Once inside Paris, the fighting became more complicated.
The narrow streets limited the Iron Guard's mobility, and the ruins were dotted with simulated ambush points.
"Switch to urban warfare mode," Maine ordered.
The Iron Guards were reassigned to provide long-range fire support, while Dorio and Rita led ground troops to clear the building floor by floor.
With the help of the exoskeleton, Cage is now able to perform cleaning tasks skillfully.
"Clear the second floor."
"The street on the left is safe."
The squad members took turns providing cover and steadily advanced.
After several hours of intense fighting, the team finally arrived at the Louvre Square.
The museum in front of us has partially collapsed, and the square is scattered with mimics of the ruins and traces of the UDF's early failed attack.
"The entrance is here." Rita led the group to an inconspicuous underground passage. "The reservoir is down below."
The passage was dark and damp, with only the lights on the team's equipment illuminating the way ahead.
The deeper you go, the more obvious the peculiar energy fluctuations in the air become.
"High-intensity energy signals detected," Sasha reported, her voice tense. "There are also a large number of biological signals."
When they finally entered the underground reservoir, the sight before them was astonishing.
Within the vast space, countless mimics surged like a tide, among which were several Alpha individuals emitting a ghostly blue light.
In the center of the reservoir, an exceptionally large energy source is pulsating regularly.
"Omega…" Rita whispered.
The mimics swarm detected the intruder and immediately surged forward like a tide.
The battle erupted instantly.
"Establish a defensive perimeter!" Maine shouted.
The Iron Guards formed a fire barrier at the reservoir entrance, and Rebecca's plasma cannon could clear a large area with each shot.
"Attempt to capture Alpha!" Maine ordered.
Sasha and Lucy quickly set up the capture device.
On the first launch, the capture net successfully trapped one Alpha, but just as the cryogenic coolant began to take effect, another Alpha attacked from the flank, destroying a critical component of the device with its energy tentacles.
"The device has malfunctioned!" Sasha reported.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
More Alphas joined the battle, clearly aware of the threat posed by the capture devices, and began targeting the technical members.
"Retreat! We are unprepared!" Maine made a decisive decision.
But it was too late.
Just as they began to retreat, the energy source in the center of the reservoir suddenly burst forth with a blinding light.
A familiar feeling of dizziness washed over me.
"Spacetime fluctuation detected!" Sasha's voice was drowned out by the dizziness of the reset.
When Maine regained consciousness, he was standing inside the swaying landing craft, the familiar roar of engines in his ears.
The loop reset again, but they brought back valuable intelligence: Omega's location was confirmed, and the plan to capture Alpha required more thorough preparation.
Rebecca cursed into the comms channel, then said, "Next time, bring more explosives."
Dorio inspected her boxing gloves: "We need a better entry strategy."
Cage took a deep breath and gripped his weapon tightly.
Now they know where their goal is and what awaits them. Next time, they will be much better prepared.
——
After the dizziness from the reset subsided, Maine's team returned to the landing craft's cabin. This time, no one showed surprise or hesitation.
"Seventeenth cycle confirmation." Falco's voice rang out immediately in the encrypted channel.
"According to the pre-arranged plan, contact Rita first," Maine ordered. Through repeated practice, they had figured out the most efficient procedure: quickly establish contact with Rita in the early stages of the landing and persuade her to join using the known intelligence.
After the landing operation began, the squad quickly broke through the beachhead following the optimized route.
Dorio and Cage headed straight for Rita's usual combat area. As Rita looked at the approaching pair with wary eyes, Cage spoke directly: "Full Metal bitch, you once killed eighty-four mimics in a single day during the Wilder campaign. You lost your time loop ability because you received a blood transfusion during surgery."
Rita's pupils contracted sharply, and she lowered her weapon slightly: "How could you..."
"We're trapped in this cycle too," Dorio said succinctly. "Join us, this time we're going straight for the heart of the enemy."
Having had previous experience working together, Rita was quickly persuaded.
Her addition provided the team with valuable combat experience and a deeper understanding of the local terrain.
Upon returning to the temporary base, a tactical meeting was immediately convened.
Maine retrieved the data recorded in the previous loop: "There were three main reasons for the failure of the last assault: the route selection was not optimized enough, the urban warfare was inefficient, and the capture device was not reliable enough in complex environments."
"I suggest we adjust our route," Rita said, pointing to the map. "Avoid the main roads and utilize the underground tunnel system. Although it will increase the distance by 20%, it will reduce the probability of combat by 60%."
Lucy's quadrupedal machine data supports this judgment: "Scans show that the frequency of mimics activity in the underground passage is indeed low."
"The equipment also needs adjustments," Sasha suggested. "The capture device needs enhanced protection, especially the energy core. I recommend using Iron Guard's spare armor plates for reinforcement."
Rebecca inspected her plasma bombardment: "I need a more flexible mounting method; heavy weapons are too slow to turn in urban warfare."
After discussion, the team decided to make several improvements:
The underground passage route recommended by Rita was adopted;
Add a protective housing to the capture device;
Convert Rebecca's heavy weapons to a mobile deployment mode;
Adjusting the formation allows the Iron Guards to provide better fire support in confined spaces.
A new offensive has begun. The improved plan immediately showed its effects. The underground passages significantly reduced the number of encounters, allowing the squad to conserve more energy for crucial battles.
"The exit ahead leads to District Seven," Rita pointed out. "Be careful, there are usually ambushes here."
Sure enough, just as they were about to exit the passage, a group of mimics burst in from the ventilation duct above. But this time the team was prepared.
"Crossfire, cover the exit," Maine calmly commanded.
Dorio and Rita attacked from both sides simultaneously, their teamwork already quite seamless.
Dorio was responsible for frontal suppression, while Rita used her agility to launch flanking attacks. With the aid of his exoskeleton, Cage was able to keep up with their pace and fill in any gaps in their defenses.
"Good teamwork," Rita said to Cage after a successful coordinated operation.
Cage wiped his sweat: "It was all driven by death."
Rebecca's plasma cannon becomes significantly more powerful in urban combat after being switched to mobile mode. She can quickly move to high ground and deliver precise fire coverage.
"Left wing cleared!" she reported triumphantly.
Valerie and Jackie also adjusted the Iron Guard's tactics. In the narrow streets, they no longer pursued mobility, but instead served as fixed firing points, providing continuous fire support for the advancing squads.
The improvements to the capture device are also showing initial results. In a new round of testing, it successfully withstood a mimic attack, preserving its core components.
"The protection is effective," Sasha recorded the data with satisfaction, "but the cooling system still needs further optimization."
As the number of rounds increased, the team members' coordination became increasingly refined. Cage and Rita had fully integrated into the team, their local knowledge perfectly complementing Maine's team's advanced technology.
"Look over there," Rita said during a short break, pointing to a building in the distance. "That's the Louvre. We're getting closer."
Maine's optical lens was focused on the distant buildings.
After seventeen rounds of practice, their tactics have become increasingly refined, and their teamwork has become more and more seamless. Although they don't yet know what challenges await them, they are ready.
"Keep pushing," Maine ordered. "This time we must break through the last line of defense."
The team members quickly regrouped and continued their advance towards their goal.
Each cycle brings them closer to the truth, and each failure makes them stronger. In this endless loop of time, they are growing at an astonishing pace.