Chapter 238 Ghost Attack
"Welcome Captain Gris to our official live broadcast room. We will conduct a post-war interview with Captain Gris. Captain Gris, say hello to everyone!"
Gris, who had just returned to the base, waved his hand with a sad face.
The host immediately took over the camera: "First, please observe a moment of silence for the imperial soldiers who died in this battle... Captain Gris, we want to know what you think of this insect extermination war. Have the current casualties exceeded your estimates before the war?"
"Yes," Gris sighed, "I'm not in the mood to answer too many questions at this time. I'm only here to answer people's questions because my boss asked me to."
"Yes, Captain Gris, I understand how you feel."
Gris rubbed his brows, his face still showing signs of fatigue.
“This time, the casualties were mainly concentrated in the space battle. The firepower of the fourth-order Zerg swarm was very fierce, and they also arranged ambushes. At the critical moment, they suddenly launched an air attack, resulting in the destruction of some small and medium-sized warships with weaker defenses... This was the main source of the losses.
"On the ground, we learned from the lessons of Zubin and increased our firepower by several orders of magnitude when we built our positions.
"During the subsequent breakthrough, we encountered great resistance. Although we had opened up the underground passage, the constant stream of bugs launched raids from all directions, making our advancement very difficult."
The reporter immediately asked, "That is to say, if the White Ghost hadn't appeared in time, we would have suffered even greater losses?"
"Yes, that is undeniable, but..."
The reporter asked, "We are still relying on the White Ghost, right?"
"Please let me finish. I said, but," Gris said, "you must respect every aspect of this battle, every imperial soldier who participated in the battle and provided support."
"Oh, Mr. Captain, I mean absolutely no disrespect!"
"Then let me finish what I'm saying!"
Grace's eyes were somewhat stern, and the reporter immediately made a gesture of invitation and shrugged helplessly to the director.
Grace took a deep breath and continued:
"The White Ghost is the tip of the dagger, but without the hilt and the dagger itself, and without the arm holding the dagger, he would not be able to fight against a swarm of insects of this magnitude.
“So, the opening of the landing point, the establishment of the downward passage, and the enemy firepower divided by my comrades were all external reasons why White Ghost was able to win with one strike.
"Of course, I must say that White Ghost's joining the battle greatly reduced the pressure on the Blade Squad. At the last moment, he was the one who picked up the shaped charge and stuffed it into the queen's mouth. I think you all saw the live broadcast at that time.
"White Ghost is the hero of this battle. He is destined to shine and be recognized by most people. Other victims and participants are also heroes. They are all devoting everything to protect the interests of the people of the empire."
"Captain Gris, here is another question that has received a lot of attention online," the reporter asked, "We have suffered so many casualties and spent so many ships just to protect an uninhabited planet. Is it really worth it?"
“It’s a matter of basic common sense.”
Gris asked back:
“Although soldiers only need to follow orders, I still can’t help but ask this question.
"The average population of the Empire's main administrative planet is 1.2 billion. How many resources would it take to manage an administrative planet with a population of 1.2 billion in a hundred years?
“Only with sufficient resources to ensure that people can live a happy life can the country be stable and the entire social system function effectively.
“This administrative planet is of extraordinary value. We are not destroying it outright in order to protect this resource. Although the empire’s territory is vast, its population is also the largest in the Milky Way, and the amount of resources that can be utilized in the future is not too high.
"Is there anything to be entangled about with this kind of question? In the history of the human race in the galaxy, most of the wars were fought for resources. Those idle guys, don't enjoy the wonderful life brought by abundant resources while questioning the warriors who created this life for you!
"This is a war with the space Zerg. It is destined to be a life-and-death struggle!"
"Okay, Captain Gris, everyone should have heard your voice."
The reporter adjusted his sitting position and asked slowly:
"So, do you have any vivid memories of this war against insects that ended six hours ago?"
Grace thought about it carefully, a sigh crossed his lips, and some memories emerged in his eyes.
"The part that I remember most clearly was probably before the White Ghost appeared. The situation was already very critical, and the three sharp knife teams could be buried underground at any time..."
…
The underground operations of the spearhead team are hundreds or thousands of times more complicated than surface operations.
The bugs had already hollowed out the underground, and the first wave of bombing created large cavities underground, causing a large-scale collapse of the earth's crust above the area where the queen bug was located.
The three passages blasted by the advance team did not lead vertically to the location of the queen insect, nor could battle formations be deployed in every area. A small part of the passages even only allowed three people to pass side by side.
Heavy firepower cannot be used downwards, and the three spearhead teams must rely on group combat power to break through the defense network formed by the swarm below.
The first third of the raid went smoothly overall and the resistance encountered was not fierce.
