Chapter 137: The Beast Slaughter Corps
“Damn!”
Henry couldn’t hold back and swore.
It was true that Swan had submitted; from this perspective, the retreat of those deserters and the sudden assault by the greenskin beasts did help a bit.
However, Henry couldn’t just hand over a Garbage Town that had turned into ruins to the Governor and then shamelessly claim he had fulfilled his duty, could he?
With a dark expression, Henry asked, “What’s the situation in Zone Five now?”
“It’s terrible. We haven’t had time to build any new defensive fortifications there. Our people are forced to fight the greenskins in the ruins, and no one knows if the adventurers can hold on. I can only assure you that my people will stand firm to the end.”
“I’ll inform the Governor of this as soon as possible. Mr. Swan, if you don’t want to hand over a ruined Garbage Town to the Governor and completely disappoint him, you must find a way to hold the line in the coming days. At least hold out until the Governor’s troops arrive.”
Swan replied in a deep voice, “You don’t need to tell me; I’ll do it. But please, urge them on. None of us here want Garbage Town to turn to ruins, but sometimes it’s not just about what you want.”
With that, he paused, then hesitantly made another request: “Also… that garrison stationed outside Garbage Town, could they possibly assist us?”
Henry hesitated.
He paced back and forth, torn.
Even without Swan’s request, he had already considered that there was a strong force outside Garbage Town that could act as reinforcements.
But there were risks involved.
Convincing Pobov and securing authorization from the Governor to act was likely manageable. Pobov was willing to fight, and the Governor, knowing Swan had surrendered and Garbage Town had submitted, would probably be willing to let Pobov join the battle.
However, deploying this composite brigade against those dreadful greenskins?
Were they an easy target?
Pobov’s brigade was indeed formidable, slaughtering those raiders like pigs, but greenskins were a different matter.
If there were heavy casualties, would he be the one held responsible?
In the end, Henry gritted his teeth and told Swan he would try.
Since Garbage Town was willing to submit entirely to the Governor, it was worth protecting.
Capturing Garbage Town was crucial for expanding the Governor’s power; it was the most important raw material production area around Revival City and the strongest military force among the surrounding uncontrolled factions.
It was also his greatest stepping stone.
…
As Henry had anticipated, convincing Pobov to join the battle was not difficult. When the Governor learned the whole situation here, particularly the risk of Garbage Town’s defenses being broken by the greenskins, potentially leading to its total destruction, he naturally wasn’t pleased.
Gu Hang certainly did not want this to happen.
He granted Pobov the necessary authority, allowing him to act at his discretion.
Meanwhile, the force Gu Hang personally commanded picked up their pace.
And Pobov, once authorized, didn’t hesitate, swiftly mobilizing his entire force.
The mechanized unit quickly bypassed Garbage Town and headed towards the so-called Zone Five.
Along the way, Pobov saw nothing but chaos.
Several adventurer groups, hastily gathered with heavy payments, formed teams heading for Zone Five. But at the same time, Pobov saw even more adventurers retreating from the front lines.
Among those retreating, many looked utterly disheveled and terrified.
These were obviously the deserters fleeing from the front line.
Additionally, there were adventurers showing no signs of combat on their bodies. This group seemed particularly suspicious.
Pobov ordered his men to intercept several different groups of adventurers and questioned them about the situation on the front line.
From the deserters, he received mixed news.
The battle up ahead continued, but with no defensive structures, the greenskins easily broke through and engaged in close-quarters combat, causing heavy casualties. Squad after squad of adventurers couldn’t bear the appalling losses and retreated from the front lines.
The good news was that the battle was still ongoing, meaning the line hadn’t entirely collapsed; the bad news was that it was close to breaking.
Meanwhile, the adventurers who hadn’t fought but were retreating gave a more intriguing account — they had received orders to withdraw. These orders came from the merchants and agents who had hired them.
Pobov didn’t know much about Garbage Town, but Henry, who had accompanied him in his command vehicle to the front lines, immediately understood.
The pessimists had decided that Garbage Town was indefensible and withdrew the forces they had hired. They no longer wanted to maintain the front line or engage in a futile battle, instead opting to protect their assets and flee Garbage Town.
It was even possible that the news of the Governor’s impending takeover of Garbage Town had leaked, further spurring the merchants and agents to flee.
