Chapter 369 – Exile (11)
Soviet troops fighting Nazi Germany during World War II.
A coalition of Russian warlords fighting against Exile today.
Although the two were similar in that they were groups with a common enemy and a disregard for human life, their unity was greatly different.
The Soviet army was conscripted from all over, so at first it seemed like cows and chickens were fighting among people from all different backgrounds.
However, through hardships and battles, they came together in camaraderie.
On the other hand, county-level alliances are rivals who bicker over limited resources and territory.
This led to the disadvantage of not being able to unite, but it served as an advantage in situations where allies and enemies were mixed.
“Shoot!”
The tank commander shouted.
Where the main gun is aimed, there are Russian soldiers mixed in with the Exiles.
“But if things continue like this, our allies…”
“Our team is a pestilence! If we leave it alone, it will be attacked by a monster anyway, so let’s send it away in one go! Don’t you remember when those bastards took over the cannery?”
A soldier may not know this, but a tank commander is well aware of the operational terrain and unit deployment.
Since he was not from the same group and was an enemy warlord with whom he had bad feelings, he ordered firing without hesitation.
The gunner, who hesitated, fired with the feeling that he would live to see it.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the gun barrel inside the tank retreated and spit out a large shell casing.
The tank commander poured machine gun bullets into the dusty bombardment point.
Among the silhouettes in the sand and dust, they showed sincerity by avoiding those that looked like humans and only shooting those that looked like monsters.
Although there were differences in degree, this was happening throughout the Russian Allied Forces.
“Ouch!”
“These bastards… Wow!”
“I lived, I lived!”
Some people died after being shot by their compatriots, but others thanks to it were able to shake off the monster that was chasing them.
“Don’t run, you stupid bastards! “Crawl!”
Shouted a sergeant firing heavy machine guns from atop a Humvee.
“Fuck you! I remembered your face! Let’s see if he comes back alive!”
One of the officers who crawled to the side of the Humvee wheel gritted his teeth and shouted.
“Shall I shoot you first? Huh?!”
The sergeant holding the machine gun also responded as if he could not be defeated.
They both cursed each other with their mouths, but their guns were aimed only at the monsters.
Ironically, this ignorant response became a lifeline for the Russian Allied Forces, whose command and defense lines had collapsed.
If you’re afraid of shooting your own troops and say, ‘Uh-huh!’ And get mixed up even more, you’ll only get killed.
Even if it is heartless, it is a wise decision to wipe out the enemy together with your allies.
“Get down! “I don’t want to fall, so I lie down!”
In the chaos, executives gave orders to surround soldiers.
Puck!
“Aaaaah!”
“Why, why are you hitting me…”
“Shut up!”
Soldiers who were late to understand the situation pressed their knees with butts instead of speaking.
Everyone lies down and crawls with all the strength they had before walking.
Of course, that wasn’t the only advantage.
“No! “Don’t lie down!”
“Get out of here right now, even if you get shot and killed!”
Those who were close to Exile or the tunnels they dug had no time to leisurely walk.
Hot!
A soldier who was crawling in fear of a machine gun firing fire was caught by his ankle. Just to look at it, it is the grip of a monster with scary claws.
“Aaaaah!”
The soldier was dragged away and disappeared into the dust. The soldiers who saw this changed from crawling to the wriggling posture of babies.
“No!”
As another person was dragged away, the posture changed from stumbling to running.
Wow!
The sound of bullets cutting through the wind and the sight of allies falling down after being hit sometimes makes me want to pee.
Still, it’s a little better than being dragged by a monster.
Soldiers desperately gathered in places equipped with high-power weapons and armor, such as tanks, armored vehicles, and other military vehicles.
The long-forgotten tank Descent has been re-embodied in a different form.
The Allied Forces, which had built a perfect fortress, disappeared and a point-organized bunker unit was born. If only a vehicle could be called a bunker.
“It comes this way!”
“Shoot! “Shoot at all costs!”
A large Exile is running towards the Humvee they have entrusted. The soldiers screamed and shot.
To begin with, there were only three soldiers gathered at one mounted machine gun, so it was not a very safe shelter.
“Crrrrva!”
Exile, who had lowered his stance, made an evasive maneuver at incredible speed and closed the distance in an instant.
Kwaang!
The Humvee, which was firing a heavy machine gun, suddenly took off and rolled two and a half times.
