funbook-pk Chapter 1354 Unheard of
Chapter 1354 Unheard of
I gazed through the observation mirror at the stone fortress standing amidst the wind and snow.
The failure of the air force raid just now weighed heavily on the hearts of every coalition commander. Two gliders, billowing black smoke, crashed on the snow in the distance, their wreckage still burning, like two ugly scars.
The other aircraft were forced to climb to avoid the attack, and the burn marks from the energy weapons were clearly visible on their fuselages, making it difficult to achieve effective suppression in a short period of time.
"Marshal, the artillery positions have been recalibrated, and the coverage area is now locked on the fortress towers and suspected enemy firing positions."
The artillery commander's voice was slightly hoarse; the accurate counterattack by the android had left the soldiers at their positions with lingering fear.
Han Da's face was calm as water, but a cold flame burned deep in his eyes.
He knew that losing air superiority would drastically increase the cost of a ground offensive, but the opportunity was fleeting. Shahar was gathering his remaining troops, and mysterious reinforcements had arrived. Delaying would only allow the enemy to build a stronger defense, or even receive more and stronger reinforcements.
"Order!"
Han Da's voice was firm as he began to issue orders: "The 3rd Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division and the armored battalion under General Turkic Batur, under artillery cover, advance in skirmish lines toward the breach on the east side of the fortress and toward the main gate!"
"Objective: Probe the enemy's defensive strength, especially the firepower distribution and reaction speed of their air force, and draw them out as much as possible! The heavy machine gun company will provide fire support to suppress the archers on the city walls! Armored vehicle units will advance to cover the infantry, focusing on guarding against possible enemy anti-armor measures!"
"As ordered!"
The order was passed down quickly.
The muffled sound of artillery fire shattered the brief silence once again.
On Handa's side, the artillery positions spewed forth vengeful flames, and shells whistled through the sky, slamming into the breach in the eastern wall of the Ustj fortress and several towering towers.
Brick and stone fragments mixed with snow flew everywhere, and smoke and dust filled the air. Taking advantage of the artillery fire suppression, the steel torrent and infantry wave on Handa's side began to surge.
The Allied infantry, dressed in thick winter clothing and carrying semi-automatic rifles, advanced forward with skillful tactical maneuvers, using shell craters and wreckage as cover.
Heavy tracks rolled over the frozen ground as several troop carriers covered in makeshift armor and armored reconnaissance vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns roared ahead, clearing paths and providing mobile cover for the infantry.
On the city walls, the surviving Slavic defenders and temporarily conscripted militia, under the officers' shouts and braving the occasional falling shells, leaned out and poured sparse arrows and bullets down with their imitation Tianji Academy rifles and crossbows, but were quickly suppressed by the dense fire net woven by the heavy machine guns behind the Allied forces, and could not raise their heads.
Inside the fortress, Shahar paced anxiously on the ground floor of a relatively intact tower.
The deafening artillery fire and the shouts of the Allied forces charging outside terrified him; the pain of being overwhelmed by them before was once again etched into his mind...
He was left with only a few trusted officers, all of whom wore expressions of panic and despair.
The mysterious reinforcements, a squad of ten androids, are currently scattered across several key defensive points. Their cold, expressionless faces are like statues...
"Your Majesty, there's a breach on the east side! The East Asians are coming up! Armored vehicles!"
A lookout rushed in, his voice trembling with tears, to report. They seemed to be experiencing once again the pain of being overwhelmed by them before...
"Your Majesty, what should we do next? How should we retaliate... Should we even retaliate...? What should we do? They're pressing in..."
Shahar's heart leaped into his throat, and he rushed to the narrow observation hole.
Several Allied armored vehicles were seen covering the dark mass of infantry, charging resolutely towards the breach in the city wall like steel wedges!
That aura seemed to be about to crush the fortress completely in the next moment!
"It's over..."
An officer whispered in despair.
"No! It's not over yet!" Shahar whirled around, a final, crazed glint in his eyes, and roared at the messenger beside him, "Go and relay the order to those divine messengers! Target: enemy armored vanguard and heavy firepower points! Take them down! Now!"
His orders were quickly relayed to the messengers.
A moment later, it instantly stirred up deadly ripples.
Shahar's orders soon proved very effective.
