Free Web NovelChapter 783: Chapter 693: The Battle in Progress (4)
"They’ve breached the stronghold!"
On the screen, the battlefield commander’s face was filled with horror as he reported, while several soldiers behind him were knocked down, wailing in agony. The engineer’s abdomen expanded, secreting dark green liquid, enveloping the soldiers. Their flesh dissolved visibly.
A soldier was pinned to the ground, with three or four Daoists pulling at her arms and legs, tearing them apart under her terrified gaze, splattering crimson across the screen.
Chaos unfolded everywhere on the battlefield, as the lines were torn to shreds by the Insect Race’s claws.
"Organize your soldiers to resist!" A warrant officer shouted at the commander.
"They’re all dead, we can’t stop them, their numbers are too overwhelming. This war isn’t worth continuing."
The commander murmured in a daze,
He turned around, facing the flood of Insect Race breaking through the defenses, raising the gun to hold it against his chin.
"Even if we win today, they’ll come back tomorrow, no matter how many times."
"Let me go back, I’m tired."
Just before the gunshot sounded, countless images flashed through the commander’s mind; the faces of family, the departed comrades, but mostly the endless insect swarms—a fear and despair only a frontline veteran could understand.
No matter what victory they achieved or how many of the Insect Race they killed, their numbers never seemed to decrease. The bad news of front lines collapsing, letters from family, the heavy atmosphere between comrades, an endless tide of oppression rising.
The image was completely submerged in the shadows of insects, Line One was breached, not one soldier survived.
A heavy atmosphere spread in the rear, casting a shadow on the vigilant veterans.
Among these soldiers were seasoned veterans, who had witnessed the battlefield’s brutality firsthand; departure brought reluctance and regret, pain had long numbed them. The one who spoke lightheartedly last month was now wrapped in white cloth, sent back home.
"It’s our turn." A veteran snubbed out the cigarette, saying, "Boys, shoulder your guns well, don’t let those behind laugh at us."
His face, marked by years of toil, scanned over worried faces. He laid down the gun, his calloused hand patting several soldiers’ shoulders, finally resting on a young soldier’s face.
The Insect Race would soon swarm in, with orders to stand fast until the last moment, their names would be etched on gravestones after death.
"Will we die?" someone asked shakily.
"Pretty much." The veteran turned, answering ambiguously.
"What do you mean by ’pretty much’?"
"We will die," the veteran exhaled deeply, "If not today, then tomorrow. Run and you die, stay and you die."
His words silenced the surrounding soldiers, while armored vehicles rumbled at the rear.
"What then is our purpose for holding on?"
"Before, I might have said, to die with dignity, to die gloriously."
"To reclaim our homeland, for humanity’s shared future."
The veteran remained silent for a long time, then lit a cigarette, clicking as he smoked.
Those fervent emotions had long been dulled by prolonged warfare.
"Now, I just want to say, at least give yourself an explanation."
"After all this time in war, what do we have left?"
"Generations’ spines bent under the weight, young men like you might say indignant, but mostly of rejection; why wasn’t the war ending sooner, why were others’ homes destroyed, why must you bear this heavy cost?"
"Our home shattered, both in reality and spirit."
The veteran’s thoughts flashed in his eyes, shaking his head and saying,
"There’s just one reason I’m standing here, want to hear it?"
The soldiers responded with silence.
"My wife and children are dead because of those damned bastards, that’s why I’m here."
"Not for Honor, not for reclaiming the homeland, even less for humanity’s future. Only hatred drives me to kill them!"
"My heart has long been consumed by anger."
"Whether the flames of hatred engulf me, I don’t care anymore."
"I want to vent my fury on them."
"Remember!" The veteran raised his voice,
"All your pain was brought by them."
"Since there’s no way back, it’s time those scum paid the bloody bill!"
"The time for revenge has come!"
Onscreen, Line Two fully mobilized, the officers stationed at the rear deeply touched.
They couldn’t discern, what sustained them thus far, whether it was the obsession of reclaiming lost land, or inherited hatred.
The clock ticked away, defensive lines across the city faced the Insect Race, defeat upon defeat reached Chi Chuyi’s ears. The man’s expression remained calm, focused on the time, gazing toward the mountain battlefield.
On the mountain battlefield, soldiers gathering with the main forces launched an assault on the dam. Looking down, the offensive was overwhelming, soldiers shouting as they charged into the dam’s interior. A Titan climbed the dam wall, crushing the Insect Race clinging to it. Far away, anti-aircraft guns fired in unison, explosions sweeping across the top of the dam.
Slaughter, shrieks, the roar of artillery deafening, stray bullets flying overhead, narrow passages became a firefight.
"Cover the advance!"
A soldier dashed out from cover, throwing several gel rounds as a barrier, attracting a few armored bugs who fired suppressive rounds at him.
"Try this!"
Someone stood up and hurled a shock grenade, blinded armored bugs were consumed by blinding white light, firing wildly. An unlucky soldier was pierced through the chest by sharp bone spurs shot from the armored bug.
Huang Yusheng rushed out, trying to restrain the armored bug’s arm, but Power was no match, being grabbed and violently smashed into the ground.
As he was about to have his skull crushed, a loud bang echoed. A Humanoid Titan crashed through the wall, its mechanical arm crushing the armored bug’s head, while the humming Thermic Blade was drawn like a warrior, slicing another armored bug in half.
"Phew."
Huang Yusheng breathed a sigh of relief, but the next scene plunged him into despair.
A black-purple Insect Titan suddenly appeared from hiding, the Humanoid Titan’s pilot couldn’t react before the claws pierced the cockpit. The Insect Titan roared, shoving a rotary gun into the cockpit and firing wildly, finally kicking down the Humanoid Titan.
"Damn it..." Huang Yusheng’s expression was grim as he watched the Insect Titan approach.
The whistling of the wind came, the Insect Titan instinctively turned, a sharp iron hook easily tore its flesh armor, suspending it in mid-air.
"Phew..."
Inside the crane, a soldier’s chest heaved, the chaotic battlefield below fully visible.
"Xiaoliu!" Fulai noticed the disappearance of the person beside her, realizing Xiaoliu had somehow climbed towards the crane.
"It’s not over, be careful!"
Awakening from a coma, Xiaoliu ignored his wounds, shouting at the soldier on the crane.
The dangled Insect Titan struggled and roared, its eyes flashed red light, in high view, overlooking the entire battlefield, it disregarded friendly forces, aiming the energy cannon below and bombarding madly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Inside the dam, soldiers within the Insect Titan’s view became living targets, where it challenged the energy cannon, whether soldier or insect, were obliterated by expanding dark-green energy.
An energy cannon burst, the crane’s cockpit and its soldier melted into liquid.
Xiaoliu, losing balance, fell to the ground, the violent impact almost tearing him apart.
"Power room..." He struggled to stand, grabbing Fulai’s hand.
"Quickly, everyone go to the power room!"
