"Luo'er?" Hu Daoke stared at him in disbelief, biting his teeth through excruciating pain that made his cheeks bulge.
"It's alright, brother!" Luo'er reassured, then shouted back to Tangmo, "Find some bandages, we need to wrap up his thigh!"
Regaining his senses, Tangmo began to frantically search for some bandages. Sighing, Luo'er removed the bayonet from Hu Daoke's body, cut off the bandage from his calf, and then tightly tied it around the thigh. This temporary measure managed to stop the arterial bleeding that caused him to grit his teeth in pain.
"Brother, don't fall asleep!" Seeing Hu Daoke's drowsy appearance, Luo'er understood that if he fell asleep now, he might never wake up. So, he scrambled to his side, forcefully prying his eyelids open.
"I'm feeling a little unwell!" Hu Daoke expressed through a painful grimace.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Luo'er patted his face, comforting him.
"Moumou, watch him, don't let him fall asleep!" Luo'er pulled Tangmo over and pushed him to Hu Daoke's side, then shouted out loud.
"Oh... oh!" An at a loss Tangmo shakily patted Hu Daoke's head, consoling him with a sob-laden voice.
"Medic, we need help!" Upon inspection, Luo'er found nothing aside weapons, ammo, and rations on himself. Hesitantly, he popped his head out then pleaded loudly for help to the rear.
A few soldiers ran towards their crater at a quick pace, among them being medics. However, a web of dense enemy bullets swept over, knocking all individuals down. They all died instantly, even before they had a chance to cry out in pain.
"Damn!" Luo'er cursed for the very first time, feeling utterly powerless against the ferocious enemy firepower. The Enfield Rifle in his hands felt futile. He tried to take a shot at the enemy position, only to be met with an overwhelming volley of counter fire.
Not too far behind him, a soldier crawling on the ground suddenly sprang up to throw a grenade, intending to roll into the crater under its cover. But consecutive enemy bullets struck him the moment he raised his arm, dropping him to the ground instantly. The live grenade rolled into the crater as well.
Seeing the live grenade roll into the crater, Luo'er felt his scalp tingle. His initial response was to grab and throw it back. However, just as he picked it up, a bullet severed the fingers that held the grenade. The grenade rolled a little less than a meter outside the pit before detonating.
Luo'er grit his teeth through the searing pain, refusing to cry out. His right hand's index and middle fingers were severed by the bullet. The dangling middle finger was still attached to his hand by mere skin, leaving his entire palm a bloody pulp. Luo'er gritted his teeth, shaking, yet he forbade himself from screaming.
"Luo, Luo'er..." Upon seeing Luo'er's severed fingers, a terrified Tangmo called out his name, voice trembling.
Luo'er ignored him. Instead, he forcefully fetched the remaining bandage from his task of treating Hu Daoke, tore off the lingering middle finger, and wrapped his entire hand. He knew he had lost his finger; however, stemming the bleeding was his utmost priority as of now.
He was injured, and so was Hu Daoke, heavily. If he didn't receive treatment quickly, it would be too late. By now, Luo'er had completely forgotten their surroundings to be merely virtual. The intense immersion had fully enveloped him within the battlefield.
In the executive conference room of the academy, a group of researchers and military officers were gathered around, observing this simulated battlefield exercise. They were the core researchers of Haiya Academy and military representatives who had provided these virtual machines, led by Luo'er's grandfather, Luo Qishan. Even though he was advanced in age, advancements in medical technology had kept him robust, enabling him to continue his role as the Principal.
"This system is being prepared for military training to simulate an actual battlefield for soldiers. From what we've observed from these students, this system is currently highly refined." A colonel in the military proudly commented.
"Personally, I think there are still a few flaws. Immersive experiences could profoundly affect the mentality of the users, and I am afraid these students may not be able to stand this," a researcher commented, watching the tragic scenes on the screen with concern.
"That's the effect we want. If the soldiers can complete combat training relying solely on this system, we can train soldiers with combat abilities without the need of a war," the military officer responded.
"This is only theoretical. In reality, I am afraid these students may not be able to handle such pressure. Principal, I suggest stopping the battlefield simulation immediately," the researcher nervously suggested to Luo Qishan.
"What nonsense! This is only the first round; there are still two more. If your students cannot even stand this little test, then the academy's training is worthless," the colonel commented with a wash of sarcasm on his face.
Luo Qishan remained silent, his eyes unwavering from the screen. The moment Luo'er's fingers were severed, a stab of pain shot through Luo Qishan's heart. However, he didn't reveal any signs of it and chose to bear it all quietly.
