Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: #Seventh California, Camp Roberts (3)
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As they approached the destination, visibility worsened. Smoke like clouds blocked the sunlight.
The fires weren't in just one or two places. Several hills in the distance were burning entirely. Was it due to careless bombing, or the work of the 「Trickster」? In Winter's view, it was the latter. The group that raided Camp Roberts might have joined up here. Or perhaps experience had been transferred.
Either way, it was a poor environment for receiving air support.
A helicopter lay crashed by the roadside they passed. It seemed to have descended too aggressively to secure visibility, only to be hit by an EMP or a 「Grumble」's throwing pattern. There would be no survivors. It was burning, and burning ammunition was exploding with loud pops.
The roar of overlapping helicopter rotors approached. Covering fire rained down from above the side of the vehicle column.
Vrooooom—vroooom—
It was a weapon called a Minigun. With six rotating barrels firing 4,000 rounds per minute, the sound was closer to a broken wind instrument than gunfire. The two transport helicopters appeared to have brought ammunition instead of passengers. Despite the insane ammo consumption, they projected firepower over a long period.
Thanks to them, the tank and Humvee gunners had less pressure. The number of variants approaching from the front and both flanks was no joke.
Winter, too, rested his arm on the window frame, placed his rifle on top, and fired.
As the helicopters departed, the company's advance slowed. Even if the density was low, pushing through variants swarming from all directions wasn't easy.
"They're targeting the rear! Defend the supply vehicles first!"
The company commander's shout crackled over the radio. Indeed, the assault was concentrating on the back of the column. Only two Humvees guarded that section. If the ammo trucks or fuel tankers were hit, the rescue mission would face serious setbacks.
This confirmed the variants were acting strategically. They understood human combat methods and weaknesses, formulating attack plans accordingly.
They also hid the strong among the weak. Ghouls were sporadically mixed in with regular variants. These enhanced variants, tougher than ordinary ones, were dangerous to let approach due to their agility alone. Winter prioritized hunting them down.
Whoosh—
From the right at long range, a tree uprooted at the base flew in a near-straight parabolic arc. It targeted the ammo transport vehicle, landing with only a five-meter margin of error.
"Jesus!"
A scream cut across the radio. The vehicle swerved hard left, tilted to one side, then barely regained balance. It had nearly flipped.
It had to be a 「Grumble」, but smoke obscured all but its outline.
That's when the tank stepped up.
Whiiiirrr—
With a ferocious gas turbine roar, the 60-ton steel beast protruding from the flank zigzagged forward, mercilessly crushing approaching variants. Any sucked into the gap between the tracks and the ground had little hope of survival.
Another tree came flying. The tank accelerated to block the transport vehicle. Perfect timing. The driver's skill was impressive. The tree slammed into the tank. The tank rocked violently.
"Meerkat 3 hit!"
Winter shook for a moment. The callsign didn't suit it at all.
Meerkat 3 kept moving steadily. It turned its turret toward the 「Grumble」. With the tank's main gun, there was no need to aim for weak points. Just target the center silhouette and fire.
Flash. Boom! Muzzle flame erupted, smoke swirling and dispersing around the barrel.
KyaAAAAAH—!
The massive monster that took a direct hit let out a pained screech. At that instant, a chance gust cleared the smoke. The target had its right arm torn off from the shoulder. Meerkat 1 and 2 fired almost simultaneously. Shells from different angles tore the 「Grumble」 apart top to bottom.
Lieutenant Durant radioed in.
"Grumble down. Good work. From now on, 1 will take point. 2 on rear, 3 and 4 handle flank defense."
With the 「Grumble」 threat gone, the tank commanders popped up top and manned their machine guns. Bravo Company, the tank platoon, and supply unit finally broke through the variants' assault.
From the nearing destination came a duet of gunfire and explosions. Winter gauged the distance by the interval between flashes and blasts.
‘About three minutes ahead.’
They'd enter the main battlefield in three minutes.
A thermal imaging overview of the combat zone appeared on the tracker monitor. It was transmitted from the forward air controller. The low frame rate made it choppy, and fires plus smoke obscured much, but it was enough to assess the situation.
Friendlies seemed clustered in a distillery atop a low vineyard hill. More trucks than combat vehicles suggested refugees or civilians were with them. Variants swarmed toward them from all directions.
"Break, break! Company commander! All vehicles brace for impact! Air force says they're fuel-air bombing to blow away the smoke!"
"Oh, shit!"
The turret gunner scrambled back inside in horror.
Fuel-air bombs created storms via thermal expansion. The air force versions were huge. Within effective range, people were shredded or pulped, vehicles disassembled, even tanks flipped.
Not this time. For some reason, they'd detonate outside the kill zone to clear visibility. Insane, yet ingenious.
‘Isn't that too risky?’
Winter worried about friendly fire. They had to drop it on the knife-edge between sparing friendlies and dispersing smoke—easier said than done.
‘It might prove how desperate they are.’
The trapped ones at the distillery might have requested it themselves.
The bomb detonated.
From the 11 o'clock direction, smoke swept away like a wave. Clunk! The vehicle shook violently as if hitting something. Damn it! The driver's short curse. Something had smacked painfully somewhere.
Variants closing in during the firepower gap tumbled wildly. Like being hammered by an invisible mallet.
It didn't end with one. A formation of fighter-bombers flew in repeatedly, dropping dozens in succession. Seemed aimed at snuffing nearby forest fires too. They'd reignite from embers soon enough, but the Marines needed that brief window.
"Destination in sight!"
The gunner who'd climbed back to the turret shouted after the bombing passed. Winter saw it too. With smoke gone, it was surprisingly close. Accelerate, and they'd arrive in no time.
