Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 192 The Advantages of Shields (Fifth Update)

The other Lhasa Road power armor demonstrated superb stealth skills.

Using the reefs and undulating terrain along the coast, he shut down unnecessary engines and approached silently in low-power mode.

As he approached a bunker, he leaped into the air, the hydraulic system in his power armor's feet unleashing tremendous force, propelling him directly onto the bunker's roof.

Before the soldiers inside could react, the flamethrower under his arm fired a short burst, and the high-temperature jet instantly melted through the top of the bunker, turning everything inside into charcoal.

Arakasa's defenses appeared more hasty and chaotic here.

They clearly did not expect the enemy to use this "elite monster" style of fighting, launching attacks from all sorts of unexpected angles.

The communication channel was filled with chaotic calls: "Three o'clock! That black one, it's going too fast!"

"Our heavy firepower can't penetrate their shields!"

"They've stormed the position! Close combat!"

The two power armors that Arasaka hastily dispatched attempted to intercept the captain's machine, which was painted with a hideous skull and crossbones and was piloted by "Butcher" himself.

The "butcher" sneered and advanced instead of retreating.

Just as the two sides were about to collide, his power armor evaded the enemy's frontal fire with an almost impossible sidestep, while the power claw on his left arm popped out, tearing through the air with a sharp screech, and slammed into the chest cockpit of an Arasaka power armor.

Another Arasaka power armored vehicle attempted to fire from the side, but the missile pod on the shoulder of the "Butcher" captain's aircraft instantly locked on, and a small high-explosive missile roared out, blasting it into pieces.

The battle turned into a one-sided hunt.

The power armor pilots on the Lhasa Road were all experienced veterans. With the added margin for error provided by the temporary shields, they maximized the mobility and firepower of their power armor.

They charged left and right within the Arasaka position, precisely destroying the cooling system, capacitor array, and rails of the Takemikazuchi electromagnetic gun.

"Target A destroyed."

"The energy node has been destroyed."

"We are working on the last gun crew."

The concise report was transmitted via an encrypted channel.

In less than 25 minutes, the Takemikazuchi electromagnetic railgun system on the high point of the coast had been reduced to a pile of burning, twisted scrap metal.

The surviving Arasaka soldiers had long lost the will to resist and scattered in all directions.

"Butcher" stood at the highest point of the position, looking down at the mess below, his voice beneath his visor unwavering: "Mission complete. Assemble at the extraction point."

Like a pack of wolves that have completed their hunt, the five power armored vehicles quickly broke away from contact and disappeared into the shadows of the coastline.
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Meanwhile, in the abandoned factory area in the south.

The fighting style here is different from that on the eastern and western fronts.

Mowell, like a true ghost, infiltrated the factory area before Mann's team.

Her sensors shielded her from external surveillance, her sonic blades silently severed the throats of patrolling sentries, or disabled alarms in key locations.

She cleared a relatively safe infiltration path for Mann's team.

Mann's squad then made a rapid advance along the route marked by Mowell.

They lack the heavy protection of power armor, but possess the agility, teamwork, and deadly efficiency unique to street mercenaries.

"Two people in the left corridor." Sasha's voice came through the internal channel; she had hacked into the factory's remaining surveillance system. Dorio stood at the front like a tank, unleashing a punch from the shock generator. The invisible shockwave sent the two Arasaka soldiers, along with their cover, flying around the corner.

Rebecca followed closely behind, firing a heavy bomb to silence the target completely.

Pila and Qiwei were responsible for the rearguard and electronic countermeasures, disrupting Arasaka's internal communications and creating chaos.

Deep inside the factory, Arasaka had clearly also deployed defensive forces.

A four-person powered armor team, along with more than twenty elite security personnel, guarded the area around the "Susanoo" gravity field generator that was being assembled.

"Intruders detected! It's Mann's squad! High alert!" Commander Arasaka roared.

The power armor raised its rotary machine gun and began firing wildly in the direction where Mann's squad might appear, the bullets riddling the metal walls of the factory with holes.

"Rebecca, draw fire! Dorio, follow me and flank from the side! Pila, smoke grenade!" Mann quickly issued the orders.

Rebecca let out an excited howl, grabbed her bomb gun, and emerged from behind cover, firing a high-explosive round at the power armor.

Although the explosion failed to penetrate the armor, it successfully drew the enemy's attention. The guns of the three power armors immediately turned towards her, raining down bullets.

Meanwhile, Mann and Dorio, taking advantage of the factory's complex structure and the smoke grenades thrown by Pila, rapidly approached from the flanks.

"Bang!" The plasma cannon on Mann's left arm emitted a low hum once again.

A beam of azure light streaked through the smoke, striking precisely the engine bay on the back of a power armor. The high-temperature plasma instantly melted through the armor, triggering an internal explosion, and the power armor was instantly turned into a fireball.

Dorio charged toward another power armor like a bull.

The instant the enemy turned their guns around, the vibration generators in both of her arms simultaneously slammed into the leg joints of the power armor.

The immense impact caused the steel giant to lose its balance and stagger backward. Dorio seized the opportunity, leaping onto it and tearing open a weak point in its breastplate with brute force, stuffing several high-explosive grenades inside before quickly jumping away.

"Boom!" Another power armor was destroyed from the inside.

The last remaining power armored vehicle and security personnel attempted to organize a counterattack, but Mann's team did not give them the chance.

Mowell emerged from the shadows like a ghost, his sonic blade slicing through a graceful arc to sever the power armor's weapon feed chain. Then, in a flash, he killed several security personnel who were trying to aim at Mann.

Rebecca's grenades continued to fire, suppressing the remaining infantry.

Mann's plasma cannon was recharged, this time targeting the core, yet not fully activated, "Susanoo" gravity field generator.

"Goodbye, Arasaka's toys."

The plasma sphere roared out, striking the core control unit of the generator.

After the blinding flash of energy, there was a violent explosion and intricate parts flying everywhere.

The expensive gravity field generator turned into a pile of charred junk before it could even be used.

After clearing out the remaining scattered resistance, Mann looked at the chaotic factory interior and said in a deep voice, "Target cleared. Mowell, check for any stragglers. Everyone else, prepare to evacuate."

Three key targets were successively eliminated by three distinctly different forces before Arasaka's main force could complete its final deployment.

Arasaka's meticulously planned "triple strike" failed before it even began. The discipline of the Ghost Hounds, the elite of Lazarus, and the lethality of the Mann Squad were all on full display in the battle that night.

The temporary shield technology became a key factor in their ability to achieve their tactical objectives at minimal cost.

(End of this chapter)