This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 402: Time to Counterattack!

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Time to Counterattack!

The clouds resembled boiling flames, black and red intertwined, as if the entire sky was ablaze.

Bullets danced across the sky, seemingly unable to halt the descent of the dark curtain, while billowing smoke had already swallowed a corner of the majestic castle.

Although the flames seemed as faint as a speck of dust,

they still shattered the myth of the shield being unbreakable.

With the burst of fire from the right wing exploding, the armies on the ground revealed expressions of astonishment, their eyes filled with disbelief.

And a hint of unease.

"...What happened?"

"Why is the engine failing again?"

"Something seemed to have hit us just now..."

"That’s impossible! The deflection shield is absolute, nothing could break through it!"

"Was that a parachute? Or am I seeing things..."

"Are those maniacs planning to board the ’Iron Heart’?"

"What can that handful of people do... at most a couple hundred-team units."

Although one side’s engine had failed, no one was worried about the situation escalating.

Being the least technically complicated component on the "Iron Heart," and particularly prone to issues on the connected row of engines on the wing, its breakdown was not a cause for alarm.

The most stocked item in their airship’s inventory was the propeller blade.

However, the plan for redeployment would likely have to be postponed for a couple of weeks...

Similarly looking in the direction of the "Iron Heart," Rachel opened his mouth slightly in surprise.

From the moment turbulence had erupted in the air, the airship’s observation cabin had stopped caring about their side.

He didn’t know what the natives had done.

But looking at the airship losing balance, he gathered that he couldn’t count on aerial support for a while.

At least until that airship stabilized.

But...

It didn’t matter anymore.

Turning his gaze from the airship, Rachel looked towards a ruined area two kilometers ahead, squinting slightly.

It was a deserted town.

The pockmarked soil was strewn with broken walls and pillars, and small villas in the style of the countryside were covered with vines and moss, showing the wear of years.

The town was eerily quiet, no sign of movement, yet beneath this seemingly calm surface, a violent undercurrent was brewing.

Standing beside him,

his right-hand, also clad in a "jet-black exoskeleton," held a telescope, carefully scanning the area before speaking with certainty.

"Defensive shelters... quite rudimentary, they probably didn’t have time to prepare properly."

About an hour ago, the observation cabin of the "Iron Heart" had spotted an unidentified thousand-team unit approaching from the southeast, seemingly intending to enter the Rui Valley City District.

Considering that the local guerrilla team was active in the Rui Valley City District, the officers aboard the "Iron Heart" immediately concluded that this force was meant to reinforce the guerrillas.

General McLellan certainly wouldn’t allow this force to slip into the city under his watch, so he immediately issued orders to the Marine Corps, instructing Rachel to intercept this unit before it could enter the city.

Compared to the small forces that had attacked them earlier, a thousand-strong armed unit undoubtedly counted as a big fish.

Although they were just an ant before the Army,

Rachel did not relax her vigilance because of the enemy’s insignificance. Upon receiving the orders, she immediately led three thousand-member teams and over 2000 Retinue Soldiers, flanking from three directions, to surround the thousand-man armed force coming to reinforce the Guerrilla Team in the city.

The plan proceeded smoothly.

With the help of aerial reconnaissance, they successfully blocked the team’s advance and forced them to abandon entering Rui Valley City District, retreating southward.

Rachel certainly wasn’t going to let this big fish slip away and immediately mobilized the armored troops to cut off their escape routes, driving them to the edge of the forest.

Realizing escape was impossible, these natives simply gave up fleeing and instead hid in a small town in the southern suburbs of Rui Valley City, planning to make a last stand using the limited cover available against the pursuing Army.

against 1000.

Plus, there was support from armored units.

Although the firefight hadn’t officially started, the victor was already apparent.

Large raindrops slid off the helmet visors, and the adjutant’s lips curled into a slightly mocking smile.

"It’s a pity we can’t bomb them first; otherwise, the fight could be over within ten minutes."

