SCOM - Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Once the two of them knew where the third-generation robot dogs' chips were, they immediately contacted the others, informing them that the chips were in the dogs' throats and that destroying them would cause an explosion.
As long as they could lure the robot dogs together, hitting one chip would damage the others. With enough explosions, the power would stack, triggering a chain reaction.
“They’re in the underground shelter. We’ll go to the Starship Port.” Zuo Luohuan had grabbed Ji Yuezhi’s wrist a moment ago and hadn’t let go. She had forgotten, and Ji Yuezhi hadn’t reminded her.
The two of them headed for the Starship Port, one after the other.
The situation was clearly not good. The path was littered with all sorts of bloodstains, as well as scattered suitcases, shoes, and other items. And, of course, there were mangled body parts.
Zuo Luohuan’s expression grew colder. She didn't know how many Western United Army soldiers had been sacrificed along this path. They still had to hold out here for two days, waiting for reinforcements from the capital.
Ji Yuezhi pulled Zuo Luohuan to a stop at a corner. He bent down, picked up a blood-stained light gun from the ground, and handed it to her. “It still works.”
Zuo Luohuan released his wrist and took the light gun. Wiping the blood off with her sleeve, she said in a low voice, “Sooner or later, the Gashiro will pay for this blood debt, piece by piece.”
Following the trail of blood, the two discovered that the Starship Port was under fierce attack. Swarms of third-generation robot dogs, like an army, were densely packed and assaulting the Western United Army soldiers defending the area.
The runway at the Starship Port had just been repaired. If the robot dogs self-destructed, it would likely be destroyed again.
“The Seventeenth Army’s starships can land,” Ji Yuezhi said. “As long as there’s a port, the runway doesn’t matter.”
Zuo Luohuan looked at the frantically attacking robot dogs and understood. The person behind this clearly knew the capabilities of the incoming Seventeenth Army. That was why they were attacking the Western United Army soldiers, not the runway.
Ji Yuezhi contacted the current leader of the Western United Army at the Starship Port and requested a temporary transfer of command. The other party agreed.
Zuo Luohuan looked over. “I’ll follow your command.”
“Luo Shaoyuan, Jiang Hong, and the others are heading for the administrative center.” Various pieces of information converged on Ji Yuezhi’s optical computer. He quickly relayed it, then told Zuo Luohuan to approach from the flank and rendezvous with a small squad of the Western United Army. “I need you to lure the third-generation robot dogs into opening their mouths. Snipers will attack the chips in their throats.”
He was going to trigger a chain reaction of explosions among the third-generation robot dogs.
The Gashiro’s main purpose for placing explosives on the robot dogs was to prevent the Federation from obtaining the materials used in the machine series. Unexpectedly, this had now become their greatest vulnerability.
Once Ji Yuezhi had gathered the snipers and they began moving and attacking in coordination with Zuo Luohuan’s squad, the once-dense swarm of robot dogs erupted in a series of explosions, allowing the Western United Army at the Starship Port to breathe a sigh of relief.
Ji Yuezhi watched as Zuo Luohuan led a squad ahead, luring the robot dogs to run with their mouths wide open, and had the snipers behind him prepare.
To their rear flank, a Western United Army soldier suddenly fell. Just as an approaching robot dog was about to bite his head, Zuo Luohuan caught it in her peripheral vision. She instantly turned, slid sideways, and pushed the soldier’s head down. But the robot dog had already lunged, biting down on Zuo Luohuan’s arm and tearing away a chunk of flesh.
Ji Yuezhi saw this through his scope. His heart clenched, and he fired a shot at the robot dog’s forehead.
The impact of the bullet sent it flying backward, crashing into other robot dogs.
Zuo Luohuan paid no mind to her arm and pulled the Western United Army soldier up from the ground. “Can you move?”
“Yes!” The soldier’s foot had been injured earlier, but he had been enduring it, which was why he had finally fallen.
Zuo Luohuan fell in behind the soldier and turned back, ready to deal with the charging robot dog. The next second, the dog was shot in both eyes.
Zuo Luohuan knew who it was. She raised an eyebrow slightly, kicked the robot dog in the forehead, and started running forward again.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the robot dogs behind them, Ji Yuezhi ordered, “Engage!”
The snipers aimed at the open-mouthed robot dogs, hitting the chips in their throats and triggering explosions.
Ji Yuezhi didn’t fire along with them. Instead, through his scope, he targeted the robot dog that had bitten Zuo Luohuan’s arm. He almost vengefully shot its limbs, its teeth… only hitting the chip in its throat last.
Not every lure team could escape unscathed. Some Western United Army soldiers were too slow and ended up in situations like the one just now. Not every team had a Zuo Luohuan; death was unavoidable.
It was unknown how many robot dogs the Gashiro had placed at the port. They fought from day to night with almost no rest, only able to catch their breath while reloading energy blocks.
“…No need to defend the Starship Port. Everyone, retreat to the underground shelter. Leave a small group to stand guard outside,” Ji Yuezhi ordered. “We’ll wait for them to run out of energy.”
