Chapter 308: Choose Humanity

Chapter 308: Choosing Humanity

“What the hell is this thing?”

The commander of the Imperial Guard stared at the colossal device before him, its lights flickering, and the questions swirling in his mind threatened to overflow.

Just moments ago, he had tentatively kicked the massive apparatus twice; though it suffered no real damage, the cadence of its blinking lights had indeed shifted.

He could not yet grasp the meaning of that change, yet judging from the strange armor clinging to the monster sprawled on the ground and the incomprehensible aura of “electric divine power” it exuded, he realized with stark clarity that the device was of paramount importance.

Moreover, it seemed tightly bound to the beast tide itself.

Could it be the tool this humanoid monster used to command the tide of beasts?

The commander made that judgment with ease, and now he began to rue his earlier rashness.

“If only we hadn’t killed him!”

“He may well be a twisted terror demon, or something of that sort!”

“Had we captured him alive, perhaps we could have coaxed some useful information from his maw!”

Hearing his words, Zhang Chao, standing nearby, shook his head.

“You cannot speak like that.”

“The situation was urgent; there was no time for contemplation.”

“Besides, that monster was truly formidable; judging by its strength, had we not seized the advantage of a surprise attack, we would likely have perished at its hands.”

“Now is not the moment for regret—we must decide swiftly.”

“Do we destroy this thing, or find a way to bring it back?”

As his words faded, the commander’s brows knitted tightly.

This was not a decision that could be made lightly.

First and foremost, they needed to confirm the device’s effect.

With that in mind, he asked:

“What’s the situation on the western shore of Qili Lake?”

“We have slain the monster that operated the device; has the beast tide been affected?”

“It’s hard to tell.”

Zhang Chao shook his head.

“Through the telescope, the battlefield over there remains a chaotic melee.”

“But compared with before, the tide of beasts shows signs of ‘loss of control.’”

“The other brothers defending the western shore have already retreated safely onto the steamship.”

“They have artillery cover from the eastern defensive line and should be able to withdraw unharmed.”

“The monsters’ pursuit… is unlike before.”

“It seems to lack a clear purpose?”

“Then that’s correct!”

The commander let out a long sigh.

“This equipment must be used to manipulate the beast tide!”

“Now that the monster controlling the tide is dead, the tide has lost its commander, yet because this device remains, they are still restrained.”

“We must destroy the device; once it’s shattered, the tide will collapse instantly!”

As he spoke, the commander drew the last grenade from his belt, poised to pull the pin.

But at that instant, Liu Hao stepped forward, blocking his path.

“We cannot act so rashly!”

Liu Hao said gravely:

“The beast tide is not a single wave! The threats we face are far more than this one!”

“To have uncovered this device, either the Holy Trinity has bestowed a blessing, or we have exhausted every ounce of luck in our lives!”

“It is not merely the key to destroying the tide; it may well be the key to eradicating the monsters forever!”

“We have no right to dispose of this device; at the very least, we must bring it to the Sanctum, let the saints and bishops examine it before any decision is made!”

“We have no time!”

The commander’s expression grew as severe as it could be.

“Our brothers on the Qili Lake front are locked in a blood‑soaked battle; if we do not decide and destroy this crucial device swiftly, even a leaderless beast tide could engulf them.”

“But once the device is destroyed, the tide will surely collapse.”

“On what authority do you speak?”

Liu Hao interrupted the commander again, then, with solemn tone, began:

“Even if you are my superior, I cannot consent to such a reckless decree!”

“Don’t you see? This concerns the very future of humanity!”

“If I do not destroy it, the Divine Church will have no future!”

The commander roared:

“Come to your senses! Withdraw your blind zeal!”

“I understand your loyalty to the Sanctum, but now is not the time for rigid obedience!”

“We must seize the moment; that is a basic requirement of any warrior.”

“I’ll say it again: we have no time.”

“Even if the Sanctum could unravel the device’s secrets, we would not have the luxury of waiting…”

“Time! Time is the most critical element!”

