Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

Chapter 66

"What should we do? There are nearly 20 vehicles, 10 of which are still running. In other words, we could be attacked by armored vehicles at any moment." The vanguard platoon has been deployed.

However, they were not carrying much heavy equipment, and thanks to Terra's unique transportation situation, they were not far from being discovered.

"The weather team's intelligence indicates a sandstorm is coming in 20 minutes." The sandstorm could conceal their movements and make it easier to approach armored units.

However, the sandstorm would also eliminate their reconnaissance advantage, and the reconnaissance planes circling in the sky had been spotted by the enemy, who were removing their gun covers and shields.

"1600 meters away, 20 minutes, enemy fire is intense, we are short-handed, perfect!"

The remaining nearly 2 kilometers is a standard desert with almost no cover, making it vulnerable to attacks from the platform.

It was a standard mining platform, about 40 meters above the ground. The bottom included a drilling rig, a windmill-like mining fan, and a large number of other mining equipment. The drilling rig was responsible for drilling through the low-content solid rock on the surface, then breaking up the lower layer of Originium ore, and pumping the powdered Originium crystals and Originium ore into the upper layer through the fan-like equipment.

The first layer involves washing and separating the waste source stone crystals, solidified rock ore, and source jade ore. The second layer is an evaporation platform used to heat and dry distill the source jade and solidified rock ore to separate out other gases and impurities. Finally, the third layer is an extraction and crystallization layer.

Waste Originium crystals are added to a solution, gradually energized and solidified into Originium ore at high temperatures. The Originium ore is then repeatedly purified until it becomes pure Originium ingots, which are then transported away by drones on top.

Because of this collection method, the lower layers are severely polluted, especially when repairing drill bits and collection fans. This is why the platform is built so high on the ground to avoid pollution from rising sand and Originium dust.

Even so, workers still need to go down to the ground platform from time to time to check the equipment or clean up any debris that gets caught in it.

This is also the main cause of infection. This ancient mining method has been replaced by new collection methods, but the platform has been preserved and converted for combat use.

There are elevators and freight elevators at the bottom, while the processing platform on the first floor is enclosed by metal panels and turned into a garage and drone hangar, where supplies are also piled up.

The top layer is an anti-aircraft tower, while the middle layer is equipped with a large number of electromagnetic crossbows and anti-aircraft guns. These can not only attack aircraft flying close to the ground, but are also very effective at strafing ground troops and armored units. It is clear that the Colombians gave Therese a lot of advice.

"Four divine cannons, seven ballista turrets, and at least 14 electromagnetic piercers. I didn't find many other weapons, but since the Colombians and Lateran are here, they definitely have firearms and large cannons. This is troublesome."

The main attack direction of the troops is on Alpha Heights, where there are very few troops deployed. It will be difficult for these troops to hold off the fighting platform and prevent them from reinforcing the heights.

"Let's wait for the sandstorm. With the help of the dust, we'll get as close to them as possible." This kind of mess is quite suitable for these former mercenaries turned scouts. Terra's mercenaries are not like modern mercenaries on Earth; the latter are more like security guards, with weaker combat skills and willpower.

Terra's mercenaries are closer to suicide squads or special forces on Earth. In other words, they are more like mercenaries from before the modern era, possessing strong fighting spirit, mostly hailing from harsh and remote areas, and generally adhering to discipline and combat requirements. In some cases, they may even be more elite than regular armies. [For example, the Swiss Halberdier mercenaries.]

"Check our equipment. Our only advantage is our equipment. We can't afford to let it fail us at a crucial moment..." Time was ticking away, and we had no choice but to risk an attack.

A soft clicking sound of equipment being checked immediately filled the team; the exoskeleton was civilian-grade and of good quality.

However, the reliability was poor, and no one knew if it would malfunction in a sandstorm, so they made two preparations and set the exoskeleton to "quick gear" mode so that they could quickly get out and escape.

Originally designed to protect users during high-risk civilian operations, exoskeletons can sometimes have adverse effects on the battlefield. You never want to imagine how tragic it would be if you were shot and, instead of being able to retaliate, the exoskeleton triggered its protective disengagement mechanism, ejecting you from the battlefield.

