Bab 32: Clearing Operation Part 4
Platoon 1 and 2 entered the Ager's Forest with their weapons trained in every direction. They were like a swarm of pests invading a forest and disturbing its natural ecosystem.
One of the soldiers from the group noticed something quite strange and approached it. As he got closer to it, he saw a waterfall with huge fireflies hovering in the air. For comparison, the firefly is as big as a ball from a basketball.
"All stations be advised, I found a body of water north of the Ager's forest. It looked like a pond."
After reporting that, he felt stupid as he realized there's not a need to inform the whole crew about him finding a pond supplied by a waterfall. However, just as he was about to leave, his path was blocked by the fireflies.
"What the…"
Suddenly—one of the fireflies droned in with their sharp, luminescent bodies and struck the soldier on his arm. Pain shot through him as he instinctively reacted, raising his M4 Carbine and pulling the trigger. The sound of gunfire echoed through the forest, sharp and loud, causing the other soldiers to snap to attention.
"Contact! North of the forest, by the pond!" the soldier yelled, clutching his bleeding arm.
The rest of the platoons immediately turned their attention towards the direction of the gunfire.
"Hold your fire!" Alpha 1 commanded as they arrived at the scene.
"Damn it, those things are huge," another soldier muttered, training his sight on the fireflies.
"Alpha 1, what's your status?" Vincent's voice came through the radio, calm but urgent.
"Actual, we have a situation here. Giant fireflies, one of our men got hit. No fatalities, but we might need to deal with these things," Alpha 1 reported.
"You said fireflies, those small insects…"
"No, they are quite larger," Alpha 1 clarified. "More like the size of a basketball and aggressive."
"You know the rules of engagement," Vincent reminded.
The fireflies, now agitated by the gunfire, began to swarm more aggressively. Alpha 1 gave the order, and the soldiers opened fire, aiming carefully to avoid wasting ammunition. The large insects buzzed frantically, but the disciplined soldiers quickly brought them down with precise shots.
One by one, the fireflies fell to the ground, their glowing bodies extinguished by the hail of bullets. The forest quieted down once more, the immediate threat neutralized.
"Area secure," Alpha 1 confirmed. "We are moving now. And you over there, don't stray from the group again. Stick together and stay alert."
The soldier nodded, still nursing his injured arm, as the platoons regrouped and continued their advance through the forest. The Challenger Tank rumbled forward, leading the way with its massive presence. Its main gun swiveled, scanning for any threats that might emerge from nowhere.
The gunner armed with the M2 Browning atop the Challenger Tank scanned the area. Suddenly, he spotted something running on all fours. He squinted his eyes to get a closer look. It looked like a wolf—a pack of them! And they were charging towards them fast.
"Contact! Wolves incoming! South of the forest!" the gunner yelled.
The soldiers quickly turned their weapons toward the approaching threat. The wolves were not ordinary; they were larger, with glowing eyes and sharp, gleaming teeth. The pack moved swiftly, closing the distance rapidly.
"Open fire!"
The soldiers unleashed a barrage of bullets. The M2 Browning roared to life, its heavy rounds tearing through the air. The first few wolves fell, but the pack continued to charge, undeterred by their fallen comrades.
The wolves zigzagged through the trees, trying to evade the gunfire. Despite their agility, the combined firepower of the infantry, IFV, and the tank proved overwhelming. The wolves were cut down one by one, their bodies hitting the forest floor with heavy thuds.
Just as the last wolf fell, a new threat emerged from the deforested area. Kobolds, just as Viper 1 had reported earlier, started pouring out from the clearing.
"More contacts! Kobolds incoming from the deforested area!" a soldier shouted.
The soldiers quickly adjusted their aim, opening fire on the advancing kobolds. The sound of gunfire filled the air once more, but the sheer number of kobolds made it difficult to hold them back.
"We need more firepower!" Alpha 1 called out.
The gunner atop the Challenger Tank, seeing the overwhelming numbers, made a quick decision. He swiveled the turret, aiming the tank's 120mm smoothbore cannon at the densest part of the kobold horde.
"Main gun, ready to fire!" the tank commander shouted.
"Fire!"
The Challenger Tank's cannon roared, sending a high-explosive round hurtling towards the kobolds. The explosion was immense, sending bodies flying and reducing the immediate threat significantly. The shockwave rattled the trees and sent a plume of smoke and debris into the air.
"Reload!" the tank commander ordered, and the crew quickly prepared another round.
"Fire!"
The Challenger Tank's cannon roared once more, sending another high-explosive round into the heart of the kobold horde. The blast was deafening, obliterating everything in its path. The kobolds were thrown into disarray, their numbers rapidly diminishing under the relentless assault.
The infantry took advantage of the chaos, focusing their fire on the scattered and disoriented kobolds. The M2 Browning continued its deadly work, mowing down any kobolds that dared to come too close.
"Push forward! Don't let them regroup!"
The soldiers advanced, maintaining their formation as they pressed the attack. The Challenger Tank led the way, its main gun and machine guns laying down a withering hail of fire. The kobolds, now facing overwhelming firepower, began to retreat, their morale broken.
"This is Platoon 1 leader, call for fire, target are the kobolds running away from us due north!"
"This is Viper 2, call for fire acknowledged. Engaging targets," Viper 2 responded over the radio.
Viper 2 swooped in low over the retreating kobolds. The pilot, with a clear view of the chaotic scene below, wasted no time. He selected the 20mm M197 three-barrel rotary cannon and began firing. The cannon roared, its high-velocity rounds tearing through the retreating kobolds.
The pilot then switched to the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, locking onto clusters of fleeing kobolds. "Missiles away," he reported as he fired. The Hellfire missiles streaked from their launch rails, honing in on their targets. The explosions were massive, sending kobold bodies flying and creating craters in the ground.
The surviving kobolds scattered, their ranks decimated by the relentless aerial assault. Viper 2 wasn't finished yet. The pilot switched to the Hydra 70 rocket pods and unleashed a barrage of rockets. The unguided rockets rained down on the kobolds, creating a carpet of explosions. The forest floor erupted in flames and debris, annihilating the remaining kobolds.
"Targets neutralized," Viper 2 reported. "Area clear."
"Good work, Viper 2. We are entering the Deforested area now!"
Hadiah
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