Volume 4: Shadows Under the Neon Lights Chapter 197 Goalkeeper
"Looks like we have to hurry." Ke Lan picked up a piece of black bone from the ground. Sure enough, there was a sticky, transparent substance similar to slug in the bone marrow.
"There's no need to worry about this thing. According to the research institute's report, after losing the protection of the bones, the medulla inside can only survive in the external environment for forty-eight hours, and there is no risk of infection or parasitism." Victoria kicked the pile of bones on the ground.
"There's really no need to worry about this, but what about the wounded?" Ke Lan asked, throwing the bones aside.
"Huh... wounded... let my men send the wounded back to the blockade... Huh..." Major Ashkani, who was sitting nearby, panted and said, "Anyway... in this situation... my men... they can't really help, on the contrary... they will become a burden."
"But if we continue to go in, there will be a lot of wounded people. If every wounded person needs to be sent back to the blockade, then the loss of personnel will be too fast." Ke Lan shook her head, "I think we should place the wounded nearby, or suggest a centralized medical center..."
Ke Lan looked up at the suspended rail train track in mid-air and said, "It's a pity that there is no energy source, otherwise the problem would be solved by using the suspended rail train to transport all the injured out."
"I agree with the plan to set up a centralized medical center." Victoria said, "The medical center can also be used as a temporary transit station."
"See that private clinic in front? The building is solid enough and should have a certain amount of medicines and medical equipment stored inside. I think this place is good." Ke Lan said, pointing to a two-story building with a Red Cross logo about two hundred meters away.
…
In less than ten minutes, the reconnaissance team had occupied the clinic that Ke Lan mentioned.
"Reporting to the commander, four bodies were found on the second floor of the clinic. No signs of infection and no survivors were found." Alyosha walked quickly down from the second floor, and several other agents moved the four bodies to the hall on the first floor.
"One doctor, three... they should be patients seeing a doctor... Has the cause of death been confirmed?" Ke Lan's eyes swept over the four bodies one by one, raised his head and asked Alyosha who was standing aside.
"The three patients died of bullets to their hearts and lungs. As for the doctor, he had multiple bruises, multiple fractures on his right arm and leg, and a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The main cause of death should be gunshot wounds... In addition, there are traces of a fight on the second floor. This is the shell found on the floor." Alyosha said, holding up the evidence bag in his hand, "11.43mm caliber subsonic heavy pistol bullet. Judging from the inscription on the bottom of the shell, it should be a product of the Arasaka Group's own military factory."
"It seems that when those heretics wanted to take the doctor away, the doctor resisted and was beaten to death." Ke Lan analyzed, "It should be to protect his patients... He was a good guy, what a pity."
"There is no time to mourn for strangers." Victoria only glanced at the body on the ground, and then said to Ashkani: "Major, I ask you to leave one mecha to protect the base, and the others will continue to advance deeper into the East 9th District."
"Only one mecha left? Isn't it too few? If the base is attacked..." Ashkani was interrupted by Victoria before he finished speaking: "If the base is attacked, even if all the mechas are left, they may not be able to defend it. Our mission is not to protect the wounded... As soldiers, they should have enough awareness."
"..." Major Ashkani glanced at Victoria, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally swallowed the words that were already at his throat.
Indeed, they are all soldiers, and he should have enough awareness.
"If everyone agrees, except for the people who stay at the medical station, everyone else will continue to advance deeper. We are running out of time. I demand that we reach the entrance of the East 9th District Central Industrial Park within 20 minutes."
The East 9th District Central Industrial Park mentioned by Victoria is located in the center of the East 9th District, covering an area of nearly 12 square kilometers. It is the core area of the area controlled by the Arasaka Group and is also the location of the group's headquarters.
Unlike the outer blocks of the East 9th District, only official employees of the Arasaka Group are allowed to enter the Central Industrial Park. The further inland you go, the higher the level of authority required. As for the "Arasaka Tower" which serves as the headquarters of the group, only members of the Arasaka family and their personal staff can enter and exit freely.
