216: Chapter 217 Ground Warfare

Mobius Prime.

At this very moment, above this massive Hive City world with a population of ten billion, the thick industrial smog was illuminated by the red flashing of alarms.

The shrill and ear-piercing air raid sirens drowned out the day-and-night roar of factory gears, echoing in every dark corner of the Underhive.

Inside the highest fortress of the Adeptus Arbites.

Marshal Miller stood up abruptly from his desk.

He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked up, already able to faintly see the flickering firelight of explosions outside the atmosphere.

Those sporadic Tyranids drop pods were forcing their way through the orbital defenses.

"They're finally here!"

Marshal Miller crushed the cigar in his hand, turned his head, and issued a death order to the Adeptus Arbites civilian officials and high-ranking Arbiters behind him:

"Immediately mobilize all Adeptus Arbites armed personnel! Conduct highest-level armed patrols between the bottom-level blocks of every Hive City and the sewers!"

"At a time like this, there will definitely be outlaws intending to loot in the chaos, as well as those long-lurking cults coming out to cause trouble! The Adeptus Arbites must fully assist the Church in conducting indiscriminate investigations!"

"Yes! Marshal!" The officials stood at attention, saluted, and quickly turned to run out of the office.

Just then, a confidential secretary hurried in to report:

"Sir, the new Archon, Elena, has come to see you personally."

As soon as the words fell.

Elena, wearing a capable dark military coat and accompanied by Colonel Andrei, strode into Marshal Miller's office.

Seeing Marshal Miller, Elena nodded slightly in greeting and got straight to the point:

"Lord Marshal, a large number of Tyranids ships that broke through the space firepower net have arrived in near-Earth orbit. Most of our planet's local naval ships are old, and their firepower is truly limited."

"I have come here to implore your Adeptus Arbites flagship and armed law enforcement fleet to also ascend and join the orbital defense battle!"

Elena paused and threw out another piece of information,

"The Church's acting Bishop has already agreed to my request; they will dispatch fully armed pilgrim ships and the Church's private military space forces to participate in the orbital defense. Now, it's just up to you."

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Marshal Miller's brow relaxed slightly.

Since even the Church, which usually treated their warships like treasures, was willing to bleed, his Adeptus Arbites naturally could not just watch.

"No problem."

Marshal Miller readily agreed,

"Our law enforcement fleet has already finished preheating. In thirty minutes, the entire fleet will arrive at the designated defensive positions!"

Upon hearing this, Elena stepped back half a step and bowed deeply to Marshal Miller:

"Thank you very much, Lord Marshal! The people of Mobius will remember your generosity."

Marshal Miller nodded without saying any more nonsense.

Having obtained the military support of the Adeptus Arbites.

Elena walked quickly out of the Adeptus Arbites fortress and boarded the armored shuttle waiting at the starport with Colonel Andrei.

"Where to? Back to the Governors Mansion?" Colonel Andrei asked from the pilot's seat.

"No."

Elena looked at the oppressive sky outside the window,

"Go to the surface front-line command post!"

The shuttle took off rapidly, left the Adeptus Arbites fortress, drew an arc in the low altitude, and arrived directly at the front-line command post on the plains outside the No. 1 Hive City.

Because it was currently unclear where exactly the Tyranids' massive number of drop pods would choose to land.

Therefore, on the wilderness surrounding this massive command post, a massive amount of Defense Force reserve troops, tank armored battalions, and self-propelled artillery positions were densely stationed.

As long as the Tyranids' main attack direction was confirmed, this massive torrent of steel would immediately break camp and head out to intercept and provide support.

After getting off the shuttle.

Elena walked through the heavily guarded military camp.

She looked at the surrounding Defense Force soldiers with excellent equipment and firm eyes, and nodded with great satisfaction.

The weapons and systems provided by the Spark Alliance had indeed given this army the confidence to be reborn.

Under the guidance of the soldiers, Elena walked straight towards the gate of the command post.

When she reached the door.

Elena stopped suddenly.

She turned her head and looked at the middle-aged veteran standing on the left side of the gate, clutching a brand-new plasma gun in his hand.

"Do you have children?" Elena asked suddenly, her tone gentle.

The guard on duty clearly did not expect the Archon to suddenly strike up a conversation with him.

He became visibly nervous, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he answered loudly:

"Re... Reply to the Archon! Yes! I have three sons!"

Elena nodded and continued to ask softly:

"How are they doing now?"

The guard puffed out his chest, a flash of pride and gratitude appearing in his eyes:

"They are very well! Archon! Thanks to the Spark Alliance's new constitution and the clean ration supplies issued in full every day. They don't have to work as child laborers in the mines anymore; I sent them all to the newly opened school!"

Elena listened carefully.

