12: Bunker blocking the entrance! A hundred men attacking? My machine gunners will teach you a lesson!

Inside the Command Center, a piercing alarm tore through the base's tranquility.

The lights on the walls instantly changed from a soft white to a rapidly flashing blood red!

"Warning! Large-scale armed units detected approaching at high speed!"

The adjutant's alarm tone was devoid of emotion.

On the holographic screen, the red dots representing the enemy were dense, like a rapidly spreading blood-red mold, surging towards the base's position. External sensors could even pick up the increasingly clear vibrations of collective footsteps from the ground, mixed with beast-like roars, as if an army from hell was approaching.

Ilaria's breathing suddenly quickened.

She stared at the red dots representing nearly a hundred members of the Goliath Gang, her pupils contracting uncontrollably.

"They're here."

Her voice was hoarse.

"And they brought heavy stuff."

The screen zoomed in, showing a heavily armored "siege ram" chariot, modified from an abandoned industrial vehicle, being pushed by a dozen of the strongest gang members, moving slowly in the center of the formation.

That monster was like an ugly steel beetle; each movement sent a dull tremor through the ground.

To Ilaria, the base's flimsy entrance was less than a piece of paper in front of this monster.

"All Space Marines, enter the bunkers!"

Zhang Yuan's voice, calm as ice, echoed through the comms channel into every soldier's ear.

Eight Space Marines, with heavy and swift steps, their magnetic boots clanking, entered the two newly constructed cross-fire bunkers.

The heavy hydraulic doors hissed shut behind them, instantly cutting off the outside clamor.

Dim red tactical lights illuminated the cramped space, and the metallic scent of coolant filled the air.

The red "lock" indicator lights on the Space Marines' visors lit up sequentially as targets were acquired, flickering with cold killing intent in the dim space.

The dark firing ports, like the eyes of death, silently stared at the charging enemy.

At the end of the distant passage, the Goliath Gang members let out beast-like roars. The countless crude roars converged into a foul wave of sound, mixed with the stench of sweat, cheap stimulants, and blood-soaked gale, almost overwhelming the Command Center's soundproofing system.

Inside the Command Center, Ilaria subconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, causing a sharp pain.

This pain, however, allowed her to grasp a sliver of clarity amidst the immense fear.

"Roar!"

The Goliath Gang members stepped into the cross-fire death zone.

The slaughter began.

"Open fire."

Zhang Yuan's command was like pulling the final trigger.

The two bunkers instantly spat out destructive tongues of flame!

The firing of the c-14 gauss rifle was no longer in bursts, but a continuous, fabric-tearing, violent shriek, forming an impenetrable storm of metal.

The gang members charging at the front seemed to hit an invisible wall studded with steel spikes.

Their bodies violently exploded, tore, and shattered under the impact of supersonic metal spikes, hot blood and organ fragments splattering radially onto their comrades behind them and the ground.

Their muscles, comparable to low-grade alloy, were as fragile as soaked paper in front of supersonic 8mm metal spikes.

The crude gunpowder weapons in their hands randomly spat out projectiles.

Those solid rounds hitting the bunker's heavy armor could only spark weakly and briefly, barely leaving a clear scratch.

Just as the gang's charge stalled and fell into chaos due to these terrifying casualties, a roar, filled with endless pain and anger, utterly inhuman, exploded from behind the crowd!

"Goliath! For Loken!"

Goliath Gang's champion, Loken the Butcher!

He tore off a pre-prepared syringe filled with thick purple liquid from his chest and, without looking, savagely plunged it into his thick neck.

The moment the liquid was injected, his massive body convulsed violently, muscles writhing and expanding like living things, straining his simple armor until it creaked.

He forcibly grew to nearly three meters tall, transforming into a true monster with blood-red eyes and steam spewing from his mouth and nose!

He let out an unintelligible roar, actually ignoring the hail of bullets that could easily tear through steel!

Metal spikes exploded into sprays of blood on his thick chest armor and muscles, but he merely staggered before taking another heavy step, pushing through the terrifying firepower like a raging bull, and charged to the front of a bunker!

He raised his massive power hammer, shimmering with unstable energy arcs, and with all his might, slammed it down fiercely!

Boom—!!

The bunker vibrated violently, as if struck by a giant's fist!

The internal lights flickered wildly, and dust and debris rustled down from the ceiling.

A shocking dent instantly appeared on the heavy composite armor!

[Warning: Bunker One durability decreased to 72%! Structural damage!]

The Butcher roared again, raising his power hammer.

Boom!

[Warning: Bunker One durability decreased to 48%!]

Ilaria's heart was practically leaping out of her chest; she could even hear the rushing hum of her own blood in her ears.

She stared intently at the monster frantically destroying on the screen, then looked at the man who remained silent as a rock.

Zhang Yuan wasn't looking at the battlefield.

His eyes were fixed on the upper right corner of the resource panel, and a bead of fine sweat on his forehead gathered into a drop, sliding down his temple.

Boom!

The third heavy blow! Even more violent!

[Warning! Bunker One durability decreased to 19%! Structure severely damaged! Imminent collapse!]

The piercing structural damage alarm almost tore through eardrums.

At this critical moment, the last batch of metal scrap recovered by the SCV finally completed its conversion!

The numbers on the panel jumped frantically!

[Crystalline Minerals: 1002]

[high-energy gas: 505]

"Now is the time!!"

Zhang Yuan's bloodshot eyes suddenly erupted with terrifying light!

He practically slammed his fist onto the virtual button on the control panel!

"Research Incendiary Rounds for me!!"

"All bunker units, authorized to use Combat Stimpack! Immediately!"

[Incendiary Rounds technology analysis initiated, estimated consumption: 1000 Crystalline Minerals, 500 high-energy gas.]

[Combat Stimpack injection authorization confirmed.]

The moment the order was given, a hissing sound of air pressure release came from within the bunker.

In Bunker One, on the retina interface of Space Space Marine Squad Leader 'Iron Hammer', the blue stimpack icon was instantly activated. Cold liquid injected into his veins; the next second, a torrent of pain and ecstasy washed over every nerve. The world seemed to be in slow motion, the enemy's movements became sluggish and ridiculous, while his heart roared like a starship engine!

Followed by the electronic synthetic shouts of all Space Marines, mixed with pain and extreme excitement:

"Oh yeah! Feeling it!!"

The blue Combat Stimpack was forcefully injected into their veins via syringes.

Their heartbeats pounded like war drums in their chests, and the world instantly slowed down in their eyes, yet became incredibly clear!

The bunker's firing ports once again spat out tongues of flame!

But this time, it was no longer short bursts.

It was a continuous, never-ending storm of bullets!

The rate of fire suddenly doubled!

The insane barrage instantly swallowed Loken the Butcher whole!

His massive body under the dense hail of bullets was like being relentlessly pounded by countless invisible iron fists!

The power hammer he had just raised could no longer be swung down.

His armor and flesh, amidst a dense series of "thudding" sounds, were continuously torn, peeled, and exploded, revealing the pale white bones and writhing internal organs beneath, only to be pulverized by even more bullets.

He couldn't even let out a scream before being completely reduced to an unrecognizable pile of charred minced meat!

Meanwhile, inside the Command Center.

On the screen in front of Zhang Yuan, the progress bar representing [Incendiary Rounds Technology] analysis was rushing towards 100% at an unstoppable speed, like a lit fuse!

The victory of this defensive battle was about to bring a transformative qualitative change to his army!