Chapter 930 - This Game Is Too Realistic

### Chapter 930: Landing at Evernight Harbor! "Brothers! For the Administrators! For the Alliance! Charge!!!" "Roarrrr!!!" The boundless sea surged with waves, and above the azure waters, shouts echoed across the skies. Accompanied by the roar of propellers and the booming voice of Brother Mosquito blasting through the communication channels, aircraft resembling a swarm of locusts descended towards Evernight Harbor. The attack formation was divided into two main units. The first squadron, cruising above the clouds, was primarily composed of next-generation fighter jets equipped with plasma engines. Leading with the L-10 "Thunder," followed by the P-2 "Lightning," their mission was to suppress enemy airfields and contest air superiority against today's "Sabre" jet fighters. The second unit chiefly comprised the Goblin Corps' W-4 fighters, tasked with ground support missions! The "W-4" is the latest propeller-driven fighter, designed by the Goblin Corps based on the combat conditions in the Boluo Province. Sporting a classic retro silhouette reminiscent of the La-11, it features twin 20mm machine guns and can be equipped with guided and unguided rockets or aerial bombs, depending on the mission requirements. Although the exterior maintains a classic retro design, the power components, weapon systems, and onboard radar were all re-engineered by engineers at Goblin Tech, and its power source is the latest metal hydrogen fuel cell from the Lester Group. In reality, a series of high-tech improvements has boosted the combat efficiency of this model to a new level, but the cost-effectiveness lags far behind the "Flying Stick" W-2. Furthermore, its faster speed and maneuverability demands more from the pilots. For these reasons, the W-4 is likely to be the Goblin Tech’s final production of propeller-driven aircraft. Looking ahead, it’s the era of plasma engines! Perhaps to avoid any regrets, Brother Mosquito ceded the vertical takeoff "Thunder" and the faster "Lightning" fighters to other more skilled pilots in the Goblin Corps, opting himself to climb aboard the retro-styled old model, leading both new and veteran recruits of the corps in their signature charge. Seeing the swarm of planes approaching like locusts, the officers of the Southern Legion stationed at Evernight Harbor were left dumbfounded. These guys sprang up like water striders from the calm sea surface. Before this, their radars hadn’t even picked up a large bird! Many immediately recalled the Alliance's submarine carrier, rumored to be capable of suddenly surfacing from deep sea with aircraft and had shown its prowess during the civil war in the southern sea. However, the speed at which they completed all military and logistical dispatches was terrifying, indeed filling those present with shock. Commander Stanford, the first to react, decisively seized the communicator and shouted. "All units, combat ready! Second Air Unit, launch immediately to engage!" "Yes!" Hearing the crisp responses over the communication channel, Stanford finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. But staring at the rapidly approaching green blips on the radar screen, his heart couldn't help but race uncontrollably. So many planes... The Alliance has indeed invested heavily in this strategic bombing! Though most are propeller-driven and only a few equipped with the more troublesome plasma engines, dealing with them all was challenging given Evernight Harbor's air force and anti-air capabilities. For now, Stanford could only hope that strategic facilities at Evernight Harbor would sustain minor damage and wouldn’t disrupt frontline logistics. At this very moment, Stanford remained oblivious to the severity of the situation. He was unaware that the South Sea Alliance's fleet and Enterprise's amphibious landing ships were on route, not even knowing that his own fleet had been completely obliterated near Selick Island. The Southern Legion’s command had locked down any information detrimental to Commander Tyr, leaving departments in complete ignorance about situations outside their operational areas, as if living in completely separate realities. This situation was even more pronounced at the frontlines. For instance, soldiers under Centurion Gibson, engaging in combat with the Snake State guerrillas, were fed tales claiming Commander Tyr's grand army had already landed at Fries Port, capturing the South Sea Alliance President who was drunk at a bar, with the Alliance administrators writing letters of surrender that were rejected, and Lord Abhisek of Boluo having already fled. Information warfare is a crucial component of any battle. The Southern Legion wasn’t alone; the Eastern Expansion Faction of the Eastern Legion had also employed similar strategies during the Battle of Sunset. Though traditionally all above the Centurion rank remained informed, such situations where even rank-and-file leaders were left in the dark were indeed rare, yet indicative of the Southern Legion's desperate state—where even the ranks of the Centurions could no longer determine the war's outcome. Given such circumstances, remaining uninformed might indeed save unnecessary worry. After all, if Stanford were aware that their main fleet had been annihilated and the Enterprise army had joined forces with the South Sea Alliance’s navy approaching their doorstep, it's uncertain whether he would still have the courage to resist or simply defect and surrender... With the combat orders issued, aircraft swiftly took off from Evernight Harbor's airstrip in an emergency ascent. Simultaneously, jet fighters deployed to Westsail Harbor took off one after another, heading towards Evernight Harbor. The roar of machine guns