Chapter 466.2: You FUCKS!

According to his original plan, his ultimatum should have bought him at least a month, but the New Alliance launched a full-scale offensive after just half a month.

That not only meant the entire battle situation would quickly turn unfavorable for him but also rendered his previous deployments completely useless. All speculations and arrangements became redundant.

The New Alliance had already calculated their logistical nightmare.

That was why they deliberately showed weakness at defense zone G53, misleading them into thinking the New Alliance's logistics were equally strained, unable to bring out even decent rifles.

But Griffin hadn't expected the New Alliance to be so ruthless!

To lull his subordinates into complacency and for their meticulously planned surprise attack, they sacrificed over 3,000 of their own!

Taking a deep breath, he calmed down and asked, "What is the current situation of the 4th Division?"

The adjutant replied nervously, "Commander Swofte ordered the main force to retreat to Hill 330 to rebuild the defensive line and intercept the New Alliance's armored units. Meanwhile, they mentioned in a transmission that they hope the 3rd and 5th Division can attack the New Alliance's positions from the west and east to divert their forces."

Griffin looked at the strategic map spread out on the table, his gaze fixed on Hill 330, and his expression suddenly changed. "Tell Swofte he must immediately retract the defensive line!"

The adjutant was slightly stunned, showing a troubled expression. "Retreat? But..."

"No, it's too late!" Griffin frowned, suddenly canceling the order and muttering to himself, "Abandoning the position now would be even more dangerous. The New Alliance’s tanks will soon catch up... With the Heart of Steel in play, once they leave cover, there'll be nowhere left to hide."

The officers standing nearby exchanged uneasy glances at General Griffin’s grave expression.

Even though the New Alliance's combat strength had repeatedly exceeded expectations, the Army still commanded a force of 100,000. The situation hadn’t yet reached the point of being unmanageable.

Griffin brooded for a long while before issuing an order. "Have the Cutlass and the 1st Air Division redeploy to the frontline airbase of the 3rd Division. They must be on standby to support the 4th Division."

A staff officer beside him cautiously reminded, "The Cutlass and 1st Air Division likely won’t be enough to deal with the Heart of Steel. At best, they can temporarily disable it."

"I know," Griffin replied calmly. "That deployment isn’t meant to counter the Heart of Steel."

The staff officer blinked in confusion. "Why would we..."

Griffin didn’t respond directly. Staring at the map, he began to speak slowly. "McClennan once told me that his Heart of Steel was taken down by a group of paratroopers. I thought he was insane back then. They had a hundred anti-aircraft guns forming a defense grid. How could any paratroopers land, let alone survive after jumping?"

The officers in the tent exchanged skeptical looks, it sounded utterly absurd.

With the Heart of Steel bristling with guns like a porcupine, it would be difficult just to fly near it, much less jump onto it from above.

Griffin paused, then continued, "But now, I’m starting to think he wasn’t crazy, nor was he joking."

"The New Alliance's real objective is the 4th Division’s command post. Their commander can’t possibly be unaware that, no matter how fast their armored units move, they can’t reach Hill 330 before our defensive units. That hill is like a nail, meant to stop their advance."

"But even with that knowledge, they still ordered their armored division to go through with an impossible task. That kind of irrationality only suggests one thing. Their ace isn’t on the ground. It’s in the sky."

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The officers suddenly looked enlightened and turned to Griffin. "You mean... They’re sending paratroopers to attack Hill 330?!"

Griffin nodded slightly. "Their aircraft seem to be made of some kind of special material or coating. On radar, their signal signature is smaller than a sparrow’s. No matter how you look at it, an airborne assault is their best strategy."

"And to ensure success, they’ll act under the cover of night."

"That way, they’ll seize the hill before our reinforcements arrive and coordinate with the armored units that broke through G40-1 to encircle and destroy us."

As he spoke, Griffin’s mouth curled into a cold smile. "Heh. Those bastards sure have a large appetite..."

The adjutant’s expression grew more and more grave. "If that’s the case, isn’t the 4th Division in serious danger...?"

Griffin didn’t answer. Instead, he looked to the communications officer and issued a firm order. "Send a transmission to Swofte. Once it’s dark, have him deploy his battalion meant to defend his command post to Hill 330 immediately!"

A nearby staff officer stared at him, confused. "But if he does that, won’t the command post’s defenses be..."

