Chapter 802

Chapter 802: Inside Out

The urgently deployed surface-to-air missiles failed to locate their target, rendering the anti-aircraft radar effectively blind. What once worked—the infrared detection systems—completely lost functionality, while ground crews flooded every tall building, unable to find any trace of the mysterious unidentified flying object.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces felt frustrated but were powerless to act. The cabinet and military were shocked, and the series of unpredictable consequences left even the Americans feeling at a loss, like being trapped in quicksand—once caught, no one could escape cleanly.

Once the armed F-22 Raptors arrived in the airspace near Tokyo, they immediately began to circle and search. The power of the active phased array radar was nearly maxed out, scanning the sky and the ground continuously. After refueling twice in the air and still finding nothing, they reluctantly diverted to Misawa Base for a temporary rest.

The so-called strongest eyes of the U.S. Air Force, the RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, flew all the way from Hokkaido to Kyushu, even making a detour toward Taiwan, yet the unidentified infrared signal never seemed to have appeared over Japan at all.

Although no actual damage was done, Japan’s pride in its air defense system transformed in just a few hours into a gigantic joke.

The Self-Defense Forces had to endure humiliation while the cabinet stepped forward to take the blame.

The Japanese government used the excuse that a domestically produced fighter jet, loaded with weapons, had suddenly gone missing during a night patrolling mission to temporarily deflect media scrutiny. Otherwise, if civilians learned that their air defense was nearly nonexistent, panic would erupt nationwide.

Some Tokyo citizens were still half-convinced about the translucent figure that had rushed over the main street with a thunderous roar. Was this really their missing fighter jet? A flying object from aliens seemed more credible.

But the truth is that the government would never let civilians know the reality.

By morning, rumors of all shapes and sizes surged forth, even the traditionally disciplined and obedient Japanese were not immune; their blood contained the same curious gossip gene shared across cultures.

Not only Japan, but even the U.S. and Russia, including China itself, would likely struggle with a tactical penetration like the one performed by the Dragon Knights. If they hadn’t maintained constant vigilance from the start, their responses would likely mirror Japan’s ineptitude.

The repulsion shield and successfully employed optical stealth technology made the strategy of the X-8 “monstrous” variable wings fighter jet astoundingly ingenious. The military promptly sent this troublesome pilot to Japan, fully expecting to witness the country descend into chaos.

In reality, the military think tank was not mistaken. After losing contact, they immediately received information from embedded intelligence personnel in Japan: the airspace was ignited like a pot of oil set on a gas flame—the heat was rising!

As Lin Mo piloted the fighter jet across the coastline and entered the unguarded Russian territory, a chorus of snores burst forth from the back seat.

After distancing himself from Japan, Miyazawa Mu finally relaxed, unable to fight off the overwhelming tide of mental and physical fatigue, and promptly dozed off.

“Dragon Knights calling Fire Fox! Dragon Knights calling Fire Fox!”

Lin Mo reopened the radio channel connecting to the satellite. At this point, even if the Americans’ RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft detected the communication signal from the “monstrous,” they would assume it belonged to the Russians.

“This is Fire Fox. Thank goodness, Dragon Knights! We finally reached you. Are you alright?”

The anxious voice from the General Staff’s special operations team came through the satellite connection. The silence had lasted for over an hour, leaving the special team worried. They could not afford to lose either the intelligence-savvy Miyazawa Mu or the risk-taking Lin Mo.

Japan’s automated mechanical unit had inadvertently joined the chase for Miyazawa Mu, leaving the special team at their wit’s end. Fortunately, the Dragon Knights timely intervened and decisively shot down an OH-1 “Ninja.” Otherwise, the resulting commotion would have been even harder to clean up.

As long as no genuine fighting occurred and no intelligence personnel fell into Japanese hands, the Chinese military had ample reason and means of clearing their name.

At that moment, the situation in Japan had already flipped upside down, leaving no room to suspect outside forces’ interference.

Although no actual conflict had begun, for the average citizens, it was hardly different from the onset of war.

The panicked Self-Defense Forces and the troubled Americans stirred up significant unrest in various cities.

The thunderous roar of jet engines resonated throughout the skies, leading numerous city residents to flee, moving outward; many suburban civilians gazed fearfully at the sky, uncertain of what was happening.

Fortunately, it was nighttime. The movement of people in public places was minimal. Had this occurred during the day, the chaos would have been unimaginable.

