Arad's unruly savior

Chapter 3970 Trying to save her again
"The situation is worse than we imagined. It's very difficult for the command to send a third wave of reinforcements. Our orders are to take the rescued soldiers back to Ghent, the capital of the gods, and use our base to fight against Kallet."

"Are we just going to give up Ruft Harbor like this?! The warriors are very unwilling. We have sacrificed so many people here, and once the harbor is occupied by the Kallet, a third of our transport routes will be completely cut off, which is equivalent to handing over our lifeline to them."

"That's the order from headquarters. At critical moments, we're even willing to destroy our own lifeline at all costs... There's really no other way. There's no god in this world who can answer your prayers. So we have to survive. Only by surviving can we hope to see the dawn and have a better future."

As Aurora listened to those serious voices, her eyes, which had been blurred by the complex interplay of light and shadow, gradually regained their clarity. She saw several men with high military ranks on their shoulders, their expressions solemn and unwilling. Some of them were covered in blood and bandages, and they were intensely discussing the next steps in their battle plan. She heard them say that they wanted to abandon the suspended harbor.

She was one of them. Through a mirror in the command center, she saw that her hair wasn't that long yet, the ends just reaching her chest, and the color was still like the warm winter sun.

"After abandoning the suspended harbor, we will return to Ghent to rest and then reinforce Axel, which is another port for the sea train and is also very close to Northpis."

"Norspis?" an officer suddenly raised his voice, his anger rising. He slammed his hand on the table, his teeth grinding together, and said bitterly:

"The continent of Ghent is in dire straits, suffering invasion. Our soldiers and our people are bleeding. The nobles of Northpis are still holding onto their military power and their support for us is only superficial. Are they even human? Don't they know that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold? They are all beasts."

“I swear here and now that if I have the chance, I will personally slaughter those nobles, crush their heads on the ground, and grind their bones to dust.”

The atmosphere in the command room was heavy. The anger of several officers eventually turned into a helpless and sorrowful sigh, as if they had come to terms with the bitter reality they were facing.

The power of the nobles has largely slipped out of their control, and even the High Priest Beren has difficulty giving them full command.

Then someone slowly said:
"We had always subconsciously thought that the Kallet were nothing but a rabble, and that they would surely collapse at the first touch when they clashed with our regular army. However, the reality was unexpected. They demonstrated extremely high military skills and were equipped with many advanced weapons."

"The sharp blades raised by the land of sin are filled with hatred for us."

Another officer shook his head slightly and said, "Mospius was once the base of the Eternal Light. There is no such thing as sin on the land; it is the people there who have changed."

Then, a middle-aged officer with a resolute face, a short mustache, and blood-stained bandages wrapped around his arm looked at Aurora and said:

“Aurora, I know you’re a medic, and your job isn’t to fight on the front lines. It’s just that we’re short-handed right now, and many officers have died. You’ve performed exceptionally well on the front lines and made a huge contribution. I’ve already reported it to headquarters, but we’ll have to wait until we get back to Ghent to discuss the reward. I’m going to assign you a frontline combat mission now, which will be the final mission of Operation Sandstorm.”

He is the captain of the train guard team, equivalent in rank to Hailan, the captain of the coastal guard team, and is now the commander here.

Aurora's mind was still a blur. Upon hearing the command, she instinctively stood at attention, her past still flashing through her mind.

"Have I traveled back in time, back to the Battle of the Suspended Harbor? Is this a dream?"

She suddenly remembered General Ye Lin standing in front of the Martyrs' Monument, his words, and the mysterious light and runes that appeared in the sky. Overwhelming images of the past engulfed her.

She could clearly see the blood seeping from under the bandage of the train guard captain, the sky filled with the horrific smoke of battle outside, and the anger and resentment on everyone's faces... She couldn't explain this as a dream.

Dreams are often blurry, making it difficult to see the details, but now she can see everything clearly.

She also clearly remembered that in about half an hour, the Celestial Army would launch a breakout and tear apart Kallet's encirclement.

"Yes!"

After receiving the order, Aurora stood at attention, saluted, and then turned and left the operations command center.

Perhaps this was the power of magic, a miracle bestowed upon her by that great general. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a certain suppressed desire within her began to burst forth.

Even if it's just a dream, I want to make it come true at least once.

She stopped, turned around and glanced at the command center, carefully looking at everyone.

Aurora returned to her second medical support squad and explained the mission to her team members: to cover the evacuation of the main force, especially the wounded, and to disrupt Kallet's operational plan.