almost simultaneous with the air raid alarm of Evernight Harbor, tracer rounds crisscrossing the sky, turning what was once a clear sky into a deadly rain! Though both sides intentionally avoided populated streets, stray bullets occasionally landed on the streets. These were 20mm aircraft machine guns! A mere graze could be deadly; even shrapnel splinters from machine guns hitting the ground could flatten defenseless civilians. For the survivors of Boluo's Heavensland, accustomed to air raids, this was nothing new, but for the residents of Evernight Harbor, it was a harrowing first. The flames in the sky and plumes of falling black smoke seemed to herald hell’s arrival. People on the streets screamed and ran, some heading home, others to the nearest air raid shelters. The panic engulfed not only civilians but also officials at Evernight Harbor, all bewildered by the sudden outbreak of war. In terms of frontline realities, they knew even less than those within the military hierarchy. Like Ahui. Just minutes earlier, he was still fretting over personnel arrangements at the municipal hall and the pressure from the logistics department. Suddenly, the air raid alarms blared. Initially, he thought it might be a drill until distant black spots reflected in the window of his office rudely snapped him back to reality. "Damn it... where did these guys spring from?!" He shouted in shock as he moved away from the window, his face filled with fear and disbelief, and even his voice cracking from the tension. At that moment, frantic footsteps stumbled into the office. His secretary appeared at the door, pale-faced, struggling to speak between breaths. "Governor, this place is no longer safe... We need to evacuate immediately!" Governmental establishments like the Governor’s Office are always prime targets for airstrikes. It would be tolerable if it were just bombing. But with the "thunderous" intensity of the attack, it felt like more was to follow. The secretary’s voice brought Ahui some clarity, and he rushed to the door. The two quickly left the office, heading towards the nearest underground bunker. In the skies, the battle raged fiercely, with the aircraft chasing each other like cavalry, clashing fiercely in the vast blue wilderness! Initially, under the support of ground anti-aircraft fire, Evernight Harbor’s air force managed to regain some ground. However, after tactical cruise missiles breached the missile defense lines and exploded within the city, turning several anti-aircraft guns and missile racks into scrap, the ground-based anti-aircraft firepower quickly fell silent. While the aerial combat remained unsettled, another battle unfolded. As the garrison forces were caught off guard by the sudden air assault, busy maintaining order and evacuating civilians, rounded helmets emerged stealthily from the sparse crowds along the harbor docks. They appeared from the tides like spectral ghosts, seemingly surfed ashore by a single wave. Alongside the fully enclosed modified K-10 "Iron Wall" exoskeletons, dozens of four-meter-tall "Emperor Crab" amphibious all-terrain infantry armors landed ashore with the Jungle Corps! Standing on the harbor, the guards gazed in terror at the towering mechanical behemoths. Their limbs felt as if weighed down by lead, rendering them immobile. Shrugging off the seaweed clinging to his arm, Midnight Killer strode briskly towards the nearest guard. He gave a hearty laugh, plucking the shivering hose-like gun from the guard's hands and tossing it aside. "This thing is useless against me, go find shelter." The guard, his eyes fixed on the welded cannon and chainsaw on Midnight Killer's arms, was speechless, standing there as if in a daze. Ignoring him, Midnight Killer waved to the players behind him. Faced with this fearsome professional military force, the harbor guards stood no chance. Some brave Willantans did fire shots, but the outcome was predictable. They couldn’t even scratch the paint on the "Emperor Crab" armor before being blown to pieces by the 20mm machine guns mounted on the mechanical claws. The surrendering guards were tasked by the players with gathering the remains of those who had resisted. Even seasoned veterans felt their stomachs churn at the sight of the fragments being pulled from the rubble. The younger men, who had never been to war, were visibly queasy, some even throwing up. While courage was a common trait among the Willantans, not everyone was so bold. The truly brave had already experienced the Southern Legion's crushing might. Those left were either silent, enduring, or entirely unaware. Expecting them to lay down their lives for Commander Tyr, who had suppressed them, was a long shot; it was more realistic to hope they wouldn't complicate matters at a critical moment. After an intense internal struggle, most harbor guards abandoned resistance. In less than a minute, a thousand heavily-armed steel warriors successfully established a landing at the port. Much like when the Burning Legion assaulted Port Gingalen, they first seized control of the police station, then captured the nearest armory, repelling the militia and crippling the harbor’s defenses with little effort. As for how they knew the location of the armory, it was simple. Several good brothers from the Willantan Expeditionary Army were once residents of Evernight Harbor. In fact, some were more than just residents. They included former customs and logistics employees, and even veterans from the frontlines. These individuals supplied more than just intelligence; they also chose to join the Jungle Corps players in battle! Shortly after the Jungle Corps players landed, they were joined by these Willantan allies, arriving in landing boats, quickly filling the gaps in