Flickering fire could be seen from several cleverly camouflaged and reinforced firing ports in the fortress!
Whoosh...whoosh....whoosh...
Unlike the explosion of gunpowder weapons, a sharper sound, accompanied by high-frequency vibrations, rang out as energy tore through the air.
The armored personnel carrier at the forefront, covering the infantry, suddenly burst open its side armor with a blinding blue-white light!
The light was not the flame of an explosion, but an instantaneous release of extremely concentrated energy. This made the sturdy composite armor as fragile as paper in the face of this bizarre attack, instantly melting a fist-sized hole through it. A muffled explosion and the screams of soldiers came from inside. The vehicle shook violently, spewing black smoke and becoming paralyzed on the spot, blocking part of the passage for following vehicles.
Immediately afterwards, a similar burst of light erupted from the rotating turret on the top of another armored reconnaissance vehicle equipped with a heavy machine gun. The turret's hydraulic system instantly failed, the heavy machine gun went silent, and the operator fell into a pool of blood.
boom!boom!
Almost simultaneously, two muffled but highly penetrating sniper shots rang out from the towers high above the fortress.
Unlike older firearms, this sound was shorter and more powerful.
The helmets of two Allied platoon leaders who were at the forefront of the skirmish line and were directing their squads forward exploded almost simultaneously!
Red and white matter splattered, and the body collapsed. Precision!
"Sniper! Watch out!"
"Anti-armor weapons! Take cover!"
A piercing warning rang out from Han Da's charging troops.
The well-trained soldiers reacted swiftly, seeking cover and lying down, halting the advance. The armored vehicles also hastily maneuvered to avoid direct fire, attempting to use their weak points to evade the attack.
However, the androids' attack didn't stop there; they quickly moved to attack the heavy armored vehicles in front of them...
For a moment, it disrupted their attack frequency.
Without the cover of heavy armored vehicles, the infantry's offensive became much more difficult...
The most important thing is mindset; they don't know how many advanced weapons the other side possesses...
Although the humanoids and robots combined are only one person, they are well-equipped, have extremely high tactical skills, and occupy the fortified positions and high ground of the fortress!
They were completely unfazed by the coalition's small arms fire; ordinary bullets hitting their alloy casings would only send up a few sparks.
Every move they made was as precise as a scalpel, targeting the coalition's command nodes, technical weapons, and offensive spearheads.
They did not aim for mass casualties, but rather to efficiently cripple the coalition's offensive system.
They are practically capable of taking on a hundred enemies single-handedly...
The Allied soldiers on Handa's side bravely attempted to fight back, raining bullets and mortar shells down on the exposed positions of the firing points.
However, the firing positions of the simulated human are extremely tricky. They often fire one shot and then move to another place, or use thick stone walls for cover, making it difficult for ordinary mortar shells to inflict effective damage on them.
Furthermore, they were surrounded by Slavic figures who fearlessly launched feint attacks as cover...
Their reaction speed far surpasses that of humans, often allowing them to relocate before coalition fire can reach them.
After losing the strong cover of armored vehicles and the continuous suppression of heavy machine guns, the infantry's charge became extremely difficult. Exposed to the dual threat of the city wall defenders and the precise kills by the simulated soldiers, casualties began to rise rapidly.
A strange stalemate has occurred on the battlefield.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Han Da's side was like punching cotton, and was constantly being pierced in vital areas by several poisoned needles.
Progress has become extremely difficult, and every step forward has come at a considerable cost.
Han Da stared intently at the battlefield situation map. Communication jamming made the situation even more unclear, but the fragmented information transmitted from the front and the reports from the observation posts all pointed to the same conclusion.
The cost of a strong offensive far exceeded expectations, and it is difficult to break through in a short period of time.
Those simulated humanoids were like a persistent, malignant tumor, severely hindering and even stifling the Allied forces' offensive.
The enemy already possesses those rumored weapons, but they don't yet know how many...
"Marshal, the 3rd Regiment reports heavy casualties: two company commanders killed, more than half of the platoon leaders killed or wounded, two armored vehicles lost, and one heavy machine gun position suppressed! Requesting further instructions..."
The communications soldier shouted at the top of his lungs amidst the noise and interference.
Handa's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, sweeping across the direction of the Shahar fortress, and then looking at the solemn and anxious faces of the generals around him.
