Earth Era

Part 9

The transport aircraft slowly descended as it approached the destination, and just as the cabin door opened, distant explosions could be heard.

Ahead was an open space with several SkyNet autonomous drones parked not far away.

One by one, the team disembarked from the aircraft, and the captain made final arrangements. "Drive back or kill the marauders, and guard Zone 16! We must not let them destroy more shield generators, or you know the consequences... I have only one request: don't make unnecessary sacrifices."

Everyone nodded, and then the thirty-some people moved toward their destination.

Qin Feng walked, watching the transport aircraft gradually recede into the distance. Suddenly, he stumbled over something and looked down to see a stone. At that moment, a beam of light soared into the sky from somewhere, illuminating the night sky! Immediately, a deafening roar pierced the heavens.

Everyone reflexively crouched down, searching for the source. A massive fireball quickly plummeted from the sky, followed by another deafening explosion! The raging flames were particularly dazzling in the night, the remnants of the transport aircraft that had just brought them.

"It seems the marauders have found us," Zhong Yuanjie said.

Ruan Xiaoyu stared in amazement. "Thank goodness they didn't find us a few minutes earlier..."

The captain said, "You should consider yourselves lucky." He waved his hand to signal everyone to continue.

Qin Feng hadn't spoken all this while because at this moment, he no longer felt excitement and thrill, but instead, a genuine fear from within. He didn't know if he would make it back alive, or if he would ever see his father... and Xiaoya again.

Before this, his impression of the battlefield should have been thrilling and exhilarating. But now he understood that here, there was only survival and death, each with a fifty percent chance...

This feeling was suffocating, making it hard for him to breathe.

Then, a voice came through the earpiece: "Beep~ You've entered the marauders' attack range. Please proceed with caution."

The captain responded, "Roger!"

Qin Feng thought to himself, 'We don't need you to tell us; it already warned us just now...'

As they got closer to the target, everyone's heartbeat accelerated.

Not far ahead, near the shield generator, thick smoke billowed, and they could vaguely see a massive figure moving amidst the flickering flames.

The captain signaled for everyone to spread out and use the nearby drones as cover.

But Qin Feng objected, stating that given the current situation, a flanking strategy wasn't advisable.

He said, "Firstly, we're short on manpower. Secondly, in the chaos of battle, it's easy to accidentally injure our own people."

The captain nodded, indicating for him to continue.

Qin Feng went on, "Our main task should be to repel rather than kill. Of course, with just thirty-some of us, it's nearly impossible to kill it. So, we need to concentrate firepower to prevent our forces from being too scattered, maximizing our strength, and giving it a way out, forcing it into an open area, and waiting for aerial support or long-range assistance."

His viewpoint was agreed upon by everyone. Under the captain's command, the team slowly approached the target in a semi-encirclement formation. When they were about two to three hundred meters away, they witnessed a breathtaking scene.

A marauder, standing about seven to eight meters tall, was waiting for their arrival amidst the ruins. All the generators around it were destroyed, and its massive body was shrouded in flames and smoke, its metallic shell reflecting the flickering light.

Its head was much smaller compared to its body, but those huge eyes and the pincer-like "mouth" looked downright menacing. With two pairs of wing-like structures on its back, it resembled a giant dragonfly gone rogue, utterly beyond redemption.

"Wow! It's massive!" Zhong Yuanjie exclaimed.

"If only we could take a picture with it," Ruan Xiaoyu joked.

"You go ask it; maybe it'll agree," Qin Feng quipped.

Ruan Xiaoyu blinked but said nothing, while Zhong Yuanjie muttered to himself, "This thing looks unstable. I bet even with three hundred people, we might not be able to take it down!"

"We just need to drive it back," Qin Feng said.

"I highly doubt it..." Zhong Yuanjie shook his head inwardly.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot through the smoke towards the team, catching two people off guard and blasting them away in an instant! They landed motionless on the ground, indicating that they had likely met their end...

"Take cover! Take cover!" the captain shouted.

Qin Feng immediately ducked behind a SkyNet drone, gasping for air. Seeing two teammates' lives extinguished in an instant, he dared not be complacent; he might be next.

There was a strange smell in the air, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Zhong Yuanjie and Ruan Xiaoyu hid behind another drone, asking him, "Are you okay? Any injuries?"

He shook his head.

"Attack!" the captain yelled.

Everyone emerged and opened fire on the creature, unleashing a barrage of plasma beams that erupted into dazzling sparks upon impact.

The marauder unfolded several thick metal plates resembling shields from its elbows and knees, remaining motionless.

Qin Feng also joined the fray, quickly acquiring his target and pulling the trigger. His movements were seamless, honed through countless repetitions during training.

But to his surprise, his gun seemed to not fire any plasma beams... Damn! He forgot to switch off the safety! He had to awkwardly retreat.

After a round of attacks, it seemed to have caused little damage, but ants could nibble on an elephant. With their numbers, the marauder appeared to be slightly affected, with some cracks appearing in its thick shields.

Qin Feng ensured the safety was off, adjusted his stance, and waited for the captain's command to attack again.

Suddenly, another deafening roar echoed, causing the ground to tremble. Dust filled the air as something heavy fell into Qin Feng's arms. He looked down to find an arm!

He quickly tossed the arm aside, unable to see clearly amidst the dust.

He didn't know whose arm it was, perhaps Zhong Yuanjie's or Ruan Xiaoyu's, or anyone's for that matter. All he knew was that someone had sacrificed themselves in the recent explosion.

Qin Feng shook his head, his ears still buzzing. At that moment, he suddenly felt a sense of disconnection, as if the whole world had narrowed down to just him.