Chapter 184 Colossus in the Mire <TOC> Chapter 186 The Meat Grinder
Translator: SumTLMan
At this moment, the entire first platoon had stealthily infiltrated the outskirts of the Soul Cult’s encirclement.
Li Mu, accompanied by two security officers and several low-ranking officers and non-commissioned officers from the company, stood atop the ruins of a tall building to observe the battlefield.
Li Mei and Shen Luoyan were left behind at the starting position. As they were not enhancer-type awakened individuals, they were at a much higher risk in such chaotic battlefields. If they accidentally sustained injuries on behalf of the Santanu family, it would be a burden for years to come.
Moreover, Li Mei’s abilities were better suited for skirmishing on the edges of the battlefield, utilizing her astonishing sniping skills to take down high-priority enemy targets from a distance. Shen Luoyan’s abilities, though powerful, were also quite conspicuous and could easily make her the target of the Soul Cult’s concentrated fire.
“What can we do against such enemies? In the face of these Bloodthirsty Beasts, we’re just fragile pawns,” lamented the first platoon’s commander, his will crumbling.
His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and he didn’t even dare to look at the corpses of the Bloodthirsty Beasts on the battlefield.
In the allied military, infantry held the lowest position. They received the lowest wages and performed the dirtiest and most tiring tasks. Any power armor pilot could treat them like dogs.
Although they were part of the allied military hierarchy, they were more like lowly servants.
“Let’s fire a few shots, at least we can justify the salary the Santanu family pays us. After that, we’ll retreat. The battalion commander will find a way to save them.”
Even the other two security officers, Carlo and Ampel, contemplated retreating. The Soul Cult’s forces deployed in the ruins of Pagwa City far exceeded the estimates of the staff. They didn’t want to sacrifice their lives for the Santanu family.
How could just a few of them resist the tide of Bloodthirsty Beasts?
Li Mu ignored the commander’s whimpering and calmly observed the battlefield, assessing the Soul Cult’s troop deployment and positions of firepower.
Only after he had a clear understanding did he grab the commander’s collar, lifting him off the ground.
“What are you afraid of? Do you think we have any other options now? If everyone down there, including the tanks, is wiped out, who do you think will be held responsible? The battalion commander? Of course not, it’s you and me, you fool!”
As a parachuted security officer, he couldn’t command these soldiers as naturally as he could with his own men; he had to issue orders through the company commander.
To secure the position of a company commander in the allied military, the first platoon’s commander must not have been a simple fool. At the very least, he was skilled at shifting blame and reading the situation. However, he had always struggled to face the harsh reality.
Li Mu’s words thoroughly shattered his illusions.
“What should we do then? Charge down and die with Puls? That idiot never even looked at me properly, and now he wants me to risk my life to save him!”
“If he survives, all the blame will fall on him. It was his recklessness and deep penetration with an isolated force that led to such heavy losses,” Li Mu said.
He then turned to look at Security Officer Carlo and Ampel.
“Do you think that just because you are federal security officers, the Santanu family cannot truly punish you? It’s evident that the Shen family has already reached a secret agreement with the Santanu family. Do you think that if the war reaches a stalemate and the plan completely fails, the Chief of Security will shield us from the pressure? The first to deal with us will be the Chief himself!”
The three hesitated for a moment, clenched their teeth, and looked at Li Mu:
“Alright, what should we do? I’ll follow your command.”
After unifying the commanders’ combat will, Li Mu drew a simple map on the ground and pointed to the south.
“I’ve observed the Soul Cult’s troop deployment and found their weakest point here.”
The Soul Cult’s troops did not evenly distribute their forces on all sides, forming a solid iron bucket formation. Their troop deployment was also prioritized.
Among them, the east and south sides facing the depths of Pagwa City were relatively weak, especially the east side, while the north and west sides had the strongest forces.
