Chapter 199 - 138: Transformation of Warfare, Dignity, Conferring Rank
Chapter 199: Chapter 138: Transformation of Warfare, Dignity, Conferring Rank
But he chose the hardest path, yet it was also the path of greatest freedom and independence.
Facing the great Swarm army alone, he completed his Awakening and rapidly upgraded his Superpower and Level.
He became the most powerful Awakener in the entire Federation in terms of combat strength.
The old Commander took a deep breath and said:
"The blocking mission for the Battle of Wu City is almost over."
Lin Feng frowned. The highest Commander of the Thirteenth Division standing before him seemed unpredictable.
’But it doesn’t matter if they retreat now or not.’ After today’s battle, Lin Feng was confident he could stop the advance of the Hai City Mother Empress with his fleet alone.
If the Thirteenth Division pulled out sooner, he wouldn’t have to worry about them repeating the kind of self-sabotaging behavior seen at the first line of defense, where they basically handed kills to the enemy.
’If the Hai City Mother Empress advances any further...’
Lin Feng wasn’t sure he could continue to hold the line.
Seeing the young man remained unmoved, the old Commander continued:
"And we’re out of ammunition and food. Our remaining supplies can’t support this many people on a journey to a safe zone over a thousand kilometers away, much less allow us to take all our soldiers with us."
At this, Lin Feng’s expression changed slightly.
"Then you should just break up into smaller groups and go your separate ways. Qin Hu already mentioned this to me. So what?"
The old Commander crossed his arms and replied in a heavy voice:
"That was the original plan. After all, our logistical support was almost completely cut off after Jin City Industry withdrew. Our division, originally at a full complement of fifteen thousand, expanded to forty thousand. With the fall of the first line of defense, we lost over ten thousand, leaving the entire division with thirty thousand people now..."
Lin Feng took a deep breath. ’Back when they expanded, they only thought the more people, the better. They never considered it would become such an unwieldy burden now.’
’Thirty thousand Enhanced People and Awakeners...’
’Setting aside weapons, just feeding those thirty thousand mouths would require three tons of grain a day.’
’And an Awakener’s appetite is several times that of an ordinary person. Their daily caloric needs even at rest require a kilogram of military rations, and even more if they participate in battle.’
’But if they were just let go like this, entering the rear urban areas in large groups, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for the survivors who hadn’t evacuated yet.’
’Moreover, after leaving the battlefield, it’s anyone’s guess whether these new recruits, who have just obtained Superpowers, would still have the courage and determination to step onto the battlefield against the Zerg Race invasion again.’
’An ordinary person who gains great power but lives in a post-apocalyptic world of scarce resources will most likely become a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing.’
’Once they enter a safe zone or mix into the refugee camps outside the city, the damage they could do to the existing order would be no less than a massive implosion, greatly weakening the safe zone’s productivity.’
The division headquarters’ previous plan was to take all the current Tier One Middle and Late Stage Awakeners—over ten thousand people—and let the remaining Early Stage Awakeners and Enhanced People go free.
This would at least ensure their core combat strength remained intact.
But now, Lin Feng’s appearance showed the old Commander another possibility.
This young man had burst onto the scene, leading his powerful fleet to effortlessly defeat the Zerg Race.
Within the Thirteenth Division now, especially at the second line of defense, many new recruits were already privately discussing how to defect to Lin Feng’s side.
After all, as a legendary figure from the Battle of Wu City, Lin Feng’s repeated victories and successes had already made him famous since the containment battles in Hai City.
One side was passively taking a beating on defense, while the other was actively launching attacks and slaughtering the enemy. Anyone would know which to choose.
Once such thoughts took root and spread, a large-scale desertion and rebellion among the rank-and-file soldiers of the Thirteenth Division would be inevitable.
Strangely, however, when the enforcers reported this situation to the rear division headquarters, the command post rarely gave any response.
The only thing that came was the old Commander’s private hint not to stop these sentiments from spreading.
......
Now, in the dead of night, inside a dimly lit conference room, the old Commander explained the stakes to the young man before him.
Lin Feng understood what he meant.
This was a development he had never anticipated.
He fell silent.
He looked at the general before him, who suddenly seemed like just an old man:
"So, after we take ten thousand Awakeners, there will be fifteen thousand left... I hope you can take them."
"When we get back to the safe zone, our designation will most likely be revoked, and we’ll be broken up and absorbed into other units. The 13th Infantry Division will become history."
"This is the unit I personally led, the one I watched grow step-by-step into one of the Federation’s aces..."
"Its destiny shouldn’t end with a defeat. I hope you can lead it to another Peak."
"If you’re willing..."
"From now on, it... is yours."
As he spoke, under Lin Feng’s gaze, the old Commander slowly removed his own military insignia and placed it on the table...