After all, even if the town held, it wouldn’t belong to them, so why waste money defending it? Better to run while they could.
The more Henry thought about this, the angrier he became!
How could they hope to save Garbage Town with these parasites?
This would likely cause a complete collapse of the defense line!
Pobov’s composite brigade continued advancing, while Henry used the communications equipment in Pobov’s command vehicle to contact Swan back in Garbage Town and informed him of the situation.
Swan said he would find a way to deal with it.
Not only would he deal with those attempting to flee, but he would also try to rally the deserters to maintain the line.
Hearing Swan’s assurance, Henry breathed a slight sigh of relief.
If the Garbage Town leader was genuinely committed to halting the spread of this chaos, he should have some means of doing so.
But there was one thing that Henry found particularly unsettling: what if Swan himself wanted to run?
What if he was merely stalling Pobov to buy time to move his assets and wealth?
Simply put, Henry feared that Swan might deceive him.
For a moment, he felt genuinely distressed.
Seeing that Pobov was already ordering the artillery support unit to deploy, Henry said to him,
“I’ll stay here.” Pausing, he continued, “There’s no point in me going to the front lines; I’d be of no help there. It’s better for me to remain here. Leave me a radio, and I’ll keep communicating with Garbage Town to ensure no internal issues arise. If all goes well, I’ll try to rally some deserters and retreating teams. If… if things go terribly wrong in Garbage Town, I’ll notify you immediately to prevent you from being left stranded.”
“Alright, we’ll go with that plan.”
…
Half an hour later, Zone Five frontline.
As expected, the battle continued, with many adventurers still resisting, but they had no advantage. From afar, the greenskins, arriving in waves, were picking off the adventurers one by one, occasionally causing entire squads to break and retreat.
Among them, the most resolute fighters were those wearing gray combat coats. Their arms bore matching insignia, depicting a spear piercing an orc’s head from below.
This insignia belonged to a mercenary group that had formed only six months ago but had rapidly expanded in those six months: the Beast Slaughter Corps.
This was a group of people united by a common vow to take revenge on the greenskin beasts, forming a team with a single purpose.
Its founder and current leader was named Rugi Likoshi.
Likoshi was once the leader of a medium-sized adventurer group, operating for years in Garbage Town. He was known for his generosity, enthusiasm, and loyalty, earning a reputation in the adventurer community.
Six months ago, his group encountered a horde of greenskin beasts and was nearly wiped out. He and several comrades were captured by the greenskins.
He personally witnessed his closest friends being split open and eaten by the greenskins, their heads cracked to devour the brain, and their bodies torn open for food.
Among them were his wife and two sons.
Later, another group of adventurers attacked this small greenskin camp, allowing Likoshi to escape amidst the chaos. From then on, he disbanded his former group and established a new one called the “Beast Slaughter Corps,” dedicated to revenge.
Anyone harboring hatred towards greenskin beasts and committed to their eradication could join this group. In fact, it had moved beyond the usual adventurer group, focusing less on exploring ruins or scavenging valuable items, and instead targeting greenskin beasts for destruction.
Over the past few years, many harbored grudges against the greenskin beasts. Some were terrified by the greenskins’ power, brutality, and aggression, but others were fueled by anger and hatred.
They gathered within the Beast Slaughter Corps and began a relentless war against the greenskin beasts.
For Garbage Town, facing an escalating greenskin threat, such a team was a blessing. Although they no longer produced goods, scavenged, or frequently took on paid jobs, the merchants and agents of Garbage Town were still willing to support them generously, supplying weapons, logistical support, and even financial aid.
With internal hatred driving them and external support bolstering them, the Beast Slaughter Corps expanded rapidly in six months. It also became the most resolute and effective group in Garbage Town in fighting the greenskins.
Their original defensive position wasn’t in Zone Eighteen or Zone Five. However, when the greenskins broke through the outer defenses of Zone Eighteen and pressed into Zone Five, they were forced to retreat to avoid a flank attack.
At the same time, they realized that the greenskin breakthrough hadn’t ended. If the greenskins kept advancing, Garbage Town as their rear base might truly fall.
Likoshi led over half of the Beast Slaughter Corps to reinforce Zone Five, attempting to plug the gaps in the defensive line.
But as the fight dragged on, his unit became the main force.
One allied unit after another retreated, leaving only a few to fight alongside them.
