Capítulo 99: Chapter 99: Replicas Assembled, Major Victory Achieved
Aware of the cunning nature of the insect horde, Li Ran had prepared in advance. By 9:30 AM, he had the soldiers split into three groups, with twelve in each squad, taking turns to rest and eat in the central area. The rations were preheated, taking only five minutes to consume.
Two-thirds of the soldiers remained on duty, ensuring the outpost's defenses stayed strong. This setup meant that even if the insects launched a sudden attack, they could hold the line until the resting soldiers returned to reinforce.
This strategy addressed the manpower shortage issue.
The outpost was larger than the main fort, and Lin Feng knew it required at least 150 soldiers to fully staff all positions. With 200, there would be sufficient room for logistical support and rest rotations.
However, due to Qin Hu's unforeseen circumstances and the resulting ripple effects, the outpost was left with only about a hundred troops, forcing Lin Feng to focus on quality over quantity.
In addition to enhancing the team's overall combat strength, Lin Feng had crafted over fifty divine-grade handguns from the steel Han Yuxin provided. These guns transformed into heavy machine gun forms, mounted on both levels of the fortress.
This setup doubled the firepower compared to the main defense forts.
The heavy machine guns, as replicas of the Lv19 grenade launcher, featured unlimited ammo and full durability, avoiding overheating issues. While users couldn't activate other attributes, these guns were undoubtedly the pinnacle of white-tier weapons.
However, users only received one-tenth of the kill upgrade points, the sole drawback of these replicas. Lin Feng speculated that the remaining nine-tenths were used to sustain the replicas' existence.
Without system support, achieving unlimited ammo and additional effects required compensating from elsewhere.
Nonetheless, faced with a major threat, these super weapons were invaluable treasures, even if it meant needing ten kills instead of one.
With the overwhelming insect tide, there was no shortage of targets.
Through experimentation, Lin Feng discovered that ordinary weapons only yielded upgrade effects when killing insects within 100 meters. Long-range kills provided no benefits.
This was why, during the initial Lv10 vehicle upgrade, proximity to the battlefield was necessary to absorb the energy released from mass insect deaths.
His bound weapons and equipment didn't have this limitation, a unique advantage granted by the system.
As replicas of the Lv19 grenade launcher, the divine-grade handguns shared this advantage.
Thus, the replicas were far more useful than ordinary weapons.
Moreover, holders couldn't use them to threaten him, and they lost effectiveness beyond a certain distance from the original.
To maximize benefits, Lin Feng instructed all soldiers that if the Black Spinal Bug army approached within 100 meters, they should switch to grenade launchers and autocannons for rapid suppression.
This was because heavy machine guns lacked sufficient firepower at close range, and using regular weapons allowed full benefit realization for further upgrades and awakenings.
Heavy machine gun barrages could heavily wound Black Spinal Bugs, and with proper coordination, killing a few wasn't an issue.
As they neared the outpost, autocannon fire could easily finish them off.
Once they accumulated enough kills, Lin Feng would assist in upgrading, enhancing their lethality.
This meticulous plan significantly boosted the outpost's combat capabilities.
With Li Ran's seasoned command...
The first battle commenced at noon.
As scouts raised the alarm, nearly a hundred soldiers manned their mounted heavy machine guns, aiming at the approaching swarm of Black Spinal Bugs hundreds of meters away, and unleashed a torrent of gunfire.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!!!" x50!
The bastion structure's design now proved its worth.
The protruding gear-like features tripled the single-facing firepower, and with the heavy machine guns' might, bullets rapidly poured into the Black Spinal Bug swarm.
The 12.7mm bullets, each dealing 40 damage, rained down like a deluge, striking the Black Spinal Bugs' armored shells.
Though only leaving dents, the high rate of fire meant each target took multiple hits.
This meant the Bugs' limbs would be severed before reaching the fortress, rendering them immobile.
As long as they weren't dead, the machine guns continued firing.
With unlimited ammo, these replicas could fire indefinitely.
Lin Feng had emphasized this.
Having exploited Red Beetle growth bugs in Haicheng, he understood the insects' terrifying recovery and regeneration capabilities.
Allowing Red Beetles to retrieve injured Black Spinal Bugs would nullify the operation's gains.
Not only would recruits gain little, but the insects would suffer minimal losses, while gaining intelligence on their firepower and tactics.
Lin Feng couldn't accept this.
Thus, under continuous heavy machine gun suppression, swarms of Red Beetles emerging near the Black Spinal Bug burrows suffered heavy casualties and dared not show themselves.
As the lowest-tier insects, even handgun bullets posed a threat, let alone the 40-damage heavy machine gun rounds, which could kill in one hit.
Leaving hundreds of corpses, they retreated into the burrows.
Digging new tunnels to reach the Bugs would take at least ten minutes.
During this window, the severely wounded Black Spinal Bugs were mercilessly culled.
Despite numbering over 300, the conversion to user benefits equated to 30 Black Spinal Bugs, allowing numerous Lv9 enhancers to achieve their first kills and rest to awaken.
Several awakeners advanced to Lv11, feeling a warm flow enhancing their attributes.
When the last Black Spinal Bug fell, leaving a field of shattered corpses, and no new insects appeared...
Li Ran and the squad leaders halted the excited soldiers' fire.
Though ammo was unlimited, there was no need to waste it, revealing their capabilities and encouraging the queen to avoid their heavily fortified outpost.
This would hinder further upgrades and Lin Feng's ultimate goals.
As the gunfire subsided, the soldiers, snapping out of their excitement, erupted in cheers and shouts.
The seemingly invincible alien insects didn't seem so terrifying after all.
They failed to realize that without the Lv9 divine-grade handgun replicas, they would have needed to reload multiple times in the fifteen-minute battle, exposing numerous issues and giving the Black Spinal Bugs chances to breach the outpost.
Only Li Ran and a few veterans understood how easily they won.
Without Lin Feng's support, the recruits couldn't have endured the initial days' trials, even with concrete fortifications.
Though somewhat unlucky, they were fortunate to encounter Lin Feng, a powerful, enigmatic awakener.
Li Ran now grasped that the sergeant major in the outpost's heart, in the vehicle's lookout, possessed abilities far beyond super bullets.
His true power was likely a rare fusion of physical and mental abilities.
Similar to weapon synthesis...
This explained how a seemingly ordinary vehicle transformed into the formidable anti-air weapon guarding the outpost.
The rotating gun turrets, like claws reaching for the sky, warned the Blue Wing Bugs that had previously inflicted severe casualties on the Thirteenth Division to stay away.
Otherwise, they'd face a torrent of bullets and certain death!
Respect for Lin Feng surged within Li Ran.
Recalling Qin Hu's repeated advice from his hospital bed:
Following Lin Feng was the best chance for survival in this chaotic world.
Initially doubtful, Li Ran wondered how a lone awakener could rival the military's might.
But the battle's outcome spoke louder than any rumors.
The outpost's triumph over the insects wasn't due to the new awakeners but the enigmatic sergeant major...
Instructing veteran leaders to calm the recruits, Li Ran and Shen Jie approached Lin Feng's vehicle to report the victory.
Unexpectedly, the sergeant major, expressionless
, responded from above:
"The insects are tunneling through the entire line. Have the recruits prepare for tonight's all-around insect swarm!"
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