1199: Chapter 1199: The Indifferent One (Major Chapter, Requesting Monthly Pass) 1199: Chapter 1199: The Indifferent One (Major Chapter, Requesting Monthly Pass) Minte City · West Gate
Intense artillery fire and brilliant flashes resonated within the seemingly spacious Jar City.
For ordinary individuals or caravans, this Jar City might indeed appear roomy, but for a chanized force, it was so cramped that they had no room to maneuver before the artillery fire from the city walls overwheld them.
This once-overlooked small city gate now displayed trendous firepower.
Missiles and artillery shells poured down from the city walls as if they cost nothing.
Not only did they rain down inside Jar City, but they also targeted the troops stationed outside the walls, near the gate.
Due to the gate being open and a sense of absolute confidence in controlling the battlefield, the commander of the ‘siege’ forces had brought the troops too close to the gate.
Although this positioning might allow them to seize the chance to enter the city at maximum speed, it also made them easy targets for the cannons mounted on the walls.
When the battle started, they had virtually no space to evade or hide.
“These bastards have jamd all nearby signals.”
Under the cover of the exoskeleton-armored special forces beside him, Smot glanced at the radio in his hand, which was emitting static noise.
His face sank.
A powerful jamming system was operating inside Jar City, blocking all wireless signals.
It cut off communication from inside Jar City to the outside world, as well as incoming transmissions from outside.
The purpose of opening the gate was to lure him into the Jar City, severing his connection with the forces outside.
Although Musicnote Intelligence’s rcenary Corps was a modern force with a complete command system—capable of continuing to function through its operations center even if Smot lost contact—they would attempt to break through the outer gate to rescue him.
However, the real issue was that Musicnote Intelligence was not the only force stationed outside the walls.
Another faction, West Iron and Steel rcenary Corps, had sent reinforcents in the form of half their personnel.
Yet, this ‘help’ consisted only of their least capable soldiers, not the elite troops of West Iron and Steel.
These individuals perform decently in favorable conditions and contribute numbers effectively, but in situations like this, where things are against them, they crumble easily, causing chaos that could impact Musicnote Intelligence’s camp.
Smot lifted his gaze, piercing through layers of firelight to look at the still not fully-closed outer city gate.
Through the haze, he could faintly see flas raging outside, disorganized armored vehicles, and disoriented soldiers.
The worst-case scenario had indeed materialized.
West Iron and Steel’s ‘allied forces’ were disrupting Musicnote Intelligence’s formations, interfering with its operations.
The rcenary factions outside the gate were attempting to forcibly storm the city and delay the gate’s closure, but their efficiency was far below Smot’s expectations.
West Iron and Steel’s arrogant incompetents…
If only they’d sent so elite troops, controlled their chaotic ranks, or at least shared so siege equipnt to expedite the assault, things wouldn’t have deteriorated to this state.
Cursing West Iron and Steel inwardly, Smot stared at the flas ahead and took a deep breath.
Given the way things stood, the rcenaries outside couldn’t possibly breach the outer gate under the relentless artillery fire from the walls.
Once that gate fully closed, Smot would be a sitting duck inside Jar City.
Even as a B-level Transcendent, he couldn’t endure infinite waves of missiles and artillery with re flesh and blood.
Now, he had only one choice.
He had to abandon his chanized forces inside Jar City and let them cover his escape.
Only then could he flee before the gate closed, regroup his troops, and mount a renewed aggressive siege.
His side still held advantages in numbers and equipnt.
He raised his head amidst the cacophony of artillery fire, glanced at the surrounding guards, and roared, “Signal Light Language!
Form a protective formation!
Cover my retreat to the outer gate!”
“Yes, sir!”
The nearby guard officer responded loudly.
He activated his exoskeleton armor, streams of light beginning to flicker across its surface.
Simultaneously, the exoskeleton suits of the surrounding guards started to flicker in unison.
‘Light Language’ was a commonly used encrypted communication thod among Federation rcenary Corps, essentially encoding ssages using the flicker frequency of light signals.
The recipient only needed to see the flashing light and use specialized devices to decode the flicker frequencies.
In situations where wireless signals were jamd, ‘Light Language’ proved a reliable short-range alternative communication solution.