If this were still in the Su Lan Empire, facing such an inept opponent, a single Dragon Knight and a Giant Dragon could easily execute a successful decapitation operation, storming into the heart of the central region and decimating most of the ruling class.

“All’s safe, with no damage, including the fighter jet. We are currently on our way back within Russian territory, but the situation has changed a bit; it’s taking a larger loop!”

Lin Mo lightly tapped on the electronic map screen, forwarding his flight path. He subtly downplayed the significant changes to the original action plan that had unfolded.

Although the loop was larger, that was not the focal point; the main issue was that the situation was truly monumental. Thankfully, they had an electromagnetic and optical stealth fighter.

If it were before the “monstrous” modification of the Ser engine and the optical electronic ink panel, Lin Mo’s tactics would not have been so bold. He might have needed the help of the gold giant dragon to complete such a challenging task.

However, now, as Lin Mo piloted the X-8 “monstrous” variable wings fighter jet safely into Russian airspace, the gold giant dragon integrated into the aircraft remained in standby mode.

The Gold Coin expressed worry about potentially losing its job; this merciless “long-term breadwinner” hadn’t given it any perks, like health insurance, and with the Dragon God watching, it found itself deep in debt.

“Oh my god… you… actually… I need to report this to the leader.”

The communication personnel had clearly received the outrageous flight path, and they were so shocked they stumbled over their words and quickly interrupted the communication.

“Are you there?”

Moments later, a voice rang through the encrypted communication channel, sounding like a completely different person. They did not identify themselves but were evidently of significant importance.

“Yes!”

Lin Mo focused intently on flying the jet as he responded, gently pulling the control stick.

As the swept-back wing flaps shifted downwards, the shape of the repulsion shield also changed correspondingly, immediately generating more lift. The angle of attack increased, and the fighter jet began to climb again.

The higher they flew, the lower the chance of being spotted from the ground.

“How is he?”

Perhaps wary of any possible listening devices, this important figure spoke very concisely.

Although no specific name was mentioned, Lin Mo understood that “he” referred to someone very particular.

Who else could it be but the passenger behind him, who was being chased like a dog and had to escape by boarding the fighter jet? This daring mission had caused such a commotion, all for this individual.

“Very well!”

Lin Mo turned back briefly and saw that the passenger was indeed fine, still breathing.

According to the data from the pilot health monitoring equipment in the cockpit, the passenger’s vital signs were completely normal.

Regardless of whether he was injured or impaired, the Dragon Knight wouldn’t cover any losses; as long as there was still life, the mission could be deemed successful.

On the other end of the communication channel, the important figure seemed to let out a long sigh of relief, soon followed by a reminder: “Be careful!” that carried a hint of joy.

Compared to the massive troubles Lin Mo had stirred up, which potentially paled in comparison to the chaos caused when Miyazawa Mu fell into Japanese hands, this felt insignificant.

Up until now, neither Lin Mo nor Miyazawa Mu knew each other’s names. They both deliberately kept their confidentiality rules, not even sharing their codenames.

Lin Mo then realized that the individual riding with him in the fighter jet seemed to hold significant importance.

“Understood! I am now entering radio silence, and I will arrive at the designated airport in fifteen minutes.”

After relaying his report, Lin Mo once again cut off the communications with the space satellite, allowing the variable wings fighter jet to return to perfect electromagnetic invisibility.

He poured on the power for the twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines, maintaining the acceleration overload below 3 Gs this time. Meanwhile, Miyazawa Mu, sleeping in the back seat, remained blissfully unaware, snoring soundly.

At an altitude of 30,000 feet, the blue flames in the vector nozzles of the twin engines began to glow brighter, resembling dim lights from a space plasma engine.

At this height, it was nearly impossible for conventional primary fighter jets to reach them, even long-range surface-to-air missiles couldn’t guarantee a hit.

Yet, the X-8 “monstrous” variable wings fighter jet flew through undeterred, supported by the repulsion shield’s mutated anti-gravity field. The jet’s twin jet engines did not need to output a lot of power, consequently reducing their oxygen demand. The engine’s high-speed fan continued to operate, providing compressed gas while automatically releasing stored oxygen to ensure the propulsion force in the combustion chamber, offsetting some of the effects of the thin air.

Though fifteen minutes seemed brief, in that short span, Lin Mo guided the “monstrous” at a supersonic cruising speed of 5 Mach, smoothly flying over mountains, plains, rivers, and forests, and even crossed the air defense network near China’s border without causing a stir, safely entering his home country’s airspace.