Chapter 169: Plateau Iron Cavalry (Part 1) — Cluster Charge

Southwest border, altitude 4,500 meters, 6:00 AM.

The cold wind rolled with ice shards, whipping against the face like a knife.

On the positions of the 7th Mountain Brigade of the White Elephant border troops, soldiers huddled in temporarily dug trenches, wrapped in heavy cold-proof clothing, still shivering with chattering teeth.

Brigade Commander Colonel Singh stood in the command bunker, holding binoculars and looking at the mountain ridge on the Dragon Country side.

Morning mist filled the air, visibility less than five hundred meters, but some... unusual movements could be vaguely seen on the opposite mountain.

"What are the drone reconnaissance results?" he asked.

The staff officer's face was ugly: "Sent out three, all lost contact."

"The last images transmitted back showed a large number of heat source signals in the valley opposite, but the resolution was too low to see what they were."

"Heat source scale?"

"Equivalent to... at least an armored regiment's tank cluster. But terrain data shows that no tanks can drive into that valley."

Singh frowned.

They had come with a full three mountain brigades, plus the 'reinforcements' that had just secretly arrived.

The Foot-Basin Chicken side had sent two exoskeleton assault teams known as 'Ghost Warriors', totaling four hundred people.

They were equipped with the latest exoskeleton and individual missile systems developed by Eagle Country, even more advanced than the 'Mountain Hound-Type 2' exoskeletons they were equipped with.

According to the Eagle Country advisor, this mixed force was enough to defeat two regular infantry divisions of the Dragon Country in the plateau environment.

But the current feeling... was not quite right.

"Where are the Foot-Basin Chicken people?" Singh asked.

"Left flank, Height 3," the staff officer pointed to the map.

"They said they wanted to serve as the 'sharp knife' in the first wave of the attack, breaking through the Dragon Country's defense line and thrusting straight into the depth."

Singh hummed.

He didn't have a good impression of these Foot-Basin Chicken reinforcements either, relying on Eagle Country's thigh, they were arrogant and didn't listen to his command at all.

However, the Eagle Country advisor insisted on letting the Foot-Basin Chicken troops lead the charge, saying they also needed to show the strength of the allied nations.

"Then let them go," Singh ordered.

"Notify all battalions, 6:30 AM, start artillery preparation according to plan."

"Thirty minutes after shelling, infantry will launch a charge with the cooperation of the Foot-Basin Chicken troops on the flank."

"Remember, our goal is to advance to the ruins of the old outpost twenty kilometers away and establish a permanent position."

"Yes!"

The order was relayed. On the position, the artillery began to adjust the data, and one 155mm howitzer and long-range rocket launcher after another raised their barrels.

6:25 AM, five minutes until the attack.

Singh checked the communication one last time: "All battalions report preparation status."

"1st Battalion in position."

"2nd Battalion in position."

"3rd Battalion..."

The 3rd Battalion Commander's voice was suddenly interrupted.

"3rd Battalion?" Singh frowned.

Harsh electrical noise came from the headset, followed by the 3rd Battalion Commander's terrified shouting: "What is that thing?! In the sky—ah!!"

The scream stopped abruptly, replaced by explosions, gunfire, and some kind of heavy, rhythmic clanging sound.

"3rd Battalion position under attack!" The staff officer rushed into the bunker.

"Frontline reports unidentified heavy units breaking through the position! Speed is extremely fast!"

"What heavy units? Tanks? Armored vehicles?"

"Neither! It's... it's mechs! Dragon Country humanoid mechs!"

Singh froze for half a second, then rushed to the observation port.

The morning mist was dissipating.

Then he saw.

On the mountain ridge opposite, a full thirty steel giants were walking down the hillside with heavy footsteps.

Their paint was plateau camouflage, but in the morning light, the metal shells reflected a cold luster.

On their shoulders, some kind of twin-linked laser turret was slowly rotating, locking onto the White Elephant position.

Even more terrifying was their formation, a standard wedge attack formation.

The five largest mechs in the front (later known as 'Bi'an-Type 2'), followed by twenty-five slightly smaller but more agile 'Iron Wolf-Assault Type' mechs.

('Iron Wolf-Assault Type' mechs had been completely covered by mechs by Li Yang before going to the battlefield, no longer just simple exoskeletons)

Behind them were more than a dozen four-legged unmanned combat platforms.

"Fire! All artillery fire!" Singh roared.

On the White Elephant artillery position, fire lit up the sky.

Shells whistled toward the mech cluster.

Then, Singh saw the most desperate scene of his military career.

The air in front of the mech cluster... twisted directly.

This was not a metaphor, it was a physical distortion.

Like heat waves under high temperature, forming a semi-transparent ripple shield.

