The Creators: From Night City

Page 312

With a single movement, he escaped the battlefield and moved to an unfinished building nearby.

This building is more than ten stories high. When it was abandoned, all the main structures were already completed. Although it has weathered many years of wind and rain, the reinforced concrete structure remains sturdy.

Golden flames circulated across the surrounding network. After confirming that there was no surveillance, solidified flames rose up, and Jiang Bing unleashed the full power of the [Forger] in the real world for the first time.

The depletion of a large amount of ether reserves resulted in a sudden burst of golden flames in the void beside Jiang Bing. Massive amounts of data, mechanical structures, and material composition flowed through his consciousness and were forged into shape using ether as raw material through the [Ether Furnace].

In the blink of an eye, a Patriot missile defense array, five or six meters tall, was created out of thin air.

The first to react were Dogtown's air defense system.

Dogtown's entire air defense system, derived from military technology, also employs missile-on-response interception. A large number of small missiles surge out from the silos hidden throughout Dogtown, hurtling towards the missiles in the sky.

However, the interception also had a success rate problem. The air defense system, which had already launched an air attack, did not have time to reload. In addition, the number of missiles that attacked this time exceeded the response limit of Dog Town's air defense forces. Therefore, just as Jiang Bing had expected, three missiles slipped through the net.

Fortunately, he filled in the gaps and made up for the deficiencies.

Under Jiang Bing's control, the missile interception array, which was first developed and open-sourced by the Russian Federation in cyberpunk space and later optimized and modified by Jiang Bing, raised its honeycomb-like missile pods and launched small interceptor missiles into the sky amidst bursts of fire, engaging in a dogfight with the surviving subsonic cruise missiles and detonating them one by one.

It should be noted that this type of Patriot missile defense array has a rated capacity of only 24 missiles, but this launcher still managed to continuously spew out bright tail flames for tens of seconds, firing hundreds of miniature interceptor missiles in a steady stream.

This is certainly not some supernatural event or some kind of machine spirit transporting ammunition from the warp; rather, it is the [Ether Forge] exerting its power within it.

Chapter 629 Space-Time One

After all, casting 24 miniature interceptor missiles is one thing, but it's quite normal to cast a few hundred more as well.

It is no exaggeration to say that before Jiang Bing's ether reserves are depleted, this Patriot missile defense array can unleash the firepower of a complete set of regular anti-missile clusters.

To some extent, cyberpunk animation belongs to this category.

After the fireworks in the sky ended and Jiang Bing finished his practical data experiment, he did not put the 'Patriot' next to him back into the furnace.

Anyway, after tonight, Dogtown will basically be in the hands of [Anti-Entropy], so Jiang Bing simply reloaded the missile defense array that had run out of ammunition and left it there, on guard against possible missile attacks from the enemy.

However, he overestimated Rosalind Miles's courage.

In fact, using this wave of missiles is the maximum action the other side can take.

Even battleships wouldn't carry many of these four- or five-ton behemoths, as the remaining storage space would be allocated to anti-ship missiles, anti-anti-ship missiles, bullets, shells, and so on.

After Entropy demonstrated reliable anti-missile capabilities, Rosalind Miles simply abandoned her plan to try to break the deadlock with heavy firepower again.

After all, going from zero to one is the hardest, and once you have one, you usually have two.

So, she ran away.

A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall; this is a consensus among all intelligent people.

The troops deployed to Dogtown are currently being annihilated in a one-sided manner, and even withdrawal is difficult. The armored forces are also being rapidly eroded, and defeat is only a matter of time.

Therefore, she made a quick decision and prepared to use the thirty-six stratagems, the best being to flee.

After all, as long as she's alive, she can always make a comeback. If she returns to Atlanta, as long as she remains the president of the new United States, everything can be reconsidered and there's still room for maneuver. Dying here would be like being a dead dog, since the new United States isn't a monolithic entity, and her political enemies are waiting for her to make a mistake.

But Jiang Bing was acting and pretending, and even risked his life, so how could he let her escape so easily?