Jungle Corps' lines. It wasn't until then that Commander Stanford finally realized this wasn’t some retaliatory air raid but a full-fledged landing operation under air cover! However, by the time he realized this, it was too late—the harbor docks were firmly under Alliance control. For the defenders at Evernight Harbor, this development meant not only their maritime supply lines were severed but that Alliance troops would continue to land unabatedly! Panicking at the realization, Stanford hastily dispatched the first ten-thousand-man unit of the city garrison to the city area near the port, ordering frontline commanders to retake the harbor at all costs. Although he had yet to hear any news regarding his main fleet or the Western Legion fleet, with Alliance ground forces at his doorstep, even a fool would know something major was amiss. With orders swiftly issued, the city garrison soldiers began rallying from all corners towards the harbor. Their faces varied from anger to fear. However, no matter the expression, this time, they faced more than unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, Alliance forces at the harbor had already outlined their next phase of attack plans. Midnight Killer intended to leave some troops to guard the crucial docks, covering the Enterprise allies' landing, while sending others to assault the broadcast station in the northwest city area. According to the Willantan Expeditionary Army soldiers, its signal tower could cover the entire Evernight Harbor. An officer named Kuruan assured him that capturing the station would allow garnering support from the majority of the settlers and destabilizing the remaining defender's resistance. After consulting with several players, Midnight Killer found the plan viable and dispatched the unit’s prone role players with a company of brothers. The Jungle Corps' capabilities meant this company was akin to a reinforced battalion. Additionally, the Willantan Expeditionary Army accompanying them provided another battalion-sized unit to act as guides and offer mid-range fire support. Upon receiving the mission, the prone role player invigorated, rallied the group into action. While he tended to be the cautious type in the corps, that was compared to the other members who preferred charging in for melee combat. Unlike the defensive-focused Storm Corps, Jungle Corps' powerhouse muscle heads were all reckless daredevils, just shy of the Death Corps who didn't even care for experience points. Compared to cowering in protective shells, the thrill of tense urban combat made his blood boil! "Brothers, follow me! Let's take this settlement before the mosquito gets its act together!" A group of wide-eyed new members shouted back, responding to the excitement in the communication channel. "Brother, Enterprise hasn't landed yet!" "Aren't we taking the northwest city?" The prone role player chuckled heartily. "Doesn't matter! It's all the same! Just do it! And make sure not to harm civilians!" "Got it!" came the spirited reply over comms. Tasked teams quickly darted out of cover under allied fire. Two "Emperor Crab" amphibious armors charged down the wide main street, deftly dodging incoming rockets with agile maneuvers. Before the Southern Legion soldiers gathered on the opposing end could react, one "Emperor Crab" swiftly closed the gap, lunging beyond the safe range of an anti-tank soldier carrying a rocket launcher, flinging him several meters away with a powerful claw swipe. The soldiers hiding behind cover watched in horror as the mechanical behemoth suddenly appeared before them. No one had expected such agility nor anticipated it to attack head-on. From the side, a reconnaissance vehicle frantically reversed, its top-mounted 20mm machine gun firing in bursts, desperate to cripple the mechanical crab's legs. Yet such attempts did not escape the veteran player's keen eye. Without giving the vehicle any chance, the "Emperor Crab" quickly caught up with a few strides and effortlessly flipped the several-tonne recon vehicle with another swipe of its claw. Faced with such overwhelming might, the city garrison soldiers were utterly bewildered. They weren’t frontline battalions to begin with, and even if they were, they might not have experienced such onslaught before. Still, their combat intent and discipline were far superior to the Sylarnian Empire's city garrison, and the Willantans' combat strength and resolve were above most ordinary wastelanders, meaning they didn’t simply flee after a setback without helmets and armor. One Southern Legion soldier extracted a bomb and detonator from an ammo box, dispelling fear with a war cry as he charged towards the rampaging "Emperor Crab" armor. Despite the ear-splitting explosion that followed, incinerating him in a fiery rain, he managed to blow off two of the "Emperor Crab's" limbs. With the strike, the "Emperor Crab" stumbled, its forelimbs collapsing with a creak onto the ground. The violent jolt left the player inside the cockpit momentarily dazed, recovering his senses a few seconds later. Seeing the Southern Legion soldiers concentrating fire around him, he raised his claw to shield the power unit while gunning down the attackers with the 20mm machine gun mounted on the claw. The building along the road lost half its façade due to his firepower, and a soldier wielding a rocket launcher aimed but was instantly ground to bits! The adrenaline surged fiercely inside the cockpit player, who felt the thrill rather than fear of being surrounded, gripping the controls with a rush of excitement. Yet amidst the excitement, the fact remained—he was encircled by an entire hundred-man squad, his dual claws incapable of fighting back against hundreds of hands. Faced with the bullets