Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Arty fire! Take cover!” a veteran on the base cried.
Swishhh! Qin Hao almost instinctively rolled as he rushed for cover. The few mess cooks behind him were clueless, but when they saw their squad leader rush for cover, they followed suit.
Boom!!!
At that moment, the blob landed, and the high-concentration plasma instantly engulfed a Gauss defense cannon. The plasma that splashed all over after the explosion still possessed terrifying lethality, and several mechanized soldiers did not manage to find cover in time. As such, they were hit by the flying plasma and reduced to a crisp.
Mechanized infantry were the cheapest cannon fodder on the entire battlefield. They were not equipped with any armor that could defend them against an enemy’s frontal attacks. Although the powered exoskeletons provided them with extra strength and agility, defense-wise they were of no help at all.
“Boss, it’s too dangerous here. Let’s withdraw.”
“Bullsh*t, where can you withdraw to? Which part of Isis Beach isn’t dangerous?”
“Even if you manage to withdraw from the battlefield, then what? The battlefield recorder on your shoulder will mark you as a deserter. Based on wartime military law, that is a capital crime!”
…
The several mess cooks who had never been on the battlefield were almost scared to the point of pissing themselves. Even a few mechanized soldiers nearby were also shivering in fear. At first glance, it was obvious they were fresh meat that had never seen a combat zone.
Qin Hao leaned behind his cover as he carefully observed every movement on the battlefield. Being a mess cook was not without its perks. At least, a mess cook would normally not receive combat orders.
Just like the current situation, despite the bombardment from the plasma worms, the mechanized soldiers still had to rush out of the bunker. They needed to take control of the Gauss Cannons to return fire and also charge beyond the perimeter to stop the giant beetles from advancing.
Krriekkk…
A series of insect hisses later, a large swarm of giant beetles marched toward High Ground Z3 under the cover of the plasma worms
“Brothers, fight!” The bear-like 2nd Company Commander, Ralph roared as he held a Kemensky Infantry Battle Cannon in his hand and continuously fired at the beetle swarm. Each energy round exploded in the midst of the giant beetles, blowing the disgusting bugs into pieces.
While the cannon was named an infantry battle cannon, it had an extremely strong recoil, and even when equipped with a powered exoskeleton, only the strongest of soldiers could control it.
Tat tat tat tat…
By Ralph’s side, the soldiers of the 2nd Company unloaded their firepower too. These men might have never stepped foot on a battlefield, but for them to survive the landing and assemble there, it meant that they were decent soldiers. Therefore, under Ralph’s command, it was not a problem for them to take cover and shoot back.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!!
The plasma worms’ bombardment came one after another, and the airdropped Gauss Cannons were destroyed one by one. The mechanized soldiers hiding behind their covers suffered heavy losses too.
“Why isn’t there any air support yet? If this continues, High Ground Z3 will be lost!” Qin Hao kept observing the situation from his behind cover. As a veteran who had experienced a year of brutal warfare, his strategic analysis ability might not be worth mentioning. Nevertheless, his analysis of the local combat situation was not inferior to that of the combat operations officers in the battleship offices. It was a result of the experiences he had gained through the horrors of battle with little regard for his safety.
Vooommm…
Right then, the Federation’s fighter planes appeared in the sky. These ultra-low-flying fighter planes swept across the battlefield with a howl, and a series of violent explosions on the ground followed in their wake. All of the plasma worms that were flaunting their powers earlier were all bombed to smithereens. The high-voltage plasma spurted out of their bellies and reduced all of the giant beetles that protected them into ashes.
“Hurrah!”
“Bomb those bugs to oblivion!”
…
There was a round of cheers in High Ground Z. Once the plasma worms were wiped out, the charging giant beetles were nothing to be feared. Those bugs did not have any long-range offensive capabilities and could only use their sharp forearms to attack in close combat. At the mercy of the Federation soldiers’ withering firepower, the giant beetles had no chance to approach the Federation’s defensive fortifications.
“Engineers, go and build a temporary landing field!” Seeing that their position had been stabilized, Colonel James of the 106th Division immediately ordered the construction of a landing field. It was to prepare for the next batch of large landing ships to touchdown.
The mission of the 106th Mechanized Infantry Division was to secure High Ground Z3. After they secured the perimeter, they would need to repel the enemy’s counteroffensive and then build a temporary landing field to allow the ships to land on Alpha. They could only deploy heavy combat equipment once the landing ships disembarked on Alpha. The smaller landing crafts could only transport mechanized infantry and some simple equipment, whereas heavier equipment such as tanks and armored vehicles could only be transported by landing ships.
“Yes, Sir!” The moment the engineer corps received its orders, the engineers immediately piloted the SCV and began to install the guidance beacon as well as the force field nodes.
With today’s technology, landing ships did not need special spaceports, and they could land anywhere. However, due to their large size, the descent was very slow, and it also made them extremely vulnerable. Without the protection of a force field, should a ship come under attack, it would end in destruction, and if a landing ship were to be destroyed, it would be too costly.
“Huh… It looks like the Federation finally has a firm foothold on Alpha!” As Qin Hao watched the SCVs start to get busy, his tense heart finally relaxed.
But just as everyone on High Ground Z3 cheered, the ground under their feet trembled.
“What’s going on?” Qin Hao’s heart pounded against his chest. Although he had combat experience on Alpha, he had never encountered such a situation before.
Ddum! Ddum! Ddum!!
The earth trembled rhythmically. If it had to be described, it sounded more like… palpable footsteps!
“Over there!” a soldier suddenly shouted out.
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing at and saw that the towering giant trees in the distant dense forest were falling one by one. Above the tree canopies, which were dozens of meters high, a menacing beast could be spotted.
“What… What is that…” Almost everyone was stunned. No one had seen a behemoth of such size before!
The towering trees fell with every step the behemoth took. Judging from its trajectory, it was obviously coming toward High Ground Z3!
“Concentrate all firepower! Aim at that behemoth!” Colonel James roared hoarsely. If the behemoth got close to the grounds, it would not even need to attack; simply walking through was enough to level High Ground Z3!