Chapter.7 Masquerade Ball (15)
***
Crackling- crackling-
“Why is the radar suddenly broken… at such an important moment?”
“It’s not a malfunction, it’s radio interference. ‘Noisy Pack’. “These are the ones that always follow when the Raptor’s main force moves.”
The professor explained calmly as he hung on Ezel’s exosuit, which was panicking.
As the dust gets closer, red dots disappear from the radar network one by one.
“Even though their technical skills are lower than Dom’s, that doesn’t mean that the Raptors are completely helpless when they face off. “That radio jamming device is something that renders not only these radars useless, but also guided missiles, low-power communications, and second-generation purely electronic firearms.”
“Tsk! It reminds me of the old days. I guarantee you that it will be impossible to catch Noisy Pack from a distance. “Because they use the hardest vehicle and thickest shield in the Raptor.”
“Do Joe Raptors also use shields?”
“The amount is small, but the military shields used during World War III are still being repaired and used. That’s why the protection power is outstanding. Our top priority will be to somehow get those guys out. “Once you kill the Noisy Pack, you can kill the rest with Dom’s guided weapons.”
“That’s our goal. Noisy Pack is at the very back of the ranks. You can’t easily hit them with something that can’t be taken by surprise, like an exo suit. “Unless we shake off all the rocks in the battle line.”
“If it’s a rock…. Ugh, no way?”
“why. “Bex, do you understand?”
“No, I’ve never been with a raptor… Those guys are the ones who absorbed most of the soldiers after the war, so when I think of rocks, they remind me of something.”
“Um… what is it?”
“dinosaur.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
“Ugh! “Is that really it?!”
Kurrrrrrr!!
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssallying
enough to obscure my vision, the orbital sound so loud it hurts my ears, and the sound of the dirt being pushed out.
“Wow, that’s really it.”
“That’s it? “What are you talking about!”
[Delivered to all members. From now on, allies will be referred to by code names, and conversations unnecessary to battle are prohibited. The entire exosuit maintains 50% of the starting output, 20% of the shield, and 30% of the external repulsion barrier.]
“Ah, Ezel, I guess you’ve never seen it before. Tank, tank.”
“Tank? Train?”
Ezel listened to the professor’s words hanging on the frame of his exosuit and focused on the silhouette vaguely visible through the dust. He was also familiar with the appearance of tanks through materials. But that thing was completely different from what he knew…
“Bulldozer?”
“Hehe! “They called it that on the battlefield.”
“But… there was no one who looked like that in the war history I studied!”
“It has to be that way. “That is not an officially released model, but a model created as a last resort after all production facilities were destroyed at the end of the Great War.”
World War III. It started as a disaster, was ignited by selfishness, and was the final fate of Gu Gu-myeong, who burned everything without purpose.
It was a war that mobilized all of humanity’s capabilities, and it was a meticulous and brutal war.
The top target for bombing was always production facilities. If production of even a small part of high-tech equipment stopped, the opponent’s combat power could be drastically reduced.
That unusual-looking tank approaching right now was a model close to a makeshift model created to somehow block the enemy’s ultra-long-distance direct fire, railgun, etc., without a shield, as the production of high-output deflection shields used in the latest models of tanks at the time became impossible.
“Triceratops T-7 tank. “It boasts nightmarish frontal armor, befitting its reputation as a successor to the infamous Tank No. 6 of the past.”
“He’s a crazy guy who slapped meter-thick telanin alloy all over his face. The turning is weak and the sides are almost exposed, but even a city-mounted rail gun cannot penetrate from the front.”
Crrrrr!
The moment the professor finished speaking, Raptor’s main force finally emerged through the dust.
As the name suggests, it completely covers the front with wide and thick front armor, and a horn-like muzzle protrudes from the middle.
Dozens of such tanks were moving tightly together, forming one huge steel barrier.
Sniff sniff.
“Hepburn, this is….”
“Ah, fuck, really. “It was a smell I never wanted to smell again.”
“You can always smell this wherever they pass by. Always, whether the person is dead or not.”
Black smoke billowing out as the huge tank moves.
In a world where the supply of gasoline has become difficult, the alternative resource chosen by them is the terrible aroma that comes from burning the easiest resource to obtain in the wasteland.
The oil that powered the Raptor’s tank was mostly biodiesel extracted from humans. Wherever the raptor moved, there was always the strong smell of a battlefield with burning corpses.
“Devils… devilish guys….”
“That’s not wrong. In the past, those so-called prophets that Mattangi went to said that the devil would come down from the sky and destroy the world, right? In the end, since the world was destroyed by human hands, someone living in the world today would fit the name of the devil. And aren’t the soldiers who actively participated in it the ones closest to it?”
