Chapter 215: Experience
As elite soldiers, the squad was not typically so fragile. When Hasmu first ordered the rear guard to protect the communications officer, they had shown no hesitation, fully embodying a resolve to sacrifice themselves if needed.
However, even the toughest individuals have limits. The bugs’ seemingly playful torment wore them down. Despite having countless opportunities to annihilate the squad, the bugs always stopped just short, forcing the soldiers to repeatedly endure the terror of impending death.
It was like having a blade lowered to their necks, only to be lifted away again—a truly harrowing ordeal.
The creatures harassing the squad were indeed Swarm combat units, but this was not Luo Wen’s doing out of cruelty.
From the Swarm’s inception, they had never experienced a true war between civilizations. Even the Ratfolk’s civil wars were limited to melee combat; they had not developed large-scale battles involving advanced weaponry before their unification.
Thus, neither Luo Wen nor the intelligent entities had any real experience with modern warfare. All military strategies had only existed in theory.
Now, after investing significant effort to create the perfect battlefield deep underground—where retreat was impossible, signals were blocked, and the outside world would never know what transpired—the Swarm finally had a chance to conduct live trials.
Drawing in a fully equipped elite team was like recruiting expert trainers and whetstones. The Swarm could test the combat effectiveness of its units, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and refine their battle strategies and coordination.
Moreover, observing the Riken soldiers’ responses to ambushes provided valuable lessons in small-scale unit coordination, tactical leadership, and emergency measures.