Chapter 18: Do You Even Understand the True Value of a Battlefield Flamethrower Operator?
“Ahhh—! I’m on fire!”
“Watch out, flamethrowers!”
A sudden blast of fire dragons erupted, engulfing three Fear Knights instantly, turning them into human torches on the spot.
Clearly, the power armor worn by these Fear Knights was not heat-resistant. On the contrary, due to the metal’s conductivity, the armor became like a griddle, causing unbearable agony to the soldiers trapped inside.
Despite their desperate efforts and instinctive rolling on the ground, the flames fueled by the incendiary liquid were far from easy to extinguish.
Hearing the agonizing screams of the two Fear Knights, the others felt a chill run down their spines.
“Retreat! Quickly, fall back!”
Seeing the terrifying fire dragons advancing, the Fear Knights hurriedly retreated, fearing to be caught in the flames.
Fortunately, the flamethrower’s range was limited; as long as they kept their distance, they could avoid the fire.
“Everyone, don’t panic. It won’t last long if it keeps spraying like this!”
“If I remember correctly, a single fuel can only sustain about 15 seconds of spraying. It’ll run out soon!”
The lead Fear Knight shouted while dodging the flames.
He never expected the technologically backward Cambrian Empire to equip flamethrowers in this unit. Yet, even with flamethrowers, continuous spraying was impossible due to their high fuel consumption.
Hearing this, the other Fear Knights felt somewhat reassured. If the flamethrowers could spray indefinitely, the situation would be dire.
However, after retreating for some time, nearly back to their previous trench, the flames showed no signs of abating. Many Fear Knights began to wonder:
Can 15 seconds really feel this long? Why isn’t the fuel exhausted yet?
Clearly, they didn’t understand the concept of elite battlefield soldiers.
In reality, the flamethrower could only burn for 15 seconds, but the renowned elite soldier suit of Battlefield Unit One came with flamethrowers that had no fuel limits—once ignited, they could spray nonstop!
Meanwhile, in the player chat zone, the player “Rice Noodle Cat” was slaughtering enemies while messaging others:
“Guys, keep up and cover me!”
“Charge, charge, charge! Let’s rush through in one go!”
Other players excitedly echoed the rallying cries, their morale soaring.
Though the flamethrower wielders had formidable suppressive power, they could only attack in one direction. If enemies flanked them and struck with a sword, they’d be in trouble.
So, other players guarded the flamethrowers’ flanks vigilantly, wary of Fear Knights emerging from the smoke.
Hearing the grinding of gears from the side, a player suddenly let out a furious roar and launched a bayonet charge, a reckless assault that startled the Fear Knights.
One had planned to sneak up on the flamethrower from the side and strike when least expected, but a Cambrian soldier spotted him first.
“Still, how could a mere bayonet harm me…?”
The Fear Knight, accustomed to blocking bayonets with his breastplate, suddenly felt a sharp sting in his chest. Looking down in disbelief, he saw his sturdy armor pierced!
The gleaming blade had sliced through the armor as if it were paper, plunging deep into his heart.
Not just one, but several Fear Knights fell prey to this surprise.
They had believed their power armor was impenetrable to bayonets, so they chose to absorb the blows head-on.
But the players’ bayonets, deadly to infantry with a single strike, were now fully effective. A group of fearless players demonstrated what it meant to see blood on their bayonets.
Fear Knights attempting side attacks were cut down by the players’ blades, while those trying to break through the front line were consumed by the flamethrowers’ fiery onslaught, trapped in a sea of flames.
To make matters worse for the Fear Knights, the number of flamethrowers suddenly doubled from one to three!
André, secretly controlling the operation, smiled silently. Moments earlier, he had fitted flamethrower suits onto the bodies of two fallen Fear Knights, gifting the players with a sudden surge in equipment.
Seeing this, the newly equipped flamethrower players grew even more excited, chatting animatedly in the chat zone:
Supreme Zhiwo: “Interesting. It seems elite enemies are more likely to drop full gear sets—not just for extra points after kills! I’ve evolved into a flame warrior now!”
Cat King: “Zhiwo! I just used my little syringe to save you, and the moment I turned around, I got slashed and dragged down with you. And my medic had to call for backup!”
“Zhiwo! Zhiwo!”
Watching the inexplicably flooded chat, Supreme Zhiwo concluded: you’re clearly just jealous!
He then lifted his flamethrower and, alongside two other players equipped similarly, unleashed fire before them.
One flamethrower soldier versus three made all the difference.
Not only was the damage output higher, but three flamethrowers could cover three separate directions, encircling the enemy.
Under this blockade, the remaining Fear Knights dared not advance, retreating in utter disarray back to the trenches, calling for others to withdraw.
Seeing their nearly invincible Fear Knights fall back, the Black Hawk soldiers hesitated no longer.
The terrifying smoke was like a devouring demon, and the three blazing fire dragons shot forth like hellfire from the underworld!
In a flash, the Black Hawk soldiers broke ranks, many fleeing blindly through the smoke in panic.
Players naturally seized the opportunity, raising their guns to unleash a fierce barrage on the fleeing foes.
Once inside the trench, the flamethrowers were unstoppable.
In the narrow confines, a column of fire could cover the entire trench. With unlimited fuel and immunity to fire damage, flamethrower players advanced relentlessly.
Yet, just as they prepared to press their assault down the trench, André’s voice rang out:
“Everyone, stop pursuing! Don’t forget our objective!”
“Hurry to the edge of the battlefield and break through from here!”
At that moment, shouts suddenly erupted from behind André’s squad once again.