Chapter 510.2: It's Almost Over

On the battlefield.

The fighting had just reached its climax.

A 400mm heavy shell screamed downward, erupting in thick smoke and flames when it slammed into the battlefield.

A crater like an abyss tore through the war-torn ruins, cutting the battlefield in two and completely shattering any hope of retreat for the soldiers of the Enlightenment Society.

The thunderous roar of battle broke through the shellfire like lava from a volcanic eruption, sweeping through the camp.

Those standing before the Death Corps’ Wolf Cavalry were like ants on a beach, instantly pulverized by the surging tide.

Amidst the ruins, primitive cavalry units, armed with futuristic weapons, unleashed unmatched firepower.

The 20mm armor-piercing incendiary payloads fired by the Lance rifles were no less lethal than Gauss rifles when targeting unarmored enemies.

Facing simultaneous volleys from over 100 members of the Death Corps, the soldiers of the Enlightenment Society collapsed in seconds.

And when half-meter-long claws and blazing breath reached their faces, the real nightmare started. The vanguard squads, over 20 of them, were instantly trampled under the Deathclaws’ iron hooves.

The rear support units fared even worse. At least 100 died under retaliatory fire from the 400mm main cannon. The drone squadrons entering to support the frontline were pitifully unlucky, blown out of the sky by EMP rockets from the Enterprise’s 26th Assault Team before they could even engage.

Amid the blaze, one disciple struggled to rise from the wreckage, raising a Gauss rifle and aiming at the azure exoframe. He grit his teeth and pressed the charge trigger.

Just one shot...

In the next second, the capacitor was charged. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

A bright arc burst from the barrel. A tungsten-core slug, packed with terrifying kinetic energy, flew like lightning at the exoframe.

But to his disbelief, the man in the armor didn’t fall from the Deathclaw’s back.

The projectile, accelerated to several times the speed of sound, veered as if it struck an invisible wall, deflected skyward in a perfect arc.

His pupils shrank sharply, his expression one of shock.

Directional shield?!

Impossible...

The Phase Energy Rectifier should’ve suppressed the entire area! That was why the Academy’s research vessel couldn’t launch!

But what else could’ve blocked a round from a Gauss rifle?

Before he could find an answer, the steel tide of blood and flesh had already reached him and his fellow members.

“Die!”

Two-meter-long Lance rifles with half-meter bayonets pierced forward. The deadly steel and war cries landed at the same time. He didn’t even have time to retreat as a massive maw tore out his throat.

Nearby, another member of the Enlightenment Society in an exoskeleton was flung into the air by a Deathclaw’s claw, only to be impaled by a bayonet that pierced his chest armor.

The Death Corps’ Wolf Cavalry weren’t the only ones charging.

There were also dismounted infantry without mounts, and nearly 1,000 players, including the elite of the Burning Corps!

There wasn’t even a chance for a defensive line to collapse, they were reduced to dust the moment the charge whistle sounded...

Meanwhile, on the research vessel anchored at the edge of the battlefield.

Sitting in the cockpit, Yang Kai replayed the video sent by the New Alliance’s administrator again and again, lost in thought.

Minutes earlier, the Enlightenment Society had seemingly deployed a Phase Energy Rectifier, disrupting local gravitons and disabling anti-gravity devices and directional shields.

As of the end of the Prosperity Era, the Federation still had no countermeasure for the Phase Cannon, and neither did he.

Still, Yang Kai wasn’t too worried. Phase Cannon interference couldn’t last indefinitely, and the alloyed hull would withstand most attacks. The ship also carried 500 Beehives and 4 Spiderbots. Beehives were ideal against soft targets, and Spiderbots were good against EMP and armored threats.

So far, no one had seen his trump card. In fact, no one had even seen his face.

At that moment, the door behind him opened. Zheng Hao, clad in an exoskeleton, walked in and said respectfully, “The battle outside is over... the New Alliance won.”

Yang Kai wasn’t surprised by the New Alliance’s victory. The enemies were decently equipped, but hardly better than the old Signal Squad. At least the Signal Squad had two Beehives and high-altitude drones.

These guys had little more than the Phase Energy Rectifier and a few electromagnetic mortars and rocket launchers.

If such a force could defeat hardened New Alliance elites, then the past months of war had been meaningless.

To be fair, the weapons themselves weren’t bad.

Some of the electromagnetic rifles Zheng Hao could immediately recognize. They were army surplus from the Federation Era.

But weapons were tools. Without the proper fighting spirit and tactic, they would be lucky to use even 10% of their potential.

For small skirmishes, those folks might win through an equipment advantage. But against a full-fledged military system, their lack of experience and mismatched tactics quickly showed.

