199: Target Destruction

Chen Wang took his hand off the system interface.

The red dot on the main screen was still flashing, but it was no longer as urgent.

He didn't look at the screen again, speaking directly into the communicator: "Return to the training ground; we're doing one final test."

The engine roared to life, and the tracks of the type 100 tank crunched over the snow as it moved forward.

Su Ling stood beside the turret, checking the cooling pipes of the electromagnetic cannon to ensure they were all connected.

Amy Chen stood at the observation deck, holding a tablet in her hand, her eyes fixed on the ten-meter-tall imitation iceberg in the distance.

The vehicle reached its position and came to a halt.

Lin Wei's voice came over the communicator: "Weapons are ready, energy output set to 95%, turbo buffer is on, and it can handle short-term overloading."

"Star Pupil?" Chen Wang asked.

"The neural interface is fine; there are no external signals and no interference." Her voice was soft, but it came through clearly.

"Su Ling?"

"All three sets of weapons are aimed at the target, coordinates are locked, and we can fire at any time."

Chen Wang glanced at the holographic screen; all statuses were green.

He raised his hand, his finger hovering over the "Full Firepower" button.

"Remember, this isn't a drill," he said. "This is preparation for real combat."

He pressed the button.

The electromagnetic cannon fired first, a blue beam cutting across the sky and striking the center of the iceberg.

With a boom, the ice exploded and flew outward.

Almost simultaneously, the rocket nest launched, six rockets spreading out before all striking the same spot.

Then the heavy machine gun began to strafe, firing fifteen rounds per second in a dense barrage.

With all three weapons firing at once, the iceberg shook violently.

Three seconds later, the entire mountain split from the inside, the top toppled over, and the main body crumbled into a pile of debris.

The explosion kicked up a massive cloud of snow dust, and the shockwave reached three hundred meters away, making the glass of the observation deck rattle.

Amy Chen took a step back, then stepped forward again, her eyes wide.

She looked down at the data on her tablet and whispered, "This kind of power could change the battlefield."

She was right.

The energy unleashed in this round was equivalent to a small base's defensive cannons firing continuously for ten minutes.

Yet now, it had taken only three seconds, all concentrated on a single target.

Su Ling walked to the edge of the turret and reached out to touch the barrel of the electromagnetic cannon.

It was very hot, but she didn't pull her hand back.

She checked the ammunition count and frowned.

"A single volley used up a third of our ammunition reserves," she said. "We only have four rockets left, half the machine gun ammo remains, and the electromagnetic cannon needs twelve minutes to recharge."

She looked up toward the cockpit: "We can't fire twice in a row."

Chen Wang nodded.

He knew this would happen.

Full Firepower was meant for critical moments, not for standard combat.

He opened the communication channel: "Attention everyone, go collect the wreckage, take inventory of the ammunition, and prepare to return to the garage."

Amy Chen had already started writing the resupply list.

Fuel, metal raw materials, parts, energy core... every item had to be recalculated.

She looked at the snow dust still lingering in the distance, imagining how devastating this firepower would be against a Marauders stronghold.

"If we hit Zhao Tiezhu's lair," she muttered to herself, "one shot from the electromagnetic cannon to sever the power pipes, rockets to blow up the watchtowers, and the machine gun to suppress anyone trying to run—we could destroy the entire base without even getting close."

She stopped writing, realizing she was getting ahead of herself.

Reality wouldn't be as simple as the numbers.

But she also knew that today's strike had already changed them.

At the edge of the training ground, several survivors carrying supplies stopped what they were doing.

Some stood frozen, clutching boxes, while others stood in the wind, leaning on their carts.

They looked at the pile of smoldering ice, no one speaking.

A young man whispered, "Is that a wuling hongguang?"

The woman beside him shook her head: "I don't know, but I never want to cross them again."

Another person gripped their tool tightly: "What they built isn't a vehicle; it's a mobile disaster."

Chen Wang didn't hear these words.

He was looking at the self-diagnostic report of the kindling system.

Structural vibration was within the safe range, energy recoil was absorbed by the buffer, and the weapon synchronization error was less than 0.3%.

All the data was good; the system had held up.

But he didn't relax.

He pulled up the ammunition consumption chart and noticed some wear where the rockets were launched.

It was still usable for now, but it might jam if they fired continuously.

He marked it down to have Lin Wei check it when they got back.

Su Ling got back into the vehicle and sat in the weapons station.

She sent the recent data to Amy Chen and casually wiped the dust off the control panel.

Her movements were steady, but there was something different in her eyes.

It wasn't happiness, nor was it fear.

It was a realization—they possessed the power to destroy everything, but they also carried the price.

Amy Chen put away her tablet and walked toward the supply area.

As she walked, she tapped on the device in her hand, contacting the outside trade caravan to ask when the latest shipment of energy cores would arrive.

She had to ensure that ammunition and parts were fully restocked before the next battle.

Chen Wang took one last look at the training ground.

The iceberg was gone, leaving only a crater and scattered chunks of ice.

The wind blew, whipping up a little snow.

He pressed the return button.

The type 100 tank slowly turned, its tracks pressing against the frozen earth as it headed toward the garage.

The vehicle's vibration was minimal, and the system was running normally.

The kindling interface displayed that all weapons had entered cooling standby.

It was very quiet inside the vehicle.

Su Ling leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.

Amy Chen's communicator beeped occasionally.

Chen Wang kept his hands on the controls, watching the road ahead.

They hadn't reached the garage yet.

The vehicle was still moving.

The barrel was still a little hot.