and occasional rockets flying from all directions, his control panel blared with red lights like lanterns. Finally feeling a hint of panic, he called out over the comms. "Damn it... I'm hit! Someone get me out of here!" Soon, the voice of a teammate crackled through the communication channel. "Damn! Who told you to charge in so deep? Hold on!" "Just hurry up, no time for—" His words were cut short as an anti-armor rocket slammed into the upper part of the cockpit. A torrent of hot metal flooded in, leaving him with half a body. As they witnessed the now motionless hunk of iron, the soldiers of the Southern Legion let out a cheer of survival. However, before they could assess their own casualties, another "Emperor Crab," accompanied by a dozen exoskeletons, charged towards them. Faced with such a fearsome sight, everyone's heart skipped a beat. The ensuing battle had no suspense; the squad guarding the street entrance was utterly steamrolled. Admirably, these madmen fought with the same frenzy as the players and did not surrender even till the end. Perceiving the Alliance's intent to assault the northwest city district, Centurion Fenan, holding the comms tightly, shouted into the device. "This is the 11th Thousand-Man Team! The enemy is advancing on the northwest district—we're pinned down by their amphibious armor... the frontline needs tank support immediately!" After a brief crackle, the hurried response came from the command. "...Command received, the 27th Armored Unit is en route to support you! We’re transferring their comms so hold on!" Hearing that the armored units were on their way, Fenan finally felt somewhat reassured. Those "iron crabs" with six legs seemed terrifying, but they thrived on the complex urban terrain. A single infantry anti-tank round could penetrate it, and if faced with a proper tank, they wouldn’t last a single shot. Fenan held unwavering faith in the penetration capability of the “Conqueror V” tank. Even if it's a light tank, there's no way it's getting stopped by a so-called infantry armor. Just as he pondered this, a sharp wail suddenly pierced the air. The sound was a drawn-out wailing resembling both a stretched-out air raid siren and the scream of death. "Whooo—!" He looked up abruptly, just in time to see a dozen aircraft diving towards the city. Anti-aircraft guns hastily opened fire, but the tracers sailing through the sky were like feathers in the wind, missing the aircraft entirely. Fenan watched, helpless, as the dozen planes dropped bombs, the deafening roar followed shortly from a nearby city block. "Boom—!" A turret blasted into the sky, and every inch of his hope turned to despair. After a short wait, a labored transmission came through the comms. "...This is the 27th Unit...we’ve been hit by airstrikes. The armored divisions have suffered heavy losses; we can’t aid you." How could the Alliance hit with such precision?! Had their forces already infiltrated behind the lines? Fenan's expression shifted from despair to utter collapse. There was no way for him to know that the Alliance had infiltrated the city well before the troops landed, enmeshed in an unseen war. A war waged by those whom they had long ignored. Facing the relentless assault of the Jungle Corps, his troops bore increasing casualties without armored support, and the defense line showed signs of crumbling... While the ground battle remained fiercely contested, the aerial battle had a clear victor. With the South Sea Alliance destroyers joining the fray, the few remaining Southern Legion planes were swatted from the sky like flies. Finally, the commander of the garrison, Stanford, came to terms with reality. His forces were utterly unprepared for amphibious landings, yet the Alliance's offensive was meticulously planned. With the air battle decided and the South Sea Alliance's naval guns bordering the port, persisting at the port would see his remaining twenty-thousand men wasted on the shore. After some struggle, he ultimately ordered a retreat towards the northern city district. This area held the densest concentration of Evernight Harbor’s military installations, fortified with concrete bunkers, ample supplies, and sufficient defense against aerial or naval bombardments. The key was to regroup. Although the garrison had only twenty thousand troops, nearly a hundred thousand military personnel were in reserve. While not local residents, they hailed from other colonies and the Southern Legion's homeland. Their units weren't stationed here, but if gathered, they could form a formidable fighting force. The soldiers of the garrison, finally receiving orders to withdraw, felt a sense of relief, retreating in an orderly fashion under cover fire. After two hours of fighting, the Alliance had effectively gained control of most of the major city blocks along the coast of Evernight Harbor, forcing the legion's resistance into the northern districts and the slums north of Catner Prison, an area known as "Blackwater Alley." Meanwhile, on the other side, the Enterprise's landing ship finally reached the dock. Eager youngsters, having endured their commander’s endless speech, finally set foot on solid ground. Yet upon landing, they were uniformly stunned. There wasn’t a trace of the "five-legion counter-offensive"—not even a shadow of a Southern Legion soldier. Addressing the bemused newcomers, Midnight Killer, wielding a chainsaw, approached with a jovial grin. "You made it just in time, though rather unfortunately." Tang Feng’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Where are the Southern Legion's five divisions?" Midnight Killer patted his arm with a laugh. "We'll save some for you next time." Next time, sure! And if forgotten, best pretend it was never said.