novelraw Chapter 124 : First Battle
Chapter 124 : First Battle
Chapter 124: First Battle
“An attack?”
Hearing Levi’s words, Lieutenant Colonel Smith was immediately shocked.
“Here? Who could it be……… no, how do you know?”
“I guessed.”
Levi stared at the small screen before him. In the pitch-black display, hundreds—no, thousands—of soul-light points were closing in from both flanks, encircling them.
“And there are quite a lot of them.”
“But……… ”
Smith looked at Levi and decided not to question how he knew.
“Do we have enough time to retreat to Lexington?”
Looking outside through the observation port, Smith felt uneasy. The surrounding area was dense forest—perfect for an ambush. If they could reach Lexington and set up defenses using buildings, they might stand a chance.
But here?
“I’m not sure. You can try.”
“………………”
Hearing this, Smith quickly made his decision. He grabbed the communicator and issued orders.
“All units, listen up! Turn right and enter the forest immediately—Level One alert! Husky Unit, full speed ahead—proceed to the fortress and request reinforcements from Governor Geller! All other units, prepare defensive positions on site!”
“Yes!”
At the command, the soldiers accelerated, while a Hound-class mech dashed forward at full speed down the road.
“Damn it, we’ve been discovered!”
Captain Pike, who had been preparing to attack from the rear, was stunned. He immediately understood the enemy commander’s plan—sending a mech for reinforcements while holding position. If they chased it, they would have to break through the imperial defensive line.
Damn it!
No time to think how they were exposed—Pike shouted:
“Attack! Don’t let that mech escape!”
A flash of fire—
“Whoosh—————!”
From the depths of the dark forest, a rocket streaked forward with a blazing tail, aimed directly at the fleeing mech!
“A rocket launcher? Damn it! How could militia have such military equipment!?”
Smith was shocked.
Under imperial law, firearms were allowed among civilians—but weapons like rocket launchers, artillery, and mechs were strictly military-grade and never circulated among civilians.
Clearly, this was abnormal.
“Looks like your transport unit ‘lost’ quite a lot of equipment.”
Levi mocked casually, then sprang out of the command vehicle. Raising the Persuader, he fired.
“Bang!”
The rocket detonated midair, erupting into flames. When the explosion cleared, the mech had already vanished into the distance.
“Damn it!”
Pike slammed his fist.
“Send riders after it! Destroy that mech! The rest—attack!”
At his command, militia forces surged out of the forest, charging toward the imperial troops.
“First, third, and fifth squads—form defensive lines! Mech units—defensive formation! Second and fourth squads—guard the prisoners!”
Smith shouted orders, sweat dripping down his face.
“Mech units, fire at will! One hundred meters—bombard!”
“Boom boom boom!!”
The sound of artillery roared like thunder, shattering trees and shaking the ground.
“Second wave! Fifty meters! Bombard!”
Explosions grew closer and more intense.
But the attackers did not falter.
At that moment, Smith saw Levi climb out again.
“Mr. Levi?”
“I’ll handle reconnaissance. You just wait for my signal.”
Before Smith could respond, Levi vanished.
“………All units, stay alert!”
Smith could only hope Levi would turn the tide.
---
Levi appeared atop a tree behind the battlefield, silently observing.
Under 【Soul Sight】, enemy positions were crystal clear.
So the front was just a feint.
The militia made noise and fired randomly, but barely advanced. Meanwhile, from the left cliff, a strike team of dozens was approaching the camp.
Their target—remaining mechs.
Levi smirked.
He loaded an incendiary round into his cane rifle, aimed—
“Bang———!”
The bullet pierced through branches and struck the lead militiaman’s head, blowing it apart instantly.
Then—
Flames erupted.
White phosphorus fire spread violently, engulfing nearby militia. Their screams echoed as the flames clung to their flesh, impossible to extinguish.
The fire became a beacon in the darkness.
“Mech units—two o’clock direction! Fire!”
Smith immediately understood.
“Boom!”
Artillery obliterated the target zone.
Levi confirmed the soul lights vanished—then shifted targets.
“Bang! Bang!”
What followed was a one-sided massacre.
Using 【Soul Sight】, Levi pinpointed hidden militia and fired incendiary shots to mark them for artillery.
Even if he missed—the blast radius of mech cannons would finish the job.
Some militia managed to break through—but imperial soldiers held the line effectively.
Soon, the tide turned.
---
“Bang———!”
Captain Pike trembled behind a rock.
That gunshot—it had become his nightmare.
Each shot was followed by devastating bombardment.
Entire assault teams were wiped out.
How?
This was their home terrain—yet the enemy knew their exact positions.
Impossible!
But reality said otherwise.
Retreat?
If they retreated, they lost initiative.
Attack?
They risked everything.
At that moment—
A shadow appeared beside him.
Pike turned—and froze.
A cloaked figure emerged silently from the darkness.
“…Are you the—”
The figure raised a finger to silence him.
Then it leapt into the trees, vanishing.
Like a ghost.
---
The shadow moved swiftly through branches, evading fire and searchlights, climbing higher—
Until it reached the canopy.
There, it drew a dagger.
Below, Levi stood with his back turned.
The shadow lunged—
The blade pierced down—
But Levi vanished.
In his place—a black cat.
It shrieked—
Its body split open, transforming into countless blade-like petals that snapped toward the attacker!
The shadow twisted—
Its body turned into mist, slipping through the blades, then reforming.
“Bang!”
Levi fired.
The bullet struck at the moment of reformation—but the shadow deflected it with a dagger.
Three throwing knives flew toward Levi’s eyes and chest—
“Bang!”
Levi shot them down instantly.
The shadow closed in—
Dagger thrust toward Levi’s heart!
But—
The previous bullet ricocheted off a stone—
“Clang!”
It struck the dagger, halting the attack.
Levi calmly pressed the Persuader against the shadow’s chest—
“Bang bang bang bang!”
Four shots blasted into it.
The shadow staggered, turning into mist again before reforming.
This time—it was wounded.
“You’re the Phantom Killer?”
Levi reloaded calmly.
“Not bad. Though not enough.”
“……You… cannot… destroy… a shadow…”
Its voice was hoarse, inhuman.
“But your injuries suggest otherwise.”
Levi glanced at the bleeding chest.
Seems silver bullets would be more effective.
The Phantom Killer crouched like a predator.
“Enemy… must… be eliminated…”
“Let’s see if you can.”
Levi aimed.
Silence—
Then the Phantom Killer lunged!
“Bang!”
Levi fired—
But at the ground.
Flames erupted, forming a wall of fire.
The Phantom Killer turned to mist, passed through, reformed—
But Levi was gone.
“…?”
Before it could react—
“BOOM—————!”
Artillery struck again.
The battlefield was reduced to ruins.
Moments later, Levi stepped out from the shadows.
“It escaped? Not bad.”
He smiled faintly.
“But next time… you won’t be so lucky.”