Chapter 781: Attack By Fire
The lasguns of the Skitarii soldiers fired dense crimson beams, weaving a devastating net of light across the pitch-black night sky.
When the beams struck the shambling infected, they instantly burned bowl-sized, charred craters into their bodies, sending dark green, viscous bodily fluids spraying everywhere.
However, unless they were hit directly in the head or their central spine was destroyed, these twisted creatures could still drag their mangled bodies forward, feeling no pain, continuing their advance.
At this moment, the sustained nature of the Skitarii firepower network demonstrated an overwhelming advantage.
The soldiers fired in steady, measured bursts, wasting no energy and never firing blindly.
This highly efficient and cold-blooded marksmanship felled the vanguard of the charging infected in swaths, like harvested crops. The accumulation of their corpses inadvertently created natural obstacles that hindered the advance of their kin behind them.
Simultaneously, the high-precision sniping of Security Team B began.
The two snipers occupying the high ground utilized long-barreled lasguns specially modified for this mission. They held the crosshairs of their scopes steady over the ranged variants with the bulging sacs on their backs.
First shot. A variant bending down preparing to spew had its head explode like an overripe fruit. The ruptured sacs splashed its internal corrosive fluid onto the surrounding infected, causing a chaotic bout of shrieking and trampling.
Second shot. The base of another variant's sac was hit precisely. Its entire back underwent a violent secondary explosion, green slime mixing with carapace fragments splashing outward like a crude, festive firework.
Third shot. Fourth shot...
The precise and lethal bursts rapidly and effectively degraded the most threatening ranged strike capabilities facing the defensive line.
However, the infected still held a despair-inducing numerical advantage. They stepped over the remains of their kin, ignoring casualties, ruthlessly closing the distance between the two sides.
"Two hundred meters!"
"One hundred and fifty meters!"
Valerie watched the rapidly climbing pressure index on her data-slate. The pressure on the eastern defensive line was demonstrably higher than in other sectors. This was highly likely due to the relatively flat and open terrain here, which greatly favored the enemy's massed charges.
"Prepare incendiaries," she issued a new command.
Within the Skitarii formation, ten pre-designated throwers quickly moved into position. They utilized chemically based Molotov cocktails—structurally simple, but highly effective against flesh and blood.
When the foremost infected charged past the hundred-meter death line, the order rang out.
"Throw!"
Dozens of incendiary bottles traced dangerous arcs through the air, plunging into the surging enemy horde.
Flames erupted instantly, crackling fiercely in the freezing air, burning exceptionally bright and long.
The infected consumed by the inferno let out inhuman, bloodcurdling shrieks. They transformed into frantically thrashing balls of fire, spreading death and flame to even more of their companions.
A leaping wall of fire rose before the defensive line, temporarily halting the tide-like assault.
But Valerie knew very well that this was merely a momentary respite.
The attack by fire consumed oxygen and produced thick smoke that obscured their line of sight, potentially even endangering their own fortifications. Furthermore, the thermal imaging screen clearly showed that some infected were beginning to flank toward the north and south wings of the defensive line, attempting an encirclement.
"Third and Seventh Squads, extend to the north and south wings; establish blocking positions. Security Team B, detach half your men to support the flanks."
The troops moved upon command. The strict discipline of the Skitarii was on full display—without a hint of chaos or a second of hesitation, the squads rapidly executed formation shifts and tactical maneuvers under the brief commands of their officers, like precision gears.
Just then, Dr. Hanson's urgent warning came over the comms channel: "All units, be advised! Detecting anomalous high-energy biological signature! A new variant has appeared! Coordinates are directly to your front, behind the wall of fire!"
Valerie immediately focused the sensors on that area.
Behind the churning flames and thick smoke, an unusually massive heat signature, radiating astonishing heat, was approaching. Its silhouette indicated multiple pairs of limbs, but the most unsettling aspect was its mode of movement—it wasn't walking, it was rolling at high speed.
"What... what the hell is that thing?!" a soldier in the observation post exclaimed in horror.
The next second, the massive figure brazenly smashed through the burning barrier!
It had indeed curled itself into a sphere covered in hideous bone spikes, crushing over the burning wreckage on the ground at terrifying speed, crashing straight toward the defensive line. Its body was covered in a heavy chitinous carapace; ordinary fire seemed entirely incapable of harming it.
"Concentrate fire! Hit that rolling target!" Valerie ordered sharply.
All firepower instantly shifted to this "roller" variant. Dense laser beams struck its carapace, only leaving patches of charred marks without penetrating. Team B's snipers tried to aim for potential joints or sensory organs, but the thing was rolling too fast; its trajectory was unpredictable.
"Need heavy firepower!" Valerie immediately called over the command channel. "Commander Raynor, East line requires anti-armor support!"
"Marauders are on the way! Hold the line!" Raynor's reply was mixed with the sound of explosions.
But the roller variant had already charged within fifty meters! It suddenly uncoiled its body, revealing six thick, pillar-like segmented limbs and a massive maw filled with spiraling, razor-sharp teeth. Relying on the immense power of its hind legs, it leaped high into the air, riding a foul wind, lunging straight for the command node in the center of the defensive line!
If it were allowed to land inside their position, its terrifying size and strength would be enough to instantly tear the defensive line apart, opening a fatal breach for the following infected.
Valerie made a split-second decision. The two nearby Team A members were currently clearing the flanks; reacting would take time.
"Team B snipers, target its abdomen the moment it uncoils!" As she gave the order, she had already leaped out of the observation post. In her hand appeared a high-energy laser pistol with a highly unusual design, brimming with power—this was a personal defense weapon Ryo had configured for her, its power far exceeding that of a standard lasgun.
The roller variant fully extended its body in mid-air, exposing its relatively fragile abdomen.
The two snipers pulled their triggers, and two enhanced beams struck its abdomen almost simultaneously, melting two smoking holes.
In the exact same instant, Valerie pulled her trigger three times in rapid succession. Three beams flew in a triangular formation, accurately sinking into the weak point connecting its head and torso.
The variant let out a deafening roar of agony. Its movements became severely distorted, and upon landing, it failed to strike its intended cover. Instead, it crashed heavily into a low wall built of sandbags, collapsing a section of the fortification but failing to fully break through.
It struggled, trying to push itself up with its segmented limbs, while massive amounts of foul-smelling, dark green pus gurgled from the wounds on its abdomen.
Just then, Tychus's signature blue power armor charged in from the flank, the multi-tube rocket launcher on his shoulder spewing blinding exhaust flames!
"Turn to ash, you freak!"