Fantasy Game: Infinite City

The alarm in the command center finally shattered the deathly silence of the space station. Red warning lights flashed wildly in the corridors, turning the cold metal walls a crimson red. The urgent buzzing penetrated the layers of hatches, but could only echo within a small area of ​​the core region—the main control nodes of the west and north wings had long been completely locked down by the Ferdinand family's technical team. All external communication lines were cut off, and internal alarm signals were precisely intercepted. Only in the command center and the surrounding area of ​​the main power station could one sense the panic of impending doom. Graeme, the head of the command center, gripped the edge of the control panel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. On the screen in front of him, red dots representing the Ferdinand family's forces surged towards the command center and the main power station like a tide, while their own green dots were sparse and scattered, retreating step by step under the red wave.

"Activate all mechanical sentinels! Activate the clone combat units!" Gorem's voice trembled slightly, yet he maintained his composure. "Turn the main power station to maximum power, activate all automatic defense weapons. Even if it's a fight to the very end, we must hold the command center!"

He knew perfectly well that the core area had fewer than two hundred permanent security personnel, a testament to the arrogance of the Infinite Corporation—they firmly believed that the Sky Dome, as one of the Infinite Corporation's main core research and control hubs (in reality, no; five years ago, the Infinite Corporation had moved all its core facilities and hubs to the Moon and Mars, with the Martian territory being even more secretive, known even to very few within the company), was sufficient to withstand any invasion through its outer defense system. The core area only needed a small number of elite guards, supplemented by mechanical troops, to be completely safe. But now, this arrogance was turning into a deadly crisis. With Graeme's order, the sealed hatch at the bottom of the command center slowly opened, the heavy hum of machinery rising and falling, as rows of silver-white mechanical sentinels filed out. These sentinels were made entirely of high-strength alloy, over two meters tall, with twin-barreled energy machine guns mounted on their shoulders, their right arms transforming into high-frequency cutting blades, grenade launchers embedded in their left legs, and optical sensors on their heads flashing a cold blue light, scanning the surrounding environment 360 degrees without blind spots. Once a target was locked, a deadly attack would be launched.

Meanwhile, the clone incubation pods near the main power station were also activated in an emergency state. Pale blue nutrient solution churned within the pods, and countless clones clad in black combat suits rapidly awoke. They lacked independent consciousness, obeying only commands from the command center; their eyes were empty yet filled with aggression, and their automatically generated energy rifles were ready to fire. Within ten minutes, thousands of clone warriors had assembled, and led by mechanical sentinels, advanced towards the direction of the Ferdinand family's forces, forming a defensive line constructed of flesh and steel.

Although it looks impressive, in reality, while the technology on the Sky Dome is still more advanced than some technologies on the ground, within the Infinite Corporation, it has actually been classified as an obsolete asset. However, those in charge are unaware of this, and the people currently managing the Infinite Corporation are a bunch of conservative, outdated old fogies. Naturally, they don't value the Sky Dome much; keeping it around is merely a smokescreen.

Falcon stood atop the core laboratory area he had captured, observing the battlefield situation through the helmet display of his stealth armor. When he saw the swarms of mechanical sentinels and clone troop formations appear, the smile on his lips faded slightly, and a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes. "It seems Infinite Corporation has a backup plan," he said in a low voice over the encrypted communication channel. "Notify all clusters to adjust tactics. Heavy troops lead the way, electromagnetic railguns target the mechanical sentinel clusters, and portable energy shields deploy in defensive formation. We must break through their lines."

"Roger!" The responses from the various cluster leaders were concise and firm. Moments later, a violent tremor shook the ground as the Ferdinand family's hover tanks slowly rolled out from their temporary base. These tanks were entirely dark black, equipped with a small electromagnetic railgun and two side-mounted energy cannons. Anti-gravity devices on their undersides allowed them to maneuver flexibly within the space station, and their thick alloy armor was sufficient to withstand most energy weapon attacks. Following closely behind were combat personnel clad in heavy powered armor, armed with heavy energy machine guns and rocket launchers mounted on their backs, advancing step by step, each step leaving a deep imprint on the metal ground. Ironically, these armed vehicles were mostly acquired by the Ferdinand family after they gradually eroded the Infinite Corporation on Earth.

