On Daniel's side, he reads the summary report about the PMC. In summary, Cao Cao's plan has worked like a charm. They used the two US commanders to play the role of villains while Cao Cao himself played the role of a savior, helping the trapped soldiers within that town.
Even though the trapped soldiers are not numerous, just a little over a hundred, they are the survivors of this incident, making them like little celebrities in the barracks where they will receive celebrity treatment. These people will try to spread the word to others, creating a ripple effect.
At that time, Cao Cao used his reputation to throw another bait in the form of a deal. He offered the US Army the CERBERUS program, which would train soldiers into perfect warriors.
The deal was that the US would open opportunities for their veteran soldiers to volunteer in this program. Those who passed would need to work for Astral PMC for two years before being free to choose to continue or return to the US Army with elevated ranks, along with free cybernetic augmentation and advanced power armor.
This solved Daniel's immediate problem, as he didn't have a highly elite force that matched this world. All he had were warrior or swordsman cards, or knight cards, which weren't great when it came to adapting to modern warfare. Yes, they could be trained to some extent, but their mindsets were still rooted in their era.
For example, a knight had better physical capabilities than a normal human, but his mindset was stuck in the Middle Ages. When he fought, he preferred using a sword, failing to adapt to modern battlefield maneuvering.
Another example is the Spartans; they didn't integrate well with non-Spartan warriors. Daniel could train them, but the investment wouldn't be worth it.
It's important to note that actualizing these people required points, which were crucial for Daniel and his goals. He couldn't afford to squander them. That's why Cao Cao's campaign quickly solved his problem.
While Daniel is reading the report he got another report coming in from the PMC troop that are on sweeping duty. The call entered into the console in his study and Daniel quickly picked it up.
"Yes? Penthy? What did you find?" Daniel asked, recognizing the number as one of his wives', Penthesilea.
"My Lord, I discovered a large pipe that channels blood to an underground tank through the town's secret sewer system. The pathway seems to stretch longer than 20-30 kilometers, but I don't know its exact length." Penthesilea reported.
RataRataRataRataRataRata!
The rapid sound of gunfire and the thundering blasts of large-caliber guns echoed through the ranks of the undead horde. A rain of bullet shells and casings showered toward the ground, with the troop showing no concern for ammunition expenditure, thanks to their reliable support and logistics team ensuring a steady supply.
Bullets mowed down the undead ranks effortlessly, sending various types crashing to the ground, either returning to their lifeless state or, for those with enough vitality, attempting to crawl toward the troopers.
Advancing with heavy flamethrowers, the troopers began incinerating any undead in their path, the holy fire from the flamethrowers cleansing them and reducing them to ash.
The hail of bullets continued for over ten minutes before gradually subsiding, marking the thinning of the undead horde and leaving only a few stragglers, easily dealt with.
Once the gunfire subsided, the soldiers changed their magazines to fresh ones and refueled their heavy flamethrowers, preparing to march forward and investigate what lay at the end of the tunnel.
On Daniel's side, he was looking at the screen from the safety of the mobile HQ command room. He sat in a chair, sipping tea, while Pride sat beside him, happily munching on a double cheeseburger and watching the screen showing the feed from the troopers' helmet cameras like it was a movie.
"Pride..." Daniel called out.
"Hmm?" Pride responded between bites of her cheeseburger.
"Why are you here, exactly? And please, don't reply while eating. It's rude," Daniel said, his voice flat as if addressing a disobedient child.
Pride gulped down the cheeseburger she had been chewing on and then replied, "Why can't I be here?" avoiding the question.