The first wave of bombing by the Dawn Army inflicted massive casualties on the Hai Shan Wei's troops.

Since the apocalypse, most military units cannot compare in quality to what they were before.

Especially when dealing with aerial bombs, everyone is completely inexperienced and unaware.

So, when facing the first wave of bombing, the Rakshasa's forces suffered heavy losses.

In the core area bombed by five bombers, hardly anyone survived.

Even the perimeter of the bombing saw significant fatalities and numerous injuries.

Two regiments, over five thousand personnel, after one wave of bombing, experienced nearly two thousand casualties!

More than a third of the people lost their combat capabilities, which is entirely unacceptable for the Rakshasa.

But everything was out of their hands now, Vikrov was fortunate to survive the first wave of attacks and urgently called for reinforcements.

Along the riverfront, there were twenty helicopters patrolling this side, which was the only remaining strength of the Hai Shan Wei Air Force.

Upon learning the troops were under attack, the helicopters immediately took off to provide emergency support.

When the first wave of bombing ended, the helicopters had reached the battlefield.

The speed of the bombers was too fast, and they quickly flew away after the bombing, making it impossible to chase them.

The Rakshasa helicopter unit wanted to unleash their fury on the Dawn Army field units still attacking the air defense positions.

These helicopters were also equipped with aerial cannons, posing substantial threat to ground units.

However, they never expected that the Dawn Army's ground forces also had air defense capabilities.

The Dawn Army's regiment numbers were so large because all troop types were fully equipped.

Among these were twin-seat quadruple machine guns and air defense infantry carrying portable individual air defense missiles, all equipped to every battalion.

The helicopters didn't anticipate the presence of individual air defense missiles and machine guns, suffering significant losses right at the start.

They just approached and faced the dense firepower of the ground air defense units.

This air defense capability wouldn't flinch even against World War-era fighters, let alone mere helicopters.

One after another, individual missiles soared, and machine guns shot flames, instantly knocking down nine helicopters!

The remaining helicopters, realizing the dire situation, immediately ascended, fleeing in chaos.

Meanwhile, Dawn Army's fighters joined the battlefield.

From afar, four Attack-8 Fighters fired air-to-air missiles.

The eleven helicopters had four of them blown to pieces in the air without even sighting the enemy.

Burning fragments scattered all over the ground.

The remaining seven helicopters, faced with such circumstances, abandoned everything and turned northward to escape.

Dawn Army's fighters mercilessly pursued the escaping helicopters, firing four more air-to-air missiles.

Out of the seven helicopters, four were destroyed in the air.

A total of twenty helicopters, only three scattered and fled towards the north, disappearing into the dark night.

The fighters then joined the battlefield, using air-to-ground missiles on their planes to assault the Rakshasa Army's radar station.

This radar station was a real menace; destroying it left the Rakshasa completely blinded.

Simultaneously, the ambushed Dawn Army's second brigade and artillery unit officially launched an attack on the Rakshasa's riverfront positions.

Cannons, rocket launchers, mortars.

All the heavy artillery fired together, forming a deadly rainstorm in the sky.

On the positions, Rakshasa troops included two regiments and some auxiliary forces, totaling about six thousand personnel.

These people now dared not venture out to support Vikrov Tribe trapped in a desperate situation, the only option was to hold their positions, hoping for a turnaround.

Yet, facing the overwhelming artillery fire from the Dawn Army, they could barely lift their heads.

Watchtowers, machine gun bunkers, defensive structures, barracks by the riverfront fell one by one within the Dawn Army's attack range.

After three continuous rounds of saturated bombardment, the bombers returned once more.

This time, the bombers aimed for the Rakshasa artillery positions along the river.

After eliminating the enemy's air power, the next step was to destroy their long-range attack means.

The Rakshasa artillery had been prepared to launch a counterattack towards the Dawn Army's artillery direction, but before firing, they faced the bombers' assault.

Without any air power, they had virtually no means to counter the incoming bombers.

As massive explosions erupted on the artillery positions and small mushroom clouds rose skyward, the only option left was to abandon their positions and flee.

The painstakingly arranged artillery became scrap iron after just one wave of bombings.

After this bombing, just a few artillerymen remained, and an entire artillery battalion collapsed within minutes.

Regimental commander Xu Haoran ordered decisively, "All forces, charge!"

Anxious to move, the second regiment's warriors quickly pushed into the enemy's position perimeter on armored vehicles and transport trucks.

After another round of artillery barrage, the entire army began their assault.

The warriors of the Dawn Army wore night vision devices, enabling them to precisely lock onto targets even in the dark.

In this environment, the Rakshasa people were almost blind, relying only on the constant flashes of explosions to barely see anything.

If the Rakshasa people could rely on their positions for defense, then these thousands could still inflict significant damage on the Dawn Army.

But they completely lacked that kind of steel will, especially when facing the Dawn Army's overwhelming tactics, like a dimensional reduction strike; many lost the will to fight.

Planes roared in the sky, artillery rumbled on the ground, and the enemies launched a massive assault on their positions.

