Chapter 28: 'Counterattack! Counterattack against the damned humans!”

Li Jin and Lei Jian couldn’t help but exchange glances, their eyes flickering. Having once allied with Li Ye, they now felt uneasy. They feared Li Ye suffering hardships, and they also feared Li Ye starting up the Land Rover. At present, the Tomorrow had already been equipped with a level‐1 cannon, a level‐1 rocket launcher, a level‐1 assault rifle, plus level‐2 city camouflage; the crew had been expanded, and two more city accessories had been upgraded — its strength had grown by leaps and bounds. Unknowingly, it had also become the strongest of the Three‐City Alliance. On top of that, it had initiated the alliance this time, and it was the provider of the wild‐field BOSS intel — it enjoyed far too many advantages. If only... Li Ye obviously saw through their thoughts, and immediately added a remark. “Don’t worry — I won’t monopolize the level‐2 item dropped by the wild‐field BOSS this time; we’ll all bid on it with Crystal Coins.” On hearing this, Li Jin and Lei Jian both let out a sigh of relief. But Li Ye soon added another sentence. “However, I do have the priority to choose any other dropped items.” “Agreed!” Lei Jian answered without hesitation. Li Jin hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head as well. From Li Ye’s perspective, he could give up this level‐2 item this time, but he absolutely had to get that storage‐room key. If the Three‐City Alliance were to break over fighting for that level‐2 item — making it impossible to kill the wild‐field BOSS and obtain the key — then he would truly lose much more than he gained. After some thought, Li Ye added another sentence. “Also, if any Frost Ore is mined in the mountain, it all belongs to me.” This time Li Jin and Lei Jian both nodded together. This concession was nothing compared to the level‐2 item. They discussed their plan, prepared supplies, and organized combat personnel... After a round of intense preparations, the three mobile cities set sail together at dawn. To enhance firepower, Li Ye spent an additional 400 Iron Ore to build two ordinary cannons. With a “might as well reap the wool if it’s there” mindset, he and Lei Jian also had Li Jin help subcontract the manufacturing of two level‐1 heavy machine guns. Upon departure, Li Ye glanced back at the Roland Fortress behind him. Last night, he had unintentionally learned some news: the lord of Roland Fortress had fallen into a coma as his illness worsened. The two factions that he had been suppressing were beginning to stir; the entire fortress was already rife with hidden currents, and even the ordinary residents sensed the ominous atmosphere — each person was wary of the other. Lost in thought, Li Ye looked up at the sky overhead. The sky was unnaturally dark; lead‐gray clouds hung unusually low, almost suspended over the fortress, making it seem even more gloomy. He couldn’t help but sigh from his heart. “Alas, truly a storm is brewing.” ... “Arrived.” Seeing the Glos Mine in his view, Li Ye on the lookout tower gently nodded. In fact, as a lord, he climbed the lookout tower far more often than the lookouts did. This was mainly because the lookout tower was the spot with the best view on the Tomorrow; once he took up his binoculars, the scenery within a few kilometers was laid out in full view. And occasionally, he could even enjoy the gentle breeze blowing by. Looking out, the entire Glos Mine was sparsely vegetated; the gullies were filled with scattered rubble and mining debris. The mountain was riddled with numerous, complex mine shafts of various sizes, and transportation tracks, like vines, crawled up the slopes. At this moment, many goblins were busy at work. They wore safety helmets, white undershirts, and waved mining picks in their hands. After detecting the commotion from afar, the goblins all perked up their ears warily. When they saw that it was three Mobile Cities, they quickly reacted, dropping their mining pickaxes and grabbing their weapons. "My god, those damn bastards are here again!" one of the goblins couldn't help but mutter. Fortresses, trenches, cannon and machine gun points—one goblin after another took their positions, and the entire mine began sounding a shrill alarm. As the Tomorrow sounded three long blasts of its steam whistle, the battle officially began. The cannons of all three Mobile Cities fired at once, and an overwhelming barrage instantly engulfed the Glos Mine. A shell howled as it smashed into a trench, bursting into flames and scattering dust in all directions. However, the goblins in the trench suffered few casualties. At that moment, they were all down on their elbows and knees, heads protected by their hands, mouths wide open. This was the standard prone position for artillery defense. One of the goblin sub-leaders shouted hoarsely, "Counterattack! Fight back against those damned humans!" In an instant, all the cannons on Glos Mine fired at once. Inside the cockpit, Tang Fang continuously turned the helm, maneuvering the Tomorrow to dodge the enemy’s artillery. With a loud boom, the Frost Cannon on the Tomorrow fired. A large fortress was struck and instantly turned into an ice sculpture. Then another regular shell hit, and the massive fortress was shattered into countless shards of ice. "Very good!" Li Ye nodded. This Frost Cannon was indeed powerful—the only downside was the limited number of shells. At that moment, the Conqueror and the Azure also opened fire simultaneously. Relying on its molten treads, the Conqueror climbed up the mountainside with agility, firing down into the goblins in the trenches below. Although the Azure didn’t have Level 1 cannons, it did possess Level 1 heavy machine guns. Now that it had closed in on the mine, it began a frenzied barrage. The goblins’ fortresses, built from ordinary bricks, were pierced as if made of paper. Despite this, the goblins’ resistance remained fierce. Bullets and shells rained down like a storm upon the three Mobile Cities. The Tomorrow and the Conqueror both had Level 1 city armor, so they could still withstand it. But the Azure was beginning to struggle. After multiple city parts were damaged, it had no choice but to retreat temporarily. Rows of goblin helicopters also approached aggressively. But they were quickly shot down by heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, crashing down in flames and exploding into fiery balls. To regain the advantage, the goblins brought out the Level 1 cannons from the mine. Li Ye was startled upon seeing this. Judging by the shells the goblins were loading, they appeared to be armor-piercing cannons. Distance measurement, wind speed calculation, ballistic angle adjustment... The goblin gunners swiftly completed a series of actions and lit the fuse. This shell directly penetrated the Conqueror’s side city armor. "Concentrate firepower, prioritize taking out the Level 1 cannons!" Li Ye snapped back to his senses and issued the order immediately. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. These goblins—with helicopters and Level 1 cannons—were absolutely outrageous. The battle continued for several hours before it finally ended. After retreating to a safe distance, the three Lords met up. Overall, the results were acceptable. Most of the fortresses on the mine had been eliminated, and both Level 1 cannons were also taken out. Once the three Mobile Cities resupplied their shells and bullets, they could flatten it in one go. For now, the casualties among the Mobile Cities' personnel remained within acceptable limits. Just as Lei Jian and Li Jin breathed a sigh of relief, Li Ye furrowed his brows deeply. Things might not be as smooth as they seemed—the Wild BOSS hadn’t appeared yet. Just then, a sharp scream suddenly came from Glos Mine. "No one will take Glos Mine!"