The Black King's Apostles began to accelerate their advance, forcing Rosalind Miles to immediately call for the Scorpion Armored Aircraft parked outside Dogtown to turn around and take off, and for the entire army to retreat.

However, as soon as these airships took off, they were immediately targeted by anti-aircraft missiles fired by the Dogtown missile defense system and instantly blasted into several large fireballs. The few that did not die on the spot fell to the ground at an awkward angle.

These military-grade "Manticore" missiles are generally equipped with chaff and decoys to target radar-guided infrared, heat-generating, and microwave missiles. However, the air-to-air missiles of Dogtown are genuine advanced military technology, and the chaff and decoys were ineffective. The airships were overwhelmed by the bombardment of the missile explosions.

"Damn it, who launched that missile?!" Bennett was so angry at the sight that he almost jumped up and down. He didn't want to get involved in this war, but he didn't expect to get embroiled in it with Hansen.

"It was directly authorized by Colonel Hansen, and the tracking data used to lock the target was also uploaded directly by Colonel Hansen." Chang Liang, the trusted confidant, quickly found out the details of the attack from the people he had planted.

The power to control the emperor and command the feudal lords continues to exert its influence, and Colonel Hansen falling into Jiang Bing's hands is a blessing he has earned in three lifetimes.

Colonel Hansen, still fast asleep, really won this game by default.

This scene caused Rosalind Miles, who had already stepped into the Manticore, to stop in her tracks. She was unsure whether the Manticore she was riding in would be shot down by the enemy in the same way after it took off.

After all, logically speaking, the other side had no idea that the new US president was sitting in the car; missiles don't discriminate based on who they are.

If she died so casually, it would be a huge joke.

The unfinished building, a distance of four or five kilometers, appeared as clear as if it were right in front of Jiang Bing.

In his golden eyes, Rosalind Miles's furious expression was clearly visible.

Similarly, Jiang Bing clearly heard the other party's instruction in the communication channel for his subordinates to call for "Sky One" to land directly.

As the official vehicle of the new US president, 'Sky1' is naturally no ordinary aerospace vehicle.

First, as a vehicle designed specifically for the President of the United States, it possesses all the functions that a spacecraft should have.

The combination of fusion propulsion and a high-efficiency hybrid cycle engine allows it to easily achieve single-stage-to-orbit, routine near-Earth orbit cruise, and flexible maneuvering in the Earth-Moon space.

In suborbital high-speed flight, it would take no more than 50 minutes to travel from Atlanta to Sydney.

Its built-in "Star Shield" defense and survival system can effectively resist kinetic weapons, directed energy weapons (lasers, particle beams), cyberattacks, extreme space environments, and biological threats.

With its built-in air defense system, it can easily handle missile attacks from Dogtown.

Secondly, as the official vehicle of the new US president, the aircraft boasts an exceptionally spacious interior, luxurious decor, comfortable ride, and a high-class exterior.

This plane, representing the face of the new America, was casually summoned by Rosalind Miles to Westwind Manor near Dogtown, completely disregarding the consequences.

Because Rosalind Myers knew that things had progressed to this point, and there was no need to hide something as trivial as the appearance of the new US presidential limousine, 'Sky One,' in Pacific State.

On the contrary, her safety is the top priority right now. After all, Colonel Hansen's reinforcements have shown ridiculously strong combat capabilities. If they are given another ten minutes or so, it will not be difficult for them to push back here.

So Rosalind Miles, after much deliberation, ordered Space-1, which was waiting in suborbital space, to land directly to pick her up.

But she didn't expect that this was exactly what Jiang Bing wanted to do as well.

“Mann, halt the offensive toward Westwind Manor for now.”

Jiang Bing first ordered a temporary halt to the Black King's Apostles' attack, lest the "gift package" not be delivered before Rosalind Miles was prematurely driven into the sea.

However, as one of the world's most advanced aerospace vehicles, "Sky-1" was still very fast.

Less than five minutes later, a streamlined lifting body aircraft with a cosmic blue base, complemented by dynamic light strips (which were turned off), and adorned with exquisite presidential insignia and American flag elements, stealthily descended from the clouds under the cover of night.

