00066 --- The Little Prince in the Ossuary----=
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#Seventh California, Camp Roberts (3)
As the destination was approached, the visibility worsened. Cloud-like smoke obscured the sunlight.
There wasn't just one fire; several hills over there were entirely aflame. Was it due to careless bombing, or was it the work of the 「Trickster」? To Gyeo-ul, it seemed more like the latter. There's a possibility that the group that attacked Camp Roberts had joined this side. Or perhaps the experience was transmitted.
In any case, these were unfavorable conditions for air support.
By the roadside, a helicopter lay crashed. It appeared to have forced a descent for visibility but was caught either by the EMP or the 「Grumble」's throwing pattern. There would be no survivors; it was engulfed in flames, and burning ammunition was popping sporadically.
The overlapping helicopter rotor sounds were approaching. Covering fire rained down from above the vehicle column's flanks.
Booo-booo-boook- boook-
It was a weapon called a mini-gun. With six barrels rotating and firing at 4,000 rounds per minute, the sound was more akin to a broken brass instrument than gunfire. The two transport helicopters seemed to have brought only ammunition instead of passengers. Despite the massive ammunition consumption, they projected firepower over an extended period.
Thanks to that, the tank and Humvee gunners had less burden. The number of mutants approaching from the front and flanks was considerable.
Gyeo-ul, resting his arm on the window frame and placing his rifle on top, engaged in shooting.
As the helicopters departed, the company's advance slowed down. No matter how sparse they were, it wasn't easy to push through the mutants approaching from all directions.
"They're targeting the rear! Defend the supply vehicles first!"
The company commander's shout was transmitted. Indeed, the offensive was concentrating at the rear of the column. Only two Humvees were guarding that area. If the ammunition supply truck and the fuel tanker were hit, it would severely hamper the rescue mission.
This confirmed that the mutants were acting strategically. Understanding human combat methods and vulnerabilities, they devised attack plans accordingly.
Moreover, they hid strong ones among the weak. Ghouls were sporadically mixed among the common mutants. These creatures, enhanced versions of usual mutants, needed to be prioritized due to their agility. Gyeo-ul focused on hunting them down first.
Whizz-
From a distance to the right, a tree, uprooted entirely, flew in an almost direct parabolic path. It aimed at the ammunition supply truck but missed by only 5 meters.
"Jesus!"
A scream cut across the radio waves. The targeted vehicle swerved sharply to the left, tilting heavily, but managed to regain balance just in time. It was a close call.
It must have been a 「Grumble」, but only a silhouette was visible, obscured by smoke.
At this point, a tank moved forward.
Weeeeing-
Emitting a fierce gas turbine sound, the 60-ton steel behemoth protruded to the flank, mowing down the approaching mutants with a zigzag drive. Any mutant caught between the track and ground was unlikely to survive.
Another tree was flung. The tank accelerated to shield the supply vehicle. The timing was precise; the driver's skill was astonishing. The tree struck the tank, causing it to jolt heavily.
"Meerkat 3 hit!"
Gyeo-ul faltered briefly. The callsign didn't quite fit.
Nonetheless, meerkat 3 continued moving unimpaired. It turned its turret towards the 「Grumble」.
Firing a tank cannon meant there was no need to aim for weaknesses. It could just target the silhouette's center and fire.
Flash. Bang! With the firing flame, smoke around the muzzle swirled and scattered.
Kyaaaah-!
The massive creature, hit directly, let out a pained scream. Coincidentally, a fortuitous breeze cleared the smoke. The target's right arm was ripped from its shoulder. Meerkats 1 and 2 fired almost simultaneously. Shells from different angles mercilessly obliterated the 「Grumble」, top to bottom.
Lieutenant Durant radioed in.
"Grumble down. Well done. From now on, vehicle 1 will lead. Vehicle 2 takes the rear, vehicles 3 and 4 will handle side defense."
With the 「Grumble」 threat eliminated, even the tanks' captains emerged, grabbing machine guns. Bravo Company and the tank platoon, together with the supply convoy, finally pierced through the mutants' offensive.
From the direction of the nearing destination, gunfire and explosions echoed in a symphony. Gyeo-ul calculated the distance based on the interval of flashes and blasts.
'Approximately 3 minutes.'
They seemed poised to enter the battlefield in earnest within 3 minutes.
The tracker monitor displayed thermal video footage of the combat scene in a bird's-eye view. It was transmitted from the frontline controller. Though the frame dropped, and much of it was obscured by heat from the fire and smoke, it was enough to assess the situation.