Griffin cut him off without hesitation. "Even without them, they still have six companies left. That’s enough to handle contingencies. And if they can’t hold Hill 330, then having the battalion won’t make a difference anyway."

Hesitation led to defeat.

With just that handful of infantry, Swofte couldn’t possibly hold back the New Alliance tanks in open terrain.

If they were sure the New Alliance would drop paratroopers onto Hill 330, then rather than waiting to be overrun, it was better to take the gamble.

Turning to the communications officer scribbling notes at lightning speed, Griffin barked another order. "Also, send a message to the 3rd and 5th Divisions. Tell them to immediately divert forces to support the 4th!"

The officer snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

...

At the same time, over at the New Alliance’s side.

Under cover from the Goblin Corps, 20 Dragonfly transport aircraft carrying the Burning Corps began to land one by one on the temporary runway.

As each plane came to a halt, ground crews rushed up with forklifts to replace their battery modules.

Meanwhile, the cargo doors opened, and players in exoskeletons carrying parachutes and rifles disembarked one after another.

All of them wore expressions of frustration, cursing under their breath.

"Damn it! We flew here for nothing!"

"Yeah! I didn’t even get to fire a shot and it’s already over!"

"Exactly! Blame those damn Mosquitoes for bombing too hard!"

"They left the battlefield spotless!"

Standing beside the plane, a few Lion Kingdom ground crew members looked puzzled.

"What are they saying?"

"Not sure... Doesn’t sound like Federation language..."

"But it sounds like they’re complaining."

"Did the battle go badly?" A young crew member muttered, just loud enough to be overheard by a nearby New Alliance engineer.

The engineer chuckled, squinting toward the disgruntled paratroopers and casually interjected, "It didn’t go badly, quite the opposite. It went too well. They didn’t even get a chance to fight."

The ground crew exchanged bewildered glances. The meaning escaped them.

"Too well?"

"What’s there to complain about then?"

The same young crew member turned to the engineer, confused. "I don’t get it... Isn’t smooth progress a good thing?"

"It is," the engineer replied. "It means their allies did all the work for them. But for them, there’s nothing to celebrate. A warrior’s honor can only be earned on the battlefield. Rather than hiding behind friendly troops, they long to burn on the front lines, because that is the honor of the Burning Corps."

He paused briefly, then added nonchalantly, "Death is simply returning to where they came from... Well, that’s what I heard one of them say over drinks at a roadside bar."

That remark stirred something in everyone nearby. Looking at those tall, silent figures, a deep respect rose in their hearts.

The young man gulped. "They’re... They’re crazy."

But the moment he spoke, he realized it might’ve come out wrong and tried to take it back.

The New Alliance engineer, however, didn’t mind. Tossing his wrench lightly, he replied casually, "If they were just out there to plunder, you’ll be right. They would be insane."

"But if it’s for faith, for ideals, for protecting the citizens of the New Alliance, or for some greater purpose..."

"... Then they’re heroes."

The young man stared blankly at the engineer. Though he couldn’t fully grasp the meaning, he felt something stirring in his heart, as if a seed had been quietly planted.

Few realized it, but the New Alliance soldiers fighting beside them weren’t just leaving a strong impression. They were quietly changing how they thought...

Meanwhile, at the edge of the temporary runway, Old White, clad in his Dragon Cavalry Exoframe, walked up to the gathered members of the Burning Corps with heavy steps. "We got new orders!"

Night Ten joked, "Where to for our joyride this time?"

Sensing the kid was still brooding over the canceled mission, Old White glanced around at the group and grinned. "The administrator said the stage at G40 was too small, not enough room for us to show off. This time, we get to play it big."

Quit Smoking’s eyes immediately lit up. "How big?"

"The 4th Division’s command post!" Old White said with a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "According to Pangolin’s intelligence, there are at least 1,000 to 2,000 people stationed there."

Upon hearing that number, Night Ten felt excitement coursing through his veins. "Holy shit!"

Quit Smoking grinned. "Awesome!"

As his teammates cheered, Old White chuckled, "This time, the Skeleton Corps has the same objective as us, to paralyze the Army’s 4th Division’s command system. But they’re still somewhere on the road, probably getting motion sickness. There’s no way they’ll beat us there."

Gale, who was standing nearby, didn’t show much emotion as usual. He simply asked, "When do we set off?"

"After dark!" Old White smiled and patted his shoulder. "Why, you got class tonight?"

Gale nodded calmly. "Yeah. I’ll need to take a leave of absence."