Chapter 147 Setback

Outside the High Mountain Fortress City, Su Mo and Qian Chengxue demonstrated unparalleled combat power, controlling their mechas. Braving the enemy's fierce firepower and suicide attacks, they forced their way to a point three kilometers outside the city walls.

Xiao Wen's troops, morale boosted, followed closely behind!

Just as they were preparing to attack the city, an anomaly occurred.

Under the snow, dormant bombs were simultaneously activated, red lights flashing.

The Killing Blade and Salamander mechas' radars immediately emitted piercing alarms.

"Warning, large-scale activation of mines detected!"

At the same time, countless red dots appeared across the area!

Su Mo and Qian Chengxue immediately pushed their control sticks, soaring into the sky!

The next second, rumble~

The entire area erupted in explosions, like firecrackers going off.

The companions who had followed were caught in the blast, suffering heavy casualties! Scenes of flying flesh and blood were everywhere, and heart-wrenching screams rang out, only to be drowned out by the deafening explosions.

Soaring into the air, Su Mo was shocked and enraged, but before he could vent his anger, a red warning box popped up on his screen.

"Warning, locked on!"

Immediately, within the High Mountain Fortress City, the ground burst open, and rows of launch platforms rose, firing high-speed interceptor missiles.

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat. He swung his beam saber, destroying missile after missile, but the incoming missiles did not decrease; instead, they multiplied. One explosion after another created overlapping shockwaves.

Finally, the Killing Blade was blown away and began to fall freely.

Su Mo yanked the control stick, restarting the mecha's back thrusters and escaping in a sorry state.

Xiao Wen watched the sudden change, gritting his teeth as he issued the order: "All survivors, retreat!"

The survivors on the battlefield began to retreat in disarray.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been the perfect opportunity for the enemy to strike a defeated foe. However, Fizaite watched the retreating troops and issued no pursuit orders, only revealing a smug smile.

"Hmph~ So that's all they've got!"

...

Two hours later, everyone retreated to a plain area on the outskirts.

All of them were in a sorry state, covered in dust and dirt, like stray dogs.

Su Mo and Xiao Wen gathered together.

Chen Shan sighed and said, "I just did a count. Out of our total of sixty thousand, we've lost another twenty thousand. Now we have less than forty thousand left, and more than half of the mecha units have been lost. How are we supposed to fight like this?"

"The Killing Blade has also sustained some damage. Several parts are malfunctioning, but fortunately, they're not critical."

Su Mo said after a moment of silence.

Qian Chengxue hesitated before saying, "The Salamander's condition isn't great either."

Xiao Wen's expression shifted. He calmed himself and asked, "What do you think our chances of winning are if we continue the attack?"

"Zero!"

Su Mo replied without hesitation.

Xiao Wen took a deep breath and said, "Since we can't take it, then we'll destroy High Mountain Fortress City."

"Use a nuclear mine?"

Su Mo and the others immediately reacted.

"That's right!"

Xiao Wen replied with certainty. The reason he had been reluctant to use it was because these things were strategic reserves; every one used was one less.

"It's feasible, but there's a problem. How do we get the nuclear mine into High Mountain Fortress City? If we detonate it outside the city, the effect probably won't be very good. After all, that city isn't a normal city; it's more like an iron bucket."

Su Mo raised the biggest problem.

"What are the odds of you being able to break through?"

Xiao Wen asked tentatively.

Su Mo and Qian Chengxue exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"The odds aren't high, and if we force a breakthrough, it's very likely that the nuclear mine will be destroyed by enemy fire halfway there. The commander of this fortress city is much more cautious than Kanris. The two have completely opposite personalities."

"What about dropping it from the air?"

Xiao Wen continued to ask.

"That won't work either. Their anti-air firepower is even more intense."

Su Mo replied with a headache. They had experienced this firsthand.

"This won't work, that won't work, so what do we do?"

Chen Shan was also troubled. It was a pain in the ass to have weapons but no way to deliver them.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

After a long silence, Xiao Wen broke the silence and said to everyone, "Let's think this over. Everyone's tired. Chen Shan, take some men on patrol, and the rest of you get some rest."

"Okay."

Su Mo and the others nodded in agreement.

After the meeting, Qian Chengxue walked silently alongside Su Mo.

After a long while, Qian Chengxue pondered and broke the silence, asking, "Do you think we still have hope of breaking through High Mountain Fortress City's defenses?"

"To be honest, there's not much hope. At least, there's no good way right now. If it were the beginning, when we were at full strength, maybe there would be hope."

Su Mo wasn't optimistic either.

"You're right. I can't think of any way to pry open this turtle shell, especially since the enemy is stubbornly turtling up, unwilling to poke their heads out."

"If he keeps turtling, victory will belong to him sooner or later. If I were him, I would do the same."

Su Mo replied helplessly.

The two walked towards their legion's rest area.

Sun Li and the others were setting up tents, covered in dust and dirt, their faces completely devoid of their previous fighting spirit.

When they saw Xue-jie return, they put down their work and asked.

"Xue-jie, what are we going to do next? Are we still fighting?"

"We'll rest for now and wait for Commander Xiao Wen's orders, but most likely, we'll continue to attack. Because that's all we can do right now. Also, everyone, don't be discouraged. We'll just do our best."

Qian Chengxue comforted everyone.

"Yes, Xue-jie."

Sun Li and the others replied in silence.

On the other side, Xiao Wen and Chen Shan were also discussing in low voices.

"Chen Shan, you're clear on the current situation. Most likely, we'll end up going down with them. That's nothing for us, after all, it's our responsibility and duty, but that's not what Qian Chengxue and the others should have to bear. They've sacrificed enough, so I'm considering letting them withdraw."

"I understand what you're saying, but after spending this time with them, I don't think Qian Chengxue will withdraw on her own."

Chen Shan shook his head.

"I know. Let me think about it some more. If I can't think of a good way, then we'll let them withdraw first."

Xiao Wen pondered for a moment before finally speaking.

At night, Su Mo rested alone, leaning against the squatting Killing Blade, his eyes closed, letting the falling snowflakes land on him.

With the III-generation mechanical armor on, sleeping in the snow was no problem.

At this time, Lin Zinuo walked over, sat beside Su Mo, and called out.

"Hey."

Su Mo opened his eyes and said helplessly, "Speak softer. I'm not deaf. I can hear you."

"I thought you were asleep."

Lin Zinuo said with a chuckle.