Chapter Seventy: The Fierce Battle

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As the battle commenced, fierce exchanges of fire erupted across the field. However, since Yuo Kinsenko and his group were caught completely unprepared, they were stunned by the sudden attack. In the chaos, nearly the entire first wave of the vanguard troops storming the base—comprised of the Terror soldiers—were wiped out. Only Yuo Kinsenko and a few dozen Terror soldiers from the Coastal Base managed to find cover behind obstacles and return fire.

Watching all of this unfold from outside, Yuri Gotne, Supreme Leader of the Olmet Empire, was beside himself with rage. Previously, they had assumed that even if the enemy managed to seize most or even all of the Mountain Base, they could not possibly have established their defenses so quickly, given the formidable defensive capabilities of the Mountain Base. Moreover, even if the enemy succeeded in taking the base, they would not be able to recover their strength in such short order. Thus, Gotne was convinced his surprise assault would catch the enemy off guard and deal them a heavy blow. Who could have predicted that the vanguard would suffer such devastating losses the moment they set foot inside?

And it must be remembered that these ancient Terror people were never numerous to begin with. The Coastal Base, though second only in population, held just about three hundred thousand inhabitants; proportionally, its military force numbered around thirty thousand. Now, with nearly a hundred soldiers lost in the first wave, Yuri Gotne felt the sting of every casualty.

Of course, if he knew that the defending troops inside were actually his own—mistakenly firing upon each other as enemies—perhaps the irony would lighten his mood. Nevertheless, Yuri Gotne was able to swiftly compose himself, regaining his clarity. It was this very quality that had made him the leader of Olmet Empire; when unexpected events occurred, his rivals tended to lose their composure for a significant period, but not him. Years of adversity had shortened his moments of irrationality until they were nearly negligible. So, after his initial outburst, he immediately returned to a rational state. He quickly issued an order to Kaba Dur:

“Take your men and use heavy weaponry to clear a path. Then, under the cover of the heavy weapons, lead the second squad forward. You must break through their defenses!”

Kaba Dur promptly replied, “Yes, my Leader!”

Kaba Dur, though an intelligence officer, was no mere bureaucrat; he had risen through the ranks of the military and was well-versed in tactical command.

He immediately ordered all hover tanks to concentrate their fire on the enemy positions inside the gate, unleashing the most intense barrage possible.

Under this overwhelming assault, the Mountain Base’s defenses soon showed a gaping breach. This was inevitable, as the base had already fallen into chaos, with troops unable to concentrate in a single area, and trouble seemed to multiply, leaving them stretched thin.

For the moment, their lines were ragged. In truth, their manpower was insufficient. Though the Mountain Base’s standing forces numbered around fifty thousand, only about eight thousand were gathered at the North District Air Gate. Yuri Gotne’s reinforcements for the Mountain Base totaled ten thousand, with a thousand each sent to two other air gates, leaving eight thousand at the North Gate as well. Thus, the battle would hinge on the tactics employed by both sides.

Under the powerful artillery support, Kaba Dur quickly drove the enemy into disarray, gradually expanding their gains.

Meanwhile, for Saide Uri, the acting commander at the Mountain Base, the situation was a mess. Crisis followed crisis, and most terrifying of all, the enemy was about to break through the first defensive line. Seeing disaster looming, he shouted to his aide:

“Aide!”

The aide immediately responded, “Here!”

Saide Uri gave orders: “Mobilize every available unit to form a suicide squad. Drive back the encroaching enemy at any cost! As for those monsters, don’t worry about annihilating them—just keep them contained.”

The aide answered, “Yes!”

He sprang into action. Then Saide Uri turned to the second aide: “Send half the troops stationed outside the Food Chain Strategic Laboratory to reinforce us. Don’t worry about eliminating the intruding humans—just keep them trapped inside the laboratory and prevent them from breaking out. Hurry!”

The second aide replied, “Yes!”

Then Saide Uri turned to the communications officer and shouted:

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“Communications officer!”

The communications officer responded, “Here!”

Saide Uri asked, “Can you find a way to contact the Coastal Base with the communications equipment we currently have?”

