Chapter 402.2: Counterattack BABY

In the west district of Lucky Valley Municipality.

Hidden within the mountainous region, the artillery position was now a scene of rolling smoke and chaos.

Perhaps saving it for a more valuable target, the enemy didn't use their slow-loading 400mm main cannons but opted for 100mm guns instead.

However, the counterfire came faster than expected, shockingly fast for everyone.

Coughing as he crawled out of the shelter, Yang Shu wiped the dust off his face and looked around the battlefield until he finally saw a hand half-buried in the ground.

His heart leaped with joy as he staggered forward, intending to dig out his buried comrade.

But when he grabbed the hand, intending to pull, he inadvertently yanked out the half arm.

Staring at the half-severed hand in his grip, Yang Shu's eyes glazed over for a few seconds before he silently removed his jacket and wrapped it up.

Then, a cough came from nearby.

Hearing the noise from the ruins, he hurried over to the sound, finally finding someone alive.

The face was buried in the dirt, the left half burnt black, but their lips were still moving. The survivor was barely breathing.

He recognized the face. The young man was called Furnace. Like him, Furnace was a refugee from the north.

Seeing his captain's face, those colorless pupils suddenly brightened.

"Captain..."

"Don't move! I'll get you out!"

Yang Shu removed the stones from his body and brought over a shovel. Watching the anxious captain digging, the buried young man coughed up the mud in his mouth.

"Captain, our cannons..."

"... They were blown up by those bastards! Damn, they were surprisingly accurate... Forget that for now!

"Captain..."

"What the hell is it now?!"

"I... I can't feel my legs..."

The hand gripping the shovel paused. Yang Shu gritted his teeth and continued to dig. "I'll buy you a new one!"

Furnace cracked a smile. He knew the captain couldn't afford it, but he didn't call him out on it.

"Captain, have... Have we won?"

Yang Shu glanced back at the burning sky, the billowing smoke at the edge of the airship, and the tracers piercing the sky intermittently.

He wasn't sure about the situation there, but not a single shred of doubt lingered in his mind.

"... We definitely will!"

At the same time, at the end of his gaze, behind the waterfall-like smoke, the cruel and bloody melee had just begun.

The flash of gun muzzles emerged on the steel-covered deck, like streaks of lightning.

The pouring rain washed away thick blood and shredded flesh, the crimson and shattered armor tumbling down to the ground as distant as the abyss.

Still...

Despite the ongoing casualties, nothing could stop those who were still alive from moving forward.

The manhole-sized hatch was pushed open, and a heavily armored soldier with a tether climbed the ladder to the dome, trying to stop the assault team heading for the main guns.

However, one of them had just shown his head when an arrow pierced through his skull, and with the pouring rain, he was thrown back into the cabin of the airship.

Holding an assault rifle, Night Ten looked at Ample Time in surprise. "Damn, you brought Daybreaker too?"

"What else am I supposed to use it for? Save it for the New Year?" Ample Time chuckled, his hands continuously moving, pinning a high-explosive arrow precisely on the hand holding the hatch.

The pain-filled screams were scattered by the high winds.

The marine who fell back into the cabin brought the time-delayed high-explosive arrow with him. It exploded with a loud bang shortly after, causing casualties below the ladder and sending a hot blast upwards, shaking the round hatch.

The next moment, Old White's voice came through the communication channel, along with gunshots that rang incessantly. "Don't get entangled with those random soldiers!"

"Keep moving forward!"

Ample Time's expression turned solemn. "Copy!"

Only about 200 members of their corps had successfully landed.

It was impossible to kill all the marines and crew stationed on the airship.

Their goal was not to take over the entire airship, but to disable their guns!

Under Old White's command, the Burning Corps quickly split into two groups. The first was led by Gale towards the firing area at the front of the airship, directly targeting all 12 ground support guns.

The other group was led by Old White himself, heading straight for the towering 400mm main cannon!

The group quickly advanced, and Night Ten couldn't help but smack his lips. "Damn, such a huge barrel... Feels like a person can climb into it!"