“To put it bluntly, even the Sanctum lacks the capacity to decipher this apparatus; the premise you assume simply does not exist!”

With those words, Liu Hao fell silent.

The commander pushed past him, marching toward the still‑glowing device with its pale blue indicator, and pulled the grenade’s pin.

“Step back, I’m going to blow this thing up.”

He drew a deep breath and placed the grenade against the side of the device.

From that moment, all he needed to do was release his grip; in a few seconds the grenade would detonate, and the device would be reduced to ruin.

Yet the instant he let go, someone snatched the grenade and hurled it far away.

“Boom!”

The explosion rang out; the commander whirled in fury, but the face he saw was not Liu Hao’s.

It was Zhang Chao.

“I think Liu Hao is right.”

“Our brothers can still endure, but if the monsters cannot be utterly eradicated, humanity will never know peace.”

“We must make a choice.”

“To choose the Sanctuary, or to choose mankind.”

“I believe the Holy Trinity has already spoken the answer long ago.”

“Our very existence is meant to let people survive!”

“But we have no way! We have—”

“We do.”

Zhang Chao raised his hand.

“The Sanctuary truly lacks the power to decipher this device.”

“But the Huaxia army does.”

“We must contact them and hand the device over.”

“They have ‘aircraft’; they will surely make it in time!”

On the other side, Huzhou City.

While the nuclear charge on the Xuyi front failed to detonate, the assault company, equipped with the last two spare nuclear warheads in the Huaxia army’s stock, successfully triggered the 300‑kiloton one.

As the mushroom cloud rose, the final Tier‑2 monster perched 40 kilometers outside Huzhou was annihilated, signifying the southern beast tide crisis was completely resolved.

Now the only enemy that still loomed before them was the last remaining force.

A beast tide from the southeast, composed of forty monsters.

Yet their situation was no less grim.

Chen Jian clutched a blasting rifle whose barrel was already smoking, carefully tallying the assault company’s remaining ammunition.

“We have only one nuclear warhead left; if we expend it here, we’ll have no reserve.”

“Unless we pull back the already‑laid minefield and shift the warhead into use.”

“But doing so would leave a gap in the outer defenses of Base 011.”

“Our minefield is already sparse; if the beast tide finds a breach, the entire base’s defense will crumble.”

“Our time is still far too short.”

“If I could have an extra month— even two more weeks—to open another underground nuclear facility, our resources wouldn’t be so strained.”

“Alas, there’s no chance to turn back now.”

Hearing this, Huang Yu, standing nearby, slowly nodded.

“Indeed.”

“All our resources are stretched thin.”

“It’s not just the nuclear warheads; conventional ammunition stocks are dwindling as well.”

“At the current rate of combat, we could only see the southeastern beast tide through before our air‑to‑ground missiles run out.”

“Our artillery shells could barely keep the outer perimeter operational.”

“When every shell is spent, we’ll have to rely on what the ordnance factory can produce on the spot.”

“But our output is too low to sustain the daily consumption of the front lines.”

“Most likely, the final defensive battle will still come down to detonating that nuclear warhead.”

“Thus, we are caught in a vicious circle.”

After Huangyou finished speaking, Chen Jian nodded with satisfaction.

“Excellent, you’ve already learned to view the problem from a strategic perspective; you learn quickly.”

“Still, the situation isn’t that dire.”

“After all, we still have one nuclear missile that hasn’t been launched—our strongest deterrent.”

“We cannot place all our hope on that missile, yet we cannot ignore its existence.”

“Understood.”

Huang Yu replied solemnly, then added:

“Commander, I have drafted the next phase of the operation plan; it has passed the War‑Cranium system review and is uploaded, awaiting your approval.”

“Review it now.”

As he answered, Chen Jian walked toward the assault company soldiers resting outside Huzhou’s gate.

