Rust - Chapter 974



Only Krnovel

RUST -975

If the giant ant queen was not captured this winter, the empire was in danger.

“With their New York stronghold now gone, won’t it be a while before they can re-establish themselves?”

“I’m not sure. What happened to the Holy Kingdom?”

“They said they refused to rent a pheromone device.”

“There is no particular reason?”

“It’s the same thing. They said they couldn’t send it because it was too dangerous.”

“Risk.”

If we could just decipher the pheromones to find out where they ran off to, the Holy Kingdom would be unable to send us a pheromone device.

Lieutenant Colonel Leon, who had brushed back his golden hair, took out a cigarette and muttered while biting it.

‘The fact that it’s said to be risky probably means that the machine is not a simple machine.’

If I could just give them a few simple tasks, it wouldn’t be that risky.

If we infer the opposite, does that mean that complex communication is possible?

This means that ants have a language system that allows them to communicate to some extent using pheromones.

Lieutenant Colonel Leon’s blue eyes sank deeply.

“Bring all the data on the Holy Kingdom’s fight against the ants. How did the rescue operation go?”

Work was in full swing to rescue soldiers who had been buried alive after entering the nest to capture the queen ant.

It is predicted that there will not be many people crushed to death since they were soldiers armed with exosuits. However, the limit of how long they can survive with life support equipment is 55 to 60 hours at most. After that, they will suffocate to death due to lack of oxygen.

Could they get through the rubble to the center of the ant colony, 150 meters underground, within 50 hours? It was impossible. A day had already passed, so there were only about 25 hours left.

Even if the survival time runs out, the rescue operation will continue. Even if the people are dead, the exosuits still need to be saved.

While Colonel Leon was mind-mapping, writing down various pictures and words on a blank piece of paper, an early video of the Holy Kingdom’s attack on the Ant Empire appeared on the monitor.

“There is footage taken outside the nest, but no footage inside. It seems like the biological EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) prevented the footage from being taken.”

“No problem. Let’s start.”

The video began with a short answer. Then a dull jolt followed.

“Bunker Buster?”

Vladimir Kalin’s method of attacking the ant empire’s nest was to use a bunker buster to make a hole.

It didn’t matter if the hole made by the bunker buster collapsed. After all, once a hole was made and collapsed, it would be easy to drill a hole using an excavator, drill, or whatever.

“Request hypersonic missiles and bunker busters immediately. We might be able to rescue them.”

“Ask the Holy Kingdom to lend you a mining robot. Contact each department to see if they have the right equipment.”

Lieutenant Colonel Leon stood up and began to give instructions. There were only about 25 hours left. Even if the Holy Kingdom sent mining robots right away, it would take ten hours for a round trip, but it was important that they could rescue as many people as possible while they were still alive.

‧

“Are you out of your mind? You want to dig a tunnel with bunker busters and hypersonic missiles?”

“Even in the Holy Kingdom, we used the bunker buster to get to the center.”

The general looked dumbfounded at Lieutenant Colonel Leon’s report.

“I’ve seen that report. Let’s say you use a bunker buster. Have you thought about what would happen to the soldiers buried around the explosion that dug into the ground? What would the aftermath be?”

Even if it’s an exosuit, it’ll be destroyed. You’ll only be able to salvage the corpse and the exosuit fragments.

“It’s still early days for the regime, so the media hasn’t published any unfavorable articles, but once the torn bodies are revealed and the number of casualties becomes known, things will change. They won’t miss a scoop.”

“Wasn’t there a deal between the media and politics?”

Lt. Col. Leon hit the sensitive subject straight. When asked, “Haven’t you already negotiated with the press and presented the previous operation as a victory?” one of the generals nodded slightly.

“The deal was a victory in this operation and an article about you.”

So, the story was that the events that would unfold from now on would be used by the media to check and pressure the government and the military.

“It’s not a situation where you can trade everything as you please. The trade itself has to target all media outlets. It’s not easy.”

“It’s a story about having to put something in the mouths of the media so that they won’t reveal it.”

