Chapter 63: Battlefront Pressure

Members of the Tarot Alliance, the Lovers, were the first to break through to the left side of the battlefield. "The enemy is just ahead, prepare to open fire!" the Lord of the Lovers shouted urgently. However, a puzzled voice came through the speaking tube from the Lookout. "Reporting to the Lord, there is no Mobile City ahead." "Impossible! The radar shows it’s right there! It must have found cover!" The Lord of the Lovers immediately rushed to the armor plate and picked up the binoculars. The moment he saw clearly ahead, a trace of confusion and puzzlement appeared in his eyes. In front was an open area with no cover at all. The Mobile City shown on the radar was nowhere to be found. "This... how is this possible?" he muttered unconsciously. Just then, a ripple of air distortion emerged from the distant scene, and a Mobile City appeared. The Lord of the Lovers was shocked to see that all the cannon muzzles on its armor plates were already aimed at him. At that moment, immense fear instantly filled his heart. He wanted to speak, but the next second, he was engulfed by overwhelming cannon fire. "Got them!" At the moment the Lovers exploded, Li Ye excitedly punched the air. Using City Camouflage as a disguise and launching a surprise attack when the enemy Predatory City arrived—that was his plan. This was thanks to the fact that he had never used City Camouflage before the Tarot Alliance, so the enemy knew nothing about the Tomorrow possessing City Camouflage. To ensure a devastating first strike, Li Ye had mobilized all Level 1 Cannons this time. The unguarded Lovers were instantly engulfed in cannon fire. As an assault-type Mobile City, its City Armor was not as thick as that of the War Vehicle. The shockwave of the Lava Shell explosions instantly destroyed most of its City Armor. The combat personnel on the armor plate had no time to react and were vaporized by the extreme heat into twisted shadows. The middle section was largely consumed by explosions, and the steel structures twisted and deformed under the high temperatures, emitting wails like banshees. Several supporting steel structures of the midsection collapsed and shattered, crashing heavily into the lower levels. The Cockpit struck by the Frost Shells instantly froze. The Helmsmen turned into ice sculptures, and with the tremors of the explosions, they shattered into countless fragments of varying sizes. After another round of cannon bombardment, the Predatory City could no longer hold and collapsed with a thunderous crash. "Nice!" The combat personnel aboard the Tomorrow couldn't help but cheer. Although one enemy was eliminated at the outset, the battle situation was far from optimistic. The Tarot Alliance had concentrated all their forces on the right flank. Seven Predatory Cities advanced in a scattered formation, with hundreds of Off-road Vehicles racing ahead to break the path. The enormous pressure of the battlefront was nearly crushing the Moonshadow and the Roaming. If not for the support of Level 1 Fortresses and Level 1 City Landmines, the right flank would have completely collapsed in the blink of an eye. Leading the enemy charge were the War Vehicle and the Tower. Repaired by their companion the Hermit, this defensive-type Predatory City had regained its former combat strength. Its City Armor unfolded slowly during the charge and began to accelerate steadily—faster and faster. Following closely behind, the Tower was also a defensive-type city. Surrounding it was the Level 2 City Armor "Shelterer", with armor plates so thick it was staggering. These two Predatory Cities charged at the Vanguard Alliance's positions like battering cannonballs! The Level 1 Fortresses at the Vanguard Alliance front line opened fire madly, with Cannons and Machine Guns forming a densely woven firepower net. Yet, it was remarkably ineffective against the War Vehicle and the Tower. The two Predatory Cities, one left and one right, smashed through Level 1 Fortresses along the way. Occasionally, City Landmines would detonate, but the results were minimal—being defensive cities, the wheels and treads of the Tower and the War Vehicle had undergone multiple upgrades, with defenses far beyond ordinary. With these two companions clearing the path, the following convoy and Predatory Cities surged forth like a black tide. Just then, the Echo in the rear opened fire. A distorted tearing sound pierced the air, and the area ahead erupted into a sea of fire and explosions. This round of cannon barrage forcibly suppressed the enemy's offensive momentum, forcing the Predatory Cities to scatter and engage in Mobile Evasion to dodge the artillery barrage. During this time, many Off-road Vehicles were hit and quickly turned into burning fireballs. "So strong!" Li Ye couldn't help but exclaim. In Mobile City alliance battles, firepower-support-type cities were the absolute main force. The firepower bombardment they provided was simply too crucial. However, when he unintentionally looked into the distance, his expression suddenly changed. The smoke spread across the distance had already dispersed, and two Predatory Cities revealed themselves. The Magician, The Judgement. Both of these Predatory Cities were firepower-support types, and the number of cannons they possessed was equally staggering. At this moment, all the cannons on their armor plates lifted simultaneously, aiming precisely at their targets. Li Ye instantly realized, and a few drops of cold sweat slid down his forehead. "This is bad, their target is......." In the next second, the Echo was engulfed in overwhelming explosions. 【Industry: Echo!】 【Roaming: Two of them! The enemy actually has two firepower-support-type cities!!!】 【Moonshadow: Without Echo’s firepower support, we won’t be able to hold the front line!】 【Echo: I’m fine.】 After the smoke cleared, the members saw the situation within. With the cover of City Bunkers, the Echo avoided most of the shells, but due to the enemy's overwhelming cannon fire, a few shells still landed on its armor plate. At this moment, several sections of Echo’s City Armor had already collapsed. Many cannons were destroyed, and multiple areas were on fire. 【Echo: Casualty numbers and destroyed cannons are too many to count in time. The next round of fire support will be available in three minutes.】 At the front line, the Bronze Wanderer was about to provide reinforcements when a Predatory City charged straight toward it. It was the War Vehicle. With a loud roar, the Steam Bed Crossbow mounted on its armor plate fired. A massive steam bolt instantly struck the Bronze Wanderer. However, the Bronze Wanderer was equipped with Level 2 City Armor, and the bolt only managed to penetrate part of its armor. Even though the gunpowder embedded inside the shaft exploded, it merely caused the armor on that side to deform slightly. The Bronze Wanderer immediately engaged it in battle. However, he quickly realized something was wrong—another Predatory City had bypassed him entirely and was charging directly into the rear of the formation! It was the assault-type city Death. This Predatory City had a jet-black coating, its flag bore the image of a Black-Robed Reaper, and even its convoy was entirely painted black. Its target was none other than the Echo at the rear. 【Bronze Wanderer: Echo is about to be attacked! I’m pinned down—someone stop the enemy, now!】 【Tomorrow: I’ll go.】 【Moonshadow: No, let me go. You go support the right flank immediately.】 【Roaming: How much longer for fire support? I can’t hold on much longer!】 【Echo: Most of my Gunners and Artillery Operators were killed or injured in that bombardment. Combat personnel are currently substituting in emergency. Fire support is expected to be delayed by 5–10 minutes.】 【Vanguard: I’m coming.】