CHAPTER 647: CHAPTER 311: [WAGNER’S ‘HUMAN WAVE’ TACTICS]

A mercenary hiding under a building had taken aim at the machine gunner not long ago.

One shot to the head.

This sort of situation was everywhere.

As they watched, the officers of the Free Star Cluster Federation Special Forces Brigade in the conference room also grew solemn.

For one simple reason.

The soldiers of these mercenary groups were too ruthless.

Each assault resulted in a casualty rate of at least a quarter.

However, reinforcements would quickly come from behind and the attacks never paused. This oppressive tactic was bringing unspeakable pressure to the soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation.

To the high command of the Free Star Cluster Federation watching from the outside, this method was particularly brutal.

Who cared about the lives of these prisoners?

Their appearance here was already maximizing tactical value, using a group of death row inmates to wear down the regular troops of the Ukraine Federation.

Under such wanton expenditure.

The outskirts of Bakhmut were gradually coming under the control of the Russian Federation’s side.

The effects were becoming apparent.

The Ukraine Federation was gradually losing its hold here.

Below.

The commander of the Free Star Cluster Federation’s A Army Group, the 3rd Armored Brigade’s Commander Miles, was leading the remaining soldiers in a battle to defend the outskirts of Bakhmut.

The originally 2,000-strong armored brigade had been reduced to fewer than 300 through over half a month of intense fighting.

Miles was currently leading his men in holding a region that had been bombed to the point of there being only bridge piers remaining.

There had been a railway here, but with the shelling from the Russian side, it had been destroyed, too.

Fighting to this extent, what transportation hub could there be?

Everything that could be bombed had been bombed.

Seizing it no longer held strategic meaning.

It was simply that neither side wanted to lose.

Because having consumed so much already, if they stopped fighting now, wouldn’t that previous consumption have been for nothing?

Suddenly, Miles heard some sort of sound, then suddenly shouted:

"Cover!!"

As soon as the words left his mouth.

He was the first to find a pit to hide in and then pulled a few boards over as covers.

In the sky.

Shells with tearing screams rained down densely.

Precisely covering the structures in the area Miles was defending.

Boom, boom, boom, boom—

Limb fragments and building debris scattered and flew apart in violent shockwaves, crashing down everywhere.

Soon.

A second round, a third round...

Salvos arrived in quick succession, pounding the entire position like a torrential rain, those less fortunate being directly torn apart by the shells. Just this wave of artillery fire alone.

Reduced the originally remaining 300-strong 3rd Armored Brigade of the Free Star Cluster Federation to barely 200.

Minutes later.

The sound of artillery had just ceased.

The 3rd Armored Brigade’s Commander Miles immediately organized the remaining personnel, abandoning the area to reposition further back.

The mercenary group from the opposite side was already advancing aggressively.

If they didn’t retreat, they’d die here.

Half a day later.

The remnants of the 3rd Armored Brigade retreated into an open terrain, where there was an NPC squad from the Ukraine Federation, though there was no interaction between the two sides.

There were only six or seven people there, appearing quite wary of them.

Here.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster observed the NPCs from the Ukraine Federation in the distance; some were on the phone, seemingly calling home.

One soldier rose, intending to stop it, fearing it would give away their location.

But as soon as he stood, he was stopped by Commander Miles:

"Alright."

"Leave them be."

"We’ve fought to this point; death is only a matter of time."

"Not to mention they’re just a bunch of NPCs."

Seeing this.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation didn’t say anything.

Indeed.

They were too invested; wasn’t this just a training scenario? A few NPCs could do whatever; they had no hope of winning by now, so whatever happens, happens.

They just didn’t know if they could take down a few more enemy mercenary NPCs before dying.

Moreover.

Having fought to this extent, it was impossible for the Ukraine Federation to issue a retreat order; the only outcome was being worn out here, sooner or later.

Just watching those two Ukrainian NPCs on their phones.

A Free Star Cluster soldier couldn’t help but speak softly:

"Do NPCs have mothers too?"

"A plot designed intentionally by Polestar?"

Upon hearing this.

The soldier next to him, looking at the Ukrainian soldiers talking on the phone, said:

"It’s still a human world, after all."

"Even NPCs are set to have fathers and mothers."

"Calling home isn’t unusual, is it?"

"When approaching death, can’t one think of their mother?"

"And besides...."

"The universe is vast."

"Who knows? Such things might be happening somewhere."

The soldier beside him shook his head:

"Impossible."

"’Earth’ is a fiction. If there truly was such a world, what are the odds of a coincidence."

"That would give birth to a place called ’Earth,’ and for its people to follow the same plot as a game."

The others thought and agreed too.

After all, it’s just a game plot, can’t take it too seriously.

However....

The initially questioning Free Star Cluster Federation soldier, looking at the Ukrainian soldiers in the distance, propped his chin and said:

"If it were all real."

"We’re about to die in battle."

"Who would you want to call?"

The soldier next to him thought for a moment, then said:

"Probably my mom too."

"But I’m not sure if I wouldn’t cry."

Looking at the Ukrainian soldier in the distance, who was silently looking upward as if to prevent tears from falling, it was unclear who they were calling.

That scene.

Caused everyone’s hearts to slightly tremble.

The others gradually started speaking too:

"I’d call my sister. If it really came to dying, I wouldn’t dare call my mom and dad."

"I’d call my dad, so my mom doesn’t get sad."

"You kid, but then you make your dad sad?"

"I can’t help it. I’m an only child, it’s either mom or dad; my dad can handle it better."

"Is everyone calling family? Doesn’t anyone want to call a wife or a crush?"

"Come on, thinking about women at death’s door?"

"If possible.... definitely wouldn’t want this day to come."

"Thankfully, this is just a training scenario."

As they spoke, the group gradually lifted themselves from the heavy atmosphere.

Indeed.

This was just a scenario.

There was no ’Earth’ in the universe; they had only their ’Blue Star.’

No so-called [2022] exisited; Blue Star was still peaceful, this was just a training scenario, albeit a harsh one, but entirely fictional.

After a brief rest.

Commander Miles began preparing to organize everyone to continue moving.

Because this place wasn’t entirely safe either.

As they were just organizing to stand, the sharp whistling of shells began descending again.

Commander Miles’ expression changed; he cursed:

"Damn it!"

"Never-ending!"

"Take cover!"

The entire unit scattered instantly, everyone seeking shelter.

And some soldiers, having not yet found cover, were caught in the relentless barrage of shells.

Boom, boom, boom, boom—

The soldier who had initially intended to stop the Ukrainian NPC from making a call, upon jumping into a ditch, instinctively looked over towards the Ukrainian NPC squad.

Only to see two shells descending.

Boom—!

The Ukrainian soldier, who had been on the phone moments before, was instantly torn to pieces.

With a flying arm in the air, clutching that black rectangular device, which had been the Ukrainian NPC’s phone.

Witnessing this, the Free Star Cluster Federation soldier’s mind went blank.

It was only after several shell landed and continued to explode, that he snapped back to reality, lowering his body, though unable to resist glancing again at that direction.

But there was no longer any NPC squad.

Only pieces of limbs and crumbled walls of buildings.

For a moment.

The Free Star Cluster Federation soldier felt something clogging his throat, not knowing what to say. He merely looked at that ruins full of fragments, amidst the roar of artillery, cursed silently:

"Screw this war."

Then lowered his head, praying the shells wouldn’t fall on him....