Smack!
With a casual swing of her bat, Stelle shattered a Fragmentum monster that had tried to ambush her from behind. She was starting to get impatient.
These Fragmentum creatures were practically playing hide-and-seek with them. Though they were invisible on the open field, they would always pop out from some dark corner to catch them by surprise.
They had been walking for a long time, but the signs of Fragmentum corrosion were still everywhere. This once vast and opulent noble district had now become a paradise for Fragmentum monsters.
Zzzt...
Wende electrocuted two approaching soldier-like Fragmentum monsters, his own expression grim.
Unlike what he had seen in the game, the real Belobog was more than ten times larger. It was impossible to run from one map area to the next in just a few minutes like in the game.
And... the deeper they went, the more of these humanoid, soldier-like Fragmentum monsters appeared. Wende saw the mottled bloodstains still clinging to their weapons and had a bad feeling.
Could it be that in the few days they had arrived late, the Great Guardian of Belobog had already begun to accelerate her plan?
Sending the Silvermane Guards to fight in the Fragmentum under the pretext of reclaiming lost land, all to reduce the effective fighting force defending Belobog and fulfill the wish she made to the Stellaron...
"Tsk, that crazy woman!" Wende couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Wende! Look!"
Just then, March 7th seemed to have spotted something unusual. Not far down the road, she saw many Fragmentum monsters heading in the same direction, as if drawn by something.
"Let's go take a look."
As the toughest man on the team, Wende took the lead and walked directly towards the gathering point of the monsters. Dan Heng guarded the team's flank, Stelle brought up the rear, and March provided ranged support and protection from the center.
"BOOM!!!!"
Just as the Trailblaze party was advancing, a series of violent explosions suddenly erupted from ahead, accompanied by plumes of black smoke rising into the air.
"Is that... artillery fire?"
Wende raised an eyebrow. It seemed the "culprits" stirring up the Fragmentum monsters had revealed themselves.
"To cause such a commotion, it must be the local military up ahead. Should we still go?"
The level-headed Dan Heng instantly deduced the identity of those fighting the Fragmentum monsters. He turned his gaze to Wende, giving him the choice.
At some point, he had already begun to see Wende as a true partner. Though they hadn't known each other long, the qualities Wende had displayed made Dan Heng feel he was a friend worth having.
"Hmm..."
Stroking his chin, Wende's expression was complex.
"Sigh... in the end... all roads lead to the same destination."
His eyes darkened for a moment, but they quickly lit up again.
"Go. Why wouldn't we go? Isn't this the purpose of our journey? Although we've skipped the observation phase, if we see people in mortal danger and do nothing, wouldn't that go against the very spirit of the [Trailblaze]?"
A smile spread across Wende's lips. If I can't defy it, then I'll just have to do better within my power!
"Let's go. We'll give them a hand!"
............
"First Squad, fall back immediately! Second Squad, take over First Squad's position and hold back the Fragmentum monsters! Artillery squad, reload!"
On the perimeter path, squads of Silvermane Guards wielding halberds maneuvered on the battlefield in an orderly fashion, under the command of a silver-haired young woman.
The guards from the First Squad were carried back by logistics personnel. The once full-strength squad now had less than one in ten members remaining, but they had held their ground until the very last moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
The guards in front of the young woman skillfully loaded shells into the cannons. With the clash of primers and firing pins, shell after shell flew towards the distant swarm of Fragmentum monsters.
K-chak, k-chak, k-chak...
To the side, several robots resembling traffic lights were helping the guards transport ammunition and supplies.
Despite the fierce offensive from the guards, the number of Fragmentum monsters showed no signs of decreasing.
The young woman's expression grew heavier and heavier.
"Lady Bronya, the Second Squad is in position. What are your orders...?"
A Silvermane Guard officer jogged to the young woman's side to report. His gaze toward her was hesitant at first, but it quickly hardened with resolve.
"Have the Second Squad hold their ground there. They absolutely cannot let the Fragmentum monsters break through!" the young woman ordered decisively.
Seeing the young woman give the command, a clear flash of excitement crossed the officer's eyes.
"Yes, Lady Bronya!"
The officer gave the young woman a solemn Silvermane Guard salute before running back toward the front line.
This is great! We don't have to keep pushing forward! No more meaningless casualties!
Watching the officer's retreating back, Bronya's expression was complicated.
Mother... is she really doing the right thing? Are we truly reclaiming our lost lands?
Looking at the last survivor from the First Squad who had just drawn his final breath, and the doctor beside him shaking his head helplessly, Bronya felt utterly lost.
She had tried to advise her mother, but her mother had said this was a battle for Belobog's better tomorrow. Yet, all she could see now were soldiers dying pointless deaths...
Did this truly have any meaning?
On the front lines, the newly deployed Second Squad was engaged in fierce combat with the Fragmentum monsters. But for some reason, the creatures seemed to have been injected with some kind of stimulant, relentlessly crashing against their lines like a tide. In just five minutes, the Second Squad began to sustain casualties, and the number was continuing to grow.
The guards' artillery fire was relentless. Each shell could take out three or four monsters, but so what? The loss of even one guard was a blow to Belobog, to say nothing of the countless guards who had already been buried here over the past few days of fighting.
If their bodies weren't properly handled and moved away from this place, they would be corroded by the Fragmentum once more, and former comrades would turn into "bloodthirsty" enemies.
"..."
Bronya's brow furrowed ever tighter, and her grip on the rifle in her hands tightened.
Her adjutant, seeming to sense Bronya's impulse, immediately stepped forward.
"Commander Bronya, please control your emotions. The Great Guardian has given us clear orders to prevent you from going to the front line. If something were to happen to you, then we..."
The adjutant gave a bitter smile, his face filled with helplessness.
Forcing a general who always led from the front and loved her soldiers like her own children to hide in the rear, to watch as her troops died at the hands of those inhuman beings...
Lady Bronya... didn't have it easy, either.