A male medic wearing glasses and a white coat fiddled with a combat mech named "Storm" that was missing an arm, and said regretfully:
"All we can use are half-scrapped parts picked up from the battlefield. They can only be repaired and barely used. They might break down completely in the next second. If we had a whole squad of mechanics, we would be more confident of winning the battle."

Another female team member shook her head and said, "Most of the mechanics are in Eaton, and then a mysterious monster with a body as tall as a mountain appeared there and destroyed the industrial area. They are already overwhelmed with their own problems, and Commander-in-Chief Hawkeye Jack has taken his men to the front line."

Another team member, looking dejected, muttered, "Is the Celestial Realm doomed?"

The entire team then fell into a silent silence, their faces covered in dust and numbness, devoid of any glimmer of hope, lifeless and desolate.

They wanted to deny it, but couldn't offer any solid evidence to support their victory; it seemed that only their belief remained steadfast.

Aurora clapped her hands and encouraged them, "Can the situation be any worse than during the Mechanical Revolution? The great First Priestess Irena, Sarah Wayne, and Rosa Jurgen, those forefathers, were in such desperate circumstances, yet they still achieved final victory. Our situation is much better."

"I heard from the commander that Northpis has already sent troops to support us."

The members of the second medical team felt a glimmer of fighting spirit and hope, a small spark, but at least they weren't in a state of utter despair.

As for whether Northpluto would send troops, everyone knew the reality, but they were unwilling to burst that fragile bubble, and still held a sliver of hope for justice in people's hearts.

The breakout plan officially began. Despite his injuries, the captain of the train guard insisted on going to the front line to participate in the direct battle with Kallet. At this moment, his communicator suddenly rang. He opened it, glanced at the message, and then smiled and put it back in his pocket.

boom!
Kallet's cyborg squadron and the Heavenly Cannon squadron advanced in unison, unleashing a blinding hail of bullets. Lines of fire ripped through the sky, engulfing large areas of buildings. Their forces far outnumbered the army in the suspended harbor, and they relentlessly pressed forward, eroding the enemy's lines.

Moreover, they deliberately left the floating harbor's sea train and basic structures undamaged, intending to turn it into a Kallet stronghold after capturing the position, thus attracting more soldiers from the Unbounded Zone.

A celestial force launched a surprise attack on the floating harbor, unleashing its remaining firepower on the sea train. A rocket, trailing a painful plume of smoke, accurately struck the engine of a sea train, triggering a fire and explosion that shot straight into the sky.

This is a desperate measure, a self-destructive tactic that hurts the enemy a thousand while harming eight hundred of your own. The floating harbor can no longer be defended, so it's better to destroy our lifeline and cut off the Kallet organization's reinforcements.

Then, based on the continent of Ghent, there is an opportunity to gradually eliminate the Kallet organization, which can only rely on ships for reinforcements.

Their weapons were insufficient to destroy the train tracks that embodied scientific achievements, so they had no choice but to target the train at sea.

However, Kallet quickly realized the team's intentions and immediately took countermeasures, pushing some of the teams away.

Among them were cyborgs with electric currents all over their bodies, implanted with mechanical arms, resembling war machines wreaking havoc on the battlefield.

Ultimately, the Celestial army destroyed most of the sea trains, but managed to leave one intact due to Kallet's obstruction. Desperate, the Celestial army unleashed a terrifying aura and fighting power; everyone's eyes were bloodshot, and despite being outnumbered on all sides, they managed to tear apart Kallet's encirclement.

Aurora's second medical squad operated a partially decommissioned drone, tasked with drawing Kallet's fire and covering the main force's retreat.

"This is not a dream, it is the past, it is history, but it is like metal gears that are tightly meshed together. Even if I know the future, I cannot make any effective changes. All my actions are exactly the same as in the past."

All the actions she led were the optimal solution for the current situation. She was constantly on the battlefield, resolutely carrying out the commander's orders, with very little room for maneuver.

"Is this fate? Everything is already predetermined. I'm just repeating the same mistakes." As the time drew closer, Aurora felt a sense of despair.

She always appears in the corresponding place in my memory at the corresponding time, and every step she takes is the optimal solution determined by rational judgment.

The first medical team and the second team led by Aurora met on the battlefield, separated by a not-so-wide river, both carrying out the mission of covering the retreat.

Aurora spotted a young woman in the first medical team through her binoculars. She had short, black hair that reached her ears, and although her features were ordinary, she had a gentle, doctor-like quality. She had pierced ears and wore two small black earrings.