The height of Arasaka Tower is 286 meters, almost touching the dome of this level of the Ark. Among the buildings with an average height of less than 100 meters, such a tall tower is particularly conspicuous. Even if you are on the outskirts of the East 9th District, you can see it by looking up.
And this tall tower is the final destination of the reconnaissance team.
However, as soon as the reconnaissance team walked out of the narrow alley, they were ambushed again.
However, this time, the enemies they encountered were real humans - a group of believers of a heretical sect wearing black robes. But underneath their black robes, they were wearing the standard armor of mercenaries from the "Ranger" security company.
The "Ranger" security company is one of the industries under the name of the Arasaka Group. According to the data released to the public, this company has at least 150 armed mercenaries who can be regarded as the top elite in the industry. But now, there are probably more than 200 mercenaries blocking the reconnaissance team at the alley entrance - if it weren't for a few "Bloodhound" mechas relying on their thick armor to be in the front, most of the reconnaissance team would probably be killed in the first encounter with them.
"Are these guys all crazy?" Ashkani hid behind a "Bloodhound". Bullets fired from a distance kept hitting the mecha, making the unique "ding ding" sound of metal collision. The opponent's intensive firepower made it impossible for him to lean out to fight back. He had just made an attempt, but fortunately he was half a beat slow. A stray bullet passed through his shoulder and plowed a half-centimeter deep groove on the carbon fiber shoulder armor, and Ashkani was dragged to the ground by the force attached to the bullet.
If he had been a little faster, the bullet would have hit his face instead of his shoulder armor.
"It would be great if they were really crazy. They obviously have a very good tactical plan, and the layout of several firepower points is also very sophisticated. The blind spots in each other's shooting can make up for each other. We simply can't rush out using the mecha as cover." Alyosha said as he bandaged the wound of an injured agent.
"I have just fired three orange flares. In less than half an hour, the main force will enter the East 9th District. Their resistance is meaningless... I don't know how much money the Arasaka Group paid them to make them work so hard." Ashkani said. Flares are their only means of communicating with the troops outside, and the three orange flares mean "the situation is urgent and requires an immediate attack."
"I'm afraid this is not a matter of money." Ke Lan sighed, "Did you see the black robes wrapped around them? These people have probably been brainwashed by the heretical sects... The Arasaka Group should have been infiltrated by the heretical sects for a long time. I don't think it's a big problem for us to equate the two now."
"In fact, Commissioner Victoria has always known that there is a problem with the Arasaka Group. However, these Japanese people are so meticulous about details that we have investigated many times but have not found any clues. Instead, the Arasaka Group has complained to the Ark executives several times that our investigation has seriously interfered with their normal operations... After that, the investigation into them has basically come to a standstill ." Alyosha said with a bitter face.
"To be honest, I think there might be a traitor among the Ark's top management," said Ke Lan.
At this moment, Victoria suddenly turned her head and looked at him, but didn't say much, which seemed to be her agreement with Ke Lan's statement.
"It seems that there are people in your security bureau who we dare not touch." Ke Lan stuck out the muzzle of the gun and fired a few shots at random, which immediately attracted a burst of gunfire, and the metal ground at his feet was sparked.
"It's not that I don't dare to move, but I can't move for the time being." Victoria didn't look at him, but Ke Lan knew that she was talking to herself, "Being too curious is not necessarily a good thing."
"Okay, let's not talk about this. What solutions do you have for the current situation? We can't just waste our time here." Ke Lan said.
The terrain outside is a fan-shaped square. Apart from a few lamp posts, there is basically nothing that can serve as cover on the square. The exit of the alley is located at the apex of the fan. As long as Ke Lan and the others rush out, they will be attacked from all directions at a 120-degree angle. Even with Victoria's mobility, it will be difficult for her to pass through the square in front of her.
