Chapter 54: A+A (II)

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Chapter 54: A+A (II)

“Sir, we’ve successfully connected to Via City’s signal station, but the signal is extremely unstable. At present, we can only receive intermittent surveillance footage and transmit brief strings of code,” a communications officer reported.

A man in an immaculate military uniform stood before the control console, staring unblinkingly at the screen. His handsome profile was sharply defined, and he appeared no older than thirty. The gold star and insignia on his shoulder identified him as a brigadier general.

Twenty-four camera feeds from different positions filled the screen, though static and distortion frequently rippled across them because of the unstable signal.

“Huh? Who’s that second lieutenant wearing the command ring?” a captain beside the brigadier general asked in surprise as he stared at one of the feeds.

In the footage, a young second lieutenant was directing the soldiers in their fight against the Insectoids. His expression was resolute, his face streaked with dust, and his eyes were bright and sharp. The command ring on his right hand gleamed against the dim battlefield.

The command ring was a wartime identifier temporarily assigned to battlefield commanders. It could transmit signal orders and emit a visible marker, preventing confusion among soldiers who might otherwise be unable to locate their commander.

Once Via City was surrounded, its defensive deployments, war-materiel reserves, troop strength, and officer records were immediately delivered to military headquarters. Brigadier General Rhine Lancelot, the commander in charge of the rescue operation, knew Via City’s basic situation inside and out. Gazing at Shang Ke on the screen, he said, “That’s Filmore, a graduating student from the Imperial Military Academy. He was assigned to Via City for his field assessment.”

“What? A graduate?” Captain Lin Jie stared in disbelief. “How could they hand command over to a graduate with no combat experience?”

Rhine did not answer. He simply ordered the communications officer to establish contact with Via City as soon as possible.

Half an hour later, the communications officer reported, “Sir, we’ve just received an update. Almost all of Via City’s senior officers have been killed. Only one captain remains, and he’s severely wounded. More than nineteen thousand soldiers have died. Second Lieutenant Filmore has now assumed command.”

“More than nineteen thousand casualties in only three days, with almost every senior officer dead?” Lin Jie and the others were stunned. “That’s impossible!”

Rhine studied the surveillance footage for a long moment before saying, “Our intelligence was wrong. The main Insectoid force that crossed the border isn’t made up of Ground Beetles. They’re Groundclinger beetles.”

Groundclinger beetles looked almost identical to Ground Beetles and were nearly impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. The difference was that female Groundclinger beetles could produce venom larvae from their backs. These creatures were small but possessed tremendous jumping power, moved at high speed, and had razor-sharp limbs capable of tearing through skin and piercing the human body in an instant. They could also release a toxin that paralyzed the nervous system.

Even more terrifyingly, venom larvae required only three hours to gestate. In other words, another mass attack could potentially occur every three hours.

There were millions of Groundclinger beetles. Even if only a third were female, the number of venom larvae they could produce was horrifying.

No sooner had Rhine finished speaking than countless fist-sized venom larvae shot from the sea of insects, sailed over the defensive wall, and rained down into Via City like hail.

The soldiers raised their energy shields, and a dense barrage of impacts crackled against them. Countless venom larvae broke through the defensive line and began engaging the soldiers at close range. With their equipment still intact and emergency measures in place, surviving several waves was manageable. But after another two or three days, once their weapons had suffered heavy losses, the situation would deteriorate rapidly. They had to eliminate as many Insectoids as possible while the soldiers still had the strength to fight.

“Sir, watch out!” While Shang Ke was thinking, a venom larvae suddenly sprang toward him from the side, aiming directly for his throat. Two nearby soldiers paled and started to rush to his aid, only to see Shang Ke shift half a step backward. The creature passed barely five centimeters in front of his neck before a dagger flashed from his hand and nailed it firmly to the wall.

The soldiers stared in amazement. That display of knife throwing had thoroughly stunned them. Filmore had been in Via City for several days and had shown nothing remarkable. Their impression of him had remained that of “a handsome, free-spending young noble who had never experienced hardship.” Seeing this brief display of skill immediately changed their opinion.

Shang Ke’s enhanced Beginner Martial Arts had been nothing special in a cultivation world filled with experts, but in a world dominated by technology, it was extraordinary. At present, it was also the one advantage he could rely on to survive this war.

“Well, this young second lieutenant seems pretty capable.” Lin Jie whistled after seeing the scene on-screen. In only two or three seconds, Filmore had moved half a step and thrown a single knife, effortlessly neutralizing the danger. His reaction speed and ability to adapt were far beyond ordinary.

