Chapter 006: The Arrival of the Black Death

Such a death should be completely painless

In an instant, tears streamed down his face like a fountain, and the shock he felt within was beyond the capacity of words to describe

At the moment Wei Si was stunned, Luke, who was walking behind him, pulled him hard and shouted loudly: "Fall back! Fall back! Everyone return to the cabin!"

Weiss was hesitating when he suddenly heard a soldier beside him shout: "Kras is still alive, he..."

Before the enemy's third round of long-range sniping took effect, everyone except for the three soldiers who were shot retreated back to the wooden cabin

Keep up! Everyone, hurry up!" Luke shouted while running ahead.

The person whose head was almost wrapped like a zongzi, with only the left eye exposed, was the tall individual who saved my life last night

The values generated by the "enemy identification system" indeed corroborated Weiss's hypothesis

"As you mentioned, you took the risk of exposing your whereabouts to save me last night..." At this point, Weiss suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He glanced at the young man with black hair and yellow skin: "You are trapped here, could it really be because you exposed your location by firing your weapons while saving me last night?"

Upon entering, Weiss noticed three men and two women dressed in civilian clothing sitting by the wall. The oldest among them was likely the one referred to as Zdoctor's degree. This individual had a slightly plump physique, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had a pale complexion, probably due to fatigue and shock. The two women were likely his wife and daughter, who were understandably frightened after witnessing the exchange of gunfire and the casualties. The other two men, one middle-aged and the other young, appeared calm and physically fit, suggesting that they were most likely agents who had escorted them here.

After listening to the orders of the tall figure, the young man with black hair and yellow skin hesitated slightly: "As you command, sir! We will meet at Shelter No. 9!"

Luke and his companions, seasoned warriors accustomed to various tempests, were not taken aback by this sudden and brutal situation; instead, they each fulfilled their duties and acted swiftly. Two soldiers flanked the nearly paralyzed Zdoctor's degree, desperately rushing towards the house, while two others assisted the two ladies as they sprinted towards the building, and another two attempted to provide aid to their injured comrade

Seeing this situation, Luke hurriedly turned the tall man over and anxiously patted his cheek: "Are you alright, sir! Sir?"

I see that they have sent at least two squads, this is nothing short of a blatant military invasion!" The tall man gritted his teeth and said, "In order to capture a scientist who is unwilling to serve them, they actually risk provoking a war by sending so many soldiers across the border, it is truly despicable!

"I heard Luke say that you have completed a year in the Command Major at the Boston Military Academy?"

Your situation does not seem very good, Wei Si greeted in a somewhat neutral manner

This wooden house is approximately 8 to 9 meters wide and about 5 to 6 meters long, covering an area of only 40 to 50 square meters. In such a narrow space, how far can a person hide from the doors and windows?

As soon as the words fell, another bullet flew in with a sharp, cold whistle, barely missing Luke's head and almost shattering it to pieces

The tall man smiled and said, "Looking back now, the difficult decision I made last night was absolutely the right one"

Luke leaned over and asked, "How many of them are there?"

A 17-member elite combat team faced off against 2 snipers. Within a few hours, 4 members were killed and 3 were injured. What is going on here

Indeed, Long, we are indeed in a rather awkward situation, and I apologize for the embarrassment! It is evident that the tall individual's tone and choice of words have changed significantly due to the recent experience

Following the sound, the soldier, whose shoulder had been partially severed by a bullet, staggered to his feet. One side of his face was smeared with his own blood, while the other side remained clean. Gritting his teeth and breathing heavily, he steadied himself, raised his left hand, and extended his middle finger towards the distant enemy, his face expressing defiance and disdain

Shelter No. 9 should be the snow-capped stronghold where I stayed overnight last night, which is also marked as "9" on my map. As for the patrol ship, what exactly is that? Is it a type of boat that can climb snow-capped mountains?

Go to hell, you damn black death god

The young man with black hair and yellow skin said calmly: "They must have come tracking the whereabouts of Zdoctor's degree. If they had set an ambush in advance, we would not have survived to this day. And - picture - book"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the sound of bullets piercing through bodies and shattering bones came from behind, along with the muffled groans of the wounded. Wei Si turned his head to see that the soldier who had tried to save his injured comrade was shot in the waist, and his body was actually severed in two, with blood and guts splattered all over the ground

Weiss widened his eyes and then watched helplessly as the soldier's head, along with his neck, was blown off by the enemy's gunfire, the remaining torso falling straight backward

"Hahaha!" The injured and captured man in white suddenly laughed maniacally, "Surrender now, you humble Alster worms, or else you will each die under the gun of the 'Black Death' Baron Klos!"

