Chapter 241: Research
The Raiders were ultimately just low-tier cannon fodder. After catching the Riken soldiers off guard initially, the weaknesses of a single-unit assault force became increasingly apparent.
The gunships in the sky soon locked onto the tunnels from which the Raiders were emerging. Concentrated fire rained down, scorching the ground with thick red energy beams, obliterating countless Raiders before they even had the chance to surface.
The Raiders already on the ground found themselves without reinforcements and with no path of retreat. Though they had inflicted considerable casualties, their numbers dwindled rapidly under the soldiers’ firepower.
For over a century, the Rikens appeared to have devoted most of their research efforts to ship engines and related technologies. While energy weapon lethality had not improved significantly, firing rates had increased substantially, aided by advanced targeting and locking systems. Against such firepower, the remaining Raiders quickly succumbed.
After the battle, the land lay in ruins. Many of the components and equipment that had been transported and assembled were destroyed. The soldiers couldn’t focus on safeguarding the materials during combat, and the Raiders themselves had utilized these metallic constructs as cover—what better bullet shields than sturdy machinery?
Post-battle statistics revealed approximately 500 tons of irreparably damaged metal materials, which could not be replenished quickly. The battle had also cost the Rikens over a thousand soldiers, 80% of whom were killed outright, demonstrating the Raiders’ high lethality.
The Riken commanders were somewhat relieved, however, that most of the casualties were inexperienced recruits. The special operations forces, busy manning the gunships, emerged unscathed. Moreover, the surviving recruits began transforming into hardened veterans, with noticeable improvements in combat effectiveness.
In total, over 5,000 Raiders were killed during the engagement, most of them obliterated before reaching the surface. Had all of them emerged, Riken casualties would have been at least double.
Both sides revealed a bit of their hand during the battle, though the Swarm took a slight loss. The Rikens’ tactics and technology were largely what the Swarm had already expected. Conversely, the Raiders lost their mystique, greatly diminishing their intimidation factor.