Chapter 8.1 - Scorpions of the Night
After the torrential rain, the ground was covered in mud that was suffused with radiation. The surrounding radiation increased many times over, and even the soldiers that possessed relatively higher resistance towards radiation could not stay in this type of environment for an extended amount of time. There were radiation resistance medications in the basic infantry medication kits, but the their effects were limited and only remained effective for a single day. This was mainly used to allow the soldiers to cross regions that contained especially vile levels of radiation. For those like the six soldiers who were drenched in the violent rain, the basic kit’s medicines were completely ineffective.
The current nasty environment made cleaning up Pendulum City become a difficult and pointless task. Kane picked a few tough soldiers with higher levels of resistance towards radiation and cleared a path from Pendulum City to bring out some vehicles filled with fuel. Then, the soldiers cleaned up their tents and equipment before getting on the loading truck and withdrew towards the prearranged destination.
Su already ordered a new batch of infantry radiation resistance medication, but of course, they were all basic medications. The price of the medicines rose with the increase of the series. Even for these medicines that Su had to pay several dozen yuan for, due to the large amount, Su who was already poverty-stricken still had to buy on credit from Helen. This time, Helen didn’t mock him and instead directly expressed her agreement. It seems like in her mind, this amount of money was still within Su’s range of credit.
The retreat process was quick and effective, but it was slightly disordered. If it was Li who was commanding over the soldiers, there wouldn’t be this bit of difference. Kane was more used to guerrilla warfare that exploited terrain, because there was no need for the orderly uniformness of an army when dealing with mobs. As long as they had strong individual strength, good equipment, and weren’t scared of death, they would normally always win.
Su did not sit in the comparatively more cozy position on the off-road vehicle and instead sat on the shooting position on the roof of the truck to observe the surroundings. His rifle was placed at his side. Even though it was a bit more difficult to use the heavy machine gun, it was much more effective when dealing with grouped up targets.
The battle that followed would be different from the past. This was the first time Su was dealing with so many heavy armored targets.
In the past, Su didn’t fear tanks. From his perspective, their movements were sluggish, and their attacks that had large gaps didn’t pose much of a threat. There were more than enough ways to deal with them, and even if there was absolutely no way, he could still choose to run. With the speed Su could run through the wilderness with, he had never encountered a tank that could catch him while travelling through complex terrain. In addition, Su always fought on his own, and so what he had to deal with were just a few old modeled tanks. However, fighting Blue Scorpion already wasn’t a battle he fought alone, and was instead a war. What he would be fighting were several, or maybe even more than ten new era tanks, and there would definitely be even more and more advanced combat mechas. These mechas possessed their own intelligence, and as such normal war logic couldn't be applied to them anymore. They didn’t feel fear, and they weren’t scared of death. They could survive and fight in the most vile environments. Their orders would be strictly carried out, and no mercy would be shown towards their enemies. In addition, as the commander of the army, he couldn’t just run away on his own.
Su was used to sniping attacks, but towards these armored mechanical targets, it wasn’t particularly useful. The best weapons were missiles like the ‘bronze dragons’, and anti-armor cannons were also passable. However, the uses of these two weapons were extremely limited. They couldn’t deal with mutated creatures, and they were extremely expensive. From Su’s perspective, the use of this weapon wouldn’t be too extensive in the future. However, he didn’t know how effective the bullets Helen sent him were.
Ever since Enzo’s death, Su constantly thought about how to defeat machine targets like the tanks. After extensively reading through the Black Dragonriders’ ability list, Su noticed that the Mental Domain’s weapon manipulation abilities or Magic Domain’s electric or magnetic abilities were most suitable for dealing with the tanks or mechas. However, what posed the greatest threat to the Blue Scorpion tanks were a few special fifth level abilities. If he wanted to obtain these abilities, forget about lacking the necessary evolutionary points, even if Su had them, he still wouldn’t be able to afford the formulated medicine’s price.
The main ability domain Su always strengthened was the Perception Domain, because this was the most important skill in the wilderness that was full of unknown dangers. Being able to detect enemies faster meant that he had a bit more opportunity to survive. He was currently extremely hopeful towards the new sixth level ability in the Perception Domain, but he also felt somewhat worried. It was because if he didn’t use the Black Dragonriders’ formulations, he wouldn’t know what the new ability would be.
