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After she finished her words, the explosions across the river began to gradually subside.
But this did not signify the end of the offensive preparations.
Following this was a barrage from the artillery in the rear, targeting the enemy's frontline positions. The cloudburst bombs, which had been fired simultaneously by the artillery, began to rain down almost in unison. Rows of explosions advanced like a wall, with the barrage steadily and rhythmically spreading outward, sweeping away the enemy's key defensive zones like ripples.
Additionally, several rounds of artillery fire also covered a few large bridges across the river. Although the cloudburst bombs weren't powerful enough to destroy the bridges, they were sufficient to detonate the mines the enemy had placed on them.
Only after this round of artillery fire had landed did the noble lady, riding her steed, turn her horse's head towards the center of the front line, leisurely allowing the Aegis Gold on her chest to float slightly upward.
As the psychic power applied to that small piece of Aegis Gold increased, it began to shake violently, creating a sharp sound through friction with the air. It was not a whistle, but akin to the piercing sound of a racing car or airplane speeding past, magnified several times, resonating like some kind of tuning fork that captivated the soul.
This highly recognizable sound was transmitted outward, amplified by the psychic energy, entering the ears of everyone indiscriminately, including the enemy across the river.
At the moment this signal of total assault was issued, the warhorse beneath the noble lady accelerated. Amidst the dull thud of over twenty Bioweapon Steeds and the officers' shouts—echoing like curses—joining the rumbling of advancing armored vehicles, soldiers shouted war cries through their gas masks, all these sounds erupted together.
What had been a comparatively quiet position suddenly became chaotic.
But the fastest were not those on the ground.
In the sky, just brushing against the tips of various buildings, several Valkyries tore through the air as they flew over the heads of the crowd. As the ground troops began to move, the Valkyries had already breached the thin layers of enemy anti-air fire at low altitude, dropping their elite Drop Troopers onto the heads of the bridges.
The fully armored Drop Troopers jumped from the aircraft with their legs together, plummeting at high speed into the gas-enveloped area. Only after ensuring they were concealed by the gas did they open their gravity parachutes at ultra-low altitude.
This reckless military spirit made it momentarily difficult to discern who was the true invader.
As part of the first wave, Zhang Ge and his convoy accelerated forward after the total assault began, trailing behind the Leman Russ, which served as the spearhead, as they approached the bridge.
As they were about to enter the gas-enveloped area, Zhang Ge put on his exo-armor helmet again and sealed it shut. The obstructed breathing was reminiscent of his previous experience entering the nest and made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
By the way, Zhang Ge reminded the backseat:
"Dominika, find a gas mask for Isis in the back."
Soon, the convoy entered the dense gas. Their visibility was reduced to merely two or three meters, forcing the entire convoy to slow down. The rear vehicles could only follow the sound of the leading ones.
Around them, the sounds of friendly footsteps could occasionally be heard, yet there was little resistance.
It made sense; although there were forty thousand enemies across the river, half of them were forcibly corrupted servants and lacked military training. By the time this process was completed, it was uncertain how many living remained on that position, not to mention reorganizing effective resistance without visual information.
However, the gas only shrouded a small portion of the frontline; as the convoy drove out of its coverage, the firefights ahead became increasingly intense.
When Zhang Ge's light armored vehicle exited the gas zone, the streets reappeared on either side. He observed that the lead vehicle of the Guard Squad had stopped at an intersection. He and a few Guard soldiers had disembarked, taking cover behind the vehicle while aiming their guns across the street.
Though the enemies were currently invisible, a burning wreck of a Leman Russ lay in the center of the intersection, evidently having been ambushed.
Naturally, the vehicles in front could not force their way through under these circumstances and had to come to a stop sequentially. Having established a vehicle barricade in the controlled road area, the infantry could move into the surrounding buildings under cover.
Zhang Ge parked and, holding his plasma gun, stepped out of the driver's seat to approach the Guard Squad leader, asking:
"What's the situation?"
He shook his head, signaling:
"Not clear. The explosion originated from the side of the Leman Russ. From the nature of the explosion, it appears to be some sort of kinetic weapon. I briefly searched the sides, but couldn't find the shooter. It's likely a rocket launcher, and there should be an organized enemy force ahead."
Organized enemy forces? No worries; they won't be organized for long.
Zhang Ge replied:
"Left side or right side?"
"Right side."
He nodded and pointed to Isis, who had just removed her gas mask, saying:
"This is Isis. You gather the scattered troops and then clear the left side with her. The three of us will handle the right side."
"Understood."
The Guard Squad leader had no doubts about three people wanting to clear an organized enemy force; apart from Dominika's questionable combat ability, the other two were practically at a transcendent level in his eyes.
Turning back, after giving Isis her instructions, Zhang Ge crossed the vehicle barricade and approached Amelia, who was standing outside the barricade trying to draw enemy fire but had not succeeded.
Pointing to the nearest building on the right side, Zhang Ge said:
"Let's go, to the center."
Amelia nodded, sheathed her sword on her back, and with one hand raised her jump pack to jump up, swiftly crashing through the central window of the building.
At this moment, smoke grenades were just beginning to be thrown on the left side to create a path to conceal personnel movements.
Inside the mid-level space, a vast room resembling a palace unfolded before Zhang Ge's eyes. However, there were only a few heretical symbols present, with no signs of the enemy's position.
If they were to conduct a conventional search, it would be exceedingly difficult. The buildings constructed by the tower-tipped nobles were immensely large; with just the three of them, exploring each room would consume a significant amount of time, even in the absence of enemies.
But since they intended to do so, he was certainly already prepared with a method before entering.
Zhang Ge turned to Amelia and asked:
"Amelia, do those little angels have built-in bird diviners? If they do, can the detection range cover both above and below the building from here?"
She nodded, replying:
"Absolutely, the detection results will be transmitted to the power armor."
"Good. Then we'll advance along a straight line to the right side from the center of the building. You're responsible for cutting through any walls we encounter, proceeding through and checking each building on the right until we detect the enemy's position."
A myriad of tactics, this is where a small opening does not apply; choices matter more than efforts.
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