This Game Is Too Realistic

The clouds were like boiling flames, black and red intertwined, setting the sky ablaze.

The barrage of bullets seemed unable to stop the curtain of darkness descending. Already, thick smoke had engulfed a corner of the majestic castle.

Even if the flames were as faint as dust, they still shattered the myth of the impenetrable shield.

With the right engine bursting into flames, soldiers on the ground showed expressions of disbelief filled with astonishment and a hint of unease.

"What happened?"

"Why is the engine failing again?"

"Something seemed to have hit us just now..."

"How is that possible! The directional shield's defense is absolute, nothing can penetrate it!"

"Is that a parachute? Or am I hallucinating..."

"Are those lunatics planning to land on the Heart of Steel?"

"What can those few people do... At most a couple of hundred-man squads..."

Although one engine was damaged, no one was worried about it causing further issues. Being the lowest technology on the Heart of Steel, the row of engines attached to the wing was prone to malfunctions and not a cause for alarm if one failed.

Their most stocked spare parts in the airship were propeller blades. However, the plan for redeployment might be delayed by more than two weeks...

Richie, also looking towards the Heart of Steel, opened his mouth slightly in surprise.

From the moment the disturbance started, the airship's observation cabin had ignored where they were.

He didn't know what those wastelanders had done.

However, when he looked at the ship losing balance, he knew he couldn't count on their support for the time being. At least, he had to wait until the airship stabilized.

But... It didn't matter.

Richie's gaze shifted from the airship to the ruins two kilometers ahead, squinting slightly.

It was a deserted town.

The pockmarked earth was strewn with broken walls and rural-style villas overgrown with vines and moss, showing the wear and tear of years.

The town was eerily quiet, no sign of life visible, but beneath this seemingly calm surface, a violent undercurrent was brewing.

Standing beside Richie, his deputy who also wore a black exoskeleton, held a pair of binoculars and carefully surveyed the area before speaking with confidence, "They've built defensive shelters, but they're rudimentary. They probably didn't have time to prepare."

About an hour ago, the Heart of Steel's observation cabin had spotted an unidentified 1,000-man unit approaching from the southeast, apparently planning to enter the city area of Lucky Valley Municipality.

Considering that the city area of Lucky Valley Municipality was teeming with the natives' guerrilla forces, the Heart of Steel's staff immediately concluded that the new unit was sent to reinforce the guerrillas.

General McClennan, of course, would not allow the unit to slip into the city under his watch, so he immediately ordered the marines to intercept them outside the city before they could enter.

Compared to the small forces that had attacked them before, a 1,000-man armed unit was undoubtedly a big fish.

Of course... They were still ants before the Army.

However, Richie didn't let his guard down due to the enemy's small size; upon receiving the order, he immediately led three 1,000-man units with over 2,000 members of the reserve army in three directions to encircle the enemy's reinforcements.

Their plan went smoothly.

With the help of aerial reconnaissance, they successfully blocked the unit's route, forcing them to abandon entering the city area of Lucky Valley Municipality and retreat south.

Richie certainly wasn't going to let the big fish escape, immediately mobilizing armored units to cut off their escape route and driving them to the edge of the forest.

Seemingly realizing escape was impossible, those wastelanders simply gave up running and instead took refuge in a small town in the southern suburbs of Lucky Valley Municipality, planning to make a last stand using the limited cover there against the Army's pursuers.

That was a battle of 5,000 against 1,000...

And the Army had the support of armored units!

Although the firefight hadn't officially started, the outcome was clearly decided.

Large raindrops slid down the visor of the deputy's helmet, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "Too bad we can't bomb them first. Otherwise, the battle could end within 10 minutes."

"It doesn't matter." Richie said indifferently, removing the intercom from his shoulder, his voice cold. "Everyone, fire at will!"

"First and second teams, suppress the west and east."

"First armored squadron, coordinate with the third team to attack from the north!"

Neat responses came through the communication channel.

"Copy!"

The war machine began to move.

20 'Scorpion' wheeled infantry vehicles started their engines first, their dual 45mm guns aimed at the town, forming an arrow-like formation and rolling forward unhurriedly.

At the same time, the third 1,000-man team dispatched two 100-man squads, before splitting off into 20 smaller units, closely following behind the infantry vehicles. Each team consisted of two machine gunners clad in heavy bulletproof armor and eight light infantry in basic protective gear.

Additionally, 30 'Hyena' light armored vehicles also started their engines, splitting into two groups to cover the flanks of the wheeled infantry vehicle formation.

The quad 10mm machine guns mounted on the turrets emitted a chilling gleam, like the teeth of hyenas.

In addition, nearly 500 members of the reserve army were pushed to the front lines.

Those wastelanders, wielding Ripper rifles with bayonets already fixed, had a mix of excitement and fear in their eyes. The rest felt tense and confused.

As cannon fodder, they would launch the first wave of attacks under the cover of the Hyena light armored vehicles.

However, unlike the regular troops protected by vehicles, the light vehicles that set off with them would not advance into the town with them but would provide fire support from the side.

If they dared to flee, those long barrels would not hesitate to turn on them.

Looking at the town now fully surrounded, Richie squinted his eyes slightly, a cruel smile slowly spreading across his face, which gradually took on a look of fanaticism or madness.

The pleasure didn't come from the act of killing itself but from correcting a mistake.

To him, there was no doubt those barbarians resisting order were the root of all chaos and evil. They crudely occupied legacies that weren't theirs, squandering blessings they didn't deserve with their lowly lives, surviving like cockroaches and mice.

Mutants, wastelanders, and those other species... All these barbaric entities are fundamentally the same.

Only by expelling these filthy bloodlines from this land without exception can this land be purified.

Then, those with superior bloodline can rebuild paradise on our planet and even venture into even more distant worlds to expand our territory.

The first armored squadron was just a kilometer away from the town, and the Scorpion infantry vehicles' dual 45mm guns had begun to unleash fierce firepower on the town.

Driven by the heavy machine guns, the auxiliary troops pushed to the front lines screamed madly, trying to dispel the fear in their hearts, charging into the town like wild wolves under the whizzing bullets overhead.

At the same time, behind that broken wall, the flashes of stubborn resistance began to flicker.

However, facing the sweep of heavy machine guns and shells, those flashes of gunfire were like candles in a storm, swaying on the brink of extinction...

The town's outer defenses had been breached.

Of the 500 reserve soldiers, only a little over 100 remained.

Those wastelanders the army had gathered had pitiful combat effectiveness, but as cannon fodder, their performance was much better than that of cloned infantry, always managing to unleash miraculous strength driven by their will to survive.

Watching the defenses contract under the might of their firepower, Richie's cruel smile became more pronounced, his face gradually marked with zeal or even madness.

"Soldiers, advance!"

"With your bullets, bayonets, knives, and teeth... Tear these filthy bugs open! Kill them with the cruelest methods!

"Lubricate our tires with their blood! Let those barbarians know the consequences of resistance!"

...