As the debris settled, the wall panel was left with a circular hole considerably larger than a fist. Given the circumstances, had the two not dodged in time, they would have either died or sustained serious injuries

Luke was agile and uninjured, and he quickly got back on his feet. The tall man, however, lay motionless on the ground, seemingly having fainted

Yes, I have seen a different you, a you destined to bring us hope. Luke's lips curled slightly, perhaps intending to offer him an encouraging smile. However, with comrades falling one after another and their situation precarious, he truly could not bring himself to smile.

Luke shouted, "Calm down, Kosti! We are soldiers of the Free Federation, not beasts of the Norman Empire!"

Luke hesitated for a moment, then reached out to rest his hand on his shoulder: "Hey, Long, do you remember the story of the Ten Knights of the Holy Armor? Upholding justice! Unyielding! Today, let us fight side by side like the Knights of the Holy Armor!"

The tall man spoke slowly, saying: "If I am not mistaken, they should be the elite marksmen of the Norman Empire Mountain Rangers, best suited for combat in such snowy mountainous forest environments. Being blocked here by them is indeed a stroke of bad luck for us, but fortunately, we have your assistance! I apologize for my abrupt words last night and hope you do not take offense!"

The soldier standing next to Weiss rushed forward in a fit of rage, fiercely grabbing the collar of the man, drawing his short gun, and pressing it against his chin: "Norman dog, you shall not act recklessly on the territory of the Ulster Free Federation! If you utter another word, I will use you as a sacrifice to the loyal souls of the fallen warriors"

"Here!" Luke slipped a bullet into Weiss's hand and whispered to him, "You are the heir of the Klenberg-Heisen family, the hope for the family's revival. In this battle, you must protect yourself at all costs! Furthermore, the reason Zdoctor's degree must escape the clutches of the Norman Empire is that he does not wish for the Empire to possess and utilize a certain devastating weapon technology to dominate the world. Therefore, we must ensure his safety and that of his family, even if it means sacrificing the lives of everyone else!"

As he passed by the recently fallen soldier, he saw the hollow eyes reflecting the deep blue sky

At this moment, Weiss was not in the mood to ponder so much. He wiped away his tears, set aside his compassion, picked up the "Grumman Fire Stick," swiftly pulled back the bolt, and saw the yellow bullet quietly lying inside, waiting for its firing command. He then reset the bolt and took a moment to aim.

What does this indicate? Luke asked and answered himself, "This indicates that they are already prepared to launch a large-scale invasion against us! Ever since Hohenstaufen signed the agreement in the City of Promises as the heir to the Norman Empire, they have been brewing for the day of their resurgence! They have been waiting for nearly twenty years for this day, and it is time for them to reveal their true colors!"

The young man with black hair and yellow skin turned to arrange the personnel's itinerary, while the tall individual gestured for Weiss to sit down beside him

The soldier finally released his grip, but still, in frustration, spat in the face of the man in white.

Weiss was quite puzzled

The tall individual did not respond, but instead, he clamped his arm around the other's neck and rolled to the side using a wrestling maneuver. In that split second, the wooden board at the corner of the window exploded with a loud "bang".

In a short while, Luke, the young man with black hair and yellow skin, efficiently arranged everything.

"Luke is right; they arrived later than us and could not have come following the gunfire from last night. You need not entertain such thoughts at all," the tall man said to Weiss. He then turned to the young man with black hair and yellow skin, advising him:

Weiss shrugged and said, "They are indeed quite difficult to deal with; the fact that I was able to catch one was entirely due to luck"

Since we have already dealt with the enemy's sharpshooters and the library Luke, you take the uninjured members of Teams 1 and 2 to escort Zdoctor's degree and his family to leave first, with Long accompanying you. You must hurry back to Shelter 9 and hold your ground there until the patrol ship arrives. I will follow with the remaining personnel shortly after. Remember, you must ensure the safety of Zdoctor's degree and his family at all costs

Weiss nodded solemnly

The tall man twitched for a moment, then suddenly sat up, staring wide-eyed and holding his head: "Uh... my head hurts so much! Those damned Norman dogs, one day I will make them feel my wrath! Damn it..."