“The same goes for the new president and government. The more they deal with the press, the more political burden they will bear, so unless the situation is serious, they will try to avoid it.”

“Isn’t it enough if the rescue operation is successful? I think we need to make a decision if we can save many soldiers even if there are a few casualties.”

“Yes, that’s right. But it’s not easy. The shadow of Dan Brown has permeated the media. Those who monitor power through checks and balances and public opinion are in the media, so you never know when they’ll pop out. It’s hard for the military to handle that alone.”

“······.”

The blue eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard were cold and sank. It had only been a few hours since he had been promoted from operations officer to special forces commander, but it was enough to read the mood in the military headquarters at the moment.

‘Are you saying you don’t want to do anything that will require accountability?’

After General Dan Brown resigned, the senior generals in that line left their posts, and the generals who had been promoted took their places, each riding in their own line.

“Please make this a queen ant chase operation, not a rescue operation.”

“Hmm- Are you planning to go into the enemy’s base and pursue them?”

“Okay. I’ll take it that you rescued our allies during the chase.”

“What are the casualties during the operation?”

“I think it would be good to show the disappearance or the cruelty of ants.”

“···Not bad.”

The generals whispered to each other. The time for understanding and bargaining was very short.

“Don’t do that.”

“ancient.”

The cold blue eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard, who saluted, reflected the faces of the generals sitting at the table.

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Kim Yang, who has recently become interested in watching Imperial Broadcasting, tilted her head.

“I think this comes up often?”

“What is it?”

Her gaze was fixed on the TV, which was covered with headlines.

(Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard. Successfully rescued friendly forces while pursuing the ant queen.)

(Securing a vertical passage using the bunker buster.)

(Thousands of friendly troops rescued from ant traps!)

(From genius operations officer to special forces commander.)

(Military considers promotion unusually.)

(Promotion from Captain to Colonel in the shortest time since World War II?)

(To end the war with the ants, you must capture the ant queen.)

“Leon Bonnard. This.”

“Ah, you’re saying that’s an attempt to make us look like heroes? And didn’t we use the bunker buster first?”

Miss Kim made a strange snorting sound at the nurse’s words.

“Huh- that’s right. You were a copycat.”

He had an impressive face with shining blond hair and blue eyes. But his facial features were so distinct that he looked like he could be a model for a men’s perfume or a military uniform.

The TV screen showed a crowd of people flocking to Leon Bonnard. He looked more like an idol than a special forces commander.

What’s different about idols is that the people gathered here are all mixed together, regardless of gender, race, or age.

“Isn’t that a bit strange?”

“Ah– Again?”

It was Ms. Kim, tilting her head with a vague question mark floating over her head.

‧

(A genius commander’s subjugation operation. Rescue allies who have fallen into a trap!)

(Opening a passage using hypersonic missiles and bunker busters! The operation to attack the center of the nest was successful!)

(A torn corpse was found! Can ants tear apart an exosuit?)

(Rumor has it that ants set up a trap for the queen’s nest. Is this true?)

(If you miss the queen ant, the disaster will happen.)

(The mining robots of the Holy Kingdom play a major role in the rescue of friendly forces.)

(The Holy Kingdom refused to lend pheromone equipment. Why did they lend mining robots?)

Ki-soon sent the data to Maru, who was watching TV. When he clicked on the data floating in the corner of the TV screen, the TV screen became smaller and the data Ki-soon sent was greatly enlarged.

The material contained a story about a special force created in the Empire to track down and subdue the Ant Queen, and its commander was the now famous Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard.

“Are you a follower? Now bring me the content that was also shown on TV.”

[Your Majesty, look behind you.]

Let’s move on to the next part as if scrolling down, there was a request from special forces.

“Artillery? No. Armored units?”

[Yes. A guy named Leon Bonard. He suggested rebuilding the armored force as a way to catch ants and spiders.]

A simulation screen appeared.

Footage of the ground collapsing and armored units collapsing. It was a simulation of what would happen if Lt. Col. Leon Bonnard had fought ants with his own unit.

