Chapter 186 The Meat Grinder <TOC> Chapter 188 Hero
Translator: SumTLMan
The treatment of titled cultists was incomparable to that of ordinary armed followers. The Soul Cult had a total of six titled cultists, controlling and commanding an astonishing number of Bloodthirsty Beasts.
They were stationed far behind the front lines in a reinforced underground concrete bunker. Through the real-time images transmitted by the psychic-type awakened individuals via their psychic connections, they achieved remote control.
Although their field of vision was limited, their safety was guaranteed.
The underground bunker was elaborately decorated, with a plush woolen carpet that submerged one’s feet, and precious incense burning to dispel the damp smell within the shelter.
The titled cultists leisurely smoked hookahs under the service of their maidservants, relieving the mental stress brought about by controlling the Bloodthirsty Beasts.
Suddenly, a titled cultist pushed away the maidservant lighting his hookah and stood up, accidentally knocking over the hookah in front of him.
“What’s the matter with those mules? They’ve actually broken through our defenses!”
He was somewhat alarmed and furious. The psychic-type awakened individuals had focused most of their attention on the armored troops, only realizing that their flank had been completely breached when it was too late.
Captain Puls of the armored troops seized this opportunity and began to break through their flank.
“Quick! Command the Bloodthirsty Beasts to block them!”
Bloodthirsty Beasts surged out of another crowded underground bunker like a tide. The majority rushed towards the armored troops attempting to break through, while the rest charged towards the gap in the defense line.
At this moment, Li Mu switched to a seized grenade launcher. The corner building was partially demolished, and the collapsed reinforced concrete was piled up, forming a barrier.
“Stay calm! Don’t fire rashly on the flanks and expose our firepower. Wait until they get closer before shooting.”
He arranged the entire row of machine guns on the flanks and rear, able to deliver fierce firepower against the attacking Bloodthirsty Beasts from concealed positions, providing covering fire for the infantry on the front line. The most powerful anti-tank missiles were positioned on rooftops with better visibility.
Li Mu ordered the anti-tank missile team to only target high-value enemies, such as Bloodthirsty Beast mutants and titled cultists.
The infantry on the front line fired sporadic short bursts, but the Bloodthirsty Beasts were too agile, and their fur was incredibly tough. The bullets’ kinetic energy was significantly reduced upon impact, and only specific angles could cause damage.
Li Mu aimed at a Bloodthirsty Beast resembling a feline creature and pulled the trigger directly.
The high-speed grenade accurately struck its target, creating a brief flash of light, and the delayed high-explosive warhead blasted a hideous wound the size of a basin on the bloodthirsty beast’s body.
“Fire!”
He issued the command, and the four machine guns of the entire platoon unleashed intersecting streams of fire. The Bloodthirsty Beasts at the forefront were instantly mowed down by the hail of bullets coming from all directions.
The Bloodthirsty Beasts’ offensive momentarily faltered.
“Aim for their vital spots! Their weak points are in their chest cavities!” Li Mu ordered.
The skulls of these Bloodthirsty Beasts were extremely hard, and light weapons were essentially unable to penetrate them, even for the machine guns with extended barrels. However, their body defenses were much weaker, and bullets had a relatively high probability of piercing through.
He fired another high-speed grenade, which was slightly off-target but still managed to blow off the left leg of a bloodthirsty beast, leaving it wailing on the ground.
The now-calmer soldiers also achieved significant results.
Nevertheless, the Bloodthirsty Beasts relentlessly closed in on the defensive line. They were fearless and agile.
Li Mu emptied the grenade launcher, pulled out the greatsword on his back. Against these extraordinarily agile Bloodthirsty Beasts, this heavy sword was more effective than a rifle.
A glimmer of anticipation flickered in his eyes. Since constructing his psychic energy pathways, his fight with Kari had been the most helpful, solidifying one and a half pathways. He hoped these Bloodthirsty Beasts would help solidify the remaining half of his psychic energy pathway.
“Roar!”
A bloodthirsty beast, resembling an ape, braved the hail of bullets and leaped onto the bunker. Its eyes were filled with desire, eager to drink the blood of these soldiers.
In response, it met a somber, heavy sword.
With the force of his strength, the blunt blade cleaved the bloodthirsty beast in half vertically. Blood splattered like a torrential downpour on the battlefield.
With both hands gripping the sword, Li Mu thrust it straight through the chest of another bloodthirsty beast, impaling its body.
The swift and efficient slaying of two Bloodthirsty Beasts bolstered the wavering morale of the soldiers.
“Hold on, the armored forces will soon break through the Bloodthirsty Beasts’ defensive line from behind.”
Li Mu slashed down another Bloodthirsty Beast’s head with his sword. The grotesque and hideous head rolled to his feet like a ball, while the headless body transformed into a fountain of blood.
As he prepared to slay the approaching Bloodthirsty Beasts, his danger intuition suddenly issued a warning. The threat to him was not significant, as the warning felt like a faint needle prick.
“A sniper.”
Li Mu made a judgment instantly, using the broad body of his sword to shield himself.
“Clang!”
With a bell-like sound, the sword’s body trembled violently under the fierce impact, and an astonishing heat traveled along the blade. The Bloodthirsty Beast seized the opportunity and pounced at Li Mu.
But while still in mid-air, the Bloodthirsty Beast was gripped by a large hand at its throat. Li Mu squeezed forcefully, crushing its windpipe.
The Bloodthirsty Beast let out a painful choking sound, its body convulsing and struggling.
With a powerful throw, Li Mu slammed the Bloodthirsty Beast onto the ground. He glanced at his sword and saw a massive armor-piercing bullet lodged in the blade.
The bullet had almost completely penetrated the thick tungsten alloy blade, leaving the brittle blade covered in cracks and faint traces of burns.
The sniper used a 20mm anti-material sniper rifle, likely an awakened psychic marksman. The fired bullets carried psychic energy.
If not for Li Mu’s reinforcement of the sword with his own psychic energy, he would have been pierced by the shot.
In just a moment’s delay, several Bloodthirsty Beasts breached the defensive line, brutally tackling and tearing apart a few soldiers.
Li Mu wielded his heavy sword like a fan, slaying and scattering all the Bloodthirsty Beasts.
The next moment, he leaped like a startled fish. The ground where he had been standing was instantly splattered with sand and dirt, as a high-speed armor-piercing bullet blasted a basin-sized hole.
The hole was red-hot, indicating the sniper was likely an energy manipulator-type awakened individual. Upon impact, the bullet’s psychic energy would automatically unleash astonishing heat.
To withstand such bullets, Li Mu could only deploy psychic energy scales to protect his body.
“Find his position and use an anti-tank missile to blow him to pieces!”