The only good news is probably that these rebels who were brainwashed by the heretical sect did not have heavy weapons. Otherwise, let alone a stalemate at the alley, the reconnaissance team would probably be forced to return to Kabukicho Ichibangai.
"You guys delay these rebels here, I'll take a few people to go around the rear." Victoria pulled out two Mozambique shotguns from the equipment box, inserted them into the holsters on both sides of her calves, and then hung a shoulder bag full of fragmentation grenades on her shoulder.
"It sounds like a feasible method, provided that no new enemies appear on the detour." Ke Lan glanced at the remaining ammunition of his Gauss assault rifle and continued, "How about I go with you?"
"No, I refuse." Victoria shook her head. "You and Major Ashkani stay here... I always feel that nothing good will happen if you follow us... Maybe I shouldn't have let you into East 9th District in the first place."
"Is it really that serious... that's too hurtful." Ke Lan raised the gun above his head with some dissatisfaction, extended the muzzle of the gun through the gap between the two mechanical arms of the "Bloodhound", and fired a shot. Immediately, a scream was heard in the distance -
"You see, my luck is actually pretty good . I was able to hit the target with one bullet."
"That's only for you." Victoria said, having already selected the people to go around the back, and took four agents directly into the alley behind the right.
"By the way...is it really that unlucky to be with me?" Ke Lan touched the back of his head speechlessly.
"Actually, I think what the commander said is right... I've read your file. After the Ice Ruins incident, you seemed to get into trouble wherever you went..." Alyosha whispered, "You and your teammates were rescued by a battleship of the Fourth Fleet, but not long after, the battleship was shot down by a death ray cannon. Then you ran to the gathering place of the exiles, but happened to run into a sacrificial ceremony... Then, you ran to the middle sea, and this time it was even more outrageous. Before you even boarded the icebreaker, the ship was almost sunk by a deep-sea giant eel... And not long ago, you just ran to Leviathan, and this prehistoric beast was resurrected... I've been working in the Security Bureau for six years, and this is the first time I've seen a disaster star like you."
"Can you blame me for this?!" Ke Lan argued, "These things clearly have nothing to do with me!"
"Although I never believe in those superstitious things..." Alyosha shrugged, "I also think that Commander Victoria is right..."
At this moment, a deafening roar suddenly came from the other end of the square!
"What is that?!" The two people who were chatting suddenly became serious. Ke Lan took out a lens from his pocket and adjusted the angle slightly, and saw a "humanoid giant" walking towards them. It had living armor similar to that of a sumo wrestler. The machine guns of the "Bloodhound" could only cause a slight deceleration effect on its body, and could not even penetrate the surface of its tentacles.
"It's a mutant." Ke Lan spat on the ground. "What bad luck... As soon as Victoria left, a mutant immediately appeared. This is trouble."
"I told you that nothing good will happen if I stay with you!" Alyosha could not help but say, "If it comes any closer, I'll have to use up this flesh-eating worm I brought with me..."
"Wait, don't rush to use up your trump card." Ke Lan raised her hand and stopped Alyosha from dragging out the box containing the flesh-eating worms. "This mutant seems to be different from the sumo wrestler just now."
"Look, there seems to be a person lying on its head... No, that doesn't seem to be a person..." Ke Lan said, pointing at the scene in the mirror.
This mutant is more than six meters tall, and its body is more sturdy than the meaty sumo wrestler. In addition to the living armor made of tentacles, heavy armor is also installed on the chest, abdomen and joints. The head is covered in a huge metal helmet. On the front of the helmet, there is a "Prajna" shaped mask.
Of course, these are not the point. The point is that behind this huge metal helmet, there is a figure in a black robe lying. Although this figure still vaguely maintains a human form, two slimy tentacles extend from his sleeves. These two tentacles extend to the inside of the Prajna mask and seem to be connected to the giant mutant under his feet.
