Chapter 4.4 – Swamp
The lieutenant colonel looked at Su’s marking that continued to head northwest. After silently calculating the distance and positions, he ordered, “Inform lieutenant commander Su that his subordinate has just left the base and is currently drawing closer to him.”
The subordinates that were used to the lieutenant colonel’s nature were somewhat surprised. From their perspective, this was a decision that would only benefit Su, one that was greatly different from his normal character.
At the edge of the northwest front, Su leapt up and pushed down a soldier whose reactions were clearly a bit more sluggish. Then, a rain of bullets immediately flew past their heads, making it so that they couldn’t raise their heads at all. Heavy and rough gunshots sounded from the other side. As soon as he heard the dragon series rifles’ sounds, Su immediately calmed down much more. Once Li Gaolei began firing, that meant that there had to be targets to be killed.
Sure enough, the rain of bullets flying past Su and the other soldier’s heads stopped.
Su suddenly jumped up from the ground and crossed more than ten meters of distance before dropping back down in an agile manner. He already adjusted his posture while in the air, so as soon as his feet steadily landed on the ground, the rifle in his hands began to roar. More than ten rounds of bullets bombarded the walls of an abandoned building, easily blasting through the walls and tearing apart the body of the Scorpions of Disaster soldier hiding behind it. This soldier had just took aim at Su’s chest, but he never had the chance to pull the trigger.
This was the last Scorpions of Disaster soldier.
The soldier that had been pushed onto the ground crawled back up. With an ashen face, he said, “I’m sorry sir.”
Su gave the soldier who had bloodshot eyes and a face full of fatigue a look. He patted his shoulder, and with a smile, said, “No worries. We’ll be able to go back soon.”
The soldier’s eyes brightened, and he said with a loud voice, “Thank you sir!”
Su sighed inwardly. When he turned around, he just happened to meet Li Gaolei’s gaze. Li Gaolei was leaning against a broken piece of wall in a somewhat careless manner. However, his ruminate gaze showed that he already saw through Su’s lie.
This battle was short and intense. Twenty Scorpions of Disaster soldiers were completely wiped out, while only two individuals were lightly wounded on Su’s side. However, the amount of time they were allowed to rest wouldn’t exceed thirty minutes, because a new batch of Scorpions of Disaster soldiers would quickly appear. If they didn’t quickly move, another battle would start.
The pressure they faced while heading further northwest was always the least.
During the short period of rest, Su continuously hesitated and struggled with himself, wavering between his reasoning and instinct.
On the battlefield outside Pendulum City, a new blade appeared that was forceful and fierce. It hacked through layers after layers of blockades and quickly charged north west.
A dark gray, lightweight combat armor covered Li’s body, protecting her chest, back, groin, head and other crucial areas. Over her left eye was a tactical multipurpose lens, and on her back was a dragonrider specialized battlefield knapsack. In her arms was a Model 2 Dragon Rifle that specialized in sudden and violent attacks.
Li continuously issued decisive yet accurate commands. The fifteen fully armed soldiers behind her correspondingly displayed all types of tactical movements, covering each other as they advanced forward. They would sometimes even exchange fire with the Scorpions of Disaster soldiers right on the several dozen meter long street! Under Li’s command, almost all of the soldiers could seize ideal offensive position, so the scorching firepower easily tore apart the Scorpions of Disaster soldiers one after another. Not even the Scorpions of Disaster tanks or war mechas could endure for a long time before being blasted to pieces by the concentrated firepower.
Unlike the aimless attacks of the other dragonriders, Li’s sudden and violent assaults were clear and decisive. All of the Scorpions of Disaster troops that blocked their path were ruthlessly crushed, and those at the sides and rear were suppressed by concentrated firepower as they quickly advanced.
Li’s forceful and decisive tactics were different from those of other dragonriders, and the Scorpions of Disaster soldiers had no time to react either. A bit of chaos broke out on the battlefield. Even though the dragonriders who were fighting their individual battles couldn’t sense the battlefield’s changes, the lieutenant colonel in the command room felt his face becoming more and more downcast. The lieutenant colonel who was confident in his battlefield knowledge sensed Li’s sharp battlefield senses. He couldn’t accept that this was the performance of a mere subordinate.
What if the one that had to fight a battle against Li was himself? This thought involuntarily emerged in the lieutenant colonel’s head. He had never seen Li before, and he didn’t know about her other skills, but at the very least, if it was the lieutenant colonel himself on the battlefield, it was likely that he wouldn’t be much faster than Li at breaking through the enemy lines. However, the problem was that he was a Black Dragonrider lieutenant colonel that had numerous subordinates, while Li was just a lieutenant commander’s subordinate.
There was never a lack of individuals with outstanding combat abilities among Dragonriders and their subordinates. However, those that had talents in military affairs were all extremely rare. Perhaps Li truly had a chance of breaking through this battlefield and returning to Su’s side.
The lieutenant colonel even felt the urge to order the other dragonriders to pull back so that the Scorpions of Disaster could focus all of their pressure on Li and Su. However, he wasn’t a conspirator, nor was he a politician. There was no great family backing him. The lieutenant colonel had to carefully think over this current situation. If Su returned alive and learned of how he acted, how was he supposed to deal with Su’s revenge? As a lieutenant colonel, he had access to Kafen and Maria’s death reports. Maria’s method of death had already made it difficult for him to sleep well for several nights in a row. As soon as he recalled how she could clearly feel her vitality trickle out from her body bit by bit, yet felt absolute despair out of her helplessness, the lieutenant colonel would feel his chest tighten.
In the end, the lieutenant colonel didn’t give the order for the dragonriders to pull back.
Their period of rest was going to end in three minutes. All of the soldiers were fast asleep. They already learned how to enter a state of sleep in the shortest amount of time possible to properly recover and replenish their stamina and energy. Su walked around the soldiers and examined every single individuals’ equipment and state. There were three minutes left for him to make a decision. One could vaguely tell that he was struggling. However, Su no longer avoided Li Gaolei’s eyes.
Su continued to look northwest from time to time. It seemed to be silently calling out to him, calling for him to come over. These cries came directly from his body’s instincts, ordering his soul and his body, down to every cell.
The temptation was extremely great. It seemed like the number of Scorpions of Disaster soldiers between Su and the base was becoming greater and greater. If he wanted to return, he need to fight fierce battles again and again, and perhaps less than half of these soldiers would still be alive. To withdraw from the northwest and once again fight their way back to the base or even Dragon City should be an extremely sensible choice.
Su lightly clapped his hand. The soldiers immediately woke up from their slumber and jumped up. Their bloodshot eyes stared forward as they lined up in front of Su. Even if it was just a brief dozen or so minute nap, faint killing intent filled their bodies again. Su’s eyes swept over every soldier, and then they finally landed on Li Gaolei’s face.
Li Gaolei took a deep breath. He looked like he was in an even sorrier state than the ordinary soldiers. When he saw Su’s eyes gaze over, he laughed indifferently before saying, “Leader, you should probably make a decision quickly.”
Su took a deep breath and made a decision that left everyone astonished. “We are turning back and fighting our way back to the base!”
Despite their shock towards Su’s decision, the soldiers continued to strictly carry out his order. Right when their troop was going to depart, a message appeared on Su’s portable intelligence system. Only now did he learn that Li arrived in Pendulum City, and that she was currently slaughtering her way over.
