Chapter 709
Chapter 709 - 695: Reinforcements
1,638 words
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9 min read
Another gunshot rang out, and the yellow dot in the sky burst directly into a cloud of blood.
Sniper Ma Jiliang, who looked like an ordinary old farmer, put down his super-power sniper cannon, and his old, wrinkled face broke into a smile.
After the initial dislike, this ace sniper had started to grow fond of this powerful weapon.
There were obvious marks under his feet from the recoil, as it took him some time to adapt to this level of weaponry.
But each shot had the satisfying feeling of guaranteeing a kill..... when there were no aerial targets, he could even try to point at the unlucky bastards below.
At this level, direct fire against professionals with fast enough reflexes wasn’t very effective.....but for those who couldn’t dodge machinery and ordinary people, it was like shooting static targets.
The only problem was.... "
"How much ammo do we have left?"
"About seventy, they’re being made by craftsmen now, but don’t expect unlimited supply. The machine gun positions over there also need to consume ammo and the bullets for your weapon are specialized, using three or four times more than theirs."
Compared to traditional gunpowder weapons, Vortex Stones had the advantage of generating more power with more quantity. However, the volume of gunpowder and Vortex Stones wasn’t on the same scale. To achieve higher firepower, the amount of mineral reserves used for "bullets" would also increase significantly.
Perhaps that’s the main reason why most Aus Vortex Stone weapons seemed to be just-enough "light weapons."
Meanwhile, observer Lu Ping’an, noticing that another Sky Knight was shot down from the sky, nodded with satisfaction.
Although these Sky Knights had poor performance, simply their presence gave the advantage to the side with air control on the battlefield.
"...I should also get some Sky Beasts as soon as possible, at least."
Lu Ping’an turned his "gaze" to the opponents’ camp below.
There were more and more of them, and it seemed that the new reinforcements had bypassed his tree, likely receiving orders to join scattered hunting squads.
There had been two probing attacks so far, which were easily repelled by the Eastern Country people who held the terrain advantage.
Although the Eastern Country people were mostly professionals and their numbers were small, they could still take on a hundred enemies if the terrain favored them..... which brings us back to the main point.
"...Keep going, don’t let those aerial pests get close. Just their presence alone would put too much pressure on our people."
Even if these things were dropping stones from above, even if they missed 90% of the time, it would still distract the warriors’ attention.
At this moment, Lu Ping’an had already prepared for the worst. He didn’t think that the Aus people who had occupied this area for so long only had these methods...according to the habits of these big companies, there was no need to give front-line soldiers updated equipment and configurations, enough was enough.
"This is just the appetizer."
These people probably couldn’t defeat the Eastern Country people who had occupied good terrain.
But more reinforcements were on the way, and eventually, the Aus people would deploy strong elites. The longer it took, the greater the pressure on this side.
"But the longer it takes, the stronger the other gathering points will become."
Both sides were actually stalling for time, and the Eastern Country people needed time even more... the more they stalled, the more difficult the tactical situation would be, but at the strategic level, the advantage clearly belonged to the Eastern Country people.
After the Radio Tower was successfully rebuilt, the grand strategy began to turn around.
Initially, the defeated Eastern Country hunters began to regroup in small units using the radio frequency.
There was no need nor was it feasible for everyone to run to Lu Ping’an’s location; the best choice was to group up and search for others nearby.
Was the public news too dangerous? Individual private frequency signals had been set up, and with the unlimited Radio Tower, there were many tricks to play. The private frequency numbers and communication passwords were being spread through the network in a way that only Eastern Country people could understand, for example.....
"To the friends near district 17.27, let’s move to the private channel to talk. The number is ’two days before the day of the shopping festival’ + ’the delayed retirement age in the Eastern Country’ ......"
Only the Eastern Country people could understand this kind of playing with words and private encryption, and once many people joined this channel, they would reveal the real private channel number inside, still using this playful method. After double or even triple encryption, most of the members would at least be Eastern Country people.
