Over the next two days, the Germans launched three military operations to recapture the bridge, each more powerful and fierce than the last, just as Shen Yi had anticipated.
The 2nd Airborne Battalion, with the help of the adventurers, fought continuously for two days and nights, staunchly withstanding these three powerful assaults. However, in each of these attacks, the battalion failed to achieve a complete rout; they only managed to hold off the advances.
During the fourth wave of attack, an adventurer was killed, and another had a leg blown off. This was the first casualty the adventurer team suffered since taking the bridge, indicating that the battles were becoming increasingly difficult over time.
The Germans' fifth offensive began at four in the afternoon on the sixth day. About seven hundred German soldiers, accompanied by twenty-two tanks and several artillery pieces, bombarded the town where the 2nd Airborne Battalion was stationed, nearly flattening it to the ground. The battle lasted until the early morning of the seventh day, when the German soldiers finally retreated, leaving the town in ruins.
Injured soldiers lay groaning on the battlefield, while those able to move searched through the rubble for ammunition, enemy soldiers to finish off, and their own wounded comrades to see if they could still be saved.
The town's residents, observing their ravaged homes, were no longer as excited about the arrival of the British paratroopers as they had been before. They wandered aimlessly among the ruins, like lost souls in a wasteland.
Sitting atop an abandoned tank, Shen Yi stared at the desolate scene, motionless as a statue.
Wen Rou sat down next to him and mused, "Looking at how things are now, it's really surprising how this world came to be. What makes all this so real? I once thought they were just tools used by the Bloody City to test us, lacking real thoughts and emotions. But now, seeing their sadness, despair, joy, pain, anger, hatred, laughter, and madness, can we still say they are just NPCs?"
Shen Yi, taken aback by this, thought for a moment and then shook his head, "I haven't thought that much. I only know that the damned city sent us to this hellish place to experience the agony of war and bloodshed, to taste death and despair. Its purpose surely isn't to let us experience the philosophy of life or the meaning of existence in battle. So whether they are real or not doesn't matter to me. What matters is whether we can walk out of this place alive."
Wen Rou chuckled, "You may say that, but I can't help but wonder, why does the Bloody City exist? Who created it, and what's the meaning behind its existence?"
"Why must there be a meaning?" Shen Yi countered, "Does everything in the world really need an answer? If so, what's the meaning of human existence? Can't we live without knowing our purpose?"
Wen Rou was startled, "Don't you think there should be an answer to the origin of the Bloody City?"
"I don't think so," Shen Yi replied. "Just like stars, the moon, the sun, they simply exist. Existence is existence, without any inherent meaning. Meaning is just a term invented by humans; it has no meaning in itself. I have no interest in why the Bloody City exists, just like when I was on Earth, I never pondered why I was human, why I had to study, work, or endure things I hated. Maybe the Bloody City is just a world in itself, and all its tasks and rewards are just part of this world's structure and its way of functioning, just as eating and sleeping are natural for people."
"And why are we here?"
"Maybe because life on Earth self-evolves, while this world can only thrive through plunder."
Wen Rou smiled, "I've never heard such a novel view. Why are only humans plundered?"
"Maybe it's not just humans," Shen Yi answered.
Wen Rou looked surprised, "You mean…"
"If this is a world, then maybe there's more than one Bloody City," Shen Yi continued. "Just as there are multiple countries, races, and ethnicities on Earth... Forget it, I've said there's no need to explore its existence. Here, our only purpose is to survive, fight, and grow stronger."
Wen Rou gazed at Shen Yi thoughtfully for a long while before saying, "It seems you have adapted to the new environment."
"Survival of the fittest, a universal law in any world," Shen Yi replied.
This was Shen Yi's view of the Bloody City.
While many thought the Bloody City was a divine creation, Shen Yi believed it might simply be the natural state of this world. Like the essence of matter is motion, the essence of this world might be the cycle of life and death. Whether this view is correct or not is irrelevant. Rather
than exhaust oneself searching for the meaning of its existence, it's better to quickly adapt to this world. The former is like scientists on Earth tirelessly seeking the mysteries of the universe, possibly brilliant and knowledgeable, yet never able to find all the unknown answers. The latter is like the kings of the human world, perhaps ignorant of the world's structure, but able to dominate their era. Shen Yi chose to be the latter.
This is also the choice of most people.
"Shen, come over here," Frost's voice interrupted Wen Rou and Shen Yi's conversation.
