Chapter 458.3: How About It Bro? Are You Satisfied With All Your Free Kills?

Just then, shouts rang out from the observation post. “Unidentified armed forces spotted 500 meters ahead! There are around 100 men!”

“They’re advancing toward us!”

The alarm sounded throughout the trenches as everyone rushed to battle positions.

Battlefield Cheerleader had no more time to waste on Beaufort.

Hearing that those fools had arrived, he sprinted to the machine-gun nest, snatched a pair of binoculars to look at the ‘enemy’. He instantly spotted Eye Owe Money leading the charge.

That asshole was clearly an intelligence type player... He was running straight into the battle without his fucking VM, lugging a random ass gun he probably picked up from the garbage bin...

Battlefield Cheerleader stared at him in stunned silence.

You serious bro?

You’re not even pretending to put up a fight!

Might as well tattoo ‘here to feed’ on your forehead?!

Meanwhile, Beaufort beside him furrowed his brows. Despite the enemy’s ragged formation and glaring vulnerabilities, he didn’t relax.

They had very little bullets to waste.

Even a suicide charge like this, if repeated enough, would wear them down. And Cowley had warned them not to let the enemy suspect their supply issues.

He hesitated.

Should we open fire?

“It’s likely a probing attack...” Beaufort whispered. “I recommend we let them come closer before engaging.”

Battlefield Cheerleader reflexively nodded, then realized he wasn’t on their side. There was no need to conserve bullets for the real enemy. Without hesitation, he kicked the dazed machine-gunner aside.

“What the hell are you staring at?!”

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“Light ’em up!”

Without waiting for the bewildered gunner to react, Battlefield Cheerleader took his place at the machine-gun nest. He grabbed the handles, released the safety, and unleashed a torrent of bullets at the hundred or so charging fools roughly 300 meters out.

Muzzle flashes erupted.

The rapid gunfire drowned out the startled screams of the attackers, which quickly vanished beneath the roar of lead.

Seeing the fiery bursts from the machine gun, the clone infantry in the trench immediately joined in, opening fire en masse. The charging force was shredded almost instantly, bodies dropping across the open plain like wheat before a scythe.

The barren expanse of the desert offered no cover. Without armored support or artillery fire, the attackers were dead the moment they exposed themselves. It didn’t matter if they were awakeners or even if they were the administrator himself. There was no surviving that kind of crossfire with their physical bodies.

As the smoke settled, not a soul remained standing beyond the trench.

“Cease fire! Cease fire! They're all dead!”

Beaufort shouted desperately, his voice filled with exasperation.

If not for the fact that Battlefield Cheerleader was his officer, and a potentially stronger fighter, he would've rushed over and kicked the man square in the rear.

In truth, the troops had already stopped shooting once the threat was neutralized, but their commander, apparently lost in the moment, kept holding down the trigger. In just 30 seconds, he’d nearly burned through an entire squad’s worth of ammo!

Only when the machine gun gave a loud click, the hammer hitting an empty chamber, did Battlefield Cheerleader finally lift his finger from the trigger. The barrel glowed red-hot, and he casually dropped the weapon with a satisfied grunt.

Looking at the spent ammo belt and smoking gun barrel, he smacked his lips and shook his head.

“Not bad.”

Noticing that both Beaufort and the machine-gunner were glaring daggers at him, Battlefield Cheerleader cleared his throat and assumed an air of command.

“Ahem... Don’t worry about the bullets. The more scarce they are, the less we can afford to look weak.”

“Their commander is probably watching from behind. If we let them think we're low on supplies, next time it won’t be a hundred guys, it’ll be tanks, planes, and thousands of troops!”

“If we can eliminate even a fraction of their manpower with this burst, the ammo we spend is worth it!”

Beaufort was bewildered, but slowly nodded.

Something about that speech... kind of made sense?

They had just wiped out a 100-man company. That was a solid victory, right?

Staring at the bodies strewn across the desert, Beaufort felt his earlier tension begin to ease.

From the way their allies had limped back from the front lines several days ago, he would thought the enemy was some terrifying force.

But now...

“Maybe the New Alliance isn’t all that scary after all.”

With his confidence restored, he stood a bit taller.

Meanwhile, Battlefield Cheerleader offered a silent prayer for his fallen friends, then turned toward the assembled soldiers.

“Someone go out there and check the field.”

“I’ll go!” A nearby decurion immediately raised his hand, eager to impress the new centurion. He looked thrilled for the chance to earn brownie points.

Beaufort had been about to volunteer too, but seeing someone else take the initiative, he quietly withdrew.

Battlefield Cheerleader nodded in approval. “Good initiative. Be quick.”

“Yes, sir!” Grinning, the decurion grabbed his Ripper rifle from the trench wall and led five clone infantry soldiers into the field.

They were low on ammunition. So naturally, scavenging enemy weapons was encouraged. If they could grab a few rifles, maybe some grenades, or other gear, why not?

As the young officer approached the corpses and reached down toward the first body, something triggered. Either he tugged the wrong strap, or the corpse wasn’t quite dead yet.

BOOM!

An explosion erupted in the middle of the field.

Those in the trench instinctively ducked, then peeked out over the side.

“Shit!”

“A booby trap!”

“Kemis!” Beaufort's eyes went wide. He shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping for a reply, but none came. He punched the sandbags beside him in frustration. “Damn it! He’s dead!”

Silence fell over the trench.

Everyone stared at the still-smoking blast site, their expressions stiff with disbelief.

It was the first time someone had died in their immediate vicinity since arriving at the frontlines.

Not to mention the fact that it happened so quickly...

Battlefield Cheerleader also froze, staring at the mangled corpse.

They’d rigged a corpse with a grenade? Really?

That wasn’t what was discussed the day before! Thankfully, he hadn’t gone out there himself, or he would have been the one getting blown to bits.

The fact that someone had already died on his first day as their captain left him feeling complicated.

He shook his head and sighed. However, he was laughing to himself.

These fools must be worried I’d get bored being undercover.

At this rate, my entire term is going to be one disaster after another...

He turned to the pale-faced assistant man beside him, who was still trembling in shock.

Patting him gently on the shoulder, Battlefield Cheerleader cleared his throat. “... You're the decurion now.”

“Do a good job. Don’t let me down.”