Clearing Operation Part 1

Vincent and his army began moving inwards to Akarios Island. They were at the tree lines and observed what was in front of them.

As expected, there were monsters, and it was what Alpha 4 had described—a 4-foot-tall creature with a hunched, bulky frame, thick pale skin, long sharp claws, and glowing yellow eyes. They were wandering aimlessly and moved slowly.

He wondered what they were called. The only way to find out was to kill one.

Vincent signaled Alpha 1 to engage. Alpha 1 nodded and motioned for his troops to take aim. With a sharp command, the soldiers opened fire, their M4 carbines barking loudly in the quiet forest. The closest monster stumbled and fell, its body riddled with bullets.

As the creature hit the ground. A notification popped out.

[You have killed a Wandering Cherub:]

[You earned 700 gold coins & 500 experience points]

Satisfied with the information, Vincent turned to his army. "Alright, these are called Wandering Cherubs. Their threat level is low. Let's clear them out. Move forward and kill everything in sight."

The soldiers advanced, firing in controlled bursts. The Wandering Cherubs, slow and uncoordinated, were no match for the trained infantry. Bullets tore through their ranks, and they fell one after another.

The M2 Bradleys rumbled forward, their heavy machine guns adding to the deadly onslaught. The Wandering Cherubs tried to swarm the vehicles, but they were easily mowed down by the armored carriers' superior firepower.

Vincent observed the battlefield, his eyes scanning for any signs of larger threats. The helicopters and tanks remained on standby, ready to be deployed if needed. For now, the infantry and APCs were more than enough to handle the situation.

"Keep pushing forward!" Vincent ordered.

The soldiers advanced steadily. The Wandering Cherubs continued to fall, their numbers dwindling rapidly. Vincent counted the bodies, estimating around 80 of them in total.

As the last of the Wandering Cherubs fell, the forest grew quiet once more. Vincent signaled for his troops to halt and regroup. They had cleared the immediate area, but there was still much of the island left to secure.

Then just as they thought, the Akarios Plains were already cleared, a new threat emerged from the shadows. Larger, more formidable creatures began to appear from the deeper parts of the forest.

Vincent and his army noticed two different variants among the approaching monsters. One is towering at about 8 feet tall, with muscular builds and larger claws. Their skin was still pale, but their features were more pronounced, and they moved with menacing aggression. The second variant was smaller and agile with horns protruding from their foreheads. These creatures moved quickly, darting between the trees with a mischievous and cunning look in their glowing eyes. 

"Shit, more Cherubs," Vincent muttered. "Prepare for engagement! "Focus fire on the Big Cherubs first!" 

With that, the M2 Bradley fired its heavy machine guns, sending a hail of bullets toward the approaching Bigfoot Cherubs. The powerful rounds tore through the monstrous creatures, but their thick, muscular frames absorbed a surprising amount of damage before they fell. The APCs continued their barrage, focusing their fire to bring down the larger threats.

The soldiers maintained their positions, providing covering fire and targeting any Cherubs that got too close.

[You killed 10 Smallhorn Cherubs.]

[You have earned 1,000 gold coins & 4,000 experience points]

One particularly large Bigfoot Cherub charged directly at an M2 Bradley, its claws outstretched. The APC's machine gun rattled off a series of shots, hitting the creature square in the chest. It stumbled but kept coming, driven by a feral rage. Bradley's gunner adjusted his aim, focusing on the monster's head. A final burst of gunfire brought the creature down, its body collapsing with a heavy thud.

A system notification appeared before Vincent:

[You have killed five Bigfoot Cherub.]

[You earned 15,000 gold coins & 10,000 experience points]

And after fifteen minutes, the battle has ended.

Vincent quickly calculated the total rewards from the battles.

From the 80 Wandering Cherubs:

80 × 700 gold coins = 56, 000 gold coins

80 × 500 experience points = 40, 000 experience points

From the 10 Bigfoot Cherubs:

10 × 3,000 gold coins = 30,000 gold coins

10 × 2,000 experience points = 20, 000 experience points

From the 50 Smallhorn Cherubs:

50 × 1,000 gold coins = 50,000 gold coins

50 × 800 experience points = 40, 000 experience points

[New Gold: 136,000 gold coins]

[New Experience points: 133,150/169,608]

[Your level has risen to 13]

Vincent smiled at the substantial increase in both gold and experience points. His army had performed well, and they had made significant progress in securing the Akarios Plains.

"Great work, everyone," Vincent said, addressing his troops. "We've cleared this area, but we still have a long way to go. Stay alert and keep your guard up. We move out to Oz's farm next."

The soldiers regrouped, checking their equipment and reloading their weapons. The M2 Bradleys took up defensive positions, ready to provide cover as the infantry moved forward.

Vincent took a moment to study the map of Akarios Island again. Oz's farm was the next logical target, and he knew they needed to maintain their momentum to secure the entire island.

"All stations, form up," Vincent commanded. "We'll take the same approach as before. APCs in the front, infantry following closely behind. Let's move out."

The troops nodded in acknowledgment. They began their advance towards Oz's farm, the forest growing denser as they moved deeper into the island.

As they approached the farm, Vincent could see the silhouettes of structures in the distance. The area seemed quiet, but he knew better than to assume it was safe. He raised his hand, signaling for his forces to halt.

"Scouts, move forward and check for any signs of activity," Vincent ordered. "Everyone else, hold position and be ready to engage."

The scouts moved silently, blending into the shadows as they advanced towards the farm. Vincent watched them go, his senses on high alert for any signs of danger.

Minutes passed, feeling like hours. Then, one of the scouts returned, his face serious.

"Sir, there are more monsters ahead," the scout reported. "The monsters looked the same as we encountered earlier." 

Vincent nodded, processing the scout's report. 

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Vincent called out to his troops through the radio. "We have confirmation of more monsters ahead. Same types as before—Wandering Cherubs, Bigfoot Cherubs, and Smallhorn Cherubs. You know what to do."