"Report to command, Sixth Battalion is moving towards eleven o'clock!"

"Third Battalion has occupied the one o'clock position!"

"Powerful magic source approaching, need to notify air knights for signal calibration and interception!"

"This is Lightning, roger."

"Tank groups nineteen and twenty are in contact with the enemy, target is Bladebeast!"

As the ground forces entered, the command post suddenly became bustling. The communications officers were responsible for classifying the numerous pieces of intelligence they received and handing them over to the staff officers, who then relayed them onto the sandbox map for decision-makers to make judgments.

At this moment, dozens of small red flags and squares had been added to the sandbox, representing the First Army's infantry, artillery, and armored regiments. From an overall perspective, the initial progress of the plan was relatively smooth, with these red markers spreading outwards from the bottomless sinkhole as the center.

Tianhai Realm had obviously noticed this suddenly appearing force, and some monsters began to shift their targets, pouncing on the First Army. However, in the face of the rapidly forming positions, sporadic attacks were tantamount to suicide.

Through the Twisted Gate, armies from across the sea were continuously pouring into the isolated island. According to the pre-arranged plan, the operation would soon transition into the search phase.

This was also the most uncertain part of the whole plan – no one knew where the Watcher was, in what form it would appear, or whether it would open the way to the Realm of Consciousness.

"I'll leave the command to you," Anna said to Iron Axe, Edith, and the others.

"Do you really have to go yourself?" Wendy's expression was full of reluctance and worry.

"This was agreed upon from the start." Her voice was not loud, but it was firm, "I'm not good at leading troops in battle, and I can't help much here. Besides, the Watcher is likely to vary from person to person. If I stay in the air all the time, I might miss the only chance to meet it."

"Let her go, I'll watch over her." Nightingale had already changed into a neat combat suit. Not only did she have the pistol Roland gave her hanging on her waist, but she also carried a semi-automatic rifle and a long sword on her back.

Wendy had no choice but to hug Anna, "Be sure to come back safe, Your Highness."

"Mm, I will." The latter replied seriously, then looked at Phyllis, "Are the God's Punishment Witches ready?"

Phyllis nodded, "Everyone is ready to set off at any time."

"Very good, let's go down!" Anna walked resolutely out of the command post.

……

"This is Malt's gift to you."

"Thanks." Danny took the bullet, loaded it into the chamber, and then shot it into the head of a Seamonster that was trying to get close.

As a mobile unit on the battlefield, the sharpshooter could choose his own combat location most of the time, and as always, he chose the most dangerous outer area, closely following behind those steel chariots as they advanced.

This area was not subject to coordinated machine gun and artillery fire, so the pressure from the enemy was also the greatest. He had long seen that while the First Army's tank force was imposing, its flanks and rear lacked cover, especially since the area around the sinkhole was full of oddly shaped stone tablets, making it impossible for the personnel inside the vehicles to observe approaching enemies in a timely manner.

And such a field was simply tailor-made for him.

"Attention, there's a big guy about one hundred and fifty meters to the right."

"Roger."

Danny poked his head out from behind a stone tablet, and saw a medium-sized Bladebeast quietly circling behind a tank, trying to launch a sneak attack.

These monsters, although not made of steel, were not to be underestimated in terms of lethality and agility, especially those scythe-like front claws, which, when filled with magic power, were enough to pierce the tank's armor.

He slowly pushed a new bullet into the chamber, and raised his rifle as if in slow motion – but Danny did not aim at the target, but moved it to the air. According to the description in the combat manual, the Bladebeast's head was covered with thick armor, making it difficult to kill with a single shot using conventional ammunition. Moreover, before launching an attack, it would be extremely wary of any potential threats in the surrounding area, so it was not recommended for soldiers to face it alone. Therefore, he had to wait for a more opportune moment to strike.

And that was the moment the enemy launched its sneak attack.

The Bladebeast didn't notice Danny, who was like a statue. After crawling into the ambush range, it spread its thin wings and lunged towards the tank!

At the same time, Danny pulled the trigger.

With a gunshot, the bullet accurately entered the skull from under its exposed brow bone. The Bladebeast stiffened, and glided out a few meters under the effect of inertia before falling heavily to the ground – but at this moment, it posed no threat other than twitching.

"You're still so amazing."

"Because you're watching me." Danny smiled and patted Malt's head. Just as he was about to look for the next target, he suddenly noticed that more than a dozen Seamonsters had gathered around him.

Taking advantage of his concentration on the Bladebeast…

"Tch."

Danny pulled his partner behind him and leaned against the stone tablet, raising his rifle.

There was no chance of escape now, he just wanted to know how many Seamonsters he could kill before he was taken down.

But then an unbelievable scene appeared before him. Instead of swarming up and tearing him to pieces, the Seamonsters began to bite each other! A pungent bloody smell filled the grass. By the time the last Seamonster fell, there was not a single complete corpse left around.

Then a group of people walked out from a hidden place behind them – although they also wore the First Army's uniforms, their appearances were noticeably different.

They were the Mojin troops from the Far South.

"Sharpshooter?" The leader sized up his weapon and team emblem. "How did you end up here alone? Where's your protector?"

"Falla—" Another person tugged at the former's sleeve, and then said apologetically, "If you don't mind, you can stay with us for now."

"I wasn't acting alone, but thank you anyway." Danny had already realized that this warrior called Falla was no ordinary person. "As for what's next, I'd still prefer to operate on my own—"

"Boom!"

A barrage of gunfire suddenly erupted from the tank force in front.

Everyone turned their heads and saw more than a dozen hideous Nest Mothers slowly appearing on the horizon. They were surrounded by a group of Bladebeasts, crawling forward under the bombardment of field guns, while their ribs opened, revealing the intestinal organs underneath.

"It's Venom Nest Mothers!" Falla frowned and waved her arm. "Quick, find cover! Bring the Anti-Demon Grenades!"

That was no longer a target that firearms could deal with.

The tanks also began to reverse in order to spread out their formation.

At this moment, the air knights' roar came from overhead—

Several biplanes swooped down, dropping bombs on the Nest Mothers. Pillars of fire instantly erupted on the ground! In the midst of the violent explosions and rolling smoke, the flames were like flesh-eating demons, clinging tightly to the enemies' bodies. The latter let out shrill screams, trying to escape the sea of fire, but on land, their movements were no faster than worms. Before long, the Nest Mothers fell completely silent.

A cheer and whistles rang out from the team.

Danny even saw the pilot of the plane that had swooped past at low altitude giving them a thumbs-up from the cockpit.

Then, the Sky Furies, having finished their dive, turned around and launched a pincer attack with the armored units.