Chapter 660 - 410: Blood-Soaked Eve_2

The commander of the Inland Sea Fleet reported gravely: "That’s the situation. Our Inland Sea Fleet was attacked by an unknown force, and the capital ship Cangming was destroyed on the spot. The rest of the detachments have also suffered more than half losses."

"Currently, the surviving ships are retreating to the coastline, preparing to rely on shore-based fortifications to block the enemy’s advance."

The expressions of all the commanders listening to the report were very grim.

The news of the Inland Sea Fleet’s collapse came so suddenly, like a blow to the head for the headquarters.

Although in this era, the army focuses on cultivating Extraordinary Beings and the traditional navy is not emphasized, the inexplicable defeat of the Inland Sea Fleet was hard to accept.

The head of the World Government sat solemnly in the main seat and asked seriously: "Have you figured out the enemy’s attack method?"

The Inland Sea Fleet commander replied: "Not yet, we only know that the enemy launched their attack from underwater. Moreover, intelligence seems to mention... sonar detected a large number of humanoid figures in the deep sea."

Someone tentatively asked: "Frogmen units?"

The Inland Sea Fleet commander shook his head: "Very unlikely. Frogmen cannot go as deep as submarines. Additionally, frogmen are primarily used for small-scale special operations, and there is no historical precedent of frogmen facing and defeating an entire fleet head-on."

A stifling atmosphere pervaded the command room, and some began to feel a chill down their spines, sensing a terrifying presence slowly encroaching.

"Ring——" In the midst of the silence, a shrill telephone ring suddenly sounded, breaking the brief stillness.

Everyone unanimously looked up, their eyes fixed on the telephone.

The head picked it up and after listening for a moment, his face turned pale, his eyes widened, and cold sweat began to appear on his forehead.

The hand holding the receiver trembled slightly, as if he was struggling to control his emotions.

The surrounding commanders immediately felt their hearts leap to their throats.

Putting down the phone, he looked at everyone present, his voice low and hoarse: "Just now, all the shore-based fortifications have fallen."

This sentence hit everyone like a heavy hammer. A burst of chatter erupted in the meeting room, commanders looked at each other in shock and disbelief, and the air seemed to freeze.

Someone asked in horror: "How could they fall so quickly! Are those rebels human? They don’t need to rest after completing a naval campaign?!"

No one answered his question because no one knew the answer.

The immense pressure weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts, making them feel a choking sense of oppression.

The fall of the shore-based fortifications meant the rebels had established a complete crossing route and could continuously dispatch troops to the western shore.

The Capital City was only a little over a hundred miles from the Inland Sea coast. With the sea gate fallen, if the rebels chose to, they could strike directly at the heart of the Capital City, which was obviously unacceptable.

"Ring——" At that moment, another phone rang; it was the red phone on the table.

This was the direct line to the headquarters of the giants, rarely used except in emergencies or for important negotiations.

The ringing of the red phone made everyone’s eyes brighten as if they had grasped a lifeline, and the head quickly walked over to pick it up.

After picking up, he listened briefly and began to report over the phone: "Yes... the coastal area adjacent to the Capital City has fallen, the rebels are advancing rapidly, and it is expected that within days they may be at the city gates."

"The Capital Group Army has fully assembled and set up a complete defensive line relying on the city. We have also issued evacuation orders to the entire city, ensuring that all civilians return home so that they do not interfere with the potential upcoming battle."

The head continued to report the current situation, then began to listen to the response on the other end.

This process did not take long, lasting only a few minutes, but in the tense atmosphere, everyone felt like time had slowed to a crawl.

The red phone was hung up, and the head looked at everyone with a complex expression, a bit of relief mixed with a strong sense of bewilderment and helplessness.

"There’s good news," he said. "The headquarters of the giants has dispatched the most elite Extraordinary Beings to reinforce the Capital City defense, including three individuals whose strength has reached the pinnacle of the Seventh Stage, the strongest of their time."

Upon hearing this, it was clear that everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the previously oppressive atmosphere eased slightly.

Currently, openly, the rebel camp only has two pinnacle-level powerhouses at the Seventh Stage: Fenrir and Dongdong.

Our side, on the other hand, has three at the pinnacle, plus a slew of top-tier experts at the Sixth and Fifth Stages, at least holding an advantage in extraordinary forces.

Combined with the most well-equipped forces of the World Government Army’s Capital Group Army and the advantage of fighting on home turf, the chances of victory are very high.

But from the cold sweat on the head’s forehead, everyone knew he also had bad news to share.

"The bad news is that, to counter the potential adverse effects of losing the war, the ’Ultimate Insurance’ targeting all humanity in the ’Sky City’ is on standby," he said.

The head’s face was as pale as paper, and his voice wavered uncontrollably: "If we lose the defense of the Capital City, we will become the enemies of all mankind."

...

At this time, the Capital City had entered the highest level of combat readiness. The retractable defensive walls, only used during wartime, rose from the peripheral ground, surrounding the entire city in a massive iron curtain of metal fortifications.

The soldiers in combat positions were fully armored, wearing heavy Bulletproof Vests, equipped with advanced automatic rifles, their eyes piercing as they stared at the distant horizon, while others held high-powered binoculars, observing potential threats that might arise at any moment.

Every few dozen meters along the city walls, there was a fortress turret, the barrels gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, stripped of their digital modules to prevent hacking, relying solely on mechanical systems and manual operation.

The gunners adjusted the complex control panels from their positions at the bases, with red and green indicator lights flashing continuously, displaying real-time data of various parameters to ensure each device was in optimal condition.

Behind the city walls, in the streets and alleys, numerous defense positions for urban warfare had been completed, with solid sandbags piled high, forming defensive barriers alongside barbed wire and obstacles for counter-charges.

Meanwhile, snipers were concealed at every street corner and alley, stationed in high windows, their sniper rifles ready to deliver a deadly strike at any moment.

Armored units had also fully assembled, with soldiers orderly boarding their respective armored vehicles, drivers and gunners each performing their roles in the confined spaces.

The tank engines roared with a deep and powerful hum, like steel beasts growling, hidden behind cover with only their barrels extended, ensuring they could unleash firepower while minimizing their exposure.

Hundreds of Titan Mechas stood tall at strategic points, these originally unmanned war machines entering "retro" manual operation mode. While this might make them clumsy, they remained the backbone of direct confrontation.

It’s no exaggeration to say the Capital City had become a war grinder.

The enemy must first face the siege of the perimeter defenses if they want to enter the Capital City. They would have to charge through preset minefields and a storm of artillery, very likely losing half their forces before even engaging in close combat.

Even if the rebels fought to breach the outer defenses and charge into the city, awaiting them would be the most insurmountable and bloody warfare in human history — urban warfare.

The elite soldiers of the Capital Group Army would lie in wait among the endless buildings, ready to ambush, setting traps everywhere, embroiling the rebels in urban warfare to bleed them dry to the last drop.

If the rebels couldn’t bear the heavy losses and chose indiscriminate bombing of the buildings, that would be even better.

Such foolish actions would reveal the rebels’ true nature to the world. By mildly modifying civilian casualty reports and having the media broadcast it widely, the foundation of the rebels could be shaken.

In any event, the Capital City had transformed into a flesh-and-blood grinder, awaiting the rebels’ approach, where their bodies and ambitions would be buried!