The vast Arhat transport planes airdropped a hundred massive super-drills before dawn, the kind designed for excavating gigantic tunnels. If fifty machines were placed before each mountain range, those two ranges would likely be completely destroyed. Out of environmental consideration, I decided to dispatch only five drills to probe each mountain first.

The Vietnamese watched intently from their reinforced fortifications. Seeing a cluster of massive machines descending from the sky, they initially fired random shots from their bunkers, then emerged to launch a few artillery barrages. The result was a rout: they were smashed by short-range missiles from the armored personnel carriers and scurried back into their positions, silent thereafter—a strategy, perhaps, of waiting out the storm.

Whirr! Ten drilling machines roared to life, their bits boring into the colossal rock faces. Every minute, a drill would spit out the newly formed tunnel, ejecting the excavated debris behind it. Then, specialized earth-movers would haul the rubble away. The Vietnamese were clearly stunned by these contraptions. Squads of soldiers recklessly swarmed out of the mountain tunnels, blindly firing mortars and rockets at the drills.

Ten Cheetah attack helicopters circled overhead, sweeping down to blast any visible enemy troops with several missiles, wiping them out. By this time, two drills had located tunnel entrances. A contingent of Rocket Troopers, carrying portable launchers, crouched at the openings and hurled volley after volley of incendiary rounds inside. Not long after the explosions subsided, smoke began to billow from behind the treelines of both mountain ranges.

Qin Yicheng was delighted by the widespread conflagration and swiftly ordered the other drilling teams to advance. Soon, more underground tunnels were bored out. The Rocket Troopers, crouched at the entrances, tirelessly hurled incendiary bombs inward like wound-up frogs. Thick smoke choked both peaks. Eventually, Vietnamese soldiers—black-faced and soot-covered—crawled out of the holes, though many more died inside. Those who survived had lost all fighting capacity. The main force rapidly advanced toward Mount Puseleileng.

My hearing is exceptionally acute. Suddenly, amidst the normal sounds of battle, I detected the deep thrumming of massive rotors coming from behind Mount Puseleileng. It seemed last night’s reconnaissance had not been in vain.

Immediately, a communications runner sprinted from the satellite vehicle to Qin Yicheng, reporting, "Report, Commander Comrade! Satellite scans show a large concentration of enemy helicopters behind the mountain. Based on their profiles, they are American Apaches and Soviet Mi-24s. The rear area cover is deep, with dense tree cover. The current visible count is around one hundred and twenty aircraft."

I turned to Xia Huren, saying, "Our allies have learned their lesson; they are trying to ambush us. No wonder this place seemed impregnable—there was a devil behind the curtain. It looks like our super-weapons are about to earn their keep."

Upon receiving the intelligence, Qin Yicheng made an instant decision, dispatching an additional one hundred and fifty Cheetah attack helicopters and one hundred Hummer fighter-bombers as reinforcements. Ten minutes later, the two sides clashed in the open ground below Mount Puseleileng. By then, the enemy's airborne contingent had swelled to two hundred aircraft. It appears the Americans, Russians, and Vietnamese had premeditated this battle. Taihao's forces, besides the ground advance units, also had two hundred helicopters and one hundred and fifty fighter-bombers in the air.

Qin Yicheng turned back to us, "Gentlemen Commanders, please move into the underground bunker. Bullets are indiscriminate, and it would be a grave offense to me if your faces were scratched."

Xia Huren waved his hand dismissively. "You conduct your battle; don't worry about us. Just give us a ten-minute warning before you order us to retreat two kilometers from the battlefield."

Qin Yicheng reluctantly returned to his command post, though he specifically instructed four guards to stand behind us. By this time, the combat aircraft of both sides had entered firing range in the sky. Seeing old enemies, there was no time for pleasantries; they opened fire in a chaotic barrage. Hundreds of missiles also flew from Mount Puseleileng, attacking Taihao's air force. For a moment, the Cheetahs and Hummers were in extreme peril.

Fortunately, our ground forces possessed immense firepower, bolstered by the exceptional strength of the Hummer fighter-bombers. The Mi-24s and Apaches began falling like rain. However, in this head-on confrontation, the Cheetahs suffered their heaviest losses since their introduction. In less than ten minutes, twenty were shot down. Although their 3X alloy chassis could withstand cannon fire, the missiles possessed devastating explosive power, far exceeding what a helicopter could endure. Thankfully, the pilots were adequately protected and bailed out, resulting in minimal casualties among the personnel. The allied pilots, however, were clearly terrified—men flying through the air, struck by something utterly unforeseen.

The engagement lasted half an hour. The Cheetahs and Hummers managed to shoot down no fewer than one hundred Apaches and Mi-24s. Yet, the firepower of the Apache was formidable: one XM-230-EI 30mm chain gun with 1200 rounds, a cyclic rate of 625 rounds per minute, four external pylons under the stub wings capable of carrying 16 'Hellfire' semi-active laser-guided anti-tank missiles. If equipped with 70mm rockets, each pylon could carry a launcher holding 19 rockets, accommodating up to 76 rockets total. The Mi-24 was no less capable, featuring a remote-controlled four-barrel 127mm 'Gatling' machine gun with 1470 rounds of ammunition, four AT-2 'Swatter' anti-tank missiles, various rockets, bombs, and mine dispensers, capable of carrying up to 1500 kilograms of conventional ordnance. In this clash of power, the Cheetahs and Hummers sustained heavy losses.

Both sides continuously fed more troops into the battle. Eventually, the allied helicopter count exceeded seven hundred, darkening the sky in a dense swarm, constantly joined by various fighter jets entering the fray. The allies had adapted; this time they intended to overwhelm Taihao forces with superior numbers. As the engines of war cranked up, the allies mobilized completely, suggesting that what we saw was merely the tip of the iceberg in their armaments production.