The missile was launched again as expected, but the air interception performance from 'Sky-Space One' was outstanding.

Thanks to the built-in "Star Shield" defense system, the incoming missiles failed to approach the dangerous airspace boundary of the spacecraft before being precisely detonated by the interceptor missiles launched by "Space-to-Sky One".

Chapter 630 A Rainbow Piercing the Sun

Watching the "Sky One" descending from the clouds, Jiang Bing had two choices: to build up even stronger and more powerful air defenses on the spot and force the enemy down.

He can do it, but the downside is that it will consume a lot of ether, and the "Sky" No. 1 experience pack will probably disintegrate in mid-air and be on the verge of breaking apart.

Option two: He personally took action and gave President Rosalind Myers a little bit of "anti-entropy" shock.

The choice is easy to make in this situation.

Jiang Bing then spread his arms wide on the spot, making a throwing motion.

With an existence and strength approaching 80 points, calling Jiang Bing a god among men might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he is certainly qualified to say, "I don't eat beef."

Amidst flashes of golden light, [Power - Taotie] completed its armor.

After the upgrade, the armor was basically no longer able to meet his needs, and the bonuses it could provide were also pitifully small. However, Boss Jiang was a pragmatic person. He had finally found the perfect target, 'Sky One', to test his current actual destructive power, so he naturally had to go all out.

The golden light continued to surge, intertwining with his right hand that was stretched over his shoulder and spreading to both sides, eventually 'forging' a thick, long javelin that was more than three meters long and 8 centimeters in diameter.

Calling it a javelin isn't quite accurate. The entire creation has a sharp, armor-piercing head that looks extremely razor-sharp, while the tail is covered with very small stabilizing fins to aid in flight stability. The surface is extremely smooth, but you can still discern that the main body is made up of a multi-layered composite structure.

The projectile looks more like a heavy armor-piercing projectile core than a traditional slender javelin.

Its weight is also terrifying, reaching a staggering 320 kilograms.

As Jiang Bing began to slowly gather his strength, his entire body was like a giant crossbow being slowly pulled back.

Golden flames swirled around the javelin, ensuring Jiang Bing always maintained sufficient control over it.

The light and flames also covered Jiang Bing's entire body, stimulating his body, which was no longer detectable by conventional means, making it more active and excited, strengthening his body, his flesh and blood, and his power.

In the blink of an eye, from the moment Jiang Bing made his decision to the completion of the throwing attack, less than ten seconds had passed. When his right hand, which had been slowly moving backward, stopped, he suddenly took a step, twisted his waist, and threw the Staff of God. The entire throwing process was so short that humans could no longer perceive it.

However, Jiang Bing could clearly feel the immense power rising from the soles of his feet, flowing through his waist, back, shoulders, and arms, and finally condensing into an explosive burst the moment the javelin left his hand.

Boom!

The mere act of throwing produced a deafening roar, louder than thunder, and triggered a violent airflow explosion on the roof of the unfinished building.

Jiang Bing's instantaneous burst of power compressed the air in front of him, forming a visible initial shockwave. This not only brought a whirlwind-like airflow impact but also carried the sound throughout most of Dog Town.

The javelin broke the sound barrier the moment it left the hand, and the hemispherical, milky-white shockwave generated at the point of release spread out violently like an air wall, blowing away all the dust on the rooftop and the garbage left behind by the residents of Dogtown, forming a clean circle with a diameter of tens of meters.

The rooftop beneath Jiang Bing's feet shattered instantly, and numerous spiderweb-like cracks caused the entire concrete building to sink severely, turning what was already an unfinished building into a dangerous structure.

The javelin that was thrown was blazing hot and white, resembling a falling meteor in the darkness.

Its surface ablation-resistant layer continuously sublimates and peels off, leaving a long, hot particle trail in the back, drawing a path of flames pointing to the sky, which is clearly visible to most of the residents of Night City in the pitch-black night.

Along the direction of travel, a continuous, thunderous roar spread towards the ground along the trajectory of the javelin. Like a deadly meteor, it streaked across the dark night sky and struck the bewildered 'Sky One' with pinpoint accuracy.

