Incoming Massive Attack

Taking the bridge did not mean the end of the fight, as many German soldiers remained on the other side. However, lacking the advantage of terrain, the German soldiers could no longer resist the advance of the 2nd Airborne Battalion.

Riding the momentum, the 2nd Airborne Battalion charged across the bridge and, after a 12-hour fierce battle, finally crushed the remaining 300 German soldiers south of the Rhine by nightfall. Around a hundred or so German soldiers were killed on the spot, the rest were captured, half of them slain in action with just over a hundred left alive under the strict supervision of the British paratroopers.

Remarkably, over thirty German soldiers were killed by locals who cheered heartily when they saw the British paratroopers successfully seize the bridge. During the battle, these Dutch civilians were huddled in basements out of sight. Once the fighting ceased, the streets were filled with locals, some unfurling flags to celebrate their liberation by the British.

At this point, the officers and soldiers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion had been fighting for 4 days and nights with minimal rest, leaving them utterly exhausted. But they could not rest just yet.

Frost learned from a captured German officer that the 2nd Armored Division of Germany had just returned home for repairs and happened to pass through Arnhem. Therefore, there were 2 tank divisions on standby in the Arnhem area, not just an infantry battalion as they thought. This news almost made Frost collapse on the spot, so he immediately dispersed the civilians, collected weapons and ammunition, rebuilt fortifications, and frantically called for support from the headquarters every half hour, urging the ground forces to hurry up.

However, the 2nd Army Group was still battling poor road conditions on the infamous "Hell's Highway," and their response to Frost was to order them to hold on and wish them good luck.

Frost vented his anger on the radio, cursing loudly. A few adventurers carrying guns walked past, one of them giving Frost a scornful middle finger.

Their "sickness" had entirely disappeared after capturing the bridge.

Keanu rushed over and said to several adventurers, "I warn you, don't treat him with that kind of attitude."

An adventurer tried to argue, "We could have waited a few more days if it wasn't for this damn Major insisting on taking the bridge now."

A spirit gun was immediately pointed at his forehead. Keanu coldly said, "He's a soldier, obeying orders is his duty! You would do well to learn to respect soldiers. Regardless, we successfully delayed for 3 days, and that's a victory!"

Several adventurers wisely moved away. Keanu patted Frost's shoulder and said, "I know your mood isn't great right now and no one could prepare for something like this. But I must remind you, the Germans are on full retreat, and the nearest German troops are just 4 hours away. This means, theoretically, we only have 4 to 6 hours to strengthen our defenses. What's worse is we can't just hold the bridge. We've got to stop them outside the town before they reach the bridge. Frost, pull yourself together. The 2nd Airborne Battalion needs you; we need you. We all need your leadership for the coming battle!"

Frost snapped out of it. He was an exceptional soldier, just momentarily shaken by the news. Keanu's reminder brought him back to his senses.

"Thanks for the reminder, Keanu. I need you and your companions' help. But I don't need the kind of performance from yesterday and the day before. I need your actions from the first day."

"Of course," Keanu affirmed. "We are here to help you. My companions and I promise to follow your command."

Gratitude filled Frost's eyes as he looked at Keanu. He had once felt resentment towards Keanu for delaying the capture of the bridge and even inciting the adventurers to mutiny. But now, after confirming that Keanu was right, it was the same person who stood firm, squashed all opposition, and unwaveringly supported him.

"So how long did you say we had?"

"4 to 6 hours."

"Well, our first move should be to buy more time." Frost unfolded a map. "Look, if the Arnhem garrison wants to enter this area, they can only come from the south via the highway. Their tanks are too heavy, only this road can bear the weight. Therefore, our first step will be to destroy the road to prevent the tanks from entering the town."

"That's a good idea." Keanu's eyes brightened.

"We would need to destroy at least a mile's length of the road, making the damage as extensive as possible to not give the enemy any time to repair. But we don't have enough explosives."

