Chapter 1243: Rescue
Two soldiers immediately approached the new enemy and fired the anti-demon grenade.
Two strands of smoke shot toward the gigantic Spider Demon from behind the bunk. They could not miss such a large target. Uncle Sang"s heart leaped to his throat as he watched the trajectories of the two sh.e.l.ls. For some reason, he had an undefined feeling that the thick armor the demon was wearing was not that easy to deal with.
He was right.
One grenade hit the target and was bounced off into the ground.
The other one hit the demon"s front leg and exploded. Nevertheless, the demon was not stopped at all. On the contrary, it leaned a little forward and strode in their direction against the dust.
"Shot the body, you thickhead!" someone complained.
"Let me try!" Another soldier volunteered, who carried a box of sh.e.l.ls and crept out of the trench.
Uncle Sang did not stop him, but he was not as optimistic as the others. Now he came to the realization why the new Spider Demon looked somewhat strange to him. Compared to the misshapen Spider Demon on the manual, this one looked more coordinated. The "armor" it was wearing was not made of random irregular-shaped stones but neat polygons. If those stones were connected, they could probably form a perfect trapezoid.
Also, its limbs swung on its side when it walked, which made it harder for the soldiers to shoot its torso or abdomen. No wonder the two previous shots had missed the target.
As Uncle Sang had expected, the next few shots did not stop the Spider Demon either. The demon almost automatically curled up the moment the soldiers fired.
In the meantime, Mad Demons appeared again in the rupture created by the Spider Demon.
"d.a.m.n it. Can"t those guys be more serious?" a machine gunner complained as he adjusted the muzzle.
"Enough!" Uncle Sang yelled briskly. "Retreat to the second defensive line and abandon this area. Prepare to ignite the explosives."
"But..."
"Shut up," Uncle Sang hollered. "If the demons besiege us from the side, we"ll be stuck here!"
Horns trumpeted across the battlement. Nail"s team retreated to the port according to the training procedure. The refugees panicked as the monster slowly approached them.
The soldier responsible for igniting the explosives connected the detonating cord to the motor and set the motor in motion. "Captain, we"re ready!"
"Very well. Let them have a taste of the explosives," Uncle Sang said as he stared at the monster that clashed in every direction and motioned. "Just a moment... now!"
As the soldier pressed the lever, there was a huge roar. In an instant, the ground beneath started to quaver. The air was impregnated with smoke and dust.
Some explosives had been buried underneath the Spider Demon. The Spider Demon was thus sent flying into the air, and its stone armor became a huge burden. Its joints snapped under the impact. By the time it fell, it had been completely immobilized. Limped and seriously injured, it collapsed to the ground.
Someone in the battlement whistled.
Before they could take a break, another bang occurred in the east of the dock.
Another Spider Demon emerged on the battlefield.
Uncle Sang was glad that he had made the right decision.
He had a vague feeling that the attack of the demons this time might be very different from the previous attacks, Apparently, the demons intended to besiege and eliminate them. The fact that the scouts did not come back in time indicated that the demons had cut their retreat. Had he been hesitant a moment ago, the machine gun squads would have failed to retreat. Although the First Army had now abandoned their stronghold in the alley, they could still rely on four Mark I HMGs to repulse the Mad Demons.
However, this did not mean that the crisis had been resolved. They never knew how many Spider Demons there would be. If there were two more... no, one more Spider Demon, they could hardly hold onto the battlement. What was worse was that many refugees were waiting for the departure at the dock. If the battle sparked panic among them, the whole situation would get out of hand. They would not only be unable to save these people but would fail to board the s.h.i.+ps as well.
After the smoke dissipated, the demons stepped forward onto the field where the explosion had just taken place.
Numerous gun shots rented the air.
"Boom!"
While Uncle Sang was worried about what step he should take next, he suddenly heard a familiar roar behind him. Immediately, he knew where that sound came from. This was the sound of the 152-caliber Longsong Cannon that the First Army was most familiar with!
There should not have been any artillery here.
Uncle Sang turned around in dismay and saw an iron s.h.i.+p slowly dock. The cannon parallel to the deck was directly aiming at the defensive line.
"That"s... the "Roland"!" a soldier, who recognized the iron s.h.i.+p at once, exclaimed.
"Didn"t they leave already?"
"Who cares? We have support!"
"Long live the king! Kill those filthy monsters!"
Sh.e.l.ls brushed past the soldiers and landed on the battlefield in succession. Around 10 meters away from the trench, smoke and dust permeated the air. Some sh.e.l.ls. .h.i.t the sandbags before the trench and exhaled a rain of sand and earth that showered down at the soldiers. The soldiers would have loathed the Artillery Battalion with the most venomous words had it occurred in the past. However, now, everyone appreciated their help. The roar of the Longsong Cannon became the most beautiful music they had ever heard.
Had Nail not abandoned them but been awaiting this moment all along?
Uncle Sang noticed that some refugees, under the guidance of the soldiers, boarded the "Roland". Most of the refugees got on the s.h.i.+p.
He did not know what Nail had said to the management team, but evidently, this was a good opportunity for them to withdraw.
"Everyone, listen. We have to go to the dock," Uncle Sang yelled. "One by one. Don"t fall behind! Once everyone leaves, the explosion unit should ignite the rest of the explosives!"
Soon, the order was delivered and spread out throughout the whole trench.
They started their final retreat.
Although quite reluctant, they had to leave the Mark I type HMG and the rest of the ammunition behind. This was the king"s order. Personal safety took precedence over weapons, for soldiers could always create new weapons.
The troop thus entered the dock area, and the demons, in the meantime, also took the second defensive line against the gunfire.
But no sooner had the demons s.n.a.t.c.hed their victory than an earsplitting roar shook them.
Thousands of kilograms of explosives sent the Mad Demons into the air.
In the aftermath of the magnificent explosion, the "Roland" whistled and departed from the ravaged Northernmost Port at a full speed.