SCOM - Chapter 71
Chapter 71
After discovering the location of the Gen 3 robot dogs' chips, they immediately contacted the others, informing them that the chips were in the dogs' throats and that destroying them would cause an explosion. If they could lure the robot dogs together, hitting one chip would trigger a chain reaction, causing enough damage to set off a massive explosion.
“They're in the underground escape shelter. We're going to the landing field.” Zuo Luohuan hadn't let go of Ji Yuezhi's wrist since grabbing it earlier. She'd forgotten, and he hadn't reminded her.
They walked towards the landing field, one behind the other. The situation was clearly dire. Bloodstains, scattered luggage, shoes, and even dismembered bodies littered the path.
Zuo Luohuan's expression grew colder with each step. She knew countless West Union Army soldiers had been sacrificed along the way, and they still had to hold out for two more days, waiting for reinforcements from the capital.
Ji Yuezhi stopped Zuo Luohuan at a corner. He bent down, picked up a bloodstained light gun, and handed it to her. “It still works.”
Zuo Luohuan released his wrist, took the gun, wiped the blood off with her sleeve, and muttered, “The Gashro will pay for this bloodshed, every last drop.”
Following the trail of blood, they found the port's landing field under heavy attack. Swarms of Gen 3 robot dogs, like a mechanized army, relentlessly assaulted the West Union Army soldiers defending the area.
The landing strip had just been repaired. If the robot dogs exploded there, it would be destroyed again.
“The Seventeenth Army's warships can still land,” Ji Yuezhi said. “As long as the landing field is intact, the strip doesn't matter.”
Watching the frenzied robot dogs, Zuo Luohuan understood. The enemy clearly knew the capabilities of the incoming Seventeenth Army reinforcements. They were targeting the West Union Army, not the landing strip.
Ji Yuezhi contacted the current commander at the landing field, requesting temporary command, which was granted.
Zuo Luohuan looked over. “I'll follow your orders.”
“Luo Shaoyuan and Jiang Hong are heading to the administrative center.” Ji Yuezhi quickly relayed the information displayed on his optical computer. He instructed Zuo Luohuan to flank and rendezvous with a small West Union Army detachment. “I need you to lure the Gen 3 robot dogs to open their mouths. Snipers will target the chips in their throats.”
He planned to trigger a chain explosion. The Gashro's primary goal in placing explosives in the robot dogs was to prevent the Federation from obtaining the technology. Ironically, this had become their biggest weakness.
As Ji Yuezhi gathered the snipers and followed Zuo Luohuan's squad, the densely packed robot dogs began to explode one after another, giving the West Union Army at the landing field a much-needed reprieve.
Ji Yuezhi watched as Zuo Luohuan led the squad, provoking the robot dogs to open their mouths wide as they ran. He signaled the snipers to prepare.
A West Union soldier suddenly stumbled behind them, about to be caught by the approaching robot dogs. Zuo Luohuan, seeing this from the corner of her eye, instantly turned and slid across the ground, shielding the soldier's head with her hand. But a robot dog lunged, sinking its teeth into her arm, tearing away a chunk of flesh.
Through his scope, Ji Yuezhi's heart clenched. He fired a shot at the robot dog's head. The impact sent it flying backward, crashing into other robot dogs.
Ignoring her arm, Zuo Luohuan grabbed the soldier. “Can you move?”
“Yes!” The soldier's leg had been injured earlier, and he'd been enduring the pain until he finally collapsed.
Zuo Luohuan positioned herself behind the soldier, turning to face the oncoming robot dogs. In the next second, the dog was shot in both eyes.
Zuo Luohuan knew who it was. She raised an eyebrow, kicked the robot dog in the head, and continued running.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the pursuing robot dogs, Ji Yuezhi commanded, “Now!”
The snipers aimed at the open mouths of the robot dogs, hitting the chips in their throats and triggering explosions.
Ji Yuezhi didn't join the firing. Instead, he focused his scope on the robot dog that had bitten Zuo Luohuan. Almost vengefully, he shot its limbs and teeth before finally hitting the chip in its throat.
Not all members of the vanguard were so fortunate. Some West Union soldiers were too slow and met similar fates. Not every squad had a Zuo Luohuan. Death was inevitable.
They fought from day to night, with little respite, only pausing to catch their breath when the robot dogs recharged their energy blocks. They didn't know how many robot dogs the Gashro had deployed at the port.
“…Don't defend the landing field. Everyone take cover in the underground escape shelters. Leave a few people on watch outside,” Ji Yuezhi ordered. “Wait for them to run out of energy.”
