Chapter 1164: Chapter 9: Rock-Paper-Scissors

The sky darkened amidst the artillery fire. Smoke and dust blocked all sunlight.

"Take cover!" The piercing cries echoed above the position, instantly drowned out by the deafening explosions.

No guidance was needed; everyone immediately dropped prone, rolling into the explosion-proof pits.

The quickest to move, of course, was Fatty. Almost reflexively, he activated his Mecha, using its mechanical hand to cover Nash hanging by the cockpit door, and rolled into the Mecha’s explosion-proof pit.

Right behind him were a few Chuckna Warriors and a dozen or so bandit soldiers. They all rushed into the explosion-proof pit where Fatty was, barely glancing at other pits beside them. If the explosion-proof pit could accommodate more people, everyone would likely try to squeeze in.

Intense explosions covered the entire battlefield.

A barrage of energy bullets rained down on the ground, creating craters. The violent shockwaves crashed and surged through the trenches.

Outside the explosion-proof pit, the metallic bulletproof walls and blast shelters groaned wretchedly amidst the explosions, as the dirt within the pit fell incessantly. Shattered rifles and component fragments, blown apart, clattered against the pit walls. Earth and gravel, just settled, were lifted again. White explosion flashes swept across the land, red flames flickered and licked in the wind, and black smoke rolled upwards in spirals.

It was an apocalyptic scene, yet no one cared. The warriors crammed into the spacious Mecha explosion-proof pit, excitedly watching the Mecha before them, unable to get enough of it.

Although this cobbled-together contraption’s first move was a rather ungracious lazy donkey roll, for everyone present, it was the most exquisite maneuver in the world. Ten thousand times more marvelous than the most expensive, beautiful, and advanced Mecha performing the so-called "Small Plate Rotation" Level 8 maneuver, the crown jewel of Mechanical Control.

This clean and swift lazy donkey roll was enough to show just how healthy this Mecha was!

However, when Nash and the others saw the still-unrepaired Energy Cannon on the Mecha, their eyes couldn’t help but darken.

They knew, beneath the battlefield, a Jiepeng [Fushan] Mecha was already prepared to storm the position. Perhaps, during the artillery coverage, that Mecha and countless Jiepeng soldiers had already leapt from the trenches and begun their charge towards the position.

With the current method of mechanized infantry coordinated combat, under normal circumstances, the attacking Mecha’s primary role at the start of the attack is to provide powerful fire support for the charging infantry.

The fire points installed at the position are the targets for the Mecha. As they need to cover the infantry, the Mecha’s position will always be ahead of the Jiepeng infantry skirmish line, only accelerating for a charge in the last hundred meters, breaching first into the position and opening a gap for the following infantry.

This means, when the enemy reaches within a hundred meters, the entire position will be subjected to intense enemy long-range attacks.

If it were just that, it might still be bearable; after all, our side still has the advantage of terrain and the position for cover. But the problem now is that the position not only lacks Mecha but also no portable Energy Cannons or missile launchers.

The only thing that can pose a threat to the enemy’s Mecha is the Fusion Hand Grenade! If during the charge the enemy observes the position’s firepower and figures this out, then as long as the Mech Knight piloting their Mecha isn’t an idiot or a madman, he will choose to use firepower to clear the way for their infantry from a very safe distance!

Only after the first skirmish line completely breaches the position will this Mecha launch the final charge, becoming the last straw to break the camel’s back under infantry assistance and cover.

In that case, even if we manage to kill their Mecha eventually, it would be pointless. In the face of countless Jiepeng infantry rushing into the position, the remaining twenty or thirty Chuckna Warriors, even if made of iron, would be shredded into pieces.

This isn’t speculation; it’s a reality deduced from every nation’s coordinated mech-infantry combat doctrine! The only way seems to be to burn the boats, and kill the enemy’s Mecha before their infantry enters the position!

But that would mean the Mech Knight piloting this patchwork Mecha must charge out of the position, cross over a hundred meters of distance, evade the enemy Mecha’s Energy Cannon attacks, and destroy their Mecha in close combat!

Is that even possible?!

Fatty is indeed a Grandmaster Level Mechanic. But this Mecha is in too terrible a state. With such rushed repairs, restoring even half of its performance would be incredibly fortunate. Under these circumstances, to kill a superior [Fushan], would be a daunting challenge even for Level 6 or 7 Mechanical Warriors in the Armored Division, let alone the Level 3 or 4 Mecha warriors in the Mechanical Infantry!

Perhaps it wouldn’t even make it to the enemy before this derelict Mecha falls apart or gets blasted into a heap of scrap metal!

Just a moment ago, the excitement brought by the Jiepeng SkyNet had already dissipated amidst the artillery fire. Nash, Sunx Ping, and the others exchanged glances, their mood somewhat gloomy.

If only Fatty had arrived a few hours earlier.