However, compared to getting stuck in a sandstorm and unable to eject, this problem is barely acceptable. Apart from the exoskeleton, the rest of the equipment is quite reliable. The most reliable of these is the MA12 assault rifle, which has been tested for nearly 50 years. No soldier on the Kazdel frontline has anything but praise for this weapon.

Lightweight, stable, and with a wide range of compatible accessories, it can meet most environmental and operational requirements.

However, this does not mean that it still does not need maintenance and inspection. The quartermaster said that even if it falls into the mud, its good sealing and calibration system can still allow it to perform most of its functions without jamming or malfunctioning. However, soldiers on the front line can only believe the quartermaster's words about 50% at most.

They also said that the Titan tank had no enemies on the battlefield. In reality, it had enemies everywhere on the battlefield. Apart from enemy armored vehicles and most light anti-armor weapons, even rocks and dirt on the battlefield were its enemies, and these enemies even caused more damage than enemy soldiers.

"Hey gunners, take out those Thunder Hammer tanks first, then those new tanks. Snipers, can you take out their electromagnetic piercing weapons?"

"I'll try my best, the environmental impact of sandstorms is too great."

"So, we only had four platoons of soldiers, and almost all the technical equipment was concentrated in our platoons, so we were the key to this battle."

Although the platform is large enough, the number of defending troops is small. Excluding logistics and personnel, the actual combat strength will not exceed 400 people, and this includes the tanks and armored units on the ground. However, this is still nearly four times the number of attacking forces.

Moreover, civilian and logistical personnel can also fight with weapons. The only disadvantage is that their individual weapons are not widely equipped with firearms. Valuable firearms need to be allocated to the main force. The troops here still use various crossbows and short-range weapons. When they engage in mid-range firefights with the MA12, they are at a great disadvantage.

"A sandstorm is coming..." The wind picked up, and wisps of dust swirled on the ground. "Put on your face shields, it's an Originium storm." A storm containing a large amount of Originium dust. Wealthy caravans and elite troops are equipped with protective face shields, but ordinary people can only rely on scarves to block it, and there is a high probability of getting Oripathy.

However, without protective gear, it's 100% Oripathy. So, a scarf is never a good thing. "Inject anti-infection agent." The soldiers quickly pulled out the syringes from their belts and gave themselves a shot. At the cost of their Originium Arts being highly compressed for a short time, they dulled their Originium absorption ability. This way, even if their masks and protective gear malfunctioned, they wouldn't become infected.

"Don't get bogged down in the fight, they won't dare search for us in the sandstorm!" Because once the defenses break through the threshold, they will quickly become infected. In the case of Oripathy, it's like having a terminal illness. These guys who are only fighting for Trexis's money won't take that risk.

A thin layer of orange-yellow mist rose on the horizon, and in the blink of an eye (20 minutes), the world was covered by howling winds and orange-red dust, reducing visibility to extremely low levels.

"Let's go!" For the Terrans' physical abilities, 1.6 kilometers is not a long time to sprint at full speed, especially since they are equipped with exoskeletons. However, in the sandstorm, every step requires considerable caution, which greatly slows down the attack speed.

Meanwhile, in addition to the vanguard troops, the main force of the mudstone unit was also waiting for the sandstorm.

When the world was covered in sand and dust, the main force of the infantry regiment set off. They stayed further away, but they had plenty of vehicles to get around.

"Crack!" The gravel rattled against the reinforced windows and the vehicle. Mud Rock fastened her helmet; as a regimental commander, she shouldn't have been on the front lines.

However, this operation was different. In the sandstorm, Terra's current communication methods made it difficult to maintain long-distance command and control communications. Therefore, she went to the front lines to ensure uninterrupted command.

Moreover, before capturing the halfway point of the defensive line and breaking through the sandstorm, she, as the commander, had nothing to direct. On the contrary, leading the breakthrough as a vanguard was more suitable for her Originium Arts.

During sandstorms, Mudrock's Originium Arts are easier to use, providing some cover for friendly forces.

Once the hillside position is captured and a field command post is established, she will have no choice but to stay obediently in the command post as the commander.

"Fertile Soil" – Originium dust clung to every vehicle near the mudstone like living things. "Starting the climb!"

"No firing without my order..." A deep voice came from under the helmet.

