At the same time, the people who had followed Jeanne to wait beneath the camp stared at the scene before them, momentarily at a loss for words.
Lying on the ground in front of them was a group of soldiers. When the explosion occurred moments ago, these men had suddenly fallen from a great height, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. However, these Ursus soldiers were quite sturdy; despite the violent fall, very few had actually died. If it had been ordinary people, a good portion would likely have met a tragic end.
Even though their lives weren't in immediate danger, those who should be unconscious were out cold, and those with fractures were groaning in pain. Any lucky few who had remained unharmed were quickly neutralized by a concentrated volley of fire from the team waiting below.
"What do we do now? Kill them first, or tie them up for later?"
Faced with this group of Ursus soldiers who had "dropped in" like dumplings falling into a pot, the team members couldn't react for a moment. What kind of tactic is the enemy playing at?
On the other side, the Ursus soldiers were utterly bewildered. They had only sought refuge in their pre-prepared underground fortress; how could this happen? They had barely taken a few steps before the ground beneath them vanished. A sensation of weightlessness washed over them, followed by gravity slamming them into the floor.
The impact made them feel as if their internal organs had shifted. While their heads were still swimming from the fall, a group of people suddenly emerged from the darkness and subdued them. If they were in peak condition, dealing with these people would only be a matter of time—but now, they had actually been captured alive?
Even more incomprehensible to them was where these people had come from. Why were there so many people lurking underground without them noticing?
"Tie them up first, and make sure it's tight! Check if they have weapons; if they do, take them immediately!"
Hearing the series of explosions from above, the leader knew they had to begin their move. They couldn't afford to waste all their attention on these captives; time waited for no one!
One part of the team stayed behind to bundle the soldiers up like pigs, tying their limbs together, while the majority of the force headed off to rescue the Infected held in the warehouse.
Inside the warehouse, the numerous miners were trembling with fear as they listened to the distant, rhythmic explosions. Everyone wished they could bury their heads in the dirt like ostriches. But they couldn't, so they huddled together in a large mass, tucking their heads low and not daring to look up at the Inspection Officers above. They could only shiver in the dilapidated warehouse.
The Inspection Officers, naturally, did not treat these Infected with any kindness. They aimed their crossbows at the crowd; anyone who dared to look up was at risk of being shot.
In reality, the officers themselves were lacking confidence. Facing such a vast number of Infected, their small group of dozens simply couldn't hold them off if things went south. If these Infected were truly unafraid of death, a few "small fry" like the officers would stand no chance against such overwhelming numbers.
Fortunately, the Infected also valued their lives. They might pray for other Infected to save them without regard for their own safety, but to sacrifice their own lives? That was out of the question. Because the officers knew how "selfish" these Infected could be, they remained vigilant but not truly afraid. A group of cowards afraid of death could sometimes be less effective in a fight than a flock of lambs.
However, as the screams from outside grew louder and the shockwaves from the explosions shattered the warehouse's few remaining glass panes, the unease in the officers' hearts intensified. They knew very well that if their side held the advantage, the enemy would never have been able to fight into the camp and cause such massive detonations.
The cause was clear: their side was at a severe disadvantage in this battle, to the point where the camp was under wide-scale attack.
What should they do? Should they continue to hold the warehouse and fight it out with the Infected, or should they find a way to slip away now and worry about the rest later?
"BOOM—!!"
Just as they were lost in thought, a sudden explosion roared very close to them—so close it nearly leveled the warehouse.
"Hey, Boss! Something's wrong!"
A sharp-witted fellow approached the leader, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. His triangular eyes flickered toward the sky outside the warehouse, filled with worry.
"If the fighting has reached here, how many people do you think are still alive out there? Do you think those army guys saw things going south and ran off, leaving us Inspection Squad guys behind?"
The captain looked at him with a serious expression. Conventionally, he should have executed the man for spreading dissent to warn others who might want to flee in the chaos. But he didn't. He gave the boy a deep look, pulled him into an inconspicuous corner, and asked:
"Do you know something?"
He knew this kid was the sharpest under his command, an expert at cozying up to people and flattery. The captain had only given him a position because he had been so embarrassed by the boy's constant praise. The kid's greatest talent was his ability to mingle with anyone, anywhere. After being here for so long, his popularity was arguably higher than the captain's. Fortunately, the boy wasn't stupid enough to turn that popularity against him; instead, he frequently passed along gossip from the soldiers.
The triangular-eyed man looked around to ensure no one was following before whispering:
"Boss, you have no idea. I heard the team we're fighting actually captured a landship! The news has spread all through the army, but they just didn't want to tell us!"
Hearing this, the Inspection Officer practically jumped out of his skin.
Good grief, so that's why such a force is coming for us? The opponent really isn't ordinary! He recalled hearing that many Inspection Squad members had died in a recent operation nearby; now, the reason was obvious.
He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to remain calm. "You know what the penalty is for desertion in the army?"
"But we aren't even on the military registry! No one considers us soldiers, no matter how well I get along with them! If we die, we won't even get a pension!"
The captain's words ignited the dissatisfaction in the boy's heart. Why had he sucked up to those soldiers so much? It was only for the hope of joining the army.
"We have nothing but these uniforms! In this [Ursus Profanity] god-forsaken place, we can't even keep anything for ourselves when we collect taxes!" He paced back and forth, venting all his frustrations.
"Gather our men. We find a way to escape, now!"
The leader listened, pondered for a moment, and made his decision. He had no interest in sacrificing his life for such people. The triangular-eyed man's face lit up with joy, and he bolted out immediately.
"Let's go, let's go outside and see what's happening," the leader said to the other squad members a short while later. Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one had attacked their position yet, he and his men slipped away.
At that moment, the underground team finished clearing their path and crept in from the rear. Seeing the fleeing Inspection Squad, they hesitated for a second.
"We're here to save people. If we start a fight now, the mission is blown. Move fast!"
The team turned to glance at the retreating backs of the guards. Those guys were lucky—they had just bought themselves a second chance at life.
What the rescuers didn't expect was that when they burst into the warehouse, they found very few guards left—barely a dozen. It seemed many others, besides the group they saw, had seen the tide of battle turning and decided to make a run for it.
Taking advantage of the guards' delayed reaction, they swiftly and cleanly eliminated the remaining Inspection Officers. Looking at the huddled mass of Infected below, they didn't know what to say. If these people had only stood together, wouldn't it have been easy to deal with those few guards?
But now was not the time to dwell on such things. They quickly gathered the Infected and prepared to lead them out.