The designated drop zone for the adventurers was a small town, about 500 meters from the Arnhem Bridge. Though it was only 500 meters, every meter of the 63-mile route that the Allied forces planned to open through the Netherlands was paved with copious amounts of blood.
However, the adventurers were dropped here mostly due to the city's covert operations. At least, every surviving adventurer landed within the designated area.
Shen Yi gently opened the door of the house he had landed in. The artillery fire continued unabated in the sky, where paratroopers were still descending.
Despite being the last to jump from the C-47, Shen Yi was the first to land on the ground. His landing was incredibly fast, covering more than 200 meters without a parachute, which was a rare feat at the time.
Several German soldiers, having seen his descent, approached the house, guns at the ready.
"Hey," Shen Yi greeted cheerily, suddenly appearing from the stable beside the house.
The German soldiers turned in shock, only to be met with a burst of bullets from Shen Yi's Spirit Fire Gun. The fire damage attribute of the gun set them ablaze. They wailed as they tried to pat out the flames but ultimately fell dead.
"This really packs a punch," Shen Yi thought, feeling exhilarated using the gun in combat for the first time.
He had observed these German soldiers with his psychic senses; they had only fifty life points, just like ordinary people. Unlike the Van Helsing world, where individual combat strength was formidable, World War II's threat lay in sheer numbers.
The common weapon for these German soldiers was the MP40 or Schmeisser submachine gun. It was accurate for its time, reliable, jam-resistant, and easy to control, with a bullet damage of 12 points and a muzzle energy bonus of 5 points. However, its firing rate was slow, and it only had a 32-round magazine.
The biggest advantage of unlimited ammunition wasn't just saving money on bullets; it also meant not having to reload, which was a significant advantage in intense combat. Some sharpshooters calculated their opponent's remaining bullets by the sound of gunfire and struck when they reloaded. Facing a gun with unlimited bullets often meant a death sentence.
Shen Yi quickly killed a few German soldiers and moved north along a low wall.
German soldiers appeared occasionally, but Shen Yi swiftly eliminated them. With his current reaction speed, three to five ordinary German soldiers posed no threat to him.
He tried picking up a Schmeisser but was informed it could be used but not brought back to Bloody City as it wasn't a mission reward.
Ahead was a machine gun nest, firing intermittently at the sky. Three helmeted German soldiers manned the gun, while four or five others patrolled nearby. Shen Yi witnessed a paratrooper falling right above them, torn to shreds by the heavy fire.
"God bless you, amen," Shen Yi sighed, shaking his head.
Another paratrooper landed near the machine gun position. The German soldiers frantically adjusted the gun's base, aiming at the paratrooper. Just as another adventurer was about to be consumed by gunfire, a black object was suddenly thrown into their midst.
One of the German soldiers screamed in terror at the sight of the grenade.
Boom!
The machine gun position was blown sky-high, along with seven or eight German soldiers.
Striding coolly to the position, Shen Yi lit a cigarette with the flames and took a satisfying puff.
The taste was not bad.
Bang! The paratrooper who had barely escaped death landed, rolled on the ground, and swiftly cut the parachute cords with a dagger. He seemed skilled.
"You owe me one," Shen Yi called out.
"I saw, and I'll repay you," the paratrooper responded.
At the sound of the voice, Shen Yi was taken aback.
The adventurer, now free from the parachute, walked over. They looked at each other in the light of the fire, both stunned.
Wasn't this the same beautiful woman he had met when he first arrived in the city?
"Is that you?" the beautiful woman exclaimed in surprise. Just as she was about to speak, a whistling sound filled the air. Her face changed color as she yelled, "Get down!"
She dashed forward, grabbing Shen Yi and rolling to the ground.
Boom!
A massive explosion sent smoke billowing up from where they had been standing, leaving a crater in the ground. The woman, now covering Shen Yi, was buried in the dirt kicked up by the blast.
Shen Yi exhaled deeply. "Now we're even. I must say, you're quick to settle debts."
The woman looked at Shen Yi and smiled. "No, I still owe you a favor."
"Really?" Shen Yi, pinned under her, felt a soft comfort on top of him.
Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived as the woman got up, dusting herself off. "I learned the rules here the day I arrived. I realized how lucky I was. If I had met someone else, they might have extorted everything from me. Thankfully, you reminded me that attacking each other is not allowed here. So, I still owe you one, and I'm sorry for accusing you of extortion that day."
"If that's the case, you owe me twice over."
"What do you mean?"
"The rooftop of the Newcomers' Building…"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Really, why do you insist that I had ill intentions towards you? Alright, I admit, I did want to take the gun from you, but not to abandon you. I wanted to team up for the mission, and I believed I was a better shot."
