Chapter 596: Desperation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
A combined beam attack was the technique the team had been studying.
In their latest discovery, the distance and the consistency of their shots were the most important, so by utilizing the processors to improvise, this was the outcome of their research.
16 red-tailed beasts had turned into 16 puddles of honeycombs, yet it remained an unsatisfying sight to Appilok. Logically speaking, it was a war of 28 against 100, carried out as an assassination yet only a majority of the wave was cleared - 16 killed, 12 remained. A dense firing that failed rather horribly in Appilok's record. However, he was not puzzled. Being the commander, one must not only wield the charisma but also a mind in peace during the war, in order to make the right decision for the goods of his men.
His previous experience in the warfield had justified that.
"Attack in groups." The next order had been given.
The team Ye Chong was leading now turned out to be much more complicated than before. They had been trained, "improvised" during the ample time they had in Darkniss. Ye Chong did not supervise most of their programs, being a man who was particular about results the most. During the process, Appilok, thanks to the competition and the consistent exposure to practical fights, matured in his leadership.
It was because of this lack of limitation from the author, most of the commanders' ideas were managed to manifest. To be frank, Appilok was the brightest one among them, a genius, literally one made for war strategist whom Ye Chong believed to be on par with Arwa the legend in Gray Valley.
He was also a passionate learner with an open mind. On occasions where Duan Qian and the others came up with ideas, he would take all of them once proven effective. He just had that practicality from Ye Chong.
100 mechs were segregated into 10 small groups.
They had a detailed set of procedures which was meant to remedy the situation. Everything must be planned beforehand, even if the warfield was capriciously ever-changing. If changes happened, an army could break into chaos for not knowing how to adapt to the situation as a whole.
And this was one of them, based on a highly modified version of Ye Chong's training course by Appilok.
A unit consisted of 10 mechs could fulfill the necessary dexterity and offense density for the war.
The pilots were shooting calmly. They did not really have to aim. tThey just had to follow the arranged shooting point at an assigned pace. Still, a combined attack that would form an Area-of-Effect attack engulfing the red-tailed beasts straightaway.
The technique was as effective as one could see. No masterly evasion could save any of these red-tailed beasts. Their number shrunk drastically, so were their sanity.
The group led by Appilok remained on hold of their fire. They were ones who scored 98% and above for shooting, the aiming bot themselves. Apparently after the misfortune of the 6-toed red-tailed beast escape, the trainees grew tremendously maniac over mastering their accuracy. That was when the grading set Ye Chong was overthrown as a new, more demanding training came to them in which only less than 10% of the group managed to pass in the first place.
There was hardly anybody who scored above 80% and the trainees certainly had tasted the hardship of their training. It was drilled in their head so hard that they could not help themselves but to lift their guns to aim whenever they spotted something moving. Despite all that, the training was very effective. Their performance was climbing while a few of them, driven by their passion, were able to obtain a perfect score.
Those who scored above 95% were considerably a true sniper mech pilot. And among the approximately 4000 trainees, only 234 of them managed to earn this complete liberty of unsupervised shooting in the warfield. The normal pilots would inform these snipers to clear the more troubling foes. These snipers also had the responsibility of protecting the commanders in the dark. So, in order to carry out these tasks, Ye Chong had produced them a mech model specialized in target-locking.
The red-tailed beasts were eventually swarmed upon by the combined beams.
A sudden raid unforeseen by the red-tailed beasts it was.
One of the red-tailed beasts managed to escape the combined attack, bleeding as it held its throat in disbelief.
One mech next to Appilok placed down the gun. He made the shot.
It was a rather quick fight, as only the leader of the red-tailed beasts remained on the field, in immense fury of course. It was always the one breaking the field and now it was the one going to be broken. Its enemies had never decreased, which brought confusion to it. It had wrecked a large number of them at different places before, it almost felt like a bunch of walking target dummies to the beast yet... how? When did these metallic target dummies got stronger?
Then the last beam came, blinding its eyes, then its life.
...(In Darkniss)...
Ye Chong had been observing the field.
The red-tailed beasts had definitely evolved, as expected by Ye Chong though. So his surprise was because of capabilities of not the beasts but his trainees.
He had never put in actual effort in training these trainees as he was already preoccupied by lots of mundane and puzzling works. He was only the mastermind, not the master coach, even during the R&D process of their military techniques.
Appilok was indeed a genius!
First step had been completed and there was no time for more exclamation or even celebration. This would only be the beginning.
He was right.
There were more red-tailed beasts, a whole lot more of them.
The entire Fal galaxy had been raided by red-tailed beasts. He was unsure of the situation in other galaxies. He must follow his plan - to Csebesini!
Darkniss, thanks to the special coating at its armor, was totally invisible to all detection system from distance. Ironically such attribute had also put them at disadvantage. They were undetected, therefore the red-tailed beasts literally crashed into them during the journey. The beasts could not see them, yet they could sense its existence.
The battle units were busy as bees while showering the beams upon the beasts, at an attempt to wipe them out quick. On one wave, one 6-toed red-tailed beast made a close escape, after which the number of red-tailed beasts increased in the following waves. Darkniss was in the dense sensory of countless red-tailed beasts, thus losing its former invisibility.
That was when the red-tailed beasts made their first full swing attack.
Darkniss maintained its high momentum as the bloody carcasses trailed. It sounded like a simple kill-and-go but both Appilok and Ye Chong could smell the upcoming trouble. The red-tailed beasts seemed to all coming for them. The war grew harder each day and mortality was perceived on Darkniss.
"The number of red-tailed beasts encountered yesterday was a 20% increase compared to the day before yesterday, while on today, at this point of time, the figure had exceeded the day before, with a potential to reach a 50% increase." Reported Appilok, with slight worry.
"The figures... they are climbing..."
Appilok looked at Ye Chong while he further elaborated, "Yes sir, I believe, all these were an organized attack. And no doubt the figure would only increase further. Unless we come up with a feasible plan, we would be surrounded soon. We had lost 28 men today, with 6 injuries too."
Ye Chong nodded, he knew the situation well. The mortality was because of fatigue. The trainees never had the chance to rest given how frequent the waves came, thus certain amateur mistakes which obviously costed their life during the process.
At one point, the pole would snap, the Darkniss would fall.
And they still were 3 days away from warping point to Csebesini.
Ye Chong pondered.
"Reduce the range of defense. All pilots must rest. Now." He turned his head, "The shooters would take over and they must at least last for a day. Sha Ya, you'll take this mission."
"Yes," nodded Sha Ya in serenity. She walked away.
Appilok gave a sigh of relief.
"Order them to retreat now. All units would be prohibited from the warfield for the rest of the day."
"Yes sir!"
The mechs surrounding Darkniss began heading back to their mothership. during which they covered for each other.
And the red-tailed beasts were smiling.
It was an opportunity to attack.
They flooded upon Darkniss, like locusts.