"It doesn’t matter."

Rachel said coolly, removing the radio from her shoulder and speaking in an icy voice,

"All units, free fire!"

"First and second thousand-member teams suppress the west and east sides."

"First Armored Squadron, coordinate with the third thousand-member team to attack from the north!"

The communication channel reverberated with crisp responses.

"Yes!"

The war machine started.

Twenty Mosquito-style wheeled armored personnel carriers first revved their engines, with the twin 45mm guns on the turrets aimed at the town, forming an arrowhead formation, rolling forward at a steady pace.

At the same time, the third thousand-member team dispatched two hundred-member teams, breaking into twenty squads, closely following behind the armored personnel carriers, pushing forward together.

Each team consisted of two gunners carrying machine guns, wearing heavy bulletproof armor, supported by eight soldiers in basic protective gear.

Additionally, thirty "Hyena" light armored vehicles also started their engines, splitting into two groups to cover the flanks of the wheeled APC formation.

The quad 10mm machine guns mounted on their turrets exuded a chilling gleam, much like the teeth of a hyena.

Moreover, nearly five hundred Retinue Soldiers were pushed to the front line.

These Waste Land Wanderers held Ripper Rifles, with bayonets already attached, their eyes half excited, half fearful.

The rest felt tense and confused.

As a cannon fodder unit, they would launch the first assault under the cover of the Hyena light armored vehicles.

However, unlike the regular troops protected by vehicles,

the light vehicles accompanying them would not advance into the town with them, only providing fire support from the perimeter.

If they dared to flee...

Those long, thick gun barrels would not hesitate to turn towards them.

Watching the small town now thoroughly surrounded, Rachel slightly narrowed her eyes, a hint of pleasure gradually emerging in her pupils filled with murderous intent.

This pleasure was not derived from the killing itself, but from the correction of a mistake.

Undoubtedly.

Those barbarians resisting order were indeed the root of all chaos and evil.

They rudely possessed a heritage that wasn’t theirs, squandering unearned benefits with their meager lives, struggling to survive like cockroaches and rats.

Mutants, Waste Land Wanderers, and the Variants... all these barbarians were essentially the same.

Only by driving this filthy blood off this land without a trace could the ground be purified.

Only then could the great people of Weilante rebuild Heaven on this planet.

And venture into even more distant worlds to expand their territories.

The first armored squadron was just 1 kilometer away from the town, and the "Scorpion" armored personnel carriers, arranged in a spearhead formation, had begun to unleash fearsome firepower from their twin 45mm guns.

Driven by heavy machine guns, the retinue soldiers pushed to the front lines shrieked madly, trying to dispel the fear in their hearts, charging at the town like ferocious wolves under the whizzing bullets overhead.

Meanwhile, behind the ruins, flashes of stubborn resistance from gunfire began to flicker.

However, facing the sweep of heavy machine guns and artillery shells, those bursts of gunfire were like candles swaying in a storm, teetering on the verge of being extinguished...

The town’s outer defenses had been shattered.

Of the 500 retinue soldiers, only just over 100 remained.

These Waste Land Wanderer’s combat power was quite pathetic, but as cannon fodder, their performance was much better than that of the Clone Infantry, often bursting out with miraculous strength driven by their will to survive.

Watching the natives’ defenses continuously shrink under the crush of firepower, Rachel’s cruel smile grew even more evident, her face gradually taking on a hint of fanaticism—

Or perhaps, insanity.

"Soldiers! Advance!"

"With your bullets, bayonets, daggers, and teeth... rip open these filthy vermin! Use the cruelest methods to slaughter them!"

"Then use their blood to lubricate our tires! Let those barbarians understand the consequences of defiance!"

...

West District of Rui Valley City.

Hidden inside the mountain region, the artillery position was now a scene of rolling thick smoke and total disarray.

Perhaps saving its better-targeted, slow-loading 400mm bore-fired rockets for more valuable targets, the enemy used 100mm aircraft cannons instead.

