8 Chapter 8 Cruel War
After a brief battle, Kyle began to scavenge the battlefield for spoils of war.
Once the German soldiers died, all the items they carried became extractable as their owners had died making them ownerless.
"Hmm, what's this?" Kyle looked at the two parchment scrolls he found on a German soldier and, with a thought, two Item Cards appeared before his eyes.
[Encrypted Map 1]: Contains detailed topographic maps of the German forces' operational area and the location of their temporary base.
[Encrypted Map 2]: Contains information collected by the German elite squad on the distribution of American forces, their camps, and supply routes in the operational area.
"No wonder they dared to venture deep into enemy territory. It turns out they dispatched an elite squad from Germany." Kyle wore a pensive expression on his face as he realized the significance of the two parchment maps he held in his hand and he kept them as Item Cards.
These maps were like strategies, providing information on the distribution of forces for both sides, as well as detailed terrain of the local area. No wonder the German forces were putting so much pressure on the Americans.
Kyle swiftly collected the equipment from the German soldiers and transferred them to his military vehicle.
When it came to ammunition, Kyle never considered it too much. He claimed all the military supplies that should have been looted by the enemy, without feeling the slightest bit of guilt in his heart.
Finally, looking at the military vehicle that he had completely emptied, Kyle cleared the two dead American soldiers from the driver's seat and turned the slightly damaged military vehicle into a Card, which he carried with him.
With the card collection complete, Kyle was now fully armed, carrying a carload of military supplies.
Feeling fully prepared, Kyle stood on a small mound and gazed at the nearby combat zone. He pondered quietly, "It's time to join the frontline battle."
Having experienced his first kill in this new life, Kyle had a deeper understanding of his own abilities. With the Ability Cards and Item Cards he possessed, he had the confidence to face even a large-scale war.
Since war was an inevitable part of his reborn life, he welcomed it with even greater intensity!
On the frontline battlefield...
"Boom!"
"Ratatatat!"
The overlapping sounds of cannons and gunfire resembled a thunderous symphony. The red and blue flames erupted from the muzzles, while the explosions of shells and grenades created dazzling flashes in the night, as the American and German soldiers fiercely clashed against each other.
The US forces mainly focused on defense, using piled-up dirt and stone trenches as cover, forming a linear formation to continuously block the advancing German soldiers.
Despite the constant harvest of German lives by bullets and shells, the German forces persisted in their inch-by-inch invasion, using the bodies of their fallen comrades as cover. The distance between the two combat zones was shrinking by the minute.
"These damn Nazis have lost their minds. They're nothing but war-crazed maniacs!" A black sergeant leading a group of American soldiers clenched his teeth and spoke with bloodshot eyes as he scanned the soldiers around him who were struggling to hold on.
He tightened his fists and shouted into the radio, "Our soldiers are running out of ammunition! Haven't the reinforcements and supplies from the rear arrived yet?!"
"At this rate, our defense line can only hold on for another ten minutes--"
Before the sergeant could finish his sentence, a heavy artillery explosion roared in the area, and a shell landed a few meters away from him, obliterating a nearby soldier.
"What's this?" The sergeant was thrown to the ground by the shockwave of the explosion. Ignoring the ringing in his ears and the discomfort in his body, he struggled to stand up and looked forward from the destroyed trench and saw a huge machine crawling like a monster. The wheels on that machine crushed the bodies of countless German soldiers into mincemeat as it moved.
"Those damn Nazis! They held back until now, and they even deployed tanks? I was wrong. It's not ten minutes, it's ten seconds before our defensive line is breached!" The sergeant's face was filled with despair as he looked at this scene.
As the German tank advanced while adjusting its firing direction, a loud, thunderous explosion resounded behind the sergeant just moments before the second shell was fired.
"Boom!"
The rocket artillery not only produced a piercing sound but also emitted thick smoke from its tail, tracing a parabolic curve through the air. With impeccable accuracy, it crossed a distance of forty meters and landed directly on the barrel of the German tank.
Coincidentally, the second shell of the tank had yet to be fired from the barrel, but it was instantly engulfed in a brilliant explosion, turning the tank into a pile of scrap metal. This caused significant casualties among the nearby German soldiers who were trying to advance.
"Nice!" The American soldiers who witnessed this scene became elated, including the black sergeant.
The sergeant's eyes widened as he saw this scene and the situation, which seemed hopeless, instantly turned around with a single rocket artillery shot. Unable to resist, he turned his head o look at the person who accomplished it.
Several meters behind the trench defense line, just beyond the soldier's view, a sturdy and handsome young man stood with a Rocket launcher slung over his shoulder. It was none other than Kyle, who had hurriedly arrived.
Seeing the soldiers' gazes focused on him, Kyle smiled faintly and introduced himself, "Soldier Kyle, here to reinforce the frontline!"
This grueling and brutal defense war lasted throughout the night!
From the darkness until the pale dawn broke on the eastern horizon, the German army finally abandoned their suicidal breakthrough attempts and retreated like a receding tide.
This could be considered a temporary victory for the American forces— A pyrrhic victory (A Pyrrhic victory is a success that comes with great losses or unacceptable costs.)!
The defense line was divided by a line of life and death. The bodies of German and American soldiers piled up like mountains on the desolate battlefield, turning several miles of land into scorched earth, tainted by dark-red blood.
Countless surviving American soldiers lacked the strength to cheer. After enduring a night of continuous high-intensity combat, their bodies and minds were exhausted. Many soldiers collapsed unconscious on the ground, their hands still tightly gripping their rifles.
Kyle was equally fatigued and sat in a trench covered in bloodstains and mud. This night's experience was unlike anything he had ever encountered or experienced before.
Despite his marksman skills, where a single bullet could claim a life, the harsh survival conditions on the battlefield, combined with the relentless enemy onslaught, put immense pressure on him.
It was like a tug of war-with death, requiring his body to remain tense at all times. Any slight relaxation could result in bullets piercing through any part of his body.
This was the reality of large-scale warfare!
Only when the enemy retreated did Kyle throw the red-hot firearm barrel to the ground. The rifle hissed and emitted smoke as it touched the slightly wet ground, clearly rendered useless after fulfilling its duty.
"Soldier, your name is Kyle, right?" The black sergeant struggled to approach him. His left eye was completely damaged, and one of his hands hung down due to a gunshot wound.
However, he grinned, revealing his white teeth, and said, "Considering how young you are, this must be your first time on the battlefield, right?"
"That's right." Kyle nodded while he gasped for breath.
"It truly is your first time on the battlefield, and to encounter such a large-scale war. Your performance was exceptional, far beyond that of a rookie. I'll personally recommend you for commendation to the Colonel when we return," The sergeant praised.
"Whatever. After experiencing such a war, feeling alive is already a blessing," Kyle reflected.
"Indeed. Just being alive is a stroke of luck." The sergeant smiled and said, "Let's wait a bit longer. Reinforcements from the rear will arrive soon to relieve us, and we can rest for half a day."
"Rest? I'm afraid I can't do that." Kyle shook his head and tapped the pocket of his military uniform, saying, "I have something important that I need to submit to the Colonel!"
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