As Major General James listened to the compiled reports of the US military’s movements, he continuously nodded.

From all the feedback received so far, everything was proceeding normally. The desalination vessel hadn't reacted in any way. Perhaps they were already disorganized, or maybe they hadn't detected anything unusual yet? This mission should conclude with ease.

Yet, a shadow always lingered in James’s mind: despite all their attempts to hail the USS Hampton, the nuclear submarine lurking in the Persian Gulf, they had received no response whatsoever.

The nuclear submarine Hampton had maintained radio silence for some time now. It had been three full days since they last contacted headquarters, causing James considerable worry about their status.

But James quickly dismissed the concern. The Hampton was backed by formidable firepower; it wasn't some small, conventionally powered submarine easily dispatched. They must have been delayed by some event, not in peril. They would certainly appear at the critical moment.

What Major General James could never have anticipated, however, was that the powerful USS Hampton, which he believed safe, was currently resting in the silt at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, its entire crew annihilated, forever silent to headquarters’ calls.

“Fire Boss, two US Air Force Global Hawk reconnaissance drones are still observing us from one hundred kilometers out.”

“Fire Boss, our ‘Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Radar’ detects two E-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft approaching from the south, one hundred kilometers away. The enemy has launched two missiles at us, expected to impact in two minutes. The electromagnetic interference we experienced earlier was likely their doing.”

“Fire Boss, we’ve detected a cluster of US missiles launched from two hundred kilometers out, totaling forty units. These missiles are expected to strike us in fifteen minutes. Furthermore, a large formation of US combat aircraft, numbering one hundred and thirty-eight, has been spotted five hundred kilometers away, approaching from the north, south, and west. These aircraft likely consist of fighters and bombers deployed by the US forces in the Gulf region.”

A Huo calmly absorbed the intelligence and issued his orders: “Immediately lock onto the two missiles launched by the electronic warfare aircraft using the ‘Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Radar.’ When these two missiles reach fifty kilometers from us, destroy them with the laser weapon. Simultaneously, destroy those two E-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft and the two Global Hawk reconnaissance drones.”

Thus, the ‘Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Radar’ continuously emitted barely detectable spiritual energy waves toward the sky, firmly locking onto the two anti-radiation missiles, the two E-18G Growler EW aircraft, and the two Global Hawk drones. This spiritual energy fluctuation was extremely covert, making detection impossible, so the two electronic warfare planes and the reconnaissance drones remained completely unaware that they had been targeted by Star Group’s laser weaponry.

The two E-18G Growler EW aircraft, the two Global Hawk drones, and the anti-radiation missiles entered the one-hundred-kilometer range, which fell within the Starlight Observer’s detection area. Consequently, the computer screens aboard the desalination vessel clearly displayed the flight paths of these four aircraft and two missiles—it was like watching a live broadcast.

“Fire Boss, the enemy missiles are only fifty kilometers away from us.”

A Huo immediately commanded, “Activate the laser weapon and destroy them.”

From a port on the Star Group desalination vessel, a beam of crimson laser instantly shot out. The beam flashed once, striking one of the incoming anti-radiation missiles in mid-flight. This crimson beam possessed immense energy; with a single sweep, it sliced the missile in half, causing it to explode and burn in the air.

Then, another crimson laser beam flew from the port, flashed again, and eliminated the remaining anti-radiation missile.

“What was that? Where did our anti-radiation missiles go?” a pilot in a Growler EW aircraft asked in astonishment.

The pilot in the adjacent EW aircraft, flying wingman, was about to reply when he suddenly saw a flash of red light before his eyes. The nose section of his E-18G Growler vanished instantly. Before he could process what had happened, the red light swept across, cleaving his aircraft into two halves. This E-18G Growler was instantly eliminated. The pilot died without ever understanding what that crimson light was or why it possessed such devastating lethality.

The pilot who had spoken earlier saw his teammate’s aircraft inexplicably disintegrate into large chunks ahead of him and was greatly startled. However, before he could react, a red light flashed past, slicing horizontally and then vertically, splitting his own aircraft into four large pieces. He himself was cleanly decapitated by the laser without feeling any pain.

