Sacrifice Is the Foundation of Humanity's Survival (Please Bookmark and Click)

Boom!

Under the powerful kinetic impact, the half-goat monster let out an enraged roar.

Yet its massive body toppled helplessly toward the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

Rumble!

Only then did the machine gunner get a clear look at the newcomer.

It was a figure clad in silver-gray armor. The armor stood roughly 1.8 meters tall, its surface flowing with curved and triangular energy patterns. Two spikes protruded from its elbows, kinetic propulsion devices extended from both shoulders on its back, and its eye area was covered by high-precision red-light reconnaissance equipment.

Other than that, the armor was little different from a skintight suit covered in ordinary metal plating.

Wrapped within the silver-gray armor was a slender, graceful figure.

"Are you all right?"

"Captain Ailin, I'm fine!" The machine gunner forced himself up from the ground, admiration in his eyes as he shouted, "I can keep fighting!"

"Good."

A strong female voice came from within the armor. "Return to the second defensive line. Leave the rest to me."

As they spoke, the horned monster that had just been knocked to the ground scrambled back up and roared as it charged at them. From other directions, even more mutated monsters broke through the defensive line, sweeping toward them like waves of blood-red tide that blotted out the sky.

Screech!

There was no fear, no retreat. Behind her lay the hometown where she had lived for decades.

The propulsion devices extending from her shoulders ignited with pale blue sparks, and the immense thrust turned the armor into a blur.

Boom!

The goat-headed monster stood over three meters tall.

Its arms, as thick as bronze pillars, suddenly swelled with blood before smashing down at the armor before it with the force of a collapsing sky.

The monster was incredibly fast. Even with the aid of high-precision reconnaissance equipment, she could barely catch its afterimages.

But the instant it raised its arm, the slender figure had already anticipated its movement and twisted aside.

Then she crossed her arms.

Two blazing light blades ignited at her wrists.

Amid the roar of the engines, Ailin shot straight through the center of the monster's chest, leaving behind a human-sized hole.

Rumble...

Chunks of flesh and internal organs mixed with foul-smelling blood gushed out like a waterfall.

"Ha!"

The silver-gray mech landed on a raised platform nearby.

Ailin bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Her face was bloodlessly pale, and cold sweat streamed down her smooth forehead.

That monster had fallen.

But more monsters were flooding in from other directions.

The first defensive line had completely collapsed. Alarms continued to sound from the second and third defensive lines as well; they likely would not hold out much longer.

And now...

She was injured, and her strength was nearly exhausted. She could not hold on much longer.

Beep! Beep!

A red light flashed within her helmet, followed by an icy, emotionless synthesized mechanical voice.

Shadow Warrior Model Armor energy below 10%. Please replenish the armor's energy as soon as possible!

"Even the armor's energy..."

Rumble!

A series of thunderous explosions interrupted Ailin's thoughts.

She turned to look toward the second defensive line, where several enormous fireballs had suddenly erupted.

They were the flames produced when people within the fortress detonated themselves.

This could not go on!

Inside the armor, Ailin's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Reporting! Reporting! This is Ailin, captain of A461 Squad. Requesting authorization to carry out the Beast Bait Plan!"

Over the years of fighting the restricted zone, humanity had also developed various specialized equipment and tools.

"Beast bait" was one of the most commonly used tools.

So-called beast bait was a chemical substance with a special attraction to Forbidden Zone Creatures. Releasing a large amount of it within a short period could divert the Beast Tide and ease the pressure on the defensive line.

However, due to the unique environment within the Forbidden Zone, as well as the radiation emitted by Forbidden Zone Creatures interfering with signals, under normal circumstances, beast bait either had to be installed at a fixed location or carried by a human. Devices such as drones could not be used for remote operation.

And now, the beast bait installed around the defensive line had already been completely released.

But there were simply too many monsters, and the bait had not produced much of an effect.

If they wanted to relieve the pressure on the defensive line, they could only rely on humans carrying the bait and gradually drawing some of the Forbidden Zone Creatures elsewhere.

To face swarms of Forbidden Zone Creatures alone and venture deep into an unfamiliar environment without support—

it went without saying.

Volunteering to carry out this plan was practically a death sentence.

But if sacrifice was necessary, Ailin was not afraid of death.

"..." There was a brief silence over the communicator before a steady voice came through.

"Permission granted! The people of Wangjing City will remember your contribution!"

"Sacrifice is the foundation of humanity's continued existence!"

Within the command room filled with electronic screens, Ailin's resolute voice rang out.

Since this plan had been prepared from the start, canisters containing beast bait were stored throughout the defensive line.

Ailin quickly found the weapon canister she needed in a basement, mounted it onto the back of her Shadow Warrior armor, and secured and sealed it in place.

She stood atop an abandoned armored vehicle.

Behind her, she looked toward the human defensive line, engulfed in blazing war.

Farther away, upon that vast plain, ancient Hangcheng—weathered by three hundred years of hardship—lay beneath the Red Moon like an old man in his twilight years.

"Goodbye!"

Before her, countless grotesque and savage Mutated Creatures

had completely torn through the first defensive line. Amid burning flames and cold moonlight, they trampled over the mutilated corpses of soldiers and the wreckage of steel war machines, roaring as they marched toward humanity's homeland.

The thrusters extending from her shoulders slowly lit up, then erupted with explosive force.

The powerful momentum drove Ailin's body forward, turning her into a thin streak of blue light that abruptly plunged into the Red Tide before her.

Roar!

A Blood-colored Lion covered in tumors raised its paw to crush her, but Ailin had already vanished from before its eyes.

She reached the deepest part of the Beast Tide.

The storage canister on her back opened, and a stream of dark yellow smoke shot into the sky.

The uniquely alluring fragrance was irresistible to Forbidden Zone Creatures, causing the countless Mutated Creatures to halt for a moment.

From the sky, it looked as though a rushing river had suddenly frozen for an instant.

Then, the tide of Forbidden Zone Creatures split into two streams.

One part continued charging and roaring toward the human defensive line without regard for anything else.

But another smaller portion followed the scent of the beast bait, slowly disappearing into the endless Dark Mountain Range.

There has been quite a bit of buildup lately, but it is also for the sake of developing the later plot and expanding the Worldview. I've been working overtime recently and getting home very late, so my writing time is limited. I'll probably only be able to post one more chapter tonight. I hope everyone understands.