486: Chapter 466 Elf Fighter Pilot

On Blue Star, the power of fighter jets had long been proven through years of warfare, but on the Saul Continent, it remained unknown for the time being.

At its root, it all came down to the special factor of Professionals.

Zhang Mu hoped to obtain practical data to confirm whether the role of combat aircraft on the Saul Continent could rival that on Blue Star. To achieve this goal, the only way was to deploy magic combat aircraft to the battlefield and verify them through slaughter.

Thus, after a long period of leisure, "The World" Armory ushered in a long-awaited three-shift system, a production task where the machines never stopped even if the people did.

During this period, preparations for the military parade were carried out intensely.

Since such an event had never been held before, the Vice Legion Commander referred to the template provided by Zhang Mu—the military parade process of the Xia Nation on Blue Star.

The Soldiers practiced walking phalanxes, weapon display formations, and the anti-aircraft gun drill project that Zhang Mu specifically emphasized must be held.

On the day before the parade, Soldiers from the First Army's logistics department meticulously decorated the simple square, setting up spectator stands, hanging banners, and so on. Red lanterns were hung neatly on the streetlights to the left and right of the main road.

Regarding the red lanterns, the Vice Legion Commander responsible for organizing the entire parade did not understand their specific meaning. He only heard the Marshal say that these decorations held profound significance in his hometown. He figured that since it was a good thing, he would just hang them up.

Considering the need for aesthetic appeal, the Vice Legion Commander drove the magic tanks that were not participating in the parade behind a cluster of buildings out of sight. At the same time, he scolded the rough-mannered Soldiers, telling them to pack up all the underwear and socks drying on the balconies.

Everything was ready, and the military parade officially began the next morning.

Zhang Mu sat on the main stage with a solemn expression, but he felt quite bored deep down.

The essential meaning of a military parade is to demonstrate one's powerful military force; it is not meant to be entertaining.

Civilians rarely encounter legion weapons in their daily lives, so when many appear during the parade, they are naturally very interested, looking forward to seeing if they recognize the weapons that come out next. For Zhang Mu, who understood and had even designed all the weapons, the entire ceremony held no surprise at all.

But he was the legion Marshal. Faced with the results of the Soldiers' day and night training, he could not feel bored and leave halfway. He had to respond with equal sincerity and sit seriously through the entire process.

Frederica, who was seated to Zhang Mu's left, behaved much more "sincerely."

When the infantry phalanx marched down the main road, she was first surprised that the distance between the Soldiers was equal. She used her index finger and thumb as a measuring tool to check the spacing of all the Soldiers one by one.

"Zhang Mu!"

"Huh?" The distracted Zhang Mu jolted. Realizing it was Frederica calling him rather than his slacking being discovered, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What's wrong?"

"They're amazing!"

Zhang Mu saw her thumb and index finger spread apart with their tips facing each other and smiled. "Basic operation, don't be so impressed."

Now it was Frederica's turn to be confused: "What does that mean?"

"It's a basic operation, not worth praising."

Frederica thought he was showing off in a self-deprecating tone. She gave him a cute eye-roll and intended to call him out, but her gaze was instantly drawn back to the Soldiers' footsteps.

They marched in goose-steps, every step perfectly synchronized. Frederica guessed that if viewed from the side of the formation, the marching row would be perfectly straight, and only the first Soldier in the rank would be visible.

The infantry phalanx finally came to a halt in the square. While saluting Zhang Mu, they shouted "Greetings, Lord Marshal," then turned around and marched back the way they came.

Behind them was the armored phalanx. The neatly arranged magic tanks rumbled forward, the active magic runes on their hulls emitting a faint green glow, giving a grim visual impression.

Frederica was unaffected and remained enthusiastic, leaning her upper body forward slightly, seemingly hoping to see more clearly.

The programs prepared by the First Army appeared one after another. Zhang Mu resisted the urge to cover his mouth and yawn, patiently watching until the end. Frederica, on the other hand, was very happy. After the parade ended, she pinched Zhang Mu's sleeve with her fingers and shared her thoughts.

Three days later, the first batch of magic combat aircraft was assembled and left the factory.

Zhang Mu personally piloted one and soared in the sky for half a day. After landing, he fell into deep thought.

The kinetic energy of the magic combat aircraft was too powerful. Through testing, Zhang Mu concluded that even the physique of a Magic Apprentice was not enough to withstand it.

According to his estimation, one would need to be at least a Elementary Mage to ignore the G-force overload. The requirement for Knight Professionals was slightly lower, with the Trainee level being sufficient.

But it was equally troublesome.

Whether Trainee or Elementary, they were different from Magic Apprentices; it was difficult to mass-produce them in a short period by relying on magic potions.

If given more time, say a year, Zhang Mu was confident he could train a sufficient number of pilot reserves. However, what he lacked most right now was time.

A year?

In a year, the capital of the Kingdom would be trampled by Lake. There was a high probability that the various Kingdoms in the Eastern Territory would also fall. By then, the enemy Lake would face directly would be Ganno, an empire at its peak.

Zhang Mu felt it would not be a wise choice for the magic combat aircraft's first battle to be against an empire.

Seeing him frowning, Frederica asked and learned the reason. She suggested returning to the Forest of Spirits to borrow pilots from her father.

Zhang Mu slapped his thigh in joy. That's right, weren't there over twenty pilots on the elves' side?

