The Ultimate War Of The Apocalypse-Chapter 403 - 396: Within Reach

There were no gunshots, no artillery fire, no trenches, no fortresses, yet Sirte said this was the front line.

Then it must be the front line.

The reason was simple, because the war here was different; it was not trench warfare from World War I, nor the large tank battles of World War II, or the thousands of infantrymen slaughtering each other in the grinder of a devastated city.

The war here was different, solely because one of the combatants, the Ram, came from a mercenary background, accustomed and adept at small-scale combat, and he had simply expanded this style of fighting.

"It’s not pure guerrilla warfare, there are no front lines, no headquarters, the troops are divided into squads, initiating repeated attacks behind enemy lines," Sirte said, frowning with a wry smile. "If the enemy musters superior forces, avoid engagement; if the enemy scatters, search and destroy small groups. With no fixed combat objectives, once the ammunition and supplies are depleted, immediately return to base or headquarters."

As he spoke these words, Sirte’s brows were tightly knotted, accompanied by a bitter smile, then he spread his hands, addressing everyone, "This is the Ram’s tactic, very... unique. It turns the entire enemy-occupied territory into a battlefield. If the enemy assembles a large force, launching a desperate attack on his headquarters, then gather the scattered squads and conduct small-scale attacks along the way, keep attacking, keep fighting until the enemy is exhausted, until the enemy’s tanks and armored vehicles are worn down in repeated battles. Each battle’s outcome may seem insignificant, but after many consecutive days, the enemy will find they have lost the capability to launch an all-out offensive. That’s the Ram’s style of fighting."

After finishing, Sirte exhaled, waved his hand, shook his head with a reluctant yet respectful air, and lifted his left hand, extending a finger, bending them one by one, "He did it like this in Yemen, fought this way in Israel, did the same in Ukraine, I guarantee he’s still doing the same now, guys, if you know anything about those three battlefields, you would understand what I’m talking about."

Ralph asked in surprise, "Is this really the Explosive Ram’s tactic?"

Sirte smiled and replied, "If the aliens hadn’t come, if the end of the world hadn’t arrived, you would never know what he’s been up to. Do you think the Solar System Company became the world’s largest PMC within five years? How do you think the Ram earned huge profits from wars? Or, how do you suppose the Yemeni Houthi rebels managed to make the Shah cry?"

Gao Yuan whispered, "Explosive Ram? Egg Bomb Squad? Satan Mercenary Corps and Israel? This..."

Li Jingang waved his hand at Gao Yuan, saying, "I’m reminded of a war term unique to Shenzhou, ’sparrow warfare.’ Yes, I think what the Ram is engaged in is sparrow warfare, though it’s a bit different. Our traditional sense of sparrow warfare is the tactic of harassing superior forces with inferior forces, but with the Ram, it’s about elite forces breaking down into smaller units."

After thinking, Gao Yuan said, "Alright, now let’s focus on the most immediate problem, Sanitation Worker, are you saying the Ram’s forces are right here?"

Sirte nodded, "Yes, inevitably present, mainly active on the right bank of the White Nile River, which is opposite us."

Gao Yuan said, "So you’re saying we might encounter the Ram’s forces as soon as we cross the river?"

Sirte shook his head, "No, no, I’m speaking of trouble, not luck... Captain, please understand, the forces dispatched by the Ram would definitely be his elite troops, and they are difficult to deal with. If his people are not fools, they would hide well, but the Sanitation Workers would have to seek them out, and in the process, they would deploy numerous patrols, ambushes, fixed posts, drones, battlefield surveillance equipment, all kinds of means to find Satan’s trace. In such a situation, Captain, we too are a squad, and we have to pass through the enemy’s most important defensive line."

Gao Yuan fell silent, pondered for a moment, then reluctantly said, "But we still have to cross the river, still have to find the Ram, so let’s discuss specifically what we should do."

Without hesitation, Sirte said, "The simplest method is to take a detour, a very long one, until we bypass this battlefield."

Ralph also replied without hesitation, "Then how large is this battlefield? Do we need to go as far as Kasimu to bypass it?"

Sirte unapologetically said, "I’ve mentioned the simplest method is to take a detour, why the hurry to expose your intelligence? If there’s no time for a detour, then there’s only one option, recon, even more careful and detailed recon, to find the right opportunity, then cross the river as quickly as possible, and disappear on the opposing bank as quickly as possible, ignoring the battlefield’s extensive range, going straight for the Ram’s headquarters until we are discovered by his people."

After thinking it over, Ralph did not speak again, just nodded.

Anyone would arrive at the same conclusion as Sirte, so since Sirte had said it, they would do as he suggested.

It seemed that their current conclusion and situation had not changed since last night, but every member of Spark Squad knew that actually, the difference was significant.

The biggest difference was the increase in difficulty and danger.

Gao Yuan was considering who to send on recon, if this was indeed the front line, their situation would be comparatively dangerous, they couldn’t leave no one behind to protect the convoy.

"I’ll go scouting."

Sirte spoke up, very seriously, "The situation is different now, so I must go scouting myself, because I can’t trust anyone else, I only trust my own eyes, and we need to cross the river to the other side first, to ensure there’s no danger there before allowing everyone to cross, so the scouting is going to take a long time."

Gao Yuan thought for a moment and decided, "Send four people..."

Before Gao Yuan finished speaking, a dull and faint explosion was heard, followed by barely audible gunfire, trickling in. Then, two more rounds of louder artillery fire sounded. "The distance is no more than five kilometers, the first sound was... erm, I think it was the sound of a missile or rocket hitting a tank, and the following two were the sounds of tank main guns firing," Sirte pontificated, while Ralph nodded, "It was the sound of a tank suffering a detonation, the later two indeed were the sounds of tank main guns firing." As they discussed, two more rounds of gunfire erupted, and after Ralph finished, Sirte spread his hands and said, "Someone attacked a tank, the tank detonated, and now the tank is looking for and attacking the enemy. Alright, guys, we have to keep moving, the scouting can wait."