However, the counterfire came faster than anticipated, catching everyone off guard.

Coughing, Yang Shu crawled out of the bunker and wiped the ash off his face. Looking around at the patchy, black-and-white position, he finally spotted a half-buried hand.

Joy surged in his heart as he stumbled forward, hoping to unearth his buried comrade.

But when he grabbed the hand, intending to pull with force, he ended up pulling out just half of the arm.

Staring at the half-severed hand in his hand, Yang Shu went blank for a few seconds before silently removing his coat and wrapping it up.

A cough came from nearby.

Hearing movement in the debris, he quickly walked towards the sound and finally found a living person this time.

The face was buried in the dirt, half of it scorched black, but the lips were still moving, still breathing weakly.

He recognized the face—it was the young man called Furnace, like him, a refugee who had escaped from the north.

Seeing the captain’s face, those colorless pupils suddenly brightened a bit.

"Captain..."

"Don’t move! I’ll get you out!"

Yang Shu moved the stones from his body and then brought over a shovel.

Watching the captain anxiously digging, the buried young man coughed, spitting out the mud in his mouth.

"Captain, our artillery..."

"Blasted by those bastards! Damn, they were pretty accurate... Forget that thing for now!"

"Captain..."

"What the hell is wrong now!"

"I... I can’t feel my legs..."

Yang Shu’s grip on the shovel faltered.

He gritted his teeth, continuing to dig.

"I’ll buy you a new pair!"

Furnace forced a smile.

He knew the captain couldn’t afford it, as it wasn’t cheap.

But he didn’t contradict him.

"Captain, did... did we win?"

Yang Shu glanced back at the burning sky, the rolling thick smoke at the edge of the airships, and the streaks of tracer bullets occasionally piercing the sky.

He was unsure of the situation there.

But he had no doubt in his heart.

"... We definitely will!"

At the same time, at the end of his gaze, behind the waterfall of smoke, the cruel and bloody carnage was just beginning.

Muzzle flashes danced on the steel-covered decks like bursts of flashing lightning.

The pouring rain washed away thick blood and fragmented flesh, with crimson and broken armor tumbling towards the abyss-like distant ground.

Yet—

Despite ongoing casualties, nothing stopped those who were still alive from pushing forward.

The hatch, the size of a manhole cover, was pushed open, and soldiers in heavy armor climbed up the dome via ladders, trying to stop the Burning Corps from reaching the heavy gun barrel.

But as soon as one of them showed his head, a streak of arrowlight pierced through his skull, sending him back inside the airship with the pouring rain.

Holding an assault rifle, Night Ten looked at Fang Chang in surprise.

"Damn, you brought ’Dawn’ too?"

"What else? Save it for Chinese New Year?"

Fang Chang chuckled, but his movements remained swift; a high-explosive arrow precisely pinned the hand that was securing the hatch.

The painful scream was swept away by the high-altitude winds.

The drop back inside the airship brought the high-explosive arrow with a delayed fuse along, quickly exploding, killing and wounding many below the ladder, and a hot air burst pushed upwards, shaking the round hatch.

At that moment, Old White’s voice came through the communication channel, mixed with rapid gunfire sounds.

"Don’t get tangled with those infantry!"

"Keep moving forward!"

Fang Chang’s expression turned serious, and he immediately responded.

"Roger that!"

Only a few hundred soldiers managed to land.

There were still countless airship marines and crew members aboard, too many for just their small number to kill.

Their target was not to occupy the entire airship.

Instead, they aimed to destroy the artillery position on this airship!

Under Old White’s command, the Burning Corps quickly split into two groups. One group, led by Wild Wind, headed to the artillery area at the front of the airship, directly targeting the twelve ground-support cannons located squarely in front of the airship.

The other group was personally led by Old White, rushing directly towards the 400mm main cannon that stood erect like a chimney!

The group swiftly advanced to the side of the cannon barrel, and as they stared at the towering barrel, Night Ten couldn’t help but click his tongue.

