Never Treating the Bros like Outsiders!

The blazing sun baked the earth, as if intent on evaporating the very last trace of moisture from the soil. Unable to endure the poisonous sun, a prostrate Deathclaw drooped its head, listlessly snorting. "Pfft—" Having lived in River Valley Province, it clearly had not adapted to the climate of Luoxia Province. Still, as an organism at the top of the food chain, its extraordinary environmental adaptability meant it merely felt uncomfortable; it was far from unable to keep going. Brother Edge gently patted its head. "Good boy. It'll be fine once we reach the oasis." They were only two hundred kilometers from Oasis No. 3. With Sector 1 of the G40 defense sector pierced by the Skeleton Corps, the Alliance Army had already infiltrated three corps—totaling over six thousand troops—behind the G40 defensive line. Only after an entire cohort of a thousand men had been wiped out did the Legion finally come to its senses. Just ten minutes ago, an artillery company of a hundred men twenty kilometers away had belatedly delivered area-suppression fire toward Position G40-1, unleashing at least two hundred shells. For a supply-starved Legion, those two hundred shells were already quite a lavish expense. Yet the Alliance had not lingered long at the narrow breach of G40-1, so that round of shelling had struck nothing but empty air. At present, the Death Corps was positioned to the right of the Skeleton Corps. According to the plan, their original objective was to circle northeast behind Sector 41, using the mobility of the Wolf Cavalry to quickly widen the breach in the Legion's defensive line, coordinating with the Lion Kingdom Army occupying Position 40 to annihilate the effective combat strength of the Legion's 4th Legion. Now, however, the situation had changed. The enemy had been far less prepared than expected; the 40th Cohort hadn't even lasted an hour before utterly routing. Annihilating the enemy's front-line troops was no longer the top priority. The Alliance could seize this opportunity to expand their gains and take down the higher-level division-level command post! The so-called division command post was the headquarters of the ten-thousand-man legion, the highest-echelon command post on the front lines. Anything higher would be army group headquarters, which was where Griffin was stationed. Pushing straight into army group headquarters in a single push was unrealistic, but a division-level post was definitely worth aiming for. As long as they seized it, all the defensive lines across Sectors G40 to G49 would fall into chaos. Without coordination from the command hierarchy, the cohorts would be unable to support one another effectively, and each sector would instantly become an isolated island. Even if every one of those Wilat officers were supermen, they would still end up completely wiped out. For that very reason, the enemy would never allow such a thing to happen. According to intelligence provided by Pangolin, a Legion legion headquarters was usually garrisoned with a directly attached cohort of one thousand infantry, along with hundred-man companies for artillery, communications, engineers, provosts, and transport, totaling between fifteen hundred and two thousand troops. The distance to the frontline was typically between one hundred and two hundred kilometers. Under normal circumstances, crossing a strategic depth of one hundred and fifty kilometers would take two days at a slow pace, or at best a full day. Yet that was only under normal circumstances. The Legion wouldn't have guessed in their wildest dreams that the Alliance had not only tamed Deathclaws, but had also used their unique characteristics to train an organized cavalry unit. Tanks and trucks relied on smooth roads. Mounts had no such requirement. Circling around his mount, Brother Edge stepped to the front of the column and looked at the more than three thousand brothers assembled beneath the col. Over thirty percent of them were new players. Yet after two weeks of nonstop "suicidal training," even the newest recruits who had joined the corps last had become qualified soldiers. Their combat prowess was beyond question! Glancing across the brothers present, Brother Edge opened his comms and spoke aloud. "News just arrived from headquarters—Plan Three is proceeding smoothly! The enemy threw up the white flag before the Burning Corps even touched down!" "In less than an hour, we achieved victory in the first phase of the operation!" Hearing that the battle was progressing so smoothly, the players smiled knowingly at one another. Especially the newcomers. After being battered by Pangolin for half a month, most of the new recruits had been on edge when they first stepped onto the battlefield, terrified of messing up and dragging everyone down. In the end, before they had even caught a glimpse of the enemy, the first phase had already ended in victory. What kind of wasteland was this? It was way too post-modern! Standing at the front of the formation, In Debt God glanced at Construction Site Youth and Brick beside him and cracked a joke in an undertone. "The Goblin Corps got to harvest heads so casually. I bet Lao Bai and the others are cursing up a storm right now." "Hahaha!" Never one to resist a joke, Construction Site Youth and Brick couldn't hold back a laugh. Brother