The two Mjolnir Exosuits rampaged through Wolf Valley, relentlessly charging deeper and chasing the Jihadist Brigade resistance fighters. Ammunition poured out in a frenzy, filling the valley with smoke, explosions, and blazing fire, as shrapnel and debris flew everywhere—turning the place into a killing field!
Meanwhile, at the other end of Wolf Valley, after an inexplicable sandstorm, the base commander suddenly spotted a swarm of Jihadist Brigade fighters surging in from all directions at the defensive line in front of the energy jeep. He immediately shouted to the dozen mercenaries nearby: "Enemies incoming! Lots of them! All combat personnel, form a defensive formation and protect the energy vehicle—open fire and kill those bastards!"
With the base commander's order, the dozen Alpha Security mercenaries halted their previous tunnel and cave operations in the valley, springing into action and forming a fan-shaped defensive line around the Humvee. Though outnumbered, their superior weapons and training gave them a clear edge. Plus, they knew the V-22 Osprey was providing strong support outside the valley. Facing enemies several times their number, these Alpha Security mercenaries were actually excited—they considered the 'terrorists' nothing but rabble, perfect for target practice.
Note: Alpha Security is one of the world's top three mercenary companies, alongside Israel's IZ and America's Blackwater. Its members are ex-special forces and officers from around the globe, or professional killers—people who treat war as life and killing as a profession!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From both sides of the valley, countless bullets and RPG rockets streaked toward the mercenaries’ defensive position, trailing thick black smoke and fiery tails. The frontline was instantly engulfed in flames, and the sudden onslaught pinned the mercenaries down, barely able to lift their heads! But after a brief tactical adjustment, the mercenaries’ advanced weapons roared back, launching a fierce counterattack.
In the blink of an eye, flashes from gunfire and explosions lit up Wolf Valley inside and out. The remaining thousand-plus Jihadist Brigade fighters split into several groups. Previously, they’d been crushed by the two Mjolnir Exosuits and hadn’t even been able to fight back. Now, one group of over five hundred fighters gathered to confront the dozen mercenaries. Although the mercenaries’ firepower was fierce, it was still something they could face, so the Jihadist Brigade attacked with all their might.
Blinding barrages of bullets crisscrossed Wolf Valley. The base commander sensed something was wrong—why, with the Mjolnir Exosuits rampaging, were so many 'terrorists' still able to break through to the mouth of the valley? And these fighters were clearly provoked, attacking like madmen. His mercenaries were struggling to hold the line against such crazed foes.
"Albatross One, Albatross Two, what are you guys doing? Why are so many enemies breaking through the valley and charging my position?" the base commander urgently radioed the two Mjolnir Exosuit pilots.
"Albatross One reporting: A ton of enemies just popped up in front of me, and I'm blasting them with everything I've got!"
"Albatross Two reporting: Same here! Suddenly a ton of enemies appeared deep in the valley—I have no idea where they came from. They're like cockroaches you can't kill, no matter how many you shoot! But I'm blasting away at full power and watching them get shredded in droves. Man, it feels so damn good!"
After finishing their call with the base commander, the two Mjolnir Exosuit pilots revved up and rampaged through the valley, firing and crashing everywhere, relentlessly slaughtering "enemies!"
At a hidden mountain hollow in the valley, Shawn Young’s eyes widened as he pushed his Celestial Essence to the limit. Strange gusts of mystical wind swirled around him, whipping up sand and dust that mingled with the smoke in the valley, blotting out the sky. His clothes billowed with each surge of energy. Shawn grabbed handfuls of yellow sand from the ground, chanting: "Celestial Dipper, divine soldiers blaze, spirits and gods assemble from all directions, eightfold power at my command, heaven and earth divide their energy, sand reveals shadows, spirits gather as troops, by decree—manifest!"
Then, with a flick of his wrists, Shawn flung the sand into the valley. Instantly, the grains, swept by the strange winds, scattered at incredible speed. As soon as they touched the ground, something bizarre happened—the sand transformed into lifelike Jihadist Brigade fighters, armed with AK-47s or RPG launchers. They could run and move, and even their weapons fired—though the gunfire was purely illusory.
It turned out Shawn was using a secret Daoist technique he'd mastered after his powers grew—Spectral Battalion! In certain environments, he could transform sand into convincing, animated human figures. The earlier strange, sky-darkening sandstorm in Wolf Valley was actually Shawn casting Stormcaller's Veil to make the battlefield even more hazy and confusing.
The two Mjolnir Exosuit pilots rampaging through the valley had no idea that the 'terrorists' they were gleefully mowing down were nothing but grains of sand turned into human-shaped illusions.
In less than ten minutes, the two Mjolnir Exosuits had nearly emptied their magazines, and one of them had its energy gauge drop below the red warning line—meaning in about five minutes, its power would run out completely!
"Albatross Two to Albatross One, I’m heading back to resupply energy and ammo. Hold the line—I’ll be back soon! Damn, these exosuits are awesome, but when you push them to the max, the energy only lasts four minutes!" said the pilot of Albatross Two.
"Got it! Hurry up, Albatross Two—I'm almost out of ammo myself, and my energy will only last about ten more minutes! I can't wait to tear these bastards up with you. But seriously, how come these guys never run out?" Albatross One’s pilot grumbled.