Chapter 736: Tallarn Desert Raiders Clash with Cyberk Infantry (2)

Several Cyberk squads emerged from behind cover simultaneously, their energy rifles focusing fire on the turret and observation equipment of the Chimera Armored Vehicle; dense energy beams struck the armor, splashing large sparks and interfering with the crew's vision and firing accuracy.

From the rear ranks of the Cyberk Infantry, dozens of micro attack drones, each only the size of a falcon, rose rapidly!

Utilizing the cover of the sandstorm, they flew at low altitude, pouncing toward the charging Chimera Armored Vehicles.

"Damn it! It's drones! Use the secondary gun!"

A commander of a Chimera Armored Vehicle shouted in the communication channel.

The vehicle-mounted heavy bolter gunner fired desperately, shooting down a few.

But more drones ignored the losses, rushing onto the side armor plates of the Chimera Armored Vehicles.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Blinding flashes erupted one after another on the surface of the armored vehicles.

These micro drones were equipped with cutting devices similar to melta principles!

They nailed themselves firmly onto the armor plates, the terrifying high temperature instantly melting through the relatively thin roof armor, engine hood, or turret base!

"Engine overheating! Power lost!"

"Turret jammed! Cannot rotate!"

"Hull melted through! Melta is flowing in!"

Various shouts rang out in the Tallarn communication channel.

A Chimera leading the charge jolted violently, a large hole melted through its rear engine hood, black smoke emerged, and its speed slowed.

The turret of another Chimera Armored Vehicle was "nailed" by three drones simultaneously; molten metal droplets flowed into the interior of the turret, triggering a secondary explosion, and the entire turret was blown off amidst the flames!

"Maneuver squads! Retreat quickly! Snipers, suppress the drones!"

Captain Hakimu's voice carried a hint of anxiety; he witnessed the rapid disintegration of the vanguard armored force.

The Tallarn infantry attempted to shoot the drones with laser guns and ballistic weapons, but in the sandstorm and chaotic battlefield, hitting these high-speed, low-altitude targets was extremely difficult.

The Cyberk Infantry took the opportunity to press forward, their pulse rifles precisely picking off exposed Tallarn infantry. A Tallarn soldier attempting to cover a wounded comrade had just poked their head out when they were struck in the chest by several pulse beams; their bulletproof armor was pierced, and blood instantly stained the yellow sand.

"Precision fire! Suppress the Human sniper points! Coordinates updated. Use shock grenades."

Several specialized shock grenades landed accurately in the rocky area and behind the sand dunes where the Tallarn sniper teams were hiding.

The shockwave caused intense vibration and electromagnetic interference!

The Tallarn snipers in the rocky area were left dizzy, their scopes shattered; those behind the sand dunes were briefly buried by the collapsing sand, losing their ability to fire.

"Advance! Divide and annihilate!"

As the order was issued in the local consciousness network, the Cyberk Infantry began to surge forward in echelons.

They fired in alternating volleys, dividing and surrounding several companies of Tallarn infantry that had lost armored support within several gullies and rocky areas.

The pulse beams grew denser, and Tallarn soldiers fell one after another.

"Captain! We're pinned down in the gully! The Alien firepower is too strong! We will do our best to hold them off!"

A surrounded Sergeant screamed into the comms, the background filled with the roar of a stubber and the explosive sounds of pulse beams striking rock.

"12!"

A flash of light flickered from the muzzle of Qasim's long-barreled laser sniper rifle, and the head of a Cyberk soldier poking out in the distance was hit.

But he immediately pulled back into cover as several pulse beams shredded the edge of the rock.

"Damn it! My scope is cracked!"

Qasim cursed, wiping the blood and dust from his forehead with his sleeve—a "gift" from the shock grenade earlier.

He could only rely on the mechanical sight, his accuracy greatly reduced.

Observer Rashid used a makeshift bandage to press hard against the gushing abdominal wound of the heavily wounded soldier beside him, his own arm also wrapped in blood-soaked cloth.

"Hold on, medic... the medic will be here soon!"

His voice sounded very weak amidst the explosions and gunfire.

