Chapter 260 utterly routed! Have they chickened out?!
When the soldiers learned that their superiors had actually authorized them to take action, they were overjoyed, and the excitement they had suppressed for so long surged up in an instant.
They had been holding back for a long time, like a tightly compressed spring, and now that they finally had the chance to release it, they could vent their frustration to their heart's content.
Subsequently, the soldiers unhesitatingly threw away the clubs and machetes in their hands; the action was crisp and decisive, carrying a sense of relief after venting.
They then made swift arrangements, leaving one company at the border to stand ready and maintain vigilance against any sudden developments, while the rest turned around and ran back like arrows released from a bow. Their goal was clear: to go back and retrieve the weapons that could truly demonstrate the formidable military might of the Dragon Kingdom.
The White Elephant soldiers, seeing the Dragon Kingdom soldiers throw away their weapons and a large group of them run off, were instantly overcome with excitement.
They were overjoyed, thinking to themselves:
"This... is the Dragon Kingdom afraid of us????"
"Hahaha, they were so scared they dropped their weapons; they must be afraid of us!"
"Since when did these people from the Dragon Kingdom become such cowards??? They were actually scared away by us!"
"If we had known they were this cowardly, we wouldn't have needed to bring so many people; sending just one battalion would have been enough!"
Some White Elephant soldiers were even dancing with excitement, twisting their bodies on the border line.
They looked as smug as could be, and the surrounding White Elephant soldiers, seeing this scene, all joined in the merriment!
The entire White Elephant force was immersed in a false sense of superiority and the joy of imminent victory.
However, their smiles did not linger on their faces for long; like a fleeting bubble, they quickly burst.
Immediately afterward, they saw the Dragon Kingdom soldiers charging over again, full of aggressive momentum.
But this time, the weapons in the hands of the Dragon Kingdom soldiers were no longer simple clubs and machetes; instead, they had brought quite a few chilling pieces of hardware.
Rifles gleamed with a cold metallic luster under the moonlight!
The compact frames of the submachine guns seemed to showcase their rapid firepower!
The pitch-black barrels of the mortars exuded an intimidating presence!
And there were the daunting howitzers and the imposing tanks!
The Dragon Kingdom soldiers had suddenly brought out a well-equipped mechanized unit, charging toward the border like a steel behemoth with murderous intent.
Seeing this, the White Elephant soldiers instantly lost their composure; the smug look on their faces vanished without a trace, replaced by expressions of panic.
"What's going on? What is the Dragon Kingdom trying to do?"
"Why have they brought out heavy weapons?"
"Don't they know what serious consequences this will cause? Doesn't the Dragon Kingdom always adhere to the rule of not firing the first shot?"
"Why have they brought out all their guns and artillery??? Oh my god, let them try crossing the border. Soldiers, don't panic! The Dragon Kingdom is definitely bluffing!"
The White Elephant soldiers were extremely panicked; in their past understanding, this was completely uncharacteristic of the Dragon Kingdom.
They knew well that the Dragon Kingdom always followed the principle of not firing the first shot, and they, the White Elephant, had always understood this rule of the Dragon Kingdom.
In fact, to avoid accidents and prevent accidental discharges from sparking unnecessary conflicts, the soldiers of the two countries usually held mostly clubs when confronting each other at the border; even machetes were rarely used.
However, this time, the Dragon Kingdom unexpectedly broke the rules they had set in the past and brought out guns and artillery with great fanfare. This left the White Elephant soldiers confused, and they could only attribute all of this to the Dragon Kingdom trying to scare them.
After all, they felt they had the numerical advantage, so in their view, it was normal for the Dragon Kingdom soldiers to bring out weapons to bolster their courage. Thus, they encouraged each other, constantly psyching themselves up:
"It's okay, the Dragon Kingdom is definitely bluffing; how could they dare to open fire?"
"As for the artillery, they wouldn't dare either. They don't even think about the consequences if they really fire their guns and cannons; it's definitely something they can't afford!"
"That's right, the Eagle Sauce will definitely seize the opportunity to condemn them thoroughly, don't worry!"
"Yes, yes, yes, the more they act like this, the more it proves they have a guilty conscience!"
Just as they were comforting and encouraging each other, suddenly, a clear humming sound came from the silent night sky.
This sound was exceptionally abrupt in the quiet night, as if it were an ominous omen coming from the depths of the distant darkness.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw, in the sky, a series of flashing lights suddenly appearing and approaching them at high speed. The speed was as fast as a meteor streaking across the night sky, and there were dozens of them.
They widened their eyes, trying hard to see the true appearance of these mysterious objects. After some observation, they could determine that the other side was neither the fighter jets they were accustomed to, nor drones; they looked more like... Mecha!!!!
The Dragon Kingdom's Individual Combat Mecha!
Someone recognized the true face of those things at a glance, was instantly terrified, and shouted in a distorted voice of panic:
"It's Mecha! The Dragon Kingdom actually sent their Mecha!"
"Run! Back then, Daishin was destroyed by these guys. A single one of their Mecha could wipe us all out!"
"The Dragon Kingdom has brought out their Mecha; they are really going to play for real with us!"
This shout was like throwing a boulder into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves among the White Elephant soldiers.
"Run! Run quickly! If we are one step late, we will really die here!"
Some timid soldiers were pale with fear, turned around, and fled toward the rear. Their footsteps were as chaotic as headless flies, thinking only of getting as far away from these terrifying Mecha as possible.
"Don't run, don't run, the Dragon Kingdom is definitely bluffing!"
There were still some soldiers holding onto hope who tried to stabilize the situation, but their voices were filled with deep worry. After all, no one dared to bet their own lives on whether the Dragon Kingdom was really bluffing.
"Bluffing my ass! What if the Dragon Kingdom is for real? It's all us commoners who will die; the noble lords won't pity us..."
Other soldiers were filled with helplessness and fear. They knew well that their status was low, and if a real fight broke out, they, the common soldiers, would be the first victims, and no one would care whether they lived or died.
If the Dragon Kingdom soldiers bringing out tanks and howitzers had already caused considerable pressure in the hearts of these soldiers, then the appearance of the Individual Combat Mecha completely destroyed the remaining hopeful thoughts they had.
These soldiers all knew that the Dragon Kingdom possessed two national-level strategic weapons: one was the Individual Combat Mecha, and the other was the Longwei-class Strategic Warship!
Now, the Individual Combat Mecha were approaching aggressively, numbering over thirty units—nearly half the amount used to destroy Daishin back then. How could they dare to stay at the border line?
Immediately, a portion of them was scared away.
However, for this White Elephant troop that had already been scared out of their wits, once one person started running, more and more people would be affected, joining the ranks of those fleeing one after another.
Consequently, the entire White Elephant regiment instantly turned into a chaotic mess. Soldiers fled toward the rear in panic, the scene was chaotic and unbearable, with shouts and footsteps intertwined as if the apocalypse had arrived. The entire border area fell into chaos and panic.
The battalion commander had been full of anticipation, hoping to have a big fight alongside the Mech Legion, but when he arrived at the scene and saw this chaotic sight, he was instantly dumbfounded. He widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief, and muttered to himself:
"We haven't even made a move yet, how come they've all run away???"
Vikram, upon receiving a report from his subordinate that there seemed to be movement outside, thought a fight had started. He rushed outside anxiously to take a look, only to immediately heave a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing:
"So it was just them running away; it's good that they didn't get into a fight with the Dragon Kingdom!"
It was just that his tone was filled with an indescribable bitterness.