Chapter 54: Private Mission

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Night had fallen.

From a high vantage point overlooking the Somme region, countless elongated shadows converged toward Leva. Both sides had deployed tens of thousands of transport vehicles, while the roar of fighter jets was punctuated by bursts of brilliant, towering flames.

Countless infantry launched deadly charges at the front lines. The relentless Maxim machine guns reaped lives mercilessly. A single trench often changed hands multiple times in fierce tug-of-war battles. Corpses, too many to retrieve, attracted swarms of flies and vultures.

Leva held strategic significance in the overall conflict. As the operational hub of the Prussian defensive line, its fall would mean the complete loss of the western battlefield, a defeat that would ripple through the entire region and severely impact the equally brutal battles at Verdun.

Inside a collapsed attic in Leva,

Jiang He hid beneath overlapping wooden beams, eyes wide as he studied the map in his supplies. With no light, it was difficult to see clearly. Dividing the city into four quadrants—east, south, west, and north—the north and south were already occupied by enemy and friendly forces respectively. The fiercest clashes were in the east and west sectors, where troop density was rising at an astonishing rate as reinforcements amassed.

“The Crocodile Knight, Ksofia, scavenges the ruined bank every night. Her skin is incredibly tough, especially on her head. With your sniper rifle’s current damage, you can wound her seriously but might not guarantee a kill. Aim for her eyes.”

Jiang He gazed through a gap at the vast rubble outside. Occasionally, he glimpsed faint sparks from soldiers lighting cigarettes. Under such intense stress, tobacco was a vital comfort, even if it meant risking one’s life.

After a dozen minutes, a graceful figure appeared beside the ruins. Dressed smartly in Prussian military uniform, she moved with purpose.

Beneath the dark night sky, only the smoldering heaps of splintered wood from exploded shells emitted a faint glow, casting soft light on the woman’s delicate silhouette. She scanned the area carefully before quietly pushing aside a stone and sifting through the debris below.

“Before the war reached Leva, the Leaden Bank was famed across Europe, second only to the Prussian Emperor’s treasury within Prussia. I wonder what she’s looking for.”

Wu He, observing how focused the target was, couldn’t help but feel curious. Staying exposed in one position for so long during urban combat was reckless, even