Shen Yi chuckled. "So you're saying you're good with guns?"
"Of course," she replied proudly, extending a hand of friendship. "My name is Wenrou. And you?"
Shen Yi gently shook her hand, feeling its softness. "Shen Yi. Pleased to meet you again. I apologize for my earlier caution."
"Caution keeps one alive, especially in a place like this," Wenrou replied nonchalantly.
By then, many paratroopers had landed, although a few unlucky ones were still floating in the air. The anti-aircraft fire was thinning, but gunfire on the ground was intensifying. Bodies were everywhere – German and Allied alike, hanging from trees, rooftops, and even church steeples. Many paratroopers who hadn't landed successfully became live targets for the Germans.
"I didn't see you on the plane. Were you on a different one?" Shen Yi asked as he fired his gun, advancing northward.
"Yes," Wenrou shouted back. She was wielding a Type 95 squad light machine gun, standard issue in her military. She led the charge, her gun spitting fire, mowing down enemies in front.
"Damn it," Shen Yi cursed.
"What's wrong?" Wenrou asked, turning back.
"Nothing," Shen Yi replied irritably. "So, you're also heading north?"
"Yes, to capture the Arnhem Bridge."
"I rallied everyone on my plane to break north, thinking we could use our numbers. But I didn't expect the city to arrange for us to be on separate planes. It seems they didn't intend to give me the chance to gather everyone together."
Wenrou looked back at him, surprised. "You wanted to rally everyone to capture the bridge?"
"That's right, but I couldn't do it. How many were on your plane?"
"Twenty-three."
"If a third of them head north, that would be good," Shen Yi muttered.
The two took cover behind an obstacle, peering out into the rain of bullets. Many adventurers had landed, some armed with heavy machine guns, immediately making their presence felt.
Wenrou pulled out a pair of infrared night vision binoculars from her Bloody Emblem, scanning the area. "Many are breaking north. Seems like you did well – there are more heading north than south."
"You even brought binoculars?" Shen Yi asked curiously.
"Not just this," Wenrou casually pulled out a thermal imaging periscope attached to a monitor. This was a night battle weapon that could locate enemies hidden deep, without exposing oneself. Shen Yi was impressed.
"You've thought of more than I did," Shen Yi admitted. He thought he had been thorough, but this woman had outdone him.
"It's normal, considering my profession. I never expected to return to my field," she replied.
"You were in the military?" Shen Yi was surprised, realizing this gentle-looking woman was accustomed to the brutality of killing before entering Bloody City.
"No, a police officer, but I served in the military."
"Desk job?"
Wenrou looked back at Shen Yi helplessly. "Field agent, in the special police force, women's division. What about you?"
Shen Yi sighed. The irony of a murderer and a police officer fighting side by side wasn't lost on him. "Engineer, specialized in precision mechanics."
Around them, the scene was alight with fire as adventurers began fiercely retaliating against the German forces. Many had unique abilities, which made them formidable now that they were on the ground.
One adventurer, enhanced in speed, dashed towards the German line without even using a gun, swiftly slicing the throats of German soldiers with a blade likely acquired from Bloody City. Another, armed with a six-barreled Gatling gun and apparently immune to German gunfire, swept through enemy ranks with ease until a barrage of 150mm artillery tore him apart, his bulletproof gear no match for the firepower.
"That's a pity, such a good weapon gone," both Shen Yi and Wenrou lamented, sharing a glance and a laugh. In a cooperative attack scenario, weapons and equipment of fallen adventurers lost their effects, turning into ordinary weapons with no value.
The adventurer with the Gatling gun, confident in his bulletproof gear and firepower, had become an easy target for the German artillery.
"That guy was at least a first-class soldier. Bulletproof gear, six-barreled Gatling gun, unlimited ammo... all gone now," Shen Yi muttered.
"It's such a waste. My squad light machine gun doesn't have an unlimited ammo box; I couldn't afford it," Wenrou sighed.
Following the demise of the Gatling gun user, several other adventurers met a similar fate. The one who thought he could be as invincible as Neo from 'The Matrix' was the next to fall. Despite his speed, German bullets were faster, and he was quickly riddled with gunfire.
Then came the archer, who had been cautious and stealthy, shooting explosive arrows from behind cover. However, his skill couldn't save him from a Tiger tank's blast, reducing him and his cover to ashes.
The once unstoppable adventurers, likened to Rambo, Neo, and Elves, were swiftly defeated. The appearance of a succession of Tiger tanks turned them from fearless warriors to fleeing refugees in an instant. Sometimes, the transition from hero to fugitive is just a matter of moments.