She didn't say any high-sounding words of encouragement.

She just nodded deeply, then turned and pushed open the door of the command post.

Inside the command post.

The air was thick with smoke; dozens of large air purifiers couldn't clear the secondhand smoke exhaled by the generals due to anxiety.

The atmosphere here was tense to the extreme.

The beeping of communication radios and the shouting of staff officers rose and fell.

Colonel Andrei was surrounded by a group of Political Commissars and high-ranking officers in front of the huge holographic sand table, sweating profusely as he pointed and gestured, deducing the defensive lines.

Elena hadn't had time to walk over and say hello.

Suddenly!

A radar messenger in the corner of the command post ripped off his headset and reported loudly to Colonel Andrei:

"Commander! The near-Earth orbit divination array shows! In the atmosphere to the southwest, a large number of dense Tyranids drop pod signals have suddenly appeared!"

Upon hearing this, Colonel Andrei hurriedly operated the console at high speed, adjusting the display area of the holographic sand table.

When he saw the flashing red landing area on the sand table clearly, Colonel Andrei was full of confusion, his brow furrowed high:

"Town 233? Did these bugs get water in their brains? Why go to that godforsaken place instead of attacking the densely populated big Hive City?"

Town 233.

That was a remote scavenger city built on a landfill outside the eight main Hive Cities of Mobius.

The total population of the entire city was only a few tens of millions.

Although it counted as a big city among the scavenger settlements in the wasteland, in the eyes of the bugs, it definitely didn't count as a sumptuous feast.

What made Colonel Andrei feel even more headache and embarrassment was this.

After Mobius Prime was taken over by the Spark Alliance.

This Town 233 was directly handed over by the official Alliance to a group of strange-acting clone soldiers for full control!

Now, apart from paying a generous material tax to the capital on time every month, the Mobius military couldn't control the internal affairs and defense there at all!

That place had simply become a legal country within a country.

Everything was decided by those clones called players!

Moreover, in Colonel Andrei's observation.

The clones stationed in Town 233 were only keen on driving tractors to plow land, planting mutated crops, and buying and selling everywhere for commercial trade every day.

Their desire to fight and military literacy seemed far inferior to those other battle clones on the front line who were fearless of death.

In this way, Colonel Andrei's troop deployment fell into a passive position.

All other Hive Cities and towns, under Colonel Andrei's advance deployment, had long ago built iron-wall defensive positions composed of heavy artillery and trenches.

Only Town 233, where his military orders couldn't reach at all!

That place was completely a blank in terms of defenses!

Colonel Andrei stared at the sand table, gritted his teeth, and still issued the order:

"Dispatch a well-equipped armored reconnaissance squad there! Go to the outskirts and check the situation first! If there is danger, call for support immediately!"

...

And at this time.

In the vast farmland on the outskirts of Town 233.

[Penny Is My Wife] was riding a giant land mutant bird that he had raised since it was small.

He was holding a recording board, leisurely wandering around, inspecting his patch of high-yield crops that were growing well.

Behind his bird's butt, there was also a large group of semi-mechanical agricultural Servitors helping with farm work.

Although the Alliance currently prohibited transforming people into Servitors, there was still a large stock; as the saying went, make the best use of everything, only now they would provide better maintenance for the Servitors.

Suddenly!

"Beep, beep, beep!"

The pv terminal on [Penny Is My Wife]'s wrist popped up an eye-catching red warning box without warning!

[System Area Event Triggered: Bug Plague Siege!]

[Warning! A large number of Tyranids airborne troops are about to appear above your city! Please prepare for battle!]

Seeing this pop-up.

[Penny Is My Wife] froze on the bird's back, his face full of confusion.

"No way!"

[Penny Is My Wife] looked up at the sky,

"Aren't they fighting a space war in deep space?! How did these bugs suddenly bypass the towers and come straight here to steal our base? How exactly are those guys fighting on the front line? It's leaked like a sieve!"

Complaining was just complaining.

[Penny Is My Wife] hurriedly slapped the big bird under his crotch, turned the bird's head, and rushed towards the guild hall in the city in a hurry.

Baby Bus, as the largest and most famous leisure farming guild in the Spark Alliance.

These players' usual style was loose, Buddhist, and extremely lazy.

At this moment, on the city square, this group of life-skill players were doing all sorts of things.

Some were setting up stalls on the street playing chess;

Some were playing games inside the game;

And some were remaking "Shenyang Old Events" on the street.

So much so that when [Penny Is My Wife] ran all the way into the guild hall, it was basically empty with no one there.

He roared a few times in the legion channel.

After waiting for a full few minutes.

[Luluchiu], [Lao Ba Canteen], and [This Dumpling Is Also Delicious], along with a dozen other players, finally arrived at the hall slowly.

