This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 230: The Fire Rain that Descends from the Sky

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: The Fire Rain that Descends from the Sky

The entrance of the provincial highway, to the north, was a relatively flat snowfield.

At this moment, the thousand-man team under Lord Black Snake was slowly marching across this snowfield.

Although unsuccessful in persuading Lord Black Snake to make a more cautious strategic choice, Vedes, being on the same boat, still cautiously planned their marching route.

He chose to head straight south, bypassing the large forest and steep slopes on the west side, entering the provincial highway and then heading west all the way, cutting off Changjiu Farm’s connection with the North suburb of Qingquan City.

This route would be slightly longer.

But it would also be more pragmatic.

In the back seat of the armored pickup truck.

Vedes had a map spread across his knees, his index finger moving on the map, drawing an arc around the front part of their march.

"...Our due west position is the forest where Winter Willow Camp is located. Unless something unexpected happened, the survivors there would have evacuated over a month ago."

"Our target is towards the provincial highway to the south. Once we reach there, the road ahead will be smooth sailing."

"If the intelligence is correct, there should be a survivor settlement there."

"Even though they might have likely evacuated, we should still be able to find some useful things there."

"It’ll be dark in about two hours. We can rest there overnight then continue west. If all goes well, we should reach Changjiu Farm by noon tomorrow. If they haven’t blown it up, we should be able to secure a fortress in the North suburb of Qingquan City, and preempt your allies as you wished."

Lord Black Snake stroked his chin, wearing a satisfied expression.

He trusted his strategist’s expertise.

However, he had some questions about the plan.

While Vedes was outlining his plan, Lord Black Snake’s gaze stayed fixed on a red marker on the map.

That was the Ecological Experiment Base of Central State Space, also a strategically defensible high ground, not only with a complete enclosing wall as cover but also buildings to shield from wind and rain.

Lord Black Snake remembered quite clearly, that over a month ago, Vedes had strongly recommended using that place as their springboard for attacking the North suburb of Qingquan City.

Yet, for some reason, this time his strategist had completely ignored that tactical gem, not mentioning it since the entire operation began.

As if he had forgotten about it.

"Why don’t we station ourselves at the Ecological Experiment Base of Central State Space? It’s on high ground, which is perfect for deploying our artillery."

Vedes shook his head and said,

"That position is good, but the terrain from there to Changjiu Farm is too flat."

Lord Black Snake asked puzzledly,

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

Vedes explained,

"For them, it certainly is. They’ll reach there faster than us and occupy the high ground waiting for us to walk right into their trap."

It seemed to make some sense.

Lord Black Snake nodded thoughtfully, his gaze then shifting toward the highway that stretched from east to west on the map, he continued asking,

"What if they ambush us on both sides of the highway?"

Vedes sighed, patiently replying,

"The terrain of the provincial highway is relatively higher than its sides. Nobody would be foolish enough to ambush from the base of the hill those on top of the hill. We just need to allocate a team to scout for explosives and traps in front, and then divide two teams to scout slowly forward along the gentle slopes on both sides of the highway to ensure absolute safety."

This guy always asks some questions that are difficult to answer.

Vedes felt headache coming on.

Despite his headache, the satisfied answer brought a pleased smile to Lord Black Snake"s face, he said relaxedly,

"It seems victory is just within reach."

"Yes, if everything goes as smoothly as planned."

Vedes closed the map in his hands, looking out at the blank expanse of snow through the car window.

His brow furrowed slightly.

The sense of unease grew stronger in his heart.

If the survivors in the North suburb of Qingquan City planned to stop them, this was probably their last and only chance.

Once their convoy hit the highway from the wilderness, the other side would lose all chances of stopping them.

But...

Setting up an ambush here would not be an easy task either.

He had purposely chosen a highway entrance that was not too close to Changjiu Farm.

Even if the other side spotted them and reacted immediately upon receiving the warning, it was unlikely that they would reach this place before them.

Should he send a few men ahead to check?

