55 – Pinecone (3)
Harvest’s scouts?
Norton Palé trembled. Now that he thought about it, something was increasing.
Red dots visible through the bushes. Sounds from somewhere quiet gradually became audible.
Norton Palé gripped his gun tightly. The bushes were shaking.
There was something inside…
Creak!
“Ugh?!”
The car suddenly shook violently. With a loud noise, Norton Palé leaned forward.
He was hit by something. But he couldn’t see it clearly, only catching a glimpse of some metal parts jutting out.
The surroundings covered in red lights disappeared in an instant.
And what appeared was…
“They’re coming.”
“What, what…?!”
“It’s a biter! You idiot!”
The buzzing sound vanished completely.
Immediately after.
Countless red lights emerged from the bushes.
“Gah?!!”
Metallic bodies. Sharp fangs. They resembled dogs but were as big as wolves, mechanical creatures.
Those things…
They rushed forward, filling the field of view.
“Do not waste bullets! Save them!”
“I don’t know how much further we have to go!”
“This, damn it! They’re rushing us!”
“Oh, they’re climbing! They’re climbing!”
Harvest.
A machine organism born on a farm.
The lowest-ranked soldiers among those forces are clinging to the vehicles.
Individually, their power is weak, but their agility resembles that of a jackal.
Biter.
I lightly pushed the squeaky driver’s seat aside.
“Get it together and hold the steering wheel properly.”
“I am holding it, you bastard!”
The cursing is rough. Seems like they’re entering a state of mild excitement.
Well… it’s only natural when Harvest is right in front of them.
They are an extraterrestrial species that crossed over from the dimension where the original humans lived, just like humans. Their purpose was also simple.
The extermination of all life forms.
And that includes these humanoids as well.
The vehicle suddenly tilted to one side. One soldier screamed.
“Oh, they climbed aboard!”
The chassis shook. Through the broken glass fragments, one biter hung on.
Red pupils. Its biting teeth vaguely resembled the color of steel.
But it’s different. That thing, taking the form of a dog, is not made of strong metal.
It’s much softer than steel.
But based on its charging speed and strong biting force, it’ll easily tear apart flesh.
“aaah!!!”
The soldier thrashed around. The already tilting vehicle started swaying even more.
I regained balance. Through the shattered window, I swatted away the biter trying to pry open the adjacent seat.
Kwaang!
A shattered head. The flowing white liquid stained the floor. The soldier trembled.
“Wait, what…? Me, with just one foot… on something so solid…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Although I didn’t know who was the first to suggest saving bullets, I wanted to say that I agreed with that opinion.
I don’t know how far we have to go. We don’t have a lot of gunpowder left to shoot at these weaklings.
If possible, in close combat.
Only completely destroy those who have climbed up.
Remember, Drakan.
The objective is simply to protect.
It’s far from annihilating the enemy.
“Hoo.”
With a bang!
I smashed the head of the Biter that jumped through the window. I wiped my hand covered in white blood and stretched my body outside the broken window.
There are many.
The numbers are too many, enough to cover the forest.
“…Encirclement.”
I said it like that.
This is the entrance to Havest’s encirclement. These are just basic troops.
As we go inside, there will be more formidable creatures. The Biters will seem laughable.
Surely, there is a force here that can trample a village in an instant. Maybe not even the farmers…
There must be individuals with comparable ranks and positions among them.
Yet, the reason the village is still safe is that they sacrificed a large number of soldiers in Albion.
Since there was a great consumption of power, the focus was on preserving as much power as possible.
Perhaps the village called Pinecone is also dying because of that.
Anyway, everything is mere speculation. There is no certainty.
The only thing certain is that we must resist to survive.
I prepared my equipment. I stretched my body out through the window. I climbed onto the vehicle.
I met the eyes of the gunner who seemed undecided.
“H-How should we proceed?”
“Save your bullets. Don’t shoot recklessly.”
I surveyed the battlefield.
The transport truck was still rolling smoothly. Perhaps due to the scattered attention of the escort vehicles, it continued moving forward without any issues.
However, the situation was not as good for the other vehicles.
Wild dogs were constantly chasing after them. Blanc’s voice could be heard amidst the chaotic vehicles, mixed with curses.
“What the hell! If you’re going to shoot, do it properly! Did you aim for a hole in my head?!”
“Well, I mean…”
“Shut up and look ahead!”
They forcefully kicked the biters off the back of the vehicle. Some fell, their heads crushed under the wheels.
We were under attack, all of us.
But it wasn’t that bad. The vehicle was sturdy. Despite the dog-like creatures lunging at the wheels, it continued firmly moving forward, without any lagging vehicles behind.
If only we could keep going like this…
But it’s unlikely.
Bang!
Without thinking, I pushed the gunner who was staring blankly into the car. Sparks flew on the shield covering his body.
Gunshots echoed in the air.
“Target acquired. Elimination commencing.”
Humanoid creatures riding the massive biters began to appear. The barrels running through the bushes glinted in the sunlight.
They’ve arrived.
Harvest’s humanoid creatures. The most basic infantry.
Called ‘Slave.’
The six eyes on their faces quickly scanned us. The rifle in their hand resembled an assault rifle used by humans.
But their technology far surpassed that of humans.
Tatatatata!!!
I quickly retreated back into the car. While the shield system was convenient, continuous hits drained its energy.
Preserving maximum power was the priority.
“Get down!”
The window had already been shattered by the biter horde. The metal fangs couldn’t withstand Harvest’s gunfire.
One after another, the windows shattered. Soldiers screamed as shards rained down on them.
The Slaves, who had been pouring bullets, disappeared back into the bushes.
