Chapter 737.1: The Cave Filled With Human Flesh

It had to be said that the people who understood Wislanders best were other Wislanders.

Having once served as a commander within the Eastern Army, Vanus knew the personalities of those high-ranking officers better than anyone.

Watching the assault on Broken Blade Peak continue to stall, Liam could no longer sit still in his seat aboard the bridge. "Damn it... what is Modlin doing?"

The second unit he had sent in had already been fighting inside the tunnels for quite some time. Yet despite all that effort, they still hadn't captured the position. Wounded soldiers were constantly being carried out, only to be replaced by fresh troops. Before long, the entire regiment had rotated through the fighting at least once. Even the attached Purge squad was on the verge of being wiped out.

Seeing what happened to them, Liam couldn't help feeling uneasy.

As ridiculous as it sounded, he had the strange feeling that the Mutant Humans had deliberately allowed them into the tunnels.

What the hell is going on? Can those muscle-brained monsters really come up with a plan like that?

Even if he suspected something was wrong, retreat was not an option. If he withdrew, wouldn't that make all his earlier boasts come back to bite him?

The memory of that phone call made his face flush red. He could practically see the mocking expressions of those Ideal City deadweights.

For the honor of the Wislanders, retreat was absolutely impossible!

His teeth ground together so hard that the wooden stick in his mouth snapped in half.

Slamming a fist onto his chair's armrest, Liam turned to his adjutant and barked, "Notify General Modlin! If necessary, he is authorized to deploy the first battalion from Black Cloud Peak! I am authorizing the use of two full battalions! I don't care what methods he uses or what price he pays, that mountain must be taken tonight!"

...

At the same time, Black Cloud Peak was bustling with activity. Soldiers wearing matte-gray helmets and black body armor crowded together as they poured out of trenches and artillery shelters.

Like a mountain flood, the warriors of the first battalion surged downhill.

Only that evening had they been deployed to the frontlines, replacing the other battalion that had originally been responsible for defending the position. In fact, it was precisely under the pretext of troop rotation that Liam had managed to secretly free up the assault force without alerting his allies.

That was how the night’s offensive had been launched.

Unfortunately, a single battalion now seemed insufficient to crack the particularly stubborn nut. No one had expected that.

With the frontline assault force approaching collapse, General Modlin had no choice but to commit the defensive troops as well.

Only two 100-man companies remained behind to hold the mountain, but the Wislanders felt no sense of danger whatsoever. Watching their comrades fight bravely at the front, they were already itching for battle. All they wanted was to rush forward and teach those Mutant Humans a lesson.

Crossing the rugged mountain paths, they quickly reached the front lines. A centurion strode to the head of the leading company and roared in a rough voice, "Our brothers in the second battalion have encountered a small problem! Now we're going to solve that problem for them!"

"For the glory of the Wislanders, for the glory of Triumph City! "For the Marshal!"

"Follow me, let's crush those disgusting vermin! Everyone behind you will witness your bravery!"

Fanatical fervor burned within every pair of eyes. Each soldier erupted into a blood-boiling roar.

"KILL!"

Amidst those thunderous battle cries, the entire company charged uphill.

At the same time, dozens of stretchers carrying casualties hurried down the mountain past them. No one paid attention to the wounded.At that moment, every Wislander shared the same thought.

Drive those green bastards into the ground.

While the Wislanders charged forward in a frenzy, the Enterprise’s command, observing the battlefield through drone feeds, finally noticed something alarming.

The number of Wislander troops committed to the battle was wrong.

Staring at the holographic display, Yun Song's expression darkened. "They've moved the defensive forces."

The command center erupted into an uproar and the adjutant standing beside Lin Shangwen widened his eyes. "Has Liam gone insane?!"

"When have those lunatics ever been normal?" Lin Shangwen muttered through clenched teeth before turning to him. "Contact the New Alliance’s administrator."

"Yes, sir!" The adjutant immediately nodded.

Just as he was about to issue the order, a communication request from the Heart of Steel appeared on the screen. Without hesitation, Lin Shangwen ordered it connected. After a brief delay, a suit of azure exoframe appeared in the center of the display.

The armor, codenamed Order, embodied its name perfectly. Simply looking at it inspired a strange sense of security. However, Yun Song felt that the face within the armor inspired even greater confidence than the armor itself.

There was something impossible to describe about that man. When he looked into his eyes, he seemed to glimpse the future of the new era. He had felt that way from their very first meeting.

The command center unconsciously fell silent.

Looking at Commander Lin through the screen, Chu Guang spoke calmly, "While I was away, you've all become a little too aggressive."

Hearing the faint dissatisfaction hidden within those words, Lin Shangwen felt somewhat embarrassed and coughed awkwardly. "... Let's focus on solving the problem first."

Many of the coalition's internal conflicts were historical issues. They couldn't be resolved overnight.