"Damn, such a huge barrel—I feel like a person could crawl inside!"

Old White’s mind raced, and he looked towards Fang Chang who was wearing a light cavalry exoskeleton.

"You lead a team to advance through the barrel, while I take the rest through the hatch!"

Fang Chang immediately nodded.

"I’ll give it a try!"

With those words, he climbed onto the barrel, shouldered his way to check the fit, found it just spacious enough, and then immediately gestured to the squad behind him. Without hesitation, they crawled in.

Such large caliber cannons are generally not loaded with ammunition to prevent sympathetic detonation. Ammunition would only be loaded when ready to fire.

As the ten-man squad entered, gunfire soon erupted from beneath the cannon.

There was no time to check the situation inside.

Old White immediately signaled for others to deploy thermite, burning big holes through the dome of the airship.

The armor of the Iron Heart was not merely a thin layer of metal. Beneath that steel exterior, alloy frameworks served as structural supports.

These steel structures were exceptionally sturdy, likely even able to resist a "Spring Knife."

Old White quickly changed his approach, leading his men towards the nearest hatch and affixing the thermite.

With a flash of white light, the hatch blew open.

He then threw a smoke bomb and, clad in a heavy cavalry exoskeleton, Old White tucked his assault rifle under his arm and was the first to leap into the smoky haze of bullets and gunfire, leading the charge into the corridor directly below.

Over a hundred soldiers of the Burning Corps followed one by one, quickly dispersing in groups of four.

A corridor battle, more bloody and brutal than street fighting, soon began.

The combat distance did not exceed ten meters.

Both sides used the corridor as a battlefield, relying on rooms on either side, doors, and corners of the corridor as cover in a fierce fight for every inch of space.

Corpses were everywhere in the corridor, the acrid smell of gunpowder masking the stench of charred flesh, with life ticking away by the second.

In the ear-splitting gunfire, everyone was seeing red,

whether they were players from the Burning Corps or soldiers of the Army!

Breaking a bloody path through the corridor, Old White, accompanied by Night Ten, quickly advanced to the door of the 400mm main cannon chamber.

Without a word, the two took positions on either side of the door. Reading Old White’s expression, Night Ten pulled out a shock grenade from his chest, ready to breach the door.

At that moment, two knocks sounded at the door.

Old White was slightly stunned but immediately reached out to pull the door open.

There stood Fang Chang, covered in blood.

His exoskeleton was shattered and on the verge of collapse. The composite material of his breastplate was pocked with countless bullet holes—it was unclear whether it was the man supporting the exoskeleton or the exoskeleton supporting the man.

Leaning against the wall with his left hand, he held an LD-47 assault rifle in his right, blood dripping down the downward-facing muzzle onto the ground.

Despite his ghostly appearance, his expression remained calm, even managing to squeeze a faint smile from his face.

Before Old White could ask what had happened, an explosion erupted not far in front of him, sweeping a hot blast of air and dust out of the door.

Fang Chang coughed, steadying his breathing as he spoke.

"The ammunition depot isn’t here... After entering the gun chamber, I only saw the sighting system and the loading device. My team and I killed the gunner, then we affixed thermite to the loader, which should be destroyed by now."

He was the only one still standing there; clearly, the team members who had gone down with him had all perished.

However, upon hearing his words, Old White’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

According to the battle plan, if they found the 400mm main gun’s ammunition depot, they would use the bombs there to distract the personnel on the airship or destroy the airship depending on the situation.

If not found, they at least had to destroy the gun barrel at all costs to cripple the Army’s aerial support firepower!

Now, this objective was obviously close to completion.

With the loss of the 400mm main gun, the Iron Heart’s ground firepower would be reduced by more than half!

"Nicely done!"

Looking at the blood-covered Fang Chang, Old White grinned and teased.

"I was worried that after hanging out with that little girlfriend of yours for so long, you might have gotten rusty... seems I was worried for nothing."