Although they hadn't touched the new combat aircraft, the concept of piloting had already been formed. With a little extra tutoring, they could go directly into actual combat.

Zhang Mu did not dare to delay. He immediately went to the outskirts of the Forest of Spirits through "The World" light gate and met the Elf King together with Frederica.

The Elf King received the Great Elder's report and met them with great surprise.

When they left, the two had planned to travel all the way to Lake while having fun. The Elf King estimated it would take ten years, and after accounting for the time spent resolving the crisis in Lake, their return to the elven homeland should have been a topic for at least fifty years later.

The Elf King was curious about the reason, but Zhang Mu was in no mood to explain and stated his purpose.

"Is that so? Great Elder, notify the clansmen immediately."

The Elf King readily agreed and ordered the Great Elder to bring the clansmen.

When the twenty-eight elves arrived one after another and gathered in the hall, Zhang Mu did not lead them away immediately. Instead, he made clear the potential dangers they might encounter.

In wars between ordinary people on the Saul Continent, piloting a magic combat aircraft is an absolutely safe position. There's no need to worry about being shot down; one only needs to think about how many enemies they can kill that day.

But the Kingdom has many High-tier Professionals, including no lack of Saint-ranks. They pose a fatal threat to combat aircraft.

A Saint-rank could destroy a combat aircraft without even using magic; a surge of Mental Energy alone would suffice.

The defensive barrier of the magic combat aircraft can withstand high-tier magic, and the attack Core, which mimics firearm arrays, can break through high-tier shields. It might seem like there's no need to worry about High-tier Professionals, but in reality, that's not the case.

There is a limit to the barrier's load. Ideally, it can withstand three strikes from high-tier magic without damage. Exceeding this number carries a risk of shattering.

Admittedly, in an aerial battle where victory is decided in an instant, one would generally not be hit by high-tier magic three times in a one-on-one situation. But the battlefield is not an arena; both friend and foe aim to survive and kill the enemy, using any means necessary to that end.

One-on-one?

You must be joking.

Once an outnumbered situation forms, it is almost inevitable for a magic combat aircraft to be hit three times. The number of High-tier Professionals in the Kingdom far exceeds Lake's current combat aircraft. Outnumbered battles are foreseeable and unavoidable.

Sacrifice, therefore, becomes a topic that must be faced directly.

After hearing Zhang Mu's explanation, the elves turned around in silence and hurried out of the hall.

Zhang Mu looked confused. He could understand if some elves feared death, but not a single one willing to follow him was somewhat unexpected.

Zhang Mu was stunned for a long time. After coming to his senses, he looked at the Elf King, intending to say he wouldn't force them. Just as the words left his mouth, the elves actually returned side-by-side, telling Zhang Mu they were ready and could set off.

Startled, he asked what happened. Only then did Zhang Mu learn that they had just left to give their last words to their families, to eliminate their worries and focus on the war.

The elven families naturally didn't want to see their husbands take risks, but they didn't speak up to stop them in the end. Because if not for Zhang Mu's arrival and help, the future of the entire elven race would have already been extinguished.

Their oath of following this time was not out of loyalty or reverence for Zhang Mu, but out of gratitude and repayment.

Zhang Mu faced the elves and really wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't open his mouth.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at the outskirts of the Forest of Spirits and entered "The World" light gate. He instructed the Vice Legion Commander to arrange housing for the elves and lead them to familiarize themselves with the environment as a guide.

The First Army Soldiers were full of curiosity about the elves joining the legion.

It was understandable. Among the many principalities, Kingdoms, and empires on the Saul Continent, few had ever seen an elf, let alone the citizens of Lake, which was located in a remote part of the continent.

In their spare time, the Soldiers sought out the elves to chat. Their enthusiasm and cheerfulness helped the elves, who were a bit cramped after arriving in a strange place, relax and quickly adapt to military life.

The elves rested for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, Zhang Mu walked into the classroom filled with elves, carrying an Air Force Textbook he had personally compiled under his arm.

The training process was a bit of an ordeal.

Operating a magic combat aircraft was a very complex task.

Frederica seemed relaxed during the test flight because she had only activated the aircraft's power system and control stick. The fire control system, weapon system, and other Core functions had not been used.

This was enough for a test flight, but clearly insufficient against an enemy. One couldn't just leave the missiles and attack arrays idle and use the fuselage to ram the enemy.

Systematic training on piloting combat aircraft for battle was unavoidable, and then the torment began.

The elves' understanding of machinery was too lacking. Many basic concepts that Blue Star humans took for granted required them to study hard before they could use them clumsily.

Zhang Mu had a strong illusion of teaching a three-year-old child to understand the theory of relativity—or perhaps it wasn't an illusion.

In that slightly painful period, time slipped away quietly.

Three months later.

The first batch of fifty magic combat aircraft was completed in the factory's assembly workshop and towed to a newly developed dedicated apron by tow trucks.

On the same day, the first batch of fighter pilots whom Zhang Mu had "poured his heart and soul" into training successfully graduated in a room in the First Army that served as a temporary classroom.

"It wasn't easy."

Zhang Mu wiped his tears, looking at the stack of test papers with passing scores in his hand. He felt lucky that he had finally escaped the sea of suffering and was so joyful that he gave each elf a certificate of merit.

The elven pilots held the certificates of merit with both hands, joyfully examining the encouraging text on them and high-fiving each other in celebration.

Zhang Mu clapped his hands: "Practical training starts today. Let's go!"