Edge rolled his eyes at the two of them, ignored their banter, and continued in a booming voice. "To consolidate our battlefield gains, headquarters has ordered the Skeleton Corps to continue advancing, with the enemy's division-level command post as their target!" "At the same time, our mission has been adjusted. The original operation is canceled; the rabble in Sector 41 can be left for our allies to handle. Headquarters has assigned us a new mission—to push forward to Hill 330, one hundred and fifty kilometers away!" "That is the front tooth of the 4th Legion's command post! Knock that tooth out, and we can shove our tank barrels right down the enemy's throat!" Construction Site Youth and Brick laughed and shouted, "Commander! How many guys are up there?" Drum Hairwasher also chimed in with a grin, "Enough for each of our brothers to take a piece?" Brother Edge gave a hearty laugh. "Probably not. According to aerial photography, there's only an antiaircraft gun position on the hill, with an estimated force of a single century." Construction Site Youth and Brick clicked his tongue. "Only a company." "Even if it's only a company, don't underestimate the enemy!" Brother Edge said gravely. "Our opponents aren't weak. They've clearly seen through our plan, and at least four cohorts are shifting from the frontline to the rear along the road network." "If they want to intercept the advancing Skeleton Corps, Hill 330 is their best bet. That's why we have to beat the enemy there, take it, and cover the brothers of the Skeleton Corps as they punch through this final checkpoint!" Saying that, Brother Edge grinned. "Headquarters gave us a twenty-four-hour deadline, but honestly, that deadline completely underestimates our brothers' legs!" For some reason, Construction Site Youth and Brick suddenly shuddered and muttered under his breath, "I've got a bad fucking feeling about this." As if answering his premonition, Brother Edge's very next sentence confirmed his suspicion. "...Five hundred Wolf Cavalry will take five hundred brothers and set out with me first! We will cut in a straight line deep into the enemy's rear and strive to reach our destination before midnight!" "The rest will follow Brother Brick. We have limited vehicles... so we'll have to ask our Strength-type brothers to put in some elbow grease!" With that, before the Strength-type players could even react, Brother Edge waved a hand and commanded with grand momentum, "Move out!" As Brother Edge called out names in the comm channel, five centuries of Agility-type players stepped out briskly and mounted their teammates' Deathclaws. They moved so quickly it looked as though they were terrified that waiting even a second would leave them stranded. "Brother, see you up ahead!" In Debt God chortled, patted Brick on the shoulder, and climbed up behind Brother Edge. Looking at the cloud of dust disappearing into the distance, then back at the more than two thousand brothers left behind alongside several hundred bicycles and tricycles, Construction Site Youth and Brick wore an expression caught between tears and laughter. It took him a good while before he choked out a single word. "Fuck!" This guy... He really didn't treat his brothers like outsiders. No, scratch that—he didn't even treat them like human beings! Ever since who-knew-which game version, the Strength build, which had once basked in all the glory, had been treated like draft beasts. Meanwhile, the Intelligence build—the former runt of the litter—seemed to have become far less useless with the proliferation of neural-interface gear. Thinking of this, Brick clenched his fists. Dammit! When will Strength builds finally rise up! A shotgun-toting newbie, utterly oblivious to what was in store, trotted up excitedly and asked Brick with bright eyes, "Squad Leader, what are we doing now?" Seeing this, the other newcomers chattered eagerly as well. "Are we penetrating their lines too?" "How are we penetrating?" Cursing under his breath, Construction Site Youth and Brick straddled a cargo tricycle and stamped hard on the pedals. "Get on!" *** Oasis No. 3, Legion Headquarters. Hearing the frontline report, Griffin froze for a full minute, taking a long moment to gather his wits. The news that Position G40-1 had been breached by the Alliance arrived almost simultaneously with the report that the 40th Cohort had routed. If he hadn't known that the officers of the 40th Cohort were all Wilat, he would have suspected a mole was involved. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how those idiots couldn't even hold out for a single hour. Seeing that General Griffin remained silent, the adjutant standing nearby swallowed hard and continued, "According to the report from the 4th Legion, the Alliance deployed the Heart of Steel in the engagement and concentrated nearly all of their armored units..." "At present, this doesn't appear to be a probe. They intend to fight a decisive battle with us." Hearing this, Griffin's expression darkened further, resembling a storm cloud laden with rain, brooding and heavy. By his original plan, that ultimatum should have bought him at least a month. He hadn't expected the Alliance to launch a full-scale offensive in a mere two weeks. This didn't just mean the battle would swiftly slide into a disadvantageous posture for him; it also meant that all his earlier deployments had been nothing more than wishful thinking, and all his speculations and maneuvers were merely superfluous monologues. The Alliance had seen through their logistical situation from the very start. That was why they had deliberately picked a position to show weakness, misleading them into believing that the Alliance's supply troubles were no different from their own, degraded to the point where they couldn't even scrape together decent rifles. Yet Griffin still hadn't expected the Alliance to be so ruthless! Just to lull his subordinates into complacency, just to mount this premeditated raid, they had sent their own men to their deaths, sacrificing fully three thousand lives! Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and asked, "What is the current situation with the 4th Legion?" The adjutant reported with an anxious expression, "Legate Sovt ordered the main force to fall back to Hill 330 to reconstruct a defensive line and block the Alliance armored units that have pushed deep on their own. At the same time, they mentioned in their telegram that they hope the 3rd and 5th Legions will attack the Alliance positions from the west and east to pin down their forces." Griffin looked down at the strategic map spread across the table. His gaze locked onto the location of Hill 330, and his face suddenly changed. "Tell Sovt! Have him pull his defensive line back immediately!" The adjutant was momentarily taken aback, showing a troubled look. "Fall back? But—" "No, there's no time!" Griffin knitted his brows and abruptly canceled the order, muttering to himself, "Abandoning the positions now would be even more dangerous. The Alliance tanks would catch them quickly... With the Heart of Steel there, once they leave their cover, they'll have nowhere to hide." Seeing General Griffin's grim expression, the officers standing nearby exchanged glances. Although the Alliance's combat capabilities had exceeded their expectations time and time again, they still held an army of a hundred thousand in their hands. The situation was nowhere near too dire to handle. Griffin pondered for a long time before issuing an order. "Have the 'Sabre' and the 1st Army Aviation Squadron transfer to the forward airfield of the 3rd Legion, ready to support the 4th Legion at any time!" The staff officer standing beside him offered a cautious reminder. "Relying solely on the 'Sabre' and the 1st Army Aviation Squadron probably won't be enough to deal with the Heart of Steel. At most, we can temporarily disable its propulsion." "I know," Griffin said calmly. "This deployment isn't meant for the Heart of Steel." The staff officer blinked. "Then it's..." Without answering directly, Griffin stared at the map and spoke slowly. "Maclen once mentioned to me that his Heart of Steel was captured by a squad of paratroopers. At the time, I thought he was out of his mind. How could any paratroopers drop onto an airship through an antiaircraft grid formed by over a hundred flak guns? Even if they jumped, how many could survive?" The officers in the tent looked at one another, exchanging glances of shared disbelief. It did sound far too absurd. With the bristling hedge of barrels on the Heart of Steel, forget parachuting onto its roof—even flying an aircraft into its face was practically impossible! Pausing for a moment, Griffin continued, "But now, I suddenly think he wasn't crazy, nor was he joking." "The Alliance's objective is the command post of the 4th Legion. Their commanders couldn't fail to calculate that no matter how fast their armored units advance, they cannot reach Hill 330 before our redeploying forces. That hill will act like an iron nail, jamming their tracks..." "Yet despite how obvious that is, they still ordered their armor to carry out an impossible task. There is only one explanation for such an anomaly—their trump card isn't on the ground at all. It's in the sky." The adjutant beside him looked at General Griffin with sudden realization. "You mean... they plan to use paratroopers to assault Hill 330?!" Griffin gave a slight nod. "Their aircraft seem to use a special material or coating, leaving radar signatures smaller than a sparrow. However you look at it, launching a surprise attack with paratroopers is their best strategy." "And to ensure the operation goes smoothly, they are certain to act under the cover of night!" "That way, they can not only seize Hill 330 before our redeploying units arrive, but also coordinate with the armored units breaking through Sector G40-1 to encircle and destroy them." Saying that, General Griffin's lips curved into a cold sneer. "Heh, these people have quite an appetite!" The adjutant's expression grew increasingly grim. "If what you say is true, wouldn't the 4th Legion be in dire peril..." Griffin didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he looked at the communications officer nearby and ordered decisively, "Send a wire to Sovt. Tell him that as soon as night falls, he must send his directly attached cohort to Hill 330!" The staff officer stared at the general in shock. "If we do that, won't the defenses of the forward command post be..." Griffin answered without hesitation, "Even without that attached cohort, they still have six centuries of troops, which is plenty to handle contingencies. But if they