Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 99: Chapter 90: Scorched Earth Plan

Although Gao Gong often mocked the Security Corps as ’the Japanese Army’s structure, the National Army’s equipment, and the Pseudo Army’s strength,’ it is undoubtedly a dominant force in the Iron Sand Desert.

The Iron Sand Desert consists of six regions: the Central Desert, Eastern Desert, Blue Desert, Desolate Desert, Southern Desert, and Honshu Island.

Among them, the Blue Desert is by the sea, the Desolate Desert is within the Radiation Zone, and Honshu Island is the largest island in the Radiation Zone.

Each of these six places is garrisoned by a Major General, while the Vice Admiral, who ranks above the Major Generals, is responsible for overseeing the headquarters of the Public Security Corps, a colossal Sky Mother Ship.

One Vice Admiral and six Major Generals form the entire high command of the Public Security Corps.

In this remote military meeting, except for the mysterious Vice Admiral, all six Major Generals were present online, indicating the level of attention the Security Corps is giving to this Beast Tide.

”The battle was too terrible, how could Demon Mountain let the enemy infiltrate?” Major General Gram, the highest military officer of the Blue Desert, said sorrowfully.

He was the former superior of Demon Mountain, and though his words seemed reproachful, there was a hint of defense in them.

”I have already sent my subordinates back for support,” Demon Mountain said solemnly, standing before six virtual projections with his hands behind his back, ”In fact, until now, the plan has been progressing smoothly.”

”You mean letting the enemy reach the Oasis Core was also part of the plan?” Major General Zhang Feng, the highest military officer of the Desolate Desert, said coldly.

”The military plan I speak of refers to the plan against the Beast Tide, not the surprise attack from enemies outside the battlefield.”

”That’s an excuse!”

”You can’t say that, at least the front line is holding well. If it weren’t for unexpected events, the five B-level giant flying beasts could be detained, which is remarkable.”

Major General Frey, the highest military officer of the Southern Desert and the only female Major General, leaned on her chin, looking the most relaxed.

”Even surprises should be part of the plan!” Gram immediately interjected.

”Yes, this is my mistake! I will conduct a military review!” Demon Mountain immediately stood tall and said.

Zhang Feng frowned and said, ”A review is necessary, but how did the Oasis get attacked, and what about your defensive measures?”

”I want to accuse Quasi-General Geville. I have conclusive evidence proving that he colluded with outsiders, working internally and externally, with the intent to sabotage our corps’ plan against the Beast Tide!”

Demon Mountain decisively began to shift the blame. He didn’t have much evidence, but with him attacking and Geville defending, the results were risky: the front line’s battlefield was advancing smoothly, but the rear was cut off.

This blame on Geville was appropriate without any issue.

Demon Mountain didn’t mind tightening the black pot further.

In the Security Corps, a military officer doesn’t necessarily have to be good at warfare, but they must excel in framing and setting up others.

”What do you think, Xiao Tong,” Gram looked at Xiao Tong, the head of the Central Desert, Major General Xiao Tong.

Geville was his trusted aide, both coming from the logistics system, so to act against him, one needed his consent.

Xiao Tong pondered for a moment and said, ”Demon Mountain is indeed capable of fighting. There’s no doubt about that, and the plan was executed smoothly.”

Demon Mountain was certainly capable; he was a trump card that Gram had specially recruited from the Reproductive Corps, costing the Security Corps greatly, including three successive rank promotions.

In the Mother City, Demon Mountain was only field-grade, but here he was already a general.

This statement implied that Demon Mountain’s responsibility would not be pursued further.

In fact, it couldn’t be pursued. The Beast Tide wasn’t even halfway done. Replacing the general at this point would be foolishness.

Even if they wanted to replace him, no one would be willing to come.

Below the rank of Major General, Demon Mountain was already the top-level commander.

If he couldn’t do it, no one else could either.

”As for Geville, arrest him first, remove his Quasi-General title, and wait until after the Beast Tide to investigate slowly.”

At this, the other Major Generals all looked surprised.

Xiao Tong was well-known for protecting his people. Why was he so agreeable this time?

They originally thought there would be more back and forth.

It was Demon Mountain, whose eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression.

The other must have known something.

Xiao Tong was from the Xiao Family.

The Xiao Family in the Mother City was a top military-industrial conglomerate family, with ’Black Body Military’ as their family business, and they possessed the ’Complete Form Technology’ of Reproductive Armor, a top-tier military technology in a Level 2 Civilization.

More famously, the Xiao Family was known as the ’Traitor Clan.’

During the Machine War era, they had initiated the ’Wudu Coup’ to conspire to overthrow a major national government to achieve their current status.

’This Xiao family member must have sensed something, so he hastily distanced himself.’

All being wily old foxes, the other Major Generals quickly grasped the situation, and their expressions turned serious.

This proved their previous speculation was correct.

There was indeed a Controller behind the Beast Tide.

And this Controller was very likely the Knight Order.

Damn, wasn’t this terrorist organization always targeting only the Mother City? You do your terrorism, I earn my money. Wouldn’t it be better if we all just stayed out of each other’s way?

Now you’ve flipped the table, I can’t ignore it even if I want to.

