Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 693 - 406: Fellow Travelers in the Wind and Snow (Part 2)

"Why bother with all that! If you ask me...""You’re too reckless..."

The two Tier Two Evolvers were chattering endlessly like two gossips.

It wasn’t until the woman’s steel-blue eyes frosted over that they shut their mouths, as a terrifying aura began to spread around.

Tasia pointed to the gathering crowd below, asking, "Do you know what they’re doing?"

The other White Bear replied self-assuredly, "The train called for backup, of course, it’s to defend against the Four Nations..."

"Shut up, you fool!" Yuri cursed him quietly and pondered, "Are you saying the Donghuang people’s unity in the face of foreign enemies?"

Tasia shook her head, "My father once said, if it’s about bravery, we as a fighting nation lack none of it. I then asked him why the most courageous people only survive in the bitter cold at the edge of the world, while the Donghuang people occupy more fertile, livable lands?"

"Do you know how my father answered me?"

The men’s expressions became solemn and respectful upon hearing her speak of her father.

Tasia softly said, "Donghuang people spend their lives searching for a reason to die."

"So they always know why they die."

The complex and awkward words stunned the two men.

The Donghuang people occupy fertile lands because they know how to die?

What does this mean?

Will we fight or not?

After hesitating momentarily, Yuri decided to ask, "Your Highness, so we..."

The cold wind blew across the Floating Land, lifting the hem of her coat. The woman pressed down the brim of her hat, turning to walk away, with her beautiful voice carrying a hint of agitation.

"Of course we’re going back."

"Do you expect me to fight to the death over a little military arms and tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of Donghuang people?"

...

...

In a few days, the Four Nations organized countless attacks.

The defense works in front of the Cangling Mountain Range outpost exploded and were repaired, repaired and exploded again, with the steel melted by shell casings and fragments of bone embedded in trench walls, every inch of land soaked in blood.

The cost of the Armed Train holding its position was far greater than overtaking it.

Even the slow bombs sensed it. Initially, only the Armed Corps fought, later joined by Wen Biao’s outer troops, and now the manufacturing group also moved ammo and repaired equipment during breaks.

Although they withdraw during battles initially, this shows something on the clearly divided responsibilities of the train.

The Bomb hid in the steel fortification, setting off a pre-planted explosive, combining ability with explosives to produce greater power, killing six White Elephant people instantly, yet showed no joy, merely stuffing two Pan-energy Crystals in his mouth before running off to recover energy.

Not long after, the pale Xiao Hong sat down nearby.

"How’s it going?" the Bomb asked.

Xiao Hong shook his head, hesitating momentarily, said, "Possibly worse than at first..."

The Bomb was startled, asking quietly, "What makes you say that?"

If Big Goose had said it, the Bomb would have kicked him hard already, but having teamed with Xiao Hong for so long, he knew his partner never spoke recklessly, he must have confirmed something.

"Qu Xue and Sister Cat were just reassigned." Xiao Hong replied.

The Bomb scratched his newly grown black hair, puzzled, "Isn’t the reassignment of senior officer teams quite normal? It’s not the first time."

"It’s different." Xiao Hong raised his sniper rifle, "Where do you think I’m most useful?"

"As long as there’s distance, anywhere is suitable, just don’t melee."

"What about those times we did melee?"

"That was when we had no choice."

As he spoke, the Bomb was stunned, reflecting on those words repeatedly, shock in his eyes.

Guo Susu, steaming with heat, ran over, Xiao Hong glanced at the Bomb, warning him not to speak recklessly.

But the latter was already immersed in his own world.

The situation was far tougher than expected, even He Jie couldn’t find a moment’s peace, despite smoking cigar after cigar.

Since the start of the war, the outer corps lost over four hundred men, the Armed Corps over two hundred, reducing their force by a quarter. If we account for factors like energy and morale affecting combat effectiveness, train’s fighting power was down by a third.

The only advantage was slaying four Tier Two Evolvers in the battle’s onset, catching the Four Nations off guard. In their predictions, even if the outpost was overtaken, the four Tier Two Evolvers could easily escape, after all, they were Tier Two, humanoid war machines in many ways.

The significance of a Tier Two Evolver on the battlefield outweighs twenty tanks, capable of altering the course of war easily.

Yet, within five minutes, the Four Nations lost four people in succession!

Lian Jin cut off the Four Nations’ support troops, simultaneously severing the lone chance for the four Tier Two Evolvers.

All companions perished in battle, yet with alone power challenged over a thousand modern troops, fiercely killing over three hundred and oppressing two in four person’s battle, the War Giant’s fearsome reputation resonated across the Four Countries Peninsula.

The cost for the Armed Train was a gravely wounded Mirror, Yu Jing’s puppet temporarily scrapped, and as for the key players Lin Jin and Xiaoba, they earned the names of Metal Demon and Flame Demon without even a scratch, Lin Jin’s two skills upgraded due to frequent use.

At the upper levels of combat power, even if the Four Nations exhaust their resources, they wouldn’t threaten the Armed Train.

But in terms of low-level soldier count, the train was completely outmatched.

The Four Nations knew this, hence sold the outpost to drag the train into a blood exchange battle.

Watching a blue dot extinguish on the map, He Jie habitually reached for a cigarette, but this time his hand came up empty. Glancing down, the cigar box beside him was already empty, before he could withdraw his mind from the densely packed virtual map, a rolled cigarette was offered at his lips.

He Jie glanced up, the bright orange glow illuminating Licking Rabbit’s face.

With a deep inhalation, the taste, ten times stronger than a cigar, surged into his lungs, even his brain’s taut string relaxed considerably.

"What’s this stuff?"

"Extra ten times, that one draw just cost me a month’s worth, want more?"

Licking Rabbit explained.

He Jie fixed his gaze wistfully on the cigarette, then slapped himself hard enough to swell half his face, but his eyes regained calm.

As the chief commander, maintaining a clear mind is the foremost duty, all other matters must yield to it.

Watching He’s movement, Licking Rabbit paused, then asked, "When is our combat group going to strike? Lao San is itching for action."

He Jie returned his focus to the terrain map, replying coldly, "It’s not the right time yet."

After days of slaughtering, besides the outpost border, other places were an intricate standoff, but closely observing the blue dots formed a general spearhead shape, the tip directed at Cangling Mountain’s branch, Tan Junyue.

Also one of the major routes for the Four Nations Alliance’s Crane Water Battlefield support.

As a former deputy commander, Licking Rabbit took a quick look and discerned He Jie’s strategic target.

With a frown, he analyzed:

"You plan to cut off their support at Tan Junyue? Unrealistic, if opponent’s frontline detects it, turns around, it’ll be a double-sided siege, such infiltration ops have few people, less than a hundred won’t hold, over a hundred can’t penetrate."

"No need to completely sever, just disrupt like before." He Jie said.

Licking Rabbit pondered momentarily, still shaking his head, "Prior capture of the outpost benefitted from Cangling’s surprise attack, but Tan Junyue is just a small hill with no hiding spots, but I’m more curious, who’s going?"