Besides that, Mo Chen wasn't sending the Nikkes to their deaths. Just before the battle began, he had already deployed two thousand Raptures infected with the Punishing Virus onto the battlefield.
Most of these two thousand Raptures were of the Husk and Servant class, and while they wouldn't turn the tide of battle, they would be enough to cover the Nikkes' squad as they broke through.
Despite the objections, Mo Chen insisted, and the orders were forcibly carried out.
The Nikkes squads followed the instructions Mo Chen had provided earlier, advancing forward.
At this moment, the communicator blared with Eunhwa's furious voice.
"BEEP BEEP—!"
Profanities were filtered out.
The volume was so loud it nearly deafened Mo Chen.
"Are you trying to send them to their deaths?!"
Normally, Mo Chen would have explained things to her, but the situation was urgent.
"Eunhwa, just follow the orders!"
"BEEP BEEP—!"
Profanities were filtered out.
"Advance? Have you lost your mind? Assaulting in this situation?"
"Commander, is your ideal to make these third-rate Nikkes into Rapture food?!"
Mo Chen immediately cut off the communicator.
Eunhwa continued to curse on the other end in frustration.
Soon, a report came from the front.
The first, second, third, and fourth squads had successfully broken through the Rapture's blockade and advanced to the fortifications.
Although there were casualties, no one had died yet.
Mo Chen let out a slight sigh of relief.
Rapi, Anis, and the others didn't know what Mo Chen was up to, but they trusted their commander and didn't believe he would do something meaningless.
Mo Chen bit his nails, constantly calculating in his mind, before suddenly speaking.
"Can the radar still function?"
"It's still working," Rapi checked the equipment. "But due to the effect of the Alva particles, the detection range is significantly reduced. We can only scan up to about 10 kilometers."
"That's enough," Mo Chen said. "Display the radar data along with the map in real-time."
"Yes."
When the scan data was projected onto the large screen, everyone in the command room collectively gasped.
Within a 10-kilometer radius, the map was covered in Raptures.
Countless red dots.
The highest concentration of red dots was near the forward fortifications, 8 kilometers out. That was where the forward squads were positioned.
Time ticked by second by second.
The command room was suffocatingly quiet.
One bad report after another piled on, weighing heavily on everyone.
"Report: Squad Two has sustained casualties. The fortifications have been damaged, and the turret has been hit and can no longer fire! Requesting reinforcements!"
"Report: Squad Three's frontline is in critical condition and urgently needs support!"
"Report: Squad Four is requesting ammunition resupply…"
The bad news kept coming.
The Fifth and Sixth Nikke squads were sent in as reinforcements.
They barely managed to stabilize the situation.
But the Raptures kept pouring in relentlessly, while the Nikkes no longer had additional forces to deploy.
The frontlines were on the brink of collapse under the unending Rapture assault.
"Commander, shouldn't we go and reinforce them now?" Anis finally couldn't hold back her question.
She didn't enjoy combat much, but at this point, if they didn't act, their base would be completely overrun by Raptures.
Rapi also spoke up.
"The west fortifications have suffered heavy losses. Although they unexpectedly managed to defeat a Lord-class Rapture, their own losses were substantial, and it's unlikely they can withstand further attacks."
Her analysis was far more rational.
Mo Chen waved a hand dismissively.
"Not yet."
It wasn't time.
"Commander, if we wait any longer, it'll be too late!" Anis stomped her foot, her impatience turning into anxiety as Mo Chen stayed calm while she grew increasingly frantic.
Neon had already picked up her shotgun. Her skirt's edge was lined with shells, and her gaze was resolute.
"Master, this is the moment for firepower to prove its worth. Let me go. The God of Firepower will annihilate these heretics!"
"Wait, wait," Anis turned to Neon, giving her a deadpan look. "What even is the God of Firepower?"
"The God of Firepower isn't something!!"
"Uh-huh. Fair point."
"?"
Rapi intervened to stop their bickering.
"The Commander has his own plan. Our job is to follow orders."
Hearing Rapi's words, Anis and Neon reluctantly complied.
"Alright."
After all, he was the Commander.
And the Commander's authority was absolute.
Rapi's gaze shifted to Mo Chen, standing silently on the other side of the room.
He was still deep in thought.
Though she didn't know his full strategy, she trusted that there was a purpose behind his actions.
Suddenly, Mo Chen, who had been silent, spoke.
"Send word to the Absolute squad. Approach from the west, 10 kilometers out, from Hill 236, and cut north to flank the Rapture forces!"
"Counterattack squad!"
Anis and Neon immediately perked up, energized by the call to action.
"You will advance from the northern pass, push 10 kilometers forward, and cut west to join the Absolute squad. Together, launch an assault to the east!"
"Yes, sir!"
Anis and the others saluted sharply. As soon as they received their orders, they burst out of the command room and raced to the battlefield.
They had been waiting for this moment.
Meanwhile, Mo Chen ordered the Fifth and Sixth squads to provide mobile support. Their task was not direct confrontation but to engage in guerrilla tactics—ambushes and skirmishes designed to distract, disrupt, and divide the Rapture forces. The goal was to thin the enemy lines, isolate pockets of Raptures, and then concentrate firepower to destroy them piecemeal.
This strategy, one Mo Chen frequently employed in strategic games, was known as firepower flanking, or more colloquially, "wrapping dumplings."
Particularly in certain interstellar strategy games, this maneuver was a favorite.
The First through Fourth Nikke squads, stationed at the inner defensive line, were tasked with holding the Rapture main force in place and drawing their attention. Meanwhile, the Fifth and Sixth squads served as a mobile outer line, working in coordination with the Absolute squad and counterattack squads to strike from behind.
This would create a pincer attack.
Of course, not every situation was suitable for such tactics.
Raptures, with their limited intelligence and reliance on instinct, were easy to mislead and lure into traps.
Against human opponents, however, the same strategy would require careful consideration of countermeasures, as humans are far from mindless.
Moreover, the units performing the flanking maneuver must be highly skilled. A poorly executed flanking attempt could backfire, leaving the attackers surrounded and obliterated.
This was why Mo Chen assigned the Absolute squad to carry out the critical flanking task.
The Absolute squad, capable of taking on even Tyrant-class Raptures, found the maneuver almost trivial.
True to form, reports came back quickly.
The Absolute squad had completed their flanking operation in record time and coordinated with the First and Second Nikke squads to annihilate the surrounded Raptures.
The elite status of the Absolute was undeniable.
With their forces trapped and attacked from both sides, the Raptures couldn't mount an effective counteroffensive. They scattered like headless flies, floundering aimlessly before collapsing under the combined assault.
The red dots on the map thinned dramatically, and the crisis on the western front was temporarily alleviated.
After all, a cannon can only point in one direction.
While engaging one enemy, it inevitably exposes its rear to others.
The northern front, led by the counterattack squads, faced a similar scenario. Though their progress was slightly slower than that of the Absolute squad, they still completed their flanking maneuver within the required time frame.
Once again, the hunters became the hunted.