As the battle raged, beads of sweat formed on Qin Yicheng's brow. Taihao had not deployed its absolute overwhelming force to invade Vietnam this time, while the allied forces had quietly amassed a huge contingent here. It seemed this battle was destined for defeat and withdrawal.

Just then, over two hundred more Mi-24s and Apaches lifted off from the underground bunkers beneath Mount Puseleileng. Qin Yicheng’s face grew pale. I patted his shoulder. "It's time. The enemy aircraft must all be deployed. Order the withdrawal immediately. All combat personnel must retreat at least two kilometers, carrying absolutely no metallic objects. All weapons and equipment must be withdrawn at least five kilometers to await further orders."

Taihao's modern forces advanced quickly, and their retreat was equally swift. The Cheetahs and Hummers covered the rear as the main body rapidly pulled back. The Apaches and Mi-24s were unwilling to let the Taihao forces retreat easily, pursuing closely for nearly two kilometers. Halfway back, thirty 'Metal Storms' suddenly emerged. Tons of ammunition were unleashed into the helicopter cluster within seconds. These choppers, previously shielded against anything up to 20mm cannon fire, were thrown into chaos. Some weren't shot down; they were forced down by tons of suppressing fire, while many more crashed after their rotors were shredded.

The enemy, clearly fearing another ambush, quickly issued a recall order, and the majority of their aircraft circled back around Mount Puseleileng to await deployment. At that moment, another Arhat transport plane appeared in the sky, escorted by four aviation wings. After a brief exchange of fire that caused no casualties, the Arhat transport airdropped a colossal sphere, which plummeted down in front of Mount Puseleileng.

The allied fighter jets and Vietnamese soldiers initially assumed it was a bombardment or perhaps a breach of commitment signaling the launch of a Black Hole Bomb. Instead, what landed was a dull, black iron ball—what in the world was this?

However, the joint command post beneath Mount Puseleileng issued an attack order. Instantly, a barrage of fire rained down upon the large iron sphere. But the object was thick-skinned and heavily armored, suffering no damage whatsoever. On the contrary, four stabilizing struts extended from its base, locking its previously tumbling body in place.

Then, everyone within two kilometers of the battlefield heard an unnatural, piercing shriek. Many could not bear it, blood streaming from their noses. Far more terrifyingly, numerous soldiers felt the weapons in their hands vibrating violently. Finally, some lost control, and their assault rifles flew from their grips, soaring through the air toward the giant sphere!

Then, something even more horrifying occurred: all metallic objects were irresistibly drawn to the sphere. Some men, unable to unfasten their rifles strapped to their bodies, were dragged along, flying toward the orb. Wreckage from downed helicopters and fighter jets on the ground was swept toward the sphere like dead leaves in a gale. More dramatically, the two nearest Mi-24s, unable to evade, slammed directly into the sphere and exploded violently.

Everyone realized this airdropped behemoth possessed an immense magnetic field. Not only was it interfering with all electronic instruments, but dozens of nearby helicopters, unable to break free from the magnetic pull, crashed into it one after another, exploding. Furthermore, its magnetism intensified, drawing distant metallic objects toward it.

This continued for less than ten minutes. The sphere’s magnetic force had escalated to a terrifying degree. Any metallic item within a five-kilometer radius—including iron belt buckles, waistbands, and helmets—could no longer hide. Aircraft that entered its magnetic envelope could not escape, streaming toward the sphere to be destroyed. A massive, invisible magnetic vortex began to form, sweeping over the battlefield around Mount Puseleileng. Centered on the magnetic generator, a huge metallic sphere coalesced, pulling every attached metal object with such force that they twisted, warped, and compacted into a single mass.

Once all metal objects in the air and on the ground within range had been absorbed, the iron ball emitted an explosive sound, blasting away the thick layer of metal cladding adhered to it. Then, it rolled out from the wreckage weighing hundreds of tons. The remaining allied aircraft had already fled dozens of kilometers to avoid the chaos. But this magnetic iron ball seemed intent on pursuing them. It adjusted its orientation and launched wave after wave of focused, super-strong magnetic beams at the distant high-altitude planes. Many aircraft suffered instrument failure and plummeted, while others, unable to resist the attractive pull of the focused beams, flew backward only to crash into the pile of metal debris.

Soon after, the terrifying magnetic titan ceased its operation. Taihao’s super-drills roared back to life, one hundred machines furiously attacking the two mountain ranges. The Vietnamese defenders could no longer resist and scattered in defeat. The army quickly captured Mount Puseleileng, rested briefly to resupply, and then rapidly headed south.

Two days later, the army conquered Da Nang. Five days later, Ho Chi Minh City fell. One week later, the entire land and sea of Vietnam offered no further resistance.

On the first day of Taihao Year One, May 1st, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Bangladesh declared their accession to Taihao's Vassal States, willing to pay tribute annually and serve forever as dependencies of Taihao.

On May 2nd, Taihao issued a proclamation establishing the Central-Southern Prefecture of the Taihao Nation, encompassing the vassal states of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaya. The former territory of Southern Tibet was also incorporated into the Central-Southern Prefecture, managed by personnel appointed by Taihao. The political, economic, and military affairs of all vassal states were placed under Taihao's guidance and control, ensuring they would never dare to rebel for all eternity.

At this time, the two northern armies had reached their designated standby points, ready to attack Russia the moment the Taihao King gave the command. Meanwhile, the minor states of Southeast Asia—such as Fēi Lǘ, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore—were consumed by anxiety. Wherever the Taihao naval fleet sailed, no one dared offer resistance. Australia had declared war on Taihao, but before a single naval battle could occur, its fleet had already withdrawn to its home ports. The conflict in the South Pacific was largely winding down.