Clearly understanding that, Chu Guang nodded and refrained from dwelling on the night’s mistakes. Instead, he went straight to the point. "I need you guys to dispatch a Cloudfly attack squadron and have them standby west of Black Cloud Peak."

Lin Shangwen frowned slightly. "To cover the Wislanders' retreat?"

Chu Guang shook his head. "Getting them to retreat will probably be impossible. But we cannot afford to lose Black Cloud Peak."

Lin Shangwen hesitated and a look of disbelief appeared in his eyes. "You think the Mutant Humans might counterattack?"

"Why not?" Chu Guang replied. "They've already demonstrated the ability to lure enemies deeper into their positions. I have reason to believe the Torch Church didn't just give them biotechnology. They've probably provided communications technology and some tactical expertise as well."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Since we can't save them, we should at least make sure their sacrifice means something."

Lin Shangwen's expression gradually became serious. "I understand. The 7th Air Squadron will be airborne within 30 minutes."

Chu Guang nodded. "Let’s do it as quickly as possible."

...

Meanwhile, in another world, the player discussion board on the Wasteland Online forums was as lively as ever.

That happened whenever a major battle broke out since calling people through chat groups wasn't enough. To ensure everyone got the message, commanders usually posted on the forums too.

Spring Water Commander: @Storm Corps All Members. We've got action, brothers!

Kakarot: Roger!

Ghostbuster: Received!

Darkest: Awoooo!

Battlefield Cheerleader: Fuck you guys, I’m so jealous! T.T

Quit Smoking: Hahaha! Feel bad for the atmosphere guys!

Irene: Why feel bad for him? His father-in-law keeps him on a tight leash. UwU

Battlefield Cheerleader: ??? What the hell?

Quit Smoking: ... Okay, that one was my fault.

Battlefield Cheerleader: ...

After Spring Water Commander's call to arms, players of the Storm Corps quickly put on their helmets and logged back in. Following their prearranged plans, they began gathering at their assigned combat positions.

While the New Alliance and Enterprise prepared for damage control, the battle between the Rock Axe Clan and the two battalions was approaching its conclusion. The commander of the second battalion had also been wounded in battle. Only the desperate efforts of his bodyguards allowed him to be dragged back alive.

The 120-man Purge Squad became cut off while fighting for control of the tunnels. Though they fought desperately to break out, they were nearly completely wiped out. The remaining companies had all suffered casualties exceeding 50%.

Under the Mutant Humans' ferocious counterattack, they teetered on the brink of collapse. Even the timely arrival of the first battalion failed to reverse the situation.

The tunnels resembled a maze. A single passage branched into multiple routes. Those routes interconnected in countless ways. A moment's carelessness could leave a soldier hopelessly lost. Or worse, they might stumble directly into friendly forces in the dark.

The Mutant Humans might not have been smart, but they had dug the tunnels themselves. The walls were covered with markings only they could understand.

Then there were the goblins. Those tiny creatures could emerge from dog holes barely larger than a watermelon. Armed with knives and clubs, they specialized in viciously stabbing unsuspecting Wislanders in the ass.

The Army had deployed flamethrowers as a trump card. Yet once the battle moved deeper into the tunnel network, those weapons proved far less effective than expected. More often than not, the flames failed to kill the enemy. Instead, they simply consumed all the oxygen within the tunnel.

Once that happened, the attackers would then be forced to abandon the position they had just captured.

What had begun as a balanced battle gradually shifted into a Wislander defeat.

Inside one narrow tunnel, bullet holes covered both walls. A Wislander squad crouched behind protruding rocks, using them as makeshift cover while exchanging intense fire with green-skinned Mutant Humans further down the passage.

After emptying an entire magazine and finally killing one of the brainless zombie Mutant Humans, Daemon, with his helmet covered in blood, swapped magazines while cursing furiously. "Damn it! How many of these bastards are there?! Did they bury an entire division inside this mountain?!"

The deafening gunfire echoing through the tunnels forced everyone to shout.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did..."

"Shit!"

A squad leader lying wounded on the ground struggled to his feet with help from his comrades. He removed a grenade from his chest rig and shoved it into Daemon's hand. "Use white phosphorus!"

Against monsters that kept moving even after losing their heads, it was the most effective weapon available. The blinding light disrupted the Mutant Humans' vision. The fire and smoke also stalled their advance, buying precious moments of breathing room.

Daemon grabbed the grenade without hesitation. Using his teeth to pull the pin, he hurled it deep into the tunnel.

A blinding flash erupted and moments later came agonized screams and furious roars from the darkness.

Hearing those cries, everyone's spirits immediately lifted.

The squad leader clenched his fist in excitement. "Beautiful! That definitely roasted at least two or three of those..."

Suddenly, something changed. A green shape flew out of the darkness.

A Goblin emerged, but to be more accurate, it had been thrown. Its swollen belly looked as though something had been stuffed inside.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.