Chapter 277

Chapter 277: High Altitude Duel

Inside the RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, chaos erupted. Captain Mierie Bill, after receiving reports from the technical staff, clapped his hands and shouted to the pilots in the cockpit, “Carl, we might have a collision. Turn east and climb to 16,000 meters to avoid him.”

“Yes, Captain!” the pilot replied without turning back, signaling behind him.

“Regil, try to contact the other party and let them know we mean no harm!”

“Linda, prepare the emergency plan and clear confidential information, just in case.”

“Ai Li, report our situation to higher-ups.”

“Everyone, secure your parachute packs and strap yourselves in.”

Captain Mierie Bill quickly implemented emergency measures according to protocol, issuing commands one after another.

The nose of the RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft lifted slightly as it began to climb rapidly. All personnel inside were tightly secured in their seats due to the acceleration and climbing angle, remaining silent.

A piston propeller fighter closely pursued them.

The RC-135 planned to use its flying altitude to avoid the P-51 Mustang.

The P-51 Mustang had a ceiling of only 12,700 meters, while the RC-135 could reach around 15,000 meters. Although unarmed, it could leverage its height to render this old World War II king helpless; even with 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns and short-range air-to-air missiles, it couldn’t guarantee a hit at an altitude of 3,000 meters.

“We can’t contact them; the other side is in radio silence and showing no signals.”

“Accelerate; we need to go faster! Look, they have machine guns mounted on their wings; they must have been modified and are incredibly quick.”

“That’s right! Captain Mierie, look at this; its speed has exceeded the design standards of North American Aviation and is approaching that of jet fighters. My goodness, is this really a piston-powered plane?”

“I know, young man. The moment I saw it charging at us, I knew something was wrong. Regil, send a signal through the international emergency frequency stating we mean no harm and to cease hostilities.”

Captain Mierie Bill kept his eyes on the altimeter: 8,000, 9,000, 11,000… continuously climbing higher. He could distinctly feel the overload pressing him firmly into his seat.

The four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-9 turbofan engines roared, reaching nearly 100% power, their roar filling the entire cabin. All crew members remained quiet, waiting for the captain and pilot to guide them through this crisis.

This was no joke or drill; a fighter jet was coming straight at them, and even an outdated model from World War II had the capability to shoot them down.

“Damn it! The other side has climbed to 7,000 meters, and their speed hasn’t decreased! They must have replaced their engines with more powerful ones.”

The technician tracking the Mustang couldn’t help but curse, as the friendly intent and avoidance signals sent out by their aircraft sank like a stone in the ocean; the P-51’s effort to identify itself and warn them went unnoticed.

“It seems like an experienced pilot; think back to eleven years ago, this guy is here for revenge. Everyone, be careful; if anything goes wrong, ensure your own safety.”

Captain Mierie Bill felt a chill run down his spine. The pilot of the Mustang was clearly not following the rules; if they were a pilot from the Chinese Air Force, most would have simply expelled them according to defensive protocols, rather than charging at them so aggressively.

The optical equipment turned to reveal the dark muzzles of guns in the space between the wings, proving that this Mustang was definitely not a civilian toy. The exact origin was unknown.

This American naval aviation captain guessed half-right; this airspace was neither under Lin Mo’s jurisdiction nor would a Dragon Knight from another world rigidly follow such fixed regulations.

“Altitude 12,000 meters; the other party is still 3,000 meters away! They’re nearing their theoretical maximum altitude.”

Captain Mierie Bill finally breathed a sigh of relief. A piston fighter chasing a jet-powered plane naturally bore an inherent power disadvantage.

By the time this Mustang reached 12,000 meters, their RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft would already be at a safe height of 15,000 meters.

“Target altitude 13,000 meters; speed still rising! My goodness! 13,500! Carl, Carl, don’t stop, keep climbing higher! Higher!”

The technician tracking the P-51 couldn’t help but exclaim. As a domestic fighter jet, he naturally knew its performance parameters, yet it still climbed at 13,500 meters without slowing down. This was insane; was this still a piston fighter?

