Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 106 The Death Griffin and the Blizzard Belt Reaching 120 Kilometers! (Bonus Chapter Combining Two Chapters)
"Stop! Right here!"

"Zoom in on region C3 and sharpen the image!"

Upon hearing the commander's order, the technician immediately took action. After several algorithmic optimizations, the blurry image was clearly presented to everyone.

It was a gigantic monster with a wingspan of over twenty meters, an eagle's head and a lion's body, its entire body covered in feathers that shone with a steely luster.

It must have been incredibly majestic and powerful in life, but now—

Half of its body had turned into rotting flesh and blood, covered with messy and dirty feathers, and its wounds revealed its bones and internal organs.

What's most surprising is its other half, which has half a chilling ice crystal wing. The bones of the monster can be vaguely seen inside the ice crystal, and after the light is refracted, it emits a faint blue glow.

This is actually a griffin that has been transformed into an undead creature!

A collective gasp filled the command hall, like a leaky bellows.

"Damn, it's just like the griffin in Western mythology!" A young staff officer blurted out a curse on his own.

"So this is the Scourge's air force, right?"

An air force liaison officer next to him turned pale and muttered to himself, "This thing can't be locked onto by radar? No infrared signature? It's quite good at surprise attacks! We haven't even finished working on our modified air defense drones yet?"

The other person gave a wry smile: "Too fast, I just heard about the progress of the changes!"

"If we've spotted one, it means there's a whole swarm. Damn it, we need to get air defenses ready!"

Su Mingjin slammed her hand on the table, and all the murmurs ceased abruptly.

She rubbed her aching temples, but her eyes were sharp as knives. A series of orders came clearly from her mouth: "Order! Non-combat personnel, assemble immediately! They need to enter their designated underground bunkers and ensure their own safety!"

"All high-magic-sensors and research personnel must immediately evacuate to the modern world. Those remaining here to participate in magic testing must also wear anti-electromagnetic interference helmets and be tested under the full supervision of the warriors."

"All combat units, Level 1 combat readiness! All air defense positions, disarm and activate rocket support units, artillery units, and all branches of service!"

She thought for a moment, then looked at the brigade commander: "Commander, is there anything I should add?"

Commander Man rubbed his chin: "Request headquarters to send Miss Qiu out. Now all departments are reporting a super blizzard nearby, and I think there are quite a few undead troops. Given that we can't guarantee the safety of our hard-earned team, using our trump card is the best approach."

"Isn't this... a bit too serious? The undead army may be numerous, but we have plenty of attack methods as well!"

"I've played some Western fantasy games. What's terrifying about the Scourge isn't their near-immortality, but their boundless numbers and their ability to transform living beings after killing them. Who knows how many skeletons are in the blizzard? This is just in case!"

"Alright, a messenger will inform Commander Li of the situation here shortly. Brigade Commander, the remaining security tasks are now entrusted to you professionals!"

Commander Man nodded and quickly discussed with the others to add a large number of combat and defense missions.

Inside the camp, enemy attack warning horns began to sound...
-
Hangar area, drone testing ground!
"Hmm? Why is it getting darker?"

Qin Longlong muttered to himself, then turned to look outside and noticed that the sky had indeed darkened a bit. "Strange, the electromagnetic interference is stronger!"

"No!" Senior Brother Li stared intently at the screen, his voice tense. "Longlong, zoom out the camera and point it at the sky!"

Qin Longlong's heart skipped a beat, and his fingers flew across the control panel. The drone's camera suddenly flipped, changing from looking down at the earth to gazing up at the sky.

Seeing the changes in the sky, everyone was stunned. It turned out that the alien sun on the screen was experiencing a solar eclipse.

"It really is a solar eclipse!"

"Something's not right." Senior Brother Zhang, who hadn't spoken until now, frowned deeply, staring intently at the various environmental data. "A solar eclipse shouldn't be happening this soon, and listen to the sounds outside. It's like the end of the world!"

Everyone looked outside and discovered that the wind and snow outside the base had suddenly intensified.

What was just a normal whistling sound has now turned into a muffled roar, as if a giant beast is frantically scratching at the walls of the control room with its claws.

The footage transmitted by the drone began to show slight shaking, and the wind speed readings were skyrocketing...

"This awful weather! Get the drone back right away, we can't let our precious drone get damaged!"

Qin Longlong was astonished. He saw that all the searchlights in the base, as seen through the drone's lens, were on. Beams of light struggled through the dim snow and wind, only to be shattered by the swirling snowflakes.

In just a few minutes, the sky had darkened to the point of dusk.

Senior Brother Zhang glanced at the time and decisively ordered, "The data collection is almost complete. Prepare to return and protect the experimental assets."

"understand!"

Just as Qin Longlong was preparing to guide the drone into the return-to-home procedure, a sharp, urgent beeping sound, enough to pierce eardrums, suddenly resounded throughout the entire base!
Buzz—! Buzz—! Buzz—!
This sound was completely different from the usual assembly whistle or meal call; it carried a tearing urgency that made one's heart clench.