Those were friends she met in recruit training camp when she enlisted together. They spent nearly three years together and had a very good relationship. Later, they were assigned to different squads of the same medical support team.

The other party served as the deputy leader of the first medical team, while Aurora served as the leader of the second team.

"Move quickly! Kallet's troops are stealthily approaching on your left!" Aurora shouted from the drone, alerting the first squad across the river.

The first squad, seeing the drone making the sound, quickly became alert to their left side. However, the next second, a barrage of artillery fire engulfed them. Aurora witnessed a bomb ignite a massive firestorm next to her friend.

"No!"

At the same moment, Aurora heard her superior's voice through her communicator, ordering her to immediately lead her men to evacuate. The mission of luring the enemy and providing cover was very successful, but Kallet had already surrounded them.

If they don't retreat now, the second squad will be surrounded by Kallet, and their chances of survival will be slim. They need to retreat immediately and catch up with the main force.

Aurora's beautiful face showed obvious struggle, her eyes had lost their light, and looking at her wounded teammates beside her, she gritted her teeth and gave the order to retreat.

…………

Aurora sat kneeling in the corner, her head bowed, looking extremely sad and helpless. Her numb vision only reflected Ye Lin's shoes as she murmured, "Time... I have no time to change this outcome."

"Every minute I have to do something after leaving the command center is essential."

Ye Lin asked, "Won't you give it a try?"

"try."

Time has turned back once again.

……

It was a familiar scene: the captain of the train garrison was issuing combat orders, and the final step of Operation Sandstorm was about to begin—tearing apart Kallet's encirclement and allowing the troops to break out.

Aurora frantically compressed her next action time in her mind, finding the first squad she was about to work with and wanting to bring her friend to the second squad.

However, Aurora's friend shook her head and laughed, saying that the personnel allocation was complete, and that she was talented in mechanics, operating most of the drones in the first squad.

If she leaves, the first squad will likely be unable to complete the mission.

Finally, Aurora gritted her teeth and, ignoring the surprised looks on their faces, told them that the Kallet troops would be approaching stealthily at a certain time and in a certain direction.

Once again, it was the riverbank, a place of destiny. The plan to lure the enemy and provide cover was meticulously crafted, leaving no room for error. Even if Aurora knew the future, it wouldn't matter; every action had to be the optimal solution for the present moment.

If they insist on changing the course, it could very likely affect the normal evacuation of the main force.

This time, Aurora saw the First Squad preparing for Kallett's sneak attack, but fate seemed to have quietly turned its gears. The subtle changes could not affect the outcome. The First Squad not only did not retreat, but launched a fierce counterattack, causing Kallett to mistakenly believe that there was a regular army of the Seventh Empire here.

His friend was still swallowed up by the Kallet's artillery fire.

.........

“You’re being greedy.” Ye Lin looked at Aurora, who was sitting on the ground with her face buried in her arms and knees, with pity in her eyes.

After examination by Maisiere and Yuena, it was determined that Aurora's mental issues stemmed from the final battle of Operation Sandstorm, during the process of covering the main force's retreat.

She witnessed her comrades, who had enlisted with her and studied with her for three years, being overwhelmed by Kallet's artillery fire, but was unable to rescue them in time due to the order to retreat. In the end, she even personally retrieved her teammates' bodies.

Ultimately, it left a deep mark on the soul, which gradually evolved into severe obsessive-compulsive disorder of the subordinate overthrowing the superior.

She regretted not going to rescue her friend; perhaps there would have been a chance to save her.

From a historical perspective, it was inevitable that Aurora's friend would carry out the cover mission, and it was also inevitable that Aurora herself would carry out the retreat order for the safety of the second squad members.

At the time, Yue Na analyzed that if Ye Lin traveled through history and brought Aurora back here, giving her another chance to go and rescue her, perhaps her heartache could be naturally resolved.

Now Aurora wants to save her friend from the root of the problem, rather than making a different choice than before.

Aurora's eyes were red and her voice pleaded, "Let me try one last time."

"it is good."

Her body was once again engulfed by what seemed to be an endless stream of light.

Back on the familiar riverbank, Aurora, while squeezing in time to remind the first squad, transferred squad command to the vice-captain and finally ordered them to retreat immediately; the mission was complete.

Then one person stepped onto the broken bridge and rushed to the other side of the river, just as the order to retreat came through the communicator.