Counterfeit Hero

Although they had been away from the battlefield for a long time, the soldiers of the Leray Federation would immediately exude a sense of indifference once they experienced artillery fire.

The 3rd Group Commander Gutierrez didn’t hide; he just stood there, continuously firing his energy cannon. Suddenly, he tilted his head, his expression changed, and he somersaulted into a nearby trench to lie down. Almost simultaneously, a shell blasted a huge crater where he had just been standing, and the energy machine gun was deformed by the shockwave.

Looking at the soldiers in the trench laughing at him, Gutierrez climbed up awkwardly, spat, pulled out a military canteen filled with alcohol, took two big swigs, and cursed, "This damn shell hit so accurately, I was almost blasted to one meter twenty!"

He gritted his teeth and poured the alcohol on his leg. Only then did the soldiers notice the large fragment embedded in Gutierrez’s thigh. The tall commander bit his teeth and used a belt to bind his leg before he started pulling out the shrapnel. Although the main arteries weren’t hit, blood still gushed from the wound. The medics rushed over to give him emergency treatment, while Gutierrez examined the shrapnel, grinning as if proud of his quick reflexes.

The thunderous shelling lasted several minutes. The Federation soldiers curled up on the battlefield, covering their ears and gasping for breath like fishes out of water.

Finally, the Federation artillery located the enemy’s artillery positions. Continuous shelling completely suppressed the Imperial Army’s firepower.

For the 201st Division soldiers, this level of firepower coverage felt like a mere itch, vastly different from the start of the war. After the bombardment, they emerged from the battered trenches like mice after a downpour. The enemy had gotten significantly closer during the artillery barrage, and the Federation’s firepower instantly intensified. Gutierrez rudely pushed aside a soldier who was enjoying firing his standard energy machine gun, grabbed the gun, and with a strange battle cry, stood up again. The machine gun’s precise hits impressed the disgruntled soldier, realizing the difference between being a commander and a regular soldier.

Gutierrez’s energy cannon roared furiously, destroying several of the Imperial single soldier mechas with his accurate strikes.