485: Chapter 465 (Anti-theft Chapter) (Main text will be updated in one hour)

The preliminary preparations for the military parade were successfully completed, and Geoffrey had also finished the debugging of the first magic combat aircraft, which was ready for takeoff at any time.

The Vice Legion Commander of the First Army asked Zhang Mu for instructions on which one should appear first.

Zhang Mu leaned towards the latter. He was already familiar with the weapons of the First Army and often inspected their military discipline, so he knew exactly what to expect. However, the flight performance of the magic combat aircraft was unknown, and he was looking forward to it, so he told the Vice Legion Commander to conduct the test flight first.

After receiving the order, the Vice Legion Commander stood there, hesitating.

Zhang Mu was stunned: "Is there a problem?"

"Marshal, well, we don't have any pilots for the combat aircraft." Seemingly worried about Zhang Mu's reprimand, the Vice Legion Commander quickly added, "We arranged for tank drivers to go up, but they couldn't understand the dashboard and didn't even know how to start it."

Zhang Mu slapped his thigh: "I really forgot about that. Pilots, right? Let me think..."

Establishing an air force was a long road. Not to mention increasing the production of combat aircraft and the supporting ammunition and weapons to form combat capability, the preliminary work for pilots to practice on the aircraft alone was very extensive.

The First Army didn't have many High-tier Professionals, and Zhang Mu was very busy and had no free time to stay in the First Army for a long time. He couldn't skip the simulated flight on the machine like he did with the elves.

Knowing that the First Army would not form an air force in the short term, Zhang Mu hadn't started training pilots, and only now did he realize that test flights also required pilots.

"Being so sudden, where can I find a pil..." Zhang Mu caught a glimpse of Frederica standing by the window overlooking the building complex, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Isn't this exactly who he needed?

He waved his hand to dismiss the Vice Legion Commander and walked behind Frederica: "What are you looking at?"

"Hmm?" Frederica turned her head around, "I feel that the architectural style here is very strange, very different from the human Kingdoms on the Saul Continent, so... why are you looking at me like that?"

She noticed Zhang Mu squinting his eyes with a smile. After thinking for a few seconds and not understanding, she felt a bit bewildered.

"Do you want to fly a magic combat aircraft?"

A magic combat aircraft? The elf lady blinked.

Since entering The World last night, military officers had been meeting with Zhang Mu continuously, and Frederica had been present for all their conversations.

Most of the officers were seeking Zhang Mu's advice regarding the military parade, and a few were discussing other matters. Frederica was curious about the office environment at the time and didn't listen carefully, but she noticed that the term "magic combat aircraft" appeared frequently.

Frederica didn't know exactly what a magic combat aircraft was, but analyzing the name, she guessed it was something similar to a fighter jet.

She had the urge to ask Zhang Mu to let her see it, but after careful consideration, she gave up.

A legion was the foundation upon which a Kingdom relied for survival. Things that a legion treated seriously must be important secrets. She knew that if she asked, Zhang Mu would definitely agree, and he wouldn't show any reluctance.

But that would make her seem tactless.

It wasn't a very serious flaw, and Zhang Mu probably wouldn't feel resentful because of it, but a girl in the midst of a passionate romance is always prone to overthinking, and she didn't want to leave even the slightest blemish in her lover's heart.

However, since Zhang Mu brought it up himself this time, Frederica certainly wouldn't continue to restrain herself.

"Can I?"

"You know how to fly a combat aircraft, so why not?"

"Hmm... is the magic combat aircraft the same as the fighter jets I have flown?"

Zhang Mu recalled the blueprints Geoffrey had submitted to him: "The appearance and control methods are basically the same; it's just that the power source is different, so the driving experience should be different."

Frederica smiled and said: "That's no problem, I can do it!"

"Good, it's settled then."

Zhang Mu let her and Alice wander around the base while he went to the conference room to notify the officers who were busy with the military parade affairs.

Domit and the six Lake Legion Commanders were also there. The former was originally from the First Army and was very familiar with the officers, so he was currently participating in the work, helping them check for gaps and make improvements.

The six Legion Commanders still kept Domit's warning in mind, standing obediently by the wall, adhering to the principle of "don't look at what you shouldn't look at, don't ask what you shouldn't ask," looking straight ahead, not daring to glance around the conference room, even though there was nothing worth keeping secret in the room.

Seeing them terrified, Zhang Mu stepped forward and said: "Stop standing there like fools, aren't you uncomfortable? Domit."

"Yes." Domit raised his head, and upon seeing Zhang Mu, he quickly jogged over to him.

"Let them walk around. The military parade will probably take a few more days. You don't need to get involved either. You spend all day worrying about the war in Lake; it's a rare holiday, so go relax."

Domit didn't actually feel tired, but since it was the Marshal's order, he obeyed unconditionally and led the six Legion Commanders out of the conference room.

The officers interrupted their work at this moment, looking at Zhang Mu and waiting for instructions.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to tell you to start the maiden flight of the magic combat aircraft first; it doesn't matter if the military parade is a bit slower."

Lake was still in a state of war, and there was more than one battlefield.

In the west, they were deadlocked with the Kingdom in the mountains and forests, with both sides continuously committing troops to the battle. It looked like the situation was intense, but the Soldiers actually fighting were all ordinary people. Neither side had dispatched their elite forces, so the situation was controllable.

The eastern border was facing retaliation from various Kingdoms. They had suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Ninth Legion Commander, and it was foreseeable that they would inevitably counterattack in the future, and it would be with all their available combat strength. The two legions stationed on the eastern border line were under heavy pressure.

