Chapter 528: Let's Exercise A Bit!

The first barrage of Electromagnetic Cannon blasts created quite the spectacle. However, the lethality of this attack was actually not that terrifying.

After all, there were many Player combat units there. Not to mention, the Electromagnetic Cannon was not an area of effect weapon. For each of the cannon blasts to take out a combat unit was already a decent result. Some of the blasts failed to find its target while some others were blocked off by the Players’ energy shields…

However, this barrage of cannon blasts was not meant to kill. Rather, it was meant to…

Break through!

Back in the intersection area, those mechs that failed to activate their energy shields on time were destroyed. Some managed to activate the shields but had insufficient time to push the shields to max power, resulting in their shields failing.

There were also the tanks that ended up exploding and bringing harm to the surrounding Players.

Although this first wave of counter offensive did not cause too much in terms of damage, over one third of the Player’s combat units, especially the large-scale combat units such as the mechs and tanks lost their… … energy shields.

This counter offensive had damaged their energy shields.

The second wave of counter offensive quickly followed.

Up in the sky, a dark mass of aircrafts flying at a very low altitude came barrelling over with a roar.

“This is madness!”

The silvery white mech on the third floor was quite unfortunate. As it was standing on the highest position, it was inevitable for it to end up damaged by the earlier barrage. Its energy shield took two of the blasts before the third blast broke through, tearing its shoulder off. Now, a large gaping hole could be seen on its shoulder.

The Player commander, who was inside the silvery white mech, watched the incoming aircrafts with a dazed look.

These fellows from Zero City, have they gone mad?

Such a tightly packed formation is completely contrary to common battle logic! Are they not afraid of being targeted down?

“Fire!”

The instant he issued out the command from his mech, the incoming aircrafts opened fire.

This time, their attacks were not from electromagnetic-tier weapons. Rather, they were ordinary artillery. Some even opened fire with normal firearms.

Normal RPG grenades that left trails of flames behind them, the spray of mini guns…

These weapons that Players of the technological route would normally view as primitive descended upon them.

The silver mech on the third floor became a target once more. This time, it became the target of the mini guns.

The mech jumped into the air to catch a rocket grenade and tossed it back, hitting one of the attacking aircrafts with it and causing it to explode. Two other attacking aircrafts that were too close to the exploding aircraft were caught in the explosion.

At the same time however, even more rocket grenades flew toward the silver mech.

The Player commander inside the mech reflexively activated his mech’s energy shield. However, after having activated the controls for it, the commander recalled that his mech’s energy shield had been taken down earlier and was no longer operational. Seeing the rocket grenades approaching him, he sent his mech jumping down from the third floor. Sounds of explosions rang out from behind as the damaged building was destroyed again. The moment the mech landed, the building came tumbling down, pinning one of its legs beneath its debris.

The silver mech staggered on the ground. Next, two artillery blasts struck its back.

The composite armour of the mech deflected the artillery blasts and the blasts failed to seriously damage the mech’s outer body. However, the momentum behind the blasts slammed the mech down the ground to the point where it could not get up.

Then, even more rocket grenades rained down on the intersection area…

It became a sea of flames.

On the ground, over 250 AI-controlled Sentinel mechs charged forward.

These unmanned Sentinel mechs were not that strong. Be it their combat skills of their ability to dodge, they were far inferior compared to those manned by proper pilots. These AI-controlled Sentinel mechs could only perform some basic identification and fire at non-moving targets. When it came to doing battle against a moving target, its performance was much worse.

In fact, a piloted mech could defeat five AI-controlled mechs of the same type.

At this very moment, these mechs were being sent out to serve as cannon fodders.

Zero City’s defenders had no intention of recovering the mechs when they sent them out. They also did not care about precision…

Those 250 Sentinel mechs were equipped with energy weapons that would overload its energy reactors when utilized…

Technically speaking, with the level of energy reactor that the Sentinel mechs possessed, firing one shot of the energy weapons they were now equipped with would cause them to break down.

However, Zero City’s defenders do not care.

…

After the first wave of counter offensive, the barrage of Electromagnetic Cannons destroyed the Players’ energy shields, the second wave consisting of the tightly packed formation of aircrafts rained fire down upon them. As a result, the Player forces on the intersection area entered a state of chaos.

Now, the 250 Sentinel mechs charging at the Players were the equivalent of 250 mobile energy turrets.

The instant they entered the accepted range to open fire, they did just that.

The Players were struck dumb.

The Player mechs responded by holding up their remaining energy shields. They raised their weapons to fire back, but at the same time, their legs kept retreating.

The tanks squeezed onto the street were unable to move away and were trampled by the retreating stampede of their companions’ mechs. Several of them exploded as a result.

On the intersection, the bombardment of energy beams by the defending Zero City’s side quickly routed the first line of Player forces.

Having lost their energy shields, some of the mechs were instantly destroyed in explosions.