Shen Yi approached Frost with his rifle in hand and asked, "What's the matter?"
"We're running low on ammunition," Frost began with grim news. He then turned to his soldiers and shouted encouragingly, "Well done, brothers, we've repelled another German attack. I know it's hard, but please hold on, the main Allied forces will arrive soon!"
"How much longer can we hold out?" Shen Yi asked quietly.
"Maybe two days, maybe one, depending on the intensity of the battles. In just one day, from yesterday to today, we've used up two-thirds of our ammunition. At this rate, our machine guns will have to be used as sniper rifles." Frost trudged through the rubble with a victorious smile, instilling confidence in his men.
"How many tanks are left?"
"Just one tank, three artillery pieces, and a little over thirty shells left. The situation couldn't be worse."
"My team is also not in good shape. We can't be fearless against bullets like we were at the beginning. The prolonged combat has drained a lot of our energy. This is no mere skirmish."
"Yes, I saw. You've had casualties." Frost sighed, acknowledging that the special forces weren't invincible: "That's why I called you here." He stopped under a shady tree, taking advantage of the privacy to say, "We're not just facing a shortage of ammunition, but also a lack of manpower. Nearly two hundred brothers have died. The 2nd Airborne Battalion is now more like a company. I have just over three hundred able-bodied men left; the rest are all injured. Without ammunition and enough men, I'm not even sure we can repel another enemy attack. And to make things worse, we've just received word that the main Allied forces have just left the road and are facing fierce resistance from the Germans. They won't be able to reach Arnhem anytime soon."
Shen Yi let out a long sigh. Everything was as expected; the battle was getting tougher.
A soldier came over, "Hey, Captain Frost, I've captured a saber, look how beautiful it is, a Japanese sword."
"That's a great find!" Frost called back, "Show it to your mother when you get back; she'll love it."
The soldier left happily.
Turning back to Shen Yi, Frost said, "I'm telling you all this so you understand our current situation. Shen, frankly, I don't think you're professional soldiers, which is understandable since you're people with special abilities. Perhaps the British government paid a high price to bring you here, or maybe General MacArthur sees you as his trump card. But as it stands, you're not able to change the course of the battle. It's not worth sacrificing your lives for nothing."
"You mean..."
"Go back," Frost tilted his head. "Return to where you came from. There's no need to take risks with us."
As Frost spoke, a chime sounded from the Bloody Emblem: "Plot branch diversion: Frost's suggestion. You can now choose whether to abandon the optional mission. Abandoning it incurs no penalty and grants no rewards. Friendliness resets to zero."
Shen Yi was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected a plot branch diversion. According to the rules of the Bloody City, this was a lifeline offered in a critical moment. The upcoming battles would only get harder. Retreating now would save his life, but continuing meant facing tremendous danger. He noticed that the other adventurers didn't show any reaction, indicating they hadn't received information about this branch diversion.
The decision was his alone.
Why was it so? Clearly, not everyone could access such a plot branch. Without sufficient friendliness, one couldn't trigger the plot branch. This was another hidden function of the plot mission, allowing for an immediate escape from danger in a crisis.
But Shen Yi didn't intend to give up.
In his view, if he gave up on his first official mission, he would gain safety but lose the courage to face danger. In the world of the Bloody City, where only the strong prevail, one must either die or become powerful.
Without hesitation, he told Frost, "I won't leave, Frost. As you said, I'm not a professional soldier. We were brought here by the British government, paid handsomely as General MacArthur's secret weapon. But we're not fighting just for money; we also carry our nation's pride and honor. I want you to understand that not only soldiers have valor, not only soldiers know how to sacrifice for their country. As a citizen of Great Britain, I know what I'm doing. To sacrifice for one's country... that is your pride, and ours too!"
Frost looked at Shen Yi, seemingly surprised by his response.
Finally, he saluted Shen Yi slowly, "On behalf of all the soldiers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion, I, Lieutenant Colonel Frost, offer our deepest thanks and highest respect!"
A chime from the Bloody Emblem announced: "Refusing Frost's suggestion, you've earned Frost's respect and significantly increased your friendliness with the 2nd Airborne Battalion. Current friendliness is 450 points. In the upcoming battles, you will gain 2.25% of the combat contributions from the soldiers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion. In this beginner-level mission, the maximum friendliness is 500 points."
This time, Shen Yi was prepared.