novelnext Chapter 112: Hero
Chapter 112: Hero
When the last green-skinned soldier fell to the muzzle of a gun, the remaining survivors had already disappeared into the mines and caves deep in the wasteland.
Ronin's army finally stopped their pursuit.
The moment the adrenaline subsided, extreme fatigue swept over everyone like a tidal wave.
The soldiers stopped in their tracks, their rifles clattering to the ground.
Some people's legs gave way and they collapsed onto the scorched earth, gasping for breath, their lungs aching as if filled with lead; some leaned against the tank, closed their eyes and could never open them again, falling asleep standing up; some silently picked up their comrades' dog tags from the ground, clutched them in their hands, and wept silently.
Luo Ning stepped off the command vehicle and looked at the battered army before him, feeling a mix of emotions.
He ordered all troops to assemble, and then led the army slowly toward the main hive of Caron II.
The heavy, black steel gates slowly opened to both sides.
The first thing that appeared before us was not the garrison lined up to greet us, but the poor people who poured out like a tide.
They were ragged, emaciated, with tangled hair and faces covered in dust and dried blood.
But their eyes burned with an almost fanatical light.
They poured out from both sides of the gate, knelt on both sides of the road, and kept kowtowing, crying and shouting.
"We're saved!"
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"May the Emperor protect us! The Emperor has sent a savior!"
Heartfelt shouts echoed across the open plain.
Some people kept kowtowing, oblivious to the blood streaming down their foreheads; some reached out trembling hands to carefully touch the soldiers' armor, as if to confirm that this was not a dream; many more simply stood there, watching this army that had descended from the sky, tears streaming down their faces, sobbing uncontrollably.
They have been besieged for far too long.
The governor fled the battlefield, the main force was wiped out, food supplies were exhausted, and ammunition was depleted.
In order to defend the capital, the elderly and children were pushed to the front lines, armed not with rifles, but with shovels, sticks, and even broken glass.
People die every day, and people commit suicide in despair every day.
They thought they were destined to be torn apart by the green-skinned creatures and become food in the monster's mouth.
But today, someone came to rescue them.
They presented the soldiers with the only thing they could offer, their most precious possession:
The fluorescent moss, emitting a faint green glow, was collected from deep within the mine.
A black bread so hard it could break your teeth, which I'd been hiding for half a month, reluctant to eat;
A crumpled, tattered piece of paper with images of emperors and saints drawn on it;
The only colorful strip of cloth torn from the clothes.
There were no flowers, no hymns, only despair and gratitude for those who had given their lives to you.
The soldiers looked at them, and their eyes all reddened.
On this day, they brought peace to the planet, but the price they paid was far too heavy.
They lost their comrades-in-arms who were as close as brothers, and many of their friends were seriously injured and their fates were unknown.
Just hours before, they were complaining about the cruelty of war and grieving for their fallen comrades.
But at that moment, they suddenly understood the meaning of their fight.
They lost their brothers and friends, but they saved 200 million people.
At the end of the road, Rock Fisher stood at the forefront with fewer than five thousand remaining garrison troops.
Everyone was dressed in tattered clothes and covered in blood.
Some had broken arms and were in slings; some had limped legs and used rifles as crutches; some still had scars on their faces from being chopped with green axes.
Yet they still stood straight, like pine trees that stood firm in the fierce wind.
They fought to the very last moment, until they ran out of ammunition and food, until they fought with stones and bayonets, and not a single person surrendered.
Fisher took a deep breath when he saw Ronin appear at the front of the team.
He stepped forward, without saying a word, and knelt on one knee, performing the most standard and solemn imperial military salute.
"Colonel Fisher, the supreme commander of the garrison at Caron II, greets Lord Ronin. Thank you for coming all this way to rescue us."
As he moved, all the guards behind him knelt down on one knee.
Luo Ning quickly stepped forward, reached out his hands, and helped Fisher up.
He looked at the man in front of him, who had a stubble beard, sunken eyes, and whose military uniform was so worn that its original color was no longer visible. The bandages were soaked with dark red blood.
This is the man who, with a group of defeated soldiers, managed to defend a city with a population of 200 million.
"Colonel Fisher," Ronin's voice was extremely solemn, "when the governor deserted and everyone gave up hope, you did not abandon the hive, you did not betray the Empire, and you protected the people here. You are the true heroes of the Empire."
Hearing Luo Ning's words, this iron-blooded soldier, who had not shed a single tear even after being besieged by the Green Army for half a month and suffering total annihilation, instantly had tears welling up in his eyes.
His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but he was too excited to utter a single word.
Luo Ning didn't say anything more, but silently patted him on the shoulder.
Luo Ning turned around and looked at the troops he had brought with him.
Before setting off, they were dressed in crisp uniforms, with impeccable military bearing and high morale.
But now, everyone is covered in dust and dirt, their armor riddled with bullet holes and axe marks.
But in their eyes, there was a newfound determination and pride.
Those are experiences of life and death, of protecting others; that is the true pride of a soldier.
Luo Ning picked up the communicator, and his voice reached the ears of every soldier:
"Soldiers!"
This time, you have made outstanding contributions to the empire!
You defeated the greenskins of Caron II, and at the same time, you guarded the gates of Vatos VII!
From now on, no more green-skinned people will be able to travel in spaceships to invade our homes and slaughter our loved ones!
You have something to be proud of!
I, Luo Ning, am incredibly proud of each and every one of you!
You are all ordinary people, but each and every one of you is a hero in your own right!
As soon as he finished speaking, Garan raised his arms and shouted, "I swear to follow Lord Ronning to the death!"
"We swear to follow Lord Luo Ning to the death!"
All the soldiers and all the poor joined in the shouts. The sound merged into a vast ocean, echoing for a long time on the plain before the gates of the capital.
Luo Ning raised his hand, and the cheers gradually subsided.
The smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by an extremely somber expression.
"But soldiers, I know you are all very tired."
This victory was hard-won; we paid a heavy price.
However, the green-skinned animals have not been completely eradicated.
They hide in dark mines and abandoned ruins, waiting for their chance to rise again.
I know you want to go home, want to sleep, and want to see your families.
But if we leave now, these monsters will come back again soon.
"Then all the blood we shed today will have been shed in vain."
Looking at the soldiers before him, Luo Ning bowed deeply, making a ninety-degree bow.
His voice was low and hoarse, with a pleading tone:
"So, I'm here to ask my brothers to do one last hard job and clean up the mess."
I assure you, we'll go home as soon as we've completely cleared out all the green sardines.
Please help me, everyone.
There were no orders, no coercion, only a commander and his most sincere pleas to his soldiers.
The soldiers stared at Luo Ning, who was bowing deeply, and remained silent for a few seconds.
The next second, an even more enthusiastic cheer erupted once again.
"I am willing to serve Lord Luo Ning!"
"It's my duty!"
"Kill all the green-skinned monsters!"
Even without Luo Ning's command, the soldiers had already taken action on their own.
The commanders quickly assigned tasks, and under the leadership of Fisher and the second garrison of Caron, they split into small teams and headed towards the mines and ruins deep in the wasteland.
The setting sun pierced through the murky clouds, casting long shadows on them.
These soldiers, who had just crawled out of hell, once again stepped onto the battlefield.
This time, however, their steps were incredibly firm.