Lin Jie pulled up Filmore’s academy records and frowned after scanning them. “His overall grades at school were actually this bad?”

Rhine had already reviewed the file earlier and offered no comment.

“Brigadier General, do you think he’s capable of carrying this responsibility? Should we suggest that their remaining senior officer appoint someone else as commander?”

“Changing commanders in the middle of battle would be unwise.” Rhine’s gaze remained intent as he carefully observed Shang Ke’s every move.

Lin Jie said nothing more. In truth, the outside world had almost entirely given up hope for Via City, trapped between the Insectoid horde and the Insect Sandstorm. Everyone assumed the soldiers inside were destined to die in this battle. Their sacrifice, however, could save hundreds of thousands of lives and would play a decisive role in the overall war.

All anyone outside could do was record the course of the battle so it could later serve as evidence for granting them posthumous honors as martyrs.

After one wave of venom-spawn attacks passed, the Insectoids showed no sign of stopping. They seemed completely tireless. Only during the three-hour transition between day and night would they briefly rest, and that was the soldiers’ only opportunity to catch their breath.

Shang Ke ordered an inventory of their remaining supplies. Their weapons were being depleted faster than he had expected and would probably last only around five days. Although he had known from the beginning that this would be a long and brutal battle, the reality still weighed heavily on him.

One day passed. 1,210 soldiers were killed.

Two days passed. 2,375 soldiers were killed.

The third day passed, then the fourth… The total number of dead had already exceeded twenty thousand, and the toll kept climbing each day.

This was Shang Ke’s first time experiencing a war this brutal and real. He watched soldiers fall one after another, while those still alive did not even have time to deal with the bodies. Severed limbs and bloodstains covered the ground, and the air reeked of blood and a sharp, sour stench.

The soldiers were mentally exhausted. Despair covered their faces, their eyes hollow as though they were wandering ghosts.

On the fifth day, the armory was almost empty. Soldiers stood with spent weapons and battered combat armor, staring at the surging sea of Insectoids beyond the defensive line. The shadow of death hung over every face.

Even those watching through the surveillance feeds could clearly feel their despair and helplessness.

Had they finally reached their limit?

Another wave of venom larvae descended, black bodies pouring from the sky like torrential rain. The soldiers raised their heads. Against the twilight sky, the swarm looked as though countless black holes had been gnawed into the heavens. Physically exhausted beyond their limits, both their reactions and movements had become painfully slow. For a moment, almost no one moved.

“What are you standing there for?!” An angry shout shattered the deathly silence. A figure leapt high into the air, blade-light flashing as several venom larvae were sliced in two and green fluid sprayed through the air.

Shang Ke flipped through the air and landed steadily, sweeping his long blade outward as he shouted, “No guns? No artillery? Have you forgotten how to use swords and spears too?”

As he spoke, he cut down another four or five venom larvae. His efficiency was actually higher than when using a gun.

Yet most of the soldiers had already lost their will to fight. They put up only token resistance before allowing the venom larvae to tear them apart.

Shang Ke did not fear death, but he wanted to live more than anyone. Even if everyone else abandoned hope, he would not.

It wasn’t only for the mission.

It was also so he could find him.

Surrounded by venom larvae, Shang Ke’s figure flashed from place to place as his long blade swept through the swarm, pushing his martial arts to their limits and throwing himself completely into battle. Green fluid covered his face and body. Every button on his uniform had been torn away, and the disordered hem whipped through the air with each movement. His sharp blade reflected golden light in the twilight, while the command ring on his finger gleamed like the eye of a warrior, staring fearlessly upon this blood-soaked world.

Insect corpses piled across the ground. Crimson blood mingled with translucent green fluid, the stark contrast searing itself into everyone’s eyes.

The soldiers seemed to draw strength from the sight. The fighting spirit that had nearly gone out suddenly reignited. One after another, they raised their weapons and roared as they rejoined the battle…

The fighting continued for two hours. At the transition between day and night, the Insectoids temporarily withdrew, leaving the soldiers less than three hours to rest.

Shang Ke sat leaning against a wall, his head lowered. Several drops of sweat mixed with green fluid and slowly fell onto the blade resting across his thighs.

“Sir, have something.” A soldier brought Shang Ke a can of nutrient solution. When he saw the torn webbing between Shang Ke’s thumbs and forefingers and his blood-covered hands, admiration rose involuntarily in his eyes.