Just as Vedes was pondering this, suddenly from the southeast direction of the convoy, a loud bang was heard in the distance.

Followed by the whoosh of something cutting through the air, the shell seemed to have landed right in the middle of the convoy.

That seemed to be the location of the tank.

Vedes’s face slightly changed.

Sitting next to him, Lord Black Snake reacted quickly. He had already grabbed the walkie-talkie in his hand, furiously yelling,

"Damn it, daring to ambush my convoy!"

"Shoot, damn it!"

Bang——!

From the gun muzzle, a thick tongue of fire erupted, echoing like thunder across the snowy plains.

A 20mm steel-core armor-piercing shell traced an orange-yellow arc through the air, striking like lightning hard against a tank 500 meters away.

Sparks flew.

With a crisp snap, the thick tracks were broken and slipped uncontrollably off the road wheels. The moving tank immediately lost power and became stranded in the snow.

The looters nearby were dumbfounded.

Clearly, they had not expected anyone to dare strike at them.

And to attack that invincible iron beast!

Moving his eyes away from the scope, the young construction worker lying in the snow with "Brick" waved his fist excitedly and couldn’t help but cheer.

"Hahaha! The tank’s track is broken! I hit it!"

Upon closer inspection, the tank looked quite menacing.

With a nearly eight-meter-long body, a thick gun barrel, and distinct angular lines, it lay in the snow like a giant iron beast.

However, the beast wasn’t as tough as imagined; its track broke with just one shot, surprising even the young construction worker and "Brick".

He had thought that it would take several more shots...

Too bad there were no teammates nearby to high-five him.

Taking advantage of the looters’ confusion, he swiftly ejected the smoking shell casing and stuffed another armor-piercing shell into the gun chamber, taking another shot at the tank’s turret.

If he could damage the turret, this thing would be completely reduced to scrap metal!

However, his idea was good.

Unfortunately, the 20mm caliber was simply too small.

The second shell that hit the turret, like a toothpick stuck in a wall, was unequivocally knocked away and shot toward heaven.

"MMP!"

"Time to switch to high-explosive for hitting people!"

As the second shot rang out, the looters finally spotted him and started shouting and firing toward him.

Bullets whizzed through the distance of five hundred meters.

Unhurried, he folded the "Cavalry Gun" bipod and quickly moved away before the tank’s barrel could turn toward him.

Almost at the same time he left his position, a high-explosive bomb landed exactly where he had been.

The explosion sent snow flying dozens of meters high, and two nearby pine trees were snapped in two, cascading down the snowy slope.

Watching the rising snow mist from afar, a group of players hiding not far away all showed surprised expressions.

"Holy shit! That caliber’s got to be over 80mm."

"Be confident, take out the guess."

"Holy crap...do you think the construction guy is still alive?"

"He’s an Awakener, and a Strength Type, at that; he won’t die so easily." Edge Shoveling looked at Big Eyes next to him and continued, "The tank is yours now, be steady. We’ve only got one robot, just one chance."

Big Eyes, with his connection device, was now closing his eyes.

His consciousness had connected to the "Crawler" deployed forward, its four mechanical legs swiftly moving through the snow.

The target was right ahead!

Though invisible, he could feel it clearly!

His hand already gripping the detonator, Debt Giant Eye gently exhaled a puff of white mist.

"Don’t worry."

"As steady as it gets!"

...

Suddenly ambushed.

The looters’ formation was thrown into chaos.

Clearly, they had no experience dealing with such situations and the cumbersome group immediately tangled up like a centipede in the snow.

However, their combat proficiency was decent, and their reactions fairly quick.

Once they confirmed the direction of the attack, the tank with the broken track was the first to rotate its turret, firing one cannon in the direction from which the shells had come, followed by a rattle of gunfire from the coaxial machine gun next to the barrel.

Bullets kicked up sprays of snow on the slope.

If anyone had still been there, they would undoubtedly have been dead beyond any doubt!

"Men, charge!"

