240: Chapter 240 The Shield Shatters, But the Arrows Never Stop

The most shocking part was the screen in the bottom right corner—it showed the position of Iron Dome Battery A. It was clearly visible that after firing about eighteen interceptors, the launch boxes stopped rotating, while at least ten targets were still approaching in the sky.

Then, the footage switched to a ground-level perspective.

The moment the first rocket hit the radar station—a fireball from the explosion swallowed the entire antenna tower.

The second hit the ammunition stack—a pillar of fire from the secondary explosions shot into the sky.

The third landed in the vehicle assembly area—trucks and armored vehicles burned in the flames.

Every shot of a hit was accompanied by a concise caption:

[Radar Station: Destroyed]

[Artillery Position: Heavily Damaged]

[Vehicle Assembly Area: Heavy Losses]

Finally, the footage cut back to a panoramic view.

Over the Squid Nation positions, smoke filled the air and fires broke out everywhere. The Iron Dome was still firing interceptors sporadically, attempting to intercept targets that had already flown past—but most were in vain.

At the end of the video, the camera zoomed out, overlooking the entire battlefield.

That cold electronic voice sounded again:

"Test Results:"

"When facing a saturation attack that exceeds its fire channel limit, the Iron Dome system's interception rate drops to approximately 64%."

"At least 30 rockets hit important military targets."

"Conclusion: The skies of the Squid Nation are not absolutely safe."

The screen went black, and a line of white text emerged:

[Technology can be upgraded, but physical limits cannot be broken. When the number of arrows is sufficient, even the sturdiest shield will be pierced.]

[Gaza, still resisting.]

The video ended.

Colonel Barak's hand went limp, and the tablet fell to the ground with a "clack."

He knew it was over.

This video would spread to every corner of the globe within the next twenty-four hours. Every military expert, every intelligence agency, and everyone concerned with the Middle East situation would see it.

And the myth of the invincible Iron Dome system would turn to ashes, just like those burning radar stations and exploding ammunition stacks in the video.

Two hours later, Jerusalem, the Ministry of Defense press briefing room.

Minister Lavitz stood behind the podium, his face ashen. There were bloodshot streaks in his eyes, and fine beads of sweat were breaking out on his forehead—even though the air conditioning in the briefing room was running at full blast.

Below the stage, hundreds of reporters were packed in tightly. Cameras and microphones were aimed at him, and camera flashes almost never stopped.

"Mr. Minister!" a CNN reporter was the first to ask, "This afternoon's rocket attack from the direction of Gaza caused at least fifty casualties and destroyed several military facilities. The video circulating online shows that the Iron Dome system's interception failure rate is very high. What is your response to this?"

Lavitz took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

"First of all, I express my deepest condolences and sympathies to the soldiers and their families who were killed or injured in the attack this afternoon. The soldiers of the Defense Forces risk their lives every day to perform their duties in order to protect national security."

A standard opening. But his voice was somewhat dry.

"Secondly, regarding the video on the internet, I need to clarify: that is carefully edited propaganda by terrorists, aimed at misleading the public and striking at our morale. Many of the scenes in the video are forged or processed, and the so-called 'saturation attack test' is purely fabricated."

"But Mr. Minister," a BBC reporter followed up immediately, "many details in the video, including the deployment of the Iron Dome launch positions, the timing of the interceptor launches, and the footage of the targets being hit, all coincide with information we have obtained from other channels. How do you explain these coincidences?"

Lavitz's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Modern forgery technology is increasingly advanced," he repeated the line he had used countless times before, "terrorists and their backers will spare no means to distort the facts. Our Iron Dome system has proven its reliability over the past decade; today's attack was just an... an unexpected tactical adjustment."

"An unexpected tactical adjustment?" an AP reporter pressed on, "Do you mean that the Iron Dome system indeed has interception vulnerabilities when facing a large number of targets?"

Lavitz was silent for a full five seconds.

In those five seconds, he could hear his own heartbeat and feel the sweat trickling down his back.

He could continue to deny it, but the reporters present were not fools. The video had already gone viral, and many military experts were already analyzing the issue of the Iron Dome's fire channel limits. Continuing to be stubborn would only make the Ministry of Defense look more ridiculous.

Finally, he spoke, his voice lower than before:

"Any air defense system has its theoretical performance boundaries. Since entering service, the Iron Dome system has undergone multiple upgrades to deal with evolving threats. Today's attack indicates that the enemy is employing new tactics, attempting to use quantity to overwhelm quality."

He paused, choosing a relatively dignified way of putting it:

"We need to acknowledge that the existing system indeed has room for optimization when facing saturation attacks under extreme conditions. The Ministry of Defense has ordered the immediate activation of an emergency upgrade plan for the Iron Dome system. We will work with partners such as Rafael and Elta to enhance the system's multi-target processing capabilities and fire channel management efficiency in the shortest possible time."

The room below the stage instantly erupted into a commotion!

This was practically a tacit admission that the Iron Dome system had flaws in the face of saturation attacks!

"Minister, does this mean that the promotion of the Iron Dome system was exaggerated?"

"How long will the upgrade take? During this period, how will the air defense security of the Squid Nation be guaranteed?"

"Who is the mastermind behind this attack? Was there technical support from an external power?"

Questions pelted him like raindrops.

Lavitz raised his hand, signaling for silence.

"The specific details of the upgrade plan are military secrets and cannot be disclosed. However, I can guarantee that the Defense Forces have sufficient backup plans to ensure national security. As for the mastermind behind the attack..."

His gaze became sharp, though deep within that sharpness hid an imperceptible trace of fatigue and fear.

"We have conclusive evidence that the planning and execution of this attack received highly professional technical and intelligence support from the outside. This was no ordinary terrorist attack; this was a systematic test against the Squid Nation's defense system, supported by a state-level actor."

He did not say the name.

But many of the reporters present, as well as the global audience watching the live broadcast, had the same name emerge in their minds.

The one who had just risen in Southeast Asia, who had beaten India soundly, and who was now extending his reach to the Middle East—

Zhang Cheng.

"Today's attack will not shake our determination to defend our country," Lavitz said finally, his voice becoming tough again, though that toughness was more like a form of self-hypnosis. "On the contrary, it will make us stronger and more vigilant. The skies of the Squid Nation will always belong to the people of the Squid Nation. Any enemy who attempts to challenge this will pay a heavy price."