The encampment Helen selected for Su was a place that was less than 10 kilometers from the border of Black Dragonriders’ central area of control, a small abandoned town called Avonford. The little town was situated behind a small mountain, and the top of the mountain could serve as a rather excellent position that could stop Blue Scorpion’s offense. Most of the original town’s houses were still intact, and after a bit of repairs, they would be usable. The terrain that led to Dragon City was rather smooth as well, so even olden-era trucks could travel through it.
The several dozen people who withdrew ahead of time already constructed a simple barracks and battlefield hospital under the direction of Persephone’s subordinates. They also delivered the basic supplies and ammunition. After Su withdrew from Pendulum City, Helen then sent over three heavy artillery cannons, installing a heavy artillery position in the back of the little town. These three cannons were not put on Su’s credit. The cannons themselves as well as the people operating them were all Helen’s people, and they were just loaned to Su. Each time he fired an artillery shell, Su would have to pay, and the price would be higher than the marked price of the dragonriders’. The extra fees were considered rent. Towards this, Su didn’t have any objections. The heavy artillery will depreciate, and the artillery crew had their own costs; these were things Su already learned from basic economics. In addition, Su was not familiar with new era weaponry and military affairs, so he wasn’t clear on what situations heavy artillery were needed. As for its use, he even more so needed specialized personnel who could operate it. ``
Avonford wasn’t that large, and even in the olden days, it was only a small town that had a thousand or so residents, but housing Su’s men wasn’t a problem. When everyone settled down, it was already nighttime.
Su could not sleep, so he figured that he was better off climbing onto the little mountain in front of the town and think while gazing into the northwestern direction. Beyond this little mountain, the terrain was no longer flat, instead undulating up and down. Hills continuously rose and fell, but the little mountain of Avonford was still the highest point. His view was practically unobstructed when watching from this place.
The tactical tablet vibrated, and the one that appeared on the screen was once again Helen. Su was rather curious about Helen’s daily schedule. She almost seemed to never need sleep.
“Su, the computer chips you brought over have already undergone preliminary deciphering. There are many interesting things inside. First, compared to the chips of the Scorpions of Disaster’s soldier corpses, these chips are smaller, and their structure is more complicated with greater capabilities. From their composition, these three chips should be from the same batch. Compared to the newest set of chips, they should be third generation goods. The most obvious function is a suppression of sexual desires, as well as slight electric currents that can stimulate the nervous system, allowing the soldiers to operate in a more excited state during battle. Meanwhile, the third generation chips have many mind and mood controlling uses. Those that have this computer chip inserted into them can, from a certain standpoint, be considered to be emotionless puppets."
Following Helen’s explanation, deconstructed parts of the chips appeared on the screen. Of course, Su didn’t understand any of it at all. Helen didn’t seem to mind whether Su understood what he was looking at or not and only cared that he heard what she said clearly. “The third generation chips have a small memory function, but the capacity is extremely limited. I was able to restore part of the Scorpions of Disasters’ battle plan. Even though it is just a part of the entire plan, it is already enough. The Scorpions of Disaster planned to attack Pendulum City with a military force of a new model combat mecha as well as an armored vehicle fleet, perhaps more. After wiping out the resistance around Pendulum City, they would expand their exploration. According to their plan, their next direction of attack should be Avonford. Congratulations, Lieutenant Su.”
“How long will it be before their attack? What should I do?” Su didn’t have much experience towards this type of warfare. If Li was here, none of this would have been a problem. Even though Li was only 18 years of age, she already fought for six years and had her own soldiers for four of them.
“Their time of attack is still currently unknown, however, it should be soon. My suggestion is that you should send someone out to investigate first and broaden your range of scouting. If you encounter a military force that is too powerful, you can retreat to Avonford. The heavy artillery installed here should be a great threat towards armored targets. Together with the ‘bronze dragons’ you have on you, even greater power can be displayed.”
“Understood.” Su stood up and walked towards Avonford.