One of them raised its energy shield up. However, after getting hit by several energy beams, its energy shield sputtered away and the mech blew apart.

As for the Sentinel mechs from Zero City’s side, they too suffered from attacks by the Player forces. Many of them fell in explosions as well and flames raged on both sides.

“Reorganize the forces! All mechs to the front! All those who still have energy shields to the front! Hold them!”

The Alliance commander attempted to command the Player forces from inside the silver mech. His mech was still lying on the ground and the barrage of rocket grenades was unable to seriously harm him. Unfortunately, the joint area for his mech’s left arm was damaged by the blasts. Additionally, one of its legs was pinned under the building debris. Other than that, his mech was mostly fine.

Regrettably, his attempts to reorganize the forces failed. Only his subordinates from his own guild had obeyed his commands. As for the majority of the Player forces… … they simply ignored him.

At present, the disadvantage of this loosely organized group came into light.

Some of them moved forward, some of them moved backward, some of them tried to move to the side.

The Players were tightly crowded together on the intersection.

After both sides exchanged fire, it became clear that the Sentinel mechs from Zero City’s side were no longer able to fire. Due to the high amount of overload, their energy reactors had stopped working.

However, that was only for their weapon systems. The Sentinel mechs continued marching forward and they rapidly advanced upon the Players.

The counter attacking Players struck some of them and they fell. Yet, the others continued advancing as they obeyed their programmed commands.

This counter offensive from Zero City surpassed the Alliance’s expectations.

What the Players were now facing could be said to be the accumulated inventory that the several resident guilds had saved up over the years.

There were so many of them. Although majority of them were AI-controlled and only a few of them were manned… … the moment they pulled them out, even their fireworks would be eye-blindingly dazzling.

The Sentinel mechs charged toward the intersection and finally made contact with the Player forces. Out of the original 250 Sentinel mechs, only less than one third remained.

Most of them were destroyed by the Players during their advance.

However, this confrontation became a nightmare to the Player forces.

The Alliance leader finally managed to force his mech up. Before he could do anything, he saw a Sentinel mech stride toward him.

This incoming Sentinel mech was much smaller compared to his. In the Alliance leader’s view, this Sentinel mech was a laughable existence, especially when he saw the smoke coming off the Sentinel mech’s body. It was obvious that this incoming mech was suffering from an overload. Additionally, even the barrel of its energy weapon had deformed from the strain of the extreme energy usage…

Seeing this insignificant existence rush at him, the Alliance leader reflexively sent his mech’s intact right arm swinging out. Its blade easily cut the Sentinel mech’s waist.

The upper body of the Sentinel mech then fell before him.

Seeing the few items installed into the Sentinel mech’s body caused the Alliance leader to scream in panic.

“Plasma Bomb!”

BOOM!

A blue arc of light rose to the sky…

That blue light was like the spark that lit the flames. Soon, there were three, five, seven…

More and more arcs of light flashed out and the entirety of the intersection area seemingly transformed into a blue sea.

The explosions from the Plasma Bombs and the chain of explosions that followed… … once again, a sea of flames spread through the area.

…

“It would appear that the fellow you were interested in had died, again.” The muscular driver put down his pair of binoculars and turned to look at his leader.

Shen smirked. He wore a transparent visor over his eyes, allowing him to clearly witness what was going on at the intersection.

Shen tapped something behind his ear and the transparent visor slid back. He then sighed and said, “Fine. Even if he is still alive, I no longer have any interest in meeting him… before destroying his enemy’s main forces, he gathered all his forces tightly into a narrow and open area, turning his own forces into a target. This kind of idiot… … there is no need for me to meet him.”

Shen took a deep breath and made some stretching motions. He then turned his head to look at his muscular driver. “Did you bring in my combat equipment?”

The muscular driver was startled and he stared at Shen. “Guild Leader? Sir… … you want to personally take to the field? Didn’t you say… … we should just stand by and watch?”

“Things are different now.” Shen shook his head. At present, the look of indifference on his face had disappeared and he said solemnly, “This counter attack by them is strange. Zero City’s defenders seem oblivious to the cost and threw all available combat units out. They ignored the losses, ignored the damages. It is as though they are putting up a display of fireworks… … given the current situation, there should be no need for them to act in such a desperate manner – this is too early for them to be doing this. For them to suddenly throw everything out at once at this juncture, something must be going on!”

“What do you mean?”

“Regardless of what their plans may be, it must be interesting. I want to go check it out.” Shen smiled. “It might not be too bad for me to stop them for a bit. Enough. Did you bring my combat equipment?”

“Err… …” the muscular driver whispered. “You said that we would just be standing by and watch, so your main equipment were not brought in. Only some outfit type equipment were brought in.”

“Outfit type? I will make do with it.” Shen revealed a faint smile and tilted his neck. “At any rate, it has been a while since I last exercised.”