Chapter 25

Chapter 3 For That Handful of Silver Coins (8)

***

"Pack Leader, reporting."

"Go on. What's the result?"

"Most of the small ones were left behind. From the scavenger's corpse we found 42 9mm Parabellum rounds, 33 5.56mm NATO rounds, 6 homemade bombs, and other items..."

"Ah, that's enough. Just gather the ammunition we can use now, and leave the rest."

Fedor Raptor Kesselring, the Pack Leader of Raptor 2 Legion, cut off his subordinate who was reporting the collected resources. The guys managing the supply depot in the nest always grumble about the lack of ammunition, but today, there was no need to worry about such things.

"Any traces of the enemy?"

"Four corpses with gunshot wounds on the first basement floor, three corpses presumed to have died from ambush, and seven more with gunshot wounds on the second basement floor. We also confirmed signs of a large-scale battle."

"A large-scale battle, you say... What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Yes, sir. It appears an explosion occurred in the auditorium next to the cafeteria, likely from TNT or C4. When we entered, there were almost no living mutants left."

"Hmm?"

Kesselring felt something was missing from the report. Something he both wanted and didn't want to hear...

"Among the dead, were there any bodies that showed signs of physical damage from mutants?"

"...I didn't understand the meaning of your order."

"Even if it's just a Type 1 mutant, if there are over a hundred, it's quite a job to clear them out. It's also common for some to die in the process. How many bodies showed signs of being attacked by mutants?"

"...Zero."

"Zero? So, no one at all? Were they all dealt with?"

"Yes. All had headshots."

"Hmm. I see."

Kesselring stroked his temple with his gloved hand, a habit he had when thinking. 'Zero bodies showing signs of mutant attacks. Of course, the scavengers who arrived here might have been skilled enough to handle mutants, but the number of deaths is too high. Moreover, the survivors even took the time to properly dispose of the bodies to prevent mutant infestation.'

Swish, swish.

His hand, which had been stroking his temple, now caressed his lips. A smile was forming.

"There are some capable ones among them."

"Are they the enemy?"

"Yes. I don't know who they are, but they must have cleared out other scavengers and entered. The noise from the battle must have attracted the mutants, causing them quite a bit of trouble."

The use of explosives was commendable, but that was all. The explosion traces were limited to the auditorium, indicating that all the explosives were used there.

"That's good news."

"Because the enemy's numbers have decreased?"

"No, because they're worth hunting. This external mission would have been disappointing if we just came down to pick up the scraps."

Click. Snap!

"Alright, what's the matter?"

The soldier who arrived with a disciplined posture faced Kesselring, mirroring the stance of the soldier who had just reported.

"Pack Leader, reporting. The occupation of the second basement floor is complete. There were no resources of significant value to bring back."

"I see. That's to be expected. If there were any, the others would have taken them. Did you check the exit?"

"Yes. There's only the entrance we came through."

"Then there's no need to hurry."

Thud, thud.

Kesselring walked down the still warm corridor, taking a deep breath. The smell of gunpowder. The smell of burning flesh. Truly, the scent of the battlefield.

"Chances are, we can get a good night's sleep today. Those with automatic weapons will lead, followed by the flamethrowers and snipers. We'll start using the flamethrowers when the air becomes hard to breathe, which should be in about 30 minutes."

Click, click!

Bang!

Rat-tat-tat!

"Aaaah!"

"Ugh!"

It was overwhelming. Time, terrain, everything was in the Raptors' favor. The Dome soldiers were slowly dying without even being able to use the battlefield they had prepared.

"Grh—"

"Ugh!"

Seeing the mutants moving towards the Raptors beyond the concrete hill, the professor slowly stood up.

This is the chance. The only chance to draw those guys out from the hill.

"V, I, it's time for us to move."

As the battle intensified and the scattered mutants began to converge on the center, the professor's group started to move, hiding in the shadows of the crowd.

***

'I expected some imbalance, but not this overwhelming.'

The best scenario for me would be for the Dome and Raptor forces to annihilate each other. That way, I could avoid both being killed by the Raptors and the Dome taking over this place. With luck, I might even find something useful in the chaos.

But if this continues, we'll suffocate and die before anything happens.