"Fire!" With the order from the leader of the North Wing cluster, the electromagnetic railguns of the hover tanks fired first. A blinding blue beam ripped through the crimson corridor, striking the mechanical sentinel cluster ahead with a piercing whistling sound. The first few mechanical sentinels were instantly pierced by the beam, their alloy bodies turning into molten iron, flying fragments mixed with sparks scattering in all directions. But the mechanical sentinels did not retreat. These 'tin cans' were all emotionless killing machines; their shoulder-mounted energy machine guns simultaneously spewed red tongues of fire, unleashing a dense rain of energy bullets upon the Ferdinand family's forces. Even when hit by artillery fire, as long as they remained mobile, they would continue advancing according to their pre-programmed combat procedures.

"Deploy the energy shield!" The defense team immediately activated their portable energy shield generators. A pale blue energy barrier rapidly unfolded in front of the troops, like a giant net of light, blocking the vast majority of energy projectiles. The moment the energy projectiles struck the shield, countless blue ripples appeared, and the indicator lights on the shield generators began to flash, enduring the continuous impact. Some of the highly penetrating energy projectiles bypassed the shield and struck the heavily armored team members behind them. Although the power armor withstood most of the damage, the violent impact still caused the team members to stagger. Several team members were hit by energy projectiles due to armor damage, their combat uniforms instantly stained with blood, and they collapsed to the ground, incapacitated.

The clone army launched its own charge, surging towards the Ferdinand family's defenses like a tidal wave. The sounds of energy rifle fire, mechanical whirring, and the screams of Ferdinand family soldiers mingled, echoing throughout the entire space station. The Ferdinand family members, relying on hover tanks and energy shields, engaged the clones in close-quarters combat. One member, wielding an energy blade, dodged the clones' fire, leaped into the air, and pierced a clone's neck. The clone twitched a few times before collapsing. But the next second, more clones swarmed in, surrounding him. Countless energy projectiles struck his power armor, shattering it instantly. He didn't even have time to scream before being engulfed by the clone wave.

Falcon personally led a special infiltration team, flanking from the side, their target the defensive fortifications surrounding the command center. Utilizing the advantages of their Ghost stealth armor, they avoided direct fire, rapidly advancing along ventilation ducts and equipment gaps. En route, they encountered several patrolling mechanical sentinels. While these sentinels possessed sensitive optical sensors, the Ghost armor completely shielded them from energy signatures and heat dissipation. The team members, like ghosts, circled behind the sentinels, their high-frequency vibrating blades precisely piercing the sentinels' core circuitry, instantly destroying them—the entire process silent and unnoticed.

Just as the squad was about to reach the perimeter of the command center, an energy barrier suddenly appeared in front of them. Behind the barrier, ten heavy mechanical sentinels were deployed, their shoulder-mounted energy cannons pointing directly at the barrier, tightly guarding the only passage to the command center. "Captain, there's an energy barrier and heavy sentinels defending the area. Forcing our way through will result in heavy casualties," a squad member reported in a low voice over the encrypted channel.

Falcon observed for a moment, his eyes sharp as an eagle's: "Technical team, crack the control system of the energy barrier. The rest of you, prepare for a surprise attack. Once the barrier is disarmed, immediately destroy the heavy sentinels to open a passage for follow-up troops."

The technical team immediately pulled out portable hacking equipment, connected it to the energy barrier's control interface, and their fingers flew across the keyboard, displaying complex code flashing across the screen. The heavy mechanical sentinel seemed to sense the anomaly; its optical sensors began scanning the surroundings, and its shoulder-mounted energy cannons slowly adjusted their angle, ready to fire. Time ticked by, and the hacking operation entered a critical phase. The energy barrier's light began to fluctuate, dimming and brightening.

