Chapter 84 Library Battlefield

Chapter 84 Library Battlefield

Chapter 84 Library Battlefield

I don’t know how much time passed before a ray of morning light appeared on the horizon.

Crows circled and fell from the sky.

The soil where it stood squirmed. Jiang He poked his head out of the soil, then pulled out his hands, supported the ground on both sides, and pulled himself out like a carrot.

"Five forty-two." Wuhe chattered.

Before Jiang He could answer, the Grey Knight on the other side also broke free from the ground.

Together, the two dug out Porcupine and the others.

When intensive artillery bombardment occurs, lying down on the spot may cause ground vibration and damage internal organs. Many soldiers from both sides died in this way during the Battle of the Somme, but the prerequisite is that there is a choice.

Tommy was already unconscious, but luckily he had drunk several bottles of vitality potion before, so he wasn't in serious trouble.

The porcupine currently only has one arm. Although it has been awake, its body is heavy and its speed of digging the soil is too slow, so it simply stays where it is and waits for rescue.

As for Mia, she dug in the wrong direction and went more than ten meters sideways underground.

Grey Knight Rayman untied the military backpack on his back, revealing four sets of clothes and a soldier's nameplate.

"It is estimated that soon there will be troops coming to recruit the survivors. At this point in time, they will be recruited to make up the numbers. They will soon go to the battlefield, and we can return to Leden City just in time."

The three took the Prussian uniform.

Mia frowned, "What about me?"

Grey Knight Rayman said helplessly: "Sorry, this is not in the plan. I didn't prepare your share."

Mia cursed inwardly, then she would have to find a way to get to the British headquarters on her own.

Several people watched the female lieutenant colonel run away in shame. Jiang He thought for a moment and gave up the idea of ​​carrying a "mobile power bank". The recruit training camp was destroyed, and the Prussian high-level officials would inevitably launch an investigation. Mia was the commander who gave the order, and the intensity of her pursuit was unimaginable, but she could still make use of her remaining energy as a tool.

"Her departure can reduce the possibility of our being exposed." Grey Knight Rayman said somewhat coldly.

Tommy pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, knocked off the dirt inside, then held one between his lips and lit it.

"Let's divide the military merits. After that, we'll go find the survivors. I hope the identity you found is reliable."

Grey Knight Rayman pulled out his own codex page from his sleeve. The number of D-level military merits exceeded nine thousand, and the actual casualties in the recruit camp were only about seven thousand. The officers made a considerable contribution.

According to the distribution ratio agreed in advance, Jiang He received 3655%, a total of points of D-level military merit. If he could return safely to the British forest command post, he could exchange it for three rare-level secret treasures.

After the division of the spoils was completed, the action team went to the farm site and waited for other troops to take over.

……

September 1916, 9, it was cloudy and rainy.

The Battle of Leden resulted in more than 200,000 casualties on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest local battlefields in the entire Battle of the Somme. As the war drew to a close, the intensity of the war reached an unprecedented peak.

More Prussian youths were sent to the front line, and the non-staple foods in the military rations were severely reduced, and potato stewed with bread became the main meal.

Outside the training camp, 1,200 recruits gathered. The explosion in the gunpowder depot caused the deaths of more than 7,000 soldiers. Most of the survivors were sent to field hospitals. The remaining recruits who were still capable of fighting were incorporated into the Prussian 12th Army and rushed to the battlefield with the filling-in troops.

After several days of marching, Jiang He entered the city of Ledeng again, and the troops set out and headed straight for the eastern front.

The entire East City District was plowed by artillery fire more than once, with ruins everywhere and devastation everywhere. Dozens of streets were completely turned into a sea of ​​bricks and rubble. The British and Prussian troops confronted each other from the north to the south, and each built trenches as long as more than ten kilometers.

On the left and right of the ruined battlefield in front, two roads full of craters were covered with corpses. Blood mixed with dirt and ash formed dotted reddish-brown quagmires, and thick smoke was billowing everywhere.

In the center of the battlefield where the two sides confronted each other, a six-story library stood on the ground. As the only intact building in the East District, its outer wall was in a strange wriggling state, and countless alien aphids were piled up together. When the shells fell, the explosion had not yet spread, and the shells and gunpowder were devoured by the aphids and turned into nutrients for breeding.

The troops reached the Prussian trenches.

The sky was covered with dark, thick clouds. Raindrops as big as beans poured down to the ground, hitting the helmets with a tinkling sound. It was a rare autumn rainstorm. The rainfall was so heavy that it was like a river bursting its banks. The water in the trenches was above the ankles, destroying a large amount of military supplies and ammunition.

But the more than 5,000 troops of the Filling Line Division were treated to a sumptuous lunch.

Inside the trench, four members of the action team leaned against the earth wall embedded with wooden boards. A haggard-looking infantry sergeant came over with a bag, dropped four rations, and then continued to distribute them along the way.

"Something is wrong."

Porcupine held the ration box with a serious face. They were ordinary privates now. Normally, a portion of potato bread and half-cooked sausage would be enough for them. It was impossible for them to eat so well.

Someone opened the tin box. The first thing that caught his eye was black bread with various dried nuts scattered on it, followed by paper-wrapped sausages and fat solidification, and a rectangular chocolate bar. At the bottom of the tin box was a square can of cheese and bacon, surrounded by a circle of miscellaneous things such as painkillers, water purification tablets, cigarette packs, matchboxes, toilet paper, etc.

"Prepare to charge. There is no other possibility."

Jiang He opened the wrapper of the chocolate bar and chewed it all in one bite. Under the current conditions, this lunch was too luxurious and was obviously a last meal before execution.

This was obviously not difficult to notice. The old soldiers in the trenches all kept their heads down and remained silent, but the young recruits coming from the rear were still full of passion and felt encouraged while eating the sumptuous lunch.

