22: Iron Sky! Baptism of Death Rain!

In the northern waters of Borneo, approximately 150 nautical miles from the coastline, the massive hull of the Deep Blue, like a mobile steel fortress, lay dormant in the mist.

Inside the ship, however, the atmosphere was the exact opposite of the calm exterior.

The engineering bay was brightly lit, with welding sparks flying, as engineers raced against time, battling around the preliminary framework of the submersible's pressure hull section.

The air was filled with the smell of burning metal and a heavy sense of anxiety.

Material issues, energy bottlenecks, and especially the despair-inducing energy field protection technology, loomed like three insurmountable mountains on the path to the underwater ruins.

Lin Feng stood on the bridge, his gaze piercing through the porthole, settling in the direction of the dark sea area that had swallowed the ROV.

The system's assessment (feasibility below 3.7%) was like an icy shackle.

Without key breakthroughs, the exploration of the ruins could only remain on paper.

Meanwhile, energy reserves, after maintaining fleet operations, supporting submersible research and development, and repairing damage from the electromagnetic storm, had quietly dropped to 33%.

Alarm lights flashed silently on the system interface, each flash rattling his nerves.

"Captain, the intelligence network in the direction of the 'Ark's Eye' has gone completely silent.

The last message received indicated that the pioneer energy radiation index in that area had surged abnormally again, possibly due to intense geological activity or... an artificial energy burst," the intelligence officer's report made Lin Feng's heart sink.

Dr. Su Jin's distress signal was like a stone sinking into the sea; that radiation hell was probably already...

He forced himself not to think of the worst outcome; the immediate priority was to solve the current predicament.

Just as he was pondering whether to risk using his dwindlingintegral to exchange for some basic pioneer technology theories (extremely high risk and a far-off solution for an immediate problem), a piercing alarm, like a steel needle, instantly cut through the noise of the engineering bay and the silence of the bridge!

"Battle alarm! Level One air defense battle alarm!"

"Detecting ultra-high-speed aerial targets! Bearing 040, distance 250 kilometers, altitude 20,000 meters!

Speed... over Mach 3.5! Quantity: 6! Model identification... unable to confirm! Signal characteristics highly stealthy! Threat level: extremely high!"

The radar officer's voice carried unprecedented shock and a barely perceptible tremor!

Mach 3.5! 20,000 meters altitude! Stealth characteristics!

These were definitely not any old models they had encountered before!

This was... a deadly strike from a force with top-tier aviation technology!

"What?!" Lin Feng's pupils contracted, and he lunged towards the command console.

"'Chinese Aegis'! Maximum power search! Fire control system linkage! Find them for me!"

He instantly understood that this was no accident!

It was very likely that the "Observer" faction, after evaluating their air defense capabilities (Chapter 19), had dispatched a more advanced, more penetrating "scalpel"!

The target was directly the Deep Blue, which was currently developing the submersible!

Buzz—!

The Type 346A phased array radar operated at full power, its invisible electromagnetic beams sweeping the high altitude like a comb.

However, on the main screen, the six rapidly approaching light points were extremely faint and erratic, like ghosts merging into the background, making locking extremely difficult!

"Report! Targets continue to approach at high speed! Distance 200 kilometers! Altitude unchanged! Speed stable at Mach 3.5! Fire control system unable to achieve stable lock!

Radar cross-section (RCS) less than 0.001 square meters! They are... they are hypersonic stealth targets!" The weapons officer's voice was filled with despair.

Unable to lock meant that the long-range air defense missiles (HHQ-9B) were completely useless!

"Damn it! They're specifically designed for breaching defenses!" Deputy Captain Chen Hai's face was ashen.

The enemy had clearly figured out the weakness of the Type 055 air defense system—a theoretical blind spot in its interception capability against ultra-high-speed, ultra-high-altitude, and extreme stealth targets!

"Electronic countermeasures full power! Jam their data link and terminal guidance!" Lin Feng ordered sharply, his brain working at lightning speed.

Being passively hit was a dead end!

"Calculate the targets' possible attack axes! Main guns, secondary guns, high-explosive shells ready! Set proximity fuses! Weave an iron curtain of shells in their possible dive paths for me!" This was a desperate measure, using a crude method to counter high technology!

"Yes!" The gunnery officer roared in response, leading the gun crew to the open gun positions.

The massive 130mm main gun and secondary gun turrets began to rumble, pointing in the predicted direction of attack.

Sailors carried heavy high-explosive shells, struggling to load them on the swaying deck.

"HQ-10 close-in defense missiles ready! 1130 CIWS preheating! Hold the last line of defense!" Lin Feng's gaze was fixed on the screen.

With long-range interception failing, the medium-range HQ-10 and the final 1130 "thousand-round gun" would be the last barrier!

Distance: 150 kilometers! Targets still difficult to lock!

Distance: 100 kilometers! Altitude began to drop! Speed... actually increased again! Approaching Mach 4!

Like six scythes of death from the sky, with the imagined (though unheard) shriek of tearing air, they dove down with a posture of utter destruction!

"Targets entering terminal dive! Altitude 10,000 meters! Speed Mach 4! Expected to enter HQ-10 range in 30 seconds!" The radar officer's shout was hoarse.

In the CIC, the air solidified.

Everyone held their breath, sweat soaking their uniforms.

Watching the light points representing death approach at an incomprehensible speed, while their strongest shield (HHQ-9B) was powerless, this sense of despair was almost suffocating.

