Chapter 1045: 'Heavenly Thunder'

Chapter 1045: "Heavenly Thunder"

In the deep, dark void of space, a spacecraft shaped like an umbrella slowly drifted from a distant orbit toward the azure planet, looking from afar like a dandelion seed falling from the sky.

Against the backdrop of the entire blue planet, that dandelion-shaped spacecraft was as insignificant as a speck of dust.

Yet, if one drew closer, a completely different scene unfolded.

The steel ribs of the structure extended outward, covering an area of several square kilometers.

Countless rings, each a meter in diameter, were embedded along the elongated ribs, all aligned toward the "handle" tip pointing at the ground, like the suckers on an octopus's legs.

Months earlier, the Alliance had activated the gravity well to clear orbital debris floating in outer space, and this space-based weapon had been relocated and deployed beyond geosynchronous orbit.

Now, with all the debris in low Earth orbit having fallen into the southern sea, this great killing machine had been brought back.

Calibration of the direction was quickly completed, and one by one, the rings began to emit a faint blue glow, like lamps slowly lighting up in the long night.

And that glow lasted for an entire day...

...

Meanwhile, at the Dawn City ground command center, a group of officers led by Vanus stood with solemn expressions, staring at the pale blue holographic screen before them.

A military operation codenamed "Heaven's Punishment" had begun.

Multiple Alliance legions, led by the Skeleton Legion and the Death Legion, were setting out from Pioneer City and the Ravenca Industrial Zone, advancing toward Vault 13 in the central region of the Great Desert from both the north and south!

And while the ground forces were racing toward the stronghold of the Enlightenment Society, the strategic weapon named "Heavenly Thunder" had already arrived at the battlefield the day before, entering the final stage of strategic attack preparation.

Watching the orbital weapon's aerial footage on the holographic screen, a senior officer couldn't help but remark.

"Honestly, using this kind of weapon against them feels like swatting a mosquito with a cannon."

"Heavenly Thunder" was a one-use weapon; after firing, it would essentially be scrapped, much like a missile.

Though it was highly effective against organic life, it was less useful against androids than a single electromagnetic pulse.

Long ago, with the help of the Celestials, the Enlightenment Society had equipped a large number of android soldiers and intelligent weapons, to the point where the Society had now been almost assimilated by the Celestials.

Even if the neutron plume could wipe their peripheral personnel off the surface in one stroke, the Alliance's ground forces would still have to engage those androids in close combat.

Vanus knew exactly what his subordinates were thinking.

From a tactical standpoint, using "Heavenly Thunder" against the Enlightenment Society was indeed not the most efficient method, but from a strategic perspective, it was a different matter.

"Right now, it's exactly the time to swat a mosquito with a cannon."

Adjusting the brim of his officer's cap with his index finger, Vanus continued in a stern tone.

"In fact, it could be said that this weapon was born for this very moment."

Even during the most intense phase of the war with the Southern Legion, the Alliance had never played this kind of trump card.

Because, after all, the enemy was still human, not yet completely reduced to beasts or something else.

But the Enlightenment Society was different.

Including the Celestials they clung to.

They had already committed unforgivable crimes, threatening the right to survival of all survivors on the wasteland.

No one deserved "Heaven's Punishment" more than they did.

The light descending from the sky would bring not only destruction.

But also deterrence!

Just as the two were conversing, a cold electronic voice echoed through the empty command room—

"'SOG' system deployment complete. Phase-neutron annihilation strategic space-based orbital cannon entering third charging stage."

"Countdown: 0 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds."

...

The suspended blade gleamed with an ever more piercing cold light; the final countdown whispered its last echoes.

On the ruins covered with yellow sand, a mutant wanderer in battle-damaged exoskeleton rummaged through the wreckage of orbital debris, searching for valuable trinkets and checking if any human scavengers were hiding in the ruins.

Long ago, the Enlightenment Society had placed a hefty bounty on them.

If they could find an undiscovered vault that had already opened, they would be rewarded with at least 100 fertile slaves.