Tommy stretched out his hand habitually, and Jiang He handed over the cigarette pack in his hand. This kind of military cigarette had no butts, and there were five cigarettes in a pack.

The crow landed, and Wuhe whispered, "We have information about the library. It is the tomb and bedroom of the ancient Emperor Otto the Great. His alien aphids feed on minerals and metals, and are not afraid of gunfire and artillery attacks. Relying on the underground mines of the industrial city of Reden, I don't know how far they have developed, but it is definitely a terrifying number." "The library is the ground part of the original tomb building, and the underground space is even larger. Today, Emperor Otto the Great is actually a humanoid secret treasure. Before a clear owner appears, his aphids will stubbornly maintain the tomb palace as it is."

"Now only knights can enter the library. The life level of knights is higher than that of aphids. Without a commander, aphids will actively avoid knights, but will not let ordinary people go."

Jiang He ate the can of cheese and bacon and asked, "About how many knights went in."

Wu He sighed, "At least 500 or more. Considering the 90% death rate during the promotion ceremony, this number is probably comparable to the total number of extraordinary knights in several countries."

Just after lunch, a colonel gave a speech holding a tin trumpet. He was very excited and his content was not very original, but it seemed passionate.

The new recruits who had just arrived on the battlefield applauded enthusiastically.

"It's time to charge, boys!" the acting lieutenant colonel of the Filling Line Division shouted loudly.

……

The sky was filled with dark clouds and heavy rain was pouring down.

Teams of soldiers climbed out of the trenches and launched a desperate charge towards the British defense line a few miles away, like a school of black fish swimming upstream.

The lookout was concentrating on using a telescope to observe the casualties on the front line. After a round of artillery fire, the first attacking company was almost wiped out, and the second, third and fourth groups showed signs of retreating. He waved his hand hurriedly.

"Quick, make up for it!"

The commanding lieutenant called the next company over with a rough voice. The soldiers filed out and took the weapons handed over by the quartermaster.

Jiang He was given a rifle and the Gray Knight got five bullets.

The quartermaster sergeant said quickly: "If your comrades die, pick up their guns and bullets immediately. If you don't have a gun, pick up a gun. If you don't have bullets, pick up bullets. The key is not to stop. The faster you run, the less likely you are to die. Hurry up, hurry up, just charge with your head held high. The empire needs you, charge!"

The company was coaxed onto the battlefield, followed closely by the sixth and seventh batches.

Jiang He looked a little helpless as he started to jog. There were friendly troops in front of him and on his left and right. People were shot and fell from time to time. The shells passed from the back to the front, killing hundreds of people.

The porcupine yelled, "Use some tactics! This is just courting death!"

Tommy suddenly lunged forward, dodged a deadly stray bullet with a flash of inspiration, and then rolled to his feet and caught up with the company. He couldn't run too fast at the moment, as he would be hit by bullets easily. He also couldn't run too slowly, as there were supervising officers in the follow-up company who were specifically responsible for executing those who were lazy in combat.

The Grey Knight was hit by a cannonball, but luckily he was on the edge of the impact point. With his strong physique forged with lightning, he was not seriously injured, but he was still covered in dirt.

"We can't go on like this, Rhine. Give me the bullets. Kill the two machine gunners in the front position."

Jiang He turned around and frowned, "The distance is at least two to three kilometers, are you kidding me?"

Compared to the beginning, his sniping skills have indeed improved a lot, or in other words, all the snipers who have not died on the battlefield can usher in a period of technical growth, but accurate headshots at a distance of two or three thousand meters, under the rain of artillery fire, can only be done by the corresponding knights who specialize in sniping.

"Then keep charging, but change direction. Let's go to the library," the Grey Knight shouted.

Jiang He cast his gaze forward. They were currently on an abandoned road riddled with craters. The library was in the center of the battlefield. Many soldiers from the second and third filling-line companies wanted to get closer to the library, which was big enough to serve as a shelter, but the warring parties had buried a large number of mines around the library at night.

"Follow me!"

The Grey Knight took the lead and adjusted the direction, creating a safe path along the 20-meter lightning sensing area.

The three members of the group immediately changed their formation.

As they were separated from the charging force, they were shot from both sides. The supervising officer of the sixth company shot the porcupine in the back, and Jiang He was hit by an alchemical bullet in the neck. The wound was not deep, but it turned black in color.

More line-filling soldiers moved toward the library.

A shell landed in a minefield, and there was a series of loud explosions, followed by more shells.

The action team changed formation again, with Grey Knight and Tommy leading the way, the former clearing the way and the latter dodging the shells.

After passing through heavy artillery fire, the four finally arrived at the library.

Artillery fire covered the ground and thunder roared in the sky.

Jiang He approached the outer wall of the library, and the wriggling aphids dispersed and took the initiative to make way for a passage.

Seeing this, the porcupine exclaimed: "Is this some new technology?"

Tommy walked a few meters along the outer wall and said, "They seem to have some intelligence."

"Let's go in first. No matter how dangerous it is, it won't be worse than outside." The Grey Knight was the first to enter the passage.

The four people entered one after another. After a dozen steps, the light around them completely disappeared. The only sound they could hear was the sparse sound of aphids rubbing against each other. As they moved forward, a thick and sticky fog came over them, greatly hindering their vision and hearing.

Jiang He took out the Changhen Spear and swept it to the side. Tommy, who was supposed to be next to him, disappeared.

Wuhe on his shoulder said, "Tommy tripped over a corpse and rolled over somewhere. But according to intelligence from the Prussian and British forces, the aphid fog itself is not dangerous. Its purpose is to distract outsiders."

Jiang He nodded and continued moving forward.

(End of this chapter)