Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2080: Technology from above (2)

The conflict known as the Mei City Attack concluded, marking eight days of intense fighting and ultimately resulting in the Cloud Peak system's triumph.

Despite the victory, both Xia Lei and the high-ranking officials of Cloud Peak found themselves profoundly dissatisfied with the outcome.

Earlier, Cloud Peak had marshaled over a dozen elite lifeforms, the bulk of its warriors, and its most advanced technological marvels, including devastating magic crystal cannons, all with the singular aim of securing a total conquest.

Regrettably, their plans were thwarted by an ambush, and subsequent pursuit efforts revealed critical flaws, allowing their primary objective to slip through their grasp.

Consider the toll Cloud Peak endured in this engagement.

First, let's address the sheer expenditure.

A staggering total of over forty thousand magic crystal weapons sustained damage, with more than five hundred magic crystal cannons completely destroyed. These were the devastating losses incurred when parasitic entities launched a surprise assault on their positions. Among the destroyed, a particularly heartbreaking loss for Xia Lei was over one hundred and fifty Annihilation-type magic crystal cannons.

Beyond these, other vital equipment, such as mechanical combat vehicles, formidable war fortresses, and the elegant Exquisite Floating Balls, also saw over a hundred units lost. While the numbers might not seem excessive individually, each item demanded considerable manufacturing time and incorporated rare materials, making their replenishment an uncertain prospect.

Furthermore, the quantity of partially damaged but still repairable magic crystal weapons and mechanical apparatuses was even greater.

As the old adage suggests, where cannons boom, fortunes are spent. The entire duration of the battle witnessed an immense consumption of magic crystals for energy. Merely the level-six magic crystals depleted nearly twenty thousand! The consumption of levels five and below is not even worth mentioning.

This figure specifically pertains to the energy demands of magic crystal firearms and cannons, excluding other items fabricated using magic crystals, such as micro-engraved bullets. If those were factored in, the quantity of magic crystals consumed would ascend to astronomical levels.

Setting aside those associated with magic crystals, the arrays of weapons and equipment represented the truly substantial portion of the cost.

The combined forces of Cloud Peak along with other participating combat units numbered over three million warriors. Following this single battle, a staggering five million pieces of irreparable weapons and equipment were lost! Admittedly, this count included some disposable tactical gear, yet the sheer volume remained deeply alarming. As Cloud Peak had solicited assistance from other factions, it was obligated to absorb these detrimental losses. When combined with the losses sustained by its own internal units, it's accurate to say that this single engagement effectively emptied Cloud Peak's entire equipment stockpile.

Now, in Ye Zhongming's absence, procuring such an extensive quantity of equipment anew would prove to be a formidable challenge.

In addition to armaments and hardware, consumable resources like grenade launchers and rocket shells were largely depleted; a considerable number of various elemental gems were also expended; and approximately one million bottles of assorted potions were consumed.

It can only be considered fortunate that Cloud Peak possessed substantial familial and corporate backing to endure such a large-scale conflict; any other force would have been utterly ruined long before its conclusion. Nevertheless, the ultimate cost of this battle effectively erased the profits accumulated from controlling the majority of the nation's territories during this period.

The remaining losses comprised those of the Gene Warrior Army, the Cloud Peak Air Force, and the Warbeast Army.

The Gene Warrior Army entered the fray later, after Xia Lei found himself ensnared. Originally numbering over 200,000, their entry into the battle was marked by their emotional detachment, resulting in remarkably stable combat effectiveness. While many combat teams descended into disarray due to the uncertainty surrounding Xia Lei's fate, the Gene Warrior Army performed exceptionally well, sustaining comparatively fewer casualties. Including those that self-destructed, their numbers were reduced by just over thirty thousand, with an additional twenty thousand requiring subsequent re-cultivation.

In contrast to the Gene Warrior Army, the Cloud Peak Air Force and Warbeast Army experienced somewhat more severe losses.

During the critical operation to rescue Xia Lei, both of these corps formed the vanguard, charging forward with near-disregard for casualties, leading to truly alarming attrition rates.

Within a compressed timeframe, the air force incurred casualties exceeding fifty thousand, while the Warbeast Army lost close to one hundred thousand lives.

These casualties were fundamentally different from the loss of materiel. Replenishing these vital personnel would inevitably be a protracted and arduous undertaking.

Lastly, we must account for the loss of the warriors themselves.

Despite a hard-won victory, the battle resulted in substantial losses due to unscientific and reckless strategies. Official tallies reveal that non-Cloud Peak system warriors faced over a 30% casualty rate. This means that from this single engagement, nearly eight hundred thousand external warriors sustained casualties, with more than five hundred thousand losing their lives. The remaining three hundred thousand were primarily so severely wounded that recovery was impossible, rendering them disabled. Those who could regain full fighting capability, even with grave injuries, were not included in these grim statistics.

Naturally, Cloud Peak's own forces also endured losses.

Xia Lei's entire combat team was wiped out. Little Tiger's cavalry unit experienced a twenty percent casualty rate, and various other combat teams likewise sustained severe damage during the conflict.

In this battle, Cloud Peak saw over one hundred twenty-one thousand of its elite warriors killed in action, and more than thirty-five thousand became permanently disabled.

It could be asserted that these were the most devastating losses Cloud Peak had confronted since its inception.

Never before had an entire main combat team been annihilated as a unit.

From a procedural standpoint, Cloud Peak might have performed adequately by thwarting the enemy's surprise assault. However, from an outcome perspective, the results were simply unacceptable to Cloud Peak's core leadership.

Over a hundred thousand casualties! Contemplating the countless bodies strewn across the battlefield, the Cloud Peak members, unaccustomed to such setbacks, found no joy in their ultimate triumph. Some even perceived the outcome as a complete and utter failure.

This perspective, while harsh, was not entirely unfounded.

Had the adversaries been different—such as human evolved beings or mutated life forms—such a heavy price would undoubtedly have yielded greater rewards.

But what was truly gained this time? Six million parasites, with less than a million managing to escape, while five million perished.

If these had been mutated life forms, it would have represented an immense fortune. Five million magic crystals and innumerable materials would have been acquired. This included over a dozen top-tier life forms and even more of level-eight creatures. At the very least, establishing another main combat team of average strength for Cloud Peak would have been feasible. After replacing the fallen warriors and replenishing weapons and equipment, there would have been a substantial surplus.

However, as fate would have it, parasites possessed no magic crystals, and their remains could not be processed into materials because Ye Zhongming required them intact. In essence, at this moment, Cloud Peak appeared to have gained nothing tangible.

"Over four million corpses can be salvaged, but transporting them back will require considerable time, likely around five days," Guangyao remarked, surveying the mountainous heaps of parasite bodies.

Xia Lei acknowledged this with a nod. "I understand that everyone's combat teams have suffered greatly this time. I bear the responsibility for this."

Sensing the inclination of others to offer words of comfort, Xia Lei smiled and gestured for them to cease. "Regardless of the reasons, they cannot alter the established reality. Therefore, the ultimate responsibility for this outcome rests with me."

"Upon our return to the villa, everyone is permitted to select warriors from the combat teams that participated in this battle to reinforce their own units. This selection process must be executed with great care. Prioritize the individual's character, then assess their strength. If the person possesses good character, our Cloud Peak possesses numerous methods to enhance their capabilities."

All present nodded in agreement.

"Very well, let us proceed back to the mountain villa. Everyone should take the time to reorganize effectively and also ascertain what news Zhongming may have sent this time."