"Boom!"
As the defense forces resisted the swarm of locusts, the mechanized troops took action again.
They activated the missile vehicles lined up behind the patrol wall, replenishing the ground defense firepower that was lacking due to the swarm.
One after another, the missile vehicles raised their compartments and launched missiles into the sky.
Amidst the roar, a large number of missiles ascended into the air and disappeared into the clouds.
In the next moment.
The missiles suddenly stalled in mid-air, then quickly ignited and plummeted, disintegrating in a spectacular explosion and transforming into countless streaks of light descending towards the earth.
"Cluster missiles!"
Zhou Yuan stared intently at the streaks of light, his eyes filled with excitement.
Previously, he believed that he was already strong enough, strong enough to break through even a tide of insects.
But today...
He realized that he had been overestimating himself!
Even if it was him, a "Captain America," or even ten thousand "Captain Americas," it would be useless. Confronting the swarm of insects would only lead to complete annihilation.
In a situation where his physical capabilities couldn't be improved and the "superhuman" path couldn't be pursued for the time being, he needed to find another way to enhance his strength.
The poor relied on mutations, while the rich relied on technology!
Based on the current rate of progress, he could earn at least a hundred thousand soul points in a month.
When the higher-level mall area opens, he can see if there are any single-person mechs or similar equipment available. He must get one.
With mech-like equipment, he would be able to protect himself.
"Boom!"
While Zhou Yuan was contemplating his future plans, the cluster missiles exploded.
Hundreds and thousands of small missiles rained down from the sky, turning into an endless sea of dazzling light that covered the entire swarm area.
The sound of sharp explosions and the raging flames appeared one after another, obliterating countless insects in the blink of an eye.
There were no insect corpses, no fragments of explosions. Everything within the blast zone had been melted by the cluster missiles, leaving only the flames visible.
"This kind of weapon... can't be carried by a mech!"
Zhou Yuan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he almost drooled.
Seeing this scene, he had a preliminary idea for his future plans.
"Chi!"
Before Zhou Yuan could think too much, the situation on the battlefield changed once again.
The anti-aircraft firepower of the fortress was still insufficient to intercept the massive swarm of locusts entirely beyond the defense line.
Some "escaped fish" managed to fly past, buzzing and attacking the patrol wall, attempting to claim a few heads.
"Watch out for the locusts!"
The locusts attacked swiftly and fiercely. In just the first wave, some people were caught off guard and lost their heads.
At this moment, Zhou Yuan was operating a four-barrel KPV heavy machine gun, unable to even observe the conditions of his team members, and could only repeat reminders through the headset.
Now he felt that his previous ideas were somewhat naive.
All those dreams of displaying great power were just daydreaming.
In the face of such a massive swarm, he was nothing more than a dispensable foot soldier.
... ...
After the swarm of locusts entered the battlefield, the situation became somewhat deadlocked.
Due to the extreme danger posed by the locusts, nearly half of the defense line's firepower had to be withdrawn to suppress the swarm, reducing the pressure on the troops.
Fortunately, the mechanized forces were well-equipped, with a wide range of weapons of mass destruction; otherwise, the swarm would have broken through the defense line.
Until now, Zhou Yuan's soul point balance had soared to forty thousand.
This would have been a good thing, but his mood was not so good.
All he could do was keep pulling the trigger, taking turns using the KPV heavy machine gun and grenade launcher to bombard the swarm, trying to kill as many bugs as possible.
Despite the intense fighting, he realized that he could only do what any soldier on the defense line could do.
Having strength far surpassing ordinary infantry, but being limited to doing what all infantry could do, this made him feel a bit unwilling.
"Zhou, are you tired?"
At this moment, Mark shouted loudly from beside him.
They had been chatting while the swarm attacked, and now Zhou Yuan suddenly fell silent, likely because he was tired.
"A little bit." Zhou Yuan casually nodded, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
"Just hold on a little longer!"
Mark didn't think much about it, just cheerfully reminded them.
It was almost ten o'clock now, and at eleven ten, the third group would come to replace the first group.
"OK!"
Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, stopped thinking too much, and focused on harvesting soul points.
... ...
Once people get busy, their emotions decrease, and idle worries and distractions disappear. Time also passes quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already eleven o'clock.
When the first group was replaced by the third group, Zhou Yuan hadn't recovered yet.
He felt completely numb, with gunshots ringing in his ears, making him feel light-headed.
Soon, the team members gathered under the patrol wall.
"Where's Brown?"
Seeing that a person was missing from the team, Zhou Yuan furrowed his brows and already guessed the result.
"It was done by the locusts."
"I already warned Brown, but the locusts are too fast."
Whit responded in a low voice, feeling very downcast.
He and Brown had a good relationship, playing together every day when they were in the new recruits camp, and they were also partners in the Tarshish Fortress.
Just didn't expect that, just a few days after arriving...
"Brown is a fearless tough guy. He did everything a defender should do."
"Don't be gloomy. Brown is a tough guy, and his teammates shouldn't be weaklings either."
"Now, let's go to the cafeteria for dinner, then go back to the dormitory to sleep. We have to go up the defense wall at 11 o'clock tonight."
Zhou Yuan briefly said two sentences, then led the team to the cafeteria.
Actually, he felt quite uncomfortable inside.
The entire team consisted of eighteen-year-old young soldiers, and they suffered casualties during their first encounter with the swarm. This was a blow to everyone.
Moreover, he was the squad leader of this team, the little patriarch of the members.
But...
He didn't know what to say, after all, he wasn't the one who died.
Instead of saying a bunch of clichés, it would be better to keep his mouth shut and let the team members digest their emotions and understand what the battlefield is.
"Defense Force..."
After leaving the defense wall, Zhou Yuan turned around and took another look.
The battle was still intense, gunshots could be heard from far away, and the earth kept trembling, as if it would never stop.
However, for some reason, he felt calm in his heart.
There was no trace of nervousness, he was too calm, completely different from the solemn-faced teammates, and out of place with the tense atmosphere around him.
He felt like he didn't quite fit in with the Defense Force.
While it was true that being a defender allowed him to accumulate a lot of soul points, this kind of life was not what he wanted.
After obtaining assistance from the system, his young blood made him unwilling to be ordinary.
He wanted to go to a place where he could fully exert his own strength, to a place where adrenaline rushes, to a place where others dare not go.
Even if it meant slowing down his acquisition of soul points, even if it meant risking his life.
Perhaps...
He was someone who advocated personal heroism.