The professor jumped out of Ezel’s exosuit with mixed feelings.
Jinglang –
The sound of the dog tags shaking in the military uniform handed over by the executive branch at the beginning of the play resonated heavily in his heart.
***
“Ordinary howitzer weapons are intercepted. Precision guided weapons interfere with radio waves. The rest… are all blocked by those stone-headed bastards.”
“What about the side? “If you can’t turn at such a slow speed, don’t you think the side will be extremely vulnerable?”
“Think about it, Ezel. The only time it moves is during an all-out battle. Excluding the Type 3 variant in the wasteland, is there any other opponent outside the dome that can engage in an all-out war with the Raptor?”
“The dome… Ah!”
“Yeah dude. The main power of the dome is the dome itself. City-based facilities are said to be unable to carry out diversionary attacks. “It is possible with the mobility of the exosuit unit, but if we defend with all our might on the other side, we can block the exosuit unit to some extent.”
This was Dom’s weakness as he mostly fought from a defensive position. The battlefield cannot be used flexibly.
This is ridiculous. Although the world was once destroyed, all-out war in a world where advanced weapons such as rail guns and shields were rampant took the form of line battles in the Middle Ages.
Ezel couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw the front armor of the Triceratops tank visible to some extent in the distance.
“Is that… possible? If it is a telanin alloy that I know… “It’s an item that weighs five times as much as regular steel, but is it possible to hit that much into the front of a tank and move it?”
“Because we don’t use high-power shields for tanks, we have power left over. I heard that to use it, an additional electronic output device was installed on top of the diesel engine. “By devoting almost all of the output of a state-of-the-art tank to movement, something like that became possible.”
“Such crazy stuff…”
“War creates a lot of things. “The problem is that it is mainly created for destruction rather than productivity.”
Rumbling-
The wall of steel that was slowly approaching slowed down and came to a complete stop. Movement without a single error.
“It still looks like a sword. “It stopped at the exact distance needed to intercept the howitzer.”
“Ian. “You said you were in Raptor, right?”
“….okay. “It’s been quite a while.”
“Then you know better than me. I think the most effective attack for the three of us to move around is to cause confusion on the flanks through a sneak attack. Do you agree?”
“Tsk. “It’s not a bad idea, but…”
Ian put a cigarette in his mouth as was his habit, but when he realized there was no light, he clicked his tongue and started rummaging through his pockets.
“You’re going to have a hard time. A barrier made from T-7. On either side of it, the combat vehicles of the Raptor Corps are following like wings. Let’s see…. Hey homo. Do you have binoculars?”
The group, who were confused by Ian’s words, soon realized who Homo was referring to and turned their attention to him.
“Ai…. Brother! “I’m not a homo!”
Hwiik-
“Why did you name it ‘gay bar’?”
widely!
Ian grumbles as Ezel takes a quick look at the enemy lines with the dungeon binoculars and hands them over to the professor.
“Look at the tip of the dinosaur’s head over there.”
“…Infantry. “Are there that many infantrymen on a battlefield where large-diameter bombs to pierce the latest shields and insane firepower from city-mounted defenses come and go?”
“If you were just an infantryman, it would be useless. “Look closely.”
At Ian’s words, the professor looked at the infantrymen moving like small dots through the binoculars. There are some guys riding in a vehicle, and there are others lining up in groups of five as if inspecting the vehicle. Your head is higher than a combat vehicle? Are you tall? Military uniform with a black gas mask and strange padding…
“Ah!”
I thought I knew what Ian was trying to say. These guys were pushing through the narrow passageway in Area 45 like a tank.
“Those flamethrower guys?”
“Their official name is ‘mini shooters.’ The flamethrower is a secondary weapon for special operations, and the official weapon is the Gatling gun next to it.”
“Gatling gun… that one? “The one mounted on the car?”
“It wasn’t postponed. “I just leaned on it.”
“Is that… Mini?”
It looks more like a game character wearing some type of armor rather than a person. Tall, wearing a military uniform with lots of black, rough padding. A Gatling gun as big as his height.
Ian giggled and responded to the professor’s bewildered face.
“It’s a kind of irony. Their main weapon is also a mini gun. Those guys are a dedicated exosuit unit. They are idiots who have increased their strength and physique through all kinds of drug doping. They’re infantry so tough that even pulse rifles and shock rifles are laughable. “They say five mini shooters can take on one exosuit.”
“Is that why they were grouped in groups of five?”
“The actual exchange rate is a little worse than that.”
After rummaging through his pockets for a while, Ian finally succeeded in lighting a cigarette in his mouth with the gunpowder obtained from disassembling a shotgun shell. He exhaled smoke with a satisfied expression and said,
“Whoa! Damn, I’m having a hard time trying to get in shape. “Anyway, it’s difficult to break through to the side using ordinary methods.”