"Whoa! What's the situation?"

The female player [Luluchiu], wearing a colorful long dress she got from who knows where, covered her mouth in surprise,

"How did we get attacked directly by bugs? We are in such a remote area, what do the bugs want?"

"Eh?"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious]'s eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh,

"Wait a minute! The bugs dropped right at our doorstep, doesn't that mean... we don't have to spend high points on shipping fees to buy bug meat ingredients anymore? Fresh ingredients delivered to our door?"

Hearing this, [Luluchiu] curled her lips in disgust:

"Eww... That thing looks so nauseating, it's disgusting, who would eat it!"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] rolled his eyes and retorted unhappily:

"As long as it tastes good! Why be picky about the presentation? That stinky tofu is pitch black and smells like sh*t, don't you still eat it until your mouth is oily and call it delicious? Bug meat roasted with some cumin is high protein!"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] waved his hand:

"If the bugs are here, they're here! Since they've delivered themselves to our door, just take a knife or gun and fight them! Just treat it as restocking!"

[Luluchiu] looked worriedly at the sky outside that had already changed color:

"How do we fight? Our guild is all logistics. We have to formulate some kind of tactical plan like crossfire nets or cover advances, right?"

"Tactics?!"

[Penny Is My Wife], who had just jumped off the bird's back, interrupted her directly,

"Did you drink too much fake milk tea last night and get water in your brain?"

"We are f*cking life-skill players! We swing hoes and work iron every day! If life-skill players use tactical positioning when fighting, can they still be called life-skill players?!"

[Penny Is My Wife] pulled a big knife out of his crotch and roared,

"Just go up and auto-attack, that's it!!"

The group of life-skill players in the hall, who usually had to form a party to kill a mutant beast, heard this statement.

Not only did they not refute it, but they nodded in agreement.

"Right!"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] suddenly remembered something,

"In our city's barracks, aren't we still spending money to support a servant army made up of native NPCs? We've raised them for a thousand days to use them for one moment; now is the perfect time to let them work!"

As soon as [This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] finished speaking.

A low roar came from outside the city!

That was the anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns deployed on the city wall long ago, firing frantically at the sky to intercept!

Immediately after.

A native servant army Commander wearing bulletproof armor and sweating profusely ran quickly into the guild hall.

He saluted [This Dumpling Is Also Delicious], who was standing in the front, and reported urgently:

"My Lord! We just received exact news from the front line that a massive amount of alien Tyranids are attacking us by air drop!"

"Now, it is suspected that a large number of Tyranids landing pods in the sky have begun to break through the clouds! Our anti-aircraft positions have fully opened fire! Please, my Lords, immediately evacuate to the underground air-raid shelter!"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] nodded with satisfaction and patted the Commander on the shoulder.

"Well done! Brother. You continue to maintain the anti-aircraft firepower; protecting the civilians inside the city is up to you professional soldiers."

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] pulled a barbecue flamethrower from who knows where, "As for those bugs outside the city wall, leave them to us."

The servant army Commander was immediately filled with respect upon hearing these words!

Regarding this group of clone lords who had taken over the city, this Commander actually understood them very well in his heart.

In his eyes, this was a group of people suspected of suffering from some serious mental illness and having bad brains.

Although they were indeed very good at farming and doing business to make money.

But they seemed to have big problems mentally.

But even so! When facing alien monsters.

This group of lords, who usually looked like they couldn't even truss a chicken, actually dared to choose to go out of the city for field battles without hesitation, leaving the safe city interior to the civilians!

At least this courage to lead by example made the Commander feel recognition and admiration from the bottom of his heart.

"Yes! My Lord! I wish you success in battle!"

The Commander saluted again, quickly left the hall, and prepared to go back to mobilize the remaining troops to hold the city wall defense line to the death.

Once the NPC was gone.

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] immediately sounded the assembly alarm in the guild channel.

"Brothers! Nothing more to say! Grab your weapons!"

[This Dumpling Is Also Delicious] shouted while holding the flamethrower,

"For the restaurants and factory industries in our city! For the points we worked hard to accumulate! Out of the city! F*ck them!"

Just when this group of life-skill players were boiling with excitement and preparing to go out and fight the bugs to the death.

[Penny Is My Wife], who was standing on the side.

Suddenly seemed to remember something terrifying.

His face instantly turned pale, and he slapped his thigh violently,

"Oh no!!!"

[Penny Is My Wife] grabbed his hair, his whole body trembling wildly on the verge of a breakdown.

"My crops! My mutant cabbage! My thousand acres of synthetic wheat that I just f*cking finished fertilizing and was ready to harvest tomorrow!!!"

"If those damn bugs fall into the fields..."