Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 446: Volume 5, Chapter 52: Taking the Initiative

”...9...8...7...”

Bonnie looked up from the electronic map, staring at the countdown timer on the central information platform of the command center.

Just two hours ago, she received data transmitted through SkyNet from Tian Xingjian, who was lurking as a reconnaissance soldier in the enemy area. The data suggested that Reinhardt might launch a cluster attack on the area between B112 and B121 on Route 2, a stretch of over ten kilometers, aiming to break through the Long Line Ridge defenses and completely open Route 2.

The Nineteen Division had already assembled, and the 25th Division had gathered two regiments. The defensive fortifications had been specifically deepened and reinforced. However, with just this bit of armored force, it was impossible to hold a front line over ten kilometers wide. If the enemy broke through at any point, the defense line would collapse like a balloon pricked by a needle.

In Bonnie’s view, the most correct measure at the moment would be for the Infantry Division to retreat to the Northern District of Tanville, and for the two armored divisions to pull out of Long Line Ridge, then find a way to stall the Reinhardt Group. However, Bonnie also knew that doing so would be akin to opening the gate to Prisk.

While she, Rashid, Stewart, and Jiasier were at their wits’ end, over an hour ago, Fatty, who had been lurking as a division commander at the frontlines with nothing to do, unexpectedly sent back a clear combat order.

The order required two infantry divisions to take over the defensive positions in the enemy’s direct attack zone, with the Nineteen Division and the 25th Division advancing in a pincer formation, occupying the front ten kilometers of the defense line, launching an offensive to suppress the enemy in the assembly area.

This plan made Bonnie and the three regiment commanders’ eyes light up. The benefit of doing this was that the enemy would be unable to form a wave attack in the early stages of the battle due to active suppression, while their side would have the infantry positions in the rear as support and thus have a chance to adjust back.

Although the plan seemed easy, making such a decisive decision required great courage. The armored units abandoning the defense line to actively engage the superior enemy, Bonnie admitted to herself, was a decision she could not make. After all, if they ultimately failed, the cost of then choosing to retreat would be much higher.

The detailed steps of the combat plan were transmitted together. Overall, the plan was quite meticulous. The only part that puzzled Bonnie was that Fatty required two hundred [Hunters] as the main force of the Sharp Blade Camp to move southeast after the battle began, and with the First Regiment of the Nineteen Division on the front, form a flanking posture on the enemy’s right-wing armored group.

Although she did not understand why, Bonnie decided to comply. She knew that the seemingly naive Fatty had many chaotic but always effective ideas in his mind. At least, the combat power of the Nineteen Division had been improved through the training plans formulated by Fatty.

In Bonnie’s view, this improvement was nothing short of a miracle. The tactical exercises and combat guidance of grassroots officers, the strange mecha fighting techniques, and the irregular steps practiced by soldiers, combined with unconventional formations, resulted in astonishing combat power that Bonnie could not imagine.

Fatty could always create miracles. Think about it, what can’t a monster with a hand speed of 73 movements per second do?

”4...3...2...1...”

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July 20th, 13:15.

Reinhardt, piloting the [Apollo], stood on a small hill. The view here was wide, clearly showing the vast launch site ahead.

The attack units on the position were ready. The reserve units behind them filled every visible spot densely. The two armored divisions were already assembled. In just a few minutes, once the logistics and maintenance troops fully withdrew from the launch site, the attack would commence.

Thanks to the interference advantage of the Electronic Camp, Reinhardt believed the attack would be sudden. Previous intelligence indicated that in the relatively flat region from B112 to B121, the opponent only had an infantry division and an armored regiment stationed on a temporary defense line 10 to 15 kilometers away.

The consecutive attacks of the four armored divisions would completely crush such a defense line.

”The 181st Division’s First Regiment is ready, requesting orders.”

”The 181st Division’s Second Regiment is ready...”

Combat requests from the vanguard units echoed through the communication channels. Reinhardt glanced at the time, just about to give the attack order when suddenly, a sharp panicked cry rang out: ”Missiles! Enemy attack!”

