Book 2, Chapter 19 – Friendliness Rate Increase
In two days, the Germans had launched three waves of attacks to seize the bridge back. As Shen Yi expected, the latter waves were more powerful and ferocious than the former.
The 2nd Paratroopers Battalion, with the help of the adventurers, fought two days and two nights in a row to withstand these three powerful waves of attacks. But, in the three attacks, the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion failed to complete a war of annihilation and were just barely able to withstand the attack.
In the fourth wave, an adventurer was killed as another adventurer lost a leg. This was the first time since the team won the bridge, that the adventurers had casualties. This meant that the fighting was becoming more and more difficult to fight over time.
The fifth wave of the German offensive was launched on the sixth day at four o’clock in the afternoon.
About seven hundred Germans, plus 22 tanks, and 71 artilleries crazily bombarded them, almost flattening the town where the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion camped. The fighting continued until the seventh day in the morning. The German soldiers finally retreated, but the town was ruined.
A wounded soldier was lying on the battlefield and wailing. The soldiers who still had stamina moved around, looking for ammunition in the ruins, looking for the enemy’s soldiers to shoot, looking for wounded comrades to save…
The inhabitants of the town looked at their dilapidated home, the arrival of the British paratroopers was no longer as agitated as it had been before.
They walked in the ruins unconsciously, like wandering souls.
Sitting on an abandoned tank, Shen Yi looked at the desolate scene everywhere, like a motionless stone.
Wen Rou sat down on his side and said, “Look at the way it is now, people really cannot help but wonder how this world was formed, in the end, what makes it all so real. I used to think they are nothing but tools which the b.l.o.o.d.y City used to test us, having no real thoughts and feelings. But now, look, they are sad, they despair, they are happy, they are in pain, they are angry, they hate, they laugh, and they go crazy…. Can we say that they are just NPCs? “
For this argument, Shen Yi obviously spent a moment thinking, he shook his head, “I don’t think so much, I only know that the d.a.m.n city put us into this evil place, to let us experience war and b.l.o.o.d.y pain, to taste the taste of death and despair. Its purpose isn’t to let us experience life philosophy in the battle or to find the meaning of life. So, in the end, if they are real or dummies, for me, this not important. The real important thing is that we can get out alive from this place.”
Wen Rou smiled, “I say that, but I can not help but think, why does b.l.o.o.d.y City exist? In the end, who created it? Its existence has what kind of meaning?”
“Why must it be meaningful?” Shen Yi asked, “What in the world really needs to have an answer? If so, what is the meaning of the existence of people in the world? If we do not know what the meaning is, we cannot live anymore?”
Wen Rou hesitated, “Don’t you think we should have an answer about the origin of the b.l.o.o.d.y City?”
“I don’t think so.” Shen Yi replied, “Just like the stars, the moon, and the sun, they exist. Existences just exist, there is no need to have a meaning at all. ‘Meaning’ is only a word invented by humans, the word itself does not have any meaning. I have little interest in what the b.l.o.o.d.y City is, as when I lived on the Earth, I didn’t think about why I was human. Why people have to learn, why people go to work, and why there are those disgusting things that I hate. Maybe the b.l.o.o.d.y City itself is a world, all the quests and rewards are just a part of this world, but it’s also a mode of operation like people have to eat and drink.”
“Then why did we appear here?”
“Perhaps because Earth can create life, and this world can only rely on looting.”
Wen Rou softly laughed, “I have never heard such a novel point of view. Then, why are only humans being plundered?”
“Maybe not only humans.” Shen Yi replied.
Wen Rou was stunned, “You mean…”
“If this is a world, then perhaps there are more than one b.l.o.o.d.y City.” Shen Yi replied, “As on Earth there’s more than one country, more than one race, more than one nation… Well, I said that there’s no need to explore why it is there. Here, our only significance is to survive, fight, and to become strong.”
Wen Rou stared at Shen Yi, and after a long time, she only said, “It seems you already adapted to the new environment.”
“Survival of the fittest, the universal law of any world.” Shen Yi replied.
For the b.l.o.o.d.y City, this was Shen Yi’s view.
When many people thought that the b.l.o.o.d.y City was a G.o.d’s creation, Shen Yi felt it may not necessarily be G.o.d’s creation, perhaps this was how the world itself was formed. Just as the essence of matter was a movement, the essence of this world was the cycle of life and death. As for this view, in the end, if it was right or not, that wasn’t important. The important thing was that, instead of exploring the meaning of its existence with exhaustive force, one should quickly adapt to this world. The former was a scientist on Earth who was pursuing the mysteries of the universe. He might be clever, perhaps knowledgeable, but never able to find all the unknown answers. While the latter was a king of the Earth, he perhaps knew nothing about the composition of this world, but in his lifetime, he could rule the world. For Shen Yi, he chose to become the latter.
This was also the choice of most people.
“Shen Yi, come to me to have a look.” Frost’s shout interrupted Wen Rou and Shen Yi’s conversation.