“How about something out of the ordinary?”
“When I was there… it got breached once or twice. One was when dozens of Dome’s special forces equipped with ultra-long-range sniper rifles began picking off about 30 mini-shooters outside the range of radar, and the other was when they completely disrupted the battle line with a 200kg impact bomb that is not even in production today. “I guess it was when special forces equipped with camouflage equipment came inside and set up the baton?”
“I don’t have any equipment for sniping… It’s a sneak attack due to shock…”
“Hmm.”
The eyes of the professor, who was stroking his chin, and Ian, who was scratching his temple, simultaneously turned to Bex.
“Uh… me?”
“Don’t you think it will work? “I’ve never seen it in person, but I’ve never failed to do it if I asked.”
“Professor Park, when you fainted, I once harpooned a platoon with a bladeless greatsword while you were half mad.”
“Is it perfect?”
“Nothing better.”
“Uh…huh?”
Wow!
Two people placed their hands on Bex’s shoulders, who was embarrassed because she could not keep up with the pace at which the story was progressing.
“Hepburn? Right? No way… me?”
“Then who else will do it besides you?”
“Trust me, Jjarimongttang. I’ll make sure to back it up. “You just go in and do what you’re good at?”
“Originally, when you learn to use a sword, you are taught to aim for the stomach rather than the neck or heart. “My stomach is full of internal organs that are not protected by my ribs.”
“Ugh, easier said than done…!”
“Just do what you do, just do what you do, hehehe!”
Whisper –
thump!
“Wow! Handle the supplies carefully, Professor Park! But are you really going to go in? “You three?”
The professor responded confidently to Ezel’s trembling voice, who caught the binoculars that the professor threw without even looking.
“People were talking about us, calling us legends, superhumans, and all kinds of strange nicknames. “I don’t know that what I’ve done so far is that great, but…”
“Hmm-haaa. “It smells like a battlefield.”
“Hmm… it’s awkward. As for the new knife. “I can’t get my hands on it.”
Bex grumbles and examines the newly received knife, and Ian ruffles Bex’s hair and carries a heavy iron bag around him.
The professor spoke as he watched the two of them running ahead, naturally leaving the middle seat empty between them.
“If it’s a true legend, shouldn’t it do something like this?”
With those words, the professor joined the two men, put on a sand-colored poncho raincoat, and began to take a sharp detour.
“Those ridiculous people…”
Chiik-
[All crews prepare for combat. The goal is to defend the city from enemy bombardment. If you last 15 minutes until the main gun is recharged, those homeless reptiles will be finished. Don’t be nervous, don’t relax, just do what you normally do and nothing will happen. Do you understand!]
Chijik-
[Silver Guard, this is the operator. Speed Bump charging ends in 30 seconds. It is transmitted to the visual guidance device after 3 seconds. 3…2…1]
Piing-!
A blurry border appears before Ezel’s eyes without any time to think about what it is. This is all what I learned.
‘The Battle of the Dome is basically defense. Even in the old world, the idea was to somehow hinder the enemy so that no damage was done to the city until the main guns of the leading city were recharged in terms of firepower. Enemies use large-diameter bullets with a large mass that cannot be blocked by the exosuit’s shield. If you take a direct hit, you will die, but there is a speed bump prepared for that, so you will be fine. According to what I’ve read, the powerful micro-electromagnetic net causes any metal projectile within range to lose its speed…’
Chiik-
[EZ-07.]
‘It’s a transparent barrier visible only to our eyes. If it touches, the exosuit will also go out of control. calm down. If you just focus on the visual guidance device, you can move sufficiently to avoid it-‘
[EZ-07! The youngest! Are you listening!]
“Huh!”
[Come to your senses, you idiot! It’s real! Forget about all the ‘practice games’ that were played only around Area 47, where you have been deployed so far! If you lose your mind, you will die! The opponents are reptile babies! They are the ones who take prisoners to make oil out of people!]
[Oh yeah…]
[The fuck is really… Special! Report!]
“Yes old!”
Ezel was startled and came to his senses at the harsh curse thrown at him while he was flustered. My mind still couldn’t keep up with the situation, but the training I received immediately after joining the inspection department was so frustrating that I was reflexively reacting to my superiors’ orders.
‘Special details…. Special details….!’
[There is no problem carrying out this EZ-07 battle! significant! Support forces are bypassing the HIV battlefield!]
[Okay… no, what? Speak straight! Who went where?]
Chiik-
[Silver Guard. This is the head center. I would like to request a briefing on the contents of the recent communication. Circumvention of supporting forces HIV. Was this something discussed? Purpose?]