As for the strange metal parts, they could be exchanged at resource points for usable exoskeletons and assault rifles designed for their physiques.

In truth, aside from the survivors hiding in their turtle shells and the Enlightenment Society that had retreated into Vault 13, there were no living people left on the surface near the space elevator ruins in the Great Desert.

And due to the lack of order and the Enlightenment Society's connivance, this area had long become a paradise for mutants.

Today was just like any other day. "Fang," with his missing ear, was hunched over, grunting as he searched.

But unlike usual, his keen nose suddenly caught a faint scent in the swirling sand.

Unlike the ubiquitous smell of rust—

That scent was like death itself!

He raised his head alertly, twisting his neck, looking around like a groundhog popping out of its hole.

But at that very moment, a look of shock and panic flashed in his fierce, bloodshot eyes.

Through the rolling dust, a dozen massive silver aircraft were skimming close to the ground, flying forward.

The deafening roar grew closer, and the flickering plasma plumes looked like lava erupting from a volcano!

Those seemed to be the Alliance's "Overlord" transports!

And besides the transports, beside the array of low-flying aircraft, a flock of "Cloud Dragonfly" ornithopters glided in formation, flapping their wings!

"Roar—!"

Never having seen such an earth-shaking sight, the mutant standing in the garbage heap panicked completely, grabbing his weapon and chambering a round while howling to call his comrades.

Thousands of mutants emerged from the ruins.

Some wore exoskeletons, carrying large-caliber rifles; others wore nothing, only strapping a few pieces of scrap metal to their bodies, relying on shouting to bolster their courage.

The surging silver tide clearly noticed them. Two "Overlord" transports lowered their altitude, their bellies nearly scraping the ground, and slowed to their minimum speed!

At that moment, the transport's cargo doors swung open, and a dozen Chimera armored vehicles rolled out in succession, spilling out from the slanted ramp!

"Prepare for battle!!!"

A player leaned half out of an armored vehicle's turret, gripping the heavy machine gun mounted on it, and opened fire on the ruins ahead with a relentless burst!

The 37mm cannon on the turret was not to be outdone, spewing high-explosive shells that pounded the distant cover like drumbeats!

Under the crossfire of .50 caliber machine guns and 37mm cannons, the mutant wanderers crouching at the edge of the ruins were instantly pinned down!

At the same time the mutants were being suppressed, a "Thunderbolt" fighter screamed overhead, emptying its ordnance bay in just two seconds!

"Pew—!"

The roaring rain of bullets sounded like thunder, following close behind the flashing sparks, carving a trench several meters long and half a meter deep into the ruins!

Dozens of mutants carrying anti-tank rocket launchers were killed instantly, and the once-stable defensive line was torn open in a flash!

The Cloud Dragonfly ornithopters swarmed in, their mounted machine guns strafing the ground with relentless bursts.

In the span of a few breaths, nearly three thousand mutants had been cut down by more than half under the relentless bombardment, and the survivors, dazed and bewildered, fled for their lives.

They could not escape, of course.

Even if they evaded the strafing of Chimera armored vehicles and Cloud Dragonfly ornithopters, they would surely not escape the divine punishment descending an hour later!

The small Alliance units prowling beyond the nuclear strike zone acted like shears, trimming away the Enlightened’s mutant forces scattered near the orbital elevator base wreckage while driving them toward the strike zone.

Only the shelter’s permanent fortifications could block the neutron plume falling from the sky.

Death awaited them.

Half-leaning out of the turret, [Canyon Fugitive Mole] squinted at the direction the mutant wanderers fled.

So weak.

Compared to the foes he had faced before, these creatures were utterly pathetic.

Of course—

Perhaps it wasn’t that their enemies were too weak, but that they themselves had grown so strong that no one on this planet could stand against them.

This might well be the final battle.

If a new expansion came, it would likely have to be on another planet.

He tapped the communicator at his ear, and [Canyon Fugitive Mole] shouted a charge into the channel.

“Brothers—”

“Our men hidden in Vault 13 have risen up—time to send these rats to hell!”

