Changkong Fighter

Chapter 293 Hexagonal Cage (4000)

[Enemy approaching! Enemy approaching!]

The laser search radar, after multiple iterations and upgrades, firmly locked onto the area of ​​optical anomalies, while the onboard AI system also alerted Liu Jun that the other party was approaching. Pilots often neglect other things when they are focused on one thing, and that's when AI voice comes in very handy.

Liu Jun looked at the approaching enemy, flying face to face, 30KM away, soon to enter WVR range, and also within the enemy's weapon range.

IRST searches for abnormal heat sources ahead, preparing to check if the abnormal heat sources exist. If it finds a fleeting abnormal heat source, it will prove that the other party is going to attack it with a cluster laser.

Through detailed research on Type 2, even if the other party uses "internal stress", it still has to abide by physical properties. For example, when a laser is emitted, it emits light and heat, producing infrared radiation.

Rupa, piloting Type 2, passed the target smoothly after approaching it and flew towards the sinkhole. Liu Jun narrowed his eyes slightly and then looked at the six targets that had entered the 20km range. Three up, three down.

He glanced at the [Upgrade Mark] to confirm that the device was working properly, then turned to the six targets again; their flight paths had not changed.

What will they do?
Under Liu Jun's watchful gaze, the six alien spacecraft instantly deactivated their optical camouflage and came to a stop the moment they entered the 15km mark.

Type 3, Quantity: 6
Six alien warships stopped in front of Liu Jun, standing still in the air, their surfaces glowing with seven-colored light. Based on the intelligence obtained from contact with alien civilizations during this period, they had devoted most of their energy to their defense systems.

They stopped!

The extraterrestrial civilization's actions were immediately detected by the satellite. After all, a warship over 100 meters tall standing in the air, a "diamond" reflecting light, would be difficult to avoid being observed.

This time, however, the alien civilization's actions differed from their previous practice of firing lasers upon first meeting. Instead, they adopted an observational approach. This made the think tanks in the command center realize that Rupa, the alien octopus, had not deceived them after all; the mark did indeed have an effect. However, whether it would be as effective as they had anticipated remained to be seen, depending on the alien civilization's next move.

Liu Jun also observed the movements of these alien spaceships. He glanced at the symbols inside the cockpit and was surprised that they were actually useful. As he pondered this, the two sides entered a dangerous 10km range. Liu Jun checked the onboard weapons and fuel and thought about how to quickly escape danger if he was attacked.

Rupa's spacecraft gradually moved away, while Liu Jun's gaze fell upon several other spaceships. They were spaced apart, but judging from the heat sources detected by the IRST, there were no signs of attack. This gave Liu Jun a bold idea, and he adjusted the laser communication.

"Long-Distance Aircraft Call Command Center"

"Command center received."

"I'd like to go and take a look. Please grant me permission."

Ideas are one thing, but you still need to report them to your superiors and get their approval before you can use them.

Upon hearing Chang Kong's report, the think tank members in the command center began to discuss in hushed tones.

Satellite images show that the six Type 3 ships are gradually unfolding and forming a large hexagon.

"What are they doing, Commander?! Multiple optical targets detected!"

The drones waiting at high altitudes detected multiple targets using optical sensors. As these targets removed their optical camouflage one by one, they were found to be Type 2 drones.

They do not need to be deactivated by Type 2 stealth. The fighter jet’s laser search system detects them as soon as they appear, but there are too many of them to be detected by the laser search radar.

Type 2 aircraft appeared around Type 3 aircraft, but unlike before, they did not rush up to ambush or attack human aircraft immediately upon seeing them. Instead, they hovered in the air like Type 3 aircraft.

"What are they going to do?"

As the formation gradually unfolds, it resembles a large hexagonal cage when viewed from above, with six Type 3 ships forming the main body and Type 2 ships acting as nodes.
After six Type 3 ships and 20 Type 2 ships appeared in the air, the top of the Type 3 ships unfolded. Liu Jun immediately became vigilant, but the attack was different from what he had imagined. The light shone on the Type 2 ships and quickly reflected to other nodes. Finally, a hexagonal cage made of light curtains appeared in the air, leaving only two entrances.

One was in front of Liu Jun; the other was in the direction of the sinkhole.

