Chapter 247: Family
Three men sprinted forward, swinging large knives reminiscent of machetes.
They were not just flailing their weapons aimlessly.
Instead, they were deflecting the 7mm full metal jacket bullets fired from the machine guns stationed at the fortress ahead. Despite the considerable strain, their running posture remained steady.
In fact, they were far too fast. In the blink of an eye, the men reached the base of the barrier.
With a swift motion.
The machete sliced through the log barrier. The kicked debris scattered like shrapnel within the fortress, injuring several soldiers. The three men leaped through the breach and immediately began to take down the soldiers inside.
Within ten minutes, the only ones moving within the fortress were the three intruders.
They entered a makeshift tent, gathering intelligence. They checked maps and orders, identifying the positions of nearby resistance forces. Opening stacked wooden crates, they extracted wine and food, equipping themselves before dashing off once more.
They were the highest combat force of the Prava Divine Nation. Known as the Chimiya, they were the strongest warriors assembled with the goal of reclaiming the Holy Land.
“Well, that’s the situation,” Ringo explained.
“Ugh, this is just ridiculous. This is why Fantasy is so unreasonable,” Eve replied, shaking her head.
However, if a Communicator Android clad in an Assist Suit was sufficiently powered, it could likely perform similar feats. From their perspective, who was truly being unreasonable?
“By the way, here is the footage of a sniper shot taken from a distance of 1,400 meters.”
Inside a camouflaged makeshift hut set in the woods, a soldier was aiming an anti-material rifle with a 13mm caliber. The sniper was a specially trained soldier, only those who had completed a certain training period, requested by the Kingdom of Reputari, were allowed to claim that title.
The scope revealed a Chimiya, seemingly taking a short break inside the captured fortress.
If the sniper scope fell within the range of the Spy Bot Network, the footage could be relayed. It was a grim situation.
The footage shook violently. The sniper had fired. But soon, the image stabilized, and the confirmation of results began. The sniper scope, equipped with a certain degree of correction functionality, transformed an inexperienced soldier into a seasoned marksman.
The Chimiya fell, but he was not dead. The sniper likely intended to pursue, but the Chimiya rolled away from the ground and escaped.
“Even at 1,400 meters, with supersonic full metal jacket bullets, it should easily penetrate something like standard iron plating,” Eve noted.
“If it hit a human, they would be blown apart…”
A human-sized target had deflected an armor-piercing shell.
Threat Creatures embodied the traits of being large, strong, and tough, yet it seemed that humans possessed astonishing capabilities of their own.
“That said, a direct hit would likely cause damage,” Eve mused.
“Yes, Ma’am. It is believed that with appropriate pursuit, they can be defeated. However, it seems they can retreat without losing consciousness even if hit in the head, so it would be quite difficult with the current frontline equipment.”
Nevertheless, if they could successfully snipe, they could stall that strongest combat force. While the 7mm bullets were ineffective, the 13mm rounds might stand a chance.
“I’ll consult Amagio about changing the weapon ratios later.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And how is our preparation coming along?”
At Eve’s inquiry, Ringo nodded and displayed new blueprints and an overview of the transport in progress.
“The transport fleet that departed from the Second Fortress (Black Iron) yesterday is currently sailing north of the Stepping Fortress.”
“Stepping…?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It is a fortress built by the Kingdom of Reputari in the Northern Islands.”
“Oh, right. I remember now.”
The Northern Islands had been subdued by the Kingdom of Reputari to construct a forward base. Originally, the plan was to develop a route to the Southern Continent centered around that location, but the plan had been derailed due to the complications arising from establishing diplomatic relations with the Paraiso.
“The arrival at the landing point is expected in 80 hours. At this rate, we will need a base somewhere in that region.”
“Indeed. Sea transport has its limitations in terms of deployment speed.”
From an aerial view, the transport fleet of The Tree was being relayed. In a circular formation with the transport ship at the center, the escort was provided by the Fringhorni Class Second Ship, Blazablik. The air defense was handled by the Naglufar Class Second Ship, Myrkviz.
Both massive vessels were making their maiden voyage this time.
And protected by these two ships and the surrounding fleet was an even larger transport vessel.
“The semi-submersible transport ship, Mizugards. This large vessel is primarily designed to transport a large number of land-based weapons into enemy territory. To reduce visibility, it can submerge 95% of its structure below the water’s surface.”
“Wow… it really is huge when you see it again…”
With a length of 745 meters and a width of 93 meters, it was nearly twice the length of the 388-meter Naglufar Class. This enormous internal space was filled with a vast array of land combat weapons. It had the capacity to transport over a million tons of supplies.
After deciding to deploy land battleships, a dry dock was hastily constructed at the Second Fortress (Black Iron) to assemble it. Since the design was handled by Ringo, it was launched within two weeks.
“Once we deploy this, there will be no turning back, Ringo. Have you made up your mind?”
“…Yes, Ma’am. It cannot be helped.”
The Tree secretly colluded with the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Reputari to seize control of the southeastern part of the Northern Continent. The primary target for conquest was the Prava Divine Nation. They had assessed the threat levels of surrounding nations and had nearly confirmed the dangerous Threat Creatures that would pose obstacles. At least within the expected range of influence, they could manage.
They would seize vast territories and devour the underground resources.
While this planet was fraught with dangers, it seemed that resources remained untouched. The Commander (Eve) had decided that acquiring even a portion of them was urgent. Gradual expansion was not a bad approach, but the sudden emergence of extraordinary Threat Creatures posed a significant risk. To counter this, they had to maintain overwhelming military strength. Hesitation could lead to everything being turned to rubble by an unfathomable super organism.
“Leave the front lines as they are. Cut off the rear communication lines to divide their forces, then seize their stronghold. After that, we will encircle and annihilate their frontline forces. Yes, it’s a brilliant plan. Thanks to the Threat Creatures, we’ve even drawn out the hidden cards of the Prava Divine Nation, so things are turning out well this time.”
“Yes, Ma’am. We will inevitably clash at some point, but for now, there is no need to intervene.”
If they shared this overwhelming military strength, even Amagio Silverhead would be turned upside down, Eve thought as she scrolled through the operational overview.
The progress was still only about 5%.
The operational table had been meticulously simulated and drafted by Ringo. It was a model that flexibly adjusted the operational changes in real-time based on the evolving battlefield conditions to achieve the final objective.
It was more accurate to say that they had created an operational logic for execution rather than a timetable for the operation. From a broad perspective of the battlefield, one could observe the various combat groups coordinating with each other in an organic manner, almost like a living organism.
“This will result in the release of about 80% of the resources and units we’ve accumulated so far…”
“The operation will succeed. And if it does, we will acquire a wealth of resources.”
Ringo was right. At the very least, multiple promising mines had been confirmed within the Prava Divine Nation, and seizing the surrounding regions should pose no problem. After all, it was mostly uninhabited territory.
Moreover, the Prava Divine Nation itself was not particularly threatening.
The Chimiya unit, while each member was as strong as a main battle multi-legged tank, were still merely human. They could not simultaneously engage multiple units, nor could they move at supersonic speeds. Their direct combat capabilities were high, but they could be countered effectively through indirect means.
“The surrounding Threat Creatures are the only concern, though.”
“Yes, Ma’am. According to Asahi, the likelihood of being detected is very low unless they use magic. I don’t quite understand it, though.”
“I think they said something about how magic calls upon magic. It’s a bit beyond my comprehension.”