"Thirty seconds left to complete the crack!" The technical team member's voice carried a hint of tension.

Falcon gripped his energy rifle tightly, his eyes fixed on the energy barrier ahead: "Everyone, get ready!"

The moment the decryption progress reached 100%, the energy barrier vanished abruptly. At Falcon's command, the squad members charged out like tigers descending a mountain. The heavy mechs reacted instantly, their energy cannons firing simultaneously, blinding beams of energy shooting towards the squad. Using agile tactical maneuvers, the squad members darted and dodged through the narrow corridors, simultaneously launching a counterattack against the sentinels. One member hoisted a rocket launcher, aimed at the core of a heavy sentinel, and pulled the trigger. The rocket, whistling through the air, struck its target, the violent explosion shattering the sentinel's fuselage into countless fragments.

But the heavy Sentinels' firepower remained intense. One squad member, unable to dodge in time, was struck in the leg by an energy cannon, his power armor instantly pierced, and blood gushed out. Enduring the excruciating pain, he shouted to his teammates, "Don't worry about me, advance!" With that, he detonated the grenades on his body, perishing alongside several charging mechanical Sentinels. The violent explosion temporarily halted the Sentinels' advance, buying the squad precious time.

A flicker of grief crossed Falcon's eyes, but he didn't stop. Wielding his high-frequency vibration blade, he charged straight at the remaining heavy sentinels. Using his superb hand-to-hand combat skills, he dodged their attacks, leaped onto the top of one of them, and plunged his blade into the core circuitry beneath the optical sensor. The sentinel's movements froze instantly, then it collapsed to the ground. The remaining squad members also launched a fierce attack. After five minutes of intense fighting, they finally destroyed all the heavy sentinels, clearing a passage to the command center.

Meanwhile, the battle on the main battlefield remained fierce. Although the Ferdinand family's hover tanks were incredibly powerful, the sheer number of mechanical sentinels was relentless, and the clone army fought with unwavering ferocity, paying a heavy price for every step forward. One hover tank from the North Wing cluster was besieged by multiple mechanical sentinels. Its flank energy cannons were destroyed, and its armor was slashed open by high-frequency cutting blades. Finally, it was completely surrounded by dozens of mechanical sentinels and its self-destruction turned it into a fireball. The violent explosion reduced the tank to scrap metal, instantly vaporizing its three crew members, leaving no survivors.

"Requesting air support!" the North Wing cluster leader shouted into the communications channel. Moments later, a dozen unmanned small floating weapon systems flew in from the end of the corridor, their fuselages equipped with heavy plasma machine guns and low-tracking launcher platforms, strafeing the mechanical sentinels and clone troops on the ground. Low-tracking micro rockets rained down, blasting swarms of clones to pieces, and the mechanical sentinels also fell under the intense fire. But the good fortune didn't last long. The anti-aircraft turrets on top of the command center were activated, and dense anti-aircraft energy cannon fire and electromagnetic pulses rushed towards these floating weapon systems. Several floating weapon systems were hit by the fire, some were destroyed on the spot, and others were severely disabled. Their fuselages billowed smoke as they crashed uncontrollably into the corridor walls, resulting in a violent explosion that reduced everything around them to ashes.

The battle had raged for a full day. While the Ferdinand family's forces had broken through the enemy's first line of defense, they had suffered heavy casualties. Of the three hundred newly recruited combat personnel, less than two hundred remained, and nearly a third of their heavy equipment had been lost. Meanwhile, the Infinite Corporation's mechanical sentinels and clone troop units continued to pour out of the command center and main power station, seemingly without end. Falcon, in his makeshift command post, watched the dwindling friendly forces on the screen, his brow furrowed. "This can't go on. Our manpower and equipment are being depleted too quickly. We must destroy their supply lines as soon as possible," he told the leaders of each cluster. "Core and peripheral clusters, focus all your efforts on containing the enemy at the main power station. The western wing cluster, draw some forces to cooperate with special infiltration teams to raid the clone incubation pods and mechanical sentinel production facilities, cutting off their manpower supply."