These preparations reveal that this is an arena, a three-dimensional arena, primitive and savage.

Is this the upgrade ceremony? To Liu Jun, the gap in front of him was like an invitation, inviting him to engage in the most primal battle like a wild beast. The only difference was that both sides were armed with high technology, but he figured only one person could come out of it!

At this moment, Liu Jun couldn't help but recall a movie he had seen called "Predator." It also featured high technology, but the characters engaged in the most primitive form of hunting, and whoever hunted the most powerful prey held a higher status within the tribe.

So, should I go in?
"Aircraft Call Command Center. I'd like to give it a try?"

Judging from the actions of extraterrestrial civilizations, Rupa was right. Even if he were a human, he could participate in the ascension ceremony within an extraterrestrial civilization based on his strength. In a sense, it was quite "fair".

"Chang Kong, are you confident?"

The voice on the communication channel startled Liu Jun. He recognized the voice; it was the voice of his old superior.

The old leader naturally took note of what had happened, and the actions of the alien civilization suggested that there might indeed be a way to resolve the conflict between the two sides beyond complete confrontation. Under these circumstances, it was only natural that further steps were needed.

With great responsibility comes great power. As a "UR", Chang Kong needs to take the initiative at this moment. Moreover, he is not sure what will happen if he gives up the challenge. If he is judged to have failed, it will affect the whole situation!
"Reporting, sir! Yes!"

Liu Jun sensed it and didn't feel any extreme danger; instead, he felt somewhat excited.

"Go!"

"I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Liu Jun said in a deep voice. After a final check of the machine's condition and weaponry, he flew toward the empty passage.

It wasn't just Liu Jun who saw it clearly; this change allowed all the powerful nations and major powers monitoring the region to see the "culture" of extraterrestrial civilization—a cold and barbaric approach that, of course, aligned with the ideologies of some countries.

"Mr President"

Inside the Oval Office of the White House, the President looked at the unfolded "arena" and glanced at the Secretary of Defense beside him.

So far, neither they nor the bear have triggered this "mechanism" in their contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. It is clear that the University of Tokyo has achieved results in its research, results that the United States is unaware of, which has given the University of Tokyo an advantage once again.

"They're verifying their results, sir! Where are our results?!"

The president said somewhat angrily that if Tokyo University really had a way to contact and communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations, it would not be a good thing for them to judge others by their own standards.

"Sir, we are conducting research." "When will we have results?"

"approximately."

When questioned by the president, the defense minister stammered, and just then, a new development occurred on the battlefield.

The fighter jet from Tokyo University entered the hexagonal cage through the opened passage. The next second, as the Tokyo University fighter jet entered the interior, the opened passage closed, forming a completely enclosed space with a wall of light.

Next, the upgrade ceremony began!

At the same time, human spacecraft approached the vicinity of the [Ascension Ceremony]. Unlike previous encounters where both sides immediately engaged in battle, this time the alien civilization did not immediately open fire on Dongda's fighters, but instead maintained a cold attitude.

This prompted the commander of the University of Tokyo to order them to maintain distance and observe the situation.

"Eagle, are we just going to watch?"

"What else can we do? Open fire?" Eagle, who was observing the battlefield through the EODAS system, said in a low voice. Opening fire would probably put Chang Kong in danger and would likely break the stalemate.

It seems that fighting is prohibited within a certain area during the [Ascension Ceremony], and the situation will likely only change after a winner is decided.

"That kid's got guts," the skinny guy remarked.

"Um"

This time, Eagle didn't say much, but hoped that Liu Jun could come out safely. After all, as the pilot with the most combat achievements in active duty at Dongda University, if something happened to him, it would damage morale.

"I never expected alien civilizations to be so gentlemanly sometimes. I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing what will happen if they win."

""

At this moment, this special "ceremony" has attracted the attention of the top leadership of Tokyo University. If this relatively low-cost method can bring both sides to the negotiating table, then Tokyo University will represent all of humanity in negotiating with the aliens.

This is why Dongda University allowed Liu Jun to join. Compared to a full-scale war, the cost is much lower, and the higher-ups also have confidence in their ace pilots!
-
Whoops!