The gunner on the Humvee flew away and disappeared somewhere, and one of the three soldiers was crushed to death by the car.
The remaining two trembled at the sight of Exile, like mice caught in front of a cat.
“Die!”
“Mom!”
One person’s neck was cut in half by Exile’s grip while he was shooting.
The head hanging upside down on the half of my neck was hanging upside down near my shoulder.
On the other hand, the soldier who fell down looking for her mother saved her life.
This is because a machine gun bullet from a nearby tank blew off Exile’s upper body.
The inconvenient truth that “Who will be who will be who will be who will be” Worked in war. Those who live will live no matter what they do, and those who will die no matter what they do.
“Wake up you bastard! “If you miss your mom that much, pick up a gun and fight!”
The tank commander who saved the life of a new soldier belonging to the same warlord turned his machine gun and shouted.
In my heart, I want to run up and kick him, but if my hand moves even for a second, my soldier will die.
Kwaang!
“Aaaaah!”
In fact, another technical truck was rolled over by Exile’s headbutt.
As his next target, he aimed at the tank that was destroying his compatriots.
“Kyahaaa-!”
A loud roar cuts across the battlefield.
As if proclaiming to the group his pride as a predator and the achievements he will show in the future.
“Tank commander! Left! “Left!”
The driver screamed as he saw the large Exile rushing towards him.
Since the main gun was fired at the other side, there was no time to turn the gun barrel, exposing the vulnerable side.
“Damn it!”
A tank commander firing a machine gun at an Exile charging at incredible speed.
But he was one step faster.
Kwaaaaang!
There was a much louder crash sound than when hitting a Humvee.
However, the tank that hit the side only tilted for a moment. The slightly raised track landed back with a heavy sound.
“Queeeeek!”
On the other hand, the large Exile was rolling around, making pitiful cries.
“…”
The tank commander held on tightly to the machine gun and laughed inadvertently despite the serious situation.
I felt like a fool for being scared because the guy who was flipping the car was rushing forward with such confidence.
“You didn’t have enough faith in our baby.”
The tank commander stroked the car body as if reflecting.
“Is it such a leisurely time?”
After completing the change of direction, the driver said in bewilderment.
He drove the tank towards the big roaring Exile in front.
The guy tried to stand up, but he was so shocked that his legs gave out, and he sat down.
Unlike armed humvees or trucks that weigh 3 to 8 tons at most, this tank is a monster that weighs nearly 50 tons!
Exile, who hit it with all his might, suffered a concussion and even his organs were shaken.
“Hey you bastard! Does Tank look like a dick?”
Kri-ri-li-li-.
Exile, who was struggling, felt fear for the first time due to the noise unique to the caterpillar orbit that arrived right in front of him.
No matter where I looked, all I could see was an iron plate crushing everything.
“Keueh…”
Kujijic!
The monster that had been screaming became quiet as its snout and lungs flattened.
“Junior! “Go backwards!”
Each vehicle ran backwards to avoid Exile and the tunnel monster that might pop out at any time.
The armored unit’s advantage of being able to fire from behind even while fleeing was extremely effective.
“Go together you bastards!”
The infantrymen who chased after it and felt the breath of Exile behind their backs felt like they were dying.
On the other hand, there were those who had the misfortune to fall into the trap of being trapped among the monsters. These are armored vehicles located close to the tunnel.
The infantry was torn to death long ago, and the lightly armored vehicle was overturned and destroyed.
Soldiers were dragged out one by one, screaming, as if candy wrappers were being torn off by the Exiles.
However, armored cars and tanks were still holding on thanks to their strong armor.
“I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die…”
“Fizzle! “Quiet!”
A soldier hiding between the tank’s tracks covered the other soldier’s mouth.
As many as five Exiles were surrounding and attacking the tank above them.
Sigh!
The sound their nails make as they scratch the tank is unbearably creepy.
“The tank commander is completely surrounded.”
The driver said, stroking his forehead with a trembling hand.
He was slow to react when the tunnel monster appeared and the Exiles poured in.
He immediately made eye contact with Exile, who rushed into the control sphere right in front of him.
If the tank commander hadn’t quickly shot the guy in the nose with a pistol, he would have been dragged outside and met his end.
Thud! Boom!
Kigigigeek!
It is said that there is a strong steel wall between them, but the situation is such that monsters are hitting and scratching just 1 m away.