No one’s a fool, especially in times of crisis. As long as the basic hardware conditions were provided, they would try their best to save themselves.
With the emergence of medium and large gathering points, the Aus people were naturally forced to disperse their forces to cope.
Those Eastern Country explorers who had gathered also learned about the situation through radio broadcasts, and most of them launched a counterattack without hesitation.
They either attacked the Aus people’s convoys or targeted their essential mines and facilities.
This was revenge, a venting of emotions, and a way to avenge their fallen comrades.
It was also self-preservation. When the battle escalated into a life-or-death war, even the most innocent professionals would no longer hold any illusions... Killing their opponents was the only way to survive.
"...The two nearest large gathering points are already close to us, one has over fifty people, and the other seems to have more than a hundred. They’ll actively attack the Aus people and help us contain them."
"In the forest, there are also some Eastern Country teams that haven’t had time to join us... They’re watching the Aus people and are ready to launch an attack at any moment."
They were helping Lu Ping’an, as well as themselves. Everyone knew the importance of the Radio Tower, and no one could be sure whether communications would be interrupted again.
In the Aus people’s communication, rescue and scheduling from various places increased more and more. The higher-ups of the Hod company also issued increasingly strict orders to "pull out" Lu Ping’an and the Radio Tower... But this was meaningless.
Nobody was a fool. No one wanted to die in vain. The staunch defense of the mining area, the seized Vortex Stone weapons, and the many professionals all plunged the frontline soldiers into a state of impulsive desperation... It was the kind where slogans were shouted loudly, pointing fingers and cursing at the other side, but when asked to go forward, nobody would listen.
In order to ensure their safety, they even "appropriately" retreated a certain distance.
"Working so hard for a monthly salary of a few hundred bucks isn’t worth it." It’s unknown whether the Aus people had such a saying, but that’s how their attitude came across.
However, both sides knew that this eerie calm was destined to be only temporary.
The Hod company would definitely send their true main force and trump cards, and when that moment came, it would be the real decisive battle.
More and more Sky Beasts brought weapons and supplies, and the backbone of the Aus people and their mercenaries became even more powerful... Lu Ping’an even secretly ran a trip by himself, reclaiming the now meaningless "Redemption" alone.
On the Eastern Country side, there were Decree-level strongmen and confident small teams that broke through the almost nonexistent blockade and joined up with Lu Ping’an’s side.
Both sides were tacitly and silently reinforcing their forces, but only when the real battle began would they know whose strength was greater.
"How about we launch a surprise attack? While their reinforcements haven’t arrived yet, let’s harvest a wave first."
Lu Ping’an smiled and put forward his suggestion in front of the team leaders.
But even with Wang Xier’s support, all they received were silence and polite refusals.
"My men are seriously injured and receiving treatment..."
"If they retreat to the forest area, it would be difficult for us to successfully chase and kill them. It would be like us voluntarily giving up our defenses."
"... What if Aus reinforcements arrive during this process?"
The reasons were all true but not the main ones.
In fact, each small team and lone strong man had suffered considerable damage. They needed to rest after the long journey, but more importantly, they still didn’t trust each other enough.
Though tactically correct, the surprise attack would undoubtedly cause additional losses... In a time when no one wanted to be a loser, it might be better to be more cautious.
The other side of increasing reinforcements was the addition of many strong men with bigger reputations than Lu Ping’an.
In the eyes of those who came to help, Lu Ping’an, who wasn’t even at the Decree-level, had limited power of speech, having just a seat at the meeting already credited his previous achievements.
This scene reminded Lu Ping’an of the time he faced the Stone Dragon in the Secret Realm. That unfortunate temporary leader... It seemed that he had to take the lead himself, bearing most of the risks, to get those small teams to follow.
Lu Ping’an shrugged and didn’t waste any more words.
Authority? Leadership? Only when you fought for it could you effectively wield it.
Meanwhile, in the radio channel, the Infiltrator reported new information that the Aus people’s "big shots" would soon arrive.
— End of Chapter 709 —