“Forward!!!”

The deafening voice cut through the engine roar, answered by equally excited cries.

“Kill—!!!”

……

“Bang—!”

Vault 13.

At the same moment the gunshot rang out in the meeting room, another shot echoed in the vault’s orbital transit station.

Vault dwellers in exoskeletons, assault rifles in hand and pale blue identification bands on their arms, launched a surprise attack on the security forces stationed at the transport hub, aided by planted insiders.

As Zhuang Lan had said, she was never fighting alone; she had always stood shoulder to shoulder with like-minded people.

These included not only residents of Vault 404, but also dwellers from other vaults, and those deceived by the Enlightened who had since awakened.

They formed an organization called the “Watchers.”

While the Enlightened busied themselves infiltrating the various survivor factions on the wasteland, the Watchers had already been plotting their own infiltration of the Enlightened, and with “Malik’s” help, gradually extended their reach into Vault 13!

Though the Enlightened were masters of skulduggery, they had long been assimilated by the Celestial Organization into something half-human, half-ghoul, wallowing in the game of power and neglecting their old trade.

Thus, awaiting the divine punishment, they never noticed the Watchers’ infiltration and were caught off guard by the sudden gunfire.

The detonating EMP grenade instantly paralyzed the security drones howling through the air, and the unexpected strafing caught the heavily armored android guards completely off guard!

Nearly a hundred Watchers swiftly broke into the transit platform of the rail hub and unleashed a barrage of gunfire at the security robots rushing down the stairs.

Almost thirty robots were blown apart in an instant!

In the acrid smoke, they exploded into dazzling sparks, then detonated in a thunderous roar!

Chaos reigned; gunfire and explosions rang incessantly, like a hell on earth.

Though no one fired at civilians, stray bullets still wounded over a dozen innocent bystanders.

Screams rose and fell, alarms blared through the smoke, and people scrambled toward the exits.

Clearly—

Those who had chosen to turn a blind eye had not truly escaped chaos and death, even if they had sold their souls and stood beside the devil.

And silence was not without its price—it merely came a little later.

Even if it was indeed pitiable.

The battle raged on.

A dozen Watchers in exoskeletons quickly seized the transport hub’s server room, implanted a virus to shut down the running orbital line, then broadcast a declaration of the vault’s occupation, guiding residents to designated safe zones.

In the meeting room on the other side, Tianqi, facing off against Zhuang Lan, remained expressionless, though his crimson electronic eyes radiated bone-deep cold.

The situation was turning against the Enlightened; perhaps he should reconsider the timing of his betrayal.

But it seemed too late to back out now.

The enemy had clearly calculated this, choosing this very moment to strike at the Enlightened and the Celestials.

“Leave this to you.”

Tossing this remark to Tianlei beside him, Tianqi turned sharply and left the meeting room with two android attendees, heading toward the vault’s server room.

At the same time, a swarm of security robots burst into the meeting room, their pitch-black assault rifles poised to turn everyone inside into a sieve.

“Die.”

Grinning savagely at the organic in exoskeleton before him, Tianlei raised his right hand to signal the robots to open fire.

At that critical moment, the ceiling above them exploded.

“Boom—!”

Fragments and billowing smoke cascaded down like a waterfall, blanketing the entire corridor outside the meeting room and catching the security robots off guard.

Someone had planted explosives in the ventilation ducts!

And not only that—

At the same instant the shattered rebar fell, a wild laugh descended upon the robots’ heads!

“Gahaha! Finally, it’s my turn to show off!”

Wearing a light exoskeleton and wielding an assault rifle, [Medical Miracle] dropped from the ceiling, spraying bullets wildly at the androids by the meeting room door!

A red flash flickered in Tianlei’s eyes; his arms shot out like lightning, and a massive gun barrel emerged from his palm—but then his head flew off with a “clang.”

Her curved blade like a phantom, Zhuang Lan watched the headless android turn to parry, then struck again, driving the blade through the gushing sparks straight into its chest!

“Clang—!”

The metallic clash echoed through the corridor, followed by a deafening explosion.

