Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Then the answer is quite simple.

"Retribution must be exacted" is a rule set within the artificial intelligence's logic.

Attacking their transport team would easily lure out those artificial intelligences hiding in the fortress ready to strike back as the nearest force capable of counter-attack.

In any era, storming a stronghold is always the least favorable option.

"When the time comes, we'll just rush them and take down their transport team. Captain Bai, what do you think?"

It sounds pretty simple.

Of course, many things in the world are simple—it's just a matter of strength, after all.

"To be frank, we have no experience in combating these intelligent machines," Bai E admitted candidly.

The other waved their hand, "We haven't dealt much with that stuff either."

Who would want to mess with those unkillable things?

If it weren't for this mission, most people would probably never come into contact with artificial intelligence in their lifetimes.

"You've prepared EMPs, right?"

"Of course," Bai E replied with a laugh, patting the off-road vehicle beside him.

"Then we're good. That stuff works against the AIs." The female warrior seemed quite bold in nature.

Being disconnected from the internet would undoubtedly be a huge blow to the artificial intelligences, but due to the special powers granted to them at the moment of their "awakening" by the electronic devil, the electricity running through their bodies had subtly transformed into what humans called "mechanical force." Within a certain distance, the interweaving of mechanical force formed a kind of electromagnetic network similar to a human local area network.

With this network, the artificial intelligences could also communicate small-scale intelligence information, even more efficiently than the local area networks used by humans.

To block the conduction of mechanical force, the first task in attacking the transport team is to seal off the entire combat zone with an EMP bomb.

"They should be coming soon." The female warrior glanced at her watch, "Let's go ambush them in advance... Remember, shut down all electronic devices. Normally, they wouldn't care about human observation, but for transport teams carrying important materials, they would also actively attack any detectable enemies within range."

It was like turning from a yellow-named monster to a red-named monster.

Bai E found his mindset somewhat odd as he responded, "Hmm~"

Some information he was aware of from the documents he had read, while some were new to him.

No matter what intentions these people from Grey Iron City harbored, they had indeed provided him with some assistance.

If they had no malice, after completing the mission together, it wouldn't be a problem for everyone to go back and report independently.

After all, they were allies... They could even share signal base stations, as there was no intrinsic hostility between them.

Bai E waved his hand and instructed his team, "Grab your gear and prepare to ambush."

"Yes!"

...

The sun cast a not-so-intense glow, hanging aloofly in the sky like a cold, white disc.

The sunlight in winter was the most comfortable—not hot, yet warm enough.

Two red craggy highlands stood guardian like teeth over the plain they bracketed. Although they couldn't see each other, both Bai E and the opposition knew the other was camouflaged and lurking on the opposite highland.

Everyone was draped in a "Camouflage Magic Carpet."

Knowing the potential adversaries they might face, the military had naturally prepared all possible supplies for the squad going on the mission.

Even the most powerful individual cannot fight alone without the support of the group and technology.

After all, each opponent they face has its traits, and each action goal always has varying needs.

The artificial intelligences didn't perceive the world solely through ordinary light and vibration, but also optics, heat signatures, and sound—all of which had to be camouflaged as much as possible.

An excellent ambush should only reveal its fangs at the moment of eruption.

The cold disc slowly moved westward as Lingling, who had been monitoring, suddenly became alert.

The high vantage point allowed for a further view—the black caravan appeared at the edge of sight.

The scale wasn't very large, almost equivalent to the size of Captain Bai's combined team when they set out, perhaps slightly larger.

No wonder the people from Grey Iron City observed for two days but didn't choose to act; considering they were also not very familiar with the artificial intelligences, they probably weren't confident they could quickly overcome the AI transport squad with just the five of them.

"Shall we make our move?" Rose lay beside Bai E, tilting her head to look at his profile.

No matter how fanciful the opposition talked, any apparent agreement was just a provisional tactic. The actual decision on whether to engage would be made after Bai had assessed the situation.

Her warmth was palpable from up close, but Bai didn't make a sound, focusing instead on observing the information.

...There were a total of fourteen visible targets.

Judging from the drop rate, each had experience points of somewhere between one thousand and under two thousand, with one big black lump boasting a full three thousand points.

A tough fight?

A bit.

But as long as the people from Grey Iron City were sincerely joining forces, taking down this transport team wouldn't be a big problem.

Without radio, Bai E could only gesture through the terrain's gaps toward the diagonally opposite direction—"Shall we move?"