The moment the javelin tip made contact with the outer shell of 'Sky1', the pressure at the point of contact exceeded the strength of both materials by millions of times. Both were instantly fluidized, forming a transient high-pressure, high-temperature plasma fireball at the point of impact, which burst forth in front of Rosalind Miles.

The following metal jet pierced straight through "Sky One," and countless high-speed flying metal fragments spread rapidly with the shock wave generated by the explosion, falling to the ground like acid rain commonly seen in Night City.

A few seconds later, a muffled, thunderous explosion swept across Dogtown from high above, quickly spreading throughout Night City.

The entire 'Sky One' was ripped open in the middle, and the middle of the hull looked as if it had been ripped away by something. The remaining wreckage did not fall straight down, but was carried by the huge impact and crashed into the bay to the north.

At least the body was preserved intact, giving Boss Jiang a chance to 'learn'.

This strike demonstrated the destructive power of a heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, even reminding Rosalind Myers of the 'Trident IX' next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile that the NSAS was still secretly researching.

When Mann led his guards to find Jiang Bing, following the source of the terrifying noise, Jiang Bing was looking down at his armor.

The right half of the armor of the [Power - Taotie] emitted a faint red glow in the darkness due to air friction and instantaneous energy release. The high temperature even scorched it, causing wisps of blue smoke to rise, making Jiang Bing look like a god or a demon.

"Let's go, let's go talk to the person in charge," Jiang Bing declared, gazing northwards.

Westwind Manor is located in the southernmost part of Taiping State, in the northern part of Dogtown.

This place is considered the most desolate area in Taiping Prefecture. During the War of Unification, the war zone and the sea area isolated it from the rest of Night City, causing it to remain desolate.

On ordinary days, even the voodoo gangs that are all over Taiping State are unwilling to come here. Only a few scavengers transport and smuggle some sensitive materials from here.

But right now, it's incredibly lively here.

Even though the last line of defense for her retreat was destroyed, Rosalind Miles did not give up the fight. When she was captured, she was still carrying a military-grade M251s Ajax, and her pristine white presidential suit was covered in dust.

After "Sky One" was destroyed by an unknown attack, she made a decisive move and immediately led her men to head from the north of Xifeng Manor toward the Great Empire Commercial Building, attempting to infiltrate Taiping Prefecture and hide in small groups.

Unfortunately, she failed.

Chapter 631 Tomorrow Rises from the Sea

In front of Jiang Bing, she was like a fly on a chopping board, with nowhere to hide.

There is a pier extending into the sea in the northern part of Westwind Manor. It was originally intended to house luxury yachts, but now it is deserted and desolate.

“You win, Sabur Lerek, you have successfully captured the president of the new United States.” Rosalind Miles was quite straightforward and readily admitted her defeat.

Jiang Bing waved his hand, signaling the escorts to release their grip on the other party.

"But don't be too happy yet. You've only won this time. Soon, you'll face the crazy retaliation from the new America."

Rosalind Miles never imagined that their reunion after parting ways at the Crystal Palace would be under such circumstances.

He was once a guest of honor, but now he is a prisoner.

Jiang Bing turned from gazing at the ocean to look at the current US president.

After all, given the huge mess she's made, it's uncertain whether she can remain in the presidency.

"Do you know what the essence of capital is?" Jiang Bing's first question to the other party was a completely unrelated one.

He quickly answered his own question, as if he had no intention of getting a reply from the other party: "It is to seek advantage and avoid harm, it is to pursue profit."

"If there is a 50 percent profit, capital will take risks; if there is a 100 percent profit, capital will dare to risk being hanged; if there is a 300 percent profit, capital will dare to trample on all human laws."

“I don’t want to waste my breath on you, Rosalind Miles. You and I both know that your life is important, but it’s not that important. I’m not standing in front of you today to spout some pointless threats or humiliate you to satisfy your petty vanity.”

Jiang Bing reached out from the void and grabbed a pair of sunglasses in a flash of golden light. He then casually tossed them to Rosalind Miles, who was standing there dumbfounded.