can't hold Hill 330, having that extra thousand men won't make a difference." Hesitation breeds defeat! With just that amount of infantry, Sovt couldn't possibly stop the Alliance tanks in the open. Since it was certain the Alliance would dispatch paratroopers to raid Hill 330, taking a gamble was far better than sitting around waiting to die. Griffin turned back to the communications officer scribbling furiously at high speed and barked, "Furthermore, wire the 3rd and 5th Legions immediately. Have them pull troops at once to support the 4th Legion!" Pocketing a pen that was nearly smoking from friction, the communications officer snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!" *** At the same time, at the Alliance forward positions. Under the escort of the Goblin Corps, twenty Dragonfly transport planes carrying the Burning Corps touched down one after another on the makeshift runway. As the transports came to a halt, ground crews pushing forklifts rushed forward to swap out the battery modules. Meanwhile, the cabin doors opened, and players clad in exoskeletons, carrying parachutes and rifles, filed out onto the tarmac. Every face wore a look of foul luck, and disgruntled curses flew back and forth. "Son of a bitch! That flight was a total waste!" "Damn right! I hadn't even had any fun yet! How's it over already?!" "+1! It's all Mosquito's fault, bombing the shit out of everything!" "Talk about licking the ground clean! That was way too thorough!" Standing beside the planes, several ground crew members from the Lion Kingdom watched the grumbling paratroopers with peculiar expressions. "What are they saying?" "I don't know... Doesn't sound like the Human Alliance language." "Sounds like they're complaining, though." "Did the battle not go well?" a young ground crewman whispered, just as an Alliance engineer servicing a nearby aircraft overheard him. The engineer grinned, squinted toward the paratroopers, and casually chimed in, "It didn't go poorly. Quite the opposite—it went too well. It ended before they even had a chance to lift a finger." The ground crewmen exchanged bewildered looks, utterly failing to understand what he meant. It went too well? Then what was there to complain about? The young man who had guessed things hadn't gone well stared blankly at the Alliance engineer and asked in confusion, "I don't understand... Isn't it a good thing that it went well?" "It's certainly a good thing. It means their allies got the job done for them. But to these guys, there's nothing to celebrate about that. The honor of a warrior has to be earned on the battlefield, after all. Rather than hiding behind friendly lines, they'd rather burn on the most dangerous front lines—because that is the glory of the Burning Corps." The engineer paused, then added offhandedly, "As for death, it's merely returning... That's what one of them said over drinks at the highway motel." Hearing this, the crewmen were visibly moved, looking at those towering silhouettes with sudden, solemn reverence. Equally shaken to his core, the young man couldn't help swallowing hard. "A bunch of lunatics..." Yet the moment the words left his mouth, he realized his wording was inappropriate and wanted to take it back. The Alliance engineer didn't mind, tossing the wrench in his hand as he replied casually, "If it were for plunder, they'd certainly be lunatics." "But if it's for faith, for ideals, for protecting the people of the Alliance, or for other great causes..." "Then they are heroes!" The young man stared blankly at the Alliance engineer before him. Though he couldn't entirely comprehend the words, he felt a faint stirring in his heart, as if a seed had been quietly planted without him realizing. Few people realized that besides leaving an extraordinary impression on the soldiers fighting alongside them, the Alliance troops were also subtly altering how those people viewed the world... On the other side of the airfield, beside the temporary runway. Lao Bai, clad in Dragoon power armor, walked heavily toward the brothers of the Burning Corps. "New mission!" Ye Shi teased, "Where are we going for a spin this time?" Seeing that the kid was still brooding over the earlier canceled drop, Lao Bai looked around at everyone and grinned. "The Administrator says the stage in Sector 40 is too small for us to strut our stuff. This time, we're going for something big." Jieyan's eyes lit up with interest, and he quickly pressed, "How big?" "The command post of the 4th Legion!" Lao Bai said with burning eyes. "According to Pangolin's intel, there are at least one to two thousand troops stationed there!" Hearing 'one to two thousand,' Ye Shi instantly grew excited. "Holy shit! A whole regiment?!" Jieyan exclaimed, "Awesome!" Looking at his thrilled teammates, Lao Bai said with a smile, "The Skeleton Corps shares our objective this time—both of us are tasked with crippling the command structure of the Legion's 4th Legion. But they're still car-sick on the road right now, so there's no way in hell they'll beat us there this time." Standing to the side, Kuang Feng showed little overt excitement, simply asking, "What time do we move out?" "After dark!" Lao Bai smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "What's up? Got class today?" Kuang Feng nodded calmly. "Yeah. I'll need to ask for leave in a bit."