“I’m already accelerating! Everyone, stay calm!” The pilot in the cockpit, Carl, pulled back on the control stick, urging the aircraft to climb further.

The RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft could not climb indefinitely; it also had an altitude limit. All crew members could only pray that the RC-135 would reach its maximum height before the Mustang encountered a power deficit and could not climb any higher.

“That’s not a P-51! That’s not a P-51!”

Mierie Bill’s face turned pale as he clasped his hands together, praying to God.

“Oh God, at over 10,000 meters, the thin canopy of the P-51 Mustang cannot withstand the low pressure and cold temperatures. Are the people inside human or robots?! This is simply the devil!”

The thermometer outside showed a chilling minus 41 degrees. Above 10,000 meters, this was not a height a Mustang could reach.

“Everyone, be aware, the target is still 1,500 meters below us and 5,500 meters away.”

“Haha, I see it! The plane is starting to emit black smoke. It’s burning incompletely; the piston engine is failing.”

The Optical Equipment immediately transmitted the captured images into the cabin, and the crew members saw the LCD screen reveal relieved smiles. The generational gap in engine technology was finally showing; black smoke began to puff out from the exhaust at the front of the P-51’s cockpit, indicating that its engine power was declining.

“The altitude difference is 1,000 meters—damn it, oh God, it’s still approaching! Distance 3,500 meters! Ah… what kind of plane is that?!”

But in their view, the frantic Mustang showed no signs of slowing down; in fact, it drew even closer.

“This is an altitude of 15,000 meters! Does it have a jet engine?” Mierie Bill’s pupils widened in shock.

A four-engine jet plane was actually being chased by an old piston propeller plane to an altitude of 15,000 meters—there was nothing crazier than this in the world.

In fact, the P-51 Mustang’s piston engine had already begun to lose power at an altitude of 8,000 meters; by common sense, if it could reach 12,000 meters, that would be its limit. But with the addition of a Giant Dragon with Void Magnetism, the situation completely changed. This beast wasn’t climbing due to reverse thrust; instead, the repelling force of Earth’s gravity, combined with Void Magnetism, was forcing the P-51 Mustang outward against the atmosphere.

The newly installed double-layered tempered glass canopy was sealed tightly, and the cockpit walls were lined with insulating material. Even with the low temperatures, this posed no problem for the A+ physical condition of a Dragon Knight.

“Boss! The target’s altitude is 14,600 meters!” the technician monitoring the P-51 Mustang said bitterly.

All crew members inside the RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft looked ashen. As they gazed out the window, they spotted the camouflage-clad P-51 Mustang, a familiar World War II ace fighter, gracefully soaring up from their left wing at an impossible height.

“Captain Mierie, our altitude is now 16,700 meters, and we’re still climbing… Damn! What is that?” The pilot, completely focused on flying, was about to report the situation when he caught sight of something unbelievable outside the cockpit.

Have the gods descended? How could this old thing ascend to this height?

The pilot was astonished and couldn’t believe it. He opened several altitude measurement devices and looked outside again; it was indeed at least 15,000 meters.

“The target is returning; quickly, lower altitude!”

The P-51 Mustang was almost directly above the RC-135, even casting a clear shadow on the wing. This close distance triggered alarms within the cabin.

The crew had gone completely dumbfounded. What kind of plane is this?

It must be a “Dragon” disguised as a Mustang.

After struggling to climb to this height, they were still unable to compete with an old-fashioned airplane and were even being dominated—it was too much to bear.

“Damn it, Carl! Ram him!” Mierie Bill thought fiercely; as captain, he was responsible for all crew members. Being suppressed by a plane resembling a P-51 Mustang at high altitude could lead to anything happening.

“Yes, sir!” The pilot of the RC-135, while confirming Lin Mo’s position, quickly pulled the flaps, adjusted the tail, and forcefully pushed the control stick to the right.

The RC-135 seemed to react resolutely, suddenly diving downwards, the left wing rising and the right wing descending, making a sharp and steep bank turn. The enormous wings swung toward the P-51 Mustang like a giant flyswatter.