Grinding his teeth to endure the pain, he eventually said calmly, "The simulation continues, alert the medical team to stand by at the Virtual Machine Room!"
"Understood!"
His words silenced the argument, bringing everyone's focus back to the virtual World War One battle.
Just as Luo'er was on the verge of despair, roaring engines sounded overhead. A few biplanes effortlessly skimmed over their heads, dropping a few aerial bombs.
Boom boom boom…
Black smoke erupted from the enemy position, with splashes of mud and debris even flying into their trench. The enemy gunfire noticeably decreased. Luo'er peered out to see the enemy's machine gun position blasted sky high, leaving a large gap. Seizing the moment, a number of soldiers began to storm towards the enemy position.
"Moumou, watch him and don't let him fall asleep. I'm going to take care of the machine gun. Wait for the medics!" Luo'er loudly directed Tangmo, then rose from the trench with his rifle before she could answer.
"Baiyue, cover me!" Luo'er ran, making signals to Baiyue. She responded with a confirming nod, extending her rifle out of the trench.
Luo'er knew he was racing against time. In just a few seconds, he reached the frontlines of the enemy position. There was a small mound of earth at the front, created by the enemy's dug-out trenches. Here, Luo'er was completely out of the enemy's firing line.
He lifted his head to see the enemy at the gap preparing to reinstall the heavy machine gun, hoping to fill the firepower void in this area. Grunting, he rose, lifted his rifle and pulled the trigger with his ring finger.
"Bang!"
An enemy was instantly knocked down, his helmet easily penetrated by the bullet. Enduring the pain, Luo'er reloaded the rifle with his little finger and ring finger, firing again and downing another enemy attempting to cover for his fallen comrade.
He reached into his bag for a grenade, pulled the pin with his teeth, and threw it into the nearby trench. As the explosions and horrified screams rang out, Luo'er lay on the ground, affixed the bayonet to his rifle, and charged into the enemy's trench. He didn't give a thought to what he might encounter in the trench — all he knew was that if the enemy's firepower resumed, they would face another massacre, and Hu Daoke would bleed to death in the trench.
He charged into the trench, raising his rifle and bayonet, to be met by a surprised enemy soldier. Without hesitation, Luo'er used the momentum of his charge, plunged his sharp bayonet into the soldier's chest, pinning him to the wooden wall of the trench. The soldier held onto the bayonet, eyes wide in terror as he stared at the grimacing Luo'er.
An enemy infantryman nearby raised his long rifle with a fixed bayonet towards Luo'er. Luo'er pushed his rifle away, rushed forward and heavily knocked him into the trench, then straddled him, hands squeezing tightly around his neck.
The soldier struggled frantically, but Luo'er held his grip tight, his thumbs even crushing the soldier's throat. Eventually, the soldier's struggles grew weaker, his hands slowly releasing their grip, his vacant and twisted expression leaving the battlefield.
Luo'er gasped for breath, his voice trembling. He picked up the dead soldier's rifle and proceeded to move forward along the trench. A soldier facing away from him was easily stabbed in the back. Luo'er stepped on his back to pull out the bayonet, then shot dead another enemy officer.
He found a pistol on the dead officer's body. Wielding the pistol, he shot down a few enemies in the trench and threw the recovered grenade into the next machine gun position.
Following a loud explosion, the enemies at the machine gun position lay dead. Luo'er sighed with relief. Poking his head out from his position, he found that their troops had also reached the frontlines of the enemy's position, launching an offensive. He wondered if he had been an inspiration.
Finally, he had an opportunity to rest. Leaning against the trench wall, he felt severe pain from his severed finger, cold sweat running down his face.
Suddenly, he remembered that this was nothing more than a simulated battlefield. In reality, he had not been hurt at all. With that thought, his heart lifted somewhat. He gritted his teeth and silently endured the pain.
More and more troops passed over his head, indicating that the enemy's position had been taken. Luo'er caught his breath and, stepping on the wooden ladder, struggled to climb out of the one-meter high trench. Standing above the trench.
By then, the fog had cleared, and the drizzling rain had stopped. An orange cloud broke open, letting in a little brightness onto the devastated battlefield. Looking around with sadness in his eyes, Luo'er saw Hu Daoke being carried out of the trench on a stretcher. Tangmo, seeing Luo'er, broke down in tears and vigorously waved her arms at him.
Luo'er managed a smile as he lifted his crippled right hand about to return the salute. Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from right behind him. His body shook, feeling drained of strength like water flowing out of a funnel.