When does Ark suffer the greatest damage during a wave?
Ark's firepower is overwhelming.
Overall, it's powerful enough that there should be no reason it can't fend off a wave.
At first glance, it seems that there should be no casualties on Ark's side.
Yet, despite that, Ark still suffers considerable losses every time a wave occurs.
So, why does that happen?
It's simple.
It's because the beasts and monsters don't march in an orderly line.
From the perspective of defense, each frontline has a kind of limit to how many beasts and monsters it can handle.
Damage occurs the moment that limit is exceeded.
It happens suddenly, without any warning.
And once that initial damage snowballs, it pushes the next limit even closer, causing Ark's losses to skyrocket.
It's like a small snowball rolling down a mountain peak, growing into an avalanche.
In other words, minimizing soldier casualties during a wave requires maintaining that limit above all else.
It's not a bad strategy to make a steadfast stand at one location.
But it's even better to use your strength efficiently where it's most needed to minimize Ark's losses.
That's why I took a step back and surveyed the entire defense area of the Red-17 Gate.
Things that weren't visible up close became crystal clear once I stepped back.
'Hmm.'
Although the main horde of beasts had not yet fully reached us, not all of them were on the ground.
Flying Species and airborne monsters, like scouts, were circling the sky, constantly eyeing Ark.
Some of them were even carrying rocks, and if left alone, it was clear they would cause significant damage.
From Ark's perspective, it was bothersome to divert firepower to them while the main force on the ground was approaching.
But ignoring them was also irritating, as they hovered like pesky flies overhead.
The mobility unique to Flying Species was another problem.
Even when pouring firepower into them, they were hard to hit, making airborne enemies some of the toughest to deal with, alongside the larger beasts.
Tat-tat-tat-tat──!
"Damn it, I can't hit them!"
"Predict their movements!"
"How am I supposed to predict that?!"
As proof of this struggle, Ark's soldiers were firing all sorts of heavy weapons and firearms at the Flying Species.
Most of the shots missed their mark.
Sure, the overwhelming firepower kept the Flying Species from approaching too closely, but once the main horde advanced further, there would be no capacity to spare.
'Let's take out the Flying Species first.'
I raised my rifle.
The common weakness of aerial beasts and monsters, including Flying Species, was their wings.
Ark's soldiers knew this too, but knowing and being able to execute were entirely different matters.
Click—
The booming and roaring noises were enough to disrupt anyone's concentration, but it was an environment I was already used to.
['Sniper's Time' is activated.]
I pulled the trigger.
Bang────!
The fired bullet was an A-985 explosive round.
Already powerful on its own, it was especially effective against airborne enemies with exposed weaknesses.
Boom!
Kwakang──!
Several Grade-8 Flying Species at the forefront crumpled like fallen leaves as the explosion tore through them.
Flying Species are hard to hit.
But once hit, their weak spots make them vulnerable over a surprisingly large area.
Their entire wing structure was a weakness.
[Grade-8 Flying Species, Black-Feathered Beheader, has been slain.]
[Damage dealt to Grade-8 Flying Species, Black-Feathered Beheader, has increased by 0.05%.]
[Grade-8 Flying Species, Black-Feathered Beheader, has been slain.]
[Damage dealt to Grade-8 Flying Species, Black-Feathered Beheader, has increased by 0.05%.]
I pulled the trigger again.
I needed to eliminate as many Flying Species as possible before the main horde arrived.
[Grade-5 Arthropod Species, Giant Wasp, has been slain.]
[Damage dealt to Grade-5 Arthropod Species, Giant Wasp, has increased by 0.05%.]
[Grade-5 Flying Species, Dark Manta Ray, has been slain.]
[Damage dealt to Grade-5 Flying Species, Dark Manta Ray, has increased by 0.05%.]
Even Grade-5 beasts and monsters could be taken down more easily if their wings were hit with explosive rounds.
That was the power of the A-985 explosive ammunition.
There was a reason each shot came with a price tag that could make anyone dizzy.
'Still, it's kind of a waste.'
Countless corpses of beasts and monsters were scattered across Ark's frontline.
With that amount, Janus and Horus could grow tremendously...
'Well, it's not like I can harvest them anyway.'
Putting aside my regret, I turned my eyes back to the battlefield.
Despite shooting down a fair number of Flying Species, the sky was still darkened by the swarming black clouds of beasts.
The main force hadn't even arrived yet.
[Grrraaaaawww────!!!]
The ominous howls of massive beasts echoed across the battlefield.
By now, the distance between the main horde and Ark had shrunk to less than 500 meters.
The full-scale battle was about to begin.
Kwakakakang──!
Kwaaang!
NOA-8 Heavy Machine Guns, NO-13 Grenade Launchers, TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launchers, and BB-88 Blasters—all kinds of firepower poured into the Red Line frontline.
The fearless beasts and monsters that charged at the vanguard of the beast horde were shredded like paper in the face of that overwhelming firepower.
[Kyaooooo!]
[Grrrrk!]
But even with such formidable firepower, it seemed to pale in comparison to the endless wave of beasts crashing down like a tsunami.