The flight attendants were chewing their fingernails and fidgeting. Except for one person, their boss.
“Detonate the reactive armor. Let’s take advantage of that gap and escape at maximum speed.”
“I understand!”
In essence, reactive armor is structured so that the crew cannot detonate it arbitrarily.
However, the situation is different for tanks that were introduced in large numbers and new strategies during the infection war.
Boom!!!
The explosive reactive armor surrounding the tank’s surface was triggered all at once.
Tremendous flames, tyranny, and dozens of iron plates radiate in all directions.
It was a device developed to defend against artillery shells, but it has become an excellent weapon of destruction when enemies are close together like now.
Kujik!
The entire body was roasted in flames, and the Exiles with pieces of iron plate stuck in them fell in all directions.
At the same time, the tank pulled out at full speed.
“Move, you bastard!”
The soldier hiding below was so shocked that it was difficult for him to keep his wits about him, but if he stayed still, he would only die.
I grabbed my fellow soldier by the collar and ran for dear life, following the tail of the tank.
The chaos caused by the tunnel monster’s appearance is gradually brought under control. Although it was thinner and longer than before, the wire began to reform anyway.
If they had come out from the Exile nest in the front, the Allied forces would have been annihilated like a sandwich.
However, there is no diversionary operation, as they all flocked to the tunnels or were unable to come out of the nest due to the poisonous gas.
[The situation has not changed! We’re still forming a line, and they’re ahead of us! Don’t be afraid and fight until the end!]
The officers, who had found some leisure time, began to listen to the communication coming from the command post.
This is because the initial response to opening the tunnel was very effective.
It was largely due to the fact that the capable yet heartless tank commanders ignored the damage suffered by our troops and fired artillery into the tunnels.
Those who used to come out together in a small space have been separated.
“Shoot! Shoot!”
Armored vehicles emerged one after another through the chaos mixed with monsters.
The Exiles pursuing them became a hive of bullets flying from all directions.
Our troops, who escaped first and formed a line outside, fired bullets as much as they wanted without worrying about misfires.
Ting!
Tootong!
Since the only things that came out now were armored vehicles and tanks, they were immune to most bullets.
* * *
“The worst has been avoided.”
I was relieved as I led the helicopter squadron to the rescue.
The Russian Allied forces observed from above have suffered heavy damage, but are struggling to reorganize their front lines and counterattack.
It is clear that Jjambap, which has endured even in a difficult situation in the world, is not going anywhere.
[We lost a lot of soldiers, artillery, and technical personnel, but the losses in armored vehicles and tanks were small. We survived with the power of our armor.]
“The big thing was that there was no Juggernaut.”
The same thing happened with the recapture of the Honam Plain. The background for Hwang Jin’s confident execution of large-scale public-private joint operations was the existence of tanks.
At the time, there was a Juggernaut that made even armored players nervous, but there was no such worry when facing Exile.
Instead, depending on how you look, a more dangerous person has appeared.
“What on earth is this burrowing monster?”
A monster bigger than a bus explodes out of the ground! It looks like a caterpillar surrounded by a carapace, but is much faster and more aggressive.
“With a guy like this, even the shelter can’t guarantee safety.”
It is a place built with a rocky mountain on its back and designed to withstand a nuclear explosion, but it is relatively vulnerable to attacks coming from beneath the ground.
There is some preparation, but if a monster of that magnitude pushes in, there is a high possibility that it will break through.
[It must be completely exterminated.]
In a rare case, Artemis showed her emotions first instead of giving an answer.
It seems that for the first time, she felt a direct threat to her paradise.
It is an enemy that directly destroys the ‘I close the door and hold on!’ That she has adhered to until now.
[Do you know about the society of ants?]
“The one where the queen ant lays eggs and the worker ants and soldier ants manage them? But they each have babies.”
[What I want to say is that while creating a society, there is a division of labor. Although there are quite a few creatures that form groups, there are very few that form societies of hundreds of units. Excluding humans, what about ants and bees? However, bees cannot be compared to ants in terms of precision in division of labor.]
Artemis sent her data through her brain implant.
Because it was linked to a VR machine, I understood it as if it was absorbed into my brain without any need to read.
A honey pot ant that inflates its stomach dozens of times and functions as a food storage facility for its fellows.
A characteristic that separates one from a soldier and another from one’s appearance.
Various insects, including aphids, are raised like livestock, and even mushrooms and molds are cultivated.
