After the German soldiers in the town were annihilated, the adventurers finally gathered together completely. Excluding those who chose to head south for their mission, 22 people ultimately remained from the two planes.
Shen Yi was surprised to find Hong Lang also participating in this mission. Additionally, Jin Gang（Previously called diamond, now it's all known as Jin Gang） and the fat man had both survived.
When Hong Lang caught up with them, he punched Shen Yi playfully and laughed heartily, "Haha, I thought on the plane that if you were in this mission, you'd definitely choose to break through to the north."
Shen Yi grinned and replied, "You know me so well?"
"Of course," boasted Hong Lang. He was attracted here by the flare of the rocket launcher, never expecting that it was Shen Yi using it.
"Weren't you saying that you only take part in a mission every thirty days? How come you're on the same cycle as me?" Shen Yi asked curiously, finding the coincidence quite remarkable.
Hong Lang shook his head, "Thirty days is just the maximum limit. If you want, you can enter the mission world earlier. I calculated your timing and knew you'd join today, so I decided to enter this mission early to sync up with you."
It seemed Hong Lang had specifically timed his mission to align with Shen Yi.
Jin Gang, recognizing Hong Lang, chuckled, "Brother Hong, you know each other?"
"Last month's looting, I got caught by this kid. Since then, I've been reformed," Hong Lang said.
Sweat!
You think you're a duck, reforming?
Jin Gang laughed, "I see. Oh, I saw you in the air. You were shooting into the sky without opening your parachute, so cool. Now I believe you could take down Dracula."
Many adventurers chimed in, "Right, right, we saw it too. Shooting at plane wreckage in mid-air without a parachute, that was bold."
His actions in the air had been witnessed by many. Being the last to jump out and flying past everyone without a parachute, they saw him shooting wildly at the plane wreckage above him, back to the earth. This unique method left a deep impression, but without it, Shen Yi might have already crashed to his death.
Wen Rou looked at Shen Yi with slight surprise, "So, you were that 'flying man'? I wondered who was so daring. I remember you even shot at your own parachute."
"If you need, I can shoot at your parachute too," Shen Yi responded with a smile.
Wen Rou rolled her eyes at him and turned back to observe the situation.
She was the only one in the adventurer team with night vision and far-infrared binoculars, taking on the role of a scout without question.
"There's a road outside the town leading straight to the Arnhem Bridge, but there are four artillery pieces, six Tiger tanks, and about three hundred German soldiers guarding the road, with at least ten strong fire points. Additionally, some German soldiers are scattered in bushes, dirt mounds, and behind covers. There are also at least twelve snipers occupying advantageous terrain," Wen Rou reported while observing.
Turning back to the group, she said, "We are 350 meters away from the Arnhem Bridge, and what I've reported is only what I've observed so far. I estimate that there are no less than 800 German soldiers encircling the northern line of Arnhem town."
"22 people breaking through a defense of 800 soldiers plus four artillery pieces and six tanks, damn, what kind of mission is this? Are they sending us to our deaths?" complained Hong Lang.
Shen Yi asked, "Who has a map? I want to look at the terrain around Arnhem. Maybe we can find a back road, avoiding the risk of attacking this main road head-on. This is a beginner difficulty mission; it shouldn't be this outrageous."
With the air of the 'flying man' and having killed the adventurer earlier, no one dared refuse his request.
The fat man timidly raised his hand, "I have one."
Shen Yi said, somewhat annoyed, "This isn't a classroom; no need to raise your hand. Just hand over the map."
The fat man passed the map to Shen Yi, who, upon seeing it, became infuriated, "This is a world map, and it's from the 21st century! I need a map of Arnhem, including every street here. Ideally, it should even show the routes to the toilets, that kind of detailed local map!"
It was Wen Rou who took out a map and handed it to Shen Yi. It was indeed a map of Arnhem.
Shen Yi smiled, "Always the thoughtful one, aren't you?"
Hong Lang, Jin Gang, and a few others gathered around the map to study the surroundings.
"Wen Rou, can you identify our exact location based on what you've seen?" asked Shen Yi.
Wen Rou nodded and pointed to a spot on the map, "We are currently at the southwest entrance of the northern end of Arnhem town."
Shen Yi, looking at the map, said, "To the northeast, there's a small river. Past it is a small forest, and beyond that, we can reach the Arnhem Bridge. If we take a detour from here, it will be about two miles longer, but I'm certain the German defense in that area will be much weaker than on the main road."
Hong Lang and Jin Gang looked at each other and nodded in agreement, "Seems like a viable plan."
Wen Rou added, "Before we attack, it would be best if everyone arranged their roles properly for better coordination. Otherwise, such a breakthrough mission is suicidal."
"You're right," Hong Lang agreed vigorously. "Let's introduce ourselves, including who has bulletproof gear, who has sniper rifles, who has heavy weaponry, and who has unlimited ammo. What are each person's skills?"
Jin Gang was the first to speak, "I use a heavy machine gun, not unlimited ammo, and no bulletproof gear. I do have a Kevlar vest and a standard American infantry helmet. My ability is telekinesis. I can control objects with my mind, but my ability's energy is limited, so controlling larger objects is a struggle."
