"Plan: Penetrate the center and kill the target by force. Don't waste energy on the other Ethereals; they'll scatter on their own after the leader dies. Combat formation: Attack Formation, TW-CH Type 1!"
As Anby shouted, the eleven members of the Silver Squad immediately split into three groups.
Number Zero, Anby, as the captain, led Numbers One and Two to form the vanguard. Numbers Three, Four, and Five, along with Six, Eight, and Nine, formed three three-person fireteams.
The fireteam members provided cover for each other, attacking in rotation. On a larger scale, these three fireteams functioned just like individuals within a single unit.
Meanwhile, Twiggy, Number Seven, and the team's youngest, Number Ten, served as reserves and tactical coordinators.
If Soldier 11 were present, the support unit would also have three members, and only then would the formation be at full strength in the truest sense.
The units coordinated with each other, advancing like a tidal wave. Even though there were only eleven of them, their annihilation efficiency was something that a regular army unit with two, three, or even more times their number couldn't possibly achieve.
Strangely, the target Ethereal in the center of the monster horde remained motionless. It was impossible to lure out, and at the same time, the strength of the Ethereals guarding it far exceeded Anby's expectations.
According to the intel, it was a Level 5 Elite-class Ethereal. Normally, the number and strength of the monsters around it should have been several tiers lower than what they were facing now.
But as they pushed deeper into the battlefield, Anby discovered that the Ethereals surrounding it were teeming with Level 3 enhanced types, and even Level 4 Ethereals—the kind that typically required a full squad to handle—were appearing frequently.
Although most of the squad members could easily win a one-on-one fight against a Level 4 Ethereal, the battlefield doesn't give you the luxury of a duel.
When monsters swarm, their danger level rises exponentially.
The formation Twiggy had restored from the ancient texts at the research institute was incredibly powerful, but in an era where individual strength could completely alter the course of a war, strategy could often only narrow the gap, not completely turn the tide.
As they advanced toward the center, the Level 4 Ethereals began to appear in packs. The coordination between multiple monsters was already pushing the other squad members to their limits.
As the most perfect supersoldier, Anby was leagues ahead in conventional strength, speed, and endurance, as well as in intellect and reaction time.
She was the Silver Squad's sharpest blade, its keenest spear, and also its strongest shield when it came to protecting her teammates.
In combat, Anby's strength was in a class of its own. If even she was finding the fight increasingly difficult, the other squad members must have been on the verge of collapse.
After finishing off the last Ethereal in the current wave, Anby, the captain, halted. Seeing her stop, the other squad members, who had been struggling to keep up, couldn't help but stumble.
Anby hesitated as she looked at the condition of the others, then urged:
"Something is clearly wrong with the mission target. I propose we retreat for now, verify the intel with our commanding officer, and then regroup for the subjugation."
The other members behind Anby exchanged glances, and then Number One, the eldest after Anby, spoke up:
"No, Captain, we can do this. The Silver Squad was created for the sole purpose of fighting Ethereals. As soldiers, we never fear sacrifice to complete our mission."
"But the sacrifices that would result from this..."
Before Anby could finish, Number Two cut her off.
"Sacrifice isn't meaningless. As long as we get you, Captain, to the center, that Ethereal will definitely be defeated. I have faith in you, Captain, and I believe everyone else feels the same."
"But..."
Anby was about to say more when Twiggy, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. As the recognized brain of the squad, the moment she joined the conversation, the other members immediately fell silent.
"Don't worry, Captain. I know what you're worried about. And while I'd love to persuade you with the same 'fear no sacrifice' speech, knowing you, you wouldn't buy it."
She paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts.
"However, I have a method. A way for us to drastically reduce our stamina consumption while dealing with the outer ring of monsters."
Hearing Twiggy's words, Anby's eyes instantly lit up.
"Really? Twiggy?"
"Didn't we agree to use codenames during the mission?"
With a look that said 'I don't know what to do with you,' Twiggy continued:
"This is where the backup plan I'm in charge of comes into play. Captain, do you remember the Ethereal-herding formation we experimented with before?"
At Twiggy's prompt, Anby immediately recalled the formation they had tirelessly tested until it was nearly perfected.
"TW-CA Type 3?"
"That's right."
Twiggy crossed her arms and tapped her fingers on her bicep in agreement.
"As expected of our captain. You grasped my meaning right away."
She first sketched the surrounding terrain on the ground with her blade, marking the locations of various small clusters.
"Next, we just need to feign weakness and lure the monsters out in groups. If we're fast enough, we can draw most of the Ethereals away from the main target after a few runs. Then, we'll only have to deal with the target itself and its immediate guards."
It was a sound and viable plan. Anby immediately recognized its feasibility.
And to ensure they had enough stamina to carry out this luring operation, Anby successfully reigned in her eager teammates, making them rest before continuing the mission.
————
Just as the Silver Squad had mostly recovered and was about to put the plan into action, Andrew, guided by Belle, arrived at the best viewing spot: the rooftop.
Watching the squad of uniformly dressed girls advance toward the Ethereals from afar, Andrew stared at the calm and composed Ethereal in the center and said:
"That monster is no simple foe. It's highly likely it's not a so-called Level 5 Ethereal."
Seeing how certain Andrew was, Belle was a little confused.
"Huh? The H.D.D. System's identification scan hasn't even finished yet. Why are you suddenly so sure? Do you have any proof?"
"I may not have any instruments to measure its energy level, but I can clearly see a Level 5 Ethereal acting as its subordinate."
Although Belle's subconscious told her Andrew was spouting nonsense again, she had to admit his analysis did make some sense.
Even if the instrument's scan results came back as a Level 5 Ethereal, because of what Andrew said, Belle remained cautious.
"Strange... The other two Level 5 Ethereals were quickly identified by the H.D.D. System, so why is the Level 5 boss, the Armored Hati Ethereal, still showing 'scanning'?"
After waiting a little longer, Belle stared at the H.D.D. System interface where the 'Type' field was still stuck on 'Identifying...' and said with confusion:
"I've never seen this happen before. Is there something wrong with the H.D.D. System? Or is there something strange about this Ethereal?"
-
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