In particular, the northern defense line was where the Soul Cult’s cultists controlled a large number of Bloodthirsty Beasts, blocking the armored units’ retreat route.
As for the west side, the Soul Cult deployed heavy troops there, with nearly half of the armed believers gathered in this area.
Numerous anti-tank weapons and powerful title-bearing cultists made the western defense line resemble a hedgehog. Attempting to break through there would likely result in a mouthful of spikes.
“Why not choose the east side?”
The platoon leader, who was not just a wine sack and rice bag, asked with some confusion.
“Because the Soul Cult’s reserve forces are likely positioned behind the eastern defense line. If any signs of breakthrough appear on the east side, they will immediately reinforce it,” Li Mu explained. The tactic of leaving one side weaker was old-fashioned but consistently effective. If the armored units chose to break out from the east side, they would not be able to maintain a strict defensive formation. As long as they were held back by the Soul Cult’s reserve forces, the remaining three defense lines would close in, plunging the entire unit into chaos and making them easy prey for the enemy.
The commander of the armored forces down below was not a complete fool, and likely anticipated this, which is why he did not rashly choose to break through the weakest eastern front.
“In urban barricade warfare, during house-to-house combat, the attacker’s allies are meticulous attack plans, flexibility, surprise, darkness, bravery, and speed.”
“The weakest point in the Soul Cult’s entire defensive line should be near the junction between the Bloodthirsty Beasts and the armed cultist. Bloodthirsty Beasts, these twisted creatures, possess little intelligence, only a craving for flesh.
Even with the restraint of a titled cultist, restless Bloodthirsty Beasts often attack their own soldiers. Therefore, the junction of the two defensive lines is the most vulnerable point.
Armed cultists fear Bloodthirsty Beasts and unconsciously distance themselves from their defensive line.
Furthermore, the titled cultist controlling the Bloodthirsty Beasts are typically unable to share their perceptions, usually setting up communication centers and command observation posts atop tall buildings to remotely control the beasts’ attacks or silence. Their perception of the defensive line is limited.
Also, to prevent the Bloodthirsty Beasts from accidentally injuring allies, they increase their restraint on the beasts when not launching an attack.
Under these circumstances, the junction of the northern defensive line of Bloodthirsty Beasts is the real blind spot, a massive gap.
The northeastern defensive line junction is much more vacant than the northwestern one. Li Mu keenly detected this weakness in the Soul Cult’s deployment.
“We’ll infiltrate through the junction, clearing the Soul Cult’s armed forces in the defensive line house by house, and open a path for our trapped comrades. Do not fear the Soul Cult’s counterattack; if the commander of the armored forces is not a complete imbecile, he will cooperate with us from within.”
Li Mu said.
After explaining the combat strategy, he assigned tasks to each platoon of the company. He led the first platoon to annihilate the Soul Cult’s armed forces at the junction, while Carlo and Ampel, along with the company commander, led the remaining second and third platoons. Once the first platoon opened the gap, they advanced together, clearing the Soul Cult’s armed forces along two parallel streets.
After completing the mission, the first platoon immediately set up a defensive line to fend off the Bloodthirsty Beasts coming to support from the north. The company’s mortar squad, meanwhile, constructed mortar positions in a safe area behind the lines.
The entire mortar squad had two 60mm mortars, which could provide limited firepower support on the battlefield.
Of the three platoons, the first had the most dangerous task. If the armored forces failed to respond and cooperate in time, the small force of over forty people in one platoon would be swallowed by the tidal wave of Bloodthirsty Beasts in less than ten minutes.
Seeing Li Mu choose the mission with the highest mortality rate for himself, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Carlo and Ampel still remembered Li Mu’s terrifying strength displayed on the camp’s training ground, and if he forced them to undertake this mission, they would be helpless.
It was only at this moment that the morale of the company’s fighters barely improved a bit.
Chapter 184 Colossus in the Mire <TOC> Chapter 186 The Meat Grinder