With Our Home Behind Us, We Have No Way Back!

Let's rewind to half an hour ago.

When Alvin arrived at the front line and looked around at his "comrades" who were almost all under the age of twenty, his mood immediately sank to the bottom.

The young faces were filled with fear of war; even their hands, gripping the guns, trembled uncontrollably amidst the roar of artillery fire.

This can't go on...

Looking at the low morale, Alvin knew very well that if they didn't correct the situation in time, they would completely collapse before the cult even attacked.

The Commissar sent by the Department of Justice was clearly not in charge of boosting morale; that was the job of the Commissar, not him.

He has only one responsibility.

That means that no one is allowed to retreat even half a step until everyone on the front line is dead.

The completely inactive Commissar made Alvin realize that he had to do the job himself, but the problem was... he had absolutely no idea how to boost morale!

Looking at the young boys, heads hunched over and trembling like quails amidst the sounds of gunfire and carnage, Alvin stepped forward. His voice hardened as he shouted, "I know you're afraid to die, but that's okay. I'm afraid to die too, terrified of death... Do you think those damned heretics will let us go?!"

They were somewhat bewildered by the sudden shout.

Thanks to that shout, the trembling boys were no longer completely bewildered, and they all looked up at Alvin.

That's just how people are.

In chaotic situations, if just one person steps forward, the panicked crowd will quickly regain order. This is called... what psychological effect is it again?

Alvin disregarded everything else. Under the watchful eyes of the group of teenagers, he said in a deep voice, "No, those damned heretics will never let us go. They will cut off our heads and pile them up into a mountain!"

The already somewhat frightened teenagers felt their fear intensify as the terrifying image they conjured in their minds intensified.

But this is exactly the result Alvin wanted.

When people face a desperate situation, they must be given time to think and realize that there is no way out before they can muster their final courage!

This tactic... is called "backwater formation"!

Seeing the utterly demoralized morale plummet to rock bottom, Alvin took a deep breath and roared, "Cowards, lift your heads and see what's behind you!"

"It's... it's Hive City..."

"No, it's... an officer!"

"Waaaaah... I'm doomed, I'm doomed! Daddy, Mommy... I miss you!"

In an instant, the boys who looked back at the Hive City and the Defense Force line all thought of different outcomes, and grief welled up within them, with cries rising and falling.

"No! That's our family!"

Alvin roared, his voice like thunder. "Open your eyes wide and look! That's our home! Our Hive City! Our loved ones are there!"

It turned out that although the Defense Force had conscripted a large number of civilians, they still placed some elderly people, women, and children on the rearmost defensive line.

The reason for doing this is not out of any "humanitarian" reason, but simply because... they are not as capable as young and strong men, and can increase combat effectiveness!

"Do you really want to stand by and watch those damned heretics slaughter our loved ones?!"

Staring at the group of stunned teenagers, Alvin's forehead veins bulged, and he roared at the top of his lungs, "Answer me! Do you want to see the heads of your own family members cut off by heretics and piled up like garbage?!"

No... I don't want to...

"The sound is too soft, I can't hear it!"

"In no mood!!!"

The roar was deafening, and fear was no longer visible on anyone's face; instead, it was filled with... rage!

"Then for the Emperor, for our families, for our... the Nest Hive City behind us, let's kill those heretics!"

Alvin drew his gun, his imposing presence like a towering mountain, surging with emotion as he shouted, "Our home is behind us! We have nowhere to retreat! Since we're all going to die anyway, why not fight to the death?!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"For the Emperor! For our homeland!"

At this moment, the hymn of courage, unique to humanity and suppressed deep within their hearts, was sung out!

The Commissar at the rear immediately cast a surprised look at him.

Seeing the group's low morale, he was prepared to shoot a few people at any time, but unexpectedly, this person boosted their morale with just a few words!

"Very good! Very energetic!"

Seeing their morale finally lifted, Alvin breathed a slight sigh of relief. Otherwise, with their morale so low, a single charge from the cult madmen would have crushed them!

"But courage alone is not enough; this is war!"

Alvin's stern gaze swept across each person's face, and he said in a deep voice, "You need to follow orders and obey my commands!"

Young people always have a lot of courage and passion.

Encouraged, they all looked at their leader, the "backbone" of the team. "We're willing to follow your lead!"

Clearly, Alvin's words planted a seed in the hearts of the boys!

"I cannot guarantee... that you will survive."

Alvin, entrusted with this trust, felt a ripple of emotion stir within him. He gritted his teeth, gazing at the eager, hopeful eyes of the youths, and said in a deep voice, "But I can assure you... everything we do today is worthwhile. No one will have sacrificed in vain. We will drive out the heretics for the Emperor, for our homeland, for our loved ones. The final victory... will surely belong to us!"

Soon, under Alvin's command...

The team of ten was divided into three groups of about three people each, who were hidden in the ruins of the houses on the left and right, forming a crossfire cover.

The third group serves as a reserve force, ready to provide immediate support should any situation arise.

"Hopefully it will work..."

Alvin rubbed his throbbing temples, gazing worriedly ahead at the ever-growing number of heretical lunatics. He gritted his teeth. "In my past life, I'd only played a few strategy games, but real combat... this is my first time!"

The only thing to be thankful for.

The cult members don't have heavy weapons; most of them carry a worn-out Logging gun or Laser gun with its rifling worn down.

But many more madmen use weapons like axes.

At least from this point of view, they have a firepower advantage and are fully capable of suppressing the cult.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that...

The cult isn't plotting anything; there's a much bigger conspiracy!

Alvin felt uneasy all along; others might not know, but he was perfectly aware of it!

The cult possesses a Daemon Engine, the Hell Dragon!

If we could just unleash the Hell Dragon and break through the Hive City's defenses, it would be a piece of cake. There would have been no need to drag this out until now, not to mention the significant loss of manpower.

Surely it can't be... summoning the "Khorne's Army," right?