"Is this... an enemy attack alarm?"

The relaxed atmosphere in the control room vanished instantly.

Upon hearing the warning, Qin Longlong felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to his head, and his palms, gripping the control lever, were sweating profusely.

"Yes, enemy attack alarm!"

These two words struck Qin Longlong and Senior Brother Li like a heavy hammer blow.

Although they were weapons testers, they were ultimately technicians and had never experienced a real battlefield.

"Don't panic!" Senior Brother Zhang shouted in a low voice, which, though not loud, calmed the two young men's minds like a stabilizing force.

He stared at the alarm light on the wall, each flash of the red light making his face grow increasingly grim. "Don't worry, everyone! Fly the plane back first."

"The rest should be done according to the previous drills. Don't panic!" Senior Brother Zhang quickly issued the instructions, his words clear and logical.

"Longlong, hurry up and fly the experimental drone back. Let's find the military drone pilots and prepare for battle. Xiao Li, go to the weapons cabinet and get our sidearms and spare magazines!"

"Yes!"

"Roger that!"

The two practically shouted in response, the tension from the surge of adrenaline instantly transforming into action from the clear command.
-
While Professor Deng Dakang was testing the talisman for warding off evil with Taoist Master Chen and Taoist Master Zhou, he suddenly heard a piercing alarm sound.

Upon confirming that it was an enemy attack and the battle was intense, Deng Dakang's expression changed.

Soon after, several soldiers came and drove them back to the modern world.

"Professor Deng, the undead calamity is attacking. The higher command has ordered everyone to evacuate first."

"I want to stay; I need to conduct some scientific verification and testing!"

"This……"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to Commander Su Mingjin right now. She previously approved my request to handle this as a special case!"

"Alright then! I will inform my superiors about this! Please do not stray far from the portal area."

"Please rest assured, Master Chen and the others will also cooperate with me in the experiment."

"Ok."

Deng Dakang looked at Master Chen and his companion, then at Wang Hu, whose face was a little pale.

"Two Daoist masters, young comrade Wang Hu! At this moment, the army of the undead is attacking. Logically speaking, magical particles should be extremely active, and our bodies may also undergo some changes. Wang Hu, remember the hallucinations that appeared in your head earlier?"

Wang Hu nodded.

"Come with me. I'll distribute the equipment I made earlier to see if it can block magical interference. I'll also test some enhancement reactions!"

"Layman Deng, what kind of equipment are you making?"

"You'll find out when you get there!"
-
The camp reacted the fastest. In addition to this, those who were mining fishery resources on the lake, those who were mining ore, and the nearby patrol posts all received warnings of an enemy attack!
All units urgently assembled by vehicle. Those that were too far away could only find the nearest constructed centralized defensive fortress to ensure their own safety.

It was at this time that the solar eclipse gradually intensified, and the sky gradually began to darken!
With the start-up command given by the warriors of the pioneering force, much like a sophisticated war machine, the entire command hall switched to high-speed operation mode.

The calls of the messengers, the footsteps of the people running, and the rapid clatter of keyboards intertwined to create a tense prelude to the battle.

When the danger was announced to all units, the drone squadron began to take off, disregarding the increasingly heavy snow and wind.

"Report: A solar eclipse occurred today, and the detection range of our drones has decreased again!"

"what?"

When Brigade Commander Man and Su Mingjin, who were staying in the command hall, went outside, they found that the sunlight outside was gradually being blocked.

The sky darkened rapidly; at this rate, it would probably be completely dark in about an hour and a half.

There will be at least two more hours of darkness ahead!

"Damn it! Why did they all have to come all at once!"

"During the solar eclipse, a calamity of the dead strikes, accompanied by a violent blizzard. What could be the connection between these events?"

Commander Man swallowed hard and analyzed.

"Commander Su, we've notified the nearby non-combat personnel to return to headquarters immediately. They shouldn't stay at their posts!"

"Commander Man's consideration is very thorough, so we will do as he says immediately."

"Report: Observer 3, 4 and 5 have successfully launched! Eagle UAV has launched."

"Let the Wing Loong UAV serve as a rear relay, and let the Eagle UAV go forward for reconnaissance."

The Wing Loong 3 drone boasts powerful performance and long range, but it comes with a high price tag.

The cost of the battalion and company-level Ruiying UAVs is only one-fifth that of the Wing Loong 3.

Given the current unclear situation regarding friend and foe, using a Wing Loong 3 mid-course relay drone to deploy a signal-enhanced Eagle drone is clearly more cost-effective.

"Report: It's too dark and the snow is too heavy, interfering with the scanning range of our synthetic aperture radar."

"Let the Sharp Eagle risk getting close for reconnaissance!"

"Report! Eagle III has encountered a high-speed target intercepting it from the northwest!"

On the main screen, the view from a drone tumbled violently, the edge of the lens sweeping across a huge claw made of ice crystals...

"Hold!"

(End of this chapter)