The professor approached Ian, who was clutching his favorite weapon and panting.

"Ian, listen. If you want to survive, we need to push those guys off the hill."

"Of course, even a half-blind guy could figure that out."

"And to do that, we need to draw them down to the concrete ridge."

Even though the Dome forces are being overwhelmed, they're not completely useless. If we can create an urban warfare environment, the situation could improve.

"Do you have any weapons that could help?"

"I have a few grenades, but they won't do much. The guys in those suits will take direct damage from the explosion, but the shrapnel won't hurt them much. If I had to pick, I'd need to set off a level of explosives like I did in the auditorium, but it's electronic and needs wires to trigger from a distance. Nothing else can be thrown far enough."

"So there's no way..."

"That's why I said, when those ground rats come, the only option is a suicide bomb attack."

"Are you serious! Who's going to carry the bomb? You? Me? Or—"

"Grh—"

.

.

.

.

"Wow."

At that moment, the three heads nodded in unison without a word.

***

The three took advantage of the moment when the Raptors, Dome, and mutants were all focused on each other and slipped into the shelter alley.

"Listen carefully. Although our actions are hostile to the Raptors, that doesn't make the Dome our allies. Our goal is to escape without getting caught by either side."

Boom!

Crack!

The three crouched lower to avoid the flying shrapnel and moved further inside. They had to be extremely cautious as they were now in the area where the Dome soldiers had set up their ambush. They carefully spread out and examined the area where the Dome soldiers had been.

"Did you find anything?"

"Ian, nothing."

"Damn, can't find H. His head is gone."

"V, found him. It's a body. Died cleanly from blood loss."

"Nice!"

The professor and Ian quickly moved to Vex's side. The body had a bullet wound through the abdomen, and the warm blood indicated it had just died.

"Ian, are you ready?"

"Three bundles of industrial dynamite. How do you want to attach them all here?"

"...All of them. This is the only chance, with the Type 1 mutants drawing attention."

Ian quickly organized the dynamite's fuses and attached them to the back of the body's waist.

"Grh, grh..."

"Verdammter Abschaum (Damn scum)! They're coming back to life!"

Vex looked at the body starting to twitch, his expression a mix of unease and determination.

"Hanbun, are you ready? Using dead bodies isn't something you do every day. It might even haunt your dreams."

"Well, I'll consider it helping these guys get their revenge. In the wasteland, it's a rule to help someone die cleanly if they didn't die properly. If they haunt my dreams, I'll just offer them some rice. Let's focus on surviving first."

Swoosh!

Ian hoisted the body, which was just starting to mutate, onto his shoulder and approached the front of the wire.

"Cover me!"

"I already am!"

Click!

The professor, who had nervously pulled the hammer of the shotgun Ian had given him, was unexpectedly moved. He had forgotten this feeling after using makeshift shotguns for so long. The sensation of a reliable weapon. The feel of it adhering to his limbs. The powerful threat it provided, not just to push back the enemy but to ensure a kill—

Bang!

Whoosh!

Power...?

"What, what is this! Metal Jo! What did you give me!"

"Ha ha ha! It's a 12-gauge Dragon's Breath round! How about it? Even my wife wouldn't ask for a refund!"

The professor, seeing the mutant's chest torn open and catching fire from the hastily loaded round, was speechless.

Sssss!

"Ah!"

'Focus, focus!'

Sssss!

"Ouch! Cover me better!"

"Don't stand up to show off your gun! V! Two mutants on the left alley! One Dome soldier! I! Are you hit?"

"Grazed! I can't go any further! This guy is almost fully awake!"

The professor gauged the distance between the Raptors and Ian as the body started to move its hands and feet. About 30 meters. Is it possible?

"It's not just possible; it has to be. I! Use all your strength! If you fail, we die! Throw it!"

"Haha! Aaaah!"

With a fierce cry, the body, just starting to mutate, flew through the air. It didn't go far, but it seemed to land behind another Type 1 mutant's corpse, out of sight.

"Got it!"

"Now what?"

"What else!"

The professor, running towards Vex who was engaged in battle with the Dome soldiers, shouted to Ian.

"We have to pray! Pray that our marathoner makes it to the goal!"

***