Chapter 488: with translation of chapter title

Boom!!

The Cormorant, having lost its energy shield, after continuing to endure two salvoes, was completely engulfed in the explosion's firelight, lost control, and tumbled toward the ground, crashing into the sea of insects.

Tanya, who witnessed the whole process, did not know the condition of all personnel aboard the Cormorant, but the UNSC scouts protected by TPS Power Armor had an extremely high chance of surviving the 'air crash'.

However, whether the scouts could resist the insect swarm, survive, and successfully withdraw was no longer within Tanya's consideration.

Because the assault craft she and her sisters were riding also suffered dense barrages of biological plasma and bone-spike attacks, and furthermore, the assault craft's energy shield power was far inferior to that of the Cormorant capable of outer-space flight.

Fortunately, their pilot's skill was superb, and the assault craft, being more agile and fast within the atmosphere than the Cormorant, successfully dodged a volley from the insect side.

Die, you old hag! Die!

Tanya, Celesstin, and the other sisters seated on either side of the cabin, without regard for ammunition consumption, coordinated with the two crew members operating the rotary machine guns, continued to suppress the ground.

No need to aim; a random shot could hit the infantry bugs below, or the warrior bugs with biological shields.

Watching the aviation regiment lose more than half its forces, then looking down at the endless swarm of insects emerging below, the usually silent Celesstin suddenly recalled Tanya's 'premonition dream' from a month ago.

It was obvious that the unknown insect swarm below was exactly the endless void Tanya had dreamed of.

If it weren't for the four families' survivors venturing deep into the forest for recreation, accidentally stumbling upon and thus early discovering the unknown insect swarm, then by the time the unknown swarm was ready, its numbers would not be merely what we see now.

Furthermore, based on the judgment of the deceased special team and the survivors' remains, Celesstin had reason to believe that this unknown insect swarm could even, by consuming, acquire the genes or brain memories of different organisms to perfect itself.

Based on the already dead special squad and the remains of the victims, Celesstin has reason to believe that this unknown insectoid species can even obtain the genes or brain memories of different organisms through ingestion, thereby further perfecting itself.

It was already no less than the Flood they had known and studied.

It is already no less than the Flood they have come to know and studied!

While pulling the trigger and firing, Celesstin, thinking about the current situation, saw her. 50-caliber pulse machine gun run empty, and prepared to swap in a new ammo drum, but just as she was about to act…

While pulling the trigger and firing, Celesstin, who was also thinking about the current situation, saw that her. 50-caliber pulse machine gun had run empty, so she prepared to replace it with a new ammunition drum, but just as she was about to act…

A massive volley of biological plasma first shattered the energy shield of the assault craft they were riding, and another volley struck their tail.

"Everyone hold on!" the pilot shouted over the comms.

"Beep! Beep!" a piercing alarm rang through the cabin.

The two crew members stopped operating the rotary machine guns and instead gripped the handrails tightly.

Tanya, Celesstin, and the other sisters also ceased fire, activating the magnetic adsorption function of their powered armor to avoid being flung out by the assault craft losing control.

Tanya, Celesstin, and the other sisters also ceased fire, activating the magnetic adsorption function of their powered armor to avoid being flung out by the assault craft that was losing control.

Looking down from above.

The assault craft, due to the pilot's control, did not immediately flip over, barely maintaining flight, but with extreme sway.

Gazing around in all directions.

The aviation regiment, suddenly attacked by the insect swarm, had so far only the training sisters' assault craft, plus two other assault craft and one Cormorant 'surviving'.

The aviation brigade that had suddenly encountered the insect swarm now, up to this point, only had the assault craft carrying the trainee sisters, plus another two assault craft and one Cormorant that had survived.

The insect side's biological anti-air barrage successively blew up and shot down these four remaining aircraft.

The assault craft carrying the training sisters lacked its left-wing engine; even if the pilot's skill were superb, the fuselage would inevitably begin to spin like a top.

However, before the left wing was burned away by the biological plasma barrage, the pilot had managed, as much as possible, to keep the assault craft away from the insect swarm, and could still see in the distance the buildings and night lights of Olivrin Town.

After losing control—that is, now—the assault craft spun, continuing to fly without any discernible trajectory for nearly two kilometers, finally striking a stand of trees and crashing in the rainforest.

After losing control — which is now — the assault craft spun, continuing to fly without any discernible trajectory for nearly two kilometers before finally striking a stand of trees and crashing in the rainforest.

…

After an unknown amount of time…

"Ugh…" Tanya, her ears ringing and vision blurred, opened her eyes.

Her vision was first a blur, but quickly cleared; she realized that what lay before her was jumping electric sparks, and the cabin ceiling undergoing twisted deformation.

It appeared that during the fall and crash, the powered armor had successfully protected her.