However, with the help of the Special Operations Squad, Zhang Mu planned to transfer several Saint-level individuals from Lake over there. Plus, it would take a long time for the various Kingdoms to organize large-scale legions, so there was no need to worry in the short term.

It had been more than two years since the gods descended upon the Lake Royal Capital, and Lake had been deeply mired in a state of war for two years. Domit and the various Legion Commanders who were in charge of operations had always kept their nerves strained, and Zhang Mu felt they should relax a bit.

There was no sun or moon in The World, so naturally, there would be no scenes of sunset or moonrise. The only way to determine the time was by relying on clocks.

The hour hand on the tower clock hanging at the top of the tall building quietly turned twice.

On the "morning" of the third day, the maiden flight ceremony for the magic combat aircraft was held as scheduled.

The main road of the First Army's base was sufficient for the combat aircraft to take off, so there was no need to specially build a runway. Except for the officers who were preparing for the military parade, everyone else gathered on the square at the end of the main road.

In the center of the square crouched a fighter jet.

As the first generation of magic combat aircraft, Geoffrey did not change the appearance too much—and likely wouldn't in the future either; he believed that the streamlined shape of a fighter jet was very suitable for flight.

Compared to the original version Zhang Mu gave to Geoffrey, the only difference in appearance was that the fuselage of the magic combat aircraft was covered with magic runes, which served to increase the strength of the barrier formation, striving to gain a defensive advantage in aerial combat against High-tier Professionals.

The Core that determines the outcome of a battle is nothing more than attack and defense; theoretically, the latter takes priority.

In layman's terms, as long as you cannot break through my defense, then I am in an invincible position.

However, forced by the reality of the situation, as well as humanity's own preferences, not wanting to be beaten up miserably, most of the time they prioritize the former, with the main idea being: if I can destroy The World, then the enemy will not dare to attack my territory.

The magic combat aircraft followed this principle.

After Geoffrey enhanced its barrier to be able to withstand several high-tier spells, he turned his research to how to increase its lethality.

The ferocious muzzle of the magic cannon on the underside of the fuselage was proof of this.

Zhang Mu observed the magic combat aircraft and nodded with satisfaction: "Start."

Frederica, wearing the air force combat uniform that had been rushed to be made, marched with a proper gait to the side of the combat aircraft, bent her knees, jumped up, and leaped into the cockpit.

Zhang Mu's mouth twitched, and he waved his hand to signal the Soldiers who had brought the long ladder to retreat.

After learning that she would be the one to pilot the maiden flight, Frederica had spent the night cramming the proper procedures for taking off in a combat aircraft and followed them strictly.

In Zhang Mu's field of vision, the space near the jet exhaust of the magic combat aircraft twisted, the canards moved up and down, and the roar of the engine gradually climbed, resounding through the square.

Domit, who was behind him, asked: "Marshal, how will it attack the enemy?"

"Why ask about this?"

"I think we can equip the drones with the same weapons."

"It's not needed right now. When it's needed, I will give it to you."

Zhang Mu did not intend to use armed drones for the time being, considering that their role was limited.

The ordinary versions could be easily destroyed by a single spell from a High-tier Professional, which was purely redundant. They were sufficient for dealing with ordinary Soldiers, but given that Blue Star's intelligence still relied on manual targeting of enemies, let alone the natives of the Saul Continent who lacked the common sense to use electronic equipment.

As for developing the magic series, because Geoffrey already had a large backlog of modification tasks on hand, all of which were more urgent than magic drones, it could only be postponed for further discussion.

Upon learning that Zhang Mu had given this some thought, Domit didn't ask any more questions, retracted his head, and focused on watching the test flight.

Frederica's pre-flight check was finished. Magic power replaced thermal energy and gushed out from the jet exhaust. The combat aircraft moved forward, gradually accelerating, and when it reached the limit, the nose pulled up, and it flew into the sky, quickly shrinking into a black dot.

Zhang Mu and Domit were Professionals with sharp eyesight, so they could still clearly see the combat aircraft's arc-maneuvering posture in the sky from a great distance.

The Legion Commanders were all ordinary people, and as they watched the black dot move rapidly, they scratched the back of their heads anxiously.

Fortunately, Zhang Mu had anticipated this, took out binoculars from his Storage Pouch, and distributed them to everyone one by one, so they happily joined in watching.

Geoffrey, who had taken the time to attend the maiden flight, politely declined the offered binoculars and asked: "Marshal, what are your thoughts on the selection of pilots?"

"What do you mean?"

"You saw it." Geoffrey raised his hand and pointed to the combat aircraft flying high in the sky, "Its speed is much faster than before the modification. That elven lady's physique can withstand the G-force caused by high-speed flight, but our Soldiers cannot."

Zhang Mu frowned; this was indeed a problem.

The First Army had very few Professionals, so few that they were negligible. Those who met the pilot selection criteria were not even enough to count on one hand.

Searching across the entire Lake would certainly not have such troubles, but the magic combat aircraft was a secret, so the loyalty of the pilots must be prioritized. Zhang Mu dared not use any outsiders who had not passed the "ideological construction" and the First Army's examination.

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Mu waved his hand: "It's just Professionals, we'll create them ourselves."

In fact, the work of cultivating Professionals in the First Army had never stopped, but even though Zhang Mu tried his best to provide magic potions and the Soldiers practiced day and night, those who successfully promoted to Professionals were still a minority.

That small number of people couldn't even meet the expansion needs of the Special Operations Team.

But pilots were necessary, and Zhang Mu had to find a way to increase the production of Professionals.

While he was thinking, the magic combat aircraft piloted by Frederica had already lowered its altitude, landed on the main road, and was taxiing towards the square.