Dak! dak! dak!
Gunfire erupted in the villages and rainforests, the continuous bursts of 7.62 mm and even .50 caliber firearms creating a commotion.
If it were rebels doing this, it would be quite normal.
The rebels entrenched in this area had never received any military training and did not know how to fire in bursts or rapid fire, they only needed to empty their magazines.
However, the real source of the continuous firing was the group of soldiers who jumped out of the aircraft and completed the ropeless descent.
The black combat uniforms, the red 'A' insignia, and the shoulder patches that read 'ARS/ 3rd Infantry Company' all indicate that these soldiers are the 3rd Infantry Company of the Atlas Rapid Reaction Force (ARS).
And the equipment has become much heavier.
After all, each infantryman is equipped with a mechanical exoskeleton, which allows for the addition of more protective plates to critical areas, the carrying of more ammunition, and the easy completion of a 20 meter untethered descent.
Furthermore, the ARS's face covering helmet comes with a built in HUD display, which can help lock onto targets within visual range and work with the exoskeleton to calibrate firing.
In addition, ARS has undergone rigorous training and has rich combat experience, so it can maintain extremely high accuracy even when firing continuously.
From the air, the soldiers of the Third Company, numbering over thirty, were scattered in groups of three throughout the village.
Among them were two heavily armed soldiers dressed as ARS.
With its specialized mechanical exoskeleton and modular armor covering its entire body, along with its shoulder mounted micro missile launchers and 40mm howitzers, it's practically a humanoid tank.
Therefore, whether they are rebels or infected, anyone who enters the firing range of the ARS team will be subjected to rapid fire or continuou fire attacks.
Faced with a barrage of 7.62 and 50 caliber ammunition, its powerful penetration capability instantly tore the human torso, limbs, and head to pieces.
Bang!
Pahh!
The sounds of bodies exploding and shattering echoed through the village and rainforest, blood mist filled the air, and the soil was soaked with blood and covered in flesh.
Faced with ARS, which is far ahead in all aspects such as equipment, weapons and military skills, the only fate for the infected and the rebels is death.
Moreover, there was an A-10, an AH-1W, and a CH-53E equipped with a rotary machine gun providing fire support in the air.
surrender?
Having witnessed the infected and mutants, and seeing Atlas's new equipment, coupled with the urgency of the mission, ARS disregarded the rebels' surrender.
In fact, Atlas had already developed several more mobile prototypes based on the United Defense Force (UDF) vehicles of Earth Zero-One, but they were still in the testing phase and there was no need to avoid premature exposure, so the vehicles participating in this support mission were still old models.
Leon stood up, somewhat bewildered.
He glanced at the ARS, which was using two heavily armed soldiers as mobile cover and slowly advancing into the rainforest, and then at the HK USP in his hand. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
An ARS with red shoulder armor walked up to Leon, lifted his mask to reveal a bearded man, and extended his left hand, saying.
"Sergeant Gideon Elimo, 1st Platoon Leader, 3rd Company, Rapid Reaction Force, are you alright, cadet?"
Leon put back the safety, put the HK USP back in its holster, and extended his left hand to shake hands with the other man
"Sergeant, you arrived just in time. Thank you for your assistance. If you had arrived two minutes later, I might have been fighting hand-to-hand with a knife."
"It's what we should do." Sergeant Elimo Gideon released his grip, turned his gaze to Sears and the others who emerged from the tin shack, looking even more bewildered and confused, and continued
"Cadet, our orders are to eliminate all threats and find the source of the current situation, the Stairway to the Sun. Therefore, you need to cooperate with us, act as a bridge, negotiate with civilians like Quill Sears, and assist us in completing our mission to find the Stairway to the Sun."
"Yes, Sergeant, leave it to me."
Leon nodded in agreement and walked over to Sears and the others, briefly explaining the current situation.
During this period.
The gunfire shifted from intense to sporadic, indicating that the 1st platoon of the 3rd Infantry Company had completed its sweep mission with overwhelming firepower and was now searching for any remaining enemies to finish them off.
Although infected individuals and mutants possess the intelligence to operate firearms and fight in groups, they do not know how to evade and are easily eliminated by ARS.
Seeing that defeat was inevitable, the rebels immediately scattered and fled.
However, exposing one's back to the enemy is a major taboo, as it would make one an easy target. Some, on the other hand, are smarter and try to use the terrain provided by the rainforest to hide and escape when the opportunity arises
However, with the heavy infantry's grenade launchers firing several reconnaissance missiles with dynamic detection and contour scanning capabilities into the rainforest, along with thermal imaging provided by their face covering helmets, the rebels had nowhere to hide.
The small scale conflict ended quickly.
The CH-53E, which had been circling overhead, chose a suitable location to land and unload a large number of technical and engineering personnel.
Technicians dressed in black protective suits immediately collected the body, took samples, and began the disinfection process.
Meanwhile, the engineers dressed in black overalls and orange vests were also selecting areas for disinfection, and then using the tools and materials they carried with them to carry out renovations and construction. It seemed that they were preparing to establish a sentinel in this village that could conduct testing and experiments as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, two technicians were immediately performing standard procedures for blood draws and on-site testing on Leon, Sears, and his students. To see if they had contracted infections.
After receiving green and clear results, the two technicians turned and left to continue with other tasks.
Leon covered his neck, where blood had been drawn, with a sterile cotton pad, then looked at Gideon beside him and asked, "Sergeant, what is the company planning...?"
"Control the situation. The second and third platoons have been deployed to Loja. The company will be very busy in this area until the impact of the Stairway to the Sun is minimized, Michael!"
Gideon ordered over the communicator as soon as he finished explaining.
"You and the 8th, 9th, and 10th fire teams will stay here to provide protection for the technical and engineering personnel and await the arrival of the follow-up personnel."
---------------------
"Yes, Sergeant."
Michael then looked at his team "Alright, you heard what the Sargeant said, I want this place to be clean and smooth! Make sure that every inch of this place is watched and safe! I don't want any surprises by the infected or rebels just in case they decided to surprise attack"
"Yes sir!"
-----------------
"Hmm." Gideon responded softly upon hearing the reply from the communication system, then looked back at Sears and the others, speaking in an unyielding tone.
"Professor, next you will join us deep into the rainforest to search for the ancient city and the Stairway to the Sun. Atlas will pay you and your students a substantial commission and will also recruit you to join the company, providing you with a better working and living environment."
"This... of course." Sears understood that they had been drawn into another side of the world, especially after witnessing the ARS's indiscriminate killing of rebels, and naturally knew the consequences of refusing.
"Very good." Gideon put his mask back on, and as he walked towards the northern rainforest, he raised his left hand, gave it a slight shake, and continued issuing commands
"Everyone except the guys who stayed behind, come with me and let's see what's hidden in this rainforest."
"Make sure to check your surroundings! I don't wanna see some ambushed happening!"
"Yes sir!"