It appears that during the fall and crash, the powered armor successfully kept her safe.

Howl… howl…

After the ringing in her ears faded, Tanya still heard faint gunfire outside, along with the insects' roars.

After the ringing in her ears subsided, Tanya still heard faint gunfire from outside, along with the roars of the insects.

Hearing these sounds, she finally came to her senses, and hastily flipped herself up to look around.

The two crew members wearing only in-atmosphere work uniforms had one with a waist twisted 180°, and the other had half of his body crushed beneath the left side of the cabin.

At the same time, the holographic screen regenerated before her left eye also confirmed that the two crew members had been killed in action.

On the other hand, the sisters sprawled and crowded in the corner had all survived.

Thus Tanya immediately crawled to the nearest Celesstin, lightly fanning her friend's cheek with her left hand while calling out, 'Little Stick-in-the-mud! Wake up! Little Stick-in-the-mud!'

Thus Tanya immediately crawled over to the nearest Celesstin, lightly fanning her friend's cheek with her left hand while calling out, 'Xiaoguban! Wake up, wake up! Xiaoguban!'

Having been roused by Tanya's not-so-violent violent maneuver, Celesstin bypassed the dizzy, ringing-in-the-ears, blurred-vision stage, and upon opening her eyes regained mobility.

Thereafter, without needing the two of them to wake each sister individually, all the sisters opened their eyes and rose in turn.

They observed a brief moment of silence for the two fallen crew members, then took their own weapons and the fallen equipment, and all exited through the relatively intact but upward-angled right side of the cabin.

They held a brief memorial for the two deceased crew members, then gathered their weapons and the fallen equipment, and all exited through the relatively intact but upward-tilted right side of the cabin.

Gunfire, roars, and explosion noises became clearer.

However, due to the fire ignited by their assault craft, the vicinity was filled with the sound of burning branches and trunks—moisture evaporating, causing dryness and rapid expansion—making the 'crackling' seem especially prominent.

At that moment, they saw in the sky thin, extremely fast blue-light trajectories, as well as sparse, scattered, massive plasma volleys.

At that very moment, they saw in the sky the emergence of thin, extremely fast blue-light trajectories, along with sparse, scattered, huge plasma artillery salvos.

The noise from these Gauss cannons and plasma cannons on the escort ships was far louder than the gunfire of the scattered scouts nearby fighting the insect swarm.

Because, including the deceased crew members, everyone's bodies contained military-grade nanobots that could help alleviate injuries, eliminate harmful microorganisms and parasites, and at the same time provide friendly identification to all Public Security Bureau, Umbrella, and UNSC units.

Because all personnel, including deceased crew members, have military-grade nanobots in their bodies that can help alleviate injuries and clear harmful microorganisms and parasites, they also provide friendly identification to all Public Security Bureau, Umbrella, and UNSC units.

Therefore, the frigate located several hundred li away, even if it opened fire with its naval guns, would not accidentally injure or kill any of the trainee sisters or recon company soldiers.

After everyone had come outside, the sisters first took the wrecked assault craft as a focal point for defense, analyzing exactly what situation they now faced.

Meanwhile, Celesstin and another sister used the strength boost from their powered armor to forcibly pry open the right-side hatch of the cockpit to check the pilot's condition.

The hatch was opened.

I had thought the pilot would meet the same fate as the two crew members, but not only was he not dead, his vital signs were green, indicating he had merely lapsed into unconsciousness due to the impact and shaking.

Seeing the pilot survive finally gave Tanya and Celesstin some solace.

After being roused and helped out of the cockpit, the pilot no longer required special care; he even produced a Gauss micro-thruster and its corresponding ammunition from the wreckage, ready to act alongside the battle sisters.

Next.

Via the real-time intel displayed on the holographic screen, everyone determined that four kilometers to the northwest of the crash site was the nearest UNSC defense line, held by the 2nd Armored Company of the 3rd Battalion.

However, six hundred meters to the southeast, there were numerous friendly markers…

They were the surviving soldiers of the 1st Recon Company.

Of course, the outskirts six hundred meters to the southeast were thick with red markers, indicating that the surviving soldiers were about to be overwhelmed by the bug swarm.

Choosing to withdraw northwest would gain armored company support, so they would not have to worry about their safety in the short term.

If they chose to rush southeast to reinforce the soldiers about to be besieged by the bug swarm, they would face the same outcome.

For ordinary civilians, the vast majority would instinctively choose the first option.

But Tanya and Celesstin, destined to become battle sisters, felt their duty, the weapons in their hands, and the faith in their hearts compel them to unhesitatingly choose the second option.

"Sisters! Rush to aid the suppressed recon company brothers!" Sergeant Tanya waved her hand and immediately issued the order.

"Yes, sir!" Celesstin and the others replied in unison.