"You think too much."

Wiping the blood off his face, Fang Chang also gave a faint smile, adjusting his breathing while setting the record straight.

"And I should have said, we’re not in that kind of relationship."

Old White looked at him with a face full of surprise.

"Really?"

Night Ten chuckled and squinted mischievously.

"You don’t get it, they enjoy the ambiguous vibes."

"Get lost."

Fang Chang rolled his eyes, not wanting to waste words with this guy.

Just as he was about to say something, the gunfire that had died down earlier resumed, with bullets whizzing in from one side of the corridor.

The group returned fire while retreating to the inside of the 400mm main gun chamber.

"Damn... these big-nosed guys are ruthless, just wiped out one team, and immediately another takes their place."

Even as an opponent, Fang Chang had to admit that in terms of combat will, these people were undeniably strong.

If it were a group of Looters, they probably would have slaughtered their way through the entire airship by now.

They wouldn’t be trapped here.

A jumble of shouting came from the corridor outside.

Listening to the content, it seemed like a call for surrender.

"You are already surrounded!"

"General McCullen promises, as long as you lay down your weapons and surrender, he will allow you to leave alive."

The noise outside was chaotic, and Old White, only catching bits and pieces, turned to Fang Chang.

"What are they blabbering about?"

Fang Chang casually said,

"They’re trying to make us surrender."

Old White was stunned for a moment, then looked towards the door and cursed.

"Negotiate surrender? Haha, fuck that, did I climb all this way just to surrender? Tell him to eat shit!"

After cursing, Old White realized the other party didn’t understand, so he quickly looked at Fang Chang.

"Translate for them!"

Fang Chang sighed, clearly reluctant to translate such nonsense but did it anyway.

The army outside was momentarily stunned by the insult, but quickly recovered, unleashing a stream of shouts and curses in return.

Even Fang Chang couldn’t understand what they were saying now. Seeing his teammates looking at him, he shrugged helplessly.

"Probably some West Coast dialect..."

Night Ten sighed.

"What if they get desperate and throw grenades or bombs here without any honor?"

Fang Chang chuckled.

"It doesn’t matter, this is their crystal tower. If they plan to blow up the 400mm main cannon anyway, let them blast away."

"Haha, exactly! Let them blast if they want to!" Old White laughed heartily, grinned, and continued, "The 400mm main cannon is already disabled, our mission is done! Now all we need to do is hold on as best as we can and wait for backup..."

Taking a gentle breath, he focused his gaze on a door leading to a corridor nearby, his index finger rubbing the trigger.

"The rest... is up to Wild Wind!"

...

Several kilometers away from the artillery position, in the command center.

I Max Black, serving as a messenger, jogged back to Brother Quanshui’s side and saluted with utmost sincerity.

"Report!"

"The feint team failed to reach the Southern Urban District for defense! They executed Plan 3 and have retreated to a small town beside the South Suburb 417 Highway!"

The Spring Water Commander, holding a telescope, nodded.

"I understand."

Originally, the mixed thousand team led by Silver Corps and two other corps was to head to the Southern Urban District of Rui Valley City, defending based on previously constructed fortifications.

While the bait tied down the enemy’s main forces, the Death Legion scattered across the district and three mercenary-led thousand teams would launch a full assault, using anti-tank weapons to destroy enemy armor, and forcing the enemy forces out of the district.

Then, the Skeleton Corps with its armored units would coordinate with the Goblin Corps’ aerial assault squad to deliver a fatal blow to the retreating army.

As for the Jungle Corps, they were to execute the "air-support" final operation.

However, expecting every part of a plan to be executed perfectly was unimaginable.

The battlefield situation changed in the blink of an eye.

As they played their cards, the opponent was also making moves.

According to the plan beforehand, if the feint team failed to arrive, they could only retreat to "417 town," and the focus on the ground battlefield would have to shift from the Southern Urban District to the southern suburbs.