No matter how powerful the firepower was, Ark's ammunition and supplies were limited.
"Reload the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun!"
This was where the gaps started to show.
The beasts and monsters kept coming, but maintaining firepower required inevitable pauses for reloading and maintenance.
Now was my time to act.
Bang—!
I fired at the head of a Flying Species lunging at the gunner who was reloading the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun.
Since using explosive rounds at this distance could endanger my allies, I had switched the magazine to armor-piercing rounds.
[Gyaaak!]
With the Flying Species' head bursting right before the soldier's eyes, the gunner looked around in confusion.
I didn't bother explaining and immediately moved on.
Now was the time to patch up the gaps along the front line.
'Left side.'
Click—
I fired without hesitation.
[Grade-6 Arthropod Species, Red-Eyed Giant Dragonfly, has been slain.]
[Damage dealt to Grade-6 Arthropod Species, Red-Eyed Giant Dragonfly, has increased by 0.05%.]
My job was to buy even a brief moment of time for those engaged in battle.
That would be enough to reload, repair equipment, or prepare for the next engagement.
Even if I gained fewer achievements compared to fighting solo outside Ark, this method was far more efficient in minimizing Ark's sacrifices.
'The soldiers of the Red Line might get reassigned to other lines when they grow. I need to save as many as possible now.'
Even if that wasn't the case, reinforcing Ark's defenses was undoubtedly beneficial, so there was no reason not to save them.
I roamed the Red-17 Gate.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed non-stop, and sometimes I even heard words of gratitude from those whose lives I had saved.
"Th-thank you!"
Every time I pulled the trigger or moved; soldiers who would have otherwise died survived.
It meant that Ark's combat strength, which should have been lost, was being preserved.
'That's not the only benefit.'
If it was just that, I wouldn't have bothered to take the risk of earning fewer achievement points by saving the soldiers.
Even if it meant preserving Ark's fighting power, if my own growth were stunted, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
However, this process was also crucial for me.
It was all because of the [Pacifism] trait.
['Pacifism' has been activated.]
[Lives saved so far: 9]
It was a trait I acquired when I encountered the recovery team for the experimental round GHOST-157.
The [Pacifism] trait grants one [Nine Lives] opportunity for every 100 lives saved.
Since the [Nine Lives] trait comes with extremely demanding conditions, just having one is practically equivalent to gaining an extra life.
'I must maintain at least one stack of [Nine Lives].'
In this wretched world, you never know when or where your life will be in danger.
But right now, I had zero accumulated stacks of Near-Death Survival, so it was best to secure them whenever possible.
'Today, I'll make sure to accumulate at least one stack.'
I kept moving.
['Pacifism' has been activated.]
[Lives saved so far: 11]
By preserving Ark's combat strength and stacking [Nine Lives], I was achieving a double benefit.
* * *
Lieutenant Imosha, who was commanding the defense at Red-17 Gate, gradually noticed that the frontline had become noticeably more stable.
Strictly speaking, fierce battles were still ongoing at the front, but the beasts and monsters were now approaching at a manageable level.
Given that waves typically bring more numerous and stronger beasts as time goes on, this was an unusual occurrence.
Beasts tend to grow stronger as waves progress, while Ark's fighting strength inevitably weakens over time.
'It's not like the beasts are going easy on us.'
Someone was controlling the battlefield.
Remarkably precisely.
'But who?'
And it didn't take long for Lieutenant Imosha to realize who it was.
Actually, when it came to changes at the Red-17 Gate, there was only one possible cause.
'No way...'
Her gaze quickly scanned the front line of Red-17.
Amidst the officers, noncommissioned officers, and soldiers risking their lives in fierce combat, there was one man who stood out with his faint, almost dusty presence.
It was Carl Marcus.
Carl Marcus continued to move.
Sometimes he pulled the trigger, sometimes he launched grenades at beasts climbing the walls, but he didn't seem to be actively engaging in combat.
'What is he doing?'
At first glance, it seemed like he was just wandering around aimlessly.
But after observing him for a while, Lieutenant Imosha couldn't help but notice what Carl Marcus was doing.
'He's providing precise support to soldiers in danger.'
The places Carl Marcus headed toward were always where the front line was most unstable.
When a machine gun jammed or when beasts and monsters got dangerously close, Carl Marcus would pull the trigger.
Thanks to him, the front line at Red-17 was holding back the beasts and monsters more smoothly than ever.
The number of casualties was far lower than in any previous wave.
'...Is that even possible?'
He had the eyes to instantly grasp the situation on the battlefield.
The judgment to decide where to move.
The strength to put that decision into action.
If even one of those elements were missing, it wouldn't have been possible.
As a result, the situation on the battlefield was changing in a surprisingly favorable direction.
'Is this... something one person can accomplish?'
He wasn't commanding the soldiers with outstanding leadership.
He was using pure individual ability.
Carl Marcus was single-handedly making it happen.
At that moment, Lieutenant Imosha's device buzzed.
It was Lieutenant Colonel Banol.
["Imosha."]
"Yes."
["We need reinforcements at Red-7 Gate. Start dispatching personnel."]