Chapter 282: Soldiers at the City Walls

Chapter 282: The Army at the City Gates

On the other side, Base 011.

Yu Qian paced anxiously within the cramped wooden hut, his hand gripping the freshly issued Type‑75 rifle.

The rifle was already loaded to capacity, yet the safety remained engaged.

He mechanically rehearsed the motions of disengaging the safety and pulling the trigger, as if through this ritual he could coax a sliver of vitality into himself.

Yet it was clear he harbored little confidence in his own abilities.

If those monsters truly surged forward, could he hold them back?

No, it seemed unlikely.

On the way back to the base with the shuttle, he had witnessed a drone and a robot encircle a single beast.

That creature moved with an almost supernatural speed, its strength staggering.

When its claws slashed, a sapling as thick as a thigh was cleaved cleanly in half.

Yu Qian could not imagine the fate that would befall him should those claws strike his own flesh.

Even a monster that seemed invincible to his eyes could not be felled easily by the drone he considered near‑unstoppable.

After a half‑minute of maneuvering, the airborne drone finally joined forces with the robot, and together they unleashed a hail of iron that felled the beast.

During the clash, the monster repeatedly leapt toward the sky to snatch the drone, and also lunged at the ground robot in an attempt to crush it.

Had the robot not reacted with equal swiftness, it too would have perished before the creature.

What of himself, then?

Yu Qian exhaled a long breath; anxiety, dread, and unease swirled within him, bringing on a fierce vertigo.

The vertigo was followed by waves of nausea, one after another.

It was an unavoidable physiological response.

His nerves were on the brink of snapping.

In the distance, the rumble of artillery persisted, and a nightmarish vision of “monsters breaching the defenses, storming into Jinling New City and laying waste” flickered before his eyes.

His heart hammered once more, his limbs turning numb and cold.

Glancing at his son, seated on the bedside clutching his bewildered little sister, a sudden thought rose in Yu Qian’s mind.

If…

If the monsters truly shattered the Huaxia army’s line, what ought he to do?

Flee with them?

Hide in a place the monsters cannot find?

Such a refuge seemed nonexistent in this world.

Images of his life within this “new city” flashed repeatedly through his mind.

In a daze, he realized this might be the most relaxed period of his entire life.

Yet this so‑called “relaxation” was not a physical ease.

Yes, he toiled daily, his work relentless and exhausting.

Yet he genuinely felt that this hardship bore meaning.

No longer fearing a sudden monster attack, no longer fearing demons, bandits, or mercenaries, he knew what he was doing and why.

Perhaps this was the “faith” spoken of by the Holy Blood Hall and even the Cult of the Mechanical God?

Yu Qian drew in a deep breath.

The muscles that had trembled with terror suddenly loosened.

He realized he should not shirk.

There was no place better than here in the world.

Even if he must run, he must at least try first!

With that resolve, he lowered the barrel of his rifle and ceased his mechanical motions.

Then he turned to his son and said:

“Father has to go out and take care of something; stay home and look after your sister.”

“Where are you going?”

The son sprang to his feet, his sister’s eyes wide with incomprehension.

“I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do—those Huaxia officers are short of men.”

“They need our assistance!”

Having said that, Yu Qian turned and left the room.

He gave his children no further glance, fearing that a lingering look would shake his resolve anew.

Night had fallen completely; Jinling New City, now under wartime conditions, enforced a blackout, and the camp’s twilight was dim.

Yet within that dimness, Yu Qian sensed many vague silhouettes moving through the darkness.

Their direction matched his own.

Everyone was heading toward the plaza of Base 011.

So they, too, intended to do what he was about to do?

He recognized a fellow worker who had labored with him by day, hurried over, and asked:

“Liu Qi, where are you headed?”

Liu Qi looked up at him and replied:

“I’m going to see if there’s anything I can help with.”

“The front line is still raging; I’ve heard the fighting is fierce.”

“A regiment commander was gravely wounded, his armor shattered.”

“But the Huaxia troops are still holding—none of their lines have retreated.”

“Alas, they are too few; we—”

“Wait!”

Yu Qian asked in astonishment:

“The commander is gravely wounded? You mean those commanders?”

“Yes, it’s said to be the largest one.”

Liu Qi’s voice was profoundly low.

“He hasn’t returned yet, and we don’t know whether he’s still fighting or—”

Liu Qi fell silent, while Yu Qian’s steps grew ever slower.

The regiment commander was gravely wounded

If that is so, is there any point in continuing this battle?

He couldn't help but hesitate, yet as he watched Liu Qi drift farther away, he ultimately followed.

Conflicting thoughts clashed within his mind; instinctive timidity and fear slowed his stride, but a faint, lingering urge in his heart refused to let him halt.

He walked very slowly.

Yet eventually, he reached the square.

As he squeezed into the already packed crowd, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

The commander.

That very commander!

He was unscathed, standing before the masses, calmly briefing the situation.

“The first wave was merely a probe; those monsters are clever, testing our strengths with this tactic.”

“But our true capabilities remain far from exposed.”

“The base’s security is assured; rest easy, everyone.”

“However, we truly need more hands, more volunteers to form a militia reserve.”

“Anyone willing to join may later register with Comrade Huang Yu.”

“He will assign suitable tasks and teach you how to unleash your combat potential.”

“Fear not, you will not be used as cannon fodder.”

“Before the Hua Xia army is utterly annihilated, no civilian will fall before us; that is my oath!”

Chen Jian’s words struck like thunder; the crowd fell silent, then erupted in a clamor of shouts.

“I want to join the reserve!”