Allies appeared clustered at a winery atop a low vineyard hill. Given the high number of trucks compared to combat vehicles, there seemed to be refugees or civilians among them. Mutants charged at them from all directions.
"Break, break! This is the company commander! Brace yourselves for impact! The Air Force plans to blow away the smoke with a vapor bomb!"
"Oh, shit!"
The turret gunner hurried inside in a panic.
A vapor bomb is a weapon that creates a blast wave through thermal expansion. The ones used by the Air Force are large in size. Within the effective range, humans are torn to shreds or mashed, vehicles disassemble, even tanks can overturn.
Not this time. Whoever thought of it, they planned to detonate it outside the lethal range to secure visibility. It seemed insane, yet ingenious at the same time.
'Isn't it too risky?'
Gyeo-ul worried about a mistaken strike. The bombs had to be detonated at a delicate threshold where allies wouldn't be harmed, yet the smoke would be cleared. That was a tall order.
'That might also indicate how urgent the situation is.'
Perhaps those trapped in the winery directly requested it.
The bomb exploded.
From the 11 o'clock direction, smoke was swept away like a wave. Clang! The vehicle shook violently as if struck by something. Damn it! The driver spat a short expletive. It seemed they'd hit something painfully.
The mutants charging in during the period of fire void staggered wildly. They looked relentlessly hammered by an invisible mallet.
It didn't stop at one round. An entire squadron of bombers flew in continuously, dropping dozens of bombs consecutively. It appeared they aimed to extinguish the forest fires nearby with them. Though the fires would only be temporarily extinguished around where the bombs dropped, eventually relighting due to embers, but, for the U. S. military, that brief respite was essential.
"The destination is in sight!"
After the bombing passed, the gunner who climbed back up the turret shouted. Gyeo-ul also observed; it was surprisingly close. It was within a distance they could reach quickly if the vehicle accelerated.
However, before that, the defensive line surrounding the winery was on the brink of collapsing. In some sections, close combat was already unfolding. Gyeo-ul immediately leaned out of the window, aiming his rifle.
Tat! Tat! Tatatat!
The soldier who had brandished a field shovel floundered, losing his aim. That's because four close-approaching mutants fell in succession. The same phenomenon repeated throughout the defensive line. Soldiers, who had been despairing due to a shortage of ammunition, discovered them and cheered.
Parts of the defensive line were walls made of consecutive vehicles. The desperate struggle between the defending soldiers and the mutants scrambling up. For whatever reason, a tank charged in that direction. It approached, relentlessly mowing and crushing mutants, then began grinding close to the makeshift wall.
The mutants squeezed between the wall and tank suffered ruptured entrails and broken spines.
Weeeeing-
Simply pushing, crushing, and smashing with repeated maneuvers, the tank swiftly cleared out dozens of mutants. An operation unimaginable for a Humvee. The tank driver's skill in measuring distance was impressive.
As the supply vehicles reached the defensive line, the tide of battle changed rapidly.
Of course, there were people who didn't reap the benefits.
A soldier wielding dual field shovels was fiercely fending off mutants. His bravery was terrifying. Every full swing killed at least one mutant. Laden with a duffel bag full of magazines, Gyeo-ul approached from behind and neatly dispatched nearby mutants.
He seemed out of breath, his shoulders heaving. Even as his comrades were preoccupied with securing magazines, he remained stationary, as if rooted to the spot. Was it combat fatigue? Gyeo-ul called out to him.
"You! Come over and get some ammo!"
Slowly turning, the man was crying. Gyeo-ul noticed the bite marks on him.
"Damn it......."
Not just one or two places. It wasn't bravery, but sheer desperation. Judging by how the discoloration of his skin and veins had spread to his jawline, some time had passed since he'd been bitten.
Bang!
A bright red hole opened in the forehead of the soldier holding the field shovel.
Turning towards the sound of gunfire, Gyeo-ul saw the shooter, ashen-faced. It seemed to be a reflexive discharge before any conscious decision was made.
"Ugh, ugh, ughhhh-aaah!"
He went into convulsions. Quivering perilously, he screamed. No, no, no! Spare me! I want to see mom! I want to go home! His cries were frightfully precarious. It was a panic attack, shell shock, induced by extreme fear and stress.
The problem was that he was still holding a gun. Having just reloaded and fired only one round, it was an automatic weapon with plenty of bullets remaining.