"Find that rat who ambushed us!"

"Damn it, I’m going to skin him and make a sofa out of it!"

Amidst the roaring commands of a looter Centurion, four squads of ten men each swiftly set off toward the snow slope 500 meters away.

Seeing the distant gunfire cease.

A crew member emerged from the top hatch of the tank, toolbox in hand; he took out tools and began repairing the blown-off track.

Sitting atop the armored pickup truck, Lord Black Snake’s face was full of irritation.

Half a minute ago, he had received news from the tank crew that the tank’s tracks had been broken and it would take some time to repair.

All because of a mere attacker, the entire team had to stop.

"I suggest we disperse the infantry to thoroughly search the area," Vedes said cautiously, looking at him. "It’s highly likely that there’s more than one attacker."

Lord Black Snake replied impatiently,

"Once I find that guy, I’ll naturally figure out how many flies there are."

The repair work on the tracks was progressing smoothly.

The tank would soon be operational again.

Lifting his arm to wipe the engine oil smudged on his forehead, Looter, who had just come down from the vehicle, was about to install the last part.

However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed something moving in the snow nearby.

Was it a mouse?

In the blink of an eye, the little critter had already scurried under the tank’s chassis using the cover of the snow.

"What is that?"

He vigilantly drew the pistol from his waistband, crouched down, and pressed his face to the snow, intending to see what had crawled under the tank.

But the snow on the ground was too thick.

After the thing had crawled under the chassis, it stopped moving, vanishing as if into thin air, which made him even begin to doubt whether he had seen it at all.

At that moment, a voice from the tank commander came down from the roof of the vehicle.

"Is it fixed yet?"

He responded,

"Almost, almost there."

The commander pressed him, his voice carrying a hint of warning,

"You better hurry up, if you make Lord Black Snake wait too long, you know what the consequences will be."

He replied nonchalantly,

"Okay, okay, I got it."

Was it an illusion?

Looter doubted in his mind but had no time to crawl under and check.

He stood up from the ground.

However, just as he picked up his tools and was about to finish his work, a burst of flame suddenly shot out from beneath the tank.

It was like a gas stove being ignited.

In an instant, with no chance to react, the shockwave from the explosion struck his chest, blowing him away!

Boom——!

The explosion’s flames and smoke engulfed the entire tank, and the fierce shockwaves lifted it off the ground.

Twisted steel fractured inch by inch, the leaking fuel tank ignited by the intense heat caused a horrific secondary explosion along with the ammunition rack.

The scene was utterly tragic.

Caught off guard, a Centurion was instantly killed on the spot, and nearly twenty Looters around him were swallowed by the explosive flames.

Limbs and remnants flew everywhere.

For a moment, the ground was filled with wails of agony.

It was like purgatory!

"Awesome!!!"

Through his binoculars and lying on the snowy slope, Edge Shoveling excitedly punched the snow beside him.

Not far away, Debt Giant Eye’s head shook and he disconnected, but he quickly logged back on, shaking his heavy head and muttered,

"MMP... why did it drop again."

At the same time, Lord Black Snake, sitting inside the armored pickup, felt his eyes instantly turn red, his pupils filled with blood vessels.

Staring out of the window, his heart felt as though it was being ripped apart, bleeding with every cut!

That was the tank bestowed to him by his leader!

It was his greatest reliance!

The reason his thousand team could storm cities and sweep through territories mercilessly from the central part of River Valley Province to the south like a hurricane was largely due to it!

And now, that tank was reduced to scrap metal...

How dare they!

They actually dared!

"I want to kill them!"

"I want to chop them into pieces, mince them into meat!"

Listening to Lord Black Snake’s furious roar, the driver sitting in front trembled violently, not daring to breathe, fearing he would become a vent for the anger.

Sitting beside Lord Black Snake, Vedes was utterly stunned.

"What was that just now?"

He muttered softly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

There was no warning.

He had only seen a burst of fire shooting into the sky, followed by the Army’s prized "Conqueror" being blasted into scrap metal.