Shen Yi held his gun and came over, “What is it?”
“Our ammunition is running out.” Frost came up and gave Shen Yi very bad news. He then turned around and spoke to his soldiers, shouting, “Do pretty my brothers! We have repulsed another German attack, I know you already fought very hard, but please patient with it, the Allies will come soon!”
“How long can you last?” Shen Yi whispered.
“Maybe two days, maybe one day, depending on the intensity of the fighting. Yesterday and today alone, in one day, we consumed two-thirds of the ammunition. If we continue to go on like this, our heavy machine guns will be used like a sniper rifle.” Frost walked in the ruins, his face was wearing a smile of victory, which gave the soldiers confidence.
“How many tanks left?”
“There is a tank left and three artilleries with more than 30 sh.e.l.ls, the situation has been no longer worse.”
“My situation is not very good too, my people are no longer unafraid of the bullets as the beginning. With the endless fighting, the consumption of our power is great. This time is by no means of pretending.”
“Yes, I see, some of you are dead.” Frost sighed, the Special Warriors, in the end, were not omnipotent and could not have been invulnerable for eternity, “This is the reason I came to you.” He stopped, standing under a tree’s shadow. Taking advantage that there was no one in the surroundings, he said, “We are not only faced with the problem of insufficient ammunition, but there aren’t enough people too. Almost two hundred brothers died. The 2nd Paratroopers Battalion is actually slowly ceasing to exist. Under my command now are only three hundred battle-ready people. The rest are lacking in arms or legs, or have no ammunition. In fact, I am not even sure that we can repel another enemy attack. The worst is that I just got news that the Allied main forces met the Germans tenacious blocking. In a short period of time, they cannot get to Arnhem.”
Shen Yi exhaled a long breath.
Everything was as expected, the fighting was becoming more and more difficult.
A soldier came over, “Commander Frost, I just seized a knife, look how beautiful it is.”
“That’s a good thing!” Frost called back. “When we come back, show it to your mom, she’ll love it.”
The soldier was glad to leave.
Turning his head, Frost said to Shen Yi, “I’m telling you these things because I hope that you understand the situation we are facing. Shen Yi, honestly, I think you don’t like professional soldiers. Of course, this is logical, all of you are men with superpowers. Perhaps the United Kingdom government spent a big price to ask you to come over. Perhaps General Miles see you as his trump card. But now it seems that you cannot play a role in changing the situation this time. I can’t let you be sacrificed here in vain. “
“What do you mean…”
“Go back,” Frost said, ” To where you come from. You don’t have to stay here and take risks with us.”
With this sentence, b.l.o.o.d.y Crest’s voice suddenly exhorted, “Plot Changing Quest: Frost’s Proposal – Now you can choose to give up the Optional Quest. Abandoning Optional Quest will receive no punishment, but will not gain any rewards, Friendliness Rate becomes 0.”
Shen Yi was slightly startled, he didn’t expect that even the Mission World story could be changed. According to the b.l.o.o.d.y City, this was a self-help measure at a critical moment. The next fights would become harder and harder. This time, if he chose to retreat, the adventurers’ lives would be preserved. If he continued to stick to it, the adventurers would face a great danger. The problem was that Shen Yi noted that the other adventurers faces’ expression had no change. There was no whisper. It indicated that they didn’t receive information of this redirection of the plot.
In other words, this decision could only be made by Shen Yi himself.
Why is this? Obviously, such a branch of the plot was not triggered by just anyone. Not having enough Friendliness Rate, would simply not start the branch plot. This should be another role of the Hidden Quest. In times of crisis, it gave a way to immediately escape from danger.
But Shen Yi did not intend to give up.
In his view, if he gave up the first official mission so easy, he would safe. But at the same time, he would also lose the courage to face danger. Since the b.l.o.o.d.y City world was a “strong is supremacy” world, then he either died or became strong.
So, he didn’t hesitate to refute Frost, “I will not leave, Frost. As you said, I really am not a professional soldier. The United Kingdom paid a big price to get help. We are General Miles secret trump card. But we don’t just fight for money, our shoulders also bear the pride and glory of the nation. I hope you understand, not only military soldiers have hot blood, and not only military soldiers know how to sacrifice for the country. For the citizens of Great Britain, I know what I am doing. Sacrificing for the country… This is not just your pride, this is also our pride!”
Frost stared at Shen Yi, it seemed that he didn’t think Shen Yi would say this.
Finally, he slowly gave a military salute toward Shen Yi, “The 2nd Paratroopers Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Frost, on behalf of all the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion soldiers, give you our deepest grat.i.tude and highest respect!”
The b.l.o.o.d.y Crest prompted: “Giving up ‘Frost’s Proposal’, you get Frost’s respect. The Friendliness Rate of the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion has greatly increased. Currently at 450 points. In the next battles, you will get 2.25% of the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion soldiers combat contribution. The difficulty of this quest is at Primary-level, Friendliness Rate maximum value is at 500 points.”
This time, Shen Yi’s heart had long been prepared.