Seeing the boss taken down in an instant, Medical Miracle gaped and cursed.

“Damn! That was my boss!”

MMP!

He had played the fool for months just for this moment, and now it was stolen!!

Not understanding his words, Zhuang Lan flicked her blade and said curtly.

“You’re late.”

"I was delayed on the road..." said Medical Miracle, his voice heavy with anguish.

Seeing his pained expression, Zhuang Lan quipped.

"Don't worry, I'm fine... but a few minutes later and it might have been different. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I wasn't worried about you.

Medical Miracle, gritting his teeth against the pain, walked into the meeting room, glanced around, then grabbed Director Feng, who was lying on the floor, and pressed him into a chair while pulling out a hemostatic spray and applying it to his leg, which was gushing blood.

A bullet had pierced the artery.

That this guy was still alive meant either he had a prosthetic body or he was incredibly lucky.

Looking at that pale face, Medical Miracle coughed twice, straightened his expression into seriousness, and held out the VM on his arm.

"You have two choices: either hand over the administrator privileges to me, or die."

Vault 13 had no administrator; instead, the director, elected by all survivors, held the administrator privileges on their behalf.

If the director died, the privileges would pass to the deputy director; if the deputy director also died, a new vote would be held.

This was a rule established by the first administrator before his death, and it had been so for over a century.

So he wasn't at all afraid that this guy would refuse to hand over the privileges; at worst, it would waste a bullet.

And as he had expected, Director Feng almost without hesitation threw out the control, transferring it to the wrist computer thrust in front of him.

"Take it! Go ahead! Damn it, I should never have gotten into this mess, these worthless troublemakers..."

He screamed shrilly, trembling, cold sweat beading on his pale forehead, yet with a hint of relief.

The authority that had once been sweet as honey to him was now cast aside like a worn-out shoe, as if it were something filthy.

Medical Miracle, who had been half-crouching on the ground, rose to his feet and couldn't help frowning at those words.

"You're just pathetic yourself... what does that have to do with the vault's residents?"

Director Feng looked at him fearfully, immediately restraining himself a bit, but still muttered stubbornly.

"You think this is my fault too? Heh... the winner takes all, think what you will. But I still have to say, I only spoke out their deepest thoughts and acted on them... and in the end, I'm the one bearing the responsibility."

"Shouldn't you bear it?" Medical Miracle shrugged. "At least you got to enjoy it; those 'troublemakers' might not have."

Ignoring that pale-faced wretch, he tapped his finger on the VM screen, one by one selecting the areas marked by his comrades in the Watcher organization.

Those areas were all on the security robots' necessary route to the rail transit hub.

As long as the gates between the areas were sealed, they would completely lose any chance to retake the rail transit station, and could only stare helplessly at the Watchers who had occupied it.

Meanwhile, the Watchers' broadcasts were guiding the vault residents toward the main gate.

After Heaven's Punishment descended, they would transfer the vault residents willing to leave, batch after batch, and then bury forever those Enlightenment Society members who wanted to stay and the Celestials who had already descended within this vault.

Seize the entire vault?

That kind of thankless, exhausting task had never crossed the Alliance's mind from the start.

The Celestials' virus had already corrupted most of the vault's servers.

This vault was already broken; even administrator privileges were useless.

Perhaps soon, even the authority to open and close the doors would be taken by the Celestials...

Just as Medical Miracle connected the circuit to the vault's main gate, the holographic TV in the corner of the meeting room suddenly lit up, and a twisted face emerged from the pale blue glow.

It was Apocalypse.

After evacuating from the meeting room earlier, he seemed to have fully uploaded his consciousness into the vault's servers.

This was probably his last resort; his hysterical roar had a hint of final madness.

"You won't succeed—"

"The vault's terminal server is already under my control. Soon I'll pry open the doors and use the security robots in this vault to tear you apart!"

Hearing that impotent, furious roar, Medical Miracle let out a mocking laugh and said.

"Who's competing with you for the server?"

"Just hug that rusty server and spend the rest of your life with it."