69novels Page 52
Page 52
“Either of us, but you really aren’t suited to leading a team, Erdos. Maybe you should try competing for the championship later. I think you’ll perform better there.”
"Heh, I don't need to tell you... What are you planning to do next? Continue using the beacons in this oasis for entrapment?"
"This place was specially prepared for you, and you can participate in the competition. The others are just like us, all elite veterans from various companies within the battle group. They're not that stupid... You didn't notice, did you? After the first hour, the elimination rate has slowed down considerably."
Erdos remained silent, and Draconis could tell why he was silent.
He shrugged, bandaged the wound Erdos had inflicted with his longsword with a bandage he carried, and after making sure it wouldn't affect his ability to fire in the upcoming battle, he picked up his sniper rifle, gathered his team, and headed in another direction.
The hunt was not over yet; besides themselves, there were forty-one other groups lurking in this place.
Only those who survive to the end have the chance to seize glory.
Chapter 69 The Army-wide Military Competition (Part 3)
"Commander Forros, what do you think?"
"They are very strong. These soldiers are worthy of the name of veterans. Whether in terms of tactics or individual strength, they are absolutely elite."
Malakin Forros stared at the image in the holographic projection, offering no flattery, but speaking with utmost seriousness.
In the scene, two warriors clad in the same color power armor are locked in combat. One wields a longsword, while the other carries a battle axe. Their teammates are also engaged in a duel nearby.
Because of the battle, large amounts of yellow sand were sometimes stirred up and sometimes torn to shreds by sharp weapons, with sparks flashing from time to time, giving the impression of fireworks blooming in the sky above the capital during the Emperor's Ascension Festival.
The battle didn't last long—once the first pair of fighters had a winner, the other battlegrounds could essentially conclude their own battles. After all, this wasn't a dueling cage, but a battlefield designed to be as realistic as possible, where one-on-one combat wasn't mandatory.
Another team has been eliminated.
Lin Qi looked up at the data panel in front of him. With a "ding," the number on it changed from "544" to "528."
"To receive such praise from you, I express my gratitude on behalf of those soldiers, Commander Forros."
"Hehe... Lord Lynch, you are joking. I am just an ordinary Astartes. No matter how good my judgment is, it cannot compare to yours."
Lynch didn't speak, but he knew that this was probably a compliment from the other party, or rather, it was said to Horus, who was watching the battle with great interest right next to him.
After all, as a mere mortal, and not very old, how could his vision compare to that of an Astartes Chapter Commander like Forros, who had roamed the stars for countless years?
An Astartes chapter commander was offering compliments to a mortal chosen one, hmm...
However, it's understandable. After all, the reason why the other party has this attitude towards him and Horus is partly to suppress Black Wrath, and partly because of the prospect of them resurrecting Saint Gilles.
If Lynch had resurrected not Sangilius, but Felus Manus, then the Iron Hands would probably have tried to make their cyborg faces look less creepy when they smiled.
This is the Primarch, and its appeal to the corresponding Astartes warrior.
Lin Qi lowered his eyes and continued to look at the dozens of holographic images projected in front of him.
After retrieving the weapons and equipment yesterday, he went back to his room to sleep. When he woke up the next day, the tactical combat competition had been fully prepared and was ready to begin at any time.
Ryan led Lin Qi to the pre-match assembly area. Without any speeches, the match began immediately. He then went to the viewing room, where he used the server-driven skulls scattered throughout the arena to create dozens of holographic displays, monitoring everything happening inside the arena in real time.
Lynch also invited the Weeping Ones, who were still docked on the track, to come down and watch the game. Forros was very obliging and brought his chapter priest and chief think tank, dressed in formal attire, and rode down on a Stormbird.
However, it seems the other side is quite interested in this competition. Perhaps they can hold similar competitions with other factions in the future? A faction battle royale? Each faction sends a small squad?
Forget about things that are too far away for now; let's focus on the game itself first.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Qi began to ponder the current state of the match.
Five hours have passed so far, and more than 300 people have been eliminated. If this pace continues, the competition will inevitably end with a points-based system after the twelve-hour competition period.
However, at this moment, everyone in the spectator room knew that this was an impossible thing.
Regardless of the purpose, in the last three hours, a wave of eliminations comparable to the first hour will sweep across the entire battlefield.
"call........."
Horus and Lynch both exhaled, then smiled at each other.
Let's take a look at the limits of these veterans (and their descendants).
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Draconis examined the weapon in his hand, his face now terrifyingly grim.
damn it.
He cursed inwardly, then looked at his teammates who, although they hadn't shown much promise, were clearly weakened by their lack of spirit, and his expression darkened even further.
One, two, three, four.
Draconis took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. They were unlucky; they were lying in ambush, but when it was time to make their move, they were attacked by two other squads at once.
If those two squads hadn't been in an ambush by sheer coincidence, not in collusion, and hadn't failed to spot each other, all sixteen men in their squads would likely have perished there.
but........
Draconis rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. After all, with only five of them and low morale, the chances of advancing to the top five and becoming a member of the Honor Guard were practically nonexistent.
Fortunately, quite a few people participated in the selection this time, or to put it more simply, almost the entire company participated in this selection.
