Chapter 177: Intense Combat!
Luke's Stance
The roar of war thundered across the sky of Coast City, clearly audible even at Billionaires' Row in the suburbs.
Luke stood by the window, silently watching the distance.
Fires crisscrossed and connected to the sky, accompanied by the sound waves from exploding shells and the vibrations from collapsing buildings. The city was gradually enveloped in an atmosphere of despair.
"I've seen a scene like this before," Luke muttered to himself. "But that was in Transformers. I never thought it would play out one day in Coast City."
Thinking about the future of this city, Luke felt immense regret. Disasters frequently occurred in the DC world, and wars had erupted in various cities, but Coast City was the only one that ended up completely destroyed—a unique and singular event.
Carol's brow was tightly furrowed. She gripped the original Lantern Ring in her hand, repeatedly on the verge of speaking, but ultimately held back.
Luke said softly, "It's not time yet."
"But..."
"No 'buts'."
Luke's tone was firm. "When we make a move, it must be a killing blow. If we can't do that, don't push your luck; it will only expose you to danger."
Carol hesitated. "I think the two of us together should be fine?"
After days of training, her control over the Lantern Ring was becoming more practiced. Coupled with Luke in the Phantom Armor, she calculated a seventy percent chance of victory if they teamed up.
"You're thinking too simply," Luke shook his head. "Hector, after absorbing the essence of hundreds of humans, isn't that weak. To take him down, we must find the right moment."
"What moment?"
"When he is at his most vulnerable, and when the military needs us most."
The Military's Assault
The 20mm spiraled armor-piercing rounds fired by the Vulcan M61 cannons actually penetrated Hector's protective layer. This sight startled the soldiers below, and the pilots were overjoyed, frantically pressing their firing buttons.
The six barrels spun rapidly, spitting fire. In just a few seconds, thousands of spiraled armor-piercing rounds streaked across the sky.
Most of the bullets rushing into the vortex were twisted and deflected from their trajectory, but a few passed through, leaving over a dozen bloody holes in Hector's massive head and short body.
Carrick, seeing this through binoculars, didn't hesitate. He ordered the other helicopters to open fire and commanded the soldiers to load all their machine guns with spiraled armor-piercing rounds.
Immediately, gunshots roared like thunder. The rounds from the twelve Vulcan M61 cannons formed a steel storm, practically turning Hector into a sieve.
His body was riddled with wounds both large and small. Blood spilled out, dyeing his suit deep red. Even so, he was still laughing wildly, arms spread open, looking up at the sky, laughing like a maniac.
The laughter carried his powerful telekinetic energy outward, echoing clearly in the ears of every soldier. Hearing it caused their hearts to seize up, and the emotion of fear involuntarily spread from the depths of their souls.
Carrick frowned deeply, utterly confused.
Why won't he die after taking that much damage? That damn bastard, is he immortal?
Hector's frenzy exceeded everyone's expectations, causing waves of chilling dread among those present.
This is not a human; it is a devil!
Soon, the Vulcan M61 cannons ran out of ammunition. The pilots had to switch to short-burst cannons to continue the attack. It was at this moment that a shocking sight occurred.
Hector's body began to glow. The spilled flesh and blood turned into yellow particles suspended in mid-air, then flew back into his body like swallows returning to the nest. Wounds healed, bloody holes disappeared, and broken limbs self-repaired. In just over ten seconds, his body was restored to its original state.
"A devil!"
"He's a devil!"
Citizens watching from afar cried out in terror. The soldiers were also dumbfounded. What kind of monster was this? Was it even human?
They were the fearless 4th ID, unafraid to charge the front lines of war, but when faced with a demon that couldn't be killed by their weapons, everyone felt a chill.
The atmosphere of fear spread, and morale quickly plummeted.
Carrick noticed this and roared into the communicator:
"The 4th ID are not cowards! If anyone is scared, get back! I don't need any cowards!"
"Fire! Kill him!"
"Remember, we are the Fourth Mechanized Infantry Division. There are no weaklings here!"
The angry shout jolted the soldiers back to reality. They reloaded and attacked again.
Simultaneously, two F-16s flew overhead. Sidewinder missiles, trailing fire, plunged into the air vortex.
Boom!
Violent explosions followed one after another. All the glass in the surrounding buildings shattered, and the shockwave rushed outward like a gale. Carrick raised his arm to shield his eyes. As the shockwave subsided, he immediately looked forward.
The vortex had stopped. The impact and heat from the Sidewinder missile explosions had shattered the vortex's force field and inflicted massive damage on Hector. His left hand was gone, half his body was charred black, and there was a huge gap in the right side of his head.
"Brilliant!"
The soldiers cheered loudly. As long as their weapons could cause damage, there was no problem; they just had to hit him a few more times.
Carrick immediately ordered the tanks to fire. The thirteen tanks opened fire simultaneously. The roar of cannons thundered, and the offensive was even more intense than before.
A Dark Turn
Hector, standing in the center of the vortex, stared intently at his missing left hand. The frenzy in his eyes slowly receded, and rationality took over.
"My hand!"
"Damn you! You destroyed my hand!"
His body trembled slightly, and his eyes erupted with intense killing intent. He opened his right hand and squeezed it gently, aiming toward the direction of the helicopters.
Crunch!
The propeller blades snapped. The helicopter twisted and shrank, collapsing into a ruined ball of iron. The pilots and gunners inside were instantly crushed.
Hector casually tossed the iron ball. It tore down the street, smashing into three tanks before crashing into a building.
Hector raised his hand again. His telekinetic power transformed into an invisible impact, knocking the other two Apache helicopters away. Simultaneously, a telekinetic wall appeared in the sky. The F-16s couldn't dodge in time and slammed directly into the wall.
With a deafening boom, the two fighters exploded, turning into countless fragments that fell from the sky.
The tide of battle reversed so quickly that the soldiers, who had been cheering moments ago, felt like they were being strangled.
In just a few seconds, three Apache helicopters and two F-16s were reduced to ashes.
The large-headed monster had created such terrifying devastation just by lifting his hand.
It was truly horrifying. How could such a creature be defeated with conventional weapons?
Carrick, seeing the unfavorable situation, quickly ordered the remaining two helicopters to withdraw. Unfortunately, it was already too late. As everyone watched, the two helicopters rapidly compressed, like crumpled pieces of paper, turning into two iron balls that plummeted to the ground.
Time seemed to pause at this moment. Soldiers and citizens secretly watching all held their breath, their faces etched with shock.
The air support was gone.
Only the ground forces remained!
Hector lowered his head, his dark yellow eyes scanning every soldier who dared to show their face. His eyes were filled with murderous intent and an uncontrollable greed. He wanted to create fear, spread fear, and cast a shadow of terror over the hearts of all the soldiers.
Soldiers were different from ordinary people; their will was stronger, and the fear they exuded was purer. If he could drain these soldiers dry, Hector would advance further, reaching a new level.
At that point, he would be unstoppable.
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