C19 Raid

On the slope designated as Point A by the Mechanical Butler Rafe, a gathering of over 30,000 wild beasts of Level 5 and above had formed, with even more converging on the location. The actual numbers were guaranteed to exceed Rafe's estimates.

Wang Changqing saw this as both a threat and an opportunity. Should the wild beasts unite for an assault after the territory's protective barrier vanished, he would be at a significant disadvantage, forced to hunker down and defend his land. Luckily, the beasts had opted to amass while the barrier was still intact, affording Changqing precious time to prepare.

Changqing's fortune spelled doom for the wild beasts. Following a night of fierce combat, the Mechanical Legion returned with a bounty of war spoils. With the materials acquired from the Lord's Trading Market, Changqing managed to produce 200 more Level-7 Combat Robots. He would have preferred to manufacture Level-8 Combat Robots, but their cost was prohibitively high.

Changqing wasn't looking to engage the Wild Beasts in battle just yet; he intended to keep bolstering his forces. It was only the fifth day, with two more days before the protective barrier would dissipate. There was no need to rush.

He preliminarily scheduled the showdown with the Wild Beasts for the following evening, on the sixth day, leaving nearly 30 hours before the barrier's collapse. This timeline ensured that, win or lose, he would still have options.

That said, the absence of an immediate battle didn't equate to inaction.

Point A's hill was under the vigilant surveillance of hundreds of Nano Reconnaissance Robots. Positioned on the reverse slope of a hill 5,000 meters from Point A, fifty Level-7 Destroyers lay in wait, their sights set on the multitude of wild beasts crowding the hill.

"Master, the raid team is ready for your command," came the report.

"Commence the attack," Changqing instructed.

Rafe, the Mechanical Butler, swiftly relayed Changqing's command to the Level-7 Destroyer Combat Robots. Upon receipt, the Destroyers, guided by intelligence from the Nano Reconnaissance Robots, unleashed a barrage of prepped high-energy incendiary missiles, each Destroyer armed with a cache of over a hundred.

The missile launchers mounted on the Destroyer operated with astonishing speed. Within mere seconds, a barrage of over a hundred high-energy incendiary missiles had been unleashed.

A torrent of more than five thousand high-energy missiles cut through the sky, leaving trails that signified death, as they hurtled toward the hill at Point A with incredible velocity.

The fifty Level-7 Combat Robots, having completed their launch sequence, immediately cranked their Power Furnaces to full capacity and sped back to Dawn Territory at breakneck speed.

Creatures of Level-5 and above in the wilderness were highly vigilant. As the first volley of high-energy missiles launched, tens of thousands of wild beasts amassed at Point A hill turned their gaze toward the source—the Destroyer.

The air was filled with their roars, a cacophony that heralded a barrage of tens of thousands of attack skills.

A kaleidoscope of attack skills met the swiftly incoming high-energy missiles near the hill, sparking a lethal conflagration.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A deluge of fire rained down, setting the fur of nearby wild creatures ablaze. Flames roared to life in an instant, yet only a few were unfortunate enough to catch fire. The majority had swiftly raised their Energy Shields as the fiery rain descended, effectively repelling the inferno.

Approximately three-fifths of the high-energy missiles were intercepted and detonated mid-air by the creatures' skills. The remaining two-fifths penetrated the defenses, transforming Point A hill into a molten wasteland.

Level-5 creatures, new to harnessing Energy Shields, had limited reserves of energy within them. Without sustaining damage, an average Level-5 creature could sustain their Energy Shield for about 30 minutes. However, under attack, the duration would drastically decrease.

In Wang Changqing's view, the Energy Shield was merely a skill for wild creatures to fend off surprise attacks, not a sustainable form of defense.

This was precisely why Wang Changqing had equipped the Destroyer with high-energy missiles. The resulting inferno from their detonation could burn for hours on end.

True to Wang Changqing's predictions, about ten seconds after the sea of fire erupted, the energy shields of some Level-5 creatures began to flicker—a precursor to their imminent collapse.

Twenty seconds into the blaze, energy shields of countless Level-5 creatures shattered, and the wild beasts, scorched by the relentless flames, emitted pitiful cries of agony.

It wasn't that they were unwilling to brave the sea of fire with their energy shields; the problem was that the blaze was simply too vast. Lacking the aid of a high-altitude perspective, they were forced to scurry about in disarray, much like headless flies.

Wild creatures situated far from the center of Hill A wasted no time in charging toward the Destroyer's position on the small hill. But upon their arrival, they found nothing but the remnants of missile fire—the fifty Destroyer Combat Robots had vanished without a trace.

Unable to locate their enemy, the wild creatures could do nothing but pace in circles, emitting howls of frustration to express their rage.

The inferno raged on for over thirty minutes, finally extinguished by the concerted efforts of Water and Ice-type wild creatures using their skills. This barrage of high-energy incendiary missiles resulted in only a few hundred casualties among the Level-5 and Level-6 wild creatures—a mere trifle for a horde numbering in the tens of thousands. Yet, the blow to their morale was devastating.

At that moment, the majority of wild creatures atop Hill A were a sorry sight, covered in soot and ash. For some, the fire had crisped their fur through their energy shields, curling and blackening it—a torment more unbearable than death itself. Take, for instance, the male Tricolor Peacocks.

Omnivorous by nature, Tricolor Peacocks primarily feed on plants. During mating season, the males' plumage becomes exceptionally vibrant. Competing for mates, they would parade around the females, fanning out their splendid tail feathers and shaking them vigorously. The friction between the feathers produced a distinctive rustling sound, designed to catch the females' attention.

Typically, a female Tricolor Peacock would select the male with the most resplendent tail feathers as her mate.

Wang Changqing's high-energy missile assault had reduced many male Tricolor Peacocks to the equivalent of plucked chickens. For these males, who prized their feathers above life itself, the experience was more agonizing than death.

With an intelligence comparable to a human child aged seven or eight, the Level-6 Tricolor Peacocks would not easily forget such an affront. Should those Destroyers dare to face the Tricolor Peacocks again, they would undoubtedly learn what it means to inflict an insult that is worse than death.