The heavily wounded Jamal had a pale face, his lips slightly parted.

"Don't worry about me... shoot... shoot those Aliens..."

His trembling hand reached for the laser gun that had rolled onto the ground.

Rashid leaned out, firing toward the Cyberk Infantry, venting his anger in a roar.

"For Tallarn! For the Emperor!"

Behind a low sand ridge, the ammunition belt of Bashir's heavy stubber danced frantically; the powerful firepower temporarily slowed down a small squad of Cyberk Infantry attempting to charge, forcing them to use their energy arm shields to form a shield wall to advance.

"Ammo! Almost out of ammo!"

Bashir roared, the heavy ammo box nearly empty.

The recruit Amir, huddled behind the sand ridge, had just changed the charging pack for his laser gun and shouted to Talha, who was firing.

"Sergeant Talha! There are too many of them!"

The veteran Talha was picking off a Cyberk soldier with his laser gun and replied in a hoarse voice.

"Shut up, kid! Save your energy to press the bullets! Bashir, switch to short bursts! Amir, give me all your remaining frag grenades!"

Talha quickly changed his laser gun's charging pack, took the few hand grenades handed over by Amir, tucked them into his belt, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Wait for them to get closer... let these tin cans taste sand mixed with steel!"

Medic Sana knelt in the blood, her hands covered in gore, trying to treat a soldier whose chest had been pierced by a pulse beam.

"Hold on! Look at me! Look at me!"

Sana kept trying to communicate with the soldier, her hands moving incessantly.

But the soldier's pupils had already begun to dilate.

Another wounded soldier groaned in pain; his leg had been blown off, and the makeshift tourniquet was soaked through with blood.

Farooq leaned against the gully wall, wrapping his bleeding calf tightly with a bandage, gritting his teeth as he rested his laser rifle on the edge of the gully.

Pfft, pfft, pfft! Several pulse beams struck above the trench edge, splashing sand and soil all over them.

"Sana! Go! This place can no longer be held!"

Farooq roared toward the area below, while firing a few blind shots in the direction of the energy beam source.

Sana raised her head, her face a mixture of bloodstains, tears, and sand, and looked at Farooq.

"Go where? Farooq! Outside is a death zone!"

She looked around, picked up the laser gun of a fallen soldier, and spoke.

"We have no retreat, for the Emperor! We will burn our lives away right here!"

Beside the wreckage of a Chimera whose engine had been melted through by a drone and was billowing black smoke.

Yusuf climbed with difficulty out of the turret's breach, his face marked by burns and soot.

He saw the charred remains of the vehicle commander stuck in the seat; a flash of grief crossed his eyes, immediately replaced by rage.

Two infantrymen were using the thick side armor of the Chimera as cover, firing at the approaching Cyberk Infantry.

One infantryman's shoulder armor was pierced, his flesh scorched, yet he still gritted his teeth and held on.

"Yusuf! You're still alive!"

An infantryman shouted excitedly upon seeing Yusuf climb out of the Chimera Armored Vehicle.

"Is the stubber still usable?"

Yusuf checked the vehicle-mounted stubber secondary weapon beside the turret base.

The barrel was twisted, and the ammunition feed belt was broken.

"It's scrap metal!"

He roared, drawing his laser pistol and a fragmentation grenade from his waist.

He jumped off the wreckage and rolled to the side of the infantrymen.

"But I can still fight!"

He pointed to an open area in front of the wreckage,

"They want to flank from there! Greet them with grenades! Avenge the vehicle commander!"

He pulled the grenade's safety pin and threw it toward the open area with all his might.

The other two infantrymen immediately followed suit.

Boom! Boom!

Yusuf and the infantrymen immediately leaned out, using the weapons in their hands to fire at the enemies caught in the explosions.

"For the Emperor! For Tallarn!"

Captain Hakimu's observation scope swept across these resistance points scattered amidst the yellow sand and gunpowder smoke, and he said in a hoarse voice,

"Hold on! For Tallarn! The sandstorm..."

Before Hakimu could finish his words, a sudden change occurred.