179: Chapter 179 Hunt

"You scared her."

"I know."

"She's more stubborn than you think."

"I know."

"Their actions weren't actually that big of a problem."

"I know."

"Is 'I know' all you can say?"

"Logic."

"...Sorry, Commander."

This was the first time Logic had ever apologized.

"It's fine."

Sand and dust rolled across the land.

The steel body under the desert ambush camouflage was full of power, and the extremely long-barreled 88mm KwK43 glinted with a cold metallic sheen in the hazy sunlight.

The tiger ii tank—more accurately, a tiger ii tank with its engine replaced by a diesel one—lay in its ambush position, waiting for the target to arrive.

"Even though you didn't exactly blow up just now... Commander, you're angry." Logic's voice echoed inside the turret through the radio.

"They should have told me."

"That's probably not what you're angry about..."

"Right, it's not."

The heavy tank was positioned above a canyon, its hull tilted down on a gentle slope so its barrel could fire directly at the entrances on both sides of the gorge.

"I didn't actually want to get angry at her. Her real intention was to share my burden and to make me... well, cheer up a bit."

The Zeiss gun sight could precisely scan every corner of the canyon; this was the testing ground he had specifically sought out.

"Then why did you still get angry?"

"Because I was thinking that my power and vision are limited after all. Anshan is strong, but that doesn't mean she can defeat everything without supplies and support, especially with a dead weight like me around."

"Hmm..."

"Most importantly, she knows my past and thinks she understands me. She's making the same mistake as her... so-called original designer."

"I see..."

"Arrogance. The arrogance of thinking one can control everything."

"..."

The target appeared. A migrating herd of beasts was passing through the canyon; it was their only way through.

The tiger ii tank rotated its turret, quietly waiting for them to walk into the predetermined ambush zone.

Once they reached the center, the tiger ii tank opened fire.

It fired at the cliff at the entrance.

The shell detonated pre-placed explosives, and a series of blasts blocked the entrance.

The ugly monsters of the herd turned back, only to see that the path behind them had been sealed.

But a moment later, there was another loud bang.

Along with the explosion, the canyon's exit was also completely buried.

Now was the time.

The tiger ii tank launched smoke grenades, and when the smoke cleared, another vehicle appeared in its place.

The sturmtiger.

The barrel's elevation mechanism whirred, and the muzzle adjusted its angle, aiming at the herd that was still stupidly huddled together in a defensive posture.

"Boom—"

A rocket-propelled grenade shot toward them.

Before they could realize what was happening, the shell had already flown into the very center of their formation.

With a violent explosion, those originally being protected were instantly vaporized, while the female beasts in the inner circle were sent flying by the shockwave.

The male beasts on the outermost layer fared no better; flying shrapnel pierced their sturdy carapaces and embedded into their flesh, causing them to collapse instantly.

Blood splattered everywhere, but Li Ming remained unfazed.

Launching smoke grenades again, the tiger ii tank reappeared as the smoke dissipated, coldly picking off the beasts that could still move.

The Nanocloud emerged from the corners, covering the herd and devouring carapace and flesh, along with the scattered shrapnel.

But if Li Ming's senses were correct, there seemed to be a snake nest here.

One of those hundred-meter-long giant snakes he had seen before.

That shot from the sturmtiger just now should have been enough to draw it out.

Unsurprisingly, with a tremor of the ground, the cliff on the opposite side of the canyon suddenly collapsed.

A hundred-meter-long, ribbon-like giant creature broke through the rock layers and stretched out, as if patrolling its territory.

It was so arrogant, powerful... and ugly.

Its hundred-meter body was a symbol nurtured by this region. It looked toward the direction of the explosion, only to find a deep crater.

How did that get there? It couldn't understand.

But in the next moment, a cannon fired.

Before it could react, something slammed into the top of its head.

A moment later, after a small explosion, it fell straight down as if its soul had been snatched away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

It was dead.

Smoke still drifted from the muzzle of the tiger ii tank.

The Gr. 39 Hl HEAT shell ignored its biological carapace and pierced through its thickest skull; the high-temperature jet instantly heated and boiled its brain, killing it instantly.

"Logic, recycle it. Prepare to level a patch of ground; we'll use it as fuel for our journey to the Outpost Base."

"Understood, Commander."

Logic continued to work skillfully; the Nanocloud flew out to replenish the ammunition spent and the material deficit caused by producing the Nanocloud itself, converting everything into more resources.

On the other side, another group of Nanocloud quickly leveled and compacted a patch of sand. The tiger ii tank moved onto this flat ground and launched smoke grenades once more.

With green paint and a slender body, the propeller at the nose began to spin, signifying the engine was warming up.

A C6N Saiun carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft.

Li Ming waited quietly for the Nanocloud to finish converting his trophies, then refuel him and mount extra drop tanks.

About an hour later, the giant creature was finally completely digested by the Nanocloud.

"Commander, it's ready."

Feeling the drop tanks mounted on his wings, Li Ming engaged the throttle and slowly took off under Logic's guidance.

"This is your first time moving as a plane, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"How does it feel?"

"A bit fast. The wind is whistling."

"That's normal. As long as you can fly correctly, Commander."

"So give me a direction; I can't see the latitude and longitude from here."

"Just fly straight ahead for about 3,000 kilometers."

"Oh..."

The Saiun continued to climb, reaching an altitude of about 6,000 meters before leveling off.

"This land seems to be completely devastated."

"Indeed, there's almost no water left on the surface. It's terrifying," Logic replied.

"Logic, turn on the radio."

"Sure, which album do you want?"

"Lyube's."

"Ho, good choice. But do you even understand Russian?"

"It just sounds good, that's all that matters."

"Typical you."

The familiar sound of a guitar came from the radio, gradually drowning out the monotonous drone of the engine.

"Three days on the road, wind, stones, rain,"

"Onward and onward, our company pushes on."

"Three days on the road, listen, brother, don't be sad,"

"For an order is an order, as every one of us knows..."

In the grey sunlight, the Saiun flew high in the sky.

Everything on the ground seemed to lose its meaning; there was only a plane heading toward its goal.

"And at dawn, a company of soldiers moves forward,"

"Moving out to win and not to die."

"Give them hell there, Comrade Senior Sergeant,"

"I believe in your soul."

"Soldier. Soldier. Soldier. Soldier."

"Soldier. Soldier. Soldier. Soldier..."