Life Game In Other World
Chapter 1218: The Army at the Door (Long - for Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 1218: Chapter 1218: The Army at the Door (Long Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

The previously quiet command room had erupted into commotion, with officers moving back and forth through the room. At the center, a massive holographic projection of a battlefield map was now erected.

Beyond the transparent viewports, the lights that had been extinguished for stealth now lit up one by one. Armored vehicles, mecha units, and fighter jets roared to life at maximum power.

They aligned themselves, crawling up steep slopes in dense formations alongside spider-like robots armed with laser guns and electromagnetic cannons.

The only issue was that neither the mecha units nor fighter jets could achieve high-altitude flight. They hovered close to the ground, disrupting the operations of the armored vehicles below and forcing them to yield space.

Yet, regardless of the limitations, the roaring machinery and dazzling lights formed a wave of brilliance, engulfing the terrain as they surged toward the slopes.

"Captain, we have the manpower and superior equipment."

The young officer looked anxiously at the gray-uniformed man before him and said, "The northern side of the Northern Gate has terrain that’s typically easy to defend but difficult to attack. Coupled with restricted airspace interference, our flying armaments are heavily constrained.

"The enemy is currently hiding inside the Northern Gate. We should leverage our advantage and first conduct sustained, sweeping bombardment with surplus, inexpensive artillery to test their defenses.

"With the way they’re staying hidden, their strength is unlikely to be overwhelming. Continuous artillery fire will eventually exhaust their ammunition.

"Once their soldiers lose morale, and their weapons run out of bullets while our forces remain rested and ready, we can launch a decisive strike with war robots supporting armored units and infantry, crushing them in one fell swoop and taking the Northern Gate without much effort."

His words rushed out in a single breath, leaving him gasping for air. Despite that, he raised his voice with resolve, looking toward the scene outside, and said tremblingly,

"But if we charge recklessly now, despite the rousing momentum, it would just be like a brute swinging wildly. Even if we seize the Northern Gate through sheer force, the cost in lives would be devastating, Captain."

"I know."

Listening to his words, the gray-uniformed man’s expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly.

The young officer froze for a moment in surprise.

The gray-uniformed man sighed softly, raising his hand to point to the direction of the Northern Gate above.

The volleys of shells fired earlier were bursting outside the canyon.

"The war has been ongoing for a while now, yet none of our shells have landed inside the canyon beyond the Northern Gate. Do you understand what this means?"

The young officer paused and pondered, "It means the enemy possesses formidable anti-air capabilities. These could come from elite troops, advanced automated defense systems, or substantial ammunition reserves."

"You’re correct,"

The gray-uniformed officer nodded, then rasped, "But why would they squander their precious anti-air defenses on ordinary shells aimed at the outer perimeter?

"High-performance anti-air systems don’t intercept indiscriminately. Many intercepted shells would have landed no further than the Northern Gate’s front, unable to penetrate deeper.

"By simply pulling back their forces, the peaks flanking the canyon could shield them from most of the artillery fire.

"At this range, the shells we fire would often have imperfect trajectories, failing to hit the deep inner sections of the Northern Gate. Even if they do, they would mostly stop near the front area, with only a few reaching into the canyon.

"By retreating and focusing on neutralizing these few deeply penetrating shells, the enemy can significantly conserve their ammunition, allowing them to endure for longer.

"Moreover, the war is already underway—why do you think they’ve kept the optical camouflage barrier active?"

"Perhaps their commander is overconfident?"

The young officer hesitated. "Or maybe they’re showcasing their firepower to intimidate us into hesitating?"

"Don’t pin your hopes on the enemy’s mistakes."

The gray-uniformed officer let out a sigh and continued,

"They’re constructing something in the canyon of the Northern Gate, likely a type of fortification, and these defenses have already extended to the front of the gate.

"This is why they can’t afford to let artillery shells reach the Northern Gate and damage their unfinished fortifications."

"But,"

The young officer interjected immediately, "even if they’re building a fortress inside the Northern Gate, we could still attack using the sweeping artillery strategy we discussed. It might just take more time..."

