Chapter 755: Signal (1)

Boom—!!!

A series of massive explosions came from the outer perimeter of the scrap heap.

It shook the entire underground space, causing dust to rain down!

Immediately following, a shrill alarm sounded!

Dalton's expression changed upon hearing this alarm, because it was not his own crude alarm, but the synthetic-voice alarm of the Cyberk forces!

"Warning! Large-scale illegal Human gathering signal detected! Abnormal communication activity detected! Executing regional Qingchao Xieyi! Unit: 3rd Patrol Squadron, 7th Extermination Squad! Target: All life forms in coordinate area! Clearance procedure: Initiated!"

"Damn it! We've been discovered!"

Huo Ke's expression changed drastically.

"How are they reacting so quickly!"

Sherlock's heart sank abruptly. The Cyberk had discovered them! And they had sent an Extermination Squad directly!

"Quick!!"

Sherlock roared. "Dalton! Use whatever method you can! Send the guidance signal out! Interferer! Use everything you can! Huo Ke! Organize the defense! Hold them off! We still need to hold for 20 minutes!"

Seeing the red beam of light shooting into the sky in the distance and the dense explosions coming from there, Huo Ke's expression became extremely grave.

Those three survivor teams were likely already doomed!

"Damn it! Their reaction is too fast!"

Huo Ke immediately said to Bamian beside him.

"Bamian! All non-combatants, enter Yihao Jinji Tongdao immediately! Combatants, follow me to cover the retreat! Sherlock! Dalton! The signal! The signal must be sent out! That is the only hope!"

The injured survivors were pushed and shoved toward the entrance of a narrow passage hidden behind a massive pipe.

Combatants grabbed their weapons and, amidst Bamian's roars, rushed toward various pre-set defensive points and the exits leading to the surface.

"Dalton! Come with me! To the backup high ground!"

Sherlock grabbed Dalton, who was still wiring and trying to fix that crude signal generator to a support beam, and dragged him toward another maintenance ladder leading upward.

Anna, Lao Jierui, and Nicha followed closely behind.

The sounds of explosions and metal tearing overhead grew more intense! The entire space was vibrating violently.

"Clearance procedure in progress. Locating resistance units. Sealing all exits!"

Boom!!!

A loud bang.

Several tall, cold, metallic-glinting Cyberk Heavy Assault Machine Soldiers appeared at the edge of the cave entrance.

The multi-barrel cannons on their shoulders began to rotate and warm up.

At this moment, Huo Ke activated the Interferer he had obtained from Dalton's side.

The first Cyberk soldiers to rush in were directly and briefly paralyzed by the Interferer.

"Fire!!!"

The roars of Huo Ke and Bamian sounded almost simultaneously!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Tat-tat-tat-tat—!

The survivors' homemade weapons fired. Bullets splashed countless sparks against the thick armor of the Cyberk soldiers!

However, the Cyberk machine soldiers' firepower was even more ferocious and precise!

Hum—! Tat-tat-tat-tat—!!!

A dense storm of metal poured down instantly!

Pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft!

Screams rose one after another!

Several team members who were at the very front, firing from behind cover, were instantly torn to shreds along with their cover!

Severed limbs and visceral fragments mixed with metal shards splattered everywhere!

"Damn it! We can't get out now!"

Half of Bamian's face was blackened by the blast wave; he snatched up a Rocket Launcher stripped from a corpse and fired a shot at the entrance!

Boom!

The rocket exploded into a ball of fire on the machine soldier! That machine soldier stumbled but did not fall, instead pouring out firepower even more crazily!

"Captain! We can't hold them! The exit is blocked!"

A blood-covered team member screamed.

Watching his team members falling one after another and the increasing number of machine soldier silhouettes at the entrance, Huo Ke's heart bled.

"Retreat! Abandon the main entrance! Go through the backup passage! Quick!"

Huo Ke roared, firing his large-caliber Pistol continuously while covering the survivors as they surged toward Yihao Jinji Tongdao.

Sherlock's team had already climbed onto a high maintenance platform; the view here was relatively open, and they could barely see part of the area to the southwest of the scrap yard.

"Dalton! Quick! Time is up! Send the signal!"

Sherlock urged anxiously, while he, Lao Jierui, and Nicha nervously kept watch on their surroundings.

Anna lay prone on the edge of the platform, her optical prosthetic eye flashing with red light as she observed the chaotic battlefield below and potential threats appearing in the distance.

"Ready! Ready!"

Dalton was drenched in sweat; he finally fixed the crude signal generator onto a rusted steel frame, slammed the switch, and quickly adjusted the frequency.

Zzz… zzz-la… pfft!

The indicator lights on top of the signal generator flashed wildly at first, then one of the red indicator lights suddenly lit up and began to flash according to the three-short-one-long (light-dark-light-dark-light-dark—long light) pattern Dalton had set!

A faint red beam of light pierced through the pervasive smoke and dust, shooting toward the gray, hazy sky!

"The signal is sent!!"

Dalton shouted excitedly.

However, just as the signal lit up!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Several crimson energy beams shot out from the chaotic battlefield below, precisely targeting the maintenance platform where they were located!

"The Cyberk have caught up!"

Anna's warning voice rang out with a hint of trembling!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The metal railing at the edge of the platform was instantly melted through!

The violent explosion shattered the signal generator Dalton had just set up! Parts scattered and flew everywhere!

Dalton was knocked to the ground by the blast wave, the toolbox flew out of his hand, and the parts inside were scattered all over the floor!

"My signal generator!"

"Look out!"

Lao Jierui tackled Sherlock, a beam of light flew past Sherlock's shoulder, and the scorching energy scorched the clothing on his shoulder!

"Damn Cyberk!"

Nicha roared, raised his modified shotgun, and opened fire in the direction from which the beams were shot.

"Dalton! Do you have any backups? Anything that can emit light!"

Sherlock pushed Lao Jierui away and shouted anxiously.

Dalton fumbled frantically on the ground and saw a few thick signal flares that had rolled out of the toolbox.

Those were military signal flares found in the junk pile earlier!

"Signal flares! Use these!" Dalton grabbed a red signal flare and yanked the safety ring!

Sizzle—!

A red pillar of light, far thicker and more dazzling than the generator from before, shot into the sky! Piercing straight into the clouds!

"Yes! Just like that! Keep the rhythm! Three short, one long!"

Sherlock roared.

Dalton gritted his teeth, controlling the signal flare with his trembling prosthetic arm: shaking it quickly three times (short), then holding it high to keep it lit (long), then shaking it three times (short), then holding it long... he repeated this action desperately!

The red pillar of light flickered and pulsed stubbornly above the smoke-filled junkyard!

Below, a Cyberk Heavy Assault Machine Soldier suddenly raised its head, its pupils locking onto the blinding red light source and the swaying figures on the high platform!

"High-threat target! Signal source! Priority elimination!"

The Missile launch nest on the machine soldier's shoulder opened instantly!

A small tracking Missile, trailing a tail flame, whistled toward the maintenance platform!

"Missile!!!"

"Dodge!"

Sherlock tried to lunge toward Dalton, who was still waving the signal flare!

But everything was too fast!

Boom—!!!!

The explosion completely Devoured the entire maintenance platform!