Subsequently, the desalination vessel fired two more crimson laser beams, destroying the two Global Hawk reconnaissance drones that had been lingering near the edge of the combat zone.

“What happened? Where are our E-18G Growler EW aircraft?” Major General James asked, staring intently at the radar screen, as the aircraft had vanished in an instant, and the indicator lights for those two planes had turned gray.

“Unclear, General. Perhaps they entered an electromagnetic interference zone and temporarily disappeared from our radar.”

“Then where did our two anti-radiation missiles go?” General James pressed.

“That… they may have encountered the same issue, sir!”

As the Global Hawk drones were destroyed, the imagery of the desalination vessel on the US command center’s screens also vanished.

James erupted in fury, “What about our Global Hawk drones? Did they also enter an electromagnetic interference zone?”

“General, that is a possibility.”

“Contact them immediately! I need to see the live feed!” James shouted. After the desalination vessel used clouds to block the view of US spy satellites orbiting in space, the only way to see the vessel was through the Global Hawks. With the signal suddenly severed by their destruction, they could no longer see the forward view.

The US radar operators and Major General James, though they hadn’t detected the destruction of their aircraft and missiles on radar, didn't suspect they had been shot down at all. In their minds, no force in the world could eliminate their aircraft, especially when they were operating more than fifty kilometers from the target. This was an automatic reaction born from the ingrained belief in US military supremacy.

A cheer erupted aboard the Star Group desalination vessel. This was the laser weapon’s debut, successfully eliminating two incoming anti-radiation missiles, two E-18G Growler EW aircraft, and two Global Hawk reconnaissance drones.

The imagery relayed by the Starlight Observer was strikingly intuitive: a flash of red light, and the aircraft and missiles in the sky tore apart and exploded. This live, thrilling spectacle exhilarated the Star Group soldiers fighting for the first time. It felt like a dream; against the weapons in their hands, the mighty war machine of the US military seemed as fragile as a child’s toy, utterly brittle.

“Everyone, maintain caution! The enemy’s missile cluster and fighter group are about to close in. Do not let them find an opening!” A Huo roared, snapping the warriors back to alertness.

Zhou Tengyun and Desheng sat observing nearby, their hearts pounding. They were amazed at how powerful Star Group had become; the US military couldn't gain any advantage against them. However, today they were merely spectators and did not interrupt A Huo’s command. In this room, A Huo was the supreme commander; his authority was unquestionable, and all orders must be obeyed.

“Fire Boss, the enemy’s forty missiles are now only one hundred and fifty kilometers away. These missiles are changing their cruise altitude, flying toward us skimming the ground. Their average altitude above the surface is less than one hundred meters.”

“Oh, missiles that can fly less than one hundred meters above the ground? Are those US Tomahawk cruise missiles? Indeed, they are cunning. But we have no mountain obstructions nearby; your low-altitude flight won't help you.” A Huo commented.

“Fire Boss, what should we do about these missiles?”

“Wait until they reach fifty kilometers away from us, then destroy them all with the laser weapon,” A Huo ordered. He calculated that due to the Earth's curvature, even without mountain cover, the laser fired from the desalination vessel could not hit those ultra-low-altitude Tomahawk cruise missiles from beyond fifty kilometers. Therefore, he decided to let them close within fifty kilometers before eliminating them.

“Is there still no word on our electronic warfare aircraft, anti-radiation missiles, and Global Hawk drones?” James asked, frowning. By the timeline, those two anti-radiation missiles should have exploded long ago, yet the spy satellites in space detected nothing. Although the satellites couldn’t see the desalination vessel due to cloud cover, they could monitor the surrounding area.

“Sir, it is possible they were intercepted by the enemy.”

“…”

Once the forty Tomahawk cruise missiles entered the one-hundred-kilometer range of the desalination vessel, they became visible on the Starlight Observer. A Huo monitored their flight without issuing any immediate orders.

“Fire Boss, the enemy missiles are now fifty kilometers away from us.”

“Can our laser weapons engage those Tomahawk cruise missiles now?” A Huo inquired.

“Yes, we can engage them now.”

“Then destroy them!” A Huo commanded.

