35. The First Battle

Chapter 35: The First Battle

"Uncle Gallen, I have no more questions. I'll leave it to you to decide!" David had gotten the answer he wanted. Though he wasn't satisfied, at least he knew the enemy behind this had made their move. He turned to Gallen.

He knew his place. Gallen had always looked out for him, but when it came to matters involving Armored Warriors, David had no right to interfere.

"Froman, Crock, Ed, Fisher!" Gallen called out the names of the four surrounded mercenaries one by one. Then he said gravely, "'National Scholars' must never be insulted. That is a Federation ironclad rule. The Federation needs your blood to warn the others!"

After saying this, Gallen swept his hand forcefully through the air.

The five Liuguang Exoskeleton Armors surged forward at once. Five War Hammers, glowing with a deep blue light, whistled toward the four Tianlang Mercenaries.

David's eyes lit up as he watched from the side. All five Armored Warriors piloting the Liuguang Exoskeleton Armors were using the Storm Hammer Technique.

The Storm Hammer Technique was a practice routine for War Hammers, but it could also be used directly in combat. It was especially effective in coordinated battles like this. The five Armored Warriors using it together were far more formidable than they would have been fighting one-on-one.

"Ed, defend!" Captain Froman shouted. At the same time, he quickly retreated behind Ed's shield.

Fisher, gripping a double-bladed battle axe, guarded the rear, facing the two Armored Warriors attacking from behind. Crock stood behind Fisher, beside Captain Froman, ready to support either side at a moment's notice.

With their extensive combat experience, they knew all too well that trying to outpace the Liuguang Exoskeleton Armor in their Black Diamond Exoskeleton Armor was the worst possible choice.

They also needed to gauge their opponents' true strength before deciding how best to respond, so they chose to defend at first.

The five spinning, accelerating War Hammers, glowing deep blue, had already reached the mercenaries. Two struck Ed's Great Shield, producing two nearly simultaneous crashes.

Ed felt immense force slam into his arms. His Exoskeleton Armor groaned as he used his powerful body and control of the shield to channel most of the force into the stone ground beneath his feet.

His feet sank into the stone, and two dents appeared in the face of his Great Shield.

A Level 2 War Hammer had struck a Level 1 Great Shield. If Ed's shield hadn't been exceptionally thick, that blow would have shattered it.

Even so, the shield wouldn't hold out much longer.

"Captain, they've got at least fifteen hundred kilograms of force!" Ed said urgently, unable to spare a glance at his weapon. He had just felt the impact of fifteen thousand kilograms of force.

At that moment, Captain Froman was also using his Dual Swords to block a Liuguang Armored Warrior. His blades flashed, successfully forcing the opponent back.

In combat between Armored Warriors, Captain Froman had a great advantage with his two light weapons. However, his opponent had trained specifically with a War Hammer. Though Froman had the upper hand, he couldn't defeat him quickly.

Behind them, Fisher was fighting with his double-bladed battle axe as if his life depended on it. He made no attempt to block, going straight for a mutual kill against a Liuguang Armored Warrior.

With the numbers on their side, the Liuguang Armored Warrior wasn't about to risk his life against Fisher. As soon as they clashed, he used his War Hammer to deflect Fisher's axe and retreated.

The last Liuguang Armored Warrior couldn't even get close before Crock's Spear stopped him.

Crock's Spear struck out from behind Fisher like a venomous snake, repeatedly targeting weak points in the Liuguang Armored Warrior's armor.

To reach Crock, the Liuguang Armored Warrior first had to attack Fisher. But if he attacked Fisher, Crock's Spear threatened him.

The two Liuguang Armored Warriors in front hadn't expected that even working together, they wouldn't be able to overwhelm the mercenaries. They stopped attacking and fell back with the others, preparing for a second assault.

"They still lack combat experience," Gallen said softly with a shake of his head.

In truth, the five Liuguang Armored Warriors could hardly be blamed. Their opponents had always been the Zerg, unlike these mercenaries, who fought Armored Warriors every day.

Though the mercenaries' Exoskeleton Armor and weapons were inferior, their combat experience made up for much of the difference.

Of course, there was no need to wonder about the outcome. With the five Liuguang Armored Warriors holding an absolute advantage in combat strength, defeating the mercenaries was only a matter of time.

David watched the fight without blinking. Though it had been only a brief exchange, the display of overwhelming force had shaken him to the core.

The stone paving in Peilan City was made from the toughest rocks on Panshi Planet. The planet was called Panshi because hard stone was found everywhere.

These rocks could withstand ordinary explosions, yet after that brief clash between the nine Armored Warriors, large sections of the ground had been damaged.

David had also seen the two deep dents in Ed's Level 1 shield.

That was a legendary Level 1 Heavy Defensive Weapon used by Armored Warriors. How much force did it take to dent a shield like that?

He couldn't help looking back at his home and thinking of what Gallen had said earlier. So that was why Gallen had asked if his house mattered to him: he didn't want a battle between Armored Warriors to damage it.

The home David had always thought was so safe and sturdy was probably as fragile as paper in the eyes of these Armored Warriors.

Seeing the true military might of this world filled David with excitement. He also knew that if he worked hard, he could become one of these Armored Warriors too.

Still surrounded, Captain Froman wore a grim expression. He now knew the strength of the five Liuguang Armored Warriors, and that knowledge only made him more desperate.

All five had strength reaching fifteen hundred kilograms. They were clearly Armored Warriors trained by the same organization: the same training, the same Exoskeleton Armor, the same Level 2 War Hammers, and the same style of attack.

Though the four of them had just forced the five Liuguang Armored Warriors back, Froman knew their opponents had simply chosen not to risk their lives.

"Everyone, we'll have to fight to the death. Make an opening for me, and I'll try to seize the commander and David!" Captain Froman said quietly.

"Captain, ever since I became a mercenary, I haven't cared about my life. I'll break through for you!" Ed said with a bitter laugh, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

He was a Defense Armored Warrior, and his speed was poor. He was the least likely of them to escape.

In their current situation, this was their only chance to risk everything.

"Let's do it!" Fisher said, looking at the notch in his beloved axe. He agreed, too.

Crock said nothing. He pressed a button on the side of his Exoskeleton Armor, and a dose of Cell Activator was injected into his body. His eyes quickly turned red.

Cell Activator sounded harmless, but it was one of the rare contraband drugs on the black market. A single dose directly consumed the user's lifespan, greatly enhancing their strength, speed, and other attributes.

The most terrifying thing about Cell Activator was that it made users lose their sense of pain and kept their bodies in a state of constant, full-force exertion, turning them into killing machines.

Crock had made it clear through his actions that he was ready to fight for his life.

Captain Froman glanced at Crock and sighed inwardly. His old subordinate had made this choice so that Froman might have a chance to escape.

Ed also pressed a button at his side, and Cell Activator was injected into his body. His eyes turned blood-red as well.

Fisher hesitated. Cell Activator could rapidly increase his combat strength, but it would permanently damage his body and make it much harder for him to improve in the future.

But when he thought about their situation, he triggered the injector in his Exoskeleton Armor, and a dose of Cell Activator entered his body.

The five Liuguang Armored Warriors noticed something was wrong. They exchanged glances, then swung their War Hammers again. Their five figures surged toward the four mercenaries like a hurricane.

By then, the heat radiating from the three mercenaries other than Captain Froman was almost breaking through their Black Diamond Exoskeleton Armor. Animalistic roars came from their throats.

It wasn't that Captain Froman didn't want to fight to the death. His body was already at its peak, so even if he injected Cell Activator, the improvement would be extremely limited.

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