The warriors, who had just secured a great victory at a negligible cost, brushed and cleaned their weapons with spirited vigor, while around them gathered the surviving civilians of Huzhou.

Men cradled food in their hands; women bore fresh blossoms from Huzhou’s unique, sprawling flower fields.

The devout believers knelt to the ground, repeatedly saluting several soldiers who had transferred from Jinzhong’s Guard Regiment to the assault company, still bearing the distinctive tattoos of the Mechanical Cult’s Guard.

They likely assumed this heavenly weaponry hailed from the Mechanical Cult.

Yet they knew not that those they worshipped were a few “traitors” who had already “renounced their faith.”

The kneeling soldiers felt a measure of bewilderment.

In fact, even…

“All personnel, form ranks.”

Chen Jian issued the order:

“Leave the gate area; no supplies may be received.”

“Lay down everything you hold!”

At his words, the assault company’s troops stepped back a pace.

Many of them perhaps still did not grasp the meaning of “not taking a single thread from the masses,” but without doubt they all felt the weight of the command.

Especially when it came from the “Commander.”

Disobeying would bring consequences they could not bear.

Thus, one by one, they set down their belongings, and Chen Jian gave another command:

“Huang Yu, persuade the people of Huzhou to return.”

“Negotiate with the Mechanical Cult’s representatives, share the latest intelligence, and ask them to mobilize forces to defend Huzhou.”

“Hurry! We are about to leave Huzhou for Suzhou; they must arrive in Huzhou within seventy‑two hours after our departure.”

“Otherwise, the hard‑won victory we have achieved will be squandered!”

“Understood!”

Huang Yu obeyed the order, while Chen Jian stayed behind to reorganize the troops.

Their supplies were already scarce; the bulk of their long‑range delivery capability had to be diverted to the infiltration company.

After all, their battle was far from over.

After withdrawing from the Banhu defensive line, the two forces will converge and return to Hanshui City.

There, they must cleanse the scattered, stray monsters, and after that, they will need to regroup and expand, continuing the subsequent “pincer offensive” mission.

This is no child's play.

He Shuo’s troops are of low quality, and with equal equipment their combat power falls far short of a regular army’s assault company.

Therefore, Chen Jian must make choices in gear and supplies, using stronger reinforcements to keep the unit’s fighting spirit alive.

Difficult.

Chen Jian let out a long sigh.

What he is doing now could be poetically called forging a dojo inside a snail’s shell, or bluntly, a resource‑poor housewife forcing a double‑steamed rice without grain.

Whether it is nutritious or not is debatable; even the simple matter of “being full” remains uncertain.

Yet the good news is that, up to now, the beast tide has reached the end of its strength.

All the offensives they once organized have already failed, and before them now lies only one path: a final showdown.

And that is exactly the showdown Chen Jian seeks.

He wants a decisive battle to unfold within a small area on the outskirts of Jinling City.

Only then can the nuclear bomb in his hand unleash its fullest power.

With that thought, Chen Jian felt a slight easing in his heart.

At that very moment, a voice crackled through his headset—Fuxi’s voice.

“Commander, we have new intelligence.”

“What’s the intel? Speak.”

Chen Jian replied tersely, while Fuxi continued his report:

“The Mechanical Cult has made a new discovery.”

“They captured a strange creature, and the creature bore odd equipment on its back.”

“The one who found the creature is the leader of the Cult’s elite guard.”

“But instead of contacting the Cult directly, he came straight to us.”

“From their description, the device they uncovered is likely a signal transmitter that controls the beast tide.”

As the words fell, Chen Jian was stunned.

A signal transmitter??

This is exactly what he has been searching for.

He drew a deep breath and issued orders:

“Check if we have any mobile reserve units that can be mobilized.”

“Send a team to rendezvous with them.”

“At any cost, we must get our hands on that device!”

“Everyone else, assemble!”

“Depart immediately, intercept the beast tide from the southeast!”

“We must strike swiftly and decisively! After the battle, return to base without delay!”

(End of Chapter)