Chapter 738.3: Real Heroes

Howling in pain as white-phosphorus flames burned across its body, Orlong nonetheless pushed forward. The gigantic mutant smashed into the player formation in an instant.

With a single swing of its massive hand, it sent a heavily armored strength type player flying. Immediately afterward, it spat a stream of corrosive acid.

Players cried out and scattered backward.

"Die! All of you die for Orlong!"

Inspired by his savage roar, the Mutant Humans in the chamber experienced a final burst of fighting spirit. Green-skinned brutes and Goblins alike charged at the players invading their stronghold.

Looking at the rampaging monster, Kakarot's expression grew serious. However, beneath that seriousness was excitement. Ever since the Burning Corps had captured the Hive in downtown Clearspring City, he hadn't enjoyed a fight this much.

"Prepare the rockets! Forget armor-piercing and thermobaric rounds, load incendiary warheads! I want to see whether the freak regenerates faster than we burn it!"

"Light them up!"

...

The battle inside Broken Blade Peak was earth-shattering. Outside, however, everything was eerily quiet. Only muffled explosions echoed from the tunnel entrances.

On Black Cloud Peak, General Modlin stared at the tunnel entrances halfway up the distant slope with his brows tightly furrowed. No one knew what he was thinking.

His adjutant stood beside him in silence.

Though those soldiers had once been enemies, he couldn't help silently praying for them. It was respect from one warrior to another.

Those people were true heroes. They could have easily abandoned the Wislanders and could have used the Army's unauthorized assault as an excuse to sit back alongside the Enterprise and watch them suffer the consequences of their own mistakes. Later, during post-battle reviews, they could have mocked them.

They could even have pressured Triumphant City through the Mutant Slime Mold Research Committee, weakening General Liam's authority.

But they hadn't.

For the sake of the war effort, for the unity of the coalition, and for the future of humanity itself, those noble individuals had charged forward without hesitation, plugging the hole Liam's selfishness had torn into the front lines.

Thinking about it, the adjutant felt heat rise along his back as a look of shame appeared on his face.

Not every Wislander shared his opinion, but during these few hours, many officers and soldiers had changed their view of the New Alliance. It was especially for those who had survived the frontlines.

What they felt wasn't merely gratitude, it was respect and reverence.

...

Elsewhere, the six Cloudfly attack aircraft had exhausted their ammunition. After confirming that Black Cloud Peak was no longer in danger, they turned back toward the Guardian Manor Military Base.

At the Enterprise's frontline command center, Lin Shangwen had just finished speaking with Chu Guang. After summarizing the battlefield situation, he continued, "... Enemy forces outside the mountain have largely been eliminated. Fighting inside the mountain continues. Unfortunately, there's not much more we can do."

"It's fine. Leave the rest to us." Chu Guang nodded. Though he was speaking to Lin Shangwen, his eyes were fixed on another screen. The display showed live reports from the forums.

As expected, the Mutant Humans were no easy opponents. Otherwise, both the Enterprise and the Army wouldn't have suffered setbacks before the New Alliance ultimately reaped the benefits.

Actually, the battle also indirectly supported Hyrja's hypothesis. The Torch Church had used research data related to Project Complete Human collected across the wasteland to further enhance Mutant Humans.

The green-skinned creatures on Broken Blade Peak were no longer the naturally evolved Mutant Humans found elsewhere. Their vitality was vastly superior and some rare specimens had become terrifyingly powerful. Even severed heads could regrow, allowing them to fight for a longer time.

It was especially so for the Super Mutant Human called Orlong. The toughness of his body was frankly absurd. He had endured 10 thermobaric rockets and still fought as though nothing had happened.

As a result, he had inflicted considerable casualties on the Storm Corps. However, the players currently waiting out their respawn timers weren't discouraged in the slightest.

It was actually quite the opposite. Their reviews of this outrageously powerful boss were overwhelmingly positive.

It was obvious. They hadn't encountered an opponent capable of giving them such a satisfying battle in a very long time.

...

Seeing that Chu Guang had no further requests, Lin Shangwen quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he soon remembered something else. After hesitating briefly, he finally spoke. "By the way."

"What is it?" Chu Guang’s reply came instantly.

"We did contribute quite a bit to taking this mountain..."

Seeing Lin Shangwen's awkward expression, Chu Guang immediately understood. He smiled faintly. "No problem. It’s yours. Of course, as our previous agreement stated, Enterprise will need to cover the costs incurred during the operation."

At those words, Lin Shangwen finally smiled. "We certainly won't let our friends suffer losses." After a brief pause, he added somewhat sheepishly, "Actually... it doesn't all have to be credited to us. We can count it as a joint achievement."

Chu Guang waved his hand dismissively. "That's a small matter. We need to prioritize the bigger picture."

...

Dawn had begun to rise on the horizon. Though the ground below remained shrouded in darkness, Chu Guang could already see the end of the long night from the bridge of the Heart of Steel.

On the highest rock atop Broken Blade Peak, a player wearing an exoskeleton climbed into position. With great force, he planted the flags of Storm Corps and the New Alliance into the summit.

Chu Guang saw the player from where he was, and the player seemed to spot his airship as well.

The player waved in excitement. Then, as though suddenly remembering something, he placed his fist over his chest.

Even knowing the player couldn't see him, Chu Guang smiled and returned the gesture through the bridge window.

Vanus glanced at his watch. "I didn't expect the Storm Corps to capture it before sunrise."

Judging from everything they had seen, at least a full division of Mutant Humans had been hidden inside the mountain.

The Storm Corps had brought only a single battalion to the battlefield. Even after the Enterprise and the Army had weakened the defenders considerably, taking the mountain should not have been easy.

Lowering his hand, Chu Guang narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I wasn't surprised at all."

After all, he had spent the entire battle watching the forum. From his perspective, it was almost no different from witnessing the battle in person.

...

At the same time, aboard the Loyalty, Liam sat silently in his chair, staring at the two flags now flying atop Broken Blade Peak.

There was not a trace of joy on his face, only a complicated expression. The feeling was much like watching a roasted duck fly away after it was already cooked.

At that moment, his adjutant approached and leaned close. "General... The coalition commander has invited you to a meeting at the military base command center. He intends to address the lack of coordination between allied forces and the issue of excessive faction self-interest."

The muscles at the corner of Liam's mouth twitched violently as his face turned red before draining of blood. Soon, it turned red from embarrassment. He stared blankly at the reinforced glass before him, as though searching for a crack to crawl through.

The inevitable had finally arrived. Just imagining how the Enterprise's officers would ridicule him made him want to jump straight out of the airship.

And it wasn't just the Enterprise. Being defeated by a bunch of Mutant Humans would remain the greatest humiliation of his life.

Seeing his commander's changing expression, the adjutant hesitated before quietly asking, "...Would you like me to attend in your place?"

"No." To his credit, Liam was still willing to face the consequences of his actions. With a dark expression, he interrupted immediately. "... I'll go myself."

His words came out through gritted teeth.

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