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I'm a dungeon, fear me (under heavy rewriting)
Chapter 18: Life at the front 1

Chapter 18: Life at the front 1

"To gain eternity is to gain the favor of the creator. To gain favor is to suffer for their entertainment." - words from an unknown soldier of the 3rd siege company. Status: MIA.

First log: Day 1, 2nd day of the 3rd week of the first month of the 2nd year.

The 1st Beacon Army continued to march deeper into unclaimed lands. They still could not shake the feeling of not sensing the creator's influence they had grown accustomed to. The battledroid's heavy steps shook the earth beneath as everyone stayed well away from it, not wanting to be squashed beneath.

Everyone waited for the logistics team to find the perfect spot to set up an outpost. Somewhere elevated for tactical and strategic purposes

The sounds of tires driving atop the rocky floor of the cavern deep below the crust of the planet reach the ears of those around them. The soldiers thoughts returned to the event that had befallen the firecrackers.

They should have seen it coming; they have night vision for a reason. Many blamed the disaster that was wrought upon the firecrackers to be their own folly, but they did not voice these opinions. Those that did were quickly beaten down by the others who held the opposite opinion.

The army's morale was low, but they pushed on; it was their duty to. With guns in hand, they continued forward, searching for the perfect spot to set up an outpost.

Finally, after a few days of travel, they found the perfect spot. A gradual climb on a hill till it hits a plateau atop said hill. The landmass was built like a small barrier that extended towards the horizon. It was like a dam, which used to contain not water but a horde of red beasts.

Speaking of, everyone found it a little strange. After the battle from a week ago, they hadn't encountered another gigantic horde; all they found were a few small parties of about 50 or more, who were quickly dispatched with a torrent of gunfire.

The thing that could be summed up to describe the creatures is that they rely purely on their sheer number. Yes, although their carapace is durable, while their claws and acid are quite dangerous, their carapace could be cut through with minimal force, and they are also quite easily pierced by bullets. Their claws require them to be in close proximity, and their acid, although it could be launched from a distance, has small range that is easily outclassed by their sidearms.

The earthshakers got to work as they quickly unloaded their cargo and built small fortifications along the edge of the plateau. Some are already preparing to head down the cliff face to set up barbed wire and mine traps, which, although dangerous for their vehicles, are quite useful against a horde.

Soldiers set up their tents as the auxiliaries got ready to prepare the meals. A few soldiers sat around with their friends as they cleaned and maintained their rifles and other such armaments.

The earthshakers alongside the auxiliaries quickly set up the artillery units as the logistics team from the 4 pointed stars quickly mapped out the surrounding area with their drones equipped with night vision.

The blackdeaths, alongside a few auxiliaries and earthshakers went down the gradual slope of the cliff, bringing with them equipment and materials to set up the mines and barbed wire.

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They set up an extensive line of barbed wire at the base of the cliff as they waited for orders from the four-pointed star commander and their battalion's major on where to start setting up.

They receive intelligence on where to set up the mines. The soldiers got ready to move to the designated location while the soldiers back at the plateau worked fervently to set up electrical lines. The water elementals (combat medics) filled basins of water for cooking, bathing, and drinking as the earthshakers and the life elementals (severe trauma medics) set up the field hospital.

By the end of the day, the outpost now had working electricity, tents, and a good enough logistics center, which speaks volumes of the Aculyte soldiers efficiency.

The centurion-class earthshakers stood guard at the battledroids, making sure no one got too close and accidentally destroyed something. The droids stood proudly as the mechanics worked with extreme efficiency to check every single part of the machine. They oiled the joints, guns, and blades, checked the reload mechanisms, maintained the cooling and aim-assisting systems, and the severe trauma medics, alongside side a four-pointed star, checked the psychological wellbeing of the pilots as said pilots performed basic fitness exercises.

The soldiers who set up the mines worked tirelessly, expecting to eat dinner later than the rest of the soldiers. The earthshakers used their affinity for the earth to turn the stone they stood atop into soft soil, which allowed the blackdeaths to set up the mines. Besides the barbed wire and mines they were setting up, they also dug out small pot holes; they were too small to hide in, but were big enough to fit a leg, which in turn caused the poor sod who got caught to trip and fall over.

The smell of stew wafts through the air at the outpost. The mechanics quickly set down the tools they used to set up the generator that ran on the lightning they fed it.

The scene pans to a four-point star commander with the highest-ranking officer of each battalion standing around the table. Currently, the 4Ps commander is using his arcane magic to display a 3D hologram of the landscape they have set up.

His plan was to set up multiple automatic double-barreled heavy machine guns along the wall of the outpost, with the mechanics from the auxiliaries maintaining the equipment. While this went on, a third of the earthshakers would work on the railway system to secure supply lines.

This is because they had used up most of their shells during the battle they had a week ago, the one where 600 and more firecrackers were lost. It was a costly victory, but it did provide key insight on how battling with the red beast, or as the 4Ps call them, Nyx, would go.

As the majors talked logistics and tactics, the commander zoned out. The logistics team has foreseen a future where the nyx have overrun Beacon City itself. After searching for ways to change the future, they have found that if they are able to hold the line upon this hill, then Beacon City may be left alone and their people prosper.

But at the cost of a 100-year-long war.

The commander had not revealed this to the majors, only that they should expect a long battle ahead. The only people who know of this prophecy, would be the commander, the logistics team as well as grand general Meletia. When they revealed this revelation to the grand general, she was at first in disbelief, but after a while, she accepted the reality of it and ordered the entire Beacon army to set forth towards the expansive hill.

The commander gave the creator a silent prayer. If the creator had sent the army a week later, then they may not have had enough time to set up the outpost, soon to be a bastion.

The commander sent off the majors after a few more minutes of planning, telling them to go eat dinner and to conserve their energy for the battle to come. The majors saluted and left. The moment the door closed, the commander let out a tired sigh and slumped into his chair.

He breathed in the cool air of the cavern before setting his gaze out the window. There, he saw the crowds of soldiers expecting a quick and decisive battle. A heavy burden fell upon the shoulders of the commander as he solemnly stared out the window. The night vision every aculon naturally has allowed the commander to see the happy and cheerful expressions of his soldiers, something he wished to not see, knowing that those happy and cheerful expressions would soon dissappear.

"Forgive me, everyone," he said in a low, grim voice as he watched them go about their businesses.

Far away from the small, growing military installation, a horde of innumerable proportions rushed forward with such vigor and ferocity that it made the underground cavern deep inside the planet tremble in fear under their feet.

Their screeches resonating throughout the vast, empty darkness as a few crumbled to the ground and trampled upon their brethren Its corpse was consumed within an instant, and from the energy the corpse provided, a hundred juvenile nymphs were born.

Within mere seconds, their soft shells hardened and molted continuously. They fervently consumed the molted shells as they continued to grow; those who died during this stressful process were consumed by the rest.

By the end of the day, a single corpse of an adult nyx had given birth to 10 more just like it. This cycle repeated itself throughout the immeasurable horde, and said horde was making its way to the outpost at fullspeeds.