Chapter Twenty-Nine: Chimera

Two days later, with two PL-12 air-to-air missiles slung beneath his belly, Huang Ze set out on his mission, full of pride and vigor.

“To think that a dragon from a fantasy world like myself would use missiles as a ranged weapon… the image is a bit odd,” he mused, glancing down at the two sleek, four-meter-long missiles hanging below. His heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nervousness, though mostly he was itching to try them out.

Regarding this move by the Xiake Institute, he could only marvel at their ingenuity and daring. Two days earlier, after agreeing to participate in the external operation, Ding Xuewen had brought several experts from the General Armaments Department to see him. They proposed an experiment—mounting missiles as his long-range weapon, compensating for his inability to wield draconic magic and his weakness at a distance.

Huang Ze had found the idea fascinating and agreed without hesitation.

After careful analysis, the experts unanimously concluded that the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missile was the most suitable weapon for a dragon. The PL-12 measured about four meters in length and weighed less than 200 kilograms, with a warhead containing around 20 kilograms of high explosives. Its top speed reached Mach 4, and its maximum range approached seventy kilometers. Within its no-escape zone, it boasted a hit rate of over 60% even against fighter jets—such performance made it nearly a guaranteed hit against dragons within the homeland.

Outside the borders, however, high-tech weapons like missiles were greatly weakened by the laws of that world, at best operating at around a tenth of their potential. Even so, their power remained impressive—a range of seven kilometers, speed of over 130 meters per second, two kilograms of high explosives, instant firing without magical expenditure—this far surpassed most third-circle spells. For Huang Ze, who was severely lacking in ranged combat, it was the perfect supplement.

Of course, his first opponent, the chimera, was merely a level five creature, far weaker than himself. Using missiles against it seemed excessive—almost bullying, and rather extravagant, considering each PL-12 cost several hundred thousand. Yet, equipping a dragon with missiles was an entirely new experiment and required live testing. Unfortunately for the chimera, it would serve as Huang Ze’s first target.

The chimera’s lair was roughly a hundred kilometers from the border, a journey that would take at least an hour at Huang Ze’s current speed.

“My speed… is just too slow!” he sighed, beating his wings with all his might and feeling the frustration of crawling along at seventy to eighty kilometers per hour. Despite absorbing a large amount of electrical energy and having his physical abilities greatly enhanced—his speed now up from fifty or sixty to seventy or eighty—it was still disappointing for someone accustomed to high-speed transportation.

Compared to planes or bullet trains, or even cars on the highway, he was sluggish. For Huang Ze, a truly powerful and extraordinary being should at least measure speed in terms of Mach numbers.

“The folks from General Armaments said… they’d like to try mounting some engines on my wings in the future. I think it’s worth a shot,” he thought. Although engines would be weakened outside the border, his massive size could compensate with quantity over quality. If he fitted fifty or sixty at once, surely he could break the sound barrier.

Moreover, since technological devices from Xiaguo could still function beyond the border, it proved that magic and science were not entirely incompatible. There was room for dialectical unity between the two—perhaps one day, they might even develop a magical engine fueled by elemental power.

...

An hour later, Huang Ze finally reached his destination—a vast marshland, home to the chimera’s lair. Several J-6 fighter jets circled overhead, assigned to guide the dragon and help him locate his prey. Without navigation, and in such a vast, unfamiliar world, even with a map, it would have been difficult for Huang Ze to find his target alone.

“Who would have thought Old Six would find a second spring in its career…” Huang Ze mused. The foreign laws of this world were extremely unkind to advanced fighters like the J-10 or J-20, but the long-retired J-6 had found new purpose. Though its engines and avionics were far from outstanding, its performance and endurance outside the border far surpassed the newer models, making it the mainstay of Xiaguo’s reconnaissance and overseas operations.

“Mr. Huang, we’ve found the chimera—it’s three kilometers ahead on your right!” the lead pilot called over the radio as the dragon approached.

Huang Ze’s ears contained two powerful signal receivers; without them, communication would have been almost impossible. The foreign laws strictly guarded against electricity and electromagnetism—only devices and materials brought from within Xiaguo could generate electrical and electromagnetic signals, and even then, energy loss was high and signal quality poor.

“I see it too!” the dragon replied, quickly spotting his target. Feeling his spirits lift, he asked, “Any further issues? If not, I’m going in.”

“Yes, Mr. Huang, all clear!” the pilot replied. “The stage is yours!”

“OK! Cameras are ready! Let’s see how a dragon takes on a chimera!” Huang Ze looked at the chimera, which stood just over ten meters tall, while his own body measured more than thirty-five. Confidence surged through him. With a sweep of his wings, he accelerated toward the chimera.

...

The chimera was not an intelligent species, so this unfortunate creature, handpicked by Ding Xuewen for the dragon’s trial, had no name. For convenience’s sake, let’s call it Little Chi… or rather, since it had two heads, it deserved two names—Little Chi and Little Ma.

As a level five creature, on the threshold of extraordinary life, the chimera’s intelligence was actually not low. Both heads had sensed that something was amiss lately.

Two days ago, two J-6s had appeared near their territory, circling several times before leaving. The same happened yesterday. It was obvious someone was scouting with intent.

To native creatures like the chimera, the J-6 was an infuriating presence. First, it was fast—even under the influence of the world’s laws, Old Six could still hit 300 kilometers per hour. Second, it was loud. Much like humans detest mosquitoes, the natives’ chief complaint about the J-6 was its noise. The incessant buzzing near their ears made them long to swat the intruder out of the sky.