Mid-sentence, he paused, suddenly realizing something.

"I see you’ve figured it out."

The gray-uniformed man spoke evenly, "We need to reach Dawn City by a designated time. Time is short, and we must breach the gate swiftly, traverse the eastern plains, and reach Dawn City."

"So,"

The young officer looked at the dense array of lights outside and said quietly, "we’re going to pile bodies to achieve this, aren’t we?"

"We act on the transactions we’ve accepted, and we play the roles assigned to us. This mercenary corps doesn’t belong to us,"

The gray-uniformed man rasped. "Every mercenary ought to have anticipated their fate—this is the path we’ve chosen."

After a brief silence, the young officer glanced at the gray-uniformed man and spoke softly, "Captain, I request to join the front lines."

The gray-uniformed man lifted his head, turned slightly to look at the young officer behind him, and after a brief pause, sighed softly, "Go. Take your troops, and let’s hope we meet again."

"Yes."

The young officer stood upright, saluted sharply, and turned to leave the command room.

As the officer’s form disappeared into the distance, the gray-uniformed man stood alone at the console, gazing at the gleaming scene outside.

The once clamorous command room now seemed eerily quiet.

The console screen displayed footage from a dimly lit camera facing the Northern Gate.

Under the bright illumination of the artillery fire in the skies, individuals clad in exoskeleton armor emerged from the Northern Gate, carrying heavy machinery and hastily constructing defensive positions in front of the gate.

A pair of aged hands brushed over the gray sleeves of the uniform, barely touching the faintly visible green insignia composed of three nested concentric circles.

——

"It’s happening,"

He Ao looked down at the sea of lights spreading upward below, briefly scanning the fallen scouts’ corpses and shattered machinery scattered across the ground.

"What’s our move now, Mr. Suote?"

A brunette woman flanked by two Wilderness Wanderers clad in exoskeleton armor stood by his side, asking with some concern.

"Check the ground for usable optical camouflage suits and Gauss Rifles, then fall back,"

He Ao withdrew his gaze and responded quickly, "They’re building temporary fortifications behind; once complete, join them and assist."

"Understood,"

The brunette nodded and began searching swiftly among the scout team’s bodies scattered ahead.

The scouting party numbered only about twenty men, and the fight had ended quickly. It wasn’t nearly as gruesome as the encounter He Ao had with the larger force earlier.

This was the last skirmishing scout team nearby.

He Ao drew his gaze back and looked toward the imposing Northern Gate looming in the gradient beyond.

In a blink, he moved swiftly toward it.

Along the way, the blasts of gunpowder roared continuously, and the brilliance flashed layer upon layer.

The pristine snow reflected the firelight, illuminating the once silent mountain forest.

The heated air mingled with the cold wind, gradually melting the snow on the ground.

The explosions weren’t concentrated only on the mountaintop; many detonations resonated over the mid-slope as well.

The artillery crews had evidently adjusted their cannon angles downward, aiming to avoid interference from high-altitude zones, though this near-flat trajectory severely shortened firing range. As a result, numerous shells still inadvertently breached the low-altitude boundary and entered higher ground.

Some shells safely reached the top at the Northern Gate, while others detonated prematurely from an unseen force, erupting into dazzling fireworks.

The pervasive power hovering over the area was indifferent to whether its targets possessed life or not.

Amidst the unrelenting artillery barrage, He Ao soon arrived near the Northern Gate.

Soldiers wearing Adam-model exoskeleton armor were swiftly hauling building supplies and shattering massive boulders nearby.

They mixed the crushed stones with pliable, construction-grade printing materials to form their towers and low walls.

At the front and rear of these developing towers and low walls, figures busily operated machinery to dig trenches at a frantic pace.

Xiya oversaw trench excavation nearby. Seeing He Ao approach under the flare of artillery fire, she quickly started speaking, "This deployment was planned by your AI system."

She gestured at the towers under construction,

"The northern slopes of the Northern Gate are extremely steep, compounded by zone suppression. These tall towers strategically achieve superior anti-air coverage.

