Chapter 310: Desperate Tide

The situation seemed as bad as it could possibly get.

At the frontline, a large number of soldiers gripped their weapons tightly; after a long period of peace, they hadn’t faced Sea Beasts in ages.

A few elite Second-Stage squads, who occasionally encountered stray Sea Beasts, now fixed their eyes on the distant ‘Tide.’ Their calm exteriors belied the tension in their clenched, blue-hued fingertips.

They knew all too well how terrifying Sea Beasts could be.

Even a single common Second-Stage Sea Beast was enough to rip apart a battleship. Its massive body could shatter structures while its razor-sharp maw effortlessly tore through armor. In the deep sea, creatures naturally blocked signal detection, making them elusive nightmares.

No one dared engage these ocean overlords underwater.

Unlike mutants.

These gigantic monsters, usually confined to the deep sea, might not be particularly fast, but each one possessed incredible vitality.

In the post-apocalyptic mutated environment, what were once ordinary fish or arthropods had long evolved into creatures with alloy-like skeletal armor. Moreover, tainted by Spirit Energy pollution, the energy within them acted as a natural shield that significantly reduced damage from modern weapons.

Their hardened exoskeletons and enormous size meant that conventional torpedo strikes would hardly make an impact.

If not for nuclear missiles that could vaporize even the largest Sea Beasts and slow them down, the defense line would have already sunk into a deadlock.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle

Sizzle—

The electric motor whirred at high speed.

From the center of the defense line, four-barrel close-defense cannons, taken from the Military Region, erupted with bursts of Fire Dragon flame. Their spinning barrels fired silver, finger-thin bullets at an astonishing 24,000 rounds per minute, merging into a blazing Fire Dragon before crashing into the icy seawater.

“Fire!!”

“Fire!!!”

Howitzers roared, launching their projectiles.

Behind the close-defense guns, amidst nervy shouts from the artillery crews, tactical cannons—normally reserved for ground bombardment—soared skyward.

Military-green shells traced perfect arcs before exploding amid the beast tide with towering flames.

“Boom boom boom! Boom!”

Deafening explosions rattled the air, while thick smoke billowed overhead like chimneys along the defense line.

Shells rained down like a violent storm, their blast waves erupting like fireworks and churning colossal waves.

In the dark, brief flashes of orange fire repeatedly illuminated the surface of the sea.

Under the violent detonations, Sea Beasts were torn apart; their shredded flesh and exposed bones shot out like blades in all directions.

Yet every soldier’s face on the battlefield was etched with grim despair.

Despite the unrelenting barrage of artillery and fighter jets, their every attack seemed to fall short.

With each explosion, these swiftly maneuvering deep-sea monsters unleashed a wisp of ghostly blue energy that absorbed most of the shock.

Like living warships, the Spirit Energy within them served as an electromagnetic shield.

Hidden beneath the water, their bodies reduced the lethality of shrapnel that might otherwise cause devastating damage. Unless the entire ocean was vaporized and multiple high-yield nuclear missiles detonated, eliminating these monsters was nothing short of a fantasy.

That was common sense.

While nuclear missiles packed tremendous power, their true lethal force lay in the ensuing radiation.

High levels of radiation and energetic particles might, in extreme cases, shatter an organism’s genetic chain, but for already ‘half-dead’ Sea Beasts, it only made them even more monstrous.

Further, beyond a 750-meter radius, the combined effects of heat and blast shock rarely guaranteed a kill for even a sheltered ordinary person—let alone a mutant Sea Beast.

In combat, the lethal radius of a tactical nuclear missile was a mere seventy meters.

For a sprawling horde of gargantuan beasts stretching across the horizon, it was like a drop in the ocean.

…

“Fight! Prepare for battle!”

“Ranged units, get ready to support! Melee-enhanced fighters, prepare for close combat!!”

Rushing along the defense line, squad captains among the awakened fighters checked their team configurations, their hoarse voices laced with fear.

It was clear to everyone that the artillery barrage was proving futile.

Against these massive Sea Beasts, conventional firearms were utterly useless.

Thus, the upcoming battle would devolve into a brutal melee—especially since they had no escape route.

