Chapter 189 Nocturnal Conflict <TOC>
Translator: SumTLMan
Li Mu decapitated the commander from the titled cultist, picked up the severed head with a gun he found on the ground, and slung it over his shoulder as he strolled back to the camp.
Inside the camp, the turmoil incited by the Bloodthirsty Beasts had subsided, leaving only the acrid stench of blood and lifeless bodies scattered about.
Nevertheless, the soldiers hadn’t regained their composure; they resembled a disoriented pack of wolves that had lost their alpha, bewildered and uncertain of what to do next.
“What transpired here?”
Li Mu inquired, grabbing a soldier.
“The… the commander has perished.”
The soldier spoke in a daze. After the siege and the subsequent ambush by the Bloodthirsty Beasts, the entire mechanized infantry battalion had become disoriented. Although the commander’s prestige had hit rock bottom, his demise left the soldiers and officers in a state of bewilderment.
Given the extent of the losses, Deputy Commander Halbak didn’t dare to step forward and assume command, aware that doing so would result in his own undoing.
Yang Jing arrived at the commander’s corpse, which lay untouched in front of the command vehicle. A sniper had shot the commander in the forehead from a distance, the bullet penetrating and shattering part of his skull, causing brain matter to splatter all over the command vehicle’s door.
The commander had been shot while attempting to step out of the command vehicle to direct the soldiers in reorganizing after witnessing the Bloodthirsty Beasts’ struggle. The sniper was exceptionally confident, striking the brain instead of the more accessible torso amidst the dim and complex nighttime environment.
Pushing through the crowd, Li Mu flung the titled cultist commander’s head beside the commander’s body.
The head bounced several times on the ground like a leather ball before coming to a halt.
“This is the head of the titled cultist Dark Skeleton!”
An officer initially wanted to berate Li Mu for his insolent behavior but was rendered speechless upon recognizing who the head belonged to, as if a rooster’s neck had been seized, leaving it unable to make a sound.
Dark Skeleton held an infamous reputation amongst the titled cultist, and many had dealt with or even engaged in combat against him.
“I’ve eliminated the entire command center of the Soul Cult. Now is the moment to initiate an assault,” Li Mu declared.
“How can that be?!”
A military officer screamed as if his testicles were being squeezed.
Li Mu glanced at him, and his icy gaze immediately silenced the man.
“It’s simple. Just estimate the maximum distance at which a fifth-level manipulator-type awakened individual can control the Bloodthirsty Beasts, and you can easily locate their command post. Sneak over there and eliminate them all.”
He forcefully slapped the body of the command vehicle, creating a loud noise.
“However, gentlemen, now is not the time to discuss this. The Soul Cult militants inside the ruins of Pagwa City have lost their command structure, and this is a great opportunity for us to break through Pagwa City and clear the way for our main forces!”
The other officers hesitated. Although it sounded reasonable, what would they do if the attacking troops got stuck in Pagwa City again? It might be better to wait for the arrival of the main force and launch the attack, aiming for neither merit nor demerit.
After experiencing a failed siege and a night raid, the officers trained by the Santanu family had gone from extreme arrogance and ambition to extreme conservatism, instinctively refusing any risk.
“First Platoon! Are you willing to join me in this operation?”
Li Mu shouted loudly.
Most of the soldiers immediately stood up, with the remaining ones hesitating only briefly. After the attack of the Bloodthirsty Beasts, the entire mechanized infantry battalion had suffered heavy losses, especially the almost defenseless Second and Third Platoons.
When the entire First Platoon stood up, the officers realized that half of the battalion had chosen to follow the command of this Western Xia security officer.
With the soldiers’ private connections, more and more of them stood up, and these officers were on the verge of becoming figurehead commanders.
“You’re all insane!”
Under the pressure of the soldiers, the officers had no choice but to agree with Li Mu’s tactics.
The entire battalion was divided into two combat teams, which entered Pagwa City side by side. The armed cultists were indeed thrown into chaos because the titled priest’s death was too sudden, and it was too late for them to realize what was happening in Pagwa City.
Without the Bloodthirsty Beasts, the armed cultists’ disadvantages in terms of weaponry and equipment were laid bare. Their limited anti-tank weapons could hardly threaten the well-established provincial forces. Yang Jing led his troops in a charge, and the cultists’ defenses were breached.
The first wave of armored forces that entered Pagwa City was not useless.
At the very least, they allowed Li Mu to grasp the Soul Cult’s troop strength and general firepower configuration in Pagwa City.
Before long, the two combat teams had broken through the entire Pagwa City. A large number of armed cultists fled the city, disappearing into the swamps, while the remaining stubborn cultists were rooted out one by one under the cleanup of the provincial forces.
By the time the sun rose from the east, the entire city of Pagwa had been thoroughly cleansed.
Power armors and infantry fighting vehicles were stationed at key transportation points within the ruins of Pagwa, preventing the armed cultists who had fled the city from sneaking back in.
After all, their knowledge of the entire ruins far exceeded that of the provincial army that had just occupied the area.
Li Mu, the security officer, and the officers from the camp stood together on the main thoroughfare of Pagwa, watching as the former camp leader’s body was solemnly placed in a simple coffin brought by the accompanying troops.
“We’ve won!”
The soldiers burst into excited cheers; although the losses were substantial, the provincial army had also annihilated a large number of titled priests for the first time.
Among them were even high-ranking individuals at the fourth level.
Half a day later, the main force of the provincial army appeared on the horizon with a long marching column.
Rajaral Santanu covered his nose with a perfumed handkerchief, examining the corpses displayed in a row. His adjutant quietly and quickly introduced the identities of these corpses to him.
After looking over all the corpses, Rajaral Santanu suddenly began applauding vigorously. The surrounding senior officers, after a moment of silence, immediately joined him in the enthusiastic applause.
Annihilating a large number of armed cultists was not a significant achievement; countless such cultists could be recruited in the wasteland with just a few gunshots. However, killing titled priests was not an easy feat.
In the Xindu Federation, awakened individuals were always the most precious combat power.
“Well done!”
Rajaral patted Li Mu on the shoulder, gesturing for his subordinates to collect the corpses.
“Chop off their heads and preserve them well; these are the proofs of my accomplishments!”
He was extremely satisfied, then turned to Li Mu.
“My brave warrior, what reward do you desire!”