Holding his custom-modified shotgun with three large barrels strapped together, Likoshi pulled the trigger. A dense blast of high-caliber pellets at close range blew open a greenskin’s head. Spitting out a nearly burnt-out cigarette, Likoshi glanced around.
A wave of sorrow washed over him.
He knew this might be his final resting place.
The number of greenskin beasts that had breached the defensive line likely exceeded three thousand, while, in contrast, the surviving adventurers fighting alongside his three-thousand-strong Beast Slaughter Corps might number only a few thousand.
Based on past experience, to fend off a greenskin assault, especially at close range, they needed at least ten times the greenskins’ number to secure victory, and five times to hold the line.
Despite the Beast Slaughter Corps having developed special techniques and weapons specifically modified for fighting greenskins, at best, they could only manage a three-to-one kill ratio.
Currently, their numbers weren’t even double, and by experience, they shouldn’t be able to hold.
Beyond Zone Five, there were no more defensive lines.
His deputy had asked him multiple times what they should do.
And his answer had never changed:
“Fight to the death!”
His resolve to fight was clear. He knew that if the greenskins broke through and destroyed Garbage Town, there would be no more chances for revenge. The greenskins would gain more territory, and humans in this area would be utterly defeated.
His heart was set on death.
But the Beast Slaughter Corps was on the verge of collapse.
Though they fought better than any other adventurer group, they were still human. Hatred and rage pushed them to fight more fiercely, but fear remained. Not everyone was prepared to face certain death.
He sensed many of his comrades were beginning to waver.
Initially, he felt anxious, but soon he found calm.
Let them go. The more that survived, the better. In this hopeless situation, he simply wanted to die fighting the greenskins; he didn’t need others to share his fate.
Reloading with effort, he took a bold step forward. Another greenskin charged at him, roaring. His three comrades fired, and though the greenskin was riddled with bullets, it stood firm, raised a crude weapon, and instantly killed two of them.
The third rushed in with a long-handled machete, aiming for the greenskin’s head.
The machete cut into the greenskin’s skull, but it didn’t split open, wedged in the thick bone.
The greenskin drew a hand axe in response and instantly cleaved the brave Beast Slaughter Corps fighter’s head.
With blood smeared across its face, the greenskin roared skyward in a frenzy.
“Bang!”
Taking advantage of this, Likoshi, just five or six meters away, aimed his flamboyant triple-barreled shotgun at the greenskin’s head and fired.
The greenskin, its face blown apart, collapsed backward.
Massaging his shoulder, throbbing from the recoil, he noticed two more beasts approaching.
At that moment, he found himself without any comrades, and there was no time to reload his triple-barreled shotgun.
He discarded the weapon and drew the Beast Slaughter Corps’ iconic long-handled machete.
This would likely be his last fight, he thought. He wondered if he could at least take down one beast before he died.
No head strikes, no limb or torso strikes. Those wouldn’t be fatal. The only viable target was the neck. He’d need to put his full strength into it and find the right angle for the blade to sever the spine.
He had only one shot; if he failed, the greenskin’s strength would tear him apart immediately.
He took a deep breath, awaiting the final moment.
The two beasts, one in front of the other, drew closer.
Eager to get to him first, they jostled for position, fearing they’d miss the chance to kill.
At that instant, a loud explosion sounded behind him, accompanied by a rocket tailing flames.
The rocket exploded right in front of him, striking the two creatures in succession and throwing them back. The one at the back was killed, and the one in front fell near Likoshi.
Ignoring his scorched hair from the blast, Likoshi swiftly stepped forward and, with three strikes, severed the monster’s head.
Only then did he have time to turn around, where he saw a team of unfamiliar soldiers approaching from behind.
It was just a three-man combat group. Two held rifles, while the third carried a rocket launcher.
The rocket had obviously come from them. The soldier with the launcher now retrieved another round from a tactical pack, reloading, while the other two fired at a greenskin attempting to advance from a distance.
Their weapons were also unfamiliar to Likoshi. He had never seen such guns — sleek, black, and completely different from the iron-barrel rifles commonly held by adventurers, clearly showing a higher level of craftsmanship.
Following the direction of the shots, the greenskin being targeted was visibly taking continuous hits.
There was about a hundred meters of distance between the two sides.
A hundred meters — what did that mean? From a distance, that greenskin was hardly more than a tiny black dot.