Immediately afterwards, he said in a more conciliatory tone: "We will use our guns to punish those who infringe upon the territory of the Ulster Freedom Federation"

Eight intact soldiers escorted three men and two women to set off first, while the tall individual led the remaining personnel in escorting the injured and captured enemy shooter, responsible for bringing up the rear

I understand, I completely understand. Weissdao, you know the relationship between Luke and me, so please rest assured that I will do my utmost to assist you before this task is completed

The tall figure with a thick bandage wrapped around his head was observing the situation outside from the window. He did not turn his head, but spoke word by word: "The situation is not looking good! We have been caught up by a large group of enemy pursuers!"

The tall individual nodded slightly, albeit with some difficulty

Having crossed the snow-covered hills and traversed an open area, Weiss arrived at a wooden cabin in the woods. It was then that he realized the soldiers' previous situation was even worse than he had anticipated: four soldiers lay flat on the floor of the cabin, showing no signs of life. Leaning against the wall were three others, with some part of their bodies—be it their heads, arms, or torsos—wrapped in blood-soaked white bandages.

Weiss certainly did not want to be turned into minced meat by such large-caliber bullets. Seeing Luke quickly take the place of the fallen soldier and assist Zdoctor's degree to continue running forward, he focused entirely on sprinting ahead, not forgetting to execute a beautiful S-line during his rapid run

Seeing that the tall figure was not a major threat, Luke quickly called out to the surviving companions: "Everyone be careful, stay away from the doors and windows!"

Before Weiss could consider how to respond, the tall individual continued speaking to himself: "The Boston Military Academy is the best officer school in the Ulster Free Federation, so I believe your command abilities are unmatched by us mere privates. However, you certainly lack some practical combat experience, while we have executed various tasks and possess the experience and methods to deal with different difficulties. I mention this in the hope that you can assist Luke as much as possible before the mission is completed... I apologize, I know this may come off as somewhat abrupt. If you were a formal officer, we might be more than willing to hand over command to you, but after all, you are still just a military academy student."

"I am no longer myself." Weissdao said, "No matter what I was like in the past, Luke, today I am a partner you can absolutely trust! Please remember this no matter what!"

What is the Shennuo Promise City Agreement? What does it mean to cultivate one's strength and bide one's time? What does it mean to make a comeback? What deep-seated enmity exists between the Norman Empire and the Ulster Free Federation that causes their soldiers to be like fire and water upon meeting? Is this familiar scenario a version of the 'Little Mustache Development Plan' from another time and space, or an industrial age version of 'Little Soldier Legend'?

As soon as he entered, Luke exclaimed in frustration: "El is dead, Kevin and Klas are seriously injured, we have lost three soldiers in just one minute!"

The scene was so shocking that until he rushed into the room, Weiss did not have the courage to look back a second time

Weiss sprinted towards the house. Seconds later, he caught a glimpse of a flash of flame in the forest across the way, and in an instant, the chilling howl that had just sent shivers down his spine returned. Less than ten meters ahead, a soldier supporting Zdoctor's degree fell to the ground with a thud, a bullet fired from a distance striking him squarely in the chest. A horrifying blood hole appeared on his white trench coat, and the flesh and blood exploded into fragments, splattering across the snow and staining a three to four meter radius with an unsettling color. Less than ten meters ahead, a soldier supporting Zdoctor's degree fell to the ground with a thud, a bullet fired from a distance striking him squarely in the chest. A horrifying blood hole appeared on his white trench coat, and the flesh and blood exploded into fragments, splattering across the snow and staining a three to four meter radius with an unsettling color

A young man with black hair and yellow skin approached a person sitting against the wall and saluted, saying: "Sir! Long has captured one of the enemy's shooters, which has greatly helped us!"

Weiss followed Luke and the others as they left the cabin, pondering how to indirectly ascertain what a "patrol ship" was. Suddenly, he heard a sharp "whoosh," and saw the soldier at the front of the line... a large chunk of his right shoulder instantly turned into a spray of blood and flesh, and he let out a piercing scream of agony.