Furthermore, under the sa encryption schema, Light Language receivers typically had ‘relay’ capabilities.
Upon receiving a set of Light Language signals, they would transmit the signals via their own light emitters, enabling wider dissemination.
Of course, practical operation of Light Language was subject to terrain, battlefield obstacles, and such interference.
Blocking objects could disrupt visibility, and explosions mingling with the light signals could confuse decoding devices, leading to mistranslations.
Nonetheless, for transmitting simple commands over short distances, Light Language remained highly effective.
Almost imdiately after the guards transmitted their signals, the entire array of armored units within Jar City began flickering light signals in synchronization.
Simultaneously, more and more armored vehicles converged on Smot’s position, forming a defensive periter against incoming artillery and missiles from overhead.
Smot didn’t pause his movent.
As soon as the signal was sent, he grabbed a fresh exoskeleton armor handed to him by a nearby guard, activated it swiftly, and bolted toward the still-open outer gate as fast as he could.
——
Inside the flickering-light-filled West City command center, Owai monitored the external situation through nurous surveillance screens.
“General,”
A young officer quickly stepped forward with a tablet in hand, reporting, “The chanized forces inside Jar City are regrouping.
They’ve begun to form around Smot and are protecting his advance toward the direction of the outer gate.”
He paused briefly, slightly puzzled, and added, “Under such intense artillery fire, they’ve managed to organize actions with precision?”
“Smot is no fool, and those under his command are Musicnote Intelligence’s elite,”
Owai shook his head.
“Over the years, Musicnote Intelligence’s rcenary Corps has faced countless situations in the wilderness.
Their combat aptitude far surpasses what we’ve honed within the safety of city walls.”
He took the tablet from the officer’s hands, studying its real-ti feed.
By now, Smot had beco the focal point of artillery fire.
A dense wave of bombardnt relentlessly poured toward his location.
Those armored vehicles from the chanized force were fearlessly shielding Smot, absorbing firepower and even counterattacking targets on the walls.
“Smot seems prepared to abandon this force.
As a powerful Transcendent, he may manage to escape, but his chanized units and soldiers won’t endure this sustained artillery barrage,”
Owai sighed softly, “The ti, money, and effort it must’ve taken to cultivate such an elite unit… And he’s prepared to leave them behind just like that.
Ruthless.”
“General, at their current pace, they’ll soon reach the outer gate,”
A concerned officer beside him interjected, “Could Smot really escape successfully?”
“Order the central gate systems to overclock the gate drives and accelerate its closure.
The machinery can handle a couple of minutes under overclocking conditions,”
Owai raised his gaze toward the external surveillance monitors, continuing, “Focus Jar City’s artillery fire on Smot.
Ignore the outer-armored units for now; if the system’s targeting algorithms can’t handle them, switch to automated aiming.”
His gaze swept the control panel before him.
“The targeting algorithm Suote upgraded is superior to most of our troops.
Wounding Smot will significantly impede his advance.”
“Alert the cha units to prepare for entry into Jar City.
Intercept Smot in the final monts.”
“Understood!”
The young officer saluted promptly but hesitated slightly before speaking again in a asured tone.
“General, our pedestrian channel connecting Jar City to the inner city hasn’t been fully secured.
Although the gates are down, it’s unlikely these few barriers can stop soone like Smot if he decides to forcefully retreat.”
He paused, voicing his concern softly, “If his attempt to escape fails, could Smot retreat and attempt reentry into the city?”
“He won’t,”
Owai shook his head firmly.
“If that happens, while we may not capture him, he would lose his chance to command his external forces entirely, and his plans would crumble entirely.”
Thinking it over, Owai added, “Still, as a precaution… I recall the warehouse holds a massive alloy plate designed to thwart exotic beast strikes on pedestrian channels?
Move it out and seal off the inner access from Jar City entirely.”
“Understood!”
The officer saluted again.
“Any updates from North City?”
At that mont, Owai asked softly, sothing seemingly coming to mind.
“Fresh reports,”
The officer responded quietly, “Suote himself led a team out of the city.”
“Noted.”
Owai nodded gently, his gaze fixed on the storm of warfare displayed across the myriad screens.
The officer didn’t imdiately depart.