Reinhardt quickly looked at the mechanical computer. The SkyNet radar display, synchronized with the central computer, showed a swarm of red dots racing towards them at high speed, as dense as sand thrown by someone! Due to the electronic interference being balanced in this intermediate zone, the missiles only appeared on the radar when they were already close to the launch site.

”Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!” The mech regiment responsible for air defense reacted quickly, launching wave after wave of sharp, ear-piercing counter-missiles into the sky, chasing the incoming missiles with their thick white smoke trails. Several missile-defense vehicles also frantically launched decoy missiles into the sky.

But there were just too many incoming missiles. This was clearly a deliberate enemy strike. Thousands of short-range missiles covered every zone between 100 and 500 meters in three waves. At different altitudes, with different flight paths, they maintained the same arrival time.

In an instant, the entire launch site fell into wild, successive explosions. Mushroom clouds rose fiercely, one after another, amidst intense flashes, shaking the earth!

Reinhardt nearly ground his teeth to pieces. He never anticipated that, under the saturation electron interference of all electronic mechas, the enemy could so accurately target the launch site! The scattered patrol mecha nearly sealed off the entire front. How could they know the precise coordinates here?!

Hundreds of mechas became wreckage in this missile strike. Most of these were low-end [Holy Armor] series mechas, while the Seventh Generation Single Soldier Mechas, as well as the thicker-armored medium and heavy mechas, suffered hardly any losses.

However, this missile strike brought more of a psychological blow! The enemy was sending a warning: your actions are under control!

As the entire launch site fell into chaos, a dense array of variegated mechas appeared in Reinhardt’s view.

There were broken [Hero] series, heavy [Anger], medium [Honor] 15s, and Gazalin Standard mechas marked with the Freedom Front’s blue wolf insignia. These armored units that, according to Reinhardt’s expectations, should have been waiting behind other defense lines, appeared proactively in front of him.

This reality made Reinhardt realize that his attack plan had been under the enemy’s control, and they had already made targeted deployments, seizing the initiative.

”Launch immediately!” Reinhardt decisively ordered, knowing they couldn’t wait any longer.

With this command, the cluster’s vanguard, gradually recovering from the chaos, leaped out of the launch site. Thousands of mechas roared their engines, forming triangle attack formations, surging forward in waves.

On this vast, flat battlefield, the mechas of both sides pushed their speeds to the limit, rolling and surging towards various directions like tributaries of a river. The roar of mech engines was deafening, and mecha of all sizes raced and leaped over the undulating terrain, desperately trying to seize advantageous positions.

As the distances between each group of mechas shrank, the front-line mecha missiles and energy cannons began roaring almost simultaneously. Self-propelled artillery hidden behind the main forces also furiously unleashed covering fire. Meteors of energy balls streaked through the sky, falling to the ground with violent explosions that ignited the entire battlefield.

The battlefield, initially with decent visibility, was shrouded in thick smoke within minutes. Dust and debris from the exploding energy bullets rose into the sky, swirling without dissipating. Thousands of various mechas finally entangled in the smoke, desperately locking on, firing, closing in, and killing each other. Mechas hit in vital spots became blazing fireballs amid piercing screams.

The battle plunged into uncontrollable fervor from the start. Mechas from both sides fought like countless frenzied combat dogs in this tens of square kilometers area. Reinhardt and the armored division commanders could only stare wordlessly at the rapidly changing situation on the radar. Any orders they issued could not be fully executed!

Only the grassroots commanders on the front line understood their predicament and knew which orders were best suited for their units at the moment. This was not strategic chess but head-on clashing of entire divisions, with the boldest warrior prevailing in a tight encounter!

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You guys are tough! If you have the guts, don’t target my lifeline! Without it, what’s the point of playing! Today’s top recommendation, one update!

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. Hey, I mean this is the first update, come on, throw in your monthly votes.

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.(To be continued. For the rest of the story, please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters available. Support the author, support genuine reading!)