”Back to business, is the situation with the Beast Tide still deadlocked?”

”Yes,” Demon Mountain said solemnly, ”My subordinates had initial contact with those two A-level monsters between Scavenger City and Automobile City, but those two monsters seemed to learn of the rescue of the Flying Species and retreated again.”

”They still wish to delay until the full outbreak of the Beast Tide before taking action.”

”What exactly is that monster? Although marine species landing on shores isn’t surprising these years, something this massive—”

The virtual projection displayed a gigantic ’biological model’, which was precisely the ’Giant Kun’.

”If this giant creature has an energy system and weapon system matching its size, undoubtedly, it is S-level.”

Major General Matsumoto from Honshu Island, who had been silent, slowly spoke.

”I’ve compared it with the mutated new marine species over these years, and none of them are of the same class or kind as this one. It seems to have five spinal systems to support its frame. Also, with such a large body, how does it address blood supply, oxygen supply, and heat dissipation? Not to mention equal volume, even a steel giant whale that’s only one-third its size couldn’t sustain itself without the buoyancy of seawater for long.”

”Even if it’s not a filled-structure but an expandable-body structure, its weight would undoubtedly exceed ten thousand tons. Yet it’s capable of speeds reaching thirty knots—an enigma, truly mysterious.”

”Thirty knots, 55.6 kilometers per hour?” Frey exclaimed in surprise, ”Old Man Matsumoto, why are you using nautical units? Isn’t it flying?”

”Rather than flying, it’s more like it’s navigating in the air, which is an entirely different concept.”

Quasi-General Matsumoto said in a deep voice, ”The former merely indicates its excellent balance system; the latter implies that its body system has evolved with cross-atmospheric combat capability. As long as it has sufficient energy, it can survive in outer space, and that’s what’s most terrifying about it.”

”It could directly attack our celestial base systems or shoot down our armed space station.”

”That’s an exaggeration,” Frey forced a smile.

Major General Matsumoto shook his head, ”It’s uncertain whether this creature is a mutated prehistoric animal or a product of artificial cultivation.”

”In any case, once it joins the beast tide, a single Oasis won’t be able to withstand it.”

On this point, none of the six major generals had any doubts.

”I’ll report this to the higher-ups,” Xiao Tong rubbed his brow and exhaled.

”Demon Mountain, prepare for the Scorched Earth Plan. News of the beast tide engulfing the Oasis must not reach Nightless City!”

...

Nearby the Old Metal Recycling Station, the little woman nervously poked her head out. After confirming no one was around, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

”What Sister Du said was indeed true, all the Mechanical Beasts here are gone.”

She looked at the disorganized sheds that had been gnawed upon, feeling a bit dissatisfied, ”We hardly managed to set this up, rebuilding will take who-knows-how-long.”

”That’s alright, anyway, we have to move after the beast tide ends,” Du Zhaodi also breathed a sigh of relief, revealing a faint smile.

”Who knows where we’ll move to, the weird advisor tells me nothing, though I’m the Great Elder.”

Huang Yuanli lay sprawled on the ground, exposing her small half belly.

Du Zhaodi was about to say something when suddenly her expression changed.

”I hear footsteps!”

Huang Yuanli was so startled she tumbled and crawled into a shelter, which was behind a pile of old tires—the only surviving materials from the recycling station.

The footsteps grew nearer and more numerous, it seemed far more than one person.

Then all footsteps came to a halt.

The surrounding environment fell into silence.

A familiar voice sounded.

”So you were hiding here, really made it hard to find you.”

”The weird advisor!”

Huang Yuanli almost jumped three feet high, nearly half of her height.

Du Zhaodi also leapt in excitement.

With a smile on his face, Gao Gong tightened his grip around the girl with a ponytail and patted the little woman’s head, looking like a family of three.

Du Zhaodi, after the excitement passed, embarrassedly let go as she wasn’t the kind of girl who would act coquettishly.

She glanced around and found no bodies, puzzled, she asked, ”I just heard lots of footsteps.”

”Well, on the way here, I indeed saw many artificial soldiers.”

”Did you kill them all?”

”Not exactly.”

”Then where are they?”

Gao Gong shrugged, ”They probably got eaten by the Mechanical Beasts.”

Huang Yuanli gave him a suspicious glance, activating her mind communication. Moments later, several Electric Reindeers strode in from the outskirts, each towering at two meters with beautifully toned muscles. Their metallic hooves made no sound on the ground, while their antlers crackled, constantly emitting sparks.

A gentle-natured, able-to-release-electricity D-level Radiation Beast, perhaps only the Electric Reindeer matched this description.

More importantly, each reindeer had a young girl from the Cable Tribe sitting on it.

”They are our people!!”

Not far away, five or six Hunting Leopards patrolled the perimeter. They were stronger than the Electric Reindeer, with mechanical limbs equipped with notable jet propulsion systems.

Each Mechanical Cheetah carried a Mechanical Hunter, who was respectfully saluting Gao Gong. The word ’respectful’ wasn’t common among Mechanical Hunters.

Even more importantly, Hunting Leopards were standard C-level Mechanical Beasts.

”Do you see it?” Gao Gong asked with a smile.

”I see it,” Du Zhaodi gently nodded, ”our endeavor.”