Eight crimson laser beams instantly shot out from the eight ports on the desalination vessel. Each beam flashed once, destroying eight Tomahawk cruise missiles flying at low altitude. Then, with another flash, eight more Tomahawks vanished from the sky.

All eight laser weapons were powered by high-grade Magical Beast cores, eliminating any concern over energy depletion. They could fire repeatedly in rapid succession without worrying about running low on power.

After firing two salvos, the eight laser weapons destroyed sixteen Tomahawk cruise missiles. The lasers then fired three more salvos, completely clearing the sky of the Tomahawk cluster.

The desalination vessel’s laser weapons wiped out the entire cluster of Tomahawk cruise missiles in under two minutes. Meanwhile, back at the USS Stennis aircraft carrier, the Tomahawks disappeared from their radar screens slowly, a few at a time, as if being devoured piece by piece.

“General, all our Tomahawk cruise missiles have vanished.”

“Vanished? What does that mean, General?” Major General James asked, perplexed.

“General, it means we can no longer locate our missiles on the radar. They are gone, just like the E-18G Growler EW aircraft, the Global Hawk drones, and the anti-radiation missiles before them.”

James gasped, suddenly recalling Gates’s previous warning: Gates had mentioned that the Star Group’s desalination vessel possessed a mysterious weapon capable of intercepting their missiles and aircraft, though its effective range seemed limited to twenty kilometers.

At the time, James had not taken the warning seriously. Given America’s technological might, achieving 100% certainty in missile interception was impossible anyway. Even if this Star Group weapon could intercept some missiles, it surely couldn't handle forty Tomahawk cruise missiles! In his plan, two-thirds of those forty missiles were meant to be intercepted, and the remaining one-third hitting the target would secure victory. Now, every missile had vanished.

At this point, James realized the grim truth. The forty Tomahawk cruise missiles, two anti-radiation missiles, two Global Hawk drones, and two E-18G Growler EW aircraft that disappeared from the radar displays—if mechanical failure were ruled out—could only mean they were all neutralized by the Star Group’s mysterious weapon.

The probability of simultaneous mechanical failure across so many units was minuscule. The greatest possibility was interception by the Star Group’s weapon.

But the intelligence had stated that the mysterious weapon’s effective range was only twenty kilometers. The Global Hawk drones were a full hundred kilometers away! Did the effective range of this mysterious weapon extend not to twenty, but to one hundred kilometers?

Furthermore, hadn't the US established an electromagnetic barrier around the Star Group? Even if the two E-18G Growlers were destroyed, US satellites and other electromagnetic interference vehicles maintained powerful electronic warfare capabilities, enforcing an electromagnetic blockade around the desalination vessel. Therefore, the vessel should be incapable of using radar. How, then, did they intercept the Tomahawk missiles and aircraft?

Major General James pondered this, unable to find a logical answer, but this did not stop him from issuing new operational orders: “Order the AWACS from the ‘Golden Eagle’ 112th Early Warning Squadron to advance. Contact our ‘Sapphire’ 146th Attack Squadron and ‘Black Knight’ 154th Attack Squadron, instructing them to keep as far away as possible from the Star Group desalination vessel—preferably staying beyond one hundred and fifty kilometers. Simultaneously, order the ‘Gopher’ 147th Attack Squadron to scramble immediately and prepare for combat. Furthermore, instruct the ‘Yellow Jersey’ 138th Electronic Attack Squadron to dispatch two more electronic warfare aircraft to increase the electromagnetic suppression around the Star Group vessel. Deploy four more Global Hawk drones for reconnaissance of the vessel. Order our warships to launch another eighty Tomahawk cruise missiles. Mobilize military satellites to closely monitor the real-time status of our fighters and missiles, and report immediately if anything unusual occurs.”

By this time, the formations of fighters and bombers flying in from various Gulf airbases had reached a distance of one hundred and fifty kilometers from the Star Group desalination vessel. Upon receiving the latest orders from headquarters, they ceased their advance and began orbiting in the surrounding airspace.

What James could not imagine was that the range of the desalination vessel’s laser weapons extended not to twenty or one hundred kilometers, but to three hundred kilometers. Even orbiting at one hundred and fifty kilometers, these aircraft could not escape the range of the vessel’s laser weapons. Their silhouettes were already displayed on the desalination vessel’s computers and firmly locked by the ‘Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Radar.’

