In fact, Mei Li and her team have been operating here for some time—otherwise, the Chinese reconnaissance troops would have noticed them. This area falls within the airspace of a Central Asian nation that has long been in territorial dispute with China. Over ten thousand square kilometers of land remain undetermined in ownership. Previously, this country had remained relatively cooperative, though not particularly close to China, managing to maintain peace. However, in recent years, with growing support from the United States, its stance has grown more assertive. It now consistently asserts claims in international forums that certain disputed territories belong exclusively to it, claiming China has no right to intervene in any way. Now, even the king, the prime minister, and its purported force of tens of thousands of elite troops have retreated like quail, hiding in the shadows and refusing to make an appearance. Previously, even when aircraft from the Chinese nation entered that region, they would leap out to protest, claiming it was an intrusion into their airspace. Now, however, they dared not utter a single word, fearing to disturb the mighty magical race and risk a decisive,灭族-level assault. Upon receiving orders, three dragon sharks—each exceeding fifty meters in length—charged boldly toward the Chinese front lines with great momentum. Troops stationed at various points, holding telescopes, promptly relayed the developments to the army headquarters several dozen kilometers away. The commander, his expression grave, slammed the table and said, “The magical race has moved. For them, a distance of several dozen kilometers requires only a blink of an eye. Order all units to prepare for attack, and fire precisely according to the coordinates provided by the reconnaissance troops. Speed is critical—any delay of even one second may result in missed shots.” “Understood,” the officers responded in unison. Due to the enemy's rapid pace, early engagement was essential. The gunners had already placed their fingers on the buttons, awaiting the firing order. "Target ahead, bearing thirty-one, fire!" Boom, boom... whoosh, whoosh... As the artillery roared into action, various anti-aircraft missiles launched as well. At the newly established laser weapon arrays, tension was at its peak—only they had not yet received the firing command. Finally, the order came through, and they swiftly adjusted their angles before launching. Fortunately, the air conditions in the southwest were significantly better than in Beijing—there was no haze, and the sky was unusually clear, providing optimal conditions for laser effectiveness and range. A few older-looking fighter jets appeared in the sky, each carrying two smaller nuclear missiles under its wings—these were their only weapons. The older, more conventional aircraft were deployed because the advanced fighter jets could neither detect nor engage the magical beings—effectively, they were just dying in vain. In contrast, these older aircraft had been retrofitted into unmanned drones. Even if they were lost, at least the relatively small number of pilots would not be sacrificed. Since the radar had no effect on the magical beings, the only means of rear-command communication available was the high-speed cameras mounted on the nose of the aircraft. Clearly, the military had overestimated their capabilities. They believed this approach would work, but the reality was that as soon as the magical beings came into view, they were already gone before any response could be made. Several fighter jets were even directly struck and crashed, burning into fiery balls that fell from the sky. The Chief of Staff grew increasingly frustrated, stating, "Abandon the autonomous missile attack plan. As soon as the magical beings are sighted, immediately initiate the self-destruct sequence." Everyone stared at him with expressions of confusion. The Chief of Staff grew tired of explaining and simply commanded, "Proceed according to orders." "Understood." With that single sentence, the drones were transformed into suicide aircraft. When the first nuclear explosion sounded, the magical forces suffered no tangible damage. The weapons operators had indeed pressed the self-destruct button upon seeing the dragon sharks, but precisely because of that brief moment, the dragon sharks had already flown several kilometers away, well outside the effective range of the smaller nuclear bombs. The subsequent explosions achieved nothing more than leaving a few beautiful mushroom clouds in the sky. The second wave of attacks moved smoothly through these artificial cloud formations, emerging unscathed and advancing steadily. Frontline soldiers could now see the three dragon sharks charging forward with impressive momentum, and many began to feel their legs grow tense with fear, spreading throughout the crowd. It's no surprise, having enjoyed peace for several decades, the army lacked any real combat experience—let alone facing a more powerful magical race. If the soldiers didn't lose their composure and even pee their pants, that would already be considered a miracle. Long Shark endured the bombardment of shells and missiles, continuously expelling energy spheres. The laser weapon installations were the first to be dealt with, though even so, they had failed to inflict any tangible damage on the enemy. It wasn't the weapons themselves that were at fault—it was the operators, overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, who couldn't hit their targets. If they had managed to strike, at least one transparent circular hole would have appeared on Long Shark's body. Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions erupted across the ground, scattering limbs and shattered weapon components into the sky. One Long Shark swiftly descended, using its tail to strike hard, and in an instant, the entire air defense missile installation vanished—disappearing as though it had never existed—leaving behind only a deep furrow in the earth. With the three dragon sharks inserting and launching coordinated attacks, the second wave of assaults arrived, accompanied by a continuous series of explosions. At the command post, Lieutenant Li and the Chief of Staff, their eyes blazing with urgency, gritted their teeth and said, "Commander, this situation is untenable—we've already suffered heavy losses within less than a minute." The Commander abruptly turned around and replied, "Then what do you suggest? Are you telling me to order a retreat? Absolutely not. Upholding our homeland and sacrificing our lives on the battlefield is our destiny. Without my explicit orders, no one is to retreat—no matter what, even if we all perish here, we must set an example for the rest of the forces." The Chief of Staff offered a wan, sorrowful smile. In truth, he wasn't proposing a retreat, because under current circumstances, there was simply no alternative. Whether they held the ground or withdrew, it was a matter of death. Who would willingly become a deserter? What he truly meant was that a strategic shift was necessary—to slow down the rate of casualties. The third wave also arrived. Human weapons struck them, barely making a ripple, while the energy spheres they casually emitted caused devastating damage. The only magical creature that remained uninvolved was the dragon shark serving as Mirel's mount, drifting gracefully through the air with an unrushed demeanor, barely glancing at the battle unfolding ahead. The female demon's expression was equally relaxed—standing on the dragon shark's large head, she smiled and nodded, murmuring to herself, "Indeed, easily defeated. Qin, you're no match for us. How come you haven't shown up yet? I've been waiting for you—so impatient, in fact."