“Commander, I’ve fought before; I can go to the front lines!”

“If I’m not needed at the front, I can still join—at least I can do something.”

“I can also——the city needs protection; a few monsters have already drawn near. At night, if their numbers swell, they will break in.”

“Indeed, that’s why we’re needed.”

“Silence.”

The chaotic din was silenced by Chen Jian’s raised hand, and he spoke:

“I must immediately commence new battle deployments; for now, I entrust this to Huang Yu.”

“Any questions, he will answer for you.”

“Now, those wishing to enlist in the reserve, step forward!”

As the words fell, the crowd stirred into motion.

Yu Qian stood frozen for several seconds, then finally took that step.

Yet when he looked back, only a handful remained behind him.

Minutes later, inside the 011 Base Operations Command Room.

Chen Jian stared intently at the map on the screen, then spoke:

“All forts have been fully resupplied and staffed; the destroyed fort cannot be repaired quickly, but we are dispatching new artillery there.”

“However, even with artillery in place, that spot will become a new weak point in our defense.”

“We need at least double the personnel and weapons to secure that position.”

“By the numbers, we are already short of manpower.”

“All 260 Saint‑Blood soldiers from the Imperial Capital have been dispersed to the buffer zone to establish mobile lines; together with unmanned combat clusters, we can barely maintain line density.”

“Yet this still cannot guarantee absolute safety when faced with dense, highly mobile swarms of small monsters.”

“The first wave today saw roughly six hundred small monsters and terror fiends attack, and even so, an unexpected breach occurred.”

“Reconnaissance balloons show that the peripheral small monsters now number over three thousand.”

“They may launch a full assault tonight—holding the line is not hard; the challenge is eradicating or repelling them while sparing the core zone as much as possible.”

“The situation is grim; what are your thoughts?”

As Chen Jian’s words faded, Ji Xing raised her hand and asked:

“Can we contract the front? Our biggest problem now is low fire density; the gun emplacements are too far apart to create effective crossfire, severely limiting interception.”

“If we pull back, our firepower and manpower would already be enough to forge an iron wall.”

“This”

“Won’t work.”

Before Ji Xing could finish, Shen Yue cut in.

“Our foes are not only small monsters; over forty large beasts have gathered on the outskirts, most of which we have never encountered.”

“We know nothing of their abilities, tactics, or how to counter them efficiently.”

“A rash contraction could cause a single monster’s assault to trigger a total collapse.”

“Like today’s whale‑eel—had we not dispersed our fort firepoints, and it surged straight to the core, how many could survive?”

After Shen Yue finished, Ji Xing nodded thoughtfully.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again:

“Then there is no other recourse.”

“Most unmanned combat gear has been sent to the buffer zone; the core retains only a few fixed weapon stations.”

“Those stations can contribute only limited effect.”

“All we can rely on is the reserve.”

“Then arm the reserve.”

Chen Jian inhaled deeply, then ruled:

“Arm them in the truest sense.”

“Grant them weapon‑use permissions?”

Shen Yue replied in astonishment:

“That could backfire; wielding unfamiliar arms against highly mobile monsters may cause friendly fire losses greater than the monsters’ own damage!”

“I understand.”

Chen Jian nodded slowly.

“Thus I do not intend to grant weapon access, but to bolster their protection.”

“Of the two tanks, one must remain in the base’s core as a pillar of firepower and defense.”

“Furthermore, aside from those vehicles essential for smooth supply transport, retrofit all other motorized units with armor in the shortest time possible.”

“Steel plates, wood, scrap iron—use whatever you have.”

“Can we finish the retrofit within two hours?”

.Should be able to.

Lei Jie pondered briefly, then answered:

“The base’s steel reserves are ample; the plates are ready-made.”

“Our demand for protection isn’t extravagant—we only need to stop the claws of small monsters.”

“Then it should be swift—Fuxi, issue the order, let Jinzan take the lead in execution.”

“Understood.”

Fuxi’s voice rang through the war room, and the command was instantly relayed.

Once the plan was set in motion, Chen Jian did not linger, but pressed on:

“Beyond the small monsters, our greatest problem now is the forty colossal beasts lurking at the perimeter.”

“From what we see, long‑range bombardment poses little threat to those creatures; we’ll have to bring them closer for direct fire.”

“But that will narrow our firing window and inevitably limit firepower density.”

“Therefore, I need more sturdy, highly mobile fire‑output positions.”

“One tank, two bombers.”

“The tank will be driven by Huang Meng, the bombers by Lei Jie and Jiang Yu.”

“You must keep the giant beast horde at bay, buying the artillery time to fire.”

“The mission is perilous—especially for the tank; it may be a one‑way trip.”

“All participants must be prepared to sacrifice themselves; retreat is not an option.”

“I understand.”

Shen Yuezheng nodded gravely and said:

“Huang Meng won’t falter; his mind is sound.”

“Good.”

Chen Jian exhaled a long breath, then continued:

“The rest of the troops will follow the original deployment plan.”

“Against a massive monster swarm, individual soldiers can only do so much; I will not join the front lines.”

“I’ll stay in the base to command.”

“The battlefield outside is yours.”

“Got it!”

The group rose in unison; Chen Jian stood at attention and rendered a crisp military salute to everyone.

After the return salute, the personnel in the war room hurried away.

Chen Jian turned his gaze to the main screen.

Through the footage streamed back by drones and reconnaissance balloons, he saw countless monsters already massing beyond the outermost line of defense.

As he had suspected, the evening assault was merely a fire‑power reconnaissance.

But now.

The true siege has begun, the army at the gates!

(End of chapter)