That power...

At least 10 kilograms of TNT.

Perhaps even more!

A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead as Vedes, realizing the seriousness of the situation, suddenly snapped back to reality.

He immediately turned to Lord Black Snake sitting beside him, ignoring the tyrant’s uncontrollable anger, and bellowed,

"Hurry! Call back all six hundred-member teams you dispatched earlier!"

He had only gotten halfway through his sentence.

A barrage of gunfire came from the fan-shaped area ahead.

Bullets whistled like a sudden storm, with at least ten light machine guns—and possibly even more automatic weapons—unleashing fierce firepower at them.

The biggest threat was already eliminated!

There was no need to hide anymore.

Crawling in the snow and supporting the light machine gun mounted on the snowy slope, Debt Giant Eye furiously pulled the trigger and roared,

"Brothers!"

"Hit them hard!"

The muzzle flash turned Debt Giant Eye’s face red, his index finger as if welded to the trigger, and he excitedly shouted,

"Arr ARR ARR!""

Bullets wildly flew over the battlefield, with several even hitting the armoured pickup, making the engine hood clang loudly!

Still not recovered from the earlier explosion and now facing a head-on painful attack, the entire convoy was thrown into chaos.

The elongated convoy, without regard for its head or tail, was stuck in the snow, neither advancing nor retreating, caught in a dilemma.

Fortunately, Vedes, an experienced staff officer, though taken by surprise by the sudden attack, did not lose his composure.

Snatching the walkie-talkie from Lord Black Snake and taking over command, Vedes issued several orders, barely managing to control the chaotic situation.

The Looters gradually realized.

The opposition seemed formidable, but in reality, there were not many of them.

The four armoured pickups spinning their wheels in the snow finally lumbered to the front of the convoy, four vehicle-mounted machine guns welded with steel plates crazily strafing the snowy slope 500 meters away, quickly suppressing the enemy.

Under the leadership of a Centurion, a hundred and twenty Looters spread out into twelve small teams and began encircling from the front.

The bayonets glinted in the snow like wild beasts’ fangs.

Their eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty gleam, like wolves surrounding their prey.

"Tear them apart!"

"Chop off their heads! Kill them in the most brutal way!"

"Let those rats from the gutters know the consequences of angering Lord Black Snake!"

The Centurion roared, urging his troops forward.

However, just then, a piercing screech suddenly came from above their heads.

The Centurion instinctively looked up, his eyes widening, the bloodthirsty look in his pupils instantly replaced by a color of fear.

He saw rockets, trailing thick plumes of smoke across the sky, raining down like fire, taking the evening’s last glow to the ground.

He cried out in shock, falling into the snow, and screamed with all his strength,

"Take cover—!"

The rockets did not hit directly overhead.

Instead, they struck behind him, heavily hitting the rear position.

The explosion’s fiery light merged into one, shrapnel madly flying over the open space, the boiling heat wave almost igniting the snow, burning the Looters’ mental defenses.

Looking back at the sea of fire behind him, the Centurion, lying on the ground, saw his fear gradually turning into despair, losing the last bit of courage to move forward.

At that moment, sharp whistle sounds swept across the snowfield from all directions, and in the spreading smoke, he saw his men turning their backs to the enemy and running, only to be shot down in the snow.

They were attacked from behind.

The armoured pickups, supposed to cover their advance, seemed to want to go back to help, but the snow was already burying their hoods.

Controlling the wheels stuck in the snow was tougher than they had imagined.

From afar, bang-bang-bang sounds of autocannon fire came as one armoured pickup after another was penetrated by incendiary bombs, one after the other...

Half-buried in the snow, the Centurion faintly heard echoes of battle cries like waves.

He couldn’t understand what those people were shouting.

Nor did he know how many there were.

He only knew that the war might end faster than Lord Black Snake had anticipated.

Maybe they wouldn’t even need till tomorrow.

Perhaps tonight, they could be sleeping in the survivors’ houses...

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