Chapter 104: A Heartbreaking Story
From the initial indifference, to the smiles at the game's humorous scenes, to a deep silence, every player felt the cruelty of war.
They were all immersed in the story.
Fortunately, Karl's later story revealed that he was not actually dead. Instead, he had exchanged his dog tag with that of another fallen soldier, making him appear dead. He himself was desperately trying to get back to his wife on the Saint-Mihiel farm.
Meanwhile, Emile, upon learning of Karl's death, was unaware that it was just a façade, and grief overwhelmed him, making him seriously ill.
Meanwhile, Freddy piloted the old professor's modified tank to the Somme, overcoming all obstacles and finally defeating Baron von Dorf on the battlefield. Baron von Dorf was finally transferred from the front, a relief for many soldiers. But for someone like Baron von Dorf, this was even more terrifying than death, as it meant the end of his military and political career.
But at that moment, Lily felt no excitement or desire for revenge. Her biggest concern now was whether Karl was really dead and what would happen to Emile.
In the midst of this emotion, the game returned to focus on Karl, who was on the run. On the way, he met Anna and the dog, and finally arrived at Saint-Mihiel, the recruitment office where Emile had been conscripted. However, things had changed; this time, the place had been converted into a German training camp for new recruits.
There, the rescue dog met its former master, but just like in the mines, the French launched an artillery attack on Saint-Mihiel. With the help of his new friend, Karl and the dog were the first to enter the house, but he was killed instantly.
Sitting in front of her computer, watching the scene, Lily pursed her lips. At that point in the game, she could not find words to describe her feelings. After escaping from the barracks, the French army began to use poison gas.
After many difficulties, Karl finally returned to his family's farm, but just then, a poison gas bomb fell from the sky, completely destroying Emile's farm. His wife, Marie, and son were crushed by the collapsing house.
After a long search, Karl finally found Marie and his son. There, Marie gave her son a makeshift gas mask while she herself was exposed to the gas. Seeing this, Karl, without hesitation, placed his own gas mask on his head. He took it off and dragged Marie outside, trying to comfort the unconscious Marie as they walked.
"Marie... it's me... I'm here!"
Finally, without the gas mask, he could no longer hold on and collapsed. His son's heartbreaking cries filled her headphones. At that moment, Lily's eyes filled with tears in front of the computer.
A ray of hope still persisted. She hoped that the game's creators would not be so heartless as to let Karl and Marie die there. But the game clearly did not reveal what had happened to Karl.
The scene shifted to Emile.
On April 16, 1917, Emile's illness had still not fully healed, but General Neville, at the front, demanded that all able-bodied soldiers join the battle, launching his massive assault. The game's previous humorous visual style changed, and the overall tone of the game was extremely somber.
In the ruined front line, the commander raised his saber and shouted at Emile to find soldiers who could charge. The French army launched another attack. Once again, this was another battle that could end the war. And they had fought this type of battle countless times before.
Looking at the game screen in front of her, Lily, sitting in front of the computer, stopped explaining the game as she had in previous games and simply experienced the plot. At her commander's order, all the soldiers used countless shattered bodies as cover and continued their desperate charge.
Compared to the previous levels, this last one was more difficult. Enemy attacks were so intense that they had to seize every opportunity. And in the game, all the soldiers seemed paralyzed. They were terrified, but under the pressure of their commander, they had no choice but to launch the attack.
This level left Lily, and all the other players, with a single feeling: an overwhelming sense of oppression. The surroundings were littered with corpses, blood stained the ground red. Even the game itself was painted in the desolate, dark night.
Amidst a rain of bullets, Emile and his companions slowly advanced, while their companions fell one after another. They could only charge forward. If they stopped for an instant or looked back, the officers, armed behind them, would riddle them with bullets. They charged forward using the bodies of their companions and wagons full of corpses.
Fewer and fewer people charged, and finally only Emile was left. Even so, the officer following him held his weapon high and ordered the trembling soldiers to launch a desperate charge. A projectile hit near Emile and knocked him unconscious, but the officer following him ordered the trembling soldiers to charge forward.
Emile, who had just regained consciousness, looked at the shouting officers and the trembling soldiers in front of him and slowly advanced. There were no system prompts, but all the players did the same, which was what Emile considered right at that moment.
He brandished the shovel and struck the officer's head hard, putting an end to this fearless charge and sacrifice.
The Nivelle Offensive was a bloody battle, a massacre. Soon a riot broke out in the French infantry regiment, which stopped the offensive.
Emile and another convicted soldier were imprisoned, awaiting trial.
'Emile imprisoned, awaiting trial?'
Seeing this, Lily, sitting in front of her computer, felt a chill in her heart, a bad feeling washing over her.
But then the camera focused on Karl again.
Compared to the previous depressing and hellish atmosphere, there seemed to be a ray of sunshine. The dog, the German search and rescue dog, had rescued Karl and his family from the poison gas, had traveled a thousand miles to find Anna, and had taken her to Karl's farm.
After a brief first aid session, Karl was rushed to a field hospital and finally regained consciousness. After years of war, the family of three finally reunited.
Seeing Karl, Marie, and his son embrace, Lily, sitting in front of her computer, breathed a sigh of relief. A ray of hope also grew in her heart.
Despite the fact that the previous plot was too cruel and too dark. But seeing the warmth of Karl's family, maybe Emile, on the other hand, would also see some improvement?
With such expectations and thoughts, Lily continued playing.
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