The exhaust plume from the WS-10H propelled the J-15T into the hexagonal cage. As it entered, Liu Jun glanced at the rearview mirror. The passage was blocked by a light curtain, which, judging from its color, was another application of a shield system unique to extraterrestrial civilizations.

Has the promotion ceremony begun?
Liu Jun tensed up slightly, unaware that at this moment, not only Dongda University, but almost every capable country in the world was watching this "upgrade ceremony," and was also making their first contact with the primitive culture of an extraterrestrial civilization.

Once inside, a quick glance around the space reveals a spherical area composed of countless enormous hexagonal light screens, with a radius of about 20 km. For a fighter jet, this space is far too small, and one must constantly keep an eye on the light screens.

From a physical standpoint, if a fighter jet were to crash into the light curtain, it would shatter instantly.

After flying in space for several weeks, Liu Jun discovered that there was also a barrier inside, dividing the overall space into two hemispherical spheres. He could only fly on one side, and he couldn't help but frown slightly. If he kept circling, it would undoubtedly reduce the speed of the J-15T.

Reduce throttle, control the stick, and maneuver the flying shark to spin at approximately Mach 0.85 within the semi-circular sphere, then wait for the next step.

As Liu Jun watched the fuel level steadily decrease, he became worried. If the preparation time was too long, his fuel supply might be at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, Liu Jun turned his head to look at the other side, at his opponent, another ascendant from an alien civilization—a Type 2 aircraft.

After the Type 2 aircraft flew into the interior through the opened ramp, the entire spherical space was completely sealed off.

Liu Jun glanced at the fuel level. In terms of combat time, he was at a disadvantage, as the J-15T's fuel was not unlimited. However, this was also his advantage. As the fuel decreased, the weight of the fighter jet also decreased, and with the weight reduced, the thrust-to-weight ratio increased.

The two sides hovered continuously within the spherical space, separated by a light barrier. Liu Jun's gaze was fixed on Type 2 on the other side of the light barrier, and the color of the light barrier was fading. It was clear that the moment the light barrier disappeared, the two sides would begin to fight like technological barbarians.

The light screen faded as if a countdown was on. Liu Jun observed the opponent's position, preparing to immediately move into an advantageous position once the battle began!

This is a 1v1 battle in a confined space. The starting position is very important. As long as you gain even a slight advantage in angle, you will have an advantage in the subsequent battle.

As the light screen dimmed to its final state, Liu Jun stared intently at the Type 2 opposite him. The next second, Type 2 slowly merged into the air, activating its optical camouflage.

Invisibility? The moment Type 2 completely disappeared, the light screen in the middle also vanished.

This action by the other party made Liu Jun realize that his enemy had definitely participated in the promotion ceremony more than once, otherwise it would have been impossible to time it so precisely!

In other words, I am facing a veteran. Based on previous observations, the mark on Type 2 is far inferior to my own mark, and its level should be lower than mine, meaning it is a challenger.

Did extraterrestrial civilizations want to test their own strength? That's the only answer.

While pondering, Liu Jun adjusted the search range of the laser search radar, pointing it directly to the location where the other party had disappeared. The laser beam began scanning and quickly found the location where the laser beam path was distorted, then locked onto it and marked it on the canopy.

The enemy is trying to attack from the side. I activate the weapon safety and select the missile on the weapon unit.

The next second, two PL-15A missiles detached from their launchers and flew toward the location where the other missile had disappeared.

As a "dual-range missile," the PL-15 is required not only to be able to attack at medium range, but also to have the "close-range combat" capability to attack targets at close range.

After the two missiles were launched one after the other, they quickly locked onto the direction of the interference source and flew towards the target. Then Liu Jun saw what the [Ascendant] was.

Swish!Swish!
Two laser beams, almost simultaneously, were fired from the stealthy Type 2 and accurately struck the PL15A, which was still accelerating.

boom! boom!
Two fireballs exploded, and the next second a beam of laser pierced through the fireballs and shot toward Liu Jun. As if he had expected it, he performed a barrel roll in the air to avoid the attack, and at the same time threw out two PL10 air-to-air missiles.

With the aid of the vectoring nozzle, the air-to-air missile flew toward Type 2, its seeker head fixed on it.

(End of this chapter)