Old White had an idea and looked at Ample Time, who was wearing a Light Cavalry exoskeleton. "Take a team and enter through the barrel, I'll lead the rest through the hatch!"

Ample Time nodded immediately. "I'll try!"

With that, he climbed onto the barrel, measured with his shoulder, and found it was just right to enter. He immediately gestured to his team and all of them started climbing without hesitation.

The large-caliber cannon, to prevent chamber explosions from affecting the ship, usually didn't have shells loaded all the time. Only at the time of firing would they load the cannons.

As the 10-man squad broke in, gunfire soon erupted from below the barrel. There was no time to check who was present.

Old White immediately called others to deploy thermite, burning through holes in the airship's dome.

The Heart of Steel's armor was not just a thin layer of iron, but beneath that steel shell was a grid of alloy skeletons for support.

Those steel structures were exceptionally sturdy, likely even resistant to weapons like Switchblades.

Old White quickly changed tactics, leading people to the nearest hatch before slapping thermite on it.

With a flash of white light, the hatch was blown open.

As soon as it opened, he threw a smoke grenade inside. Old White, clad in Heavy Cavalry exoskeleton, tucked his assault rifle under his arm, and led the charge into the smoke-covered corridor below.

Over 100 soldiers of the Burning Corps followed in single file, quickly dispersing into teams of four.

A bloodier, more brutal corridor battle quickly unfolded.

The combat range was no more than 10 meters, and both sides used the corridor as the battlefield, relying on rooms, doors, and corners of the corridor for cover, fighting fiercely for every inch of space.

Corpses lined the corridor, the pungent smell of gunpowder covering the stench of charred flesh, life disappearing by the second.

Through the deafening gunfire, everyone was in a killing frenzy.

Be it the players of the Burning Corps or the marines of the Army, there was no longer a sense of reason. The only goal left was to kill!

They carved a bloody path through the corridor. Old White led Night Ten and the others, quickly rushing to the door of the 400mm main cannon chamber.

Both of them instinctively took positions on either side of the door. Reading Old White's eyes, Night Ten pulled out the stun grenade pinned to his chest, ready to breach.

The next second, two knocks came from the other side.

Old White hesitated for a moment before reaching out to open the door.

Ample Time stood on the other side, covered in blood.

His exoskeleton was shattered, the hanging composite material breastplate riddled with countless bullet holes. It was unclear whether it was the man supporting the exoskeleton or the exoskeleton supporting the man.

His left hand was on the wall, and his right hand was holding an LD-47 assault rifle, blood dripping from the downward-facing barrel.

But even in this ghastly state, his expression remained calm, even squeezing out a smile.

Before Old White could ask what had happened, an explosion not far in front of them sent a hot blast and dust swirling out the door.

Ample Time coughed, steadying his breath. "They don’t store their ammo here... After entering the cannon chamber from the barrel, I only saw the sighting system and the loader. My team and I took out the gunner, then stuck the thermite on the loader. It should be destroyed by now.”

Since he was the only one left standing at the door... It was clear everyone who went down the barrel with him had perished.

Old White’s tense nerves relaxed after hearing his report.

According to the battle plan, if the 400mm main cannon's ammo store was found, they would use the bombs there to tie down the personnel on the airship or blow up the airship directly depending on the situation.

If they failed to find it, they would at least destroy the barrel, crippling the Army’s aerial support firepower at all costs!

Their objective was evidently nearing completion.

With the loss of their 400mm main cannon, the Heart of Steel's firepower support would be reduced by more than half!

"Nicely done!" Looking at the blood-covered Ample Time, Old White cracked a smile and teased, "After being with your little girlfriend for so long, I was wondering if your skills might have gotten rusty... Looks like I was worried for nothing."

"You think too much." Wiping the blood from his face, Ample Time also smiled faintly, adjusting his breathing while not forgetting to correct him. "And I should have said, we're not in that kind of relationship."

Old White looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Night Ten chuckled and winked. "You don't get it, they simply enjoy warming each other up at night, there’s nothing else to it."

"Get lost." Ample Time rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain further.