Counterfeit Hero

”Tian Xingjian!” Feiler gritted his teeth as he mouthed the name, his face turning livid.

The identity of the armored team had been clarified through battlefield records sent back from the front lines. The way those Mecha maneuvered through dawn and artillery fire, repeatedly tearing through his defenses, was identical to that Leray fatty. If not the bandit army, then who?

Even though he had already anticipated the identity of this Mecha team, Feiler felt no sense of satisfaction. Honestly, neither he nor Selwal, nor the entire command center, had foreseen the shocking news of fifty Mechas annihilating the 4th Armored Battalion.

At that moment, Feiler recalled the words his mentor had repeatedly warned him.

”War Fog is omnipresent; this world never has No Calculation Left. A single unexpected event can nullify the entire plan. Never flaunt your calculating ability; war is not a math problem. You cannot know all the conditions enough to solve this problem, and even what you know keeps changing, so you can never get accurate answers from simulation exercises!”

Feiler had no idea when he had cast this advice aside, nor when his meticulous plan had been torn by those fifty Mechas.

Looking again at the digital map, he found that the defense line of Central City was already in disarray.

Along with the defense line, his entire strategic layout had been thrown into chaos.

That Leray fatty had issued him a challenge in a unique way! His maneuvers bending northeast and southeast, his head-on collision with the 4th Armored Battalion, and precisely ending the battle before the arrival of the Second Armored Battalion clearly told him: He wants a direct confrontation! He wants to compete in calculations!

The complete annihilation of the 4th Armored Battalion forced Feiler to acknowledge that this fatty had such credentials.

Those fifty powerful Green Mechas were his open gambit!

Now looking at the operational map, while Puluo Town was indeed surrounded by his forces, wasn’t Central City similarly besieged by the opponent? The difference was, he was using actual troops to encircle Puluo Town, whilst the opponent used that armored team to create a dominant stance!

Feiler seemed to see the blank map of Central City, surrounded by invisible arrows ready to strike. That was the Longxing Association, the Three Major Schools, and all the factions ready to make a stand against the Northern Alliance.

Once, momentarily, Feiler considered dropping the offensive against Puluo Town and ordering all troops to retreat to Central City. Yet the idea only flickered in his mind and vanished without a trace. This was a situation of killing a dragon, and he held the advantage. If the already begun offensive was halted, a stalemate was inevitable.

For the Northern Alliance, this would be a disgraceful defeat.

The complete destruction of the Suss 402 Group, the Blood Shadow Mecha Group 4th Camp, and recent reports showed that the 6th and 7th Armored Battalions of the Blood Shadow Mecha Group, intercepted by the Bandit Army SM 3rd Group at Breslau Farm, barely managed to retreat with fewer than a platoon’s strength. To withdraw dejectedly and enter a stalemate with the bandit army and Longxing Association would mean the Northern Alliance could not manage the situation independently. In such a case, Suss’ support would be necessary; having just lost a group, relying on their strength at the end would determine who held Mars; even imagination makes it clear!

If the Northern Alliance was merely aiming to dominate Mars, the situation would be acceptable, but it’s the cornerstone for the Nademick Dynasty’s resurgence, and their goal is not just reclamation! Collaboration with Suss can only result in mutual exploitation; if suppressed, the Nademick Dynasty’s revival is out of reach!

This battle is already on the tiger’s back, both sides are fighting fiercely to decide the fate, and no retreat is possible!

Moreover, judging by the development speed of the bandit army, if not crushed when their wings are yet to fully spread, Feiler couldn’t fathom facing an even more formidable enemy in a few months.

Carefully perusing the attack reports returned from various units at Puluo Town, Feiler gradually calmed down. Reports showed two Mixed Formation units of the Rejuvenation Army in the northeast of Puluo Town, two armor groups of Blood-colored Mercenary Army advancing westwards from the 7th Resource Highway in the west of Puluo Town, and one thousand Northern Alliance Guard Armored Group equipped with Far East Victory-class Mechas, had launched a fierce offensive. The battle progressed smoothly.

The Blood Shadow 8th and 9th Armored Battalions, having just disengaged from the Bandit Army SM 3rd Group, were also advancing toward the eastern defense line of Puluo Town, ready at any time to join the Rejuvenation Army’s Mixed Formation’s offensive. The two Warrior Mercenary Corps armored groups retreated from the Bering Port line have accelerated their pace, expected to arrive at the northeast of Puluo Town within sixteen hours.

After all, the initiative was still in his hands. Although formidable, the bandit army’s armored team in Central City only had fifty Mechas. They were human too; maintaining combat effectiveness deep in enemy territory means they have to rest. Similarly, the SM 3rd Group circling the surroundings of Puluo Town, having endured one night and experienced two high-intensity battles, equally needs rest. During this time, Northern Alliance troops will continually assault the defense lines of Puluo Town until they are completely breached!