Chapter 62 Open Fire! Open Fire!

After sending off Old Zhou, Li Ye paced slowly along the deck, glancing around his surroundings.

As a core force within the Vanguard Alliance, the Tomorrow's mission was to guard the left flank of the defense line.

This area was significantly more open than the right sector guarded by the Wanderer and the Moon Shadow, and when combat erupted, it would likely serve as the enemy's main thrust.

By then, the Tomorrow might face three or even more predatory cities simultaneously, and the pressure could well be imagined.

At this very moment, the Tomorrow's production workshop was operating at full throttle, churning out a series of bullets, rocket-propelled grenades, and artillery shells.

On the deck stood two newly crafted Tier 1 heavy machine guns, alongside a frost cannon.

The Tomorrow currently possessed four Tier 1 artillery pieces, accompanied by ample ammunition—more than enough to fight such a hard-fought battle.

Gunners, lookouts, helmsmen, combat captains, combatants... everyone was now at their stations, while the two vehicle squads and the Storm infantry fighting vehicle were also fully prepared.

This time, Li Ye no longer grudged the iron ore, replenishing the machine gun ammunition and light missiles of the Storm infantry fighting vehicle to their maximum capacity.

During the combat, this Tier 2 vehicle would be tasked with engaging the enemy motorcade, while seizing opportunities to break through right in front of the enemy's mobile cities.

As a side note, the Tier 1 fortifications constructed by the Industrial required the mobile cities to provide personnel, heavy machine guns, and artillery to garrison them.

Considering that the Tomorrow was holding the frontline entirely on its own, the Vanguard had decided not to require Li Ye to provide extra personnel or supplies, allowing him to give his all on the left flank.

At this juncture, everyone's mood was tense and uneasy, tinged even with a trace of dread.

After all, before long, a momentous battle of epic proportions would unfold right here.

Living or dying, no one knew what their fate would hold.

"Brother Li, when will the enemy arrive?" Tang Fang asked softly from within the driver's cabin.

Hearing this, Li Ye fell into deep contemplation.

The Tarot Alliance would undoubtedly come, and they would surely deploy in full force.

This was the consensus among all mobile cities.

Once the Tarot Alliance opened their canopy city radar system, they would discover seven mobile cities assembled in the Twisted Garden. To a force possessing an absolute advantage in numbers and firepower, this was obviously a tremendously tempting prize.

Should they capture it, they would acquire the resources, populations, and all the blueprints within the production workshops of seven mobile cities.

Facing such immense temptation, no one could possibly resist.

...

The dawn of a new day arrived at last.

Li Ye walked slowly up to the lookout tower and picked up his binoculars.

Arriving even before his field of vision could capture them were the tremors of the earth.

This was no earthquake; earthquakes lacked such an orderly, mechanically rhythmic pulse.

Li Ye's hand gripping the railing trembled slightly—not out of fear, but because those subtle vibrations were transmitting from the ground into the Tomorrow, traveling from its base upward through his entire body.

"They're here," he murmured softly.

Almost at the far end of the Twisted Garden, predatory city after predatory city drove into view, sounding their steam whistles one after another as their treads crushed everything along their path.

One, two, three, four, five...

Li Ye counted silently, nodding slightly.

A total of eleven predatory cities; the Tarot Alliance had deployed their entire roster this time.

He returned to the driver's cabin and logged onto the communication channel.

At this moment, the entire Vanguard Alliance was standing by in full combat readiness.

The Bronze Wanderer was stationed at the vanguard position, the Moon Shadow and the Wanderer guarded the right flank, the Tomorrow guarded the left flank, the Echo anchored the rear, the Vanguard held the central position, and the Industrial stood by in reserve.

[Moon Shadow: They're here.]

[Bronze Wanderer: Are everyone's preparations complete?]

[Vanguard: Let's give it everything we've got.]

Meanwhile, on the Tarot Alliance communication channel.

[Lovers: I hope there are plenty of pretty women on those mobile cities... Huh, something's not right. This mobile city alliance seems to have known we were coming; they're already prepared.]

[Tower: So many fortifications, even urban bunkers. It seems they really have prepared. Everyone watch out for landmines and traps; Hermit, you'll be responsible for detecting and clearing them later.]

[Hermit: Understood.]

[Chariot: There might be that bastard in this mobile city who destroyed the Hanged Man; everyone be careful.]

[Devil: One, two, three, four, five, six... That's not right. The radar clearly showed the opponent had seven mobile cities; why are there only six visible in our field of view?]

[Sun: Stop being so paranoid.]

[Emperor: Being careful is the right move. This mobile city alliance always gives me a strange feeling, though I can't quite put my finger on where.]

[Emperor: In any case, everyone attacks according to the plan I arranged earlier. This time, to facilitate communication and combat, I will keep the city radio and canopy city radar system active throughout the entire engagement.]

[Devil: Understood.]

[World: Brother, there's no need to be this overly cautious. Their numbers are inferior to ours, and their combat capability is far below ours.]

[Emperor: Don't let your guard down.]

[Emperor: The spoils of war will still be divided according to the old rules. Everyone remember to pull your punches and leave behind as intact a mobile city as possible, so that the former lord and loyalists of the Hanged Man can move in.]

[Devil: Received.]

[World: Received.]

[......]

[Emperor: Begin.]

As the offensive whistle shrieked, the artillery pieces on the deck fired in unison.

Nearly a hundred shells roared through the air, creating a heaven-shaking spectacle.

The moment they struck the ground, the casings shattered, and billowing smoke surged outward like a tidal wave.

The silhouettes of the predatory cities vanished from sight, leaving nothing in the field of view but churning walls of fog.

"It has begun,"

Li Ye thought silently to himself.

Everyone had long anticipated that before attacking, the Tarot Alliance would use smoke shells as cover.

This way, the Vanguard Alliance would be unable to determine their main axis of attack.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

Time trickled away second by second.

The tremors surging from the ground grew increasingly violent, and the roar of steam engines drew closer and closer.

Under everyone's tense gazes, the lingering thick fog was torn apart as multiple figures charged out simultaneously!

World, Chariot, Sun, Devil, Death, Hermit, Tower, Lovers...

Steel lacerated the mist, and treads pulverized the earth.

Eight predatory cities launched their charge with unstoppable momentum!

"Fire! Fire!" the lord of the Moon Shadow roared at the top of his lungs.

Even though he had anticipated it in his heart, seeing it with his own eyes still made his soul tremble.

This was an assault launched by a full eight predatory cities; the dust they kicked up during their charge blotted out the sky, and the howling of their steam engines rolled across the ground like muffled thunder.

Across the wasteland, the two mobile city alliances engaged in combat at last.

Vehicle squads charged, artillery thundered, fortifications burned, and the earth quaked. The once-serene Twisted Garden was instantly engulfed in the smoke of war.

These terrifying beasts of steel locked jaws and collided upon the battlefield. Thick smoke, a mixture of steam and fuel, billowed upward, while artillery fire and gunpowder smoke intertwined to weave a curtain of death.