It was like giving the Falcon Kingdom 1,000 Gauss rifles. Their feudal troops still wouldn’t beat the New Alliance in open war.

The heavy weapons assigned to support units barely had time to fire before they were destroyed by New Alliance counter-bombardment.

Perhaps they hadn’t expected the New Alliance airships, despite crashing from such heights, to remain operational.

Yang Kai hadn’t expected that either.

He nodded and touched the screen to disable weapon alerts while asking, “You’ve fought the New Alliance. What do you think of the strength they possess?”

Zheng Hao paused and thought a moment before he replied. “They’re professionals.”

Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Zheng Hao nodded seriously. “Their gear isn’t flashy, but their weapon handling, environmental adaptability, tactical awareness, and battlefield reactions are all shockingly good. Maybe it’s due to the chaos in the River Valley Province, they’re used to fighting better-equipped enemies. Once they adjust to their opponent’s tempo, they seize the initiative fast.”

“To beat them, you must win quickly.” Yang Kai closed his eyes for a moment and summarized.

“So... their true strength lies in their experience as soldiers.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Zheng Hao said with admiration. “They’re born warriors. Honestly... they are weapons.”

“Got it.” After a pause, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and continued, "Right, has there been any news from Jiang Xuezhou?"

Zheng Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. "Still nothing... With all due respect, she’s not a combatant. Making her act with a group of untrained teammates was too much."

Yang Kai replied indifferently, "It’s fine. I gave her the best gear. That mechanical dog of hers is excellent in both close-quarters urban combat and medium-to-long range firefights. It should compensate for her lack of combat ability."

Zheng Hao was silent for a while before speaking in a low voice. "But what if the threat comes from something else?"

Yang Kai frowned. "Like what?"

Zheng Hao silently glanced out the window. "Like those things."

In the ruins, anything could happen.

Most of the time it was Slime Mold, but sometimes, one would run into mutants occupying the ruins, marauders, or even unknown armed forces or mercenaries also eyeing the ruins.

Unlike most researchers in the Research Division, Zheng Hao, with his experience as a D-class Prospector, knew better than anyone how dangerous it was to enter an unknown ruin.

The greatest danger always came from the unknown.

Even the Federation itself might not remember how many trump cards it had laid down in preparation for the doomsday crisis, let alone what might have happened over the past 200 years.

It was like opening a loot box...

If it were up to him, instead of a self-propelled artillery piece that could crawl through tunnels, he would’ve preferred to bring along two more experienced soldiers.

Yang Kai thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, that is a problem... but we don’t have a choice. Li Ke only managed to get us one slot, and she’s the best candidate."

Zheng Hao sighed, "Let’s just hope she comes back safe."

...

Just as Zheng Hao was reporting to Yang Kai, the battle outside had already been decided.

Under Chu Guang’s orders, the Death Corps' Wolf Cavalry spread out to search for the phase cannons and remnants near the wreckage.

The thundercloud storm disrupted communications and aircraft alike. Those commanding the forces of the Enlightenment Society and their mind-control operators wouldn't be far.

The Deathclaws were the wasteland’s finest hunters. Those behind the attack wouldn’t get far.

As for the rest of the players, they began clearing the battlefield.

"Holy crap! A Gauss rifle! This thing’s awesome!" shouted Construction Boy. His face lit up with excitement as he held up the loot.

It was a Model-15 Python Gauss Rifle!

It used to have less than a 0.1% drop rate in loot boxes, with only a few scattered across the whole server. Who would’ve thought they would be handed out wholesale after one battle?

Besides big time rifles like the Python, there were also light machine guns focused on high fire rate and ammunition capacity, as well as lightweight caseless assault rifles.

Looking at the high-tech weapons scattered everywhere, almost every player’s eyes lit up green with greed. Even some of the Wislander soldiers near the camp were tempted, but seeing the crazed expressions on the players’ faces, they didn’t dare make a move.

After all, the fight was handled by them.

More importantly, the fanatical way they were guarding the loot... If one of them got too close, they might get sent back in a body bag...

"Heh, I’m gonna go sniper from now on!" Eye Owe Money yelled while carrying two Gauss rifles on his back.

Drumhead Washing Machine rolled his eyes. "You’re an intelligence type! What the hell are you doing with a sniper rifle?!"

Eye Owe Money was just joking, but a sudden rebuke made him grumpy. "What’s your problem? Perception types can snipe but I can’t?"

Nearby, Sheep Bun chuckled and sidled up. "Take my advice, stick to your drones. Sniping’s too difficult for you, leave that to an agility type master like me."