Chapter 598.2: Fight

Chapter 598.2: Fight

Ignoring him, Silver Sword tapped his VM. “... Silver Hand, Silver's Father, this is Sword! An off-roader broke through to us, probably swinging to your flank. Watch out, it’s packing heat!”

All the got in response was static.

A sinking feeling hit him as Silver Sword checked his communication channel. Sure enough, the no-signal icon glowed.

He cursed and cut the channel. “Fuck!”

The newbie gulped. “What now?”

“We don’t have signal! Bet that truck’s running a jammer!”

Silver Sword snatched up the RPG tube, vaulted over the glass-studded shop window, and glared after the departing vehicle, grinding his teeth. “We’ve got to catch it!”

With only one teammate left, he sprinted after the vehicle’s exhaust trail toward the Silver Corps’ main line.

But no matter how fast two legs moved, they could never outrun four wheels. The chase was hopeless.

Then... The massacre unfolded.

The Silver Corps was firing from street cover when an armored truck burst into their flank.

Before anyone could react, the rotary gun rattled out a sweep. Silver's Father barely screamed before he was shredded to pulp.

“Father!” Silver Sword roared, hefting his RPG and firing.

The rocket hissed smoke and slammed into the welded plate in front of the rotating gun.

The warhead splashed molten jets across the Mutant Human’s face.

Screaming, the brute toppled off the vehicle.

But a muscular hand soon reached out from the cabin, seized the half-shielded gun, and resumed mowing down the Silver Corps.

Tracers carved hurricanes in the fog. Caught in a two-sided crossfire, the Silver Corps was butchered.

With the jammer vehicle present, they couldn’t call the Heart of Steel’s or summon air support.

Seeing Mutant Humans surging like a tide, Silver Hand grabbed Silver's Father’s fallen megaphone and bellowed, “Retreat! Retreat!”

It was the New Alliance’s first retreat in three days.

But he had no choice.

Failing to stop the vehicle was a tactical blunder, yet even without it, they couldn’t have held much longer.

The enemy was massing for a counteroffensive, using their sector as the breach.

It was strategy, not chance.

If they didn’t pull back, they would all be buried. There was no different whatever they did.

Hearing the call, the newbie trailing Silver Sword gulped. “Let’s retreat too.”

Silver Sword tilted his head back with a sigh, then shoved his VM, the RPG, and his ammunition bag into the newbie’s arms.

The newbie blinked in confusion.

“Bro, what are you doing?”

“Take the VM back for me. The rest, play with it.”

“And you?”

“... See you in three days!”

Silver Sword chambered his rifle, strode forward, leaving only a heroic back.

The New Alliance had advanced for three days straight. Only their sector had been pushed back. Even if it was excusable, he had no face to return.

“For the New Alliance!”

As long as he lived, no one would take the line!

He charged into the Mutant Human horde. Moments later, a thunderous blast erased him into the smoke.

The newbie stared at the smoke with his eyes brimming. “Brother...”

Next time, I swear I won’t drag you down.

He hurried away, while not far away, the Mutant Human Hmph stood trembling at the sight of the mangled remains.

He had watched the human burst from the fog, kill his friend, then blow himself apart.

Scalding blood splattered his face and some even ran into his mouth.

For the first time, the food he craved burned his tongue. He spat it out instinctively.

Then their chief, Delu, strode forward, rifle raised, roaring, “Victory!”

The street thundered with cheers.

“Victory!”

“Awroo!”

After losing two kilometers in three days, they had finally seized a street. It was 100 meters long and a dozen meters wide.

New grunts and battle-worn veterans alike exulted.

However, Hmph felt no joy.

Those humans were different.

Still, he roared with the others, venting his unease in the howl.

Would it really be that easy?

He didn’t know.

It was a war of species survival. There was no other path to take.

...

On the third afternoon of the New Alliance’s ground assault, the cornered Mutant Humans launched their first large counterattack.

Pressure mounted across New Alliance lines.

After one concentrated strike, the Qi Tribe made a breach.

Surprisingly, the collapse Delu and Gaen expected never came.

Almost instantly, the New Alliance withdrew with uncanny discipline, forming a fresh line by a ruined department store.

They had prepared for it, anticipating even where cracks might form.

Silver Hand crouched gloomily behind the new sandbag cover.

Both his brothers were dead. Counting those newbies, less than 10 survived. Now they had to stick with the Burning Corps.

Beside him, Quit Smoking chuckled. “Tough luck. They chose you to show off their might...”

“Yeah!” Silver Hand sighed, shifting the blame smoothly.

“Those newbies fed too hard! I should have picked the soft target too.”

One rescued newbie bristled, “Bullshit! Who bragged about carrying us?”

“Yeah!” added another with a sling on his arm.

Ignoring them, Silver Hand turned to Quit Bullshit while forcing himself to be calm. “So, when do we push back? Those bastards think they can fight back?”

Quit Bullshit grinned. “No rush. The commanders agreed. We’ll let them taste some success first.”

Silver Hand frowned. “Why not crush them?”

Quit Bullshit shook his head. “They’re not like marauders. They’re cunning, savage, halfway between Mutant Humans and marauders. Push too fast and they’ll hole up in cover. The deeper it goes, the harder it gets. Better to lure them out, give them some hope, then slaughter them all.”

Silver Hand’s eyes gleamed. “Nice! Which sneaky bastard thought that up?”

So dirty!

Quit Bullshit chuckled. “Guess which commander has the skills to do that.”

Silver Hand smirked. “I got it.”

At that moment, poring over the maps in the wartime command, Ample Time sneezed, then smiled warmly.

Surely my dear Dori is missing me.

When this war ended, he would make it up to her...

...

Meanwhile, aboard the Heart of Steel.

Chu Guang stood at the window, watching battle flicker across holographic screens.

In three days, the line had advanced only two kilometers. They even lost some ground. However, the Mutant Human casualties were staggering.

According to Little Seven’s compiled reports, they had killed 1,207 Mutant Humans so far, 411 of them who had mechanical augments and could be considered Cyber Mutant Humans, recovering 217 implants for the Boulder Town Arms Industry.

They had also rescued 219 captives from the Mutant Human pens and were housed below at the base.

Those were mostly locals like settlers in the Pinecone Ranch who were addicted to Na Fruit, puppet-like and chilling to behold.

Captives aside, the number of confirmed kills were rising, with more awaiting verification after the front line moved forward.

Most kills came from veterans. The newbies of the past two months mostly played as cannon fodder.

However, Chu Guang saw purpose in it.

Newbie deaths gave Mutant Humans the illusion they could fight back.

So even with horrific losses, they stayed aggressive, charging New Alliance fortifications. To them, the New Alliance’s offensive seemed spent. Indeed, fewer newbies appeared on day three.

The corners of Chu Guang lips curled upwards as he looked at the city glowing in flames and flashes.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

It would be the fourth day soon. Casualties from the first day would begin reviving, reviving with hatred and experience.

Soon, the green-skins would learn how foolish their confidence was. The great offensive would come again.

This time...

This time, their nightmare would truly begin.

On his shoulder, Little Seven muttered, “Master, you look like a bad guy!”

Chu Guang replied casually, “Doesn’t matter. I’m smiling at the window. No one can see me from down there.”

“I-I see.” Awe gleamed in Little Seven’s eyes, like little stars twinkling in the night sky.

As expected of Master.

Even such tiny details have been planned out.

So meticulous!