The enemy sniper was like the angel of death; anyone who showed themselves on this side died instantly.

Hiding in the machine-gun bunkers was futile as the enemy, having no means of counterattack, would brazenly concentrate artillery fire to eliminate these bunkers.

This was an asymmetrical battle, and the Rakshasa people on the Riverfront quickly lost their morale.

Surrender seemed to be the only choice left.

However, no one expected that the first to choose surrender would be Rikov's closest confidant, Brigade Commander Vikrov.

Vikrov had no choice; his armored division faced yet another bombing round from the Dawn Army.

In the dark, these steel machines completely lost their targets; without air superiority, they were utterly powerless against the Dawn Army's bombing.

Tanks turned into living coffins, exploding one after another, with soldiers inside having no chance to escape.

Only a few clever ones, realizing the tank cluster had become a target for the Dawn Army, decisively abandoned their vehicles to escape, thus avoiding disaster.

Once their own armored strength was lost, the enemy's armor could freely assault, and they had absolutely no way to counter the enemy tanks.

It was unclear why the Dawn Army's tanks were so formidable, as ordinary rocket launchers could not destroy them.

After painstakingly focusing fire to knock one down, a vehicle with a huge mechanical arm behind quickly repaired it within moments.

This black technology completely stunned Vikrov, admitting at last that the Rakshasa Team was doomed.

So, he chose to surrender first, seeing it as wise to recognize the situation; continuing to resist was foolish.

After Vikrov announced laying down arms, surrendering to Dawn Army's First Regiment Commander Wang Hu, this wave spread like an epidemic, prompting collective surrender across all Rakshasa Teams.

Vikrov acted as an effective persuader, with his call leading many demoralized Rakshasa soldiers to start surrendering en masse.

The Dawn Army swiftly collected weapons, took control of the positions, and began gathering the captives.

Only a few people were required for these tasks, as the main Dawn Army force quickly assembled and rushed towards Hai Shan Wei city.

Seeing this, Vikrov, who had surrendered, voluntarily proposed to have a call with Rikov.

Wang Hu considered for a moment and immediately agreed.

If Rikov also chose to surrender, it would save a lot of trouble.

.....

Upon receiving Vikrov's call, Rikov was already stunned; the situation inside the city was chaotic. The Dawn Army infiltrated everywhere, causing destruction, and many vital buildings were demolished. His troops couldn't even make a thorough search for the Dawn Army; instead, they became emergency response teams, rescuing people he had no choice but to help.

However, the rapid collapse along the Riverfront made his heart pound with fear.

That area housed over 12,000 troops, yet in less than an hour, they were routed.

The Riverfront was the doorway to Hai Shan Wei city, and entering from there meant a clear path to the city.

Because of the Riverfront's existence, the defenses at Hai Shan Wei's southern gate were almost non-existent.

Hence, the Dawn Army could quickly turn their focus and drive forward to attack Hai Shan Wei city.

He hoped Vikrov could hold out for a period, at least giving him control over the concentration camp captives, which might offer some leverage to negotiate with Ye Fan.

Yet, unexpectedly, Vikrov called to inform him that he had surrendered.

"General, Vikrov isn't a coward, but I don't want our Rakshasa people dying for nothing. Ye Fan, the leader, is merciful; if you choose surrender, I believe you will be treated well."

"Vikrov! You're talking nonsense!"

Furious, Rikov's temper exploded; he lost all decorum and began cursing.

Vikrov continued to persuade: "General, this scenario was triggered by us. We shouldn't have forcibly captured over 20,000 Qin Han people, sparking retaliation from the Dawn Army. Ye Fan values civilians highly; you should understand this point."

"Get lost! You shameless traitor! You're a disgrace to our Rakshasa! If I see you, I'll shoot you dead!"

In a fit of rage, Rikov smashed the radio, issuing insane orders.

"Continue the assault! Ignore those Dawn Army scoundrels causing havoc inside the city and focus all firepower; capture the concentration camp within ten minutes, or we'll all die here!"

His adjutant quickly complied but couldn't help reminding him: "General, the Dawn Army is approaching the south gate; how do we defend against them?"

Rikov opened his mouth, and suddenly, a vicious plan emerged.

"Vikrov, the traitor, is right about one thing: Ye Fan indeed values civilians. He's attacking Hai Shan Wei painstakingly; he'll accept our Rakshasa people. Have the civilians form a human wall at the south gate to block them; if this tactic can delay Ye Fan for…no, twenty minutes, I can capture the concentration camp!"

The adjutant paused, then displayed a ruthless expression.

"The general is correct; Qin Han people always talk about benevolence and care for civilians; Ye Fan likely possesses some compassion. If he does, we can turn the tables!"

"Exactly, remember to also round up some Qin Han people in the city; though they've immigrated here, they are still of Qin Han blood. Maybe Ye Fan won't relent against us, but facing his compatriots, will he really strike?"

Rikov spoke with murderous intent; desperate for survival, he would stop at nothing.

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