But before that, the defensive line around the distillery teetered on collapse. Close-quarters combat had broken out in spots. Winter immediately leaned out the window and aimed his rifle.
Bang! Bang! Rat-tat-tat!
A soldier raising a field shovel flailed, losing his target. Four close-range variants dropped in succession. The same happened along the line. Ammo-starved soldiers, spotting them, cheered in relief.
Part of the line was a barricade of linked vehicles. Soldiers defending, variants climbing—a desperate struggle. For some reason, a tank charged that way. It barreled through variants, crushing them, then pressed its hull tight and ground against them.
Variants caught between barricade and tank had guts ruptured, spines snapped.
Whiiiirrr—
Repeating forward and reverse, pushing, trampling, crushing—the tank cleared dozens in seconds. Impossible for a Humvee. The tank driver's distance judgment was masterful.
As supply vehicles reached the line, the tide turned sharply.
Of course, some couldn't benefit.
A soldier wielding dual field shovels hacked wildly at variants. Fiercely brave, terrifyingly so. How he summoned such strength, each full swing felled one for sure. Winter, shouldering a duffel of full mags, approached from behind and cleanly picked off nearby variants.
He was winded. The soldier heaved his shoulders. Even as comrades focused on reloading, he stayed rooted, hammer-like. Combat fatigue? Winter called to him.
"You! Come get some mags!"
He turned slowly, tears streaming. Winter spotted bite marks on him.
"Damn..."
Not just one or two. Not bravery—desperation. Time had passed since the bites; discolored skin and veins spread to his jawline.
Bang!
A red hole popped in the shovel soldier's forehead.
Winter glanced toward the shot. The shooter looked pale as a ghost. Reflex before reason.
"U-u-uaaaaaah!"
He convulsed. Shaking wildly, screaming. No, no, no! Save me! I wanna see Mom! Wanna go home! His breakdown was perilously fragile. Extreme fear and stress-induced panic attack, shell shock.
The problem: he still held his weapon. Freshly reloaded, just one round fired, plenty left in the full-auto.
「Survival Instinct」 blared sharply.
"Down!"
No sooner had Winter yelled than the panicked soldier sprayed everywhere. Those on guard like Winter barely dodged. But others, busy firing at resurgent variants, missed the warning.
Casualties mounted.
"Gillard! Stop!"
Two soldiers who'd dodged rushed their deranged comrade.
"Don't come! You monsters! Stay back!"
His hand fumbled for a grenade. Winter switched to pistol in a flash and shot his hand five times. Rushed aim, but had to be sure.
The rounds through his hand stopped at the vest. A rifle at this range would've penetrated.
The two comrades pinning crazy Gillard panted. They nodded thanks to Winter.
The medic rushed to tend the wounded.
Despite the mishap, the situation steadily improved. Winter realized interference on the radio had cleared. At least locally, the 「Trickster」 had decided to withdraw. No chance now that Marine firepower was restored.
No position to pursue. Ammo wasn't infinite, and civilians sheltered in the distillery were an issue.
New reinforcements arrived from the north. The scale of vehicles and troops piercing smoke was at least company-sized. Their momentum sweeping remnant variants was impressive.
Winter patrolled the line, checking for lingering threats.
"Enemy sighted ahead!"
Turning at a soldier's shout, he spotted variants milling near the smoking forest.
Tricky range. Winter found their behavior odd. Not attacking, not fleeing. Puzzling, but a guess hit him.
‘Decoy?’
A tail left to distract. Sacrificed so more could escape safely. Just like a 「Trickster」 ploy.
No reason to spare them anyway. A Humvee braked before Winter. The driver inside beckoned.
"Get in, Lieutenant. Orders to mop up adjacent enemies."
"Orders? From the company commander?"
"No. You haven't heard yet. We're attached to 1st Battalion until rescue ops end."
"1st Battalion?"
"Yes. Most here are 160th Regiment 1st Battalion. Some from elsewhere mixed in. The new arrivals are 2nd Battalion's 1st Company from Hunter Liggett."
Word was reinforcements weren't just from Camp Roberts. A company from 2nd Battalion up at Fort Hunter Liggett had deployed too.
Coincidentally, forces dispatched from each battalion of the 「Seventh California」 had gathered in one place.
============================ Author's Notes ============================
1. July 20 PM, chat with author and friends
Author: Ah, I miss Overwatch. Bought it and haven't played in a week.
Office worker friend: No need to miss it that much.
Author: Nah, I do.
Author: But thinking of people's chat makes the longing fade.
Manhwa artist friend: lololololololololololololololol
2.
Q. thecrazy: @Living at night and sleeping during day is great for the body
A. True, but I hope readers stay healthy. Sleeping at night isn't that harmful, they say.
Q. RGZ95: @I'll cut sleep for the columbarium @[email protected]
A. As the author, I don't want to cut sleep for the columbarium. What to do?
Q. hotroad: Never seen liters used in military except when citing US drink gallons or engine specs in gallons.
A. No, not always. But that was similar to specs.
Q. OldDuckBeaver: @Darker than Darkest Dungeon, recommend Souls series to recharge innocence.
A. Dark Souls is too hard. Author has ten legs so plays games with feet.
And writes novels with feet, so each line smells like... no, never mind.
Gotta transplant fingers to feet or something.
Q. PotatoPeel: Author-nim, other novels? Not on Joara, maybe Munpia or KakaoPage?
A. Only public one is parody Halkeginia Sealbreaker... but not that fun.
Q. PeachBlossomGarden: @Innocence-recharging game in 60 sec
A. Ah, that game really feels innocent. Plan to buy someday.
But already over 100 games bought and unplayed... sigh...