The target of the second round of drone strikes was the armored vehicles. They were much sturdier than the truck-mounted artillery, with their main weaknesses being the roof hatches, engine grilles, and the underside.
For drone operators who had only trained for a few days, these parts were not easy to aim at, but it didn't matter; what they lacked in accuracy, they could make up for in quantity.
"The enemy fire is fierce! The infantry is charging too! Wait... holy shit! That's not infantry!!"
Cangyuan's Mech Guardians pressed forward.
Compared to human infantry, they might seem a bit clumsy, but their advantage lay in their stronger frontal firepower. Their spider-like appearance, coupled with their massive, multi-hundred-kilogram bodies, was incredibly intimidating.
Boom!
The Mech Guardians activated the heavy flamethrowers on their heads, sending over a dozen streams of fire sweeping across the battlefield.
"Retreat! Get the hell back! If you don't leave now, you'll all die!"
At this point, the Stormwind Gang genuinely couldn't hold on any longer.
Strictly speaking, in terms of firepower, they weren't necessarily at a disadvantage. The Stormwind Gang still had 40 combat vehicles at this time, while Cangyuan had 21 drone operators, 16 Mech Guardians, plus a few armored all-terrain vehicles.
If they had counter-charged in one direction, they could have actually broken through, or even launched a counter-attack.
But this was the result of observing from a bird's-eye view. From the Stormwind Gang's perspective, the battle situation was completely different.
What they saw was:
First, there was a Celestial energy weapon on the hilltop to the south, and anyone it targeted died instantly.
Second, there was constant incoming fire from the east and north, with explosions all over the position. Which faction was this fire coming from? Most people's first reaction was Oasis City, because only they knew about the plan to raid Red Iron Town.
If Oasis City had sent its main force, the scale would be much larger than their own unit.
Third, there were even "Mech Guardians" among the enemies.
Had they broken some heavenly law?! The Celestials and Oasis City were one thing, but even those steel demons from underground were coming to encircle and annihilate them!?
The Stormwind Gang had previously only bullied surrounding villages and towns, merchant caravans, and other relatively weaker Raider warbands.
The strength of these enemies was known.
But now, how many people were on the other side, how much firepower they had, and whether there were even more powerful heavy weapons that hadn't been brought out yet - everything was unknown.
The unknown is the source of all human fear.
The Stormwind Gang chickened out.
Run!
Must run!
Must run quickly! Anyone who doesn't run is an idiot!
"Retreat! Repeat, full army retreat!! We've been betrayed by Oasis City!"
Several mid-level officers roared the command almost simultaneously.
The combat vehicles started up again, accelerating at full throttle, attempting to escape this meat grinder of a battlefield.
"Stop! Stop!! Damn you all! I haven't gotten in the car yet!"
Staring at the convoy that had abandoned them, the infantry who had just been shouting and charging out of the vehicles were dumbfounded.
If they continued to stay in this open ground, their lives would be counted in seconds.
"Charge! Charge into the town!"
Driven by the instinct for survival, they ran towards the town, where the streets and alleys were complex and at least offered some cover.
"But what if we get into town? The enemy will surround us. Won't we still die?"
"Let's go kidnap the townspeople, and then... then use their lives to buy a way out!"
"Okay... alright! That's the only way!"
What the Raiders didn't know was that Caoyuan, leading the militia with outstanding tactical skill and courage, had used the buildings for cover and evaded the previous artillery bombardment.
At this moment, they were stationed in groups of three, operating heavy machine guns and heavy grenade launchers, already guarding the main routes into the town.
"Attention everyone, free fire!"
The militia's training was finally paid off at this moment. Bullets infused with anger pierced through the Raiders' bodies, and grenades and shells blew their flesh apart.
They had waited too long for this day.
However, that was still an army of over 200 people. After the fierce blocking battle, nearly a hundred Raiders still managed to rush into the town.
"Where are the people? Where are the townspeople!? Damn it, where did they all go!"
The Stormwind Gang discovered in despair that there wasn't a single person in the houses in town.
"Go search! They must be nearby."
The sheltering townspeople were extremely nervous. The increasingly clear sound of gunfire outside told them that the fighting had spread to a location very close to the mine entrance.
Only one middle-aged man was an exception. Not only was this guy not afraid, but he was also full of excitement.
While the Town Chief and guards weren't paying attention, he suddenly got up, rushed out of the underground mine area, and waved his hands, shouting.
"They're here! They're here!! Come this way! Everyone in town is hiding in the mine!"
This person was the spy from Oasis City.
He thought the victory was already decided. Since the City Lord had promised that after this battle he could return to Oasis City, live in a high-class community, marry a beautiful, rich woman, and even have enough reward money to buy several beautiful female slaves as concubines, he simply rushed out of the mine to guide the Raiders.
"Brave sirs! Follow me! Follow me... Huh!? Shen Quan..."
The Oasis City spy who had rushed out to lead the way happened to run straight into Shen Quan, who was defending nearby.
"Damn! So it was you, you piece of trash!"
Someone who had been working underground intelligence for years, a hardworking guide, naturally deserved a good reward.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
A heavy reward of a string of bullets! Guaranteed to fill you up!
"Squad leader, bad news! The enemy already knows the townspeople are hiding in the mine!" After killing the villain, Shen Quan promptly reported the situation.
"Received. Everyone follow me, go defend over there!"
Caoyuan shouted over the squad communication.
He took the lead, killing several enemies along the way. Just as he was about to reach the mine entrance, suddenly, a sharp, muscular figure flashed out from the intersection.
This was a special enemy!
The opponent was wearing power armor, a level higher than an exoskeleton, with his entire body encased in metal armor. He held an axe in his right hand and a Gatling gun weighing at least 80 kilograms in his left.
"Heh heh heh!"
A low, sinister laugh came from under the power armor's mask, and the Gatling gun spun, spitting out flames.
Caoyuan reacted extremely quickly, leaping to the side. While his body was horizontal in the air, he aimed and fired, launching a fragmentation grenade.
The grenade hit the enemy accurately, but only left a patch of black on his chest armor.
Couldn't break through his defense at all!
"I have a strong enemy here! Be careful and take cover!"
He immediately realized the enemy was not simple.
Shen Quan: "Received! We're coming to help you!"
Caoyuan: "Absolutely not! Defending the mine is a more important task. You must intercept the enemy. Go now, use the alleys to my left and right, don't expose yourselves, hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Shen Quan: "Under... understood! Everyone, follow me!"
Caoyuan gave the command while running.
In order to give the equipment to the main force led by Lu Yuan, he was not wearing the "Barbarian" exoskeleton.
In fact, even if he were wearing it, in terms of defense, an exoskeleton with external armor plates would likely not be on the same level as fully enclosed power armor!
Thump thump thump thump!
The sound of the enemy's pursuing footsteps kept coming from behind, and their speed was clearly very fast.
"This isn't good. It seems not only the defense, but the power armor's mobility is also very good. And with the complex structure of the nearby streets and alleys, how does he know which path I'm hiding on? Does he have a heartbeat detector?"
Caoyuan knew it was time to call for support.
The combat capability boost provided by power armor couldn't be compensated for by just experience and training!
Moreover, since the opponent could wear power armor, he must be an elite among the Stormwind Gang himself, and his tactical level wouldn't be bad.
On the other side of the battlefield.
After Lu Yuan received Caoyuan's request for help, his expression first turned serious, then his eyes lit up.
"Power armor, are you sure the opponent is wearing power armor?"