Five years ago, when mutated birds ravaged the northeastern region, the survivors there were forced to migrate. Life in the northeast had become unsustainable, with no other option but to flee south. Even simple farming was impossible, as mutated birds and beasts would seize all the grain in autumn, leaving no food for humans. Survival in the northeast was simply not an option.
Furthermore, the mini ice age had arrived, bringing years of drought to the north, resulting in near crop failures. Every winter, the north suffered from snowstorms, making it impossible to venture out for nearly four to five years. Survival in such conditions was virtually impossible, not to mention the vast primeval forests in the northeast, teeming with an unknown number of mutated beasts, any of which could attack at any moment.
Consequently, satellite imagery in recent years showed a dimming of lights in the northeastern region. Everyone assumed that there were no more large human bases in the northeast. However, the reality defied expectations. Just when everyone believed the northeast was beyond hope, an army suddenly emerged and marched directly towards Siberia in the north. This action shocked many, as no one had anticipated such formidable strength in the northeast.
Subsequently, network signals were received from Ice City, and a stranger appeared on the screen. Those who recognized him identified him as the grandson of Marshal He. After several years, he had unexpectedly arrived in the northeast.
"A while ago, we dispatched eight thousand people to accompany Lord Fengshen to the north to avenge the fallen in the northeast. Our future goal is to return to Yanjing and rebuild this devastated city. This operation is also under the command of Lord Fengshen, and all plans are formulated by Fengshen. We fight for all the people under heaven," He Qiu'an stated his objectives in the released video.
This video quickly garnered immense attention. The emergence of mutated birds had plunged the world into turmoil for a long time, a turmoil that no one could resolve. Although Shen Feng had been fighting the mutated birds, his efforts had yielded minimal results. However, a large-scale operation had now commenced. If the threat posed by the mutated birds could be resolved in one fell swoop, it would undoubtedly bring peace back to the world.
Meanwhile, in a valley in Siberia, Shen Feng was directing his subordinates in setting up formations. This was a marshy area, abundant with fish and shrimp, and it had long been a habitat for mutated birds. However, mutated birds had not been active in this valley recently.
Shen Feng walked through the valley and noticed numerous dead insects on the ground. Upon picking one up, he realized they were all mealworms.
Since the discovery of a new type of mealworm in Jinling, its promotion had spread throughout the country. Not only was this new type of mealworm being bred domestically, but it had also appeared abroad. When fed to mutated birds, these mealworms rendered them sterile, hence their widespread distribution globally.
"It seems the reason for the absence of mutated birds here is that they discovered these mealworms," Shen Feng murmured to himself.
Mutated birds were highly sensitive to food. If the food was toxic, the death of even one bird would quickly alert the others. Therefore, poisoning mutated birds was not an easy task. However, mealworms were different. They did not cause immediate effects when consumed by mutated birds, only reducing their reproductive rates.
In the earlier years, mutated birds had shown no signs of abnormality. Whenever they found new mealworms on the ground, they would devour them completely. But in the last two years, scientists had observed that mutated birds had gradually stopped eating mealworms. Perhaps the mutated birds had realized they could no longer lay eggs after consuming the mealworms and had thus ceased eating them.
"These mutated birds are truly cunning. Their intelligence has increased, and now they are no longer falling for it," Shen Feng said with a sigh, looking at the dead mealworms on the ground.
Finally, after a week, the group completed the formation setup. Defensive positions were established throughout the marshland. These positions were extremely sturdy, with a hundred men stationed in each.
Before the battle commenced, everyone was filled with despair, having prepared for death. Although the final solution to this battle would rely on the powder of mutated mushrooms, before deploying this trump card, they would face the frenzied onslaught of the mutated birds. It was uncertain how many would survive this ordeal.
To alleviate the somber mood, Gong Changfa ordered everyone to eat and drink to their heart's content on the eve of the battle. Venting their stress before the fight was a good approach. However, drinking alcohol was out of the question, as intoxication could easily lead to mistakes. Therefore, everyone drank fruit juice.
"Brothers, eat well and drink well. I might be leaving first in a couple of days," one burly man couldn't help but say during the feast.
"Don't say such things. Perhaps we will survive," someone nearby immediately chimed in, trying to dissuade his companion from such pessimism.
However, the burly man said with tears in his eyes, "To tell you the truth, I have no intention of returning alive from this expedition. If it weren't to avenge my parents, I wouldn't have come here at all. I've already heard that we are facing over ten million mutated birds. With so many birds in the sky, how can we possibly survive? Frankly, we are just bait."
Upon hearing these disheartening words, the others fell silent. They were aware of the plan: before Shen Feng could make his move, they had to withstand the pressure from the mutated birds. Ten million mutated birds could easily destroy a city. It was equivalent to each person facing an assault from a thousand birds; it would be fortunate if they weren't torn to shreds.
"It seems we can only fight on. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of us will survive," someone tried to smooth things over, and the feasting continued.
