If I made you a special forces soldier, would you become a terrestrial god?

As Sergeant Lao Ma pushed aside Xiao Zhao and Ding Hao, facing the massive fist crashing down like a mountain, his world stretched out infinitely, like a slow-motion movie. The shadow of the fist instantly enveloped him, the violent force almost sucking all the air from his chest. He heard the creaking of bones twisting—the sound of Xiao Zhao and Ding Hao hitting the wall as he pushed them away, losing their balance. He also heard his own heart pounding like a runaway horse. But he had no time to think about any of that; he could only muster all his strength and lunge towards a sandbag that had already been blown to pieces.

"Boom!" A deafening roar erupted almost simultaneously in his ears. The monster had smashed through the last crumbling wall of the outpost with a single punch, sending countless pebbles and dust, along with the explosive shockwave, engulfing Old Ma instantly. He felt his internal organs churning violently, a salty, metallic taste rising in his throat, and a mouthful of blood, mixed with pebbles, dust, and mud, gushed out.

He struggled to his feet from the billowing dust. His vision was blurred, and his ears were ringing. He saw Xiao Zhao and Ding Hao, leaning against the wall, swaying as they stood up. Their faces were filled with terror, relief at surviving, and an overwhelming sense of grief and indignation. They had survived. It was a miracle.

But this miracle lasted for less than a second.

The five tyrants gave them no chance to breathe. Their massive bodies completely surrounded the ruins of the outpost, their crimson eyes like lasers locking onto their prey, fixed intently on the three tiny creatures clinging to life before them. They didn't rush to attack, but instead approached step by step with a haughty and mocking air, as if watching a dance of despair.

"Squad leader...are we...done...?" Xiao Zhao's voice trembled with despair. The rifle in his hand, which had accompanied him through countless days and nights, was now only half intact, its barrel twisted and deformed from the explosion, resembling a piece of broken scrap metal.

Ding Hao didn't speak. He simply picked up a sharp piece of gravel from the ground, gripping it tightly in his hand until his knuckles turned white. He knew it wasn't a weapon; it couldn't even scratch an itch. But it was the only thing he could grasp now, something he could use to express his anger.

Old Ma coughed up a mouthful of bloody saliva and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His legs were weak, and his whole body ached. But he struggled to straighten his back, staring intently at the monster that was approaching step by step. He could not retreat. Behind him lay the ruins of the nation's border. The land beneath his feet was his motherland. On his shoulders lay the blood and fire of Wang Hao, Li Jun, Xiao Zhang, Xiao Liu, A Yong… all his fallen comrades!

"Communications officer! Where's the communications officer! Get me connected to command!" Old Ma roared, his voice hoarse but filled with an indomitable will. He thought of command, of the bigwigs holding the fort in the rear. He wanted them to know that even they, these insignificant border guards, would die on the charge! They would die to buy their country a final bit of time!

In a corner of the ruins, the communications officer, Xiao Li, was jolted awake by Lao Ma's roar. He didn't know how he had survived the horrific explosion; his head was buzzing, and his ears were throbbing as if stuffed with cotton. He shook his head frantically, trying to dispel the dizziness. When he saw Lao Ma's face, covered in blood and dirt yet still resolute, a surge of strength welled up from the depths of his heart.

He struggled to crawl out from the pile of rubble. Miraculously, the old-fashioned crank telephone hadn't been destroyed, only its casing was slightly deformed. Grabbing at this as if it were a lifeline, he frantically lunged at it, cranking the handle with all his might.

"Buzz...buzz...This is Outpost 81! This is Outpost 81! Calling command! Calling command!" Xiao Li roared, his throat trembling. He no longer knew if he was calling for help or venting his emotions.

Hundreds of kilometers away from the outpost, at the Southwest Military Region Headquarters, the red dot representing Outpost No. 81 on the massive tactical map had become noticeably dim, signifying that communications there could be cut off at any moment. Major General Shi Qingsong paced anxiously back and forth, his weathered face etched with worry.

"Report! The call to outpost 81 has been connected!" The communications soldier jumped to his feet, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Quick! Take it right now!" Shi Qingsong lunged at the communication station, practically snatching the earpiece and putting it on.

"Hello! This is Shi Qingsong! Outpost No. 81! This is Shi Qingsong! Please respond if you hear me!" His voice was filled with unprecedented urgency.

"Buzz...buzz...Commander Shi...This is Ma Kui, squad leader of Outpost No. 81!" Old Ma's hoarse yet spirited voice, mixed with heavy breathing, came through the earpiece. "My unit...my unit's patrol team, Wang Hao and Li Jun...saved!"

Shi Qingsong's body jolted violently, the veins bulging on his hand gripping the earphones. Sacrifice! These two words struck his heart like two heavy hammers. He knew what it meant. It meant that a young life had become the most tragic note on this land.

"My men... Xiao Zhang, Xiao Liu, A Yong... they... they've all... sacrificed themselves!" Old Ma's voice was filled with suppressed grief; every word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into Shi Qingsong's heart. "The enemy... they're... monsters! Commander Shi! They're monsters! Three meters tall! Invulnerable to swords and spears! Incredibly strong!"

"They have five heads! Five monsters! They destroyed the outpost... they demolished the outpost! They... they beat Xiao Liu to a pulp!!" Old Ma's voice, filled with extreme grief and despair, came through the earpiece. Every word was like a blood-stained bullet, striking Shi Qingsong's heart hard.

Inside the command post, everyone fell silent. They could clearly hear Old Ma's bloodthirsty roar coming through their headsets. Monster! Invulnerable to bullets and blades! Dismantle outposts with bare hands! Blow them up alive!

"Damn it!" Shi Qingsong slammed his fist on the table, denting the thick, solid wood surface. His eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved violently. He couldn't imagine what the soldiers on the front lines had endured!

"Commander Shi...please...please grant my troops permission to...fight to the last moment! We...we will take them down with us even if we die! We...we swear to defend our motherland's territory to the death!" Old Ma's voice was filled with final resolve and tragic heroism.

"You..." Shi Qingsong felt a lump in his throat and couldn't say a word. He knew that Lao Ma and the others were risking their lives to buy them time.

"Zzz...Zzz..." The earpieces crackled with gunfire, explosions, the inhuman roars of monsters, and the sounds of Old Ma and his men retaliating with grief and fury.

"Commander Shi! Please! Send...send reinforcements! They...they're rushing towards the outpost...into the outpost! They're going to...they're going to..." Old Ma's voice grew weaker and weaker, more and more indistinct.

A sharp crackling sound instantly drowned out all other sounds.

"Hello! Hello! Outpost 81! Outpost 81! Please respond if you hear me!!" Signalman Xiao Li roared hoarsely, frantically cranking the crank. But all that remained in his headset was death silence and the constant buzzing of a busy signal.

Communication has been interrupted.

Shi Qingsong slowly took off his headphones, feeling a chill run through his body. In his mind, Lao Ma's heart-wrenching roar echoed, along with the phrase "beat him to a pulp."

He knew that outpost No. 81 might have been completely wiped out.

"Order!" Shi Qingsong abruptly raised his head, his weathered eyes now burning with fury and resolve. "Immediately notify the newly formed Wolf Warrior Squadron to assemble! Carry heavy weapons and equipment! Take the armed helicopters and proceed at full speed to Outpost 81! In the target area, if the enemy is spotted, kill them without mercy!"

"At the same time, notify the main force to assemble immediately! They must be fully assembled within half an hour! Follow me to reinforce the front lines!"

"yes!"

The entire command post was instantly enveloped in a cold and chilling atmosphere.

A battle of blood and fire has only just begun.