The group looked at him in surprise, not expecting Jin Gang to have awakened such an ability. Many didn't even fully understand what these abilities were.
Since abilities are each adventurer's most important secret, there's always some concealment, even among teammates who might be enemies in another scenario. No one pressed for more details.
"My skill is enhanced hearing. I can catch unusual sounds from the wind, identify enemies, and record their voice information. My other skill is weapon proficiency, which requires corresponding weapons to use," Wen Rou shared. "As you can see from my equipment."
Shen Yi complimented, "You're indeed suited for a scout."
Wen Rou smiled lightly. Her passive ability was also acquired in a beginner's mission. Her achievements indicated a high completion rate in her missions.
The previously silent fat man spoke up in a low voice, "I can create psychic armor… It's currently level 3, capable of creating an armor with 150 life points and 3 defense, lasting an hour if not attacked. But it consumes 5 mental points each time, and I can only create ten per day."
Shen Yi patted his shoulder with a smile, "That's impressive, you'll be our protection. See, everyone has a use."
Another adventurer shared, "My skill is Sword Qi Burst, creating a line of damage with 50 points over 15 meters. My equipment…"
"Skill: Stab…"
"Skill…"
Each adventurer shared their equipment and skills. Interestingly, most only mentioned one skill, but Shen Yi guessed that at least a third had more than one.
Full disclosure among them was impossible.
"Magic skill: Thunderstorm. I can create a thunder zone over a 9x9 meter area, summoning nine lightning bolts, each dealing 30 damage, lasting 10 seconds," a voice suddenly declared with a hint of pride.
It was unexpected to find such a powerful area-of-effect spell among the adventurers, which invigorated everyone.
Shen Yi, however, asked coolly, "How much mental energy does it consume?"
The adventurer hesitated, replying reluctantly, "25 points."
Everyone sighed. This meant the adventurer could only use the spell once if their mental energy wasn't above 50.
Shen Yi then said, "You've seen my abilities, so I won't go into detail. My gun is a Linghuo gun with unlimited ammo, and I also have an anti-tank rocket launcher with 70 rockets, though now only 67 remain."
Regarding Shen Yi's equipment, everyone else could only envy. His Linghuo gun with unlimited ammo ensured continuous firepower, and the anti-tank rocket launcher was lethally effective against Tiger tanks. Shen Yi, thus, was a combination of a medic, an assault trooper, and an anti-tank specialist – all crucial roles on the battlefield.
Jin Gang smiled at Shen Yi, "Brother, I know your healing spells consume mental energy, but since we're all in this together, how about not charging for them this time?"
Shen Yi responded with a smile, "No problem, but then I can't lead the charge. I have bulletproof gear, but it can only withstand forty bullets, and I have 36 chances left. I need to save it for my own protection."
"Fair enough," Jin Gang shouted, "Anyone with bulletproof gear, step forward. No one hides it; we've all seen each other during the fight. Those who don't cooperate can leave. When we need to assault, those with bulletproof gear will lead, followed by heavy firepower, and snipers cover from behind. Any objections?"
The adventurers looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
Hong Lang was the first to step up, "My skill is close combat, not much use here, but I have bulletproof gear that can take thirty hits. I'll lead the charge and retreat after taking five hits, then the next person takes over. We'll rotate the lead."
Wen Rou, holding a thermal imager, said, "I'll handle scouting the enemy. I can spot most hidden enemies and will coordinate with Shen Yi. I'll point, he shoots."
Jin Gang nodded, "Any objections, Shen Yi?"
Shen Yi shrugged, "I like working with a beautiful woman."
Hong Lang added, "Let's discuss our abilities again and see what roles we can play. Let's not rush in blindly like before. Big Bull, that idiot, died for nothing."
He was referring to the Rambo-like adventurer who had previously died.
Many adventurers had powers not suited for modern warfare. One complained, "Last mission, I was fighting monsters, ready to battle them again, but got thrown into WWII. Such bad luck."
"Be content," another joked. "At least we're back on Earth. Better here than on some alien planet."
The first retorted, "Bullshit. This isn't a return; it's time travel. This is 1944."
"Less talk, more action," Hong Lang glared. "If you're useless, step aside."
The adventurer begrudgingly moved away.
Unknowingly, Hong Lang, Jin Gang, Shen Yi, and Wen Rou had formed a four-person leadership team with a natural synergy. War has always been like this; leaders emerge quickly, either by choice or necessity, based on capability.
Hong Lang clearly recognized Shen Yi's potential despite being a newcomer, realizing he was stronger than most adventurers here. Jin Gang, rough on the outside but meticulous inside, also demonstrated significant strength by being the only one with an awakened special ability.
As for Wen Rou, her experience and preparedness made her an irreplaceable scout.
In just a few minutes, the four decided to integrate the adventurer team into an effective tool for completing their mission. Who would emerge as the true leader of this group and whether they could survive to the end would depend on the battles ahead.