Chapter 1076 - 386: Sorry, Dad, We Seem Unable to Hold the Line!

His sitting posture remained unchanged.

But the fingers of his right hand holding the cigarette clenched suddenly.

The cigarette that had just been lit was crushed instantly.

"Are you... sure?!"

Lao Mo’s voice lost its usual calmness for the first time.

"Absolutely sure!" The recruit affirmed with conviction, raising the binoculars again to confirm, his voice breaking with ecstatic emotion.

"The Deep Blue flag, with stars and swords, the Dawn emblem!! So many people! They stretch as far as the eye can see!! They really came!"

This news, originating from this humble observation post,

instantly swept through all the weary defensive lines.

The deathly silent ice plains were ignited in an instant.

...

Cold Bone Fjord Command.

The enormous ice caves had been artificially widened and reinforced.

The interior was brightly lit.

The tactical sandbox almost occupied the entire central area.

On the board, the blue markers representing the Cold Bone Fjord defensive line were being crushed by dense scarlet arrows, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Ji Wuya was cloaked in heavily worn dark gold General Armor.

His white hair neatly tied at the back of his head.

He stood in front of the sandbox, his wrinkled face etched with exhaustion.

His fingers unconsciously tapped the cold edge of the sandbox.

Producing a dull thud.

The surrounding staff officers had grim expressions, exchanging intelligence rapidly in low tones.

The air was thick with anxiety and tension.

"General, support point number three on the west side is in crisis! The garrisoned squad has suffered over half casualties, requesting urgent reinforcements, at least two full Tier Two squads are needed to stabilize the position."

"The patrol under the eastern Ice Cliff has lost contact for over four hours, the last communication reported encountering small groups of high-tier predators..."

"The supply list transferred from the rear city has been verified, but the antifreeze agent shortage is still up to thirty percent, the engineering department reports that drilling at deepwater well number three has hit solid ice layers, progress severely delayed..."

Bad news came like the cold wind on the ice plains.

One after another, without pause.

Ji Wuya’s brow furrowed more tightly, and his finger tapping on the edge of the sandbox grew heavier.

Dawn... Dawn...

That name lingered in his heart.

The scheduled time had long passed.

But there was no news.

Other battlefields along the loop had started tentative advances beyond the blockade.

Attempting to break through Life Ghost’s encirclement.

Establish new support points.

Only at Cold Bone Fjord, the core reinforcements had yet to arrive.

The forces were stretched thin, barely able to hold on.

Watching other battlefield actions, but unable to move themselves.

The intense pressure and a sense of being abandoned weighed heavily.

It pressed heavily on the heart of everyone in the command.

The Federation had inquired, but the response was always that the whereabouts of the Dawn troops were highly confidential, fully under Captain Fang Qingyu’s command.

This feeling of complete loss of control.

Made the officers, accustomed to command structures, feel intense unease.

Most of this Dawn force had come from the unruly City of Injustice.

Only recognizing Fang Qingyu alone.

With Cold Bone Fjord, they lacked the confidence to even ask for specific positions and plans.

Afraid of angering the towering God Fang.

"General..." An aide cautiously spoke, seeing Ji Wuya’s increasingly somber expression, "Should we send another urgent wire to the Great Wall Command? Ask about Dawn’s movements? Or should we adjust our deployment, abandon some external support points, retract the defensive line, wait..."

"Wait?!" Ji Wuya snapped back, "Retract? Abandon? And then what? Watch as Life Ghost tightens the noose around our necks?!"

His bloodshot eyes scanned the sandbox’s precarious blue defensive line.

And slowly scanned the faces in the command filled with equally written concern and fatigue.

"I’ve defended Cold Bone Fjord for forty-seven years! Seen more desperate situations than you’ve eaten salt!"

His voice rose sharply.

"Dawn comes, it’s a lifesaver in snow! If not, it’s Heaven abandoning Cold Bone Fjord!"

He slammed his fist heavily on the sandbox edge, shaking the small flags atop it.

"Order all units! Without reinforcements, then bite with teeth! Fill with lives! As long as there’s one last person breathing at Cold Bone Fjord, it cannot be lost from my hands. Even in death, I want to hold Life Ghost close, to give later brothers a better chance at victory!"

"This battle, not for merit, not for survival!" Ji Wuya’s voice echoed like a tolling bell within the ice cave.

"Only to die on the frontline of the human race’s counteroffensive! Understood?!"

"Yes, General!" All the officers in the command straightened their backs, roaring in unison, the last flicker of hesitation completely ignited in their eyes.

Redemption!

Those two words engraved deeply in Ji Wuya’s mind.

The past sins cannot be washed away.

Only with blood and fire, using this battered body.

On this battlefield of the human race’s survival, to burn the last bit of value.

But just then...

A voice filled with ecstatic shouting suddenly came from the passageway.

The messenger’s face mixed with icy shards and a flush of excitement.

He panted heavily, pointing outside, his voice trembling violently with excitement, even breaking with emotion:

"They’ve come, General! They have come!! Dawn!! Dawn’s forces have reached the fjord entrance!"

The entire command fell into a sudden silence.

Ji Wuya’s burly frame shook fiercely.

His bloodshot, exhausted old eyes

exploded with an unbelievable light.

He truly believed Fang Qingyu wouldn’t come because of his past transgressions...

But unexpectedly...

He stared at the excited messenger speaking incoherently.

As if confirming whether he had misheard.