"Perhaps my people can solve this problem. They should have a way." "That would be ideal. With the tanks taken care of, we'd be facing masses of German infantry. So we need to establish several lines of defense, trading space for time. We should start setting up ambushes at the end of the highway, to stop them in stages."

"I think we should place more people on both sides of the road, in buildings, and the woods," suggested Major Ralph. "These are all effective hiding spots suitable for guerrilla tactics."

"You're right, and we need to collect as many guns as possible because we're running low on ammunition," added Frost.

Ralph responded, "We're already on it. Thankfully we managed to secure three solid 150mm self-propelled guns though the ammunition is sparse. And there's a tank too that's good except for its damaged track."

"Well, then we'll use the tank as artillery and the artillery as a tank," Keanu answered, making the 3 men laugh. At that moment, any prior ill sentiments dissipated.

Frost clapped a hand on Keanu's shoulder and motioned for him to follow. They moved to a clear area with a view of the remote highway. In the not-so-distant view stood a tall church, the famous Arnhem Cathedral.

"Keanu, I need you to place an excellent sniper in the bell tower of the Arnhem Cathedral. He must be able to spot and eliminate key targets immediately."

"No problem."

"Assign a sniper over there and over there as well to establish a triangular field of fire."

"Can do."

"And here, station your 2 heavy gunmen."

Keanu noted down each instruction, then raised his head to ask, "What about the others?"

"The rest will form an assault team," Frost pointed to a small side road next to the highway. "When the Germans launch their frontal attack on the highway, I need a strong assault on their flank. I can give you another 40 troops. Besides engaging the enemy, you also have an important mission—to recover as much heavy firepower as possible, the best scenario would be to salvage some tanks."

Frost's face was stern as he issued these instructions.

The paratroopers, individually, had the upper hand over the average infantry in terms of skill. However, their equipment fell short, especially with heavy firepower. After all, nobody could skydive with a tank or cannon strapped to their back.

The 2nd Airborne's defeat in the Battle of Market Garden was not due to their numerical disadvantage, but rather their lack of heavy artillery support. The adventurers' effective long-range suppression of the enemy artillery had given the 2nd Airborne a fighting chance. The 2 units complemented each other.

Now, Frost needs Keanu's team to recover as many heavy weapons as possible in preparation for upcoming battles.

Keanu eyed the road which seemed to descend into hell and let out a whistle, "Alright then, leave it to me."

Returning to the cluster of adventurers, he called out the one with the powerful skill, "We need to destroy at least a mile on that road. Can your Sky Fall do that?"

Looking at the highway, the adventurer replied, "A mile? That's too long. I specialize in area damage, not shock attacks. I can't cover that distance."

"So, it's not possible. Who has a way to destroy that stretch of road? We need to block the enemy's tanks."

"Why do we necessarily have to destroy the road to block the tanks?" Kitty suddenly interjected. "There's plenty of decommissioned tanks around here. We could move them, forming a barricade across the road."

A light bulb lit in Keanu's mind, "That could work, but the tanks could possibly just bulldoze through."

"In that case, we'll dig pits behind the barricades, tanks would fall into them creating a new obstacle," Max suggested.

"We could also plant some landmines."

As the crowd pitched in, a wealth of ideas for blocking the tank assaults emerged. Fortunately, they were an adventurer team: scenarios, where others would struggle, were merely a walk in the park for them.

Some of the destroyed tanks were forcibly pushed onto the road, with the adventurers who had enhanced attack power playing a crucial role at this moment. Explosives cratered the highway, while the adventurer known for his Sky Fall blasted a deeper trench behind the rubble. Wyatt used his Hard Impact to fall dozens of large trees, blocking the road with them as well. A handful of landmines were carefully placed in various locations along the road, hidden beneath the logs.

4 hours later, throughout the one-mile stretch, the road was either sunken with craters or barricaded with piles of metallic debris. Whenever the German tanks would reach this stretch, they'd be signing up for a painfully harrowing ride through a minefield.