A Grandmaster Level Mechanic, coupled with their ability to hack into the Jiepeng SkyNet, could elevate the entire unit’s combat effectiveness. Maybe, the unit could escape death beside this Karachi River!

And in such a dilapidated position, relying on just this handful of people, even if they saw the deployment and maneuvers of the Jiepeng people, what could they do?!

Their hand was too weak, the enemy wouldn’t even care to lay their cards on the table against them!

A few Chuckna Warriors exchanged a glance, then turned to look at the mixed soldiers who seemed oblivious to the concerns, only to sigh deeply. Judging by how these guys held their guns, their combat capability was clear. Even if they managed to kill a few Jiepeng people, it would probably be just blind luck. Counting on them was even less reliable than hoping for heavenly thunder to suddenly strike and kill all the Jiepeng people!

After some mumbling discussions inside the Mecha, finally, a pale-faced Fatty and the little kid emerged from the Mecha.

Fatty asked, "This Mecha, who will pilot it?"

"Damn it!" Nash punched the pit wall hard.

Fatty and the little kid simultaneously shivered in fright. The big and small Fatty exchanged glances, worried at heart; at this critical moment, what’s going wrong with this guy?

"Old Sunx!" Nash gritted his teeth and said to Sunx Ping, "Go call Samson. He’s the only one here with the highest mecha level; whether it works or not, we have to take a gamble! Otherwise, we can only wait here and die!"

The explosion-proof pit was dead silent. Outside, the sound of explosions seemed to have distanced itself from everyone’s ears. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Feng Laos fiercely wiped his sniper rifle without lifting his head. Jonathan lowered his head, veins protruding on his forehead. Shen Ming stared dully at the mecha’s strange mechanical legs, eyes red. And Sunx Ping, he was staring intently at Nash, finally nodded fiercely, slung his gun on his back, and turned to crawl out of the pit.

"Wait!" Seeing Sunx Ping heading out, Fatty understood and said oddly, "That Samson, what level mechanical warrior is he?!"

"Level 4!" Nash said through gritted teeth, "The highest in the Mechanical Infantry is Level 6. Originally, our Mechanical Armor Team had a Level 5, but..." As he spoke, Nash’s eyes turned red. He knew that the order he was giving was essentially sending the company’s last mechanical warrior to his death! Lieutenant Samson had less than a ten percent chance of completing this mission!

"Level 4?!" The bandit soldiers’ expressions all turned oddly.

"Don’t call him!" Seeing Sunx Ping about to turn away again, Fatty quickly shouted, "The firepower coverage isn’t over yet; it’s too dangerous outside! No need to call; we have mechanical warriors here."

"You have mechanical warriors?" Nash and the others didn’t know whether to feel pleasantly surprised or bewildered.

Their eyes slowly swept over the faces of a group of mixed soldiers in blue uniforms, and Nash asked hoarsely, "What level mechanical warriors?"

"Don’t worry about that." Fatty waved his hand, unsure how to explain the difference between civilian and military levels, turned to Baz and the others, "Hurry up, which one of you is going?"

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Baz raised his fist high, eyes shining towards his companions.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Only Cosmo showed a rock, everyone else showed scissors. The explosion-proof pit instantly erupted like a market catching a thief, a cacophony of noise.

Especially the few War Gods, who cursed loudly.

The tall Hagrove yelled that it didn’t count, his face full of a beard and fierce flesh echoed loudly by Wagstaff, and even the middle-aged scholar-like Mountain Breaker Sect Second-level Mecha War God Meng Xun, shook his head and refused to accept.

"Damn it! Cowards!" Under Nash and the others’ stunned gaze, Fatty pulled the embarrassed yet proud Cosmo, "Only Cosmo goes, you decide the next one by rock, paper, scissors."

The pit bustled with rock, paper, scissors chaos again.

Fatty instructed Cosmo, "Remember, break the protective armor below its rear waist, that’s the transmission assembly of the [Fushan] Mecha; if inconvenient, somewhere else works too. The better preserved, the better. Get back quickly once captured. Our chance to escape relies on you!"

"No problem." Cosmo smiled slightly and crawled into the mecha cockpit.

The sound of explosions outside gradually thinned. Jiepeng’s artillery preparation had ended.

"Do we still have sniper rifles?" Fatty asked Nash.

Cosmo’s skills were sufficient to capture an opponent’s mecha. Fatty calculated that firepower on the battlefield wasn’t enough, he needed a sniper rifle to try and kill the enemy officers; that was the most economical way to distribute combat power now.

Seeing the youth, barely over twenty, with clear brows like a student climb into the mecha, and hearing Fatty’s incredible instructions, Nash didn’t know what he was feeling at that moment.

Using a broken mecha to attack a completely intact [Fushan] in front of the battlefield and capturing it whole... are we dreaming?

"Hey!" A chubby hand waved directly in front of him, and Nash finally came back to his senses.

He gritted his teeth and turned to crawl out of the pit, "Follow me!"

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One thousand words missing, will be supplemented tomorrow.

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