「Survival Sense」alerted sharply.
"Get down!"
Hardly had Gyeo-ul shouted when the panicked soldier began spraying rounds in all directions. The soldiers who'd already been on guard, like Gyeo-ul, barely dodged. But it wasn't the same for those further away. Busy shooting at the encroaching mutants, many failed to hear the warning.
Casualties emerged.
"Gilliard! Stop it!"
Two soldiers, who narrowly avoided harm, wrestled their deranged comrade to the ground.
"Get away! You monsters! Don't come near me!"
His hand clutched for a grenade. Gyeo-ul swiftly switched weapons and shot at his hand. He aimed five times in quick succession; the aim had been hurried, and it had to be decisive.
The bullets pierced the back of the hand, the armor preventing further harm. At this range, a rifle shot would've penetrated.
Breathing heavily, the two comrades holding the maddened soldier called Gilliard nodded in thanks to Gyeo-ul.
Medics rushed in, attending to the wounded.
Even with such mishaps, the situation continued to improve. Gyeo-ul realized the radio jamming had ceased. At least in the vicinity, it meant the 「Trickster」 had decided to withdraw. Seeing no chance of winning against the recovered firepower of the U. S. forces.
They weren't in a position to pursue. The ammunition brought was not abundant, and the civilians taking refuge in the winery were a concern.
From the north, new reinforcements appeared. A company-grade force coming through the smoke was evident, sweeping aside remnants as they advanced, presenting a formidable presence.
Gyeo-ul patrolled the defensive line, checking for any threats that might remain.
"Enemy spotted at twelve o'clock!"
Turning to the soldier's shout, Gyeo-ul saw mutants loitering near the smoking forest line.
The range was awkward. Gyeo-ul found the mutants' behavior curious. They neither attacked nor retreated. Confused for a moment, he quickly formed a hypothesis.
'A bait?'
A sacrificial tail left to divide attention, ensuring larger numbers could escape safely. A plausible maneuver for the 「Trickster」, given its cunning.
There was no reason to leave them alive. A Humvee stopped in front of Gyeo-ul. The driver gestured for him.
"Get in, Lieutenant. Orders to annihilate nearby threats."
"Orders? From the company commander?"
"No. You haven't heard yet. We've been attached to the 1st Battalion until the rescue operation concludes."
"The 1st Battalion?"
"Yes. Most of the troops here are from the 1st Battalion of the 160th Regiment. Some from other units are mixed in as well. The newly arrived forces are apparently the 2nd Battalion, 1st Company from Hunter Ligett."
Apparently, the reinforcements weren't dispatched solely from Camp Roberts. The 2nd Battalion from Fort Hunter Ligett, located further north, had also sent a company.
Coincidentally, forces from each battalion of the 「Seventh California」 had converged on one location.
---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=
1. Conversation from July 20th afternoon between the author and friends on KakaoTalk
Author: Ah, I miss Overwatch. I bought it, but I haven't played for a week.
Office Worker Friend: Miss it, really?
Author: I do miss it.
Author: But when I think of people chatting in-game, the longing subsides.
Manga Artist Friend: Hahaha!
2.
Q. thecrazy: @Staying up at night and sleeping during the day is actually good for health.
A. That's true, but I'd prefer if the readers aren't healthy. They say it's harmful to sleep at night.
Q. RGZ95: @I can cut down on sleep for the sake of the ossuary @「email protected」
A. As the author, I wouldn't want to cut down on sleep for the ossuary. What should I do?
Q. hotroad: I haven't seen liters used in the military except when reciting American drink sizes or engine specifications. Do they use liters in the military?
A. No, not necessarily. That's more like a specification resemblance.
Q. 늙은오리너구리님: @Darkest Dungeon is better for charging innocence than the Soul series, so I recommend it.
A. Dark Souls is too hard. The author has ten legs and plays games with their feet.
And writes novels with their feet, so each line smells of foot... no, no. Maybe it's time to transplant fingers on my feet.
Q. 감자껍질님: Do you have any other novels, author? I didn't see any on Joara, are there any on 달동네 or 커피페이지?
A. Publicly, there's only the parody of 'Halkeginia Sealbreaker'... but it's not that fun.
Q. 도화원님: @Innocence-filled game 60 seconds
A. Ah, that game really does give off an innocent vibe. I plan to buy it someday.
Although I already have over 100 bought games I haven't played... sigh...