At that range, the accuracy of those unfamiliar soldiers wasn’t just impressive; it also proved that their rifles were highly precise.
If it had been one of the usual adventurer rifles, no matter how well aimed, the bullet would have veered off after a hundred meters.
In fact, the firearms used by the greenskin beasts were similar or even worse. Each of their guns had shockingly high power, often able to destroy a person’s entire upper body in a single hit within its effective range. But their reliable range was only about fifty meters; beyond that, their accuracy dropped drastically, even worse than the adventurers’ iron-barrel rifles.
Because of this, the usual combat range between adventurers and greenskins in past battles was within a hundred meters.
Between fifty and a hundred meters, adventurers had a slight firepower advantage, but the greenskins could use their thick hides and brute strength to close the gap within fifty meters, where the adventurers stood no chance.
The greenskins could blast a person apart with one shot, while the adventurers needed to hit a greenskin with a hundred bullets to kill just one. How could they fight like this?
To make things worse, once the greenskins reached fifty meters, they would keep advancing, using the immense power of their guns despite their lack of precision.
Or, even more directly, they would close in to melee range to finish the fight with cold weapons.
And often, by that point, the human adventurers would lose all morale. Except for the Beast Slaughter Corps, who dared to wield machetes in melee, trading lives at a five-to-one ratio, no one else would fight these monsters up close.
But these newly arrived soldiers seemed different.
Not only did they have the rare and valuable rocket launchers, but their rifles could still be effective from a hundred meters away.
This was a game-changer.
The greenskin charging toward them at fifty meters had taken at least thirty bullets and fired twice, both shots missing.
Finally, as it continued to push forward and crossed into fifty meters, it could no longer withstand the barrage of bullets and collapsed.
The soldiers firing weren’t only from that one squad; two more squads had noticed the greenskin and opened fire, with six rifles aimed at it.
Likoshi couldn’t help but feel envious.
Envious of their rocket launchers and envious of their guns.
At the same time, he felt a trace of curiosity: where had these strangers come from?
He had extensive connections and knew almost every adventurer group of note around Garbage Town. He had never seen any group equipped with such advanced gear.
He noticed someone waving at him.
Likoshi hesitated but decided to approach.
He asked, “Which group are you with?”
The person waving at him seemed surprised, then quickly replied, “We’re not an adventurer group. We’re soldiers of the New Alliance! I’m Sergeant Luke Duffy.”
“…”
There was a lot to process, and Likoshi found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
Sergeant Duffy noticed the insignia on Likoshi’s arm and asked, “You’re with the Beast Slaughter Corps?”
“…Yes.”
“Then you’d better fall back quickly. Many of your comrades are regrouping. We still need your help to drive out these filthy greenskin beasts.”
Likoshi was taken aback.
His resolve to die faded.
If there was a chance of victory, then he certainly didn’t need to die. If possible, he still hoped to see more greenskins fall before him.
“Sergeant Luke Duffy, I’ll remember you. I’m Likoshi, leader of the Beast Slaughter Corps. I hope we meet again.”
“You’re the leader?” Duffy was startled and quickly said, “That’s even better! You need to head to the rear; your men need you to lead them.”
“You’re right.”
Likoshi retrieved his shotgun and headed in the direction Duffy indicated.
As he walked a bit farther, he heard intense gunfire and the sound of rocket launchers behind him.
Unable to resist, he turned back and saw the ten soldiers forming three combat teams. They hadn’t advanced but were holding their position. Ahead of them, a group of about twenty greenskins was closing in.
Likoshi felt his heart sink.
Especially when he saw two rockets fired, killing only three greenskins. The ten soldiers, despite focusing their fire, managed to kill only two at that distance.
Fifteen greenskins remained!
They were almost within striking range.
At that close range, they only had a few seconds left before those monsters would be upon the soldiers, and there was hardly time to reload or load another rocket.
Likoshi doubted they’d survive and considered turning back to fight alongside them.
It wasn’t the wisest decision, but… they had just saved his life. Could he really turn away and let them face death while he escaped?
Just as he was torn between decisions, two more rumbling sounds came from behind him.
He turned to see two steel giants emerging from behind a building.
One was a tank — a Challenger, which he had seen once before. The other was a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, thinner but seemingly more powerful.
They both opened fire on the greenskins.