment of their species .

Once the fight was finished the crystals would be divvied up among the three factions that had participated . How, precisely, had yet to be discussed but it all hinged on surviving the encounter .

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A dim light brightened the sky, and Lan Jue lifted his eyes to observe . They could not know the state of the battle from their vantage on Angel, but there were clues that alluded to Middle Heaven’s Solar Flare . It certainly wasn’t normal for half the sky to suddenly light up like the birth of a new sun .

Extensive tracts of the planet’s surface had already recovered from the progenitor’s poison touch . The release of vital energy from the creature’s destruction had reinvigorated it . The Paragons all gathered together . No aliens remained nearby, frightened away by what they’d witnessed .

The cloud that looked so much like Tribulation Lightning had filled their enemies to the bone with terror . Just the presence of it conjured images of their bodies being turned to smoke and ash, and inspired them to run for their lives . Even Monarch’s avatar wasn’t spared .

“I wonder what’s going on up there . ” The Pharmacist said in curiosity . There was still a long way to go before a final human victory, and they couldn’t know what was happening on all fronts .

Lan Jue grinned . “Don’t worry, I trust that guy . He’s always got an ace up his sleeve . If we really didn’t have a chance he wouldn’t have brought us into this fight . Anyway, on with the plan . ”

Now that the progenitor had been taken care of, they were responsible for helping the ground assault team take Angel and save the survivors . This included the humans that had already been turned, so that they could be brought to Middle Heaven for treatment .

The first part of their mission was done, and as of yet they hadn’t been met with a large number of alien forces . This hinted that the battle out in space was still being fiercely waged, that humanity was holding its own .

Luo Xianni spoke up . “Let’s go take a look . I’m sensing powerful waves of energy, and that means there’s a strong enemy nearby . I’ve checked and I can’t get any communications through, the interference is too great . ”

As one they shot into the air, high above the ground so that they might get a clearer picture . From their vantage it was even more evident how quickly Angel was recovery . It virtually glowed with life . What was more surprising to the humans, however, was the lack of an alien presence even from their overwatch position . They were gone entirely .

“It looks like those beasts are really scared of you!” The Pauper said with a chuckle .

“No,” Lan Jue replied, “they’re afraid of the cloud . It’s gone but none of them are interested in making sure . Unless I’m mistaken, our armada is also on a winning footing . ”

The Pharmacist’s heart raced . “I’ll go take a look and confirm . ” There was no fighting on the planet’s surface for them to concern themselves about . Strong as they were, Paragons weren’t best suited for gathering up survivors . They had the ground team for that .

The turn-around on Angel was faster than any of them would have anticipated . No enemies remained to contest their control of the planet . Where they fled to, though, no one could say .

“Don’t engage them yourself, and be careful on the Monarch’s doppelganger,” Lan Jue reminded her .

“Let’s wait for the ground team . If they get here soon it means we’ve taken this sector . If not, then there’s been some kind of problem . We should be ready to go in either event . ” Lan Jue decided .

As much as he wanted to help save lives, he and his team were the core of humanity’s strength against the aliens . They had to keep up the pressure in order to win . Saving their strength and directing it wisely was more important that gathering survivors . They could protect more lives that way .

Just then, the communicator on Lan Jue’s wrist buzzed . He answered the call .

“The alien forces have been routed . The ground assault team will be arriving in ten minutes, prepare to join up with them . Once the planet is secure, continue with your mission . ” Lan Qing’s voice was cold and even as ever, as though their victory was insignificant . But even his brother’s simple report caused Lan Jue’s spirits to soar . The faces of the Paragons around him lit up .

Lan Qing went on . “Jun’er has confirmed that Angel is in no danger of exploding . The Terminator has also led his team to their destination and Zeus-1 is landing as we speak . Father’s situation is as yet unclear . ”

“Alright, got it . ” Lan Jue answered, in the same sparring manner .

He hung up and pumped his fist . The others grinned and chuckled, pleased with their initial victory .

“Winning any ground against these monsters is no easy feat!” Luo Xianni remarked . Lan Qing’s words may have been calculating and simple, but the fact of the matter was that this had been humanity’s greatest victory against their attackers to date .

The bulk of the aliens’ forces had gathered here to deter the human armada . They had to be dealt with before Angel could be retaken, and at present it seems like that’s precisely what Lan Qing had achieved . If this didn’t bring joy to the human fighters, what would?

“I don’t know how he did it . ” Lan Jue sighed in relief . His brother hadn’t shared all the details of his plan with him, so he wasn’t sure what had happened while they were dealing with the progenitor .

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Tyrannosaurus-Class Bastion .

Admiral Kang Hui’s face was a sea of emotion . This was an incredible victory! When he saw the aliens turn and flee, his legendary calm broke and he roared in triumph . They had been waiting for a victory like this for a long, long time . A series of painful lessons had put humanity against the ropes, but now they were fighting back .

Tyrannosaurus presence here was in defiance of the people’s wishes and without government support . Northern citizens demanded to be protected, ignorant of the fact that they were simply waiting to die .

They’d risked much to disobey the government and the people, but Tyrannosaurus and the Terminator had come to see this situation realized .

Lan Qing had demanded all information regarding their bastions from Kang Hui and Hua Li while making his plans . In truth Kang Hui had hesitated – after all, this wasn’t just asking for secrets of their strongest weapon, it could reveal much about the North’s construction and research processes . After discussing it with the Terminator, they conceded to Lan Qing’s requirement .

Then Prometheus made his plans .

Only Lan Qing, Hua Li and Kang Hui knew the full scope of their battle plan . They had been aware from the opening salvo, to drawing the enemy out, up to the sudden counter strike . All the while Lan Qing was the invisible hand that moved pieces across the board at just the right moment .

Kang Hui considered himself a first-class commander . However, in the face of Lan Qing’s victory he felt small and ineffectual . The An Lun super soldier, God of Wisdom, led his troops with the skill and finesse of an orchestra conductor . He was in complete control of every aspect of the fight, and they won with strength to spare .

He thought back to Middle Heaven’s omnidirectional blast, like the sudden birth of a small sun in the midst of the enemy forces . His soldiers had followed Lan Qing’s instruction and shielded their eyes, but not Kang Hui . The admiral’s Discipline lived in his eyes, he could modulate the effect of light on his cornea . He had stared in awe as Middle Heaven seared a path through the enemy – an attack on a planetary scale! That was the moment the tides changed in their favor .