The electromagnetic cannon previously used by the Star Group had successfully diverted US attention, leading them to believe the group could only counter targets within twenty kilometers. They had overlooked the Star Group's hidden laser weapon, leading to fatal errors in their current maneuvers.

“Fire Boss, all enemy fighter and bomber groups have been locked.”

A Huo glanced at the dense cluster of lights on the computer screen representing the US aircraft and asked, “How far away is their maximum missile launch range?”

“Based on the types of missiles they can launch, they should fire from around one hundred kilometers away from us.”

“Heh, they are lingering around one hundred and fifty kilometers now. Are our laser weapons already terrifying them? But one hundred and fifty kilometers isn't safe either!” A Huo chuckled.

These combat aircraft groups were unaware that the desalination vessel was equipped with laser weapons capable of reaching three hundred kilometers. At their current altitude, a single shot from the vessel’s lasers could destroy them instantly.

However, A Huo was not ordering an immediate strike on the aircraft at one hundred and fifty kilometers due to certain limitations in the practical application of the laser weapons and the electromagnetic cannon.

Both the laser weapon and the electromagnetic cannon fire in straight lines. Due to the Earth’s curvature, they could not effectively engage low-flying aircraft and missiles at long distances; they had to wait for these targets to fly into their direct line of sight. A Huo feared the US discovering this weakness in his weapons. If the enemy employed low-altitude strikes, they might breach the vessel's defenses.

This was why A Huo delayed ordering an attack on the aircraft cluster at one hundred and fifty kilometers. He was baiting a trap, aiming to eliminate as much US strength as possible before they discovered his weapon’s limitations. As for the aircraft overhead, he could wipe them all out in less than ten minutes if he chose to.

Once the Star Group possessed its own aerial fortresses equipped with laser weapons and electromagnetic cannons mounted therein, this concern would vanish. From the sky, they could strike anywhere they desired.

“Fire Boss, the enemy has launched another eighty cruise missiles. These are expected to make contact in twenty minutes.”

“Increase vigilance. Destroy all these missiles when they reach fifty kilometers away. As for the aircraft overhead, just lock them with radar for now; ignore them temporarily,” A Huo instructed.

“Command Center, Command Center, this is ‘Sapphire’ One. How much longer must our squadron orbit?” the squadron leader of the ‘Sapphire’ 146th Attack Squadron asked impatiently, ready to request engagement.

“Sapphire One, what is the status of the ‘Hussars’?” the Command Center inquired.

‘Sapphire One’ glanced at the fifteen massive B-1B Hussar supersonic heavy stealth bombers behind him and replied, “The ‘Hussars’ are in excellent condition.”

The command center reported, "Our Tomahawk cruise missiles have penetrated the enemy's airspace eighty kilometers out. Their mysterious weapon will be suppressed by our missiles for the time being. You are now cleared to safely push into the hundred-kilometer mark and then screen the 'Lancers' as they launch their missile strike on the target."

"Sapphire One acknowledges," the squadron leader of the 146th Attack Squadron 'Sapphire' cut off communication with headquarters and ordered, "Full thrust into position! Screen the 'Lancers' for their missile attack on the target at the hundred-kilometer mark."

"Captain, the target is just a corporation. Is such a massive show of force necessary for us, and why the excessive caution?" one of the wingmen inquired.

"If we're the ones showing up, those rookies down below will probably surrender instantly. Wow, look at that swarm of 'Lancers' behind us. They're loaded with so much ordnance; I bet a single one of those bombers could wipe out the target. I really don't get why HQ deployed so many 'Lancers' for this."

"Headquarters is making such a grand move for a reason, I'm sure. It must be a demonstration—a way to intimidate those Middle Eastern nations that have been getting restless, showing them that the Middle East remains the domain of our U.S. forces," the Captain analyzed coolly.

Following these fighters were fifteen massive B-1B 'Lancer' supersonic heavy stealth bombers, scheduled to unleash missiles upon the desalination vessel at the hundred-kilometer mark. Ahead of them, fifty kilometers from the target and skimming the low altitude, eighty Tomahawk cruise missiles were already surging forward at full velocity.

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