He had to be responsible for the lives of his soldiers, and for the entire campaign. Blind sacrifice was meaningless; the situation on the other side had undergone a dramatic transformation...
If things continue like this, even if we win, we don't know how much we'll have to pay!
He took a deep breath, and the cold air seemed to carry the metallic smell of gunpowder, piercing straight to his lungs!
Han Da's voice remained calm. Although it was difficult, he still made up his mind!
"Order! All frontline troops, cease attack! Provide alternating cover and withdraw out of the enemy's effective firing range! Artillery, extend fire to cover the front of the fortifications and cover the troops' retreat! Air Force units, strictly prohibit low-altitude flight, maintain high-altitude alert!"
The order to retreat was issued swiftly.
Although the well-trained coalition soldiers were seething with anger, they still strictly followed orders.
Under the cover of artillery fire and heavy machine gun barrage from the rear, the infantrymen dragged the wounded and helped their fallen comrades, retreating quickly in squads, taking advantage of the terrain.
The armored vehicles also fought and retreated, using their remaining firepower to block any possible pursuit.
At this moment, Shah's army was also holed up inside the fortress and refused to come out...
Although they retreated, they retreated as a whole, organized group...
Even so, those on the walls of the Shahar fortress who spotted the Slavic soldiers first erupted in wild cheers...
Inside the fortress, Shahar remained pressed tightly against the observation hole, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
He witnessed the destruction of coalition armored vehicles, the killing of officers, the disruption of attack formations, and the jamming of communications...
Finally, he saw the East Asian Allied Forces, which had surged forward like a tide, begin to retreat slowly and orderly right before his eyes, like waves crashing against rocks!
An indescribable, almost manic ecstasy instantly overwhelmed the fear and despair that had been building up in Shahar's heart for so long!
He suddenly straightened his hunched back, a sickly flush quickly rising to his pale face, his eyes widening and bursting with a terrifying light.
"They retreated! They retreated! Hahaha! Those dogs from the East Asian Federation have retreated!"
Shahar suddenly turned around, waving his fists and laughing hysterically. His voice was sharp and piercing due to extreme excitement, echoing inside the tower.
He grabbed the shoulder of the equally dumbfounded officer beside him and shook him violently. "See that! See that! What did I tell you?! We have warriors of divine messengers! The iron birds and iron chariots of East Asia are utterly vulnerable before the power of the divine messengers! Utterly vulnerable! Hahaha!"
He rushed to another observation slit, watching the Allied soldiers retreat under the cover of artillery fire. It was as if he were witnessing the most beautiful sight in the world. He danced with joy, shouting, "Handa! Xiao Ce's lackey! You've finally met your match! You think you've won? Dream on! With the Divine Envoy here, you won't be able to set foot in my fortress! Not a chance!"
He was so excited that he became incoherent, spitting as he spoke.
"Your Majesty is wise! The divine messenger is mighty!"
The surviving officers were also overwhelmed by this sudden victory, temporarily forgetting their previous fears, and excitedly echoed and shouted in unison.
The remaining defenders inside the fortress, upon hearing the sounds of the allied forces retreating below the city and the ecstatic shouts coming from the towers, had their morale, which had been at rock bottom, strangely rekindled with a faint flame of hope.
Perhaps... we really can hold out? Perhaps... reinforcements can really bring a miracle?
Shahar is now almost certain that they will win...
...
Meanwhile, outside the Ust-i fortress.
The East Asian Allied Forces' forward camp was shrouded in a somber silence, a stark contrast to their triumphant display when they had recently captured the Iron Wall Fortress.
Han Da's order to retreat was decisive and timely, avoiding greater losses. However, the wreckage of two gliders that crashed while billowing black smoke, the armored vehicles on the ground that had been melted through and were charred inside, and the bodies of officers who had been accurately sniped and whose helmets had been pierced, all struck the hearts of every Allied soldier like cold iron hammers.
The high morale brought about by the overwhelming victory in the initial battle against the Iron Wall Fortress has now deflated rapidly, like a punctured balloon.
The soldiers silently treated the wounded and reinforced the temporary fortifications, their eyes filled with confusion and fear of the unknown weapon.
The enemy's counterattack was too sharp, too unpredictable, and beyond their understanding of war... They had never even heard of it before!