Chapter 180: Fourth Wave Regrouping
"Coordinator, we have a report. The flying horde has retreated. The air defences have been turned on the Giants, and they are falling fast. One direct hit is enough to take one out, but they’re mostly spread too far apart to get more than two or three at a time," a runner announced.
"Are the guns at least eliminating the horde around the giants?"
"The guns are clearing the horde well. We expect that they will soon have the approach of the Giants under control, while the walls are still holding steady. Thanks largely to the new armour that you distributed to the tank specialized warriors.
Ammunition stores are holding steady, and there have been no reports of sharks or monsters coming up river today.
They’re waiting in the bay for the bodies to come to them.
Our estimate is that by eight o clock, we will have three quarters of the main swarm eliminated. That puts us on track to finish two waves before noon, but not a third. Unfortunate, but if we can do it, then we should get another day off."
Somehow, those words sounded far too much like a red flag.
And sure enough, the System agreed.
{Wave 3 has reached 80 Percent casualties. Additional wave spawned.}
More Giants appeared in the distance, this time with only one eye, what Kalli would have called a Cyclops from myths. However, they did not spawn as close to the base as the first waves had, they were all near the maximum range of the Air Defence Batteries.
"Perhaps that means that the System counts everything within active targeting range as our territory now? It could be why the enemies are starting in the distance this time instead of making us scramble," she pondered.
The range was far enough that the north side had Cyclops forces starting on the beach with their feet in the water, and much closer than any of the others. Those were less of a concern to Kalli, as the larger Arks were between the city walls and the beach.
Their defensive weapons should be able to deal with most of the Giants.
"What happened?" the runner asked, unable to see the screen that she was watching.
"The fifth wave are one eyed giants, but the majority of their force started ten kilometres from the base. So, our defences are dealing with them, the same as the other Giants, while the heroes handle the enemies who have gotten closer.
The distance is a distinct advantage to our side, now that we have three turrets. But I need you to do something for me. Go and see how the gunners in the trucks are doing.
They’ve been burning through mana all night long, and that likely isn’t sustainable for twelve straight hours, no matter how much high-energy food they try to stuff into themselves. If they’re struggling, I need to know because the other teams can’t switch with them if they’re too tired to fight."
"Got it. I’ll be back with a report as soon as I can."
If the gunners could get any sort of downtime, they just might be able to hold out for the duration of the battle. But the Pulse Cannons were doing some seriously heavy lifting in this defensive battle.
The runner was back sooner than Kalli had expected.
"The light ground troops have retreated. The remnants appear to be regrouping with the surviving Giants for a combined push. The newest arrivals are leading the push, and they’ve got some sort of skill or magical defensive ability.
It’s blocking the majority of the damage, though many of them are still falling to the heavy weapons. The issue is that they are protecting the forces behind them, the detonations are being redirected upward and outward from the point of impact.
According to the scouts on the walls, it has cut the kill rate by two thirds.
But everyone along the walls is resting while the enemy is regrouping. They assure you that they will be ready for what comes next, and they all understand that a third wave has already started for the day.
If we’re going to clear that before noon, the heroes are going to need all the rest that they can get, and the ones that have been on the trucks especially need it, as they’ve been funnelling mana into those guns constantly since midnight."
The runner paused, realizing that Kalli already knew that, but there was nothing she could do at this point.
There were already food deliveries going to the front lines and the trucks. Even the runners had been fed, and they were swapping out so that they didn’t get too tired, while the majority of the bulk ammunition and bandages were being delivered by truck now.
"What are you going to do during the downtime?" The next runner to enter asked, as he saw that Kalli was lost in thought.
"I think I’ll go sightseeing. I will be back before the enemy makes it to the wall."
The runner looked confused, but Kalli simply strode to the door as a suit of black armour with wings over some sort of thruster backpack appeared on her body. Then, she rocketed up into the sky on a streak of blue fire, with a Pulse Cannon in her hand.
Her {Personalized Augmented Mobile Flight Suit}
"Yo, do you see what I see?" The runner asked the boy beside him.
"I hope so because what I’m seeing is pretty unbelievable. She can fly."
"Do you ever get the feeling that the Coordinator is actually a hidden big boss, just slumming it here with us to make sure that we don’t screw up too badly? Because I’m definitely getting that vibe.
She is never surprised by the new things that keep showing up, and that store of hers has weird stuff nobody has ever seen before.
She knew how to use a pulse rifle the first time she saw one, but she’s not even a combat class.
And now she can just fly away in an armour suit?
She’s totally holding out on her true powers, just to make sure that we all get a chance to grow."
"Why do you say that? She’s stuck here with us too, isn’t she? It’s in her best interest that we live. No matter what powers she has."
"But is she really stuck here? Or could she, like, just buy herself a spaceship and leave to find a planet that is less doomed?"
That made the other boy think. It certainly seemed possible.
"Perhaps she’s broke and needs to do the quests with us to get enough points? She definitely gets a discount, or bonus goods or something. Because she’s given out so much stuff that it can’t all be from Quest rewards."