Instead, following Owai’s line of sight, he too observed the screens.
Hesitating again, he finally asked softly, “General, will we really succeed?”
“All our ammunition, and our finest troops, are here,”
Owai stared at the flaming spectacle on the screens, as distant explosions rattled the floor under their feet.
“Even if Smot escapes, even if all the preceding plans fail, even if North City falls, we fight on.
“This war isn’t about success or failure.
We have no retreat, no alternatives.”
Flas flickered on the screens and shimred across Owai’s face.
“We defend not just walls and gates, but this city—and the people who make it what it is.”
The young officer was montarily surprised.
Straightening his stance, he saluted sharply, replying, “Understood!”
“Carry on.”
Owai lowered his head, eyes fixed firmly on the screens.
The officer gave a slight nod of acknowledgnt before turning away and departing.
Owai continued to stare at the blazing fires and the war machines spewing them forth.
His reflecting image stood faintly mirrored upon the outer glass of the screens.
He gazed contemplatively at the fire and this shadowed reflection, as if mocking himself—or pondering deeply—shaking his head.
“Apparently, carving a mark in history isn’t as easy as one’d think.”
He raised a hand, pressing a button on the console, and spoke rapidly, “Prepare a cha for my deploynt.
I’ll join the fight shortly.”
——
Inside the west city gate
Iron barricades were tightly positioned across the defensive periter.
City Defense Army soldiers stationed near the gate gripped their firearms, nervously monitoring the street beyond.
Artillery barrels were stacked densely behind them in the gatehouse, the roaring sound of cannon fire reaching beyond the high walls to echo faintly behind them.
And then, in a split second, the lead sentries seed to hear sothing, raising their heads to peer down the street.
A red glow suddenly shot forth from the depths of the street.
The figure behind the shimring glow seed to have observed long enough from the darkness, wasting no ti before montously colliding with the stacked artillery barrels filling the gatehouse.
Right where he made contact, the imitation cannons were effortlessly torn apart.
Gunfire erupted behind him, but the glowing figure refused to engage the soldiers outside.
With such incredible speed, he darted tens of ters ahead in a flash, evading their targeting entirely.
The streaking figure maneuvered swiftly through the intricately laid-out gatehouse.
He didn’t aim for the locked main gate but instead landed before the pedestrian channel.
“Who goes there?”
Large transport machinery humd deeper within the gatehouse, accompanied by soldiers’ wary inquiries.
The figure ignored this, fixating on the sealed door to the channel ahead.
Reaching out with his hand, he pulled forcefully and ripped through the sturdy alloy door, entering the passage.
Behind him, a few heavy-duty armored vehicles erged, carrying a massive alloy plate, their crews stunned by the brutally breached gate.
——
West Gate · Jar City
Roaring artillery fire rained down incessantly, sounding like torrential storms thundering in every ear.
Armored vehicles exploded one after another under the barrage, igniting into raging infernos within the enclosed space.
Smot sprinted through gaps carved by armored debris and scattered shrapnel, concealing his movents as best as he could.
Two-thirds of his guard unit had been wiped out, and his surroundings—protective armored vehicles—had dwindled to only a scarce few.
Blood and wounds marked his body, his exoskeleton armor shattered after repeated direct artillery hits.
The relentless focus of the city wall artillery had left its mark, despite all his caution.
His face showed no emotion; even as his loyal soldiers were nearly annihilated, there wasn’t a trace of sentint on his countenance.
The outer city gate ahead was on the verge of sealing shut.
For a mont, Smot thought he heard an intense sound from the direction of the inner city gate behind him, like soone forcefully tearing through tal alloys.
But he had no ti for distractions.
His gaze fixed firmly ahead as he broke into a run toward the rapidly closing gate.
Only then did regret creep in—regret for not carrying any extraordinary items that could accelerate movent.
These extraordinary items, while often intrusive with chaotic contamination, would certainly have spared him this desperate edge of survival now.
A thunderous explosion erupted beside him—an armored vehicle struck directly, engulfed in flas.
The guards around him fell to the ground, one by one, and Smot didn’t look back.
He focused on what lay ahead.
In his field of view, there was nothing but the sliding tal of the ever-sealing gate.
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