Chapter 142 - 142 125 Frontline

142: Chapter 125: Frontline 142: Chapter 125: Frontline The West Entrance was not large, but the port was not small, as it served as the lifeline of the city. In the past, ships and vehicles went in and out, transporting goods. Inside the port were conveyor belts and containers, while outside were countless fishing and cargo ships; in the nearby area, there were ship repair yards and shipbuilding factories forming a complete chain. But now, the port had fallen completely. “Boom!” When the sky arrows with thunder streaked down from the sky, the defenders were stunned. The continuous light blue flashes erupted from the former dock area, consecutively “mortar” pounding on the human positions, creating large pits and flashes that signified the end. The power was not great, and the accuracy was subtle, but the speed was incredibly fast; once it burst open, it had at least the power range of a mortar and was difficult to defend against. “…In the past, didn’t ‘Sky Arrows’ only appear on at least the tenth day?” Old stagers were somewhat baffled and uneasy, but unable to respond. This was not a special curse technique, but Fishman elites who had awakened the “Thunderclap” Abnormal Ability; with the loosening of the World Rules, more of their Talent Abilities could be used now. The frequency of bombardment was not high, as the probability of awakening this powerful Talent was small, and there were only about a dozen now. But the sufficient range allowed them only to stay in the “Dock Barracks” and stably bombard the human frontlines surrounding the dam. In the past, even if “Sky Arrows” appeared, it was mostly in the middle and late stages, and on the other hand, humans had prepared assault teams… now the increasingly miserable front lines equated to sending headcounts. “This is not good…” Someone voiced the known fact. The situation was more than just not good; it had rapidly entered a desperate state. Ordinary Fishmen visibly became much stronger, and the massive enhancement of the losers made it even more despairing in a certain sense. The only reason the Fishmen had not launched a large-scale attack was that their strength had increased too quickly, and their various siege devices had not kept up. Now, the “Dock Area Barracks, Shipbuilding Factory, Ship Repair Vehicle” were all roaring, and the Fishmen technicians were working overtime to complete the transformation and upgrading of the war equipment. By 1987 standards, the Shark Fishmen’s technology was actually higher than that of humans. But most of the things they couldn’t bring over, and even if they did, they couldn’t be used directly. Each world has its own rules and physical laws; they need a certain amount of time to adjust and rest, analyze local machinery and cursed items, and adjust their warfare equipment. This is the trouble with fighting against war races. They won’t charge blindly and meaninglessly like Secret Realm Demons. When they determine the decisive battle period… they are basically sure to win. The old stagers on the defense line knew that the overtime noise of the opponent’s factory was actually a death knell for them. On their own side, the actual advantage was the larger number of high-end combat power, and the core of the war zone – the super boss having suppressed the constantly rising river water. In the past, at this time, assault teams, sneak attack teams, and even large-scale bombing teams were on the way, and various powerful mutations and Abnormal Ability Fishmen were the focus of being hunted. In the early stages, humans should be on the offensive, using a superior low-level and loser combat power to strongly attack face to face, using various elite teams as arrows or even as hunters, smashing enemy camps and strategic points one by one, hunting down rare units and war machines inside, preventing the enemy from uniting, and definitely not allowing them to build up a full barracks. As long as the early stage is played enough, even if the enemy reinforcements are endless, it can still be supported for quite a long time… A priest with a large number of followers and slaves is a big trouble, but a lone priest is a mobile reward point. But now, there is only bad news and worse news… “The Weilai Squad has withdrawn, and their defense area needs to be filled.” “Karin and her group have left as well; their Healer quit early.” “‘Blood Blade’ team has left; this time they have come for the newcomers who were directly forced out.” At this moment, various teams used reasons that seemed plausible or clearly absurd to leave the front lines. This was not a casually gathered high-quality combat power; those who could be stationed on the front lines in the past were usually well-known small teams. Now their departure led to a wave of secondary combat power leaving, as well as the continuous weakening of morale. “…Perhaps we’re about to set a new record for the shortest defense.” “One wave clear? That’s so embarrassing.” “How about we have the new soldiers retreat, so they don’t end up panicking and holding back the others?” Some people saw through it all but were powerless to change anything. Gazing at the nearby barracks and the occasional thunderclaps, veterans were anxious and even wished for the enemy to initiate the attack, rather than passively waiting for the situation to worsen. “I’ll go talk to Miss. Zhou about this. We can’t keep going like this.” “…Is that really okay? She needs to conserve energy to deal with the next flood. I remember reading in the strategy guide that every time she takes action, the next time will be slower and the water will rise faster, making the frontline even more vulnerable.” “If she doesn’t act, there won’t be a next time. I’m not talking about what’s happening on the battlefield; I’m talking about the people losing heart, all wanting to leave.” In a sense, this difference between the Secret Realm and reality is that in reality, if you accept a mission and then desert, you’d be held accountable. But here… what’s the point of hanging around if you’re losing? Waiting to be flattened in one wave? To farm some contribution points in a losing situation? They’d swarm and crush you in seconds. Realizing the odds of winning were decreasing and it would likely end tomorrow, some people started retreating. As they vacated their defensive areas, it made the neighboring teams uneasy, forcing them to consider retreating or leaving as well. One after the other, the frontline would collapse by the next day. “Alright, let’s all go ask her.” Miss Zhou, Zhou Suyin, was a sixth-tier “wild boss (preset)” recuperating in the Secret Realm. At the same time, she was humanity’s strategic weapon in the Secret Realm. Her real-world counterpart was a high-ranking member of the Redemption Church, a powerful seventh-tier organization. She used to be a famous and beautiful Saintess, a former idol singer with countless admirers and suitors, including Otherworldly beings. As a “dancer”, her graceful dancing was legendary like a Sky Demon descended, capable of swaying even gods and buddhas… at the peak of her career 40 years ago. “Alright, I’ll get ready to act. Hold on, youngsters; I’ve faced more desperate situations in my time. Reinforcements will arrive sooner or later…” With a body like a water barrel and overly vivid green clothes, as well as curly golden hair, Auntie Zhou took her fan and water bottle, ready to walk onto the stage of old. This former idol dancer now had a special interest in folk yangko dances and exotic rock music, spending her days here dancing yangko during the day and hitting nightclubs at night. Her clothes were a mix of traditional dancewear and rock ‘n’ roll, sporting a leather jacket, denim jeans, and traditional dancing attire. Her naturally beautiful features were covered in thick layers of makeup… pushing the limits of what young people today might find aesthetically pleasing. Her once graceful dance movements were now reduced to a collective calisthenics performance, thanks to her barrel-like figure. In another ten or twenty years, she might have a more fitting title—Street Bully, Retired Dancing Auntie! “…I heard people specifically come to watch her dance. No idea what they see in it.” “You just don’t get it. Dancers use rhythm and posture to ‘attract and please’ gods or nature, achieving a kind of resonance. The focus is actually on rhythm and various dancing techniques. Check out her footwork, it’s amazing. At her level, she could probably dance however she wants.” “…So that’s why she’s out there dancing yangko for the gods? Just feels odd…” While the chattering continued, the unexpected happened before the dancing auntie even stepped onto her “stage.” Under everyone’s confused gaze, a massive convoy of monsters and Fishmen was accelerating towards them, seemingly chasing a flying figure in the sky. “Look, is that a bird?!” “Oh, could it be a plane?” “Nope, it’s that jerk.” From within the crowd, Meow, who had just recently arrived, angrily pointed at the heartless figure in the sky.