Chapter 1167: Flesh and Blood Destroying a Walking Mech

Rift Valley surface, edge of coordinate zone A-9.

A Krieg anti-tank squad lurked behind a half-collapsed concrete structure, the Rift letting in the flickering light from the battlefield outside.

Squad leader 123-5-801 observed the distant "Mammoth" walking mech through a crack.

The mech's towering figure loomed in the smoke, its four thick mechanical legs moving in alternation, leaving deep footprints on the scorched earth with every step.

801's hand signals were concise and clear in the dim light.

His right hand held up three fingers, pointing in three directions; this was the signal for assigning attack positions.

"Shield strength?"

801 asked in a voice that was barely audible.

The observer beside him, 123-5-812, was scanning the mech through a crude observation scope.

The scope was connected to a portable energy analyzer, with complex data streams scrolling across the screen.

"Stable state, strength level 7. Periodic fluctuations detected; the Shield Generator may be at the leg joints, where the armor is relatively weak and shield coverage has a delay."

801's hand signals changed again: left hand in a fist, thumb pointing at himself—I will draw its attention.

He then pointed at the three Plasma Gunners, making the "alternate fire" signal, and finally pointed at the Meltagunner, pressing his palm downward—wait for the moment.

Everyone nodded.

Just then, the voice of 123-7-379, commander of the frontal position, came through their backup Communication Device.

"Anti-tank squad, target confirmed: Alien mech on the left, coordinate -9. Cover team, open fire with full force in ten seconds to draw its attention."

Ten seconds later, the gunfire from the frontal position suddenly intensified.

All firepower was concentrated on that "Mammoth" mech.

Ripples spread across the surface of the shield, but it held firm against the attacks.

The mech turned toward the front, its main cannon beginning to charge, pale blue energy gathering at the muzzle.

Now.

801's hand swung down sharply.

The first Plasma Gunner, 123-5-803, rushed out.

He moved quickly to a crater twenty meters away.

The edge of this crater faced the mech's left rear leg joint, which, according to observations, was one of the likely locations for the Shield Generator.

803 set up the Plasma Gun, the cooling system of the weapon emitting a low hum.

Aim, pull the trigger.

A searing ball of blue Plasma tore through the air, striking the outer side of the mech's left rear leg joint.

The shield flashed, blocking the attack, but the point of impact rippled violently, its color shifting from pale purple to a glaring, bright purple.

"Shield locally overloaded, recovery time... 2.1 seconds."

Observer 812 reported quickly.

Too long.

This indicated that the shield as a whole was already under high load from continuously sustaining frontal fire.

801 did not hesitate.

Signal: Second person, other side.

The second Plasma Gunner, 123-5-805, launched an attack from the left.

805 had only rushed ten meters when the mech's auxiliary weapons spotted him.

It was a triple-barreled Rapid-fire Cannon mounted on the side of the torso; the muzzle turned, spraying a lethal barrage of fire.

"Cover!" 801 growled.

Behind the drainpipe, the remaining Krieg soldiers opened fire simultaneously.

Laser beams and live ammunition struck the mech's armor; although they could not cause substantial damage, they at least distracted it.

The trajectory of the Rapid-fire Cannon shifted by a few degrees, plowing deep furrows into the scorched earth where 805 was.

805 dove into the designated position, behind the wreckage of a "Thunder Beast" tank.

Set gun, aim, fire.

The second Plasma ball hit the right front leg joint.

This time, the shield's reaction was more violent: the shield around the entire mech flickered, and its color dimmed significantly.

"Overall shield strength dropped to level 5. The attack caused a systemic overload."

Observer 812 suddenly nudged 801's arm, pointing at the screen of his observation device.

The magnified image showed an inconspicuous protruding structure at the connection between the mech's torso and its left front leg, with subtle energy ripples around it—that was the heat dissipation device.

The Shield Generator must generate immense heat and require efficient cooling.

801 understood. He pointed at that location, then held up one finger: one chance.

The third Plasma Gunner, 123-5-807, was already in position.

His position was the most dangerous, located in a depression almost directly beneath the mech.

To attack the torso connection, he had to risk exposing most of his body.

807's signal came through: ready.

801's signal: fire.

807 leaped up from the depression, raised the Plasma Gun, and pulled the trigger.

