Chapter 50: A Hit!

Whether in terms of quantity or quality, the convoy of the Tomorrow has never held the advantage.

Both sides deployed convoys consisting of two Tier 1 off-road vehicles and three motorcycles, armed with Falcon assault rifles and Gale rocket launchers.

However, the convoy of the Hanged Man was similarly equipped with these Tier 1 weapons, and their off-road vehicles were also Tier 1, yet vastly outnumbered those of the Tomorrow.

Nevertheless, the presence of the Storm Infantry Fighting Vehicle forcefully overturned this situation.

The Stinger autocannon mounted on its hull opened fire fiercely, quickly riddling an enemy off-road vehicle with holes. Its fuel tank was ignited and exploded, transforming the entire vehicle into an orange-red fireball. Immediately afterward, it fired a lightweight missile, instantly flipping an off-road vehicle that attempted to ram it.

On the street, this Tier 2 vehicle moved as if through uninhabited territory, wantily hunting down enemy vehicles.

The enemy convoy attempted to counterattack, but their bullets and rockets yielded little effect, completely failing to breach the infantry fighting vehicle's armor.

As the driver of the infantry fighting vehicle pulled the trigger, the Stinger autocannon and the Rattlesnake machine gun fired alternately. Muzzle flashes burst into blinding blue-white light across the street, and empty casings spewed from the ejection ports like a torrential rainstorm. A dense barrage of firepower instantly swept across several off-road vehicles.

In an instant, they were effortlessly torn apart like paper, vehicle fragments and severed limbs intertwining into a bloody mist.

"Is this the power of a Tier 2 vehicle?" Li Ye widened his eyes in astonishment.

Although he had some mental preparation, witnessing its might firsthand still left him somewhat shocked.

Seeing this, the morale of the enemy convoy gradually collapsed. No longer obsessed with engaging, they quickly turned their vehicles around and retreated into nearby streets.

A roar echoed as the two Tier 1 cannons on the Hanged Man fired simultaneously.

Two pale silver shells landed near the Tomorrow. Amidst violent explosions, a sudden gale swept around the Tomorrow, drastically reducing its speed.

At the same time, the Tomorrow retaliated with its magma cannon.

A magma shell exploded in the building near the right side of the Hanged Man. The shockwave expanded spherically, and the entire building shattered like a fragile shell. Hundreds of wooden beams and concrete fragments, carrying fierce winds and shockwaves, instantly engulfed the Hanged Man.

"Well done! Ning Wen!"

Li Ye was about to press his advantage when he accidentally caught sight of a scene in the distance.

Without overthinking, he shouted directly into the intercom.

"Tang Fang, prepare for evasive maneuvers! All personnel on the deck of the Tomorrow, quickly find nearby cover!"

At this very moment, the Magician had driven out of the thick fog. The muzzles of all its cannons elevated simultaneously, locking onto the direction where the Tomorrow was located.

The next second, every artillery piece on its deck opened fire.

A distorted shriek tore through the air as shell after shell pierced the firmament, raining down upon the sector where the Tomorrow was stationed.

The entire area was instantly transformed into a sea of fire. Countless buildings twisted, deformed, and collapsed amidst the explosions, while massive shockwaves rippled outward.

"Cough, cough-cough!" Amidst the drifting smoke, Li Ye pulled himself back to his feet.

Before him now lay only scorching heatwaves and billowing gunsmoke.

This round of bombardment was undeniably ferocious, almost leaving him disoriented.

Clearly, the Magician served as the specialized firepower support and bombardment unit within the predatory city alliance.

Its breakthrough and defensive capabilities fell far short of its two companions, but its artillery bombardment was truly peerless.

"Is everyone alright?" Li Ye quickly turned his head, scanning his surroundings.

The moment the shells began to rain down, helmsman Tang Fang executed evasive maneuvers without hesitation.

Though unable to burst completely free from the bombardment zone, he chose to hug the side of a nearby large building, using it as a temporary shield to absorb the vast majority of the incoming explosive firepower.

A roar echoed from not far away. Li Ye turned his gaze in that direction and froze instantly.

It was none other than the Chariot.

Even after taking a direct hit from a magma shell, this predatory city still retained the motive power to drive.

Yet its current state looked far from optimal. The vast majority of its frontal armor was twisted and deformed, practically completely ruined, with parts of it even engulfed in flames.

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the Chariot accelerated once more, charging head-on toward the Tomorrow.

Simultaneously, the steam-powered ballista mounted on its deck fired.

A massive steam-powered bolt struck the Tomorrow instantly. The arrowhead pierced the spore armor, and the delayed-action explosive hidden within the shaft detonated, shattering the wall structure from the inside out.

But Li Ye could no longer afford to worry about that now. He bellowed at the top of his lungs,

"Tang Fang!"

At this exact moment, the Chariot had closed in at breakneck speed, less than a hundred meters away from the Tomorrow.

As if responding to his cry, the Tomorrow abruptly decelerated, its center of gravity leaning hard to the port side. The entire mobile city brushed past the Chariot in a half-tilted posture.

The Chariot swept past and roared away. Given its accelerated state, turning around to launch another charge would require a significant amount of time.

Just as Li Ye let out a slight sigh of relief, his nerves tightened again in the very next second.

The Hanged Man renewed its assault. Its cannons fired continuously, and its convoy rallied to charge once more.

This time, it acted with far more caution, choosing to scatter a massive barrage of smoke shells along its advancing route to obscure the Tomorrow's line of sight and launch a sudden thrust.

Glancing further into the distance, the Magician's cannons were nearing the completion of their next shell reload cycle.

Just as Li Ye furrowed his brows deeply, he suddenly heard a voice calling out from nearby.

"Lord, I request permission to fire the magma cannon!"

Ning Wen roared at the top of his lungs.

"I have completed all calculations; a hit is guaranteed!"

Seeing the look in his eyes, Li Ye paused for a fraction of a second before nodding fiercely.

"Then go all out, Ning Wen!"

Accompanied by a beast-like roar, the magma cannon fired.

The shell detonated amidst the blanket of smoke, churning up billowing clouds of black fumes.

Li Ye stared intently at the smoke. No further sound emerged from within, and even the convoy it had dispatched failed to pursue them any further.

Could it be... they actually hit?

Yet he had no time to revel in the moment, for the Magician's second salvo of artillery fire had already arrived.

Overwhelming explosions surged once again. The Tomorrow accelerated to its maximum velocity, racing wildly across the street.

"Report, two unfamiliar mobile cities have appeared to the northwest!" Lin Xia reported. "It looks like their reinforcements have arrived!"

Li Ye raised his binoculars to scan the distance, spotting two new mobile cities indeed.

They likewise bore banners and city camouflage. One was painted with a black-robed Reaper, while the other depicted an elder whose face and form were concealed within a hooded cloak.

With the distance now stretched, Li Ye issued his orders immediately.

"All cannons, load and fire smoke shells to obscure the enemy's vision, and accelerate the withdrawal," he commanded. "Fire everything. Don't hold anything back."