"HQ-10! Fire! Maximum density interception! Shoot them down!" When the targets finally entered relatively effective range, the weapons officer almost roared the command!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...

The twenty-four-cell HQ-10 launcher frantically unleashed missiles!

Dozens of white smoke trails, like desperate tentacles, lunged at the six diving reapers.

However, the absolute speed of Mach 4, combined with their eerie stealth maneuvers, made HQ-10 interception extremely difficult!

Boom boom boom!

Several fireballs erupted on the screen, but only two enemy aircraft were shot down in mid-air!

The other four, like specters, passed through the explosion smoke and missile interception net, their speed undiminished!

The distance instantly closed to less than 30 kilometers! Altitude dropped to 5,000 meters!

"Main guns! Secondary guns! Open fire! Cover the airspace!" The gunnery officer's furious roar came through the communicator!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The 130mm main gun and secondary guns let out deafening roars!

High-explosive shells violently detonated in the pre-set "kill zone" in the air!

Black smoke clouds and deadly shrapnel instantly filled an area of airspace.

This primitive anti-aircraft barrage, at this moment, became the last hope!

One diving enemy aircraft seemed to be precisely predicted, crashing head-on into the dense shrapnel cloud, instantly turning into a fireball!

But the other three, with their incredible maneuverability and speed, passed through the barrage like swimming fish!

Their target was exceptionally clear—straight for the Deep Blue's core areas: the bridge and the power compartment!

"1130! Open fire! Open fire!!!" The weapons officer's shout was already a desperate, hoarse cry!

Buzz—Sizzle—!!!

The two 1130 CIWS at the bow and stern let out a hysterical, metal-tearing ultimate roar!

Two visible crimson "metal storms," composed of tens of thousands of 30-millimeter armor-piercing rounds, with the will to incinerate everything, fiercely lashed out at the three shadows of death that had broken through all defenses and were now at point-blank range!

At this moment, time seemed to stretch infinitely.

The first enemy aircraft, less than 2 kilometers from the hull, was instantly torn into a shower of metal fragments by the furious hail of bullets!

The second, with an almost impossible sideways roll, narrowly avoided most of the firepower, and a cold glint flashed beneath its belly—it dropped its payload!

A long, slender aerial bomb (or missile) shimmering with a dangerous blue light detached from its pylon and plummeted!

And it itself was blown up by the pursuing bullet rain in the next second!

The third, taking advantage of the brief moment the 1130's firepower was slightly diverted by the second aircraft, darted towards the bridge like a venomous snake!

"Evasive! Maximum maneuver!" Lin Feng's roar was almost simultaneous with Chen Hai's actions!

The Deep Blue's massive hull suddenly executed a violent S-maneuver on the sea surface, its steel keel groaning under the strain!

Boom—!!!

An earth-shattering roar came from the stern!

The entire warship, as if struck by a giant hammer, violently shook and tilted!

Blinding flames and thick smoke instantly rose from the aft deck!

The bomb dropped by the second enemy aircraft had hit!

Almost simultaneously!

The third enemy aircraft, with a suicidal resolve, slammed into the Deep Blue's upper superstructure, aft of the bridge!

Boom—!!!

An even more violent explosion erupted!

The sturdy composite armor was torn apart, and flames and thick smoke engulfed the rear of the bridge!

Scorching air currents and shattered metal fragments swept into the CIC!

"Report damage!" Lin Feng was staggered by the explosion's shockwave, his ears ringing, his face cut open by flying debris, but his roaring voice still pierced through the explosion's rumble and the alarms' screams!

"Stern! D missile vertical launch cell area hit! Causing secondary explosions! Fire severe! Power... power output down 30%! Damage control teams are fighting the fire!" The damage control officer's voice was tearful.

"Bridge aft! Communication antenna array, some radar auxiliary equipment completely destroyed! Fire spreading! ...Personnel... severe casualties!" The communication officer's voice was filled with grief.

Thick smoke poured into the CIC, causing people to cough violently.

On the screen, the light point representing the third enemy aircraft disappeared, but at the cost of hull damage and the blood of comrades.

The air raid alarm was lifted.

Any surviving enemy aircraft had disengaged.

But the Deep Blue's deck was a mess, ablaze with fierce flames and billowing thick smoke.

The acrid smell of burning, blood, and ozone mixed together.

Sailors fought the fires in the smoke and flames, their shouts, explosions, and the hiss of water spray intertwining into a tragic battle anthem.

Lin Feng wiped the blood and ash from his face, looking at the damage schematic on the screen, which showed multiple red-marked areas on his ship's hull, and the glaringly dropped energy reserve of 28%.

His eyes were icy cold, burning with raging fury.

Hypersonic stealth fighters... precise, deadly strikes...

"Observer"... or rather, you have finally bared your fangs!

This probing attack almost crippled us!

"I've noted this blood debt!" Lin Feng's voice was like cold ice from the netherworld, each word distinct, filled with bone-deep killing intent.

"System! Full damage assessment! Prioritize restoring power and basic combat capabilities! Submersible project... temporarily shelved!"

The exploration of the ruins was forced to stop, energy problems worsened, and the hull suffered heavy damage.

But the Deep Blue's backbone was not broken!

This rain of death from the steel sky would not extinguish the Deep Blue's flame; it would only make it... burn more fiercely and wildly!

The seeds of revenge and development were deeply planted in blood and fire.