As one of the alternative plans, the town also had defense fortifications secretly prepared.

However, compared to the positions prepared within the city, those in the town were merely "pitiful."

Due to the presence of airships, large-scale constructions were impossible in the town with little cover, and they could only work at night, barely managing to prepare some simple foxholes and sandbags, not to mention connecting underground tunnels.

Standing next to the Spring Water Commander, "Kakarot" frowned and said.

"There are at least three thousand teams surrounding the feint team; they might not hold out for long..."

The mixed thousand team mainly consisted of lifestyle-based players with combat experience and individual players.

Among them, although there were Awakeners and veterans who had participated in more than six battles, their overall combat power was quite limited compared to the Alliance’s regular army.

Even though their morale was high, they were prepared to fight to the last man.

Spring Water Commander furrowed his brow, holding a pair of binoculars and gazing toward the vague outline of the south. He suddenly spoke.

"How many guns do we still have?"

"Report! The artillery position is completely overrun! Only the last twenty unexposed rocket artillery remain!" Even in the dire situation, I Max Black’s salute remained spirited.

"What about the planes?" Spring Water Commander asked calmly.

I Max Black immediately answered, "The Dragonfly transport planes are completely overrun, but the Mosquito Attack Squadron of the Goblin Corps is still at full strength!"

Looking at the pensive Spring Water, "Kakarot," standing nearby, couldn’t help but speak.

"The enemy is equipped with a large number of quad anti-aircraft machine guns, and those aren’t the makeshift ones from the Chewing Bone Tribe. If we leave it to the Goblin Corps, we might only have one chance... How about I take a team to support them?"

The Storm Corps still had over 300 people lying in wait in the jungle, ready to support any spot.

However, throwing these few men into the fray would be like a drop in the bucket, and they would be consumed by the enemy in no time.

It would not only fail to alleviate the pressure on the feint group but might also result in becoming passive.

It was impossible to order an early attack by the Death Legion.

If they launched a general assault before the enemy’s artillery position was crippled, once the enemy’s support fire recovered, all targets exposed outside their shelters would become live targets.

"It’s not time yet!"

Spring Water Commander looked toward the direction of the Iron Heart, his usually calm demeanor now betraying a hint of anxiety.

Originally, he had expected that after breaking the defensive line, half of the troops could land on the dome of the Iron Heart.

However, after the paratroopers jumped, they had suffered more than half casualties before even landing, and it was doubtful that even two hundred teams could be assembled successfully.

Even though he had already prepared for the worst and had maximized his expectations of the enemy’s combat power, the fire limit of the Iron Heart still exceeded his expectations.

Especially since, eventually, they had resorted to the audacious move of aiming the engines toward the sky.

If it weren’t for Falling Feather’s last-minute judgment, the forcibly landing Burning Corps would likely have been wholly overrun.

Although he had no doubts about the combat power of those titans, the outcome in the air had undoubtedly become the biggest variable on the entire battlefield.

His thoughts raced, and just as Spring Water was pondering the countermeasures, a string of fire suddenly flashed through the sky.

There, at the forward lower part of the airship, suddenly burst into a ball of fire engulfing twelve forward-pointing barrels.

At the same time, a thin wisp of red smoke, almost at the same exact moment, drifted from the 400mm main gun’s barrel.

Despite the massive black fog and pouring rain, that wisp of red smoke appeared as faint as a candle flickering in a storm, yet the people on the ground could still distinctly see it.

Staring blankly at that patch of sky, "Kakarot" muttered.

"Fuck, awesome!"

Did it actually get blown up?!

Similarly noticing that flame blossoming in the sky, Spring Water’s face cleared of clouds, his eyes instantly gleaming with joy.

It worked!

Not just that—

It was even quicker than planned.

Without any hesitation, he immediately ordered.

"Rocket artillery positions fire immediately! Target the armored cluster on the north side of the town!"

"Also, notify Brother Edge!"

"The moment to counterattack has come!"

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