The communications officer replied, “Absolutely, but it will take some time.”

Saide Uri said, “Good. Get to it—reach them as soon as possible.”

The communications officer replied, “Understood.”

Saide Uri added, “If you need help, go to the adjutant—tell him I sent you.”

“Understood,” the communications officer replied.

He immediately set to work, striving to establish contact with the Coastal Base, though the outcome would prove both comical and tragic.

Meanwhile, the troops from the Coastal Base continued to advance. However, after a short time, the Mountain Base received reinforcements—five thousand strong, with more heavy weapons arriving at the battlefield. For the moment, the defenders stabilized their lines.

Thus, the battle raged on, with both sides locked in fierce combat. In response to the shifting tides, both sides deployed their air forces. However, constrained by the size of the battlefield, their aircraft could only hover face-to-face, unable to perform any aerial maneuvers.

Locked in combat within the confines of the base, both sides found themselves forced into frontal assaults. Even their air forces, restricted by the low ceiling, seldom had opportunities to dive for decisive strikes.

By now, both sides had deployed their magnetic hover tanks. Some Terror soldiers, observing the similarities in equipment, began to suspect something was amiss—that perhaps they were fighting the wrong enemy. Yet, with tempers flaring and blood spilled, neither side could bring themselves to halt.

Amidst this chaos, the Mountain Base communications officer began preparing to contact the Coastal Base. Soon, he marshaled all available resources and initiated the attempt:

“Coastal, Coastal, this is Mountain! Coastal, Coastal, this is Mountain!”

“…”

“Coastal, Coastal, this is Mountain! Coastal, Coastal, this is Mountain!”

“…”

Silence was all he received in reply. He surmised that the frequency was off, so he continued to adjust, enlisting the help of assistants nearby.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the area—a shell from the enemy. Three assistants were killed instantly. The remaining Terror soldiers were thrown into a panic; the power team hurriedly replaced batteries, while the wiring crew draped themselves in spare cables. After much effort, the communicator finally received a signal.

Checking the source was instinctive for the communications officer. After a quick location scan, he exclaimed in surprise, “Impossible! Could this be a mistake?”

Assistant A asked, “What’s wrong?”

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The communications officer replied, “The signal source is right outside the Mountain Base gate…”

Everyone asked in unison, “Whose signal is it?”

He answered, “It’s the Coastal Base’s military signal source.”

Assistant B responded, “That’s excellent! We’ve made contact with reinforcements—and they’re close by. Let’s call them in to support us!”

The communications officer urged, “Everyone, come check the signal’s location.”

After examining it, all were astonished by its proximity. Suddenly, realization dawned on them. Assistant A quickly said, “Don’t hesitate—call them now! If this is all a misunderstanding, we must take immediate action!”

Meanwhile, outside the Mountain Base, Yuri Gotne himself was trying to establish contact with the survivors inside. He anxiously watched the communications officers at work. Suddenly, a Coastal Base communications officer, as if discovering a new continent, cried out:

“Mountain, Mountain, this is Coastal, this is Coastal—are you there?”

A faint but excited reply came: “This is Mountain, this is Mountain—Coastal, is that you? Coastal, is that you?”

The Coastal communications officer grew excited. “Yes, yes! This is Coastal, this is Coastal!”

Hearing this, Yuri Gotne could no longer sit still. With battle raging ahead, he had planned to destroy the Mountain Base if necessary, but he hoped to save as many compatriots as possible, for manpower was the most precious resource to the Terror people—ancient civilization’s population was dwindling fast.

He rushed to the communicator, grabbed the receiver, and spoke: “This is Yuri Gotne…”

The reply came instantly: “Ah! My Leader…”

Yuri Gotne said, “What is your current situation? How many of you are left?”

“It’s chaos, my Leader—complete disorder and fighting everywhere. Our acting commander, General Saide Uri, is personally leading the defense at the North District Air Gate. The confusion in other areas is being brought under control…”

Yuri Gotne paused, then quickly asked, “Wait… what did you say? The North District Air Gate? How long have you been holding out?”