Although it’s difficult to explain, not knowing exactly what happened, Anat had no intention of hiding it.
He clearly shared with his combat brothers the events of that split second.
Along with the explosion came countless steel ball projectiles.
Packing steel balls into the bomb was a rather insidious move but undeniably effective. The steel balls, scattered by the explosion, carried massive kinetic energy, greatly expanding the lethal range, turning any lightly armored unit into mush under such intense shrapnel bombardment.
However, it was obvious that the space warriors, although ‘infantry,’ could not be considered lightly armored. The specially treated cersteel armor provided defense at certain points that was even on par with that of the Lion Tanks.
If a steel ball hit a vulnerable area, such as the armpit, the inner thigh, the waist junction, or the tactical visor of the helmet, it could be very dangerous, with the potential to penetrate.
But to prevent this, Anat still made the correct response.
He immediately squatted down on the ground, curling up his body as much as possible to reduce the area exposed to the blast. During this process, he used the thickest parts of his power armor to shield against the damage.
He squatted down, bringing his legs together to protect the weaker inner thighs from attack; he tightened his body and joints to shield the critical parts; he clenched his arms to safeguard the armpits; he hunched his shoulders, using the sturdy shoulder armor, often served as a shield, to protect the sides of his helmet…
These actions effectively ensured his safety.
Not to mention, under the chainsaw sword, those drones couldn’t get close and had to choose to explode from a distance of six to seven meters, reducing their potency.
However, if there had been only one kamikaze drone, with all these measures in place, he might have emerged unscathed.
But after all, what exploded around them were over a dozen.
In that extremely brief moment, his armor suffered too concentrated an assault. Metal fatigue pockmarked his armor; and the impact of the explosions, one after another, was not to be ignored.
Theoretically, his fate should have been no different from the other two combat brothers also caught in the blast.
However, in the midst of serious injury and unwilling to succumb, a raging fury erupted from his two hearts. He felt a surging warmth coursing through his entire body.
This heat brought him incomparable strength and, in that brief time, he not only subjectively felt no pain, but also objectively ignored the severe internal injuries that the shockwaves had caused to his body.
An infinite potential erupted from his body, and in that instant, he was not only like an uninjured person, but he also possessed a strength even greater than he had in his prime!
He tore off his helmet which had been damaged by the explosion, where many integrated combat systems had failed and which had become an impediment to his vision and hearing, and then, following the power surging within him, he lunged forward, unleashing that strength upon the enemy, ultimately taking down the spider-like mech.
But this power came quickly and left just as quickly. It lasted for less than half a minute before it faded.
Even though the strength from within had dissipated, leaving him weak, his condition was still much better than the other two combat brothers who had suffered the blast. At least, he was not unconscious and even had the strength during the withdrawal to help drag a brother out of danger.
…
The things Anat had recounted made Kuvas feel somewhat incredulous.
“I… have never felt anything like it.”
“Nor have I; this was a first,” Anat responded.
“This is highly unusual,” Kuvas said with worry, “We might have to report this to the battle group leader. My brother, I am very concerned that your body will suffer terrible consequences and injuries from this.”
Anat took a deep breath and replied, “Indeed, I was going to personally report the mission details to the battle group leader anyway, including the fact that two of our brothers were seriously injured. I will make sure to include this incident in my report as well.”
At this, he paused briefly before continuing, “I won’t avoid you, nor any brother. When the time comes, you all should come with me.”
Hearing this made Kuvas feel somewhat reassured.
Seeing how open Anat was being, he felt the situation he feared most probably wouldn’t occur.
…
The five action teams of Phoenix operated far apart, with Wind Falcons struggling to communicate directly with one another. It wasn’t until they returned that they managed to speak with the battle group leader and the others.
Martins Salas, the battle group leader, didn’t wait for Anat’s initiative to report. As soon as they returned, he convened a battle group meeting, gathering everyone together.
The leaders of the five teams each reported their mission details, achievements, losses, and lessons learned.
Every team had successfully completed their mission targets.
Actually, the defense arrangements Blackbird Heavy Industries put in place at each of their missile launch sites were nearly identical: bunkers, modified human troops, swarms of kamikaze drones, and a female mechanical commander in spider form.
Even the female commander looked exactly the same in each case.
It was normal for the battle group leader’s team to complete their mission; the defense capabilities of the Terminator Power Armor were the most exaggerated. Explosives that could grievously injure an interstellar warrior wearing standard tactical power armor felt like mere itching to the Terminator.
The Priest’s smooth mission completion was also expected. A gravity field pushed forward, smashing almost every drone that broke through the fire blockade.
The two veterans had another approach, unanimously choosing to have four rookies provide rear cover while they advanced alone. Upon detecting the drones, both veterans skillfully executed flanking maneuvers, luring explosions yet ensuring their own survival.
It was only when that spider-form mechanical monstrosity appeared that they became somewhat flustered, sustaining injuries as a result, but still, they successfully completed the mission.
The more Anat listened to these reports, the more restless he became.
Regardless, it was his turn to recount the events eventually.
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He honestly relayed everything that happened, including his abnormal rage and the situation with his injuries’ recovery. Then he noticed that all eyes were on him.
He felt guilty.
The impressive combat achievements of the other four teams made him feel dull.
Despite having two more people on his team compared to the others, two were seriously injured.
He felt everyone’s gaze was filled with contempt and blame.
But unexpectedly, the first words from the battle group leader were uttered with a mixture of urgency and disbelief:
“Did you truly experience a ‘Phoenix’ event on your body?”