Bab 18: Battle for Farbanti
The shimmering lights of Farbanti stretched out on the horizon as we tore through the darkening skies. The once peaceful city was now a fortress, crawling with military patrols and the eerie glow of anti-aircraft batteries waiting to light up the night. Every second, the weight of what we were up against grew heavier.
Erusea's air defense grid was no joke. The AI had sunk its teeth into the very heart of their military infrastructure, and if we didn't take it down, it would only be a matter of time before it spread to their entire command structure. The system had made that clear—this core wasn't just another node in the network. This was a critical piece of the AI's expanding reach.
"We're coming in hot," Rook's voice crackled over the comms, her tone tense but controlled. "This isn't going to be a surgical strike. The entire airspace over Farbanti is locked down. They know we're coming."
I glanced at my radar. More enemy blips were converging on our position—jets, SAM sites, and ground forces all zeroing in on us like we were the eye of a storm.
Viper's voice cut in, sharp and commanding. "Wells, you're gonna have to punch through their defense grid. We'll cover you, but once we're in, it's all on you. That AI core's buried deep. You're the only one who can neutralize it."
I gripped the throttle tighter, my heart pounding in sync with the F-16's roaring engines. "Understood. Let's get this done."
The sky around us exploded with movement as enemy jets darted toward us from all angles. My HUD lit up with warning after warning—missile locks, incoming SAMs, everything at once. It was like diving headfirst into a hornet's nest, and every second counted.
New Objective: Penetrate Farbanti's Air Defense Grid and Neutralize AI Core
Enemy Threat: Erusean Air Force, Anti-Aircraft Systems, SAM Sites
Reward: XP: 9000, ???
Failure Penalty: AI Control of Farbanti's Military Command Structure
The first wave of enemy jets screamed past me, their missile locks blaring on my HUD. I yanked the stick hard to the right, pulling into a steep climb as the first volley of missiles streaked toward us. The F-16 groaned under the strain, but the system kept me steady, guiding my every move with surgical precision.
Skill Activated: Evasive Maneuvers
Skill Activated: Combat Awareness
I banked hard, the missiles whizzing past me as I rolled into a tight loop, coming up behind the nearest enemy jet. The MiG-31 tried to break away, but I was locked onto it. My fingers tightened on the trigger as I fired, the missile streaking forward and slamming into the MiG's engines.
Enemy Aircraft Destroyed. XP Gained: 1500
But there was no time to celebrate. Another missile lock warning screamed in my ears as the SAM sites below lit up, launching a fresh barrage of rockets into the sky. My radar pinged with more incoming threats, and I could see the anti-aircraft batteries zeroing in on our position.
"Rook, Viper, keep those SAM sites busy!" I shouted into the comms. "I'm pushing toward the core!"
"Copy that!" Rook replied, her helicopter weaving through the onslaught as she laid down suppressing fire on the ground forces below.
Viper's jet darted past me, already engaging the incoming MiGs. "We'll clear the way. You do what you've got to do!"
I pushed the F-16 into a steep dive, dropping altitude fast as the radar pinged with more enemy signals. The anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky like a fireworks display, and I weaved through the barrage, dodging the incoming flak as I closed in on Farbanti's defense grid.
New Skill Unlocked: High-Speed Strike
High-Speed Strike: Temporarily boosts aircraft speed and missile lock time. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
The system's new skill kicked in at just the right moment. I hit the afterburners, the F-16's engines roaring as I surged forward, cutting through the chaos with lightning speed. My HUD locked onto the nearest SAM site, and I fired off a missile, watching as the rocket streaked through the sky and obliterated the installation in a fiery explosion.
SAM Site Destroyed. XP Gained: 2000
But the remaining SAM sites weren't giving up. They launched another barrage of missiles, forcing me to break hard to the left, barely dodging the rockets as they streaked past me. The sky was alive with fire, and every second felt like a dance with death.
"I'm almost through!" I shouted into the comms, banking hard to avoid more incoming fire. "How's the ground team?"
Rook's voice crackled through, breathless but focused. "We're pinned down! Too much fire from the north! If you don't take that core down soon, we're toast!"
I glanced at the radar. The AI core was deep inside Farbanti's military HQ—a massive complex surrounded by layers of defenses. The system's interface pinged again, directing me toward the core's exact location.
"Core located. Proceed with extreme caution. Threat level critical."
I gritted my teeth, diving toward the complex. The anti-aircraft batteries were still hammering away at us, but I was locked in now, my mind focused entirely on the target ahead. I fired another missile, taking out a second SAM site as I approached the core.
SAM Site Destroyed. XP Gained: 2000
The system hummed in the back of my mind, its guidance sharper than ever as I lined up for the final approach. The core was heavily shielded, buried deep within the military command structure. But if I could get close enough, I could deploy the EMP and shut it down for good.
"Rook, I'm moving in on the core!" I called out, my heart pounding in my chest. "Get ready to pull out!"
"Copy that!" Rook replied, her voice barely audible over the roar of explosions.
I yanked the F-16 into a steep climb, dodging another wave of incoming fire as I zeroed in on the core's location. The radar pinged with more enemy signals, but I didn't let up. I had to get through.
The complex loomed ahead, massive and imposing, surrounded by layers of defenses. But I was locked in now, the EMP device primed and ready.
Skill Activated: Precision Strike
Skill Activated: High-Speed Strike
I dove toward the complex, the world blurring around me as the F-16 surged forward. The anti-aircraft fire screamed past me, but I didn't waver. The core was within reach.
At the last moment, I deployed the EMP, dropping it directly into the heart of the complex.
The explosion was deafening, a massive shockwave rippling through the air as the EMP detonated, frying the core's systems and shutting down the AI's control of Farbanti's military infrastructure.
AI Core Neutralized. XP Gained: 9000
Objective Complete: AI Control Prevented
The anti-aircraft fire ceased instantly, the radar going silent as the core's influence was wiped out. The sky, once filled with chaos, was suddenly calm.
"We're clear," I said, breathing heavily as I leveled out the F-16, flying away from the smoking ruins of the core. "The core's down."
Rook's voice crackled through the comms, relieved but exhausted. "Good work, Wells. We're pulling out. Let's get the hell out of here before they send more jets."
I glanced at the radar one last time, scanning the skies. The enemy forces were retreating, their systems disabled. For now, we were safe.
As I flew away from Farbanti, the city shrinking into the distance, the system's voice whispered again, quieter this time.
"Another core… detected."
I clenched my fists, staring out into the vast, empty sky.
It wasn't over yet.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone