At this moment, Chernov was leading his KGB Special Forces and a platoon from the 76th Airborne Division to defend the highest point in the city centre of Leningrad.
His rank as a colonel naturally made him the overall commander of this joint force.
The highest point was strategically vital and, therefore, received special attention from the Dragon Knights.
Chernov and the paratroopers had the solemn duty of defending the red flag, the Soviet national flag, atop the highest point.
They were to ensure that it would not fall, even at the cost of their lives.
Whenever the red flag fell due to various bombings by the Dragon Knights, KGB members or paratroopers would risk their lives to raise it again.
As long as the red flag continued to flutter, it symbolized that Leningrad had not fallen, serving as the greatest inspiration for the soldiers fighting on the front lines.
Through radio reports from various units, Chernov learned that the targets of those undead creatures were the highest points in the city.
Therefore, he commanded his subordinates to lay numerous landmines and traps around the position. Additionally, they received support from a surviving BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle.
Despite their severe losses from the Dragon Knights' attacks, with the airborne unit originally having 150 soldiers reduced to 93, and Chernov's unit decreasing from 60 to just over 30, they remained determined.
The BMP airborne vehicles were all destroyed, leaving them only with a few anti-tank missiles and two 82mm mortars.
Regarding the KGB Special Forces, Chernov urgently borrowed some anti-tank missiles from nearby friendly forces.
Coupled with the RPGs originally equipped by his unit, they had enough firepower to destroy hundreds of vehicles.
However, even with these preparations, the upcoming battle against three thousand undead creatures posed a significant challenge, with insufficient manpower and weaponry.
Despite the expectation of reinforcements from nearby friendly forces along the five-kilometre route, they would still have to face the majority of the undead.
When Chernov sent a request for support to the Front Army Command, the replies were consistent with those from other units:
"Hold your ground firmly. We will send reinforcements to support you. If conditions permit, the Air Force will also come to assist."
Yet, with over a hundred thousand Dragon Knights dominating the sky, even if numerous reinforcements arrived, it would be futile.
The reinforcements would be severely depleted before reaching their location.
If the Soviet land forces were considered an unstoppable torrent of steel, then these Dragon Knights were a flood of flesh and blood.
This battle made Chernov realize, for the first time, that if the Soviet Army's steel torrent was limited to the ground and couldn't extend into the air, it would face significant disadvantages in future wars.
In the future, even if the Soviet aircraft inflicted substantial damage on the enemy's aerial forces, the adversaries could recklessly destroy ground vehicles when the aircraft returned due to depleted ammunition and fuel.
The five-kilometre distance was merely a matter of minutes for these undead cavalry.
Even with firepower resistance from Soviet forces in buildings along the way, it couldn't halt the undead from advancing towards the city centre's highest point.
However, in this short five-kilometre stretch, the undead lost over a thousand of their numbers.
When they finally reached the city centre, Chernov and his team were facing nearly two thousand undead.
Despite the overwhelming odds, the KGB Special Forces and paratroopers had no thoughts of retreating.
They were the units with the strongest fighting spirit in the Soviet army. Even in a battle seemingly unwinnable, they would fight to the end.
"Comrades, the time has come for our country and people! All of us must be prepared to sacrifice."
"As long as one of us is alive, the flag of our homeland must continue to fly over Leningrad."
As Chernov finished speaking, the undead creatures began another charge.
Chernov quickly returned to his position, ready for the desperate fight ahead.
However, something strange happened.
When these undead creatures charged to the building with the highest point in the city, they did not advance further.
Even if they stepped on landmines, causing several undead to vanish instantly, the ones behind would mindlessly fill the gap but stand still outside the building.
What Chernov and his team did not know was that, at this moment, the undead creatures felt an indescribable fear for the first time.
In their eyes, they saw a scene that neither the Dragon Knights in the sky nor the Soviet soldiers on the ground could witness.
They saw a red ghost floating above the blood-red flag.
From all directions, an endless stream of energy was providing strength to this red ghost. Each contribution seemed insignificant and even negligible.
However, when these tiny bits of strength converged on the red ghost, it became incredibly powerful—so powerful that even if the ghost just stood there doing nothing, the undead creatures dared not take another step forward.
To the undead creatures, the soldiers fighting under this flag appeared as invincible war gods. They emitted a strong red glow, displaying an aura of invincibility.
Chernov was also surprised by the behaviour of the undead at this moment, but his trigger finger did not pause.
He noticed that the undead seemed to be influenced by something, standing still and losing the effect of their sturdy magic shields.
With every few bullets he fired, several of these previously powerful undead were eliminated.
Meanwhile, the BMP-2 and 82mm mortars providing defensive support had gone berserk, turning rows of undead into fragments.
In the clouds, directing the Dragon Knights in battle, Alex also noticed the situation here.
By now, he had commanded his remaining Dragon Knights to occupy a small part of Kirov, most of Petrograd, and nearly seventy per cent of Vasilievsky Island.
Despite their lack of expertise in ground combat, the local numerical superiority and excellent coordination with their dragons allowed them to capture a significant amount of territory.
Alex's face turned dark as he immediately called his subordinates over.
"Go immediately and ask Rauther King what's happening. Why are those undead, already imbued with his power, not moving?"
Rauther King, the undead with the greatsword that granted power to the ten thousand undead.
Even though he was on the other side of the portal, he could feel what the undead receiving his power were experiencing.
The power was exceptionally strong, but also very peculiar.
Despite having lived for thousands of years, he still couldn't discern the nature of this force.
In a matter of minutes, he sensed that the undead on the other side of the portal, imbued with his power, had disappeared.
At noon, Alex received two pieces of news, one good and one bad.
The bad news was that Rauther King reported the presence of an extraordinarily powerful force in the city, something he had never encountered before.
It seemed that most of the undead in the city had been annihilated.
The good news was from the Lord of the Bloody Grounds, Crazy Rick.
He successfully appealed to the Lord of Death for reinforcements, and now he was leading eight hundred thousand Dragon Knights towards the city.
Now, all he needed to do was hold the territories they had already captured. Once Lord Crazy Rick arrived, they could swiftly seize the entire city.
At the same time, the A-50 airborne early warning aircraft of the Soviet Union, which was monitoring the skies, detected the enemy's reinforcements.
This information was immediately sent to the Front Army headquarters.
A staff member reported the intelligence to Petrov and Kovalev, who were commanding the battle in the Front Army.
"Reporting to the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, the reconnaissance aircraft reports that they have detected a large number of enemy reinforcements flying towards us from 600 kilometres away."
"Understood, you may leave," Petrov said with a helpless expression.
The battle in the city had only been underway for two hours, but most of the units had suffered over half of their casualties.
Various heavy weapons and vehicles were nearly depleted, with hundreds of tanks and thousands of various types of vehicles destroyed in this short period.
What surprised Petrov even more was the high tactical and combat qualities of these Dragon Knights, which were beyond belief.
Although their combat strength on the ground was not remarkable, their primitive weapons allowed them to kill Soviet soldiers only in close combat, and the damage caused by the Bursting Piercing Spears was also limited.
Yet, they displayed excellent air-land coordination, gradually expanding the areas they occupied.
Whenever their attacks were blocked or faced with friendly firepower, the undead dragons hovering in the sky could quickly breathe fire to open up gaps.
Combined with the continuous influx of undead legions outside the city, they lost significant ground and streets in a short period.
Although they had unanimously agreed with Petrov to recall the 14th Army from the north to defend Leningrad, everyone understood that even if the 14th Army arrived, it wouldn't change the course of the battle.
Unless they could eliminate these Dragon Knights in the city's airspace, the 14th Army, even if it successfully entered the city, would be left with very few troops.
The air force's support had diminished significantly since the second wave; it was reported that other areas were also under invasion, and the situation there was more critical.
Unfortunately, they could only rely on the aircraft belonging to their own Front Army for support, but it was far from enough.
The arrival of enemy reinforcements now only made an already bad situation even worse.
However, after discussion, the two came up with a solution.
Both men believed that the most effective way to solve the problem of reinforcements was to directly apply to the Supreme Command for the use of ballistic missiles with a yield of 20 million tons.
When they sent the findings and solutions of the early warning aircraft to Petrov, who was recording the enemy's fighting methods in the suburbs, he also agreed to the plan and gave some of his own opinions later.
"At the same time, we also have our fighter planes carrying nuclear tactical weapons on standby."
"If any enemy forces appear again, they can be launched directly without seeking the consent of the front army. We must keep the enemy forces outside the national borders."
Soon, they sent the plan to the Supreme Command.
Efficiency during war is not comparable to that during peace.
It took only two minutes for the high command to reply and agree to their request.
At the same time, preparations began for a missile silo outside Moscow.
An R-36 intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a nuclear warhead with a yield of 20 million tons was slowly erected in the well, and the operator entered the newly received coordinates into the missile's navigation system.
Although the loss of the satellite will cause the missile to have a certain deviation, the yield of 20 million tons can make up for this deviation.
After everything is ready and there is a sound of ignition,
The fixed fuel at the bottom of the missile ignited instantly, and a dazzling light burst out instantly.
The thrust generated by the engine pushed the missile high into the atmosphere, flying into the atmosphere and heading northwest.
The missile is expected to encounter 800,000 Dragoons 500 kilometres west of Leningrad, and the radiation and EMP caused by that time will also affect Leningrad to some extent.
But to defend Leningrad, necessary sacrifice was needed.
At this time, Crazy Rick, who was leading the reinforcements to Leningrad, had no idea what he was about to face.
His attitude towards this human kingdom had also changed 180 degrees, and he did not dare to underestimate the enemy in the slightest.
After he learns about the true combat power of this human kingdom from Alex, he immediately uses space magic to return to Tomb City to meet the God of Death.
To get more reinforcements, he even demonized the Soviet army, describing the Soviet army as an army from hell that could kill the Soul-Eating Dragon Knight in one blow, which was several times stronger than their undead army.
The God of Death did not dare to rely on others, so he tried his best to squeeze out another 800,000 dragon knights from all over the country and give them to Crazy Rick's command, just to occupy Leningrad before the army of the human kingdom could react.
As long as he captures Leningrad, he can directly build a larger portal there and directly send Nazg's troops to the front line in a steady stream.
As he continued on his way, he also received a request for help from Alex.
Now the dragon knights on the front line have suffered heavy casualties, and the human kingdom is also sending more reinforcements.
One of the reinforcements from the north is about to arrive.
Now both armies in Leningrad have suffered heavy casualties.
It can only be seen who will be unable to hold on first, the undead and dragon knights who are not afraid of death or the Soviet army with faith to protect their people and homeland.
Soon, ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads were about to meet Crazy Rick.
At this time, he also used his ability to see the missile that was still dozens of kilometres away.
At this moment, his mind was full of questions.
He had already known through Crazy Rick's eyes that this weapon was from the human kingdom, but this time it seemed to be bigger than before, and he didn't see any human flying knight.
Thousands of years of fighting on the battlefield have also developed a strong sixth sense for him, which has saved his life several times in critical moments.
However, the feeling this time seemed to be different from the previous one.
This time it felt as if he was certain to die.
This was something he had never felt before.
As the missile got closer and closer to him, his mind began to think about his life uncontrollably.
When he was still human, he witnessed his parents being killed as a child.
When he grew up, he killed an enemy to avenge his parents and was hunted down again. Finally, his body was thrown into a smelly ditch to rot.
The corpse was eventually discharged into the sea and washed up by the waves on the shore of Nazg.
It happened that the God of Death was passing by here at this time.
He felt the strong resentment emanating from the corpse, so he injected his death power into the corpse.
After the resurrection, the man was determined to follow Death forever, changed his name to Crazy Rick, and vowed to kill all enemies for Death to thank him for giving him a second chance.
In the following thousands of years, every time a war broke out in Nazg, Crazy Rick actively participated in it, rushing to the forefront every time, and made great military exploits for Nazg.
Even with such military exploits, he still gained the trust of the God of Death, so when he asked the God of Death for help this time, the God of Death would immediately collect for him the troops that the entire country could still muster, and give him command unconditionally.
This was what he recalled in his mind at the last moment, and the last thing he saw was an extremely huge human weapon, even several times larger than his mount, exploding in front of his eyes.
The process of the explosion seemed to slow down several times in his eyes until he saw the fire covering his body, and the dragon beneath him tried to cover him with its wings, but it was too late.
The exploding nuclear warhead brought a devastating light, and the dazzling glow illuminated the entire sky.
A huge fireball rose into the sky, forming a terrifying mushroom cloud that spread rapidly, engulfing everything around it in a sea of fire, just like the end of the world.
In an instant, all 800,000 dragon knights were gone.