The defenders seemed completely unaware that someone would use the sandstorm to approach. Kazdel's sandstorms are no ordinary thing; even doing nothing inside would result in a non-combat loss of one-third of their troops, let alone launching an attack.

In the past, there have never been attacks launched using sandstorms in Terra, because the Originium dust would cause normal people to become infected very quickly, or consume a lot of valuable protective equipment.

Moreover, vehicles powered by Originium cannot move forward in such a storm. Their airtightness is not as good as that of land-based ships, and once Originium dust gets into the engine, it will soon be scrapped.

The land-based ships were so large that even a sandstorm couldn't block their signals.

Therefore, most people only need to pay attention to units like landships and assault boats; as for light infantry assaults, nobody thinks that's even possible.

Even Theresis wouldn't do that, and the Kazdel people on the other side value life even more than their own (the training cost of a modern soldier is very high), so they would never carry out such a suicide attack.

The advance force successfully reached the parking lot, which was surrounded by barbed wire. Vehicles had already entered the garage, while some patrol vehicles remained outside. The armored vehicles were well-protected and could still move. However, visibility was extremely low.

"No patrolmen found." The engineers quickly cut through the barbed wire, and after several minutes of searching for their own men, the fire team began assembling the thermobaric cannon.

"Wait for my order!" The sandstorm is at its fiercest now, and the ion beams of the thermal cannons are easily affected and miss their mark. Moreover, our own troops have not yet fully assembled. We should wait until the sandstorm subsides slightly and the defenders lower their guard before opening fire.

The wind gradually subsided during the anxious wait. When the light fixtures and elevators were visible to the naked eye, "Fire!" Two groups per target, and the molten metal cannons sent four lightning hammers into the air in one volley. "Occupy their lightning hammers! Second platoon, seize the elevator! Third platoon, go up the stairs, crossfire cover!"

The sudden attack stunned the defenders, especially the first platoon's suppressive fire, which sprayed bullets without regard for ammunition, putting immense psychological pressure on the enemy.

With low visibility, the sounds of bullets whizzing and dense, low gunfire filled the air, and comrades were constantly falling, creating immense pressure.

Enemy locations? Everywhere; enemy numbers? Unpredictable!

The engineers who cut the wired communication lines immediately also made it impossible for the command to contact the various units for a while. The communication equipment they used was TerraTech, which was greatly affected by Originium Dust.

While the attackers' communication equipment was also affected, they were still able to maintain basic communication functions at close range, at least for simple coordination.

"Bang!" The platoon leader jumped onto a parked Thunder Hammer tank. Before the tank crew inside, who were inspecting the vehicle, could react, something warm fell into their arms with a "bang!"

The hatch was slammed shut, and a metal bar was used to jam the two handles on the outside. Then, a frantic banging sound was heard from inside the vehicle.

The Terrans, who were playing with tanks for the first time, obviously hadn't designed an escape route under the vehicle. A few seconds later, the Tank Incendiary Bomb was detonated, and flames shot out from every gap. The people inside left peacefully, and the fire was controlled with great maturity and composure.

"Okay, I've started one. Damn it, this damn way of operating it!"

The tactical sorcerer in the platoon controlled a Thunderhammer, and the platoon leader quickly crawled into the turret, as a volley of crossbow bolts fired by electromagnetic piercers swept overhead.

"What weapon?"

The "Large Electromagnetic Piercer" utilizes the caster's conversion of Originium energy into electrical energy to give a secondary electromagnetic acceleration to the 40mm cast steel armor-piercing arrows launched under high-pressure steam for anti-armor attacks.

On the battlefield, it has been proven that even at close range, it is impossible to break through the Titan's armor, but it is enough to jam its transmission system. As a result, the current Titan has become heavier and has been fitted with a skirt armor to avoid this kind of foot-piercing tactic.

"Target?"

"Right front, 70 meters, new tank, targeting you!" The platoon leader cranked the handle forcefully. As a Sarkaz, he also possessed the abilities of a warlock. He decisively pulled out the firing staff from the shelf beside him and inserted it into the firing slot. "Load!"

"Bang!" The shockwave blew away a ring of Originium dust, and the steel needles struck the frontal armor, sending sparks flying. "Ribbiting, not penetrated!"

