Chapter 57: Launch Strike
Boom!
Amidst the flashes of lightning and deafening thunder, a monstrous creature emerged from the rain, grabbing at the modified Blackbird from below, its claws scraping against the aircraft's black and white silhouette.
In that instant, Tian Xiao's heart tightened to its utmost tension.
Just like humans, aircraft become dangerously vulnerable when they are caught by insect beasts. The threat of crashing becomes a constant, ever-present possibility.
If it had been a regular pilot in this situation, they would likely be focusing on ways to escape and protect themselves.
But Tian Xiao was different.
The moment the Blackbird's claws broke through the hull of the cockpit, Tian Xiao had already seized his assault rifle.
"Qing Long."
"Straight vertical ascent!"
"Yes!"
With a sharp lurch, the Blackbird's nose shot up at a ninety-degree angle. The tail flame transitioned from a fiery red to a cool blue, propelling the craft with intense force. The terrifying momentum pushed the black dragon insect beast, which had landed on the hull, violently against the bottom of the cockpit. Thankfully, its tail remained firmly grasping the fuselage, emitting a shrill screech as the creature's claws dug into the metal.
Two seconds later, the black dragon insect beast reacted. Its claws hooked into the exterior of the Blackbird, embedding deep into the hull, stabilizing itself. Then, with an eerie, fluid motion, it began climbing upward, almost ghostlike in its movements.
Its long, sharp tail swung, striking the aircraft's outer shell with deadly precision. The sound of metal tearing echoed through the storm as the creature made several punctures in quick succession, sparking with each strike.
Under normal circumstances, the Blackbird would already be disabled by now.
But the modified Blackbird had undergone extensive upgrades and modifications.
Despite that, the continuous assault was enough to make the aircraft cry out in distress.
Yet, the control center remained unaware of the true situation. From their limited perspective, they could only infer that Tian Xiao was engaged in combat with the insect beast, based on the increasing damage to the hull and the aircraft's ongoing descent.
Tian Xiao had no time to provide feedback.
In the span of just two seconds, the Blackbird soared, climbing over three hundred meters, rapidly gaining altitude and distancing itself from the ground.
"Seat ejection."
Tian Xiao gripped his assault rifle, suddenly issuing an order that even Qing Long, the craft's AI, almost hesitated to follow.
Eject? Abandon the craft?
Without a second thought, Qing Long responded.
The cockpit door opened.
A powerful force surged from the seat's base.
Tian Xiao's combat suit automatically deployed a face shield, blocking the torrential rain and the biting wind that rushed in, providing a brief but vital protection from the howling storm.
As Tian Xiao was ejected from the aircraft, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a menacing, cold-eyed creature crawling to the front of the Blackbird, its tail lashing like a metal weapon, puncturing the aircraft's underbelly multiple times.
The sudden ejection caused the black dragon insect beast to pause momentarily. Its chilling, black eyes flicked in Tian Xiao's direction.
In that instant, the two locked eyes, cutting through the downpour of rain.
Tian Xiao felt a prickle of tension on his skin.
But the black dragon insect beast felt the impact even more! As Tian Xiao looked up, the muzzle of his assault rifle flared with brilliant light.
Tat-tat! Tat-tat!
Two rounds of controlled bursts.
At less than twenty meters away, the close-range shots hit their mark with unerring precision.
The insect beast's eyes shattered instantly.
Green, murky liquid erupted from its compound eyes.
Two more bullets pierced its gaping mouth.
The glistening, mucus-filled throat was now punctured, the air inside it whistling as it became exposed to the elements.
The bullets exited the creature's body, creating a violent rupture. Cool air rushed in, carrying with it the scent of blood.
The black dragon insect beast tumbled away from the Blackbird, swept away by the force, falling rapidly through the rainstorm, disappearing into the chaotic weather.
The prickling sensation on Tian Xiao's skin faded.
Snap!
His parachute deployed with a forceful jerk, and the powerful pull yanked him upwards.
"Qing Long!"
"Control Unit 02, position yourself fifty meters directly below me to assist."
"Yes!"
Though the black dragon insect beast had been knocked off the Blackbird, it was far from dead. It would not go down so easily.
Tian Xiao discarded his assault rifle and pressed a button on his seat. The safety straps automatically released, and he free-fell toward the Blackbird's open hatch, crashing hard into the alloy walls of the cabin.
Thud!
Ignoring the numbness in his side, Tian Xiao barked orders.
"Stay on it!"
"Close in!"
The black dragon insect beast, despite its injuries, was no longer a serious threat. Its strength had dwindled significantly, and it no longer posed the same danger.
Tian Xiao couldn't afford to let it escape after all the risks the Blackbird had endured—the ejection, the over 90% damage to the hull, and the injury inflicted on the insect beast. He couldn't let it get away!
On the other hand, Zhu Xiaotian had already been forced to retreat, unable to contribute any further due to depleted energy reserves.
This was the plan Tian Xiao had prepared earlier.
With the Blackbird's vertical dive, it reached the ground just before the black dragon insect beast, who had fallen behind.
The beast hit the surface with a crash, its ability to maintain balance compromised after its compound eyes were destroyed. It was disoriented, rolling in the rain, green liquid spilling from its mouth as it struggled to maintain control.
Before it could recover, the Blackbird dove straight toward it with overwhelming force.
This time, the black dragon insect beast, fearing further harm, turned and tried to flee.
But Tian Xiao would not give it that chance.
He squeezed the trigger.
The heavy machine gun unleashed two lines of fire.
The insect beast, relying on its combat instincts, dodged the blazing shots.
However, just as it moved, a rock exploded directly in front of it!
The shockwave mixed with sharp fragments of stone, blasting the creature backward. It tumbled several times, eventually falling into the path of the machine gun's fire.
Crack!
The ground exploded beneath the insect beast, shards of rock tearing into its body.
With a final shriek, the black dragon insect beast's legs were shattered, rendering it immobile.
The Blackbird quickly slowed, hovering above the beast.
The machine gun fired relentlessly, shredding its limbs and tail.
Tian Xiao frowned slightly, then launched a grenade from the aircraft's cannon.
The explosion dazed the black dragon insect beast, giving Tian Xiao the opening he needed.
Seizing the moment, he aimed the machine gun and blasted the creature's tail off.
Then, with one final, decisive shot, he destroyed the insect beast's head.
The G-Class insect beast died at Tian Xiao's hands.
"Qing Long, lower altitude. Prepare for landing."
"Master, the surrounding rock layers are highly unstable. I advise against landing."
Qing Long issued a warning.
"Enough chatter. Execute it!" Tian Xiao commanded.
The G-Class black dragon insect beast's flesh was highly corrosive. If its pancreas wasn't removed quickly, it would dissolve completely within hours.
The value of the pancreas from a G-Class insect beast was worth five to ten times that of an H-Class specimen.
The black dragon insect beast had likely been lurking in Sector G46 for some time, and Tian Xiao estimated its worth to be at least seven to eight million.
But most importantly…
Tian Xiao's physical condition had already reached a level of 14.3, and his body was progressing at a slower pace. To break through to the G-Class, he would need the pancreas of this insect beast to aid in his breakthrough.
Thus, the black dragon insect beast's pancreas was even more enticing than twenty million.