Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 698 - 691: Pre-war Mobilization

Chapter 698: Chapter 691: Pre-war Mobilization

The Door of Annihilation has openings in both the north and south. In between the two, there’s a ripple barrier that does not connect, so there are two exits. To fend off monster counterattacks, defense positions must be set up on both the north and the south.

However, this issue has led to a disagreement within the Church Court’s military forces. These forces, including those under secular authority, are divided into two classes. One class are modern units that fully deploy firearms and advanced weaponry. The other class consists of traditional native forces which primarily employ cold weapons.

The point of contention involves the form of defense. The traditional forces, with their armor and cold weapons, wish to charge and drive back the monsters to the Door of Annihilation as they enter the Otherworld.

On the other hand, the modern forces, armed with advanced weaponry, aspire to form a defense line. They intend to use their superior firepower to annihilate all monsters at the Door of Annihilation once they counterattack.

In this way, should both forces engage simultaneously, the traditionally equipped forces at the front could block the shooting range of the modern forces at the back. This would limit their ability to fully utilize their firepower advantage.

This is a common irreconcilable contradiction in the Otherworld. As stated before, in the Otherworld, the enchanted cold weapons are no less powerful in attack and defense capabilities than Earth weapons. This has led the conservatives to remain steadfast in their insistence on using cold weapons for combat, rejecting the use of Earth’s advanced weaponry.

However, the reality is that only those cold weapons imbued with magic can resist advanced weaponry. Only the nobility and religious powers have the ability to imbue weapons with magic. The vast majority of commoners neither have the means nor the permission to equip magical weapons. This results in their reliance on Earth’s advanced weaponry as their main armament.

Currently, these weapons from Earth are prevalent among the middle and lower classes while the upper-class nobility stubbornly continue to wield magical cold weapons. Even though some noble powers have shown signs of yielding, it should be noted that their acquisition of advanced weapons is primarily a measure to make up for the deficiency of magical weapons. They still have more faith in the latter.

This issue was not evident at the start of the plague-afflicted operation. This was because the traditional and modern forces were moving about in different regions, with neither overlapping the other. Hence the disagreement wasn’t particularly noticeable. With the need for a united defense, however, the disagreement was quickly exposed.

After some discussion, the modern forces backed down. They agreed that the traditional forces would engage the monsters when they counterattacked, while they would primarily be responsible for covering the rear. If the traditional army failed, they would open fire in full, intercepting the monsters before they broke through the line of defense.

The reason for this arrangement is not only because the modern forces do not have full say, but more importantly, the Mages require the covering fire of the traditional forces to approach the Door of Annihilation and activate the runes they have set, so as to close the door.

On this note, the traditional forces provide more effective cover than the modern ones. Because once full fire is opened, unless these Mages are foolish, they would not huddle near the Door of Annihilation for fear of being hit by stray bullets.

In fact, in terms of fighting efficiency against the monsters of Annihilation, the traditional forces perform as well as the modern ones. The traditional soldiers, clad in heavy armor and armed with sharp blades, stand as humanoid Gundams as long as they have the proper protective measures. The monsters cannot shake them at all.

"The campaign starts tomorrow. The Vanguard Team will cover for the Mage unit as they approach the Door of Annihilation to shut it down. The Vanguard Team will retreat when the Mages withdraw. The transport planes will provide air support for you at all times. However, if the situation worsens, do not persist. Everyone must board the transport planes and evacuate immediately," Li Si made the battle arrangements and mobilized troops in his office that evening.

"Understood!" The neatly arranged soldiers responded in unison.

"Additionally, because Tangmo and Baiyue need to assist the Mages, the First Vanguard Team will be understaffed. To avoid this, I’ve decided to temporarily incorporate the Second Vanguard Team into the First. They will be under Luoer’s command. Is there any problem with that?" Li Si asked.

"Humph!" Everyone obviously heard a voice of contempt from Zhuanzhu.

"No problem, we’ll follow the command!" Murong covertly kicked him and answered loudly.

Murong was well aware that while they had grown rapidly during their frequent missions in this period, there was still a substantial gap between them and Luoer’s team. Keep in mind, as the first team to be dispatched abroad, Luoer’s team had almost spanned the entire continent in the Otherworld. Their experiences were innumerable times richer than theirs.

"Very well, get some rest early. You’re likely in for a tough fight tomorrow." Li Si said, nodding in approval.

Upon leaving the office, Luo’er didn’t relax, instead, with him now commanding the Murong squad, his pressure had increased. As a captain, Luo’er had a principle of keeping all his members safe, so when the team began to grow, it became more difficult for him to manage.

"Jiu’er," Luo’er called to Shangguan Jiu and said earnestly, "Moumou and the others need to assist the mage troops now, so you’ll be in charge of Feng’s logistic work."

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jiu instantly became excited, she hugged Feng tightly around the neck, in a manner reminiscent of a starving tiger pouncing on food. Feng struggled but could not escape, she looked at Luo’er with pleading eyes.

Exhaling deeply, Luo’er said seriously, "Feng is the ace of our advance team. We cannot afford any mistakes. You must ensure she remains in the best condition by tomorrow, and her stored magic reaches its peak."

"Got it!" Shangguan Jiu responded playfully. It seemed that ever since Feng’s appearance, she’d given up on trying to flirt with Luo’er and directed all her attention to Feng, treating her like a younger sister.

"It seems that Feng is really popular..." Wu Tairan observed, shaking his head with a sigh at the scene.

"If I wasn’t afraid of her chopping me, I would want to hug her too." Hu Daoke shrugged casually.

"If you dare, your sister will be the first one to cut you down!" Cheng Ziang retorted.

"Tonight, we should adjust our weapons, either equipping large-capacity magazines or double-drum magazines to ensure continuous firepower," Luo’er instructed his teammates, "We’re spearheading the charge. If the monsters counterattack, we’ll be their primary targets. Be sharp, everyone. And don’t be too sluggish."

"Does this mean we all have to act as machine gunners?" Hu Daoke asked excitedly.

Luo’er glanced at him and continued, "If possible, carry as many weapons as you can. We have transport planes for carrying our gear, so there’s no need to worry about long-distance marching."

"Ah, it seems I’m stuck as a rifleman." Cheng Ziang glanced at Feng’s longsword and sighed regretfully.

Luo’er, still not engaging in their conversation, continued instructing them: "If the monsters counterattack tomorrow and trigger the collapse of the close-combat troops, don’t run to the North or South. Instead, retreat to the East or West. This provides a clear line of fire for the troops behind and prevents friendly fire."

"Gotcha!" Shangguan Jiu, holding Feng, said contentedly.

"Anything else you want to say?" Murong asked, noticing Luo’er’s hesitant expression.

"Forget it, go and rest early," Luo’er sighed heavily, "No use saying too much now. We’ll adjust according to the situation on the spot tomorrow. Who knows, the monsters might not counterattack at all. As long as we can fully shut the Door of Annihilation, we can finally wrap up this damn mission."

Tonight being the eve of the final battle, Murong decided to gather everyone in the airboat’s dining hall to drink and chat. Shangguan Jiu wasn’t interested, she happily carried Feng back to her quarters, leaving behind only a bunch of men.

So, Murong led everyone to the dining hall, with Luo’er and Cheng Ziang trailing behind, chatting casually.

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