Chiik-
[Speed bump emission completed. High angle rail shooter 12 tablets ready. Silver Guard Stand By. Silver Guard Stand By.]
Ralph Monclar struggled to maintain his balance in a situation that was getting dizzying by the second. They’re going to clash in just a few seconds, so where have they gone without any decent equipment?
[HIV! Report on the status of support forces! We will take advantage of the confusion after the friendly clash and destroy the enemy’s flank penetration formation!]
[….Head Center. check. It’s an action befitting your reputation. Good luck.]
[Operator confirms the tank commander of the enemy steamer. I am transmitting the video.]
“No, what are they doing without me knowing…”
Ralph soon closed his eyes as he thought about the professor and his group who passed by in an instant through the waves of communication. It’s already out of his hands. All he has to do now is lead the Silver Guard, the Exosuit Unit of the Inspection Department entrusted to him.
As Ralph pursed his lips, an image appeared before his eyes. A man in black military uniform holding a wad of paper standing in front of a large loudspeaker behind a steel barrier.
“”“Ah, it’s been a while, you smelly rat friends.”“”
A man’s voice rang out in the front yard of the dome, with a slightly cracked sound, perhaps due to radio wave interference.
[…All members of the Silver Guard are ready.]
“” “I can’t say I’m glad to meet you even as a courtesy. My name is Sol Amar, pack leader of the 8th Raptor Legion. Even though you are a bunch of rats that won’t get any pleasure from chewing on them, regardless of that, raptor combat is a sacred law. Here, along with the declaration of war, I have written down a bunch of reasons why you will die like dogs today, so be grateful and take a look at each one carefully.”“”
[It is a declaration of war! Silver Guard! Enter the front barrier!]
Grumble!
The man in the video paused for a moment and lit the paper he had prepared.
“”“Go to the afterlife.”“”
Quagwagwagwang!
Tanks firing without warning, accompanied by burning statements.
Bub bub bub!
Ezel unconsciously lost his breath as the huge tank bullet caught in the electromagnet net stopped right in front of his nose.
“Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop!”
[EZ-07! Special note!]
[Nothing!]
There is nothing. I felt like I was scared to death. The sound of a shell exploding outside the electromagnetic net made my eardrums explode, and in such a situation, the exosuit unit’s mission was to get out of the net and buy time.
‘Electric Pole. The equipment that transmits the city’s power moves forward, and the electromagnetic net moves forward, and we risk our lives again to defend the empty area…’
In the war against the raptors, before the city’s main gun shatters their defense line, the exosuit unit Its role was merely a fluid energy barrier. Thanks to this, the most casualties occur at the beginning of the battle, when the electromagnetic net is advanced.
However, Ezel gritted his teeth and took a step outside the gray net area shown on the visual guidance device.
‘If it’s a true legend, shouldn’t it do something like this?’
The back of three people running towards the enemy lines carrying only infantry equipment, although it is said to be cutting-edge.
As Ezel remembered that scene, he yanked the combat suit that was tightly tight around his neck and ripped open the neck.
“It’s embarrassing… I can’t listen to you who grew up so precious!!!”
Clap! Clap!
An exosuit carrying an energy shield and a half-distorted smile began to advance towards the bombardment area.
[Kyahahaha! EZ-07! Where did Ttolki go? If it was frozen, I was planning on teasing you with it until you retire!]
[Shit! We’ll be wearing diapers on our next sortie!]
[Sorry, but we’re wearing all the prepared diapers, so you don’t have any EZ-07. Too bad I had to throw away my pants.]
[KT-05 MJ-06! Shut up and pick up your shield! Don’t you know that when the electric pole explodes, you have to stay outside the net for 45 more seconds? Focus on defense!]
Clap! Clap! Clap! Cheol –
Kwaaang!
“Kuhuhuh! Ouch!”
The bombardment hit Ezel’s shield properly. I still had enough battery to block it, but I could see the remaining power dropping in one hit, and the shock that reached the inside of the shield turned my stomach and made drool flow from my mouth.
‘It’s strange…. The battle doctrine says that when the Silver Guard advances, the Raptor side, whose artillery range has been reduced, will deploy combat vehicles and from then on it will turn into a melee battle rather than an artillery battle…. They retreat and continue to fire. there is.’
In this case, the Dome’s victory is confirmed, but the Silver Guard, which withstood the bombardment, will be hit directly by the electromagnetic net, which cannot catch up as they retreat.
‘The battery can’t last until the main gun is charged! Damn it, hurry…!’
Ezel looked at the shield whose color had begun to fade and prayed earnestly to the three people who had gone before.
‘Do something quickly!’
***