“It’s definitely not a level where bees can follow the human division of labor.”
Since I like documentaries, I was purely amazed even though it was an urgent situation.
“So what does this have to do with that tunnel monster?”
[Exile has taken the path of its own species. In the process, they would have actively utilized the genetic information of Earth’s creatures that had been acquired in large quantities through infection activities.]
I guessed what Artemis meant.
Imitating the strengths of an enemy is a common theme not only in human history but also in military science.
“We must have imitated the characteristics of ants to survive as a species?”
[Life finds a way.]
She recited her famous saying about her creatures.
[Once they have escaped their identity as infectious agents, the path they will pursue is not escape from vaccines. It’s a competition with the dominant species for the land called Earth. If we analyze the success of mankind, the key is society and division of labor.]
“Since we couldn’t imitate humanity with a monster’s body, the next best option was to imitate the society of ants.”
Ding dong deng!
A positive beep echoed through my brain.
[The infectious agent variant is like a distortion caused by radiation exposure to the single keyword, slaughter. On the other hand, tunnel monsters are the result of focusing solely on the purpose of selling land. Isn’t it perfect for the concept of division of labor?]
“It definitely feels closer to heavy digging equipment. In terms of performance, the excavator lost by a landslide decision.”
As if we had almost arrived, we heard the sound of an explosion of fire.
“Wait a minute, so you’re saying there could be more terrible guys besides those?”
[The possibility is open. But as I said before, it is a race with a very short history. Right now, their society may only have hunters and architects.]
“Professions No. 3 or No. 4 may appear in the future.”
There was a lot I wanted to say, but we had now entered the war zone.
Quaaaaa!
The helicopter’s chain gun began firing.
A squad of Russian soldiers fleeing from a defensive line. Maybe they can’t hold on and are leaving the front line?
The three Exiles chasing him were crushed by 30 mm shells, spilling out their bodily fluids and flesh.
The Russian soldiers look up at us blankly at the sudden rescue.
Beyond them, abandoned vehicles and numerous bodies could be seen throughout the wide battlefield environment.
Human corpses and Exile corpses, chunks of meat that belong to both, are rolling around.
[Launching. Rather than fighting in silence, why don’t you at least say something?]
Artemis hinted.
“If you don’t tell them that they’re on the same side, they’re going to get shot after they drop off.”
I saw the stalkers riding with me.
[That’s not what I meant. You are the leader of the greatest power of today. It’s different from when I was a company commander in the past. There is a certain dignity that must be shown when engaging in a symbolic battle like now.]
Artemis seems to want to give a short speech as a performance.
Even before I could hear my answer, I felt my voice being connected to the helicopter’s speakers.
If you say something, it will echo throughout the battlefield.
I sighed without realizing it, but the talented female secretary cut it off before I went to the speaker.
After clearing my head for a moment, I opened my mouth.
[Notify the Russian Allied Forces in battle. We are volunteer troops from Korea.]
My words were radiated through the speakers mounted on each helicopter.
Even Exile, who was about to rush to that voice, stopped and looked at the sky.
-It’s short. And there is no impact.
Since Artemis sent a message as if criticizing him, he added a few more words.
[We came with peaceful, no, violent intentions.]
I was trying to bring out the repertoire that always appears in these types of visiting speeches, but I made a hasty revision.
[I plan to exterminate every single one of those disgusting monsters. All the weak politicians, including you and us, have been dead for a long time. I have no intention of making a fuss, so let’s join hands and wipe them out.]
Artemis sent us an SD version of the scary face cone.
He seems to be displeased with the overuse of harsh expressions that are never used diplomatically.
But didn’t she want to make an impact? It would be difficult for her to want to give a famous speech to someone who has lived her entire life as a soldier.
“Hey!!!”
“Wow!!!”
Moreover, the response of the Russian Allied Forces was not bad. A huge roar is heard in response.
[You are very welcome! We sincerely welcome you to our land! Brother!]
A large amount of communication came in from the ground, starting with a command-level officer radioing in through a plaintext channel.
As much as gratitude for salvation, there were also requests to fire missiles everywhere.
[You can either adapt quickly or you can call it shameless.]
Artemis was taken aback by the sight of them suddenly calling him brothers and demanding support.
“Isn’t it enough as long as the response is good?”
[… Hmph!]
She snorted, seemingly hurting her pride.
