Chapter 11: Like Mosquitoes
After four Terra days of relentless research and manufacturing, tangible results finally emerged. As the soldiers transported their heavy weaponry to various locations within the fortress, Qin Mo commanded Gray and his four companions to don their powered armors and immediately accompany him to the eastern front to assess the situation.
"Wait a moment, shouldn't we test these powered armors first?"
"No need for testing."
Qin Mo led the six-person team through the serpentine passages of the fortress. Gray nervously trailed beside him, accompanied by the elite soldiers he had just selected.
"I believe we shouldn't be in such a rush; at the very least, we ought to verify the functionality of the powered armors."
"Let's test them in battle."
"Alright, alright, we'll test them in battle."
Seeing Qin Mo's unwavering confidence and stubbornness, Gray could only relent and drop the issue of testing the powered armors for the moment. However, there was a more pressing concern.
"Gray and the others are just ordinary soldiers; the 44th regiment has always been a logistics unit and hasn't engaged in much combat. Are you sure you want to take only them?" Gray glanced at Gray, then looked back at the soldiers behind him, signaling them to lead the way.
Qin Mo understood Gray's concerns but resolutely dismissed the idea of bringing the elite soldiers from the 47th regiment: "Though Gray and his team may not be the strongest soldiers, they are undoubtedly the most steadfast. Moreover, they have fought alongside me and are more familiar with my combat style."
"Very well." Gray found this reasoning somewhat persuasive and had to compromise once more, pausing to watch as Qin Mo and his team departed.
Just as Qin Mo reached the end of the passage and opened a door in the wall, preparing to step outside, Gray suddenly called out, "Don't engage the rebels head-on; after all, we are outnumbered!"
Qin Mo said nothing as he stepped out of the fortress, and the door he had opened promptly sealed shut behind him. However, just as Gray sighed in resignation and turned away, another door opened in the wall.
Qin Mo returned to the interior of the fortress and reminded Gray, "I have a psionic suppressor in my room; it's the square metal box. If you encounter an attack and spot any psionics, don't forget to activate the suppressor. But be warned, it needs to be charged and is only effective for two days at a time."
"I won't forget," Gray replied, turning to look at Qin Mo. "I'll assemble a five-man team specifically to guard and operate the suppressor."
"That puts my mind at ease," Qin Mo said before turning to leave. The door in the wall closed once more, returning the structure to its seamless state.
---
The powered armor allowed for brief flights, covering a distance of seventy kilometers in just two hours, requiring only a single recharge along the way. Uncertain if the eastern front still existed, Qin Mo commanded the team to proceed on foot as they approached within a two-kilometer radius and deployed drones to scout the area.
"Is the front still intact?" Qin Mo glanced at the drone soaring high above before turning to Gray, who had released it.
Gray didn't respond immediately; he stared blankly ahead, neck craned. He was scrutinizing the HUD integrated into his visor, fixated on the bottom right corner where the drone's perspective was displayed.
The front was shrouded in smoke, obscuring any sight of life.
"Initiate life scan," Qin Mo urged Gray. "That's a unique feature of the reconnaissance drone."
"Life scan initiated," Gray responded immediately.
Upon activating the life scan, the drone marked detected life forms with green dots on the HUD while displaying data in the lower left corner.
Humans: 5,723.
Mutants: 9,938.
Analysis: Based on the current rate of decline in pure humans within the scanned area, it is estimated that the garrison here will be exterminated within one hour and twenty-one minutes. (For reference only)
"The front hasn't been breached yet, but it soon will be," Gray remarked, raising his hand and making a few gestures in the air, then curiously inquired, "I recall you mentioned the powered armor system has an information-sharing capability; how do we operate that?"
"Extend your hand as if the HUD is before you, and click on the combat mode at the bottom left corner; it will forcibly enable information sharing," Qin Mo instructed, feeling somewhat exasperated.
His intention had been clear: integrating an electronic system into the powered armor to analyze combat situations, monitor the armor's status, and facilitate information sharing. However, it turned out to be rather convoluted for the average soldier, and the transition between movement and combat modes required careful consideration, preventing the use of voice commands—a fact that Gray and his team found rather cumbersome.
"Got it," Gray said clumsily, clicking on combat mode. He noticed the information was shared among all powered armors, allowing the others to see the results of the life scan.
Everyone clearly observed the locations of their allies as well as the positions of all the rebels on the front.
---
The numerical disparity between the two combatants was not excessively pronounced, yet the rebels maintained an overwhelming advantage over the planetary defense forces, largely owing to the presence of the abominations on their side.
Abominations were notably robust individuals among the gene thieves, wielding industrial tools in combat to compensate for their significant intellectual deficiencies with sheer brute strength.
As the abominations launched their assault, the front was engulfed in smoke, forcing the planetary defense forces into close-quarters combat.
Then, the six-man team from the 44th regiment made their entrance.
Before the powered armor touched down, the powerful thrust from the jetpacks had already dispersed the smoke surrounding the front.
Both sides, locked in a chaotic melee, gaped at the six strangers emerging from the center of the battlefield. Upon spotting the two-headed eagle atop the scepter, the rebels realized these newcomers were certainly not their allies.
The rebels refrained from launching an immediate attack, instead warily observing the six clad in powered armor, and the once-raging battlefield fell eerily silent.
"Die..." One of the largest abominations clutched a head he had seized from an unknown victim, glaring fiercely at Qin Mo.
Qin Mo turned to Gray, who nodded in understanding.
"For the Emperor!" Gray shouted as he surged ahead of Qin Mo, charging straight at the abomination.
The heavily armored suit adjusted the jetpack's nozzle angles as it ran, providing thrust that, despite its weight, allowed for considerable speed.
"Ah!" The abomination discarded the severed head and raised a massive hammer to charge at Gray.
The two colossal figures rushed toward each other, and bystanders could already envision the potential outcome of the clash in their minds.
It could either be metal and machinery triumphing, sending the abomination flying, or the evolved flesh of raw strength overwhelming the powered armor and its occupant.
At that moment, even Qin Mo found himself pondering the very same question.
However, as Gray closed in to within five steps of the abomination, he suddenly activated the gravity shield.
As the surrounding stones and debris were instantaneously flattened, the abomination, oblivious to the unfolding events, raised its hammer and leaped toward Gray.
*Smack*—
The abomination that leaped into the gravitational shield's influence was crushed by an unseen force, leaving behind a flattened patch of "mire," much like a mosquito squashed with a swift swipe.
After a brief deceleration, Gray's speed surged to its limit, and the jetpack expelled flames, propelling the powered armor into a rapid sprint.