The shells hit it, the explosion fire rippled on the surface of the shield, just like pebbles thrown into a deep pool, leaving nothing but ripples.

Thirty mechs were unscathed and continued to advance.

"Impossible..." Singh muttered to himself.

But even more desperate was yet to come.

The mech cluster began to accelerate.

Initially walking, then jogging, and finally—charging.

Thirty steel giants weighing dozens of tons launched a cluster charge at a speed of eighty kilometers per hour on the plateau at an altitude of 4,500 meters.

Each step taken, the ground trembled, and snow was shaken up several meters high, ice shards splashing everywhere like bullets.

Their goal was clear: thrust straight into the center of the White Elephant position and split the connection between the three brigades.

"Stop them!" Singh roared into the communicator.

"Tanks! Anti-tank missiles! All heavy firepower!"

On the White Elephant position, more than a dozen T-90S tanks raised their barrels, aiming at the 'Bi'an' mech charging in the front.

Armor-piercing shells fired.

The mech didn't evade.

The 'Bi'an' mech in the front raised its left arm, the forearm armor suddenly unfolded, revealing a honeycomb energy matrix.

The armor-piercing shell hit it, its speed dropped sharply as if falling into a quagmire, and finally fell to the ground with a clatter.

Then, the laser cannon on the mech's right shoulder opened fire.

A blue-white beam flashed, the turret of the first T-90S was melted through, the ammunition detonated, and it exploded into a fireball.

The second, the third...

The laser cannon fired point-blank at a rate of one shot per second, and the White Elephant tanks exploded one after another like firecrackers.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Singh finally realized this was not a battle at all, but a massacre.

But it was too late.

The mech cluster charged into the position.

'Bi'an' used its mechanical arms to flip armored vehicles directly and used its feet to crush artillery.

'Iron Wolf' mechs were more agile; they rushed into the trenches, the rapid-fire laser guns on their mechanical arms sweeping, and White Elephant soldiers fell in rows.

But most were just wounded and lost combat capability; the laser power was controlled at a non-lethal level.

This was what Li Yang emphasized repeatedly in the command channel: "For White Elephant soldiers, prioritize capturing. The key annihilation targets are the Foot-Basin Chicken troops."

So the mech cluster rampaged through the White Elephant position, but intentionally avoided densely populated areas, specifically destroying equipment and command nodes.

The real massacre was on the left flank.

Height 3, Foot-Basin Chicken 'Ghost Warrior' assault team position.

Team leader Major Koji Kobayashi looked at the charging mech cluster, his face not showing fear, but excitement.

"Finally here!" he ordered through the exoskeleton's built-in communicator.

"All squads, follow Plan C, disperse and engage! Remember, the joints of these mechs are the weak points! Aim for the knee joints and shoulder joints!"

Four hundred Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers wearing gray-black exoskeletons jumped agilely among the mountain rocks.

Their equipment was indeed excellent: the exoskeletons were powerful, holding 35mm electromagnetic cannons, and there were micro-missile launchers on their shoulders.

More importantly, their tactical literacy was not like the panic of the White Elephant soldiers, but quickly divided into forty ten-man squads, surrounding the mech cluster from all directions.

"Fire!"

The electromagnetic cannon projectiles flew out at three times the speed of sound, hitting the leg armor of the 'Iron Wolf' mech, splashing dazzling sparks.

"Hit! But... didn't penetrate!" a soldier exclaimed.

"Keep firing! Saturation attack!"

Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers fired frantically.

Electromagnetic cannon shells, micro-missiles, and even individual laser weapons rained down on the mechs.

But the effect was limited.

The 'Dragon Scale-3' armor of the 'Iron Wolf' could withstand direct hits from 120mm smoothbore guns in the lab; the 35mm electromagnetic cannon could only leave shallow dents.

And the mechs' counterattack had already arrived.

Five 'Iron Wolf' mechs suddenly changed formation, forming a circular defensive perimeter back-to-back.

The laser cannons on their shoulders rotated rapidly, precisely picking off Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers who exposed their positions.

This time it wasn't just wounding, but direct killing.

The laser beams aimed directly at the chest of the exoskeletons, where the energy core and cockpit were.

The soldiers hit didn't even have time to scream, the exoskeleton melted instantly, and the human body vaporized.

"Disperse! Don't gather!" Kobayashi roared.

But it was too late.

In the center of the mech cluster, those five 'Bi'an' heavy mechs made a move that made all Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers despair.

The armor plates on their shoulders slid open, revealing honeycomb-like launch ports.

"What is that?" a soldier asked.

The next second, they knew.

Dozens of black spheres the size of fists shot out from each launch port.

The spheres unfolded in the air, turning into 'mechanical spiders' the size of palms with eight mechanical legs.