They only needed to hold out for one more day. However, someone had previously opened a robot dog disguised as a crate, and it had contained at least five energy blocks, presumably for the other dogs. They needed to find a way to make them consume their energy quickly. They also didn't know if the robot dogs would self-destruct once their energy was depleted.
Ji Yuezhi's actions were relayed to both the administrative center and the mines. The administrative center had numerous army groups, but the Winter Army at the mines, though elite, were facing countless robot dogs emerging from underground. They also had to prevent the robot dogs from reaching the city, and were now in a critical situation.
The day dragged on interminably.
“No one came from the West District.” Zuo Luohuan looked down as Ji Yuezhi bandaged her wound. Under the light, his long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks. Even though she knew the time and place were inappropriate, she couldn't help but feel a stirring in her heart.
A large chunk of flesh had been torn from her arm, a gruesome sight, yet she didn't react at all as he treated her.
Pale-faced, Ji Yuezhi carefully wrapped the gauze around her arm. “Too many West Union Army soldiers were deployed here. The West District couldn't spare any more.”
The West District needed troops to maintain stability, especially since they didn't know if the Gashro would attack their border next. Even though they were closer, they couldn't send reinforcements. They could only wait for the army groups from the capital.
“Yan Yan has already evacuated all the citizens underground. The army groups at the administrative center are moving towards the mines,” Ji Yuezhi continued. “They should arrive there by tomorrow morning.”
The reason the citizens were evacuated but the Winter Army at the mines couldn't leave was because of the eastern mine. They couldn't completely abandon it. If something happened, the Federation would lose its silver-green ore supply again.
Zuo Luohuan wasn't really listening. She watched Ji Yuezhi's face, feeling his light breaths against her arm, her blood quickening. Finally, she couldn't resist. She reached out with her uninjured hand and tilted his chin up.
“What is it?” Ji Yuezhi, caught off guard, looked at her with beautiful, clear eyes, a little flustered. “Does it hurt?”
Hearing his question, Zuo Luohuan snapped back to reality. “No.”
She released his chin and wiped the corner of his eye with her thumb. There was a drop of blood there, like a red mole. As she wiped it, it smeared, staining the skin a faint pink.
Ji Yuezhi was almost finished bandaging her arm. He didn't rush, simply gazing at her quietly, letting her wipe his face, almost docile enough to evoke tenderness.
Seeing that she couldn't wipe it clean with her hand, Zuo Luohuan considered using her sleeve, but it wasn't clean either. Finally, she gave up. “There's blood on this.”
Ji Yuezhi nodded.
“You were bothered by the faint smell of blood on me before. Why aren't you now?” Zuo Luohuan suddenly asked, referring to the night of the coming-of-age ceremony.
“I've bandaged you during training before,” Ji Yuezhi looked away. “The coming-of-age ceremony was because you were in your differentiation period.”
“Oh.” Zuo Luohuan actually wanted to see him lose control because of her scent again, but she retained enough sense not to say it aloud.
However, Ji Yuezhi turned back to look at her. “Do… do you want to smell my pheromones?”
He had sensed it.
Zuo Luohuan's blood surged. She didn't know if it was from blood loss or her Alpha rut approaching, but her gaze darkened as she stared at him.
Suddenly, Zuo Luohuan laughed. There was still some of her own blood on the fingertips of the hand that had bandaged her arm. She reached out with two fingers, smeared the blood on his lips, and rubbed it in, staining them red.
Her eyes held a deep, possessive lust that enveloped him.
Ji Yuezhi let her stain his lips with her blood, his body trembling as he gazed into her eyes.
That look… full of possessiveness and lust, the look of an Alpha wanting to claim their Omega.
“No,” Zuo Luohuan said, having marked him with her blood like a possession. She withdrew her hand. “Not here.”
Bewitched by her gaze, Ji Yuezhi murmured, “Somewhere else?”
Zuo Luohuan's whole being was clamoring for him, but she remembered where they were and the situation they were in. She covered his eyes with her hand, feeling his eyelashes 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, remaining silent. After a moment, they both calmed down.
Zuo Luohuan removed her hand. “Rest for a while.”
She bit the knot of the bandage on her arm, stood up, and walked outside. Rested enough, she could continue dealing with the Gen 3 robot dogs.
Ji Yuezhi watched her go, a blush creeping up his ears. His heart raced. He almost thought she was going to say those words.
—The words he wanted to say.
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