But when they entered the rock corridor opened by the Zerg underground, the swarm immediately became alert. A large number of huge Zerg blocked the passage, and all kinds of strange and bizarre insects launched a surprise attack on the spearhead team.
"Gris! A large swarm of insects appeared behind us!"
"The left wing escort team was hit by a swarm of insects!"
"The right wing can't hold on! Those bugs with golden patterns are very powerful, stay away from them! Use long-range firepower to attack them!"
"The place is too narrow. If we can't move, the swarm will bury us with their corpses!"
Gris made a prompt decision: "Find a favorable terrain and destroy the insect swarm on the spot! The surface has already started fire support!"
"clear!"
"These damn bugs!"
A series of insults were heard from the integrated communication channel. This group of modified humans, who usually had overflowing hormones, had now begun to vent their violent firepower on the Zerg.
fighting.
Endless battle.
The 134 transformed warriors led by Gris made the fastest progress among the three spearhead teams and suffered the most fierce sniping.
They formed a teardrop-shaped formation, escorting six high-performance cluster bombs.
Gris controlled the flying backpack to fly back and forth. He was good at observation and quick in reaction. He could always help his teammates detect danger in advance and always use the powerful firepower of the seventy-four mechanical modified bodies in the areas that needed support the most.
Straight ahead, Gris had nothing to worry about.
The super-modifiers from the Imperial Star Circle, who are usually regarded as private armies by the Elders' Council, have demonstrated their powerful combat capabilities.
The golden warrior named Catherine is like a god of war.
In her right hand, she dragged a huge ship-cutting sword. The blade of the sword was made of a special alloy that rotated at high speed. Swinging it down through the hard rock walls was as easy as cutting cheese.
No matter what type of adult insect it is, it cannot withstand the blade of the mad knife in her hand.
Behind Catherine, several super reformers formed a circle to protect the gray-robed asexual messenger.
Bly opened his arms and chanted continuously. Visible spiritual power spread out in front of him like water waves and continued to transmit in the passage. When those ferocious insects entered the area of mental interference, their movements would become a little slower, and then they would be chopped up by Catherine and several other over-limiters.
Hui Saka, the mechanical body of the White Ghost, who was originally "highly expected" by Gris, is actually a relatively inconspicuous existence among this group of super-changers.
He kept raising his hands to release high-energy beams to provide fire support for his teammates, but there was no outstanding performance.
What makes Gris feel depressed is that... the equipment used by this group of super-modifiers is obviously several levels stronger than that of their special forces operators.
The energy density of their protective shields is much higher!
What makes Gris even more excited is that with this group of super modifiers, he sees the dawn of victory.
The spearhead team has completed 60% of their advance.
"Captain Gris, the queen insect has begun to move, and the coordinates have been synchronized!"
"Captain! A huge cavity has been detected six hundred meters ahead!"
"Slow down!"
Glass shouted immediately.
The appearance of a huge cavity underground means that there may be a large number of insects stationed there. Their wisest choice is to bypass this area.
The team of more than 130 people quickly stopped advancing and blocked the scattered insects on the slope of the passage.
Catherine, who had been at the front of the team, immediately stepped back, and three melee players stepped forward to block the counterattack of the swarm below, and then...
The white ghost stepped forward and handed Catherine a bottle of electrolyte water, then began to ask her about her health and kept praising her for her smooth and heroic movements in chopping insects.
Grace's hands began to shake as he watched.
Is this old man here for a stroll?
After such an intense battle and such tremendous pressure in the underground fight, he actually still has the mood to pick up girls!
rumble--
The underground passage suddenly began to shake continuously.
Gris frowned tightly as a projection screen popped up in front of him, with a warning of an incoming giant insect attack.
Yang Ming's voice suddenly sounded: "Captain Gris, let the team retreat!"
"Retreat! Retreat! Back off!"
Without any hesitation, Grace shouted at the top of his voice on the public channel.
The team of more than 130 people took quick action. The super-modifiers had amazing execution ability. They were originally resting, but they entered combat status almost instantly.
Vector thrusters spewed out tail flames, and more than a hundred people retreated diagonally upwards.
The passage below suddenly collapsed!
The hard rock layer smashed down like a shattered puzzle piece, and a huge shadow rose below. Six terrifying compound eyes with a diameter of two meters shone with light green.
"Takumi worm!"
"The diameter of the head is over sixty meters!"
"Fuck! It's going to eat us!"
"Concentrate your fire! Shoot it down!"
The mechanical arm behind Gris shot out several laser beams, and the suspended spheres burst out with brilliant light, illuminating the passage for hundreds of meters above and below as bright as day.
There were many charred spots on the giant terraformer's shell, but its upward speed did not slow down at all.