After all, new recruits are kept in check by veterans to prevent them from forming teams and losing badly, thus embarrassing the company. Veterans, on the other hand, are kept in check by their superiors, company commanders, and chaplains.
The company was full of veterans, elite veterans, and the company commander was very supportive of the activity.
All that's needed is for a company to be selected to join the Honor Guard. Success doesn't have to be achieved by me; the company will surely prove its loyalty to the Father of Genetics, atone for past mistakes, and forge a new era of glory and brilliance...
“Tap tap.”
Draconis abruptly drew his pistol from his waist and aimed it at a tall desert plant not far away. His teammates, seeing this, reacted quickly, raising their weapons and aiming in the same direction.
"Who is it? Come out now, if you don't want to be eliminated."
"Don't be nervous, Sergeant Draconis. I'm here to discuss cooperation with you."
A calm male voice rang out, followed by a figure slowly emerging from behind the plants. Upon seeing that face, all five present were momentarily stunned—clearly, all five recognized the newcomer; in other words, within the Claw of the Stars, no one was unfamiliar with him.
Asford, the attendant who was neither acknowledged nor denied.
“I’m here on behalf of my team to talk to you, Sergeant.”
"There's nothing to talk about. I have no interest in your entrapment tactics. If you want to take action, go ahead, but I'll make sure you can't face the other teams."
"...I think you've misunderstood, Sergeant Draconis."
Asford slowly began to speak.
“I’m not here to persecute you. On the contrary, I’m here to help you become a member of the Honor Guard.”
Chapter 70 The Army-wide Military Competition (Part 4)
“Asford, I’m reminding you that although this place is as close to a simulated battlefield as possible, any cheating or loophole-exploiting behavior will not be tolerated.”
Upon hearing Asford's words, Draconis responded almost without hesitation. He looked coldly at the young member of the chapter before him, his tone carrying a strong warning.
"If you choose to leave now, I'll pretend I didn't see you... There are still seven hours left in the match. I don't know the current situation of your team, but play the match well and don't resort to any underhanded tactics. You still have a chance to become a member of the Honor Guard."
After speaking, the sergeant raised his hand and made a gesture. His men instinctively raised their weapons and aimed them at Asford, who was standing still, showing no sign of leaving or feeling any tension.
Asford raised his hands, but it gave the impression less of surrender and more of a demonstration of his harmlessness.
"Let me say a few last words, Sergeant Draconis. I know you don't trust me, but that's alright. I don't expect to gain your trust anyway. But I do intend to help you become a member of the Honor Guard... no, you could even say that I intend to help everyone who is still participating in this competition."
Draconis frowned slightly. He looked at the man in front of him who had taken off his helmet and was facing their threat of force with a calm expression. He pondered for a second before speaking.
"Explain yourself in one minute."
"The Honor Guard will follow Lord Lynch and are the most elite members of the warband. But in my opinion, the current competition is not strong enough to select the truly elite warriors."
"What are you going to do?"
"With five hours left, I hope all teams can reach a consensus and proactively reveal their positions, turning this competition into a true battle royale."
"...That's kind of funny, Asford."
"I'm just suggesting this; whether you do it or not is up to you. We all have signal flares on us. If you'd like, you can fire one in three hours."
"What if I don't want to? You should know that I am a sergeant in the first company, and the one who is best at sniping tactics."
"It doesn't matter."
Asford replied calmly, turning his back to Draconis.
"I just want to choose the best warriors for him, even if it means I can't be one of those standing by his side. He is practically the father of our genes now, and we cannot lose him on the path of redemption."
Draconis remained silent, lowering his head. When he looked up again, he found that Asford had vanished.
"Draconis brothers, should we agree to his request?"
One of the team members asked a question, and after taking a deep breath, Draconis made his own choice.
"Let's wait and see. He certainly won't just target our small team for something like this. We'll know everything in three hours."
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What is this kid trying to do?
Inside the spectator room, Bell frowned as he watched Asford leave the fifth squad.
The servo skull, suspended in the air, can recreate the entire arena, but it cannot synchronize with the most subtle sounds on the battlefield.
So at this moment, all the people in the observation room could see was an Astartes warrior constantly moving between the various squads, saying something to his leader each time, and then managing to escape unscathed each time.
"Where is his squad?"
Bell asked Eric, who was standing next to him, a question. Eric picked up a data panel and started looking it up. Eric's brows furrowed, as if he wanted to twist a lump out of Eric's face.
"He was the only one left. The rest of his squad were all new recruits who had just undergone modification surgery less than two years ago, so they were taken out by other squads as soon as they entered the battlefield."
"Then what happened to him?"
"He single-handedly wiped out all the veterans who were chasing him, and then began his current operation, picking up squads one by one and saying something to them."
"How is that possible? How come we didn't notice it at the time?"
"At the time, several teams entered into a melee on the field, and the outcome of the battle was already predetermined, so we didn't notice it. I only found out about it after checking the historical records of the four skulls."
"Asford... he doesn't have psionic powers?"
"No psionic energy was used."
Bell took a deep breath and began to re-examine this fighting brother whom he had recently rejected and was considering training as a think tank member.