They only needed to hold on for one more day.
However, someone had previously opened one of the robot dogs disguised as a crate. The energy blocks inside were likely what they used, and there were at least five blocks in each.
They had to lure them into consuming their energy quickly, but it was unknown if the robot dogs would self-destruct after their power was depleted.
Everything Ji Yuezhi did here was synchronized and transmitted to the administrative center and the mine. The administrative center had plenty of army groups, and while the Winter Army at the mine consisted of elites, countless robot dogs were emerging from underground there. They had to focus on preventing the dogs from escaping towards the city, and were now in a crisis.
A single day felt so long.
“No one came from the Western Region.” Zuo Luohuan looked down as Ji Yuezhi bandaged her wound. Under the light, his long lashes were slightly lowered, casting a shadow beneath the bridge of his nose. Even knowing the time and place were wrong, her heart still felt a little itchy watching him.
A large chunk of flesh had been torn from her arm, a gruesome sight, yet Zuo Luohuan didn’t even react as he applied the medicine.
Ji Yuezhi’s face was pale as he carefully wrapped the gauze around her arm. “Too many from the Western United Army came. The Western Region can’t send any more people.”
The Western Region needed its military strength to maintain stability, especially since they didn't know if the Gashiro’s next step would be to attack the Western Region’s border. Even though they were closer, they couldn’t send anyone over and could only wait for the army groups from the capital.
“Yan Yan has already led people to move all the citizens underground. The army groups from the administrative center are moving towards the mine,” Ji Yuezhi continued. “They should arrive there by tomorrow morning.”
The reason the Winter Army couldn’t leave the mine even after the residents were evacuated was because of that eastern mine. They couldn't possibly all withdraw. If something unexpected happened, the Federation would once again lose its Silver-Blue ore.
Zuo Luohuan wasn’t listening at all. She stared at Ji Yuezhi’s face, feeling his light breath on her arm, and her blood began to surge. Finally, unable to hold back, she reached out with her uninjured hand and lifted his chin.
“What’s wrong?” Caught off guard, Ji Yuezhi’s face was lifted. His beautiful, clear eyes looked at Zuo Luohuan, a little lost. “Does it hurt?”
Hearing his question, Zuo Luohuan sobered up a little. “It doesn’t hurt.”
She released his chin and wiped the corner of his eye with her fingertip. A drop of blood was there, looking just like a red mole. As she wiped it, it smudged into a patch of red.
Ji Yuezhi had almost finished tying the gauze. He wasn’t in a hurry, simply watching Zuo Luohuan quietly, letting her wipe his face, appearing so docile it stirred one’s pity.
Seeing that she couldn’t wipe it clean with her hand, Zuo Luohuan thought of using her sleeve, but her sleeve wasn’t very clean either, so she gave up. “There’s blood here.”
Ji Yuezhi nodded and said okay.
“You used to feel sick just smelling a little blood on me. Why not now?” Zuo Luohuan suddenly asked, referring to the night of the coming-of-age ceremony.
“I’ve bandaged you during training before,” Ji Yuezhi said, averting his eyes. “The coming-of-age ceremony was because I was in my differentiation period.”
“Mm.” Zuo Luohuan actually wanted to see him lose his composure because of her scent, but she retained a sliver of reason and didn't say it out loud.
But Ji Yuezhi turned back to look at Zuo Luohuan. “Do you… want to smell my pheromones?”
He had noticed.
Zuo Luohuan’s breath hitched. She didn't know if it was from blood loss or if her Alpha Susceptible Period had arrived, but her gaze on him had deepened considerably.
Zuo Luohuan suddenly let out a laugh. The fingertips of the hand on her bandaged arm still had her own wet blood on them. She extended two fingers, smeared the blood on his lips, and ground it in forcefully, staining Ji Yuezhi’s two soft lips red.
Her eyes held a deep desire that swept over him like a tidal wave.
Ji Yuezhi let her stain his lips with her blood, his body nearly trembling as he gazed into Zuo Luohuan’s eyes.
That kind of gaze… filled with possessiveness, tinged with lust, was the look of someone wanting to claim an Omega as their own.
“I don’t.” After smearing Ji Yuezhi’s lips red with her blood as if marking her property, Zuo Luohuan finally released him. “Not here.”
Bewitched by her gaze, Ji Yuezhi murmured, “Can we, in another place?”
Every part of Zuo Luohuan’s body was screaming, but she still remembered where they were and what they were facing. She reached out and covered Ji Yuezhi’s eyes, feeling his long lashes flutter against her palm. “Your father will be here tomorrow. We can go back in a few days.”
Ji Yuezhi let her cover his eyes and said no more. After a moment, the two of them finally calmed down.
Zuo Luohuan released him. “You rest for a while.”
She tightened the knot on her gauze with her teeth, then stood up and walked outside. She had rested enough; it was time to continue dealing with those third-generation robot dogs.
Ji Yuezhi watched Zuo Luohuan’s retreating back, a faint blush spreading from his ears. His heart was pounding so fast. He had almost thought she was going to say those words to him.
—The words he wanted to say.
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