Hive City Defense Battle 3

Marshal Liek flew into a rage at the intelligence officer's question. "What do we do? Have the artillery bombard the frontline positions and stop the Orks' offensive."

The intelligence officer's face changed drastically upon hearing Marshal Liek's order. He said in disbelief, "Marshal, there are still large numbers of our soldiers in the frontline positions. If we bombard them, none of them will survive!"

Marshal Liek glared viciously at the intelligence officer. "They will die even if we do not bombard the frontline positions. They have already failed and can no longer stop the Orks' advance. Only by bombarding the frontline positions can we continue to hold back the Orks' offensive."

After hearing Marshal Liek's words, the intelligence officer said in a trembling voice, "Marshal, but... but the soldiers in the rear positions are all watching!"

Marshal Liek turned on him angrily. "So what if they are watching? If we do not stop the Orks' offensive and they break through every line of defense, it will not merely mean the deaths of millions of soldiers. The entire hive world will be in danger, and even more people will die."

"Either go deliver my order, or take men to reinforce the frontline positions."

Seeing that Marshal Liek had fallen into a rage, the intelligence officer knew he could no longer dissuade him. Otherwise, he himself might end up in danger. All he could do was pray to the Emperor and hope the Emperor would protect the frontline soldiers.

The intelligence officer straightened up and said loudly, "Yes, Marshal! I will deliver your order at once."

After speaking, the intelligence officer hurried out.

Watching the intelligence officer leave, Marshal Liek slumped into his chair and stared blankly at the images being sent back from the front.

Marshal Liek knew full well how severely his order, once carried out, would damage the morale of the soldiers in the rear positions.

But if they did not use this method to inflict massive losses on the Orks, then once the Orks' war machines from the rear arrived and joined the battle, they would inflict even greater casualties on his own side.

When the artillery received the marshal's highest order—to bombard their own frontline positions—everyone found it unbelievable, and they began whispering among themselves.

"Bang!"

The gunshot stunned the arguing soldiers into silence. They all turned toward the sound.

The artillery regiment commander stood there with his pistol raised toward the sky, looking coldly at the crowd. Once he saw that all the artillerymen had quieted down and were watching him, he lowered his pistol.

The artillery regiment commander said calmly, "This is the marshal's order. To defend the hive world, these sacrifices are worth it. If you cannot bring yourselves to do it, I will transfer every one of you to reinforce the frontline positions."

The soldiers who had voiced objections gradually fell silent after hearing their commander. Artillery was the safest and best-paid branch of the hive world's army; no one wanted to risk their lives at the front.

With no further objections from the artillerymen, they returned to their heavy guns, adjusted their firing positions, and began bombarding the frontline positions.

The hive world soldiers still alive in the frontline positions, fighting the Orks to the death, heard the roar of heavy artillery from the rear positions. Strength surged through their exhausted bodies once more, and they continued their brutal close-quarters slaughter with the Orks.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Heavy shells screamed down from the sky and struck the frontline positions, killing large numbers of hive world soldiers and Orks in the barrage.

Many surviving soldiers stared blankly at the scene before them. Their comrades' severed limbs and shattered bodies splashed around them. They had thought the artillery fire was coming to support them, only to find it raining down on their own heads.

"Arghhh!"

Some soldiers whose nerves had already been stretched to the limit could no longer keep fighting after witnessing the tragedy before them. Screaming in collapse, they ran toward the rear positions, throwing away their weapons as they fled so they could run faster and get farther away from the dangerous Orks.

"Stop! Keep fighting!"

The frontline commissar soldiers shouted to halt them, trying to make the soldiers stay and continue fighting in order to stabilize the frontline positions.

"Bang! Bang!"

When words proved useless, the commissar soldiers decisively opened fire on the fleeing soldiers, trying to suppress the collapsing morale through bloody means.

But no matter how many fleeing soldiers the commissar soldiers executed, it was already useless. Many soldiers would rather be shot by the commissar soldiers than continue fighting the Orks.

The Orks following close behind the deserters attacked the commissar soldiers still trying to maintain discipline. Faced with the Orks in close combat, the commissar soldiers fared no better than ordinary soldiers. It was almost entirely a one-sided slaughter.

The soldiers in the frontline positions had completely collapsed and were desperately fleeing toward the rear positions. No matter how fast the ordinary soldiers ran, they could not escape the Orks' pursuit.

The hive world soldiers fled desperately ahead while the Orks chased excitedly behind them, racing toward the second line beneath the hive city walls.

"Company Commander, what should we do?"

In the second line, an old soldier watched their routed comrades fleeing toward them, with Orks in relentless pursuit behind them. Unable to bear it, he asked.

The company commander glanced at the old soldier. He knew the old soldier already understood what had to be done, but did not want to bear the responsibility of firing on his own people.

The company commander looked at the tense expressions of his men, then at the deserters and Orks drawing ever closer to their position. After hesitating for three seconds, he drew the pistol at his waist, fired toward the front of the position, and roared:

"Fire!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After the company commander gave the order, continuous gunfire erupted across the position.

"Urgh..."

A soldier still running toward his own side's position suddenly felt searing pain in his chest. He instinctively lowered his head toward the source of the pain and saw a huge bloody hole blown through his chest. Blood gushed endlessly from the wound. The soldier looked toward his comrades' position as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only collapse forward.

The instant the first shot rang out, gunfire erupted endlessly across the previously quiet second line. Gunfire and artillery fire once again resounded throughout the battlefield, and even the lower hive could clearly hear the fierce exchange.

"WAAAAAAHG!"

"Boyz, follow me and keep charging!"

An Ork boss roared at his underlings and took the lead, sprinting wildly toward the second line.

"Oi! WAAAAAAHG!"

"Boss Iron Hand is mighty!"

The Ork boys shouted excitedly as they followed their boss, charging toward the second line.