(It’s true that armored units are vulnerable to traps made by ants. However, if you scatter the armored units, their firepower will be weakened. But that lieutenant colonel had an interesting idea.)

Next came the weapon schematics, a schematic of a new self-propelled gun proposed by Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard.

“Did we enlarge our coil gun?”

[Yes. A self-propelled gun with a gunpowder-electric composite propulsion system. It is a self-propelled gun with a caliber of 180mm to 240mm, and is manually loaded using an exosuit.]

A self-propelled gun that supplies power by towing a modular nuclear power plant like an ammunition supply vehicle. Its range is maximized by using a dual propulsion system of gunpowder and electricity.

[If a 240mm caliber is used, it is calculated that a shell weighing over 100kg can be fired. The range is expected to be over 120km.]

“Isn’t this similar to the self-propelled howitzers used in North Korea?”

The sight of a giant cannon mounted on a caterpillar chassis looked familiar somewhere.

[It looks similar to the Soviet S-23, and also similar to the self-propelled howitzers used by North Korea and Iraq.]

“Isn’t it ineffective in a battlefield like now?”

[I thought so too. When I simulated it according to this guy’s plan, the results were different.]

The following simulation came to mind: a 240mm shell embedded in the ground, followed by a torrential downpour of artillery fire.

Compared to the bunker buster, it had less than half the penetration power, but it was a different story when tens or hundreds of rounds were fired.

Following the scene where the 5m and 10m deep pits collapse due to the continued pressure, there is a scene where winged insects fly in at low altitudes.

A strangely shaped tank, as if waiting for the black cloud-like winged beasts to approach, fired its cannon. With just one shot, a white hole appeared in the black cloud.

“Crazy… isn’t that it? That thing?”

The tank in the simulation, the Sturmtiger (Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 mit 38 cm RW 61), looks exactly like that.

[Unlike the Sturmtiger, which fires 380mm anti-submarine rockets, this tank can use 400mm cluster bombs, dispersion napalm bombs, and thermobaric bombs.]

“Why something like that?”

[You know what I mean when I see the simulation? One 400mm cluster bomb can wipe out the wing. Even a diffuse napalm bomb, a thermobaric bomb is fired as a shell. That’s also a combination of gunpowder and power. There’s also a part where he explains why he needs that. Watch it.]

A dryly written report followed.

[···If large-scale operations continue, it will be difficult to maintain the front line and conduct offensive operations because supplies will be limited.]

[···Advanced weapons, including missiles, take a lot of time and money to produce, and this can create a fatal situation in a large-scale offensive or defense.]

[Therefore, the Imperial Army needs a system that can maintain massive supplies while maintaining powerful firepower. This is a firepower system centered around large-caliber guns.]

[···Limited air support. Considering the production and use limits of tactical nuclear weapons···. The only way to effectively engage in large-scale firepower warfare is to form an armored force centered on self-propelled guns and tanks.]

“Isn’t this completely the doctrine of the Bombardment Department?”

[Simulation results. It turned out just like that guy said.]

The offensive begins with the advance party finding traps or passages and bombarding the surrounding area. Once the traps collapse and the passages collapse, the ants are left with no choice.

If you try to defend yourself in the nest, you’ll only get beaten up by bunker busters and tactical nukes. If you try to go outside and fight, you’ll be hit by artillery fire pouring down from a distance the moment you do.

The simulation ended like that.

‧

‧

‧

The winter operation, which took place in early November, ended as the simulation had predicted.

(Special forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard. Successfully defeating the giant ants!)

The imperial press is boiling again.

(Imperial Special Forces Catch the Queen Ant!)

(What operation did the genius operations officer use to eliminate the threat to the empire?)

(Lieutenant Colonel Leon Bonnard is a strong candidate for the shortest promotion.)

(Following a two-rank promotion, another one is likely. This time a one-rank promotion?)

And an unexpected exile appeared in the Detroit Vlad’Arc Tower of the Holy Kingdom.

An ant with a size that is significantly larger than that of existing ants.

A swarm of winged ants had landed near the main entrance to the Vladivostok Tower.