Chapter 1055: Chapter 576, Blood Shark? Cute!_2
So, Gu Hang personally made contact, hoping the Blood Sharks would step in.
Youwin agreed.
He personally led 200 Blood Sharks, arriving a few minutes earlier than expected via the specialized spiritual energy transmission device, entering the Retribution-class battleship.
Then, following orders, he began to seize critical objective points.
The Blood Sharks, along with the Phoenix warriors, had the same primary mission: to spearhead the assault.
They needed to establish a landing zone to facilitate the subsequent arrival of the main forces for the actual landing operation.
After all, it was unrealistic to rely on just a few hundred Interstellar Warriors to eliminate the tens of thousands of Sect of Mechanics crew members and Protection Army troops aboard the ship.
Not to mention whether itâs feasible, whether itâs necessary, or whether itâs even worth itâthese are more pressing concerns.
When critical tasks requiring a small but elite combat force are at hand, deploying Interstellar Warriors is rational; but to send them against thousands of times their own number solely because they are strong is foolishness.
Sacrificing numerous Interstellar Warriors for such operations is entirely unnecessary.
Youwin would never accept such irresponsible missions.
Their current objective was primarily ensuring the safety of a specific area, eliminating substantial amounts of enemy firepower interception, and even directly severing the coordination capability of the shipâs interception systemâpaving the way for the main forces to land.
They performed admirably.
The Blood Sharks are skilled in this type of blitz warfare, and under their rapid attacks, even the elite forces within the Protection Armyâsome units matching the strength of an ordinary Interstellar Warriorâwere quickly neutralized under the brutal onslaught of the Blood Sharksâ axes.
Of course, if it were only the 200 Blood Sharks, the ease of the battle would be far from assured. With their small numbers facing numerous critical targets, excessive dispersal could lead to situations where objectives are unattainable or entire squads suffer heavy casualties.
But with the addition of over 300 Phoenix warriors, things were different.
Their numbers not only greatly offset the Blood Sharksâ manpower shortage but also provided Youwin, the Battle Group Leader, with an opportunity to observe the unique traits of these Phoenix Interstellar Warriors.
Hmm⊠nothing special.
No unusual tactics, no incomprehensible weaponsâeverything appeared ordinary.
Except they were extraordinarily skilled fighters.
In the 130 years since the Violet Goldflower Rebellion, while Youwinâs primary activities were still within the dark outer territories, his incursions into Imperial zones had significantly increased in frequency and duration. During this time, he encountered various Interstellar Warrior battle groups.
From these experiences, he developed a relatively clear sense of his Blood Shark Battle Groupâs power level: they were strong, far superior to most groups.
Perhaps it was the genetic seeds? Or perhaps their prolonged battles in the dark outer territories provided them with harsher combat experiences than those stationed within the Empire?
These could be reasons.
Youwin often felt proud of this, occasionally fostering a subtle disdain for the Imperial battle groups: âTheyâre not much to speak of!â
However, today, the Phoenix warriors he witnessed completely shattered his perception.
Their average power level was immensely impressive.
The 200 Blood Sharks deployedâa handpicked team of veterans among the eliteâcould easily annihilate 500 warriors of the New World Torch Battle Group based on their prior encounters.
Yet, though Youwin disliked admitting it, the red-helmeted and red-armored warriors before him exceeded the Blood Sharks in strength.
In terms of average combat capabilities, if it were a 200 vs. 200 scenario, his estimated victory rate was less than 20%âand that was with some mental weighting to favor his battle group.
This realization wasnât just limited to Youwin; all 200 Blood Sharks deployed had noticed it as well.
The Blood Sharks, accustomed to operating solo, rarely coordinated with allied forces. Their extended presence in outer territories minimized contact with Imperial groups, and their formidable strength nurtured a pervasive arrogance, dismissive of and indifferent to others.
Now, they had no choice but to reevaluate.
If you canât beat them, whatâs the point of arrogance?
Furthermore, the Phoenix warriors werenât the only ones deserving of attention.
Was the Phoenix the Allianceâs only strength?
No.
Once the landing zone was secured and the Retribution-class battleshipâs firepower interception systems were significantly weakened, a massive fleet of Alliance landing ships arrived carrying enormous Alliance Army forces.
Battalions of Saintly Lily Battle Nuns, Alliance Naval Marine Corps, airborne infantry from the Army, and the independent Glory Guard Corps⊠Waves of military units, larger in number and better suited for large-scale warfare, descended upon the battlefield.
Indeed, these were mortal troops.
However, even these mortal units earned the Blood Sharksâ admiration.
Leaving the Battle Nuns asideâthese divine arts-blessed warriors were often compared to Interstellar Warriorsâthe regular mortal military forces exhibited striking competence.
Especially the Glory Guard Corps.
Fully equipped with Feedback-Type Power Armorâthat alone makes them notable, though the Blood Sharks have encountered affluent mortal units equipped similarly before.
No matter how fancy the equipment, it doesnât override incompetence.
But the critical factor is that these Glory Guard soldiers demonstrated exceptional qualities, such as psychological resilience and tactical proficiency, rivaling that of ordinary Interstellar Warriors in many respects. They only lacked superhuman physical prowess and neural control of their power armor.
A mere dozen Glory Guards could pose a challenge to a Blood Shark; with twenty or thirty, the victor between the two was uncertain.
The Blood Sharks Battle Group, with less than 700 active warriors and rarely at full strength, found itself dwarfed by an initial landing force exceeding 15,000 Glory Guards.
Was this the entirety of the Allianceâs Glory Guard Corps?
Likely not.
Even excluding the airborne infantry from the Army and elite Naval Marine Corps, compared to the Blood Sharksâ auxiliary troops forged through repeated trials and actual combat, these units were superior.
Moreover, for these forces, over 20% were outfitted with Feedback-Type Power Armorâa luxury the cash-strapped Blood Sharks could only envy.
Silently, the Blood Sharks completed their tasks and synced their operations with the Alliance troops.
Silence was their nature, and prior to deployment, Alliance forces, including the Phoenix warriors, had been briefed on it. They were cautioned to maintain a safe distance from these sharks. The Blood Sharksâ scant combat records revealed their extreme disregard for allied mortal troops.
If an ally blocked their line of fire, theyâd shoot without hesitation; if someone obstructed their advance, theyâd stomp onward without a thought for mortal lives.
The Alliance soldiers boarding the enemy vessel were somewhat intimidated, carefully adhering to their orders.
Still, combat required collaboration, and in the thick of battle, such reservations inevitably dissipated.
Over time, the Alliance soldiers no longer felt as tense.
They found the Blood Sharks, aside from their quiet demeanor and blood-soaked combat style, werenât all that intimidating.
Watching those dark gray helmets adorned with a smear of blood-red on the brow⊠why did they seem kind of endearing?