“Thank you.” Shang Ke accepted the nutrient solution but did not drink immediately. Instead, he silently surveyed the area. The scene remained horrific, but the soldiers had finally regained some vitality. After all, they had just successfully repelled a venom-spawn assault using nothing but cold weapons. It was no small victory.

Shang Ke replenished some of his strength, then called over a small squad and ordered them to fire sedative shells at the Insectoids two hours later.

The squad leader looked surprised. “We still have sedative shells?”

“Only fifteen,” Shang Ke replied. “They aren’t very effective during active combat, but the Insectoids are exhausted right now. Using them while they’re resting should extend their dormant period.”

This was their final ammunition. Shang Ke had deliberately saved it for a critical moment.

The squad immediately headed to the storage depot to retrieve the shells.

Two hours later, all fifteen sedative shells were launched at once. White mist gradually rose and soon engulfed the Insectoids.

Just as Shang Ke had expected, using the sedative shells at this moment delayed the Insectoids’ next attack and gave the soldiers additional time to rest.

A little over forty thousand soldiers remained. Their ammunition was exhausted, they had only three fighter aircraft left, and the defensive wall was operating in a low-power state.

With only that much fighting strength, they still had to hold out for another six days.

Shang Ke turned toward the profound darkness beyond the defensive wall. The lights hovering in midair reflected two pale-golden halos in his eyes. Blood and green fluid still stained his fair face, making him resemble a night elf who had just walked through the flames of war.

The scene was captured by a concealed electronic eye and transmitted to another battle camp well over a hundred kilometers away.

Rhine sat in the command room, staring through the screen at those striking eyes. The battle at twilight still replayed in his mind. The young second lieutenant’s fierce fighting style and agile, graceful movements had almost instantly stirred Rhine’s own battle spirit.

If possible, he wanted this man to survive.

At that moment, the young second lieutenant on-screen moved. He stood, passed through the fields of view of several surveillance units, then entered Via City’s command room. Rhine could not see what happened inside.

He found himself wondering whether the young lieutenant had thought of a new strategy.

On the sixth day, the battle continued.

Shang Ke once again fought at the very front, wielding his long blade and cutting down Insectoids in every direction.

With no firearms remaining, fighting the Insectoids through physical skill and cold weapons alone placed an enormous strain on the soldiers’ stamina and willpower.

Before long, some soldiers could no longer endure. They breathed heavily, sweat pouring down their backs, white haze clouding their vision until they could barely remain standing.

One soldier collapsed helplessly to the ground. Then another, a third, a fourth… As though it were contagious, more and more soldiers dropped out of the fighting.

Forget it. Why keep fighting this desperately? They were going to die anyway.

The soldiers’ expressions turned bleak as despair once again crept into their hearts.

Just then, a spray of green fluid splashed across their faces. Through their blurred vision, one tall, upright figure was still battling the Insectoids.

It was Second Lieutenant Filmore.

Their commander.

He had not fallen.

He was still holding on.

One hour. Two hours… Five hours…

Every other soldier fought in shifts.

Only their commander had not rested.

After several hours of continuous fighting, it was obvious that the second lieutenant had reached the limits of exhaustion. His movements grew sluggish, the pauses between attacks became longer and longer, and eventually even his steps began to stumble.

But he still had not given up.

He was still fighting.

The soldiers’ eyes began to burn as a surge of fierce courage rose within them.

“Sir, let us take over!” one soldier finally shouted. “Go get some rest!”

“That’s right! Leave this to us!” several others shouted in agreement.

Shang Ke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled. “You’re sure you can hold this position?”

“Of course!” the soldiers roared in unison.

“Haha, all right.” Shang Ke reversed his grip and drove his blade through an Insectoid, then raised one finger toward the soldiers. “You’ve got thirty minutes to clear this area.”

“Yes, sir!” Their fighting spirit blazing, the soldiers raised their weapons and charged howling into the swarm.

Thirty minutes later, Shang Ke rejoined the battle, and the soldiers fought even more fiercely. Alpha auras normally repelled one another, but Shang Ke’s seemed to act like a stimulant, electrifying their nerves and making them feel as though they had suddenly regained a second wind, blood surging hot through their veins.

As long as their commander remained standing, they would grit their teeth and endure no matter how exhausted they became.

At that moment, this young second lieutenant had become their pillar, their will—and their hope of survival.

While everyone outside believed that soldiers deprived of weapons and equipment could never hold Via City, sheer willpower carried them all the way to the seventh day.

And on that day, the command room finally brought Shang Ke good news.

They had found the Groundclinger Queen.

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