"Bray!"
Catherine shouted, and the retreating figure suddenly rushed forward.
A charming smile appeared on Bligh's lips, his helmet flashed with light, and he uttered a dolphin-like chanting sound. The spiritual power that had been reserved and continuously released suddenly turned into a surging ocean at this moment.
“Ah~~”
The six compound eyes of the tauren worm flickered, and seemed to reveal a bit of confusion.
Catherine growled and held the ship-cutting sword in both hands. Dense tiny circles of light , and the golden armor weaved a semicircular protective shield.
She flew past almost close to the top of the passage, her body flipping continuously, and slashing down fiercely with her ship-cutting sword!
Thick green blood splattered in all directions. The giant terrapin's huge head kept shaking, and its horrible mouthparts opened, ready to swallow Catherine.
Catherine rushed forward with a knife.
Holding the Ship-Severing Sword in both hands, she turned around and stood upside down in an instant, dragging the Ship-Severing Sword towards the back of the Takumi worm.
The high-speed rotating serrated blade emits a series of sparks!
Gris acted decisively and mobilized firepower to shoot directly at the wound on the head of the tau worm!
The tauren worm emitted a low-frequency humming sound, and its forward speed began to slow down. Its huge mouthparts slowly closed, and when it lay motionless on the slope, its giant mouth was only a few meters away from the super-modifier at the front of the team.
Catherine held the ship-cutting knife and left the vicinity of the tauren's neck. Drops of dark green blood dripped down outside her protective shield.
There was no time to celebrate;
The huge body of the tauren began to fall at an accelerated speed. Under the illumination of the searchlight, it fell into the huge underground cavity, as if it had fallen into an endless abyss.
Gris suddenly shouted: "Turn off the searchlight first!"
In the abyss, pairs of lantern-like green eyes flashed, and the tauren extinguished the green light in a small area.
Biological response test data...
A swarm of insects numbering one hundred thousand!
"Back off! This is a trap!"
Gris roared loudly, and the team members had already started to act.
But there was a huge buzzing sound below, and the swarm of insects had begun their charge.
Catherine turned around without hesitation and was about to fight the bugs, but a big hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her directly behind her.
Yang Ming's mechanical body.
"I still have an ultimate explosive bomb," Yang Ming said with a smile, "Protect them to retreat first, and I will deal with these bugs. Remember to remind Captain Gris to give orders to the White Ghost. The White Ghost has been waiting for a long time."
Catherine frowned slightly, but Yang Ming had already begun to disintegrate.
Its legs were divided into four sections, its arms were separated from its torso, and its chest was filled with densely packed miniature launch bays.
"Go quickly. I will blow up this area. Remember to turn on the power of the protective shield to the maximum."
"Okay," Catherine turned and ran without any hesitation.
The corners of Yang Ming's mouth twitched a few times. He thought there would be some sweet words.
He had originally planned to use this trick to deal with the Queen Beetle. As long as the Super Modifier could send his mechanical body near the Queen Beetle, he would have a chance to kill the opponent directly.
If the real body can avoid showing up, it is best not to show up.
However, under the current circumstances, the spearhead operation has clearly failed.
It's not that our comrades are not strong enough, it's just that the Zerg is too cunning. Relying on a small number of transformed warriors to fight against a huge number of Zerg is not a wise choice.
The mechanical body fired hundreds of micro-missiles, and the pressure wall formed by the explosion cut off the swarm's charge into the narrow area.
The limbs exploded one after another, and the torso crashed into the swarm of insects.
Yang Ming instantly withdrew his consciousness from the host, and the final self-destruction procedure was executed by Lu.
The earth shook violently and the middle passage collapsed.
Gris and his companions barely managed to evacuate the explosion radiation zone, using protective shields to resist the flying sand and rocks coming from below.
After the aftermath of the explosion, the detection radar showed that a larger cavity had appeared below, which was temporarily not filled by Zerg.
Moving forward?
Or just back off from this?
Gris's Adam's apple trembled. He had fully realized the gap between the fourth-order Zerg swarm and the third-order Zerg swarm.
There are countless insects hidden in this land.
One of his orders could lead to the destruction of the entire army.
"Captain Gris," Catherine's clear voice sounded in the team channel, "Don't forget to call White Ghost."
Grace was stunned for a moment, then seemed to wake up from a dream, and shouted on the public channel:
"Attack! White Ghost attacks!"
"Got it," Yang Ming's voice sounded, and an avatar appeared in the channel list, "I will enter the right passage in three minutes!"
Meanwhile, on the planet's surface.
Not far from the ground landing area opened up by the Empire, a sand dune suddenly collapsed, and a rocket with bright red paint flew out of it and plunged towards the right side of the landing area.