The third Plasma ball flew out.

At that very instant, the mech seemed to sense the threat, lifting its left front leg to stomp toward 807's position.

But this movement unexpectedly provided an opportunity: as the leg lifted, the torso connection was exposed more fully.

The Plasma blast hit the target.

No shield flashed.

The Plasma struck the protruding structure directly, melting through the outer armor, and a burst of electrical sparks and thick smoke erupted from within.

"Hit the Shield Generator! Shields down!"

807 did not have time to dodge; as the mech's raised mechanical leg descended, it grazed his lower body.

807 fell to the ground, not screaming, just twitching a few times before lying still.

His Plasma Gun dropped to the side, the barrel glowing slightly red from overheating.

801 watched the death of his comrade with an expressionless face.

Turning to the Meltagunners, the gesture was clear: shields are broken, execute the kill.

Five Meltagunners leaped out of cover simultaneously.

The "Mammoth" mech without shields was still a lethal beast of Steel.

Its main cannon was attacking the Krieg positions in the distance that were drawing its attention, but all four auxiliary weapons on its torso activated and began strafing the surroundings.

Meltagunner 123-5-821 was hit in the chest by bullets from a Rapid-fire Cannon during the charge, flying backward, the Meltagun slipping from his hands.

123-5-822 had already rushed into firing range but was swept by the swing of the mech's front right leg, sent flying, and crashed into a rock, never getting up again.

123-5-823 utilized the mech's attack blind spot and rushed beneath the mech's abdomen.

823 adjusted the muzzle, not aiming at the abdomen, but at the load-bearing joint of the left rear leg.

The Melta beam fired, burning through the hydraulic lines and transmission rods at the joint. The left rear leg suddenly lost power, and the mech's body tilted.

Opportunity.

The fourth and fifth Meltagunners, 123-5-824 and 825, seized the chance to approach from both sides.

824 aimed at the connection between the torso and the damaged left rear leg, where the armor had exposed a weak point due to the mech's tilt.

825 chose the control unit beneath the mech's head sensor.

The two fired almost simultaneously.

824's Melta beam melted through the connection armor, penetrating deep into the internal structure. Internal explosions spewed flames and debris from the breach, and the entire left side of the mech began to go Out of Control.

825's shot was more precise.

The beam cut in from beneath the sensor, melted through the protective armor, and hit the control core behind it.

The mech's head suddenly stopped rotating, and all weapon systems stalled simultaneously; although it was only for a few seconds, it was enough.

On the front line, the Krieg soldiers seized this opportunity.

Anti-tank Rocket Launchers, Laser Cannons, all available heavy weapons fired at the exposed weak points.

Explosions bloomed continuously on the mech, the left rear leg snapped completely, and the mech tilted to the left.

But it had not yet completely lost combat capability. The main cannon's charging suddenly finished, and despite the muzzle being tilted, it still pointed at the most densely packed area of the front line.

Just then, a figure rushed out from behind a drainage pipe.

It was 801 himself.

He had three Melta Bombs hanging from his waist, charging toward the tilting mech.

One of the auxiliary weapons on the mech was still operating, bullets chasing his footsteps and exploding a series of dust clouds on the ground behind him.

801 rushed beneath the mech's abdomen. Because of the tilt, it was higher off the ground now, and he could clearly see the breach 824 had just melted.

He took off the first Melta Bomb, set a three-second delay, and shoved it deep into the breach.

Then he rushed toward the head area.

The mech's control system might have already been damaged, but to ensure total destruction... he climbed onto a protruding armor plate and stuck the second bomb behind the head sensor—where the data processing unit was usually located.

The third bomb, he had originally planned to place on the energy core, but there was no time left.

The mech's tilt was accelerating and it could fall completely at any moment.

801 jumped off the armor plate and rolled to the side.

Behind him, the first bomb exploded.

The breach was expanded into a massive hole, the internal structure disintegrating at the molecular level.

Immediately following, the second bomb exploded, the mech's head was blown open from the inside, and metal and parts scattered everywhere.

The "Mammoth" walking mech finally fell completely, its fourteen-meter-tall body slamming into the ground, the remaining energy systems inside suffering chain sympathetic detonations, and the entire mech disintegrated completely in several violent explosions.