Inside the hall, the 8th Cadian stood ready.
As the oldest regiment among the Cadian Shock Troopers, they were an elite force bearing the title "The Lord Castellan's Own."
Despite enduring a brutal siege, the soldiers of the 8th Regiment within the hall maintained an impressive spirit.
When Creed's iconic greatcoat appeared, every soldier of the 8th Regiment looked up simultaneously.
"Lord Castellan Creed." Someone shouted first.
Like a chain reaction, hundreds of voices merged into a torrent: "Lord Castellan!"
No speech was needed, no encouragement required.
Creed simply had to stand there. His very presence was like the most powerful war drum, enough to ignite the unquenchable fire of battle in the hearts of all his warriors.
Creed's gaze swept over his soldiers, and he simply nodded.
This simple gesture made every soldier stand even straighter.
"Brothers of the 8th Regiment," Creed began.
"We have just received word that a reinforcement force has broken through the traitor's blockade, arrived at the outskirts of the Bastion, and successfully engaged the external traitor forces."
"Now," Creed's voice rose, "is our time to counterattack."
"Yes, Lord Castellan!"
As the orders were issued, the soldiers of the 8th Regiment were already moving spontaneously.
At the entrance to the hall, the fat man narrowed his eyes, taking everything in.
"His power is growing greater and greater," the fat man murmured in a voice only he could hear, almost a whisper.
–
On the main battlefield, defeat came like a collapsing mountain, and survival was a dead end.
The morale of the Volscani traitors had utterly collapsed. Swept by the Cadian soldiers, they were beaten into a steady retreat.
Zeke saw that in the rear, Sergeant Victor was talking to a figure who must be Creed.
As the Lord Castellan, Creed assumed all command authority from Sergeant Victor the moment he appeared.
His aide, Kell, stood by his side, holding a Power Sword, constantly alert for any potential danger.
"With all due respect, General Creed, you should not be on the front lines. It is too dangerous."
Creed did not speak; he simply held a vox-caster.
"Soldiers of Cadia, this is Creed."
"Spread out. Use the alleys. Assault the traitors. Hold the line. Do not overextend." (TL/N: Military Commands)
The Cadian soldiers were far more familiar with Tyrok Bastion than the traitor outsiders. They split the traitor forces and flanked them.
Under Creed's efficient command, the Cadian soldiers began to consciously tighten the encirclement.
Advancing step by step, they gradually compressed the remaining traitors.
A cornered beast will still fight, let alone traitors in a desperate situation.
Creed ordered the troops to maintain a considerable distance, using long-range firepower to apply continuous pressure and prevent the traitors from launching a mad counterattack in their despair.
Creed knew the traitors still held an unplayed ace.
Zeke used blocks to climb onto a nearby high roof, building a path along the rooftops to follow the main force.
In the distance, buildings shattered one after another. At the edge of the Bastion complex, a behemoth was crushing everything in its path.
A Leviathan Super-Heavy Assault Transport, also known as a Leviathan Command Vehicle.
Ninety meters tall, like a moving fortress of steel.
It was covered in meters of composite armor plating, its surface bristling with turrets of various sizes—truly 360-degree armed coverage.
At the front of the vehicle was a massive Doomsday Cannon. A full-power shot from this main gun could severely damage even a Titan.
"Here it comes!" Creed had expected this.
This Leviathan Command Vehicle was originally intended for high-ranking officials to review troops and give speeches at the welcome banquet, but it had fallen into traitor hands when the rebellion broke out.
Seeing this steel beast appear, many Cadian soldiers instinctively aimed their weapons at it.
But translucent shields unfolded layer by layer, enveloping the entire Leviathan Command Vehicle.
All incoming fire, whether las-beams or solid projectiles, merely rippled across the shields upon impact.
"Void Shields!" Experienced veterans lowered their guns.
Zeke lay on the roof, raising his spyglass to observe carefully.
Void Shields: a type of defensive shield capable of blocking most long-range firepower by absorbing attacks and displacing them into the Warp.
Methods to break the shield include either overloading it instantly with massive firepower exceeding its specifications...
Or use the most primitive method: boarding action. Send infantry to forcibly board the vehicle and destroy the power core supplying the shields from the inside.
Creed's voice rang out again: "Cease fire."
"Prepare for boarding action. Use the buildings for cover to approach. Board the vehicle, find an entrance or weak point, and destroy the power core."
The order was clear, concise, and devoid of emotion—exactly what soldiers needed on the battlefield.
Cadian soldiers holstered their long-range weapons and began to charge toward the Leviathan from multiple directions, using the complex, narrow alleys of the Bastion.
The traitors on the Leviathan opened fire with everything they had, raining destruction downwards.
Void Shields were one-way shields; those inside could shoot out, but those outside couldn't shoot in.
Boarding actions were destined to be assaults paved with lives.
Zeke put away his spyglass. He pried a small stone from the roof and threw it hard toward the distant Void Shield.
The stone traced a parabola. Upon contacting the Void Shield, it caused almost invisible ripples and passed through without hindrance.
As expected, there's a velocity threshold. Zeke felt reassured .
Void Shields had a velocity threshold; low-speed objects could pass through, and only objects exceeding a certain speed would be intercepted.
Zeke's gaze turned to the mid-section of the Leviathan Command Vehicle.
There was a heavily guarded hatch there, possibly leading to critical facilities.
Same idea as breaking a bed in Bedwars, Zeke muttered, pulling an Ender Pearl from his backpack. (TL/N: Breaking a bed in Bedwars requires you to destroy the protective blocks surrounding the enemy's bed and then attack the bed itself. The most effective strategies involve rushing early, using explosives, or employing stealth)
He estimated the distance, swung his arm back, and then threw the Ender Pearl with all his might.
As the Cadian soldiers continued to draw most of the attention from the traitors on the Leviathan.
Lying on the roof, Zeke began a countdown in his mind:
5. The Ender Pearl smoothly penetrated the outermost Void Shield.
4. Below, a Cadian recruit had just charged past the Void Shield when he was locked onto by a broadside autocannon turret. A string of shells tore him apart along with the rubble beneath his feet, leaving only half a bloodstained military cap drifting down.
3. The pearl continued flying inward, effortlessly passing through the second and third layers of shields.
2. Zeke adjusted several stacks of Iron Blocks to the most accessible position.
1. Cherry blossom-colored particle effects appeared around Zeke, and his figure blurred.
In the mid-section of the Leviathan Command Vehicle, the air rippled, and Zeke appeared, becoming the first person to board the Leviathan.
The strong smell of ozone rushed into his nose, emanating from the Void Shields.
All around, traitors were pouring fire downwards.
The continuous gunfire made the ears of the traitors operating on the platform ring, leaving them completely unaware that a guest had arrived behind them.
Until a traitor changing the ammo belt on a heavy stubber instinctively turned back to grab a spare ammo box.
A face bearing no regimental insignia was looking at him calmly.
"Who are y—"
Before he could finish, Zeke stabbed his sword through the traitor's chest, piercing the heart.