BXBX NOVEL Chapter 206: Seven Rings [1/2]
The 2nd Amendment Combat Doctrine required:
1. Soldiers - we needed people willing to fight the undead.
2. Weapons - our goal was to allow even Formless and Non-Combat Manifested to fight.
3. Supplies - We needed our people to have what they needed.
4. Survivability - the plan was useless if everyone died.
5. Reconnaissance - going in blind would get people killed.
6. Incentive and Reward - we needed to give people a reason to fight.
7. Continuous improvement. - Zombies get stronger, so we should too.
It sounded complicated, but it was simple. Originally, I was the only reason we could fight with guns. But as time went on, the team became less and less dependent on me. As I reduced my involvement, the rest of the squad stepped up to fill the gaps.
The soldiers portion was taken care of by the original members of the squad. They were both willing and competent in combat. When I delegated command to Joshua, he performed even better than I did. So there were no problems.
When Joshua was busy, Mike and Santiago used their military backgrounds to help the rest of the squad. Scott was the muscle of the group, doing the hardest jobs which took the load off everyone else.
As for weapons, guns became our solution to allowing weak people to fight. The gun and physics did all the work that would enable even women and children to kill zombies.
Supplies were handled by {Rewind}. Ammunition, which would become the worst problem, was solved by {Reload}.
From a logistical point of view, the use of guns would not be possible without {Reload}. Both because it was impossible to buy large quantities in Hellsgate, and it would be too expensive even to try.
Other supplies such as food, curatives, fortifications, and even blessed rounds were no problem as long as they were contained in our {Autos}.
Our survivability, on the other hand, relied less on armor and more on {Rewind}, which was a second life, and {Regen}, which was excellent healing.
The {Honey Trap} soulgears, floodlights, and even the barbed wire were all for the same purpose. Last but not least, the investment in Sacreds allowed the team to take on tougher opponents.
Originally, they relied on me for scouting. However, with the addition of the floodlight and barbed wire, they no longer needed my aid in detection. After the group shared their {Fates} Warren's instincts and warnings have become more and more credible.
Claire also served as a 2nd detector, as she somehow detected undead almost as effectively as I did. Santiago started setting fire to the barbed wire, which further improved the situation.
As for incentive and reward as well as continuous improvement, Phillip and the LLG would help process and liquidate anything the 2nd Amendment hunts. Both parties needed the other or they could not function.
The outcome of this night illustrated how overwhelming this setup was. Sure, they relied heavily on my {fates}, but it was only after everything came together that it became a viable plan of action.
"With the current setup, they should be fine even if I were to disappear. Once Joshua, and the others registered as mercenaries, even Phillip's problems would be solved. The main problem was what they would do when the loans for my {Fates} ended."
The current battle doctrine would be broken if they suddenly lost {Rewind} and {Reload}. This meant that if my {Fate} suddenly became unavailable, they wouldn't be able to continue like tonight.
For this reason, I had Phillip give me large jars and had them stored in this meeting room. I used a knife to slit my wrists and filled seven jars with my blood.
Each jar was the equivalent of maybe four or five pints of blood. If normal people fainted from filling just one jar, I had to fill seven. {Regen} and {Eat} helped me to endure, though I ended up eating two Snickers bars to keep me going after losing so much blood.
If the 2nd Amendment members loaded my blood and abused {Auto}, it would be impossible for them to lose my {Fates}. With the excess of {Honey Trap} soulgears and the support of LLG, the hope and vigor that my actions managed to inspire should continue even after my death.
If I had nothing to show for it when I died as a human, I felt like I had accomplished something great right now. Should I die in the Seeker War, at least I helped establish the 2nd Amendment and the Limitless Logistics Group.
I remembered the group hug the squad had shared earlier. As well as the happy faces of the LLG when they were paid. Both were a far cry from the countless dead Reapers I had encountered. And both were due to my efforts.
"Haha, I must be getting old to be so sentimental."
Even the gamblers who got rich from my actions should be able to live longer. But perhaps the most important thing I did was to save the Sirens.
The fact that they survived the enlistment was my proudest achievement. And even though I didn't save Lilly, I already had the information she desperately wanted. Saving Aki's brother was also a happy coincidence. It was like a bonus.
Bella remarked that she had never even heard of Formless Phantoms before. But now, even without me, the seven of them would mark a new beginning.
Once the 2nd Amendment squad evolved to the next level, Formless would become an active part of the Reaper War.
With most things taken care of, my last concern was for the people I would be leaving behind.
Caroline should be fine, so I don't really care as long as she's happy. I never met her or even spoke to her since I became a Reaper. Hopefully, the chances of assassins coming for her were slim.