Only thirty-three kilometers separated them from the East Sea Safe Zone, the nearest refuge. At a Sea Beast’s speed, that distance was barely more than a thin line.

The awakened fighters—humanity’s main force—had considered charging into combat early.

But even Third-Stage warriors couldn’t stay nimble in the raging sea. Their only option was to launch their skills from afar and then brace for a desperate, close-quarters brawl.

After over a decade, the Sea Beasts had once again demonstrated their horrifying might.

Perhaps the only glimmer of good news was…

The Military had deployed enough Third-Stage fighters to ‘capture’ Lin An.

……….

“Let him go, Ming Luo.”

Face-to-face.

Staring at the high-ranking officer who had been berated by Ming Luo, Yenir surprised everyone with a calm, unreadable expression.

It was as if he had expected it all along.

“Yenir! They’ve blocked all the survivors!!”

“They’re still holed up in the air raid shelter!! We’re out of time! We won’t make it!”

In disbelief, he turned his head.

Ming Luo trembled with anger, mistakenly thinking Yenir hadn’t heard the officer’s words.

After the bombs returned, a wave of relief mixed with dread washed over him.

Yenir had been right!

They might have defied orders, but they were truly saving lives!

Recalling Yenir’s early retreat orders, he had nearly idolized Yenir to the point of obsession while aboard the returning fighter jets!

What judgment and decisiveness!

But…

Upon returning, when he saw Third-Stage fighters sent to capture Yenir, along with the apprehended Xiao Hai and others, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, and a deep chill seeped from his bones.

It was over. Everything was over.

The precious time they’d fought so hard to secure had evaporated, replaced by a situation even worse than the direst scenario.

Despair. Collapse.

Few things were as demoralizing as a band of inept comrades.

These high-ranking awakened fighters from the Military had, in a way none of them had ever expected, dealt them a brutal slap—almost as if saying…

Rescue? That was simply impossible.

“I said, let him go, Ming Luo.”

Calmly, Yenir repeated his words, his back turned to the Sea Beasts, seemingly unmarred by any emotion.

It was as though the catastrophe had never occurred, as if no problems existed.

Slowly releasing his grip, Ming Luo let out a dejected chuckle, angrily gesturing toward these awakened fighters—many of whom outranked him.

Though he was willing to heed Yenir’s words, it didn’t mean he could forgive those ‘idiots.’

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“We truly had no idea…”

Four Third-Stage Advanced awakened fighters, swallowing hard and pale-faced, repeatedly apologized, their panic betraying a deep sense of helplessness.

They never imagined it would end this way.

Even when berated by Ming Luo and others, they dared not offer even a single reply.

They knew they had likely made a grave mistake.

No one knew how long the Sea Beasts could be held back.

If they failed, it could mean catastrophe—a massacre of survivors throughout the East Sea.

Realizing they had become the culprits, how could they possibly remain rational? Faced with a disaster that hadn’t erupted in over a decade, their confidence and resolve evaporated in an instant.

“Yenir, what should we do…”

“You know the Sea Beasts will erupt. You must know how to handle them, right…”

“You say it, we’ll do whatever you say!! We know we’re wrong!”

Clinging to one final hope, the lead Third-Stage Advanced fighter’s trembling lips betrayed his inability to think clearly. In his eyes, only Yenir’s almost miraculous leadership could salvage the situation.

Indeed, Yenir had long foretold this disaster! He even orchestrated a mysterious, forced evacuation afterward.

Doesn’t that suggest he had been preparing a series of plans all along!?

Perhaps he had even anticipated their actions! In despair, several high-ranking awakened fighters now fixed their gaze on Yenir.

They understood all too well.

Losing the East Sea was unthinkable; too many lives were at stake.

Otherwise, when all was said and done, someone would inevitably become the scapegoat—the public’s anger would have to be borne by someone!

And without a doubt, they were that scapegoat!

Looking into the pleading faces of these ‘senior’ figures, Yenir simply shook his head.

“There’s nothing we can do.”

“Use your lives to fill the gap…”

At his words, the last flicker of hope in their eyes was instantly shattered like a bolt from the blue, leaving them frozen in disbelief.