Roars of battle echoed from the numerous orc youngsters around, and a crowd of them crawled out from their previous hiding spots. Some even drove out armed pickups that had survived the previous shelling, while others rolled out 'cannons' made from iron barrels strapped together.
However, the overall number appeared to be significantly less than what had been estimated.
Half of them had not come out.
Those damn big booms were indeed formidable.
Even if only half were left, they could still slaughter all those shrimps that dared to come out to fight!
With his subordinates in tow, he charged forward!
Observing the situation at the front, Reed Meshako couldn't help but shake his head.
He was formerly a staff sergeant from the original Kodi company and later enlisted as a political officer under Colonel Tadeusz's recruitment. After the reorganization in Rubbish Town, he was assigned to the 7th Garrison Division 4th Regiment as a political officer, his rank jumping directly to captain.
His military rank had risen extremely fast, but this was a common occurrence among the old units that had followed Gu Hang for a longer time. The army expanded rapidly, and as long as the old soldiers ensured loyalty and a willingness to advance, their promotion was swift.
When the rear command center demanded their full cooperation with the Phoenix Battle Group's operation, and Commander Matins ordered a diversionary frontal attack, Meshako carried out the mission resolutely.
He knew their regiment commander was not keen on doing this, even trying his best to disrupt the organization when the adventurers were incorporated into the regular army, stripping the formerly adventurous company commanders of their private ownership over the troops. However, the adventurers' nature was not so easily worn away.
They would instinctively fear such missions that required significant sacrifices, especially when it was to cover someone else's operations.
Yet, this is the difference between soldiers and adventurers.
Under his strong insistence and the military orders, the 4th Infantry Battalion still launched the attack.
Before the battle, whether soldiers or officers, all harbored fear.
In the past, the orcs had cast a vast shadow over them. Even if hundreds of shells had paved the way for them, the inherent fear persisted as they took over.
This was where Reed Meshako felt discontent.
Fortunately, the resistance they faced during the fight was not strong.
The orc troops were clearly stunned by the bombardment, with a large number of orcs dead in their fortifications. The number that could initially mount a defense was small.
Those orcs still displayed a strong combat will. In close exchanges of fire, it often took the lives of two or three human soldiers to kill one orc. If the orcs got too close for combat, and since they were not Beast Slaughter Group soldiers—even with bayonets—they often hesitated to fight.
This wasn't an issue of tactics or military skills but a matter of morale and courage.
But eventually, the 4th Regiment overwhelmed the orcs with their greater numbers.
It turned out that orcs could run away too. When three or five orcs poked their heads out from the fortifications and then saw hundreds of human soldiers, guns drawn, firing at them, they too would turn tail and flee.
Some were shot dead from behind, and such orcs were the most despised.
Soon, the few surviving orc youngsters returned, rallying a large wave of over two hundred orcs behind them.
The orcs howled in scorn at the fleeing youngsters, and those being mocked turned back in anger and fury.
In the exchange of fire, orcs kept falling, as did soldiers.
This was a bloody melee, where the death of one orc often resulted in two or three human soldiers being killed.
Continuing to fight at such an exchange rate, victory was of course inevitable for the human side. Especially as they brought out weapons such as rocket launchers and mortars, and one of the charging armed pickups was blown up halfway there.
All it would take was about five hundred casualties at most.
This was estimated based on the worst-case scenario. In reality, once a certain number of orcs were killed, their threat level drastically decreased, their morale collapsed, and they turned to flee, just like those encountered before.
Persisting in the fight, the humans wouldn't suffer nearly as many losses.
But even so, the first to flinch and hesitate to move forward were the human soldiers.
The sight of their comrades being blown apart by the orcs' powerful firearms chilled them to the bone.
After sustaining about a hundred casualties, they started to show signs of breaking down.
Reed Meshako was furious.
He bellowed at the regimental commander beside him, "Look at these soldiers! It's a disgrace!"
The commander of the 4th Regiment found himself in a dilemma.
He had given orders for the units to maintain the line and push forward, but what could he do if they wouldn't budge?
He dared not talk back; this red cap was an officer assigned directly by the governor, playing a role similar to that of a supervising officer.
Seeing his demeanor, Meshako became even more enraged at the lack of spirit.
"To the front line! Let's go to the front line together! We must lead by example!"
He drew his pistol and yanked the commander along.
The two of them, along with the security company, began to personally push forward.
Meshako knew that as a commander, his greatest responsibility was to direct the battle, not to fight on the front lines. Going to the forefront, even for him, wasn't much different in combat ability than an ordinary soldier.