Chapter 218 Automatic Energy Turret

Chapter 218: Chapter 218 Automatic Energy Turret

The soldiers raised their rifles. Just then the closest monster jumped into the air. Gunshots immediately rang out, but the creature twisted its body strangely in the air and continued toward them.

Ling Xuan pulled out her sword. At the same time, she spoke inside her mind. ’Now.’

Laurel immediately released Chris and Alexander from the farming space. The two men appeared inside the truck so suddenly that Gabriel nearly pointed his gun at them.

"What the..."

"Don’t shoot!" Ling Xuan snapped.

Alexander barely had time to understand where he was before something large appeared behind him.

"Move!" Ling Xuan grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside. Her sword swept past him at the same moment, cutting deeply through the monster’s neck. Black blood splashed against the open door before the creature fell back onto the highway.

"Close the door." she ordered.

The soldiers immediately slammed the door shut. For a few seconds, everyone inside the truck stared at Chris and Alexander. Alexander looked around before turning toward Ling Xuan. "How did we..."

"No time for such questions." she curtly cut him off.

His brows furrowed. "Laurel?"

Ling Xuan looked at him coldly. "Sit down."

Alexander immediately recognized the difference in her expression. His face became complicated, but this time he didn’t argue.

Chris was much calmer. He found an empty place beside Gabriel and sat down as though suddenly appearing inside a moving military truck was perfectly normal.

Ling Xuan looked toward the driver. "How far do we have left before reaching the gate?"

"About four minutes." The driver replied.

"Drive faster." Ling Xuan ordered, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she stared ahead.

"Yes, Commander."

Alexander looked through the windshield. Smoke had already covered most of the sky ahead, and the sound of gunfire was becoming clearer. "What exactly happened?"

"We don’t know," Gabriel replied. "We lost contact with the fortress."

Alexander’s expression darkened.

Chris leaned forward slightly. "How much ammunition is left?"

"Not enough."

Ling Xuan glanced toward him before turning her attention back to the road. ’Laurel.’ She called inwardly.

"What?" Laurel replied.

’The weapon.’ Ling Xuan asked coldly.

Laurel immediately understood. "Do you even know how to use it?"

’Does it require training?’

"...No. It’s automatic."

The convoy continued forward, occasionally passing monster corpses and destroyed vehicles. The closer they got, the worse the road became. There were deep claw marks across the road, blood stains everywhere and several places where the ground had been damaged by explosions.

Then the fortress finally appeared. Laurel became silent inside their shared consciousness. Even Ling Xuan’s expression changed slightly.

The outer battlefield was covered with monster corpses. Several military vehicles were burning near the barricades, while soldiers continued firing from behind the remaining defensive positions. One of the watchtowers had partially collapsed, and smoke rose from several areas inside the valley.

But the worst damage was on the western side. The first defensive line had already fallen. Monsters were pouring through the opening while the remaining soldiers retreated toward the second barricade. Gunfire continued without pause, but there were too many of them.

Alexander leaned forward when he saw it. "The western line collapsed?" His expression became grim.

Gabriel’s face became ugly. "How did they get through?"

Alexander didn’t answer. He knew the defenses he had helped build. Even with hundreds of monsters attacking, the western side shouldn’t have fallen so quickly unless something had gone seriously wrong.

Chris’s gaze moved across the battlefield. "They’re retreating."

Ling Xuan narrowed her eyes. The retreat wasn’t completely chaotic. Someone was still commanding the soldiers. Several groups were covering the others while the wounded were being moved toward the inner line. That meant the fortress hadn’t completely lost control yet.

A monster suddenly rushed from the roadside toward their truck. The driver instinctively turned the steering wheel.’

"Don’t stop," Ling Xuan ordered.

She opened the side hatch and swung her sword as they passed. The blade cut through the monster’s head, sending it rolling across the road. Two more monsters appeared ahead. Then another.

Gabriel raised his rifle. "They’re noticing us."

"Of course they are." Ling Xuan looked toward the battlefield before speaking inside her mind.

’Laurel, now.’

Laurel opened the system storage. A large metallic object suddenly appeared several meters ahead of the convoy.

The driver almost stepped on the brake. "What is that?!"

"Keep driving!" Ling Xuan ordered, flashing a look of irritation.

The machine landed heavily against the road before four metallic supports extended from its base and pierced into the ground. Blue lines immediately lit up across its surface as the long barrel slowly turned toward the battlefield.

Alexander stared through the windshield. And Chris’s eyes narrowed, the more he tried to push away the misery behind Laurel, the harder it became.

Even Gabriel forgot to speak.

Ding!

[Grade C Automatic Energy Turret activated.]

[Scanning surrounding area...]

[Hostile lifeforms detected.]

[Targeting.]

The barrel stopped moving. A bright blue light began gathering at the center.

Ling Xuan watched curiously. A second later, a beam of light shot across the battlefield.

BOOM!

The first monster exploded instantly. The beam continued forward, piercing through five more creatures before disappearing.

Several soldiers fighting near the western line instinctively turned toward the road.

The turret rotated again, another beam shot out again. This time, one of the larger monsters charging toward the second barricade was struck directly through the chest. Its body flew backward and crashed into several creatures behind it.

For a moment, even Ling Xuan was impressed.

Inside the farming space, Laurel stared at the system panel. "...Maybe five hundred thousand grams wasn’t that expensive."

Luo looked at her. "Master Laurel, five minutes ago you said the system was robbing you."

"I changed my mind." Laurel replied.

Luo nodded obediently. "Of course."

Laurel ignored him.

Outside, Ling Xuan looked toward the western battlefield again. The new weapon had attracted attention from both the monsters and the soldiers, but that was exactly what she wanted.

"Gabriel." She called out.

"Yes?" Gabriel answered.

"Tell the second truck to stay close. We go through the western side."

Gabriel immediately picked up the radio used between the convoy vehicles. "Second team, stay close to us. We’re entering through the western battlefield."

Alexander looked toward Ling Xuan. "The main entrance is safer."

"The western side is collapsing." Ling Xuan’s tone left no room for argument.

"Exactly. There are too many monsters there." Alexander ignored the warning in her voice.

Ling Xuan turned toward him. "And there are people there."

Alexander became quiet.

She looked back toward the battlefield. ’Thought as much.’ The turret fired again, clearing several monsters near the broken barricade. Soldiers who had been retreating began reorganizing behind the second line.

Ling Xuan tightened her grip around her sword. ’Laurel.’

"I’m here."

’Prepare the second weapon.’

Laurel looked at the remaining turret inside the system storage. "Okay."

Ling Xuan’s lips curved slightly. The convoy left the highway and headed directly toward the western battlefield.