"Once we mount laser guns and electromagnetic cannons onto these towers, they can simultaneously target the airborne units and heavy ground forces climbing up."

Then she pointed to the trenches ahead, "These trenches will have small electromagnetic cannons positioned at intervals, working in tandem with the tower-mounted weaponry to create overlapping fields of fire."

She motioned toward a nearby soldier inspecting a bloodied Gauss Rifle,

"While we don’t have many individual firearms left, the scouting party’s gear was fairly advanced. They barely got a chance to fire back during their engagement with you, leaving plenty of intact guns and ammunition."

"I was meaning to tell you, this equipment could arm a small elite infantry squad. However, we’re short on personnel—many of our original City Defense Army troops need to operate mecha units."

She paused briefly and continued, "My suggestion is to draft half from the Wilderness Wanderers and half from the City Defense Army recruits. These Wanderers have worked with my father for years and are already familiar with military structure."

This was her way of justifying her reasoning.

"You’re in charge of allocating weapons and personnel,"

He Ao interrupted her decisively, "Time for distinctions between city folk or outsiders has passed. Right now, the question is survival and holding this gate."

"I trust you."

Hearing his statement, Xiya froze momentarily, then nodded firmly, "Understood."

"What’s the situation inside the Northern Gate?"

He Ao asked without delay.

"Orey is accelerating construction,"

Xiya hesitated briefly, glancing at the rapidly encroaching glow from the slopes. "But based on the current situation, there’s no way we can finish before the forces below reach us."

"Then we need to buy time for them."

He Ao pivoted, surveying the towers and trenches around. "How long until these towers and trenches are operational?"

"At the current pace, we should have them functional before the advancing forces climb up."

Xiya stated in a measured voice.

"Can they provide combat capability during construction?"

He Ao asked swiftly.

"Yes. As planned, we’re already integrating weapons as we build,"

Xiya nodded, gazing downward. "By the time they’re halfway up, we should have basic defensive firepower ready. Their armored vehicles and land units are slowing their pace—"

Her words halted midsentence as she froze in realization.

In the lights brimming below, a distinct glow detached, accelerating rapidly toward the peak.

"What’s this?!"

Xiya’s eyes widened slightly.

"They’ve gathered their low-altitude fighter jets. They must’ve discovered our preparations and intend to target the defensive works,"

He Ao raised his hand, glancing at Xiya. "Reality isn’t turn-based combat. The enemy won’t wait for our setup animation to finish before attacking."

He tapped his wristband lightly, speaking quickly, "In this area, can the mecha units achieve altitude?"

As he posed the question, mechanical sounds echoed from within the Northern Gate behind them.

"They can rise diagonally,"

Xiya responded immediately. "Mecha units are too tall, so avoid letting the cockpit detach from near-ground coverage."

Boom—

Almost as her words finished, a thunderous roar sounded behind her. The black-and-white hulking mecha emerged from the canyon, taking position behind He Ao and half-crouched while its cockpit door swung open.

Simultaneously, multiple Blazing Angel Mecha stepped out from the canyon, stationed behind He Ao.

"Leave the incoming fighter jets to us."

He Ao glanced at Xiya and said briskly, "Focus on arming those towers."

Speaking, he jumped lightly, landing inside the cockpit of the black-and-white mecha and seating himself securely.

"Got it!"

Xiya, gazing at the towering mecha, nodded firmly. She turned to the busy soldiers around her and activated her wristband, shouting, "Prioritize weapons installation—move quickly!"

Overhead, the mecha squad led by the black-and-white unit surged downward like a blade.

Flying low and close to the ground, they sped past the ascending fighter jets, rapidly reaching their position.

The fighters’ front line erupted with dazzling beams from their cannons, cutting through the skies with radiant trails.

The black-and-white mecha’s sword-like gleam danced swiftly past the barrage, closing in on the fighters and striking decisively.

The fighter jets were sliced apart by the glowing blade, bodies exploding in fiery succession across the sky like a string of pearls. Amid the illuminated snowy terrain, the black-and-white mecha pierced through the inferno, its silhouette a lethal blade plunging deep into the battlefield.