After the banquet concluded, many were weeping quietly, knowing that their demise was imminent. Before departing, these individuals had contemplated their potential deaths, but when the day finally arrived, they were still filled with fear.
Shen Feng and Gong Changfa sat on a distant mountain, observing the various emotions in the camp. Shen Feng couldn't help but ask, "Many of them don't want to die, yet you are still going through with this plan. Don't you have any regrets?"
Gong Changfa replied with a sigh, "How can we end this chaotic era without any sacrifice? As long as we can kill a large number of mutated birds, any sacrifice is worth it. Their deaths will bring new life to others, and at the very least, we will no longer be attacked by mutated birds in the autumn and winter."
At this point, Shen Feng understood Gong Changfa's intentions. The sacrifices of these individuals were for the sake of a better future for posterity. It was precisely because they desired a better life for future generations that they were launching this battle. Otherwise, Ice City would have no way forward. Moreover, if Ice City could achieve victory in this battle, its prestige would undoubtedly soar, and if they were to lead people back to Yanjing in the future, they would certainly become a significant power in the north.
The next day, the war finally began. Yu Chenggang appeared first, standing with Gong Changfa at the center of the basin. They then unleashed their abilities, releasing waves of invisible electromagnetic waves. The people in the surrounding defensive positions stood ready, awaiting the arrival of the ferocious mutated birds.
Shen Feng, meanwhile, was in the command center, overseeing the battle. Gong Changfa had entrusted the command to Shen Feng with complete confidence, allowing him to direct the troops. Numerous trucks were repurposed as temporary barracks, and shipping containers appeared in the marshland. These containers served as living quarters, and ammunition and food were stored within them.
Shen Feng immediately ordered his subordinates to activate the radar to search for targets. "Turn on the radar. We must know when the mutated birds will arrive. Also, maintain constant contact with the positions in the marshland to ensure we can reach every position at any time."
Shen Feng was a seasoned veteran, particularly familiar with positional warfare. He was not adept at large-scale flanking operations; his preferred combat style was defensive counterattack.
After issuing his orders, Shen Feng began monitoring the radar search results, hoping to see if Gong Changfa's envisioned scenario would materialize. If Yu Chenggang's guiding electromagnetic waves proved ineffective, wouldn't all their preparations be in vain?
However, very soon, mutated birds began to appear in the sky, and the radar also detected their presence. Shortly thereafter, dark shapes appeared in the distant sky. These mutated birds started as mere specks but gradually grew larger, eventually obscuring the sky.
Siberia was already a habitat for many mutated birds. Every summer, mutated birds would forage and breed here. Now, after Yu Chenggang released the specialized electromagnetic waves to attract mutated birds, the birds in the surrounding areas seemed to be drawn to the location and flew towards it.
Mutated birds harbored a deep-seated hatred for humans. Upon discovering humans in their habitat, they immediately launched an attack. Giant birds descended from the sky, preparing to peck at human bodies with their sharp beaks, emitting piercing cries as they swooped down.
"Open fire, open fire quickly! We must hold back these mutated birds and absolutely prevent them from disrupting our formations," the commanders in the positions roared.
Over a hundred positions instantly began firing. Hot bullets spewed from the gun barrels, soaring towards the sky. Mutated birds were flesh and blood; upon being hit by bullets, their bodies were torn apart, and they fell into the marshland, their blood staining the water red.
The marshland basin Shen Feng had chosen was vast. Although over ten thousand people were dispersed, they were still vastly outnumbered by the seemingly endless swarm of mutated birds in the sky. Countless mutated birds descended from the sky, and in an instant, the entire vast basin was filled.
Shen Feng could clearly see this from the command post and knew that the soldiers could only rely on their own strength to fight the mutated birds. His own intervention would signal the nearing end of the battle, as mutated birds would flee if their numbers were significantly depleted.
"We must hold on, otherwise everything will be in vain!" Shen Feng cheered them on in his heart.
Not long after the battle began, casualties started to mount. If they had high ground for support and cover from teammates in a city, the battle would have been much easier. However, here in the marshland, they were fighting with their backs against the wall. The surroundings were open, with no cover, making it incredibly easy for mutated birds to attack the soldiers in the positions.
Some mutated birds flew close to the ground, reaching the vicinity of the positions. They seized a soldier and flew into the sky. The others quickly opened fire, trying to rescue their comrade. However, once in the air, the mutated bird cruelly dropped the person in its claws. The person fell to the ground, instantly breaking both legs. Subsequently, other mutated birds swarmed down and killed the soldier with broken legs.
Shen Feng had chosen this location for the battle because the surrounding terrain was elevated, forcing the mutated birds to ascend higher during their flight, thus expending their energy. Moreover, the terrain would also aid him when he unleashed his abilities. He had not anticipated, however, that the current terrain would pose such difficulties for the fighting soldiers.