However, as all the sisters moved ahead first, Tanya, who stayed behind, intercepted the pilot, glanced toward the northwest, and proposed:

"Second lieutenant, there's an armored… four kilometers to the northwest…"

"Never mind that." The second lieutenant pilot cut him off, pressing forward without hesitation, and added: "How could I possibly abandon a bunch of beautiful women and flee on my own in a situation like this? Hahaha~!"

"Hehe." Tanya also gave a helpless smile, ceasing to try to persuade him further.

She readied her jetpack, quickened her pace through the dense forest, soon left the pilot behind, and caught up with the sisters who had gone ahead.

Before they could burst out of the dense forest into a more open area, they heard…

"Sanders! Point your gun muzzle at the 9 o'clock direction! Suppress! Suppress those bastards!"

"Brother down! Brother down! Medic!!"

"Damn! Do you think our army is easy to bully?! Come on! Eat my magnetic nail rounds!"

One could hear the howls echoing across the area, but even more prevalent was the erupting gunfire, along with various explosions and the bugs' roars.

They burst out of the dense forest.

They then saw dozens of recon soldiers using the wrecked Cormorant and assault craft as cover, fighting against countless bug infantry.

Pulse rounds and spike rounds caused the bug swarm to emit a pale yellow blood mist, yet the swarm's advance was hardly slowed at all by these recon soldiers.

On the other hand, the frigate's naval bombardment effectively halted the bug swarm's advance, easing the pressure on the recon soldiers.

"Sisters! Cover the withdrawal of our allied brothers!"

"Yes!"

Accompanied by a loud howl, Tanya, Celesstin, and the others dispersed behind the besieged recon soldiers' position and began laying down fire cover.

Seeing the trainee sisters arrive, the Iron Blood Commander and the surviving recon soldiers wasted no time, seizing the opportunity to retreat.

"Howl~!"

However, as the two sides linked up, a Warrior Bug suddenly surged out of the swarm at high speed, lunging at the rearmost recon soldier and swinging its sharp bone blades.

"Boom~!"

The energy shield successfully blocked the bone blade, but the tremendous force sent that recon soldier flying, after which he vanished into the bug swarm.

"Fire!"

Seeing the hulking Warrior Bug approach, everyone had to pause their retreat and concentrate fire on it.

But this behemoth possessed a biological carapace, and lacking heavy firepower, they could not kill it quickly.

At this moment…

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Several small plasma salvoes struck the biological carapace head-on, and the exploding blue plasma also somewhat impeded the Warrior Bug's vision.

It turned out to be the Iron Blood Commander, who had employed his clan's plasma shoulder cannon.

Moreover, while firing those salvoes, the Iron Blood Commander also detached the retractable spear attached to his rear waist, using the squad's concentrated fire to draw attention, plus the visual interference from the plasma, to swiftly flank the Warrior Bug.

From his stance, one could tell that this commander, born of a hunting and fighting species, intended to engage in close-quarters combat.

Because during previous operations, the recon company had discovered that the bugs' biological carapace could effectively resist high-velocity rounds or plasma salvo energy attacks, but was not very sensitive to ordinary moving objects.

Realizing this, the surviving recon soldiers used plasma grenades to deal with multiple of the biggest-threat Warrior Bugs.

Now the grenades are exhausted, and with time pressing, the Iron Blood Commander opted to go solo in melee.

He swung his left-hand spear downward, unfolding a cold-light blade as he leapt, successfully landing on the Warrior Bug's back carapace.

"Howl~!"

Feeling a foreign object on its back, the Warrior Bug immediately halted its charge and waved its two pairs of bone blades, twisting its body, trying to fling off the foreign object.

"Plunk!"

The Iron Blood Commander precisely thrust the spear tip through the gap between the carapace plates, piercing the Warrior Bug's body.

Immediately after, the Warrior Bug's violent thrashing nearly threw him off, but at the instant he lost balance, he clenched the spear shaft with his left hand.

This caused his body to sway with the bug's thrashing, and simultaneously, the Iron Blood clan's braid also swayed.

But the Iron Blood Company Captain, using the momentum of the swing, actively flung himself upward, and then, while being pulled down by gravity…

「Swish! Swish! 」

The Iron Blood Company Captain unfurled the vibrating wrist blades mounted on his arms.

「Pfft! Hiss! 」

Both wrist blades struck true and straight, piercing the warrior bug's yellow eyes.

「Hiss! Hiss-la! 」

At the same time, the Iron Blood Company Captain forced downward, successfully slicing the warrior bug's head into several pieces.

「Thud thud. 」

「Plop! 」

When the Iron Blood Company Captain's feet touched the ground, the warrior bug also collapsed limp, and this commander, with extraordinary nonchalance, turned, causing the 「dirty braid」 to sway again, returning to the position of his subordinates and the trainee sisters.

(End of chapter)