The beam fired by the enemy also seemed to be deflected by the storm, only glancing at the side of the turret before the steel metal turned into molten liquid.

"Damn it, it's not an ordinary magic cannon, it's a light cannon from the Great Yan! And that's not from Columbia, it's an armored vehicle from the Great Yan! We've been tricked!"

Although it bears the label of Thor Industries, it is the "Red Hare" type Flame Light Chariot of the Great Yan Dynasty. Simply put, it is a chariot equipped with a Flame Light Cannon, a miniaturized light cannon based on city defense cannon technology. Due to its huge power supply system, it only has this one weapon.

It is very powerful and accurate. However, due to energy consumption and heat dissipation, it can only choose between walking and firing. Simply put, it takes 3-5 seconds to switch from a mobile state to an attack state, and after firing a shot, it takes about 3 seconds to recover its mobility.

Because of this weakness, it has been initially eliminated by the Great Yan. Originally, it would have been replaced by the "Jade Lion" as an improved light tank and the "Black Steed" as a heavy tank with enhanced mobility, attack, and armor.

However, for reasons everyone knows—lack of money—a single Shenji Battalion of the Shenwu Guard was originally equipped with 300 Jade Lions and 50 Black Steeds, but now…

"How long until the steam pressure is up!"

"Boss, this is just warm-up, we need to wait a bit!" The engine continued to compress saturated steam into the launch canister, and the pointer slowly approached the launch preparation red zone. However, the enemy was already prepared to launch the second round.

"Shift power, reverse!"

"Whoosh!" The tracks kicked up dust as the vehicle rapidly reversed, sacrificing weapon charging speed. The second beam of light missed its mark, hitting the ground this time and instantly creating a small patch of glass.

"What are the weaknesses of the Great Yan? Does anyone know?"

"I don't know, let's attack the side first!" The steam pressure finally reached its peak, and the platoon leader grabbed the lever-like staff, activating an Originium Arts technique. "Bang!"

The second round of firing also missed, and the Flamelight Chariot seemed to have switched to mobility mode.

It must be said that the other horse is more powerful and agile, truly worthy of its name.

Although this design, which allows them to fight but not run away, and run away but not fight, still makes the Great Yan Army want to smash the designer's head in frustration.

Everyone likes the Wuzhui horse, but its production cost of 50 yuan per horse, after being divided among layers of profit sharing, skyrocketed to nearly 300 million taels (a unit of currency in the Great Yan Dynasty, a kind of exquisite silver coin worth one tael and weighing only 16 grams), not to mention the kickbacks that officers also take.

In reality, they would have received more than five million, which was certainly unaffordable given the military pay and expenses of the Great Yan Divine Martial Guard and the garrisoned guard.

Ah, apart from the Moon Harbor Fleet, they are the only major customers of the Four Horsemen Iron Horse Factory, which is why the local gentry hate these people to the bone but can't do anything about it - they really can't compete with tanks, especially heavy tanks.

After several rounds of fighting, the enemy finally gave up and realized that the steam-powered magic cannons couldn't penetrate its armor. The attacking side was also completely speechless at Colombia's weaponry.

"Here you go, boss!" The platoon leader caught the thermobaric cannon thrown to him by his men, kicked the driver, and shouted, "Charge!"

"Whoosh!" The two steel behemoths almost collided, with the Flame Cannon and the Melt Cannon firing almost simultaneously.

The former pierced through the frontal armor of the Thunder Hammer, leaving a hole in the entire vehicle. The driver only felt a burning sensation before his entire upper body turned to ashes, while the platoon leader instantly lost feeling in his legs.

However, the ion beam from the thermal cannon successfully penetrated the enemy's armor, and something was detonated, causing the enemy's entire turret and hull to fly into the sky in an instant.

The sandstorm gradually subsided, and the assault troops, having lost nearly a platoon and a half, finally entered the first level.

Once they reach this level, those on the platform won't have time to reinforce the mountain battlefield; they must find a way to hold the platform's stronghold.

Moreover, the occupation of the ground means that those vehicles have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Whether they are seized or destroyed, it is meaningless. A fortress that has lost its mobility is only destined to be attacked.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Hiding a Cow in the Crotch