After landing, hundreds of mechanical spiders crawled toward the Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers at an astonishing speed.

They were too small, too agile, and the exoskeleton weapons couldn't hit them at all.

"They're crawling up!"

"My exoskeleton joints are jammed!"

"They're drilling! They're going to drill in!"

The mechanical spiders specifically attacked the joint gaps of the exoskeletons.

They used high-frequency vibration drills to destroy the lubrication system and micro-lasers to cut hydraulic lines.

Within thirty seconds, a complete ten-man squad turned into ten iron coffins that couldn't move.

Kobayashi watched his subordinates fall one by one, and finally panicked.

"Retreat! Retreat to the second line of defense!"

But the retreat route had already been cut off.

Four 'Iron Wolf' mechs had somehow circled to their rear, blocking the retreat.

Pincer attack.

In despair, Kobayashi connected to the White Elephant command channel: "Colonel Singh! We need support! Fire coverage on our position! Now!"

Singh heard this request in the bunker, his face ashen.

Coverage? There were still four hundred Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers there!

But before he could reply, the communication channel was cut into by a calm voice:

"This is the Dragon Country Southwest Theater Command. Foot-Basin Chicken illegal armed personnel, you have intruded into our country's territory."

"Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, and your lives can be spared. Repeat, surrender immediately."

Kobayashi froze.

Singh also froze; how did the Dragon Country people cut into their encrypted channel?

"Giving you thirty seconds to consider," the voice said. "Thirty seconds later, we will execute the clearance procedure."

Kobayashi gritted his teeth, looking around.

The four-hundred-man assault team, now less than a hundred could still move.

The mechanical spider swarm was still being dropped from the mechs, like a black tide drowning the position.

Twenty-five seconds.

He saw a 'Bi'an' mech raise its right arm, the multi-barrel laser cannon at the end of the arm beginning to charge, emitting a low hum.

Twenty seconds.

"Captain... let's surrender," a young soldier said, trembling. "We can't beat them..."

Fifteen seconds.

Kobayashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Ten seconds.

He opened the public channel and said in stiff Chinese: "We... surrender."

Five seconds.

"A wise choice," the voice said. "Everyone, take off your exoskeletons, hold your heads with both hands, and walk to the open space."

The Foot-Basin Chicken soldiers felt as if they had been granted amnesty, one after another releasing the exoskeleton locks, staggering to the open space in the center of the position, and squatting down with their heads held.

The mechanical spider swarm retreated, the mechs formed a circle, the laser cannons still pointing at them, but not firing.

White Elephant main position, Singh saw this scene through binoculars, his heart dead.

The Foot-Basin Chicken's 'elite assault team' was wiped out in ten minutes.

And the Dragon Country's mech cluster, the loss was... zero.

At least from the surface, not a single mech was damaged.

"Brigade Commander!" The staff officer rushed in.

"2nd Battalion position broken! 3rd Battalion wiped out! 1st Battalion is retreating! We... we are surrounded!"

Singh looked at the map.

The blue markers representing their own troops were disappearing rapidly, and the red arrows representing the Dragon Country mechs had formed a complete encirclement.

The force ratio was forty thousand people from three brigades against thirty mechs.

But the battlefield situation felt like thirty mechs had surrounded their forty thousand people.

"Order..." Singh's voice was hoarse, "everyone surrender."

"What?!"

"I said, surrender!" Singh roared. "Do you want everyone in our brigade to die here?!"

The staff officer looked at him blankly, then numbly picked up the communicator.

7:20 AM, the sun rose completely.

Under the morning light of the plateau, the remaining two thousand-plus soldiers of the White Elephant 7th Mountain Brigade laid down their weapons and walked out of the position in long lines.

The mech cluster monitored from both sides, the weapons on the mechanical arms flashing with cold light.

On a mountain further away, Li Yang sat in the cockpit of the 'Bi'an-2', looking at the prisoner line below, and said in the communication channel:

"Brother Feng, the first phase of the southwest direction is complete. White Elephant 7th Mountain Brigade basically wiped out, captured over two thousand people."

"Foot-Basin Chicken four-hundred-man assault team completely annihilated, 330 killed, 70 captured."

Feng Yan's voice came from the command center: "Very good. But note, the Eagle Country advisor group and White Elephant high-level officials will not give up."

"They still have electronic warfare units and long-range rocket launchers."

"Understood," Li Yang pulled up the battlefield map.

"Large-scale electromagnetic signal activity has been monitored in the rear. They want to interfere with our communications and sensors."

"Then start the second phase," Feng Yan said. "Let them know that electromagnetic rights are also in our hands."

Li Yang nodded, switching channels:

"All mechs, activate the 'Wall of Silence' anti-interference protocol. Next, fight a battle they can't even see." ===== CHAPTER 170 =====