The Ultimate War Of The Apocalypse
Chapter 289 - 282 Empire Graveyard_2

Chapter 289: Chapter 282 Empire Graveyard_2

Before long, Panxin spoke again over the intercom, "The road we’re traveling on is the main supply route for America to Kandahar Air Base and also one of the primary battlefields for the Afghans to ambush the Americans. That’s why we must heighten our vigilance, over."

Knowing that this road was dangerous, there was now no choice but to brace themselves and continue on.

However, Gao Yuan really lacked an understanding of the Afghans. What he had seen in the news were people in ragged robes, holding broken guns, carrying out repeated unsuccessful small-scale attacks against the Americans. So where exactly could the Afghans have an advantage?

They weren’t very formidable, but they were difficult to deal with. Panxin’s words made sense to Gao Yuan, but upon closer thought, they seemed somehow incomprehensible.

The convoy hadn’t stopped since it set out.

There was still over eighty kilometers to the American military base at Kandahar. Almost no villages were found along the way, which meant there were hardly any zombies, and it was unlikely that many people would ambush them for lack of food. So, there shouldn’t be any danger, right?

After driving for an hour, all was calm. By local time, three o’clock in the afternoon, they were only thirty-some kilometers away from the campsite, and less than fifty kilometers away from Kandahar Air Base. Gao Yuan felt that perhaps they could really reach the airbase without any troubles.

Kandahar Air Base was one of three military bases established by America in Afghanistan. The current situation there was unknown, and Gao Yuan had no intention of seeking aid at the Kandahar military base. To him, the Blue Star Alliance’s treaty was unreliable, even in these apocalyptic times of alien invasion.

"There’s a roadblock ahead; everyone be careful, over."

Panxin at the front issued a warning through the intercom once again, his third reminder for caution.

After a moment, Panxin’s voice came over the intercom again, "Stop the vehicles, obstacles ahead, heightened vigilance! Over."

The vehicle came to a stop. Gao Yuan thought it through and decided to jump down from the vehicle. He walked a few steps forward and saw Panxin and Li Jingang each kneeling on one knee in front of the vehicle’s bonnet, holding a pair of binoculars, observing the small hills on either side.

Gao Yuan looked ahead and saw several large pits on the road, as if they were created by explosions, while the plains on either side of the road were quite clean, with nothing too obstructive in sight.

Gao Yuan approached the front of the vehicle, and from behind Panxin asked, "What’s wrong? Did you spot someone?"

Panxin didn’t lower his binoculars, and just said in a low voice, "Haven’t spotted anyone, but this place is too suitable for an ambush. Both sides are hills—not tall but perfect for a complete firepower blockade. If there are landmines buried on the road, then passing through recklessly would be suicide."

The road passed between two small hills, which were not high but very close. However, Gao Yuan looked for a long time, and he saw no abnormalities.

"I’ll go up the hill to scout."

After Gao Yuan finished speaking, he started to walk aside. He thought that Panxin might be overreacting, but it was better to be safe than sorry. With his speed, a quick reconnaissance wouldn’t take much time.

"Stop!"

After Panxin spoke sharply, he stood up and then said in a deep voice, "Don’t go, Mr. Hao and I will handle it."

Gao Yuan was taken aback, then he smiled and said, "You’re worried I can’t handle scouting?"

Panxin glanced at Gao Yuan and replied, "Scouting is really not that simple, because this is the Empire Graveyard. These people have been fighting against America for twenty years, gaining experience at the cost of lives. They’ve learned long ago how to deal with high-tech weapons, and remember, don’t apply your experience fighting the Indians here—it could be fatal."

After finishing, Panxin said to Li Jingang, "We’ll go scout. Everyone else pull back three kilometers and wait for our instructions before advancing. Mr. Cao, while we’re gone you..."

"Get down!"

Li Jingang bellowed, then suddenly dropped to the ground, immediately raising his gun to aim at a direction on the small hill and opened fire. Meanwhile, Panxin pushed Gao Yuan and aimed his rifle at a spot only three hundred meters away and fired.

Gao Yuan saw the flash of gunfire and when he heard the noise, the sounds of rapid cracking came from the vehicle behind him.

Gao Yuan lay on the ground and turned his head, only to see that the engine area of the car behind him had already sprouted many bullet holes.

"Nine o’clock position! Heavy machine gun!"

"Three o’clock position!"

Pansin and Li Jingang shouted one after another, and shortly after, Cao Zhenjiang yelled from behind, "Abandon the car, abandon the car! Move!"

Li Yang pressed Xinghe to the ground, then he quickly dragged Xinghe across the surface.

The target of the enemies was the car, not the individuals, and they did not use rocket launchers, mortars, or roadside bombs or any other weapons capable of destroying the vehicle.

Thus, the intention of the enemies was clear—they aimed to disable the car’s mobility first.

What made the enemies not very formidable but difficult to deal with was now something Gao Yuan could directly feel.

Suddenly two men emerged from the ground, opening fire but were soon hit repeatedly by Pansin. Yet, although not many fired, bullets came from all directions.

Then, just as suddenly, after a brief few dozen seconds of shooting, the gunfire abruptly ceased.

Steam began to rise from the engines of the three cars. Song Qian, crouching, ran toward Gao Yuan, while Liu Deguang cried out in pain from behind, "I’m hit!"

Lizhizi, dragging Nie Erlong and looking panicked, shouted, "Doctor Wang, Doctor Wang! Hurry, Er Long’s been shot."

Pansin yelled again, "The enemy is moving their position, we need to move too, fast!"

Some previously misunderstood or half-understood truths became crystal clear at that moment, as Gao Yuan finally understood what it meant to be shaped by one’s environment.

The locals here, lacking advanced weaponry, were still constantly fighting against foes with the most sophisticated arms, and the rules they had learned over many years of warfare were simple: no matter the method or weapon used in an ambush, if their position was revealed, in no more than a minute, there would be an even fiercer retaliatory strike from the enemy.

So after thirty seconds of fighting and achieving their initial goal, they immediately moved their position, never lingering in combat, even if they had temporarily suppressed the enemy. This was their battle habit, their way of fighting or rather, surviving.

As the enemy shifted their position, Gao Yuan and his team also seized the opportunity to move, searching for any possible cover.

Gao Yuan glanced at Xinghe; Li Yang had pushed him into a dip in the ground.

They couldn’t stay put. Gao Yuan saw a rock and thought to use it for cover. But as he ran toward the rock fifty meters away, Li Jingang yelled, "Nemesis, don’t go!"

Gao Yuan hesitated slightly, not knowing why Li Jingang was warning him off. That’s when he saw a dark figure briefly peek out from behind the rock and shoot at him.

Gao Yuan stumbled but didn’t fall, whereas the shooter quickly ducked back behind the stone.

Turning and firing a single shot, then swiftly retreating—one fluid, quick motion. Li Jingang sprayed a burst of bullets, hitting only the rock and leaving several white marks but not harming the shooter in the least.

Dazed but reacting, Gao Yuan pulled out a grenade. It landed swiftly beside the rock with its fuse detonating on impact, exploding immediately. Following the blast, a figure fell over to one side.

Then Gao Yuan ran toward the rock again. He reached behind it to find a middle-aged man dressed in a black robe, still clutching an AKM rifle, lying sideways on the ground, struggling to turn his head toward Gao Yuan and trying to aim his gun.

In tattered clothes and bony, the gun in his hand was nothing but junk, yet it was this very man, with this broken rifle, who had fired the bullet that Gao Yuan couldn’t dodge in time and that Li Jingang couldn’t return fire fast enough to stop.

So this was the Empire Graveyard.