Are they recharging?
“Ah… Damn…”
“Shoulders…shoulders…”
“Huh…huh…”
The soldier, clutching his shoulders, sobbed. There was also another soldier trembling in panic.
It was fortunate that the driver was still conscious.
The trembling gunner met my gaze.
“T-Thank you…thank you…”
“Shut up and grab the turret.”
There was no time to acknowledge the gunner’s gratitude. I reached for the shotgun slung on my back.
“I don’t plan on getting hit twice.”
They’re coming.
The sound grew louder once again through the bushes.
The dogs carrying the slaves had a distinctive sound. Slightly deeper and duller footsteps. A somewhat muffled noise.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Grab the turret!”
“Yes, yes!”
Save the bullets.
It would certainly be a kind thing to do.
But right now, saving ammunition was not a viable option.
“When I give the signal, aim for the left. Take them all out.”
“If… if it’s on the left…”
“Where I’m aiming.”
The turret rotates. The heavy machine gun mounted on the vehicle rattles precariously.
The dull sound brushing against the bushes draws nearer.
“Get ready.”
“……..”
The gunner’s trembling was so intense that it reverberated throughout the whole vehicle. But I had no time to offer words of encouragement.
I simply leaned the shotgun against the broken window.
Obscenities mixed with cries emanated from other vehicles. Trembling soldiers. And us, who did not tremble.
I took a deep breath. I felt the weight of the loaded shotgun.
I focused on the sound. I sensed the swaying of the vehicle.
One, and then two.
And…
Three.
“Fire!!!”
Rat-a-tat-tat!!!!
The machine gun spit out flames. Bullets covered the slaves, who emerged from the opening with a hail of bullets.
Biters with holes in them. Legs entangled each other, they fell to the ground with slaves on their backs.
The sound of metal mixed with the growling of biters echoed in their ears.
But still, five remained.
The firing sequence was mechanical. There was no panic despite the loss of a comrade.
They simply attacked as if it were a matter of course.
But.
I did not intend to passively accept it.
Bang!!
An explosion erupted from the pulled trigger. The head of one of the confronting Harvests flew off.
Strong recoil. But it could be controlled. The barrel was immediately turned to the side.
Bang!!
Two.
The slaves immediately changed direction. The densely packed crowd dispersed quickly.
But my barrel was faster.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amidst the consecutive explosions, cartridges scattered. A pungent smell of gunpowder stung the nostrils.
A resistance army standard-supplied shot.
The quality is not good. Sometimes the bullets would jam and cause malfunctions.
But…
The gun was good, and its destructive power was undeniable.
“……!!”
“……!!!”
The head of the directly hit Harvest soldier exploded. The entire body of the rushing dog was shattered.
The destructive power befitting the name of a heavy Guardian settled in reality. Not only penetrating the entire body, but it was completely crushed.
Flames disappeared into thin air. By the time the five cartridge cases fell to the ground, there were no standing Harvest soldiers.
Falling to the ground in a split second.
I heard they called him a tactical shotgun blacksmith.
Indeed, his destructive power kills.
Well, unless you’re wearing armor or something, the recoil is too much for an ordinary person to even dream of consecutive shots. Just pulling the trigger will push your body back.
“…Hoo.”
Anyway, it’s clear now. The enemy’s momentum seems to be wavering as well.
Though emotionless, prioritizing power conservation makes them hesitant to engage.
It’s only natural that they wouldn’t rush in since there was a clear difference in combat ability shown. Losing ten slave creatures in an instant, it would be strange not to be fearless.
“They’re coming again!!”
“Lower your heads!!”
“Gunner! You f*cking bastard!! Grab the gun!!”
But apart from him, the other vehicle isn’t in good condition. I lightly tapped the trembling driver.
“Yes, yes?”
The attitude completely changed from when he was excited earlier. I pointed at the shaky vehicle in front.
“Catch up with them.”
“But, but…”
“Protect them. I won’t say it twice.”
The driver closed his eyes briefly. The speed of the vehicle started to increase.
I flicked the gunner’s body with my fist. Startled, he lowered his head.
“Yes, yes!”
“When I give the signal, shoot. Just like before. Got it?”
“Oh, understood!”
The sound starts again. Slaves mounted on massive biter creatures appear amidst the bushes.
“Shoot.”
Gunfire echoes endlessly.
. . .
The vehicle that went through a commotion gradually slowed down. To let the overheated engine rest even a little, we drove slowly along the road next to the railroad.
The transport truck remained safe after all. There were a few scratches, but that was all.
The rest of the vehicles are also unharmed. Only one soldier in the front vehicle bitten by a scavenger died, but considering the number of enemies defeated, it was minimal damage.
I checked my firearm. I reloaded with the insufficient ammunition and climbed onto the vehicle.
I concentrated on my senses and carefully explored for any signs of popularity from the lurking wolves. Fortunately, there was no sound following me.
It seemed like they had completely retreated.
“U-um…”
The gunner trembled as he spoke.
“W-what in the world are you… doing like that…”
“What?”
“Oh, n-no… I mean…”
Soldiers below mumbled among themselves.
“Crazy. I thought we were seeing a ghost or something!”
“Damn it! You fight so damn well! Seriously!”
“What kind of person are you?! Are you a criminal to begin with?!”
“I’ll buy you a drink later! Ahh… damn it… I thought I was going to die…”
Listening to the explosive words, I turned my head with unease. The gunner bowed his head as if about to knock it against the ground.
“T-thank you… really… thanks to you, I’m alive.”
“……..”
Thanks to me, huh?
Instead of replying, I didn’t reach for my gun.
The tension was palpable.
To the point of absurdity.