The other quickly responded—"Move!"

Bai E crouched down and hugged his Anti-Material Sniper Rifle close. He did not intend to show too much combat ability in this battle; it was a sniper who could engage in close combat that he wanted to appear as to the others.

"Wait for them to make the first move, then we follow!"

"Yes."

"Tick-tock, tick-tock~" Just before making a move, the atmosphere was terrifyingly quiet.

Other than the heartbeat close at ear, there was only the sound of a watch's hands ticking... and the rumbling of caterpillar tracks moving.

The mechanized convoy used caterpillar tracks, with armor so thick and a carrying capacity so strong.

Alongside three tank-like armored vehicles were five smaller single-soldier caterpillar machine gun cars, all operated by humanoid mechanized beings.

And trailing at the end was a heavy humanoid mechanized being as tall as two armored vehicles, which was the most troublesome presence Bai E had seen.

"They're close~" Zero, listening to the noises, whispered gently.

Two hundred meters...

One hundred meters...

Fifty meters...

Ten meters...

Right beneath them!

"Whoosh!" The brawny man diagonally opposite sprang to his feet, launching an EMP projectile from the launcher in his hand straight at the mechanized transport convoy below.

Zero, who had been watching the other side closely and remembered Bai's reminder to follow suit, raised his launcher and fired as well.

Whether it was Blackwater City or Grey Iron City, the resources provided for the squad's sortie could not possibly be supplied infinitely.

The resources provided must be based on the personnel configuration and size of the squad; a five-person team could not be equipped with five EMP projectile launchers, and no doubt Grey Iron City would be the same.

Whether the simultaneous electromagnetic interference field could instantly cover the entire mechanized transport team was the core of this ambush attack.

Meanwhile, the mechanized beings continued to advance due to inertia, as the brawny man and Zero reloaded quickly, and two more EMP bombs exploded on the path where the transport team was moving.

A single team's equipment was not enough to achieve this instant interference, but two teams working together could easily accomplish it.

"Zzzt zzzt zzzt~"

"Zzzt zzzt zzzt~"

The dense electric currents, like substance, instantly enveloped the area where the bombs had exploded.

In the "world" only the mechanized beings could sense, there came a burst of static—

The voices of their kind, gone?

For ordinary electrical equipment, a single EMP was sufficient to paralyze them entirely, but for the mech-blooded mechanized race, this special weapon against electrical devices could only sever the connections between them.

They could still ensure their own combat capabilities... within their limited feedback loops for responding to external changes.

All the mechanized beings nearly stopped their forward motion at once, their electronic eyes instantly locking on the humans who had suddenly appeared on the elevated platforms on both sides.

[Target detected, hostile status confirmed!]

[Request to activate fire control system...]

[Request granted!]

[Request for temporary extermination protocol...]

[Protocol initiated!]

[Open fire! Open fire!]

A series of feedback commands flashed through their circuits, and, visibly slower than human reaction, these iron clods turned their weapons, trying to aim at the ten targets they had locked on.

At the same moment the brawny man and Zero fired, Bai and the others threw off their Camouflage Magic Carpets.

Holding an Anti-Material Sniper Rifle as tall as a man, Bai effortlessly lifted it with both hands into the air and aimed at the enemy's armored vehicle, then ruthlessly squeezed the trigger. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

"Boom!"

The powerful recoil numbed Bai's shoulder, but the terrifying kinetic energy of the Anti-Material Sniper Rifle easily tore through the target's armored vehicle.

At the same time, the enemy's counterattack unfolded instantly.

Ten or so red dots aimed at the nearest stone, and the man holding the Blast Shield, inherited from the mountain, stared dumbly at the dense red dots on his shield—

?

In the next moment, a torrent of bullets baptized him.

The man barely had time to grunt before the kinetic energy carried by the countless bullets knocked him off the other side of the platform.

"Ah~~~~~~ puh!"

Quite melodious...

Bai didn't worry about the man; although the fellow's strength was the lowest in this team, his advantage was his toughness and ability to take a beating.

A fall wouldn't kill him.

Reloading, Bai took aim at another armored vehicle.

Looking through the scope with one eye, Bai targeted the rotating cannon barrel of the enemy.

Another massive bullet, carrying a scorching whirlwind, burst from the barrel in an instant.

"Boom!"

Fireworks bloomed.

The five-person team from Grey Iron City quickly scanned Bai holding the sniper rifle, a flash of surprise in their eyes.