Moving forward at a pace almost identical to when they arrived, the German soldiers fought bitterly through the maze-like birch forest at night, each step heavy with exhaustion. Without stretchers, several burly soldiers took turns carrying two incapacitated casualties on their backs, while four "night fighters" carrying large boxes took turns leading the way ahead of the group. Other soldiers assisted comrades with leg injuries or helped carry firearms and equipment. Although Lynn was willing to help his comrades, this day had been too long for him. Since he woke up, there had been no respite. The successive battles had drained his physical strength and subjected him to the most brutal mental tests. He continued to move forward, his weary body propelled only by sheer willpower. The profound fatigue and heaviness made him feel like he could collapse at any moment.
The sky before dawn was pitch black, with no light visible in the forest. Even standing a meter away, companions appeared as blurry silhouettes. Colliding with slightly smaller tree trunks became commonplace. Suddenly hitting another tree, Lynn finally stood numbly in place, unwilling to move another step.
"Let it end like this!"
A voice echoed in his mind.
Indeed, Lynn thought, this was a war without a visible victory. He, a commoner from a neutral country, had inexplicably become a foreign soldier in the German Waffen-SS. Logically, choosing between nationality and ethnicity was understandable, and Denmark was just a small European country passively drawn into the war. If he had stayed at home waiting for liberation by the Allies, wouldn't life have been the same?
"Hey, soldier, are you okay?"
A hoarse voice suddenly came from beside him, and Lynn turned to see the "night fighter" who had almost missed the truck. He was carrying the infrared night vision goggles left by the tall officer. However, perhaps damaged during the truck explosion, they had not been used again. Among the 15 "night fighters," only 7 remained. Lynn felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of how many of them had perished, and how many had been replaced.
From the situation, Lynn knew that the end of this war was not far off. A large number of sophisticated weapons and elite troops would disappear into history with the downfall of the empire. Some would become prisoners of the Allied powers, while others would flee abroad through various channels. Switzerland, Spain, and Argentina were rumored destinations. Some rumors might be exaggerated, but the fact that the Israeli intelligence department hunted down and killed Nazi remnants worldwide after the war indicated that many German soldiers chose to flee. Looking at the physically fit and skilled "night fighter" beside him, Lynn suddenly had a bold idea: if he could use the military wealth left by Germany to establish an elite mercenary force after the war, it would definitely be promising in the tumultuous 1940s and 1950s!
"I'm fine! Very good!"
In the darkness, Lynn still straightened his back and gave the other person a smile, reaching out to pat the large box on his back. Fortunately, the other party didn't linger, simply handing over the box to Lynn. The connecting line between it and the rifle had already been severed. The heavy pressure transferred from his arms to his shoulders made Lynn grit his teeth, but the thought of his post-war plans gave him the determination to carry the box forward. Such a heavy load was carried by the "night fighters" all the way here; their physical reserves were formidable.
Although keeping only a distance of at most one body length from Lynn, the "night fighter" officer did not engage in idle chatter with him, thus avoiding any language-related awkwardness. After about two kilometers of advance, the point man in front quietly shouted "attention," and the retreating German soldiers slowed their pace. Lynn stretched his neck forward to look, and the dimly lit area in front made him think of the open space after crossing the river earlier. Whether it was the same location or some distance away, this open area should be the river dividing the control zones of both sides.
The open area directly in front was empty, but turning left, Lynn saw wisps of smoke and indistinct black shapes, like burial mounds on a wasteland or mushrooms sprouting from decayed wood. Based on his battlefield experience, Lynn realized that a fierce battle had taken place here a few hours ago, likely after he had crossed the river. However, he couldn't use this to determine their current location. It could be the villa position he had previously held on the opposite bank, or it could be a new battlefield where the Soviet army launched a night attack.
Some of the "night fighters" took out compasses and maps to estimate, while the others dimmed their flashlight beams with their clothes. Lynn leaned in to take a look, seeing the map reader frowning with concern, his young face lacking the calmness of the tall officer. Would this elite night raiding team be leaderless from now on? Although Lynn wanted to volunteer as their new commander, the language barrier prevented him from doing so. Lack of experience could be quickly accumulated, and professional skills such as orientation recognition could be learned on the fly. More importantly, Lynn was confident in his judgment and control on the battlefield, and his marksmanship was a hard criterion for a special operations soldier. However, the military valued not only capability but also experience, and Lynn doubted whether the higher-ranking officers would entrust such an expensive raiding team to a foreign volunteer with almost no record.
Stable performance and credibility among peers were obviously more suitable for a commander's position than being sometimes an angel and sometimes a devil.
Watching the "night fighters" discuss and debate around the map, Lynn estimated that there had been some deviation in the route they took back through the forest, leading to their current dilemma on how to cross the river. If they followed the forest to the old river crossing point, the advantage would be that they could meet up with the support team after crossing the river, but they might arrive there when it was already daylight. If they crossed the river directly from nearby, they might be discovered by the Soviet army on the way, and once subjected to artillery fire, none of the twenty or so people might make it back alive to the other side.
Looking up at the sky, Lynn realized that in just a short while, there had been a noticeable change in the light. It seemed that dawn was coming sooner than he had imagined. Hurriedly, he pulled out his dictionary and "Everyday German Conversation." Before the "night fighters" could reach a final decision, he spoke in German: "Let us boldly move forward!"
The four "night fighters" around the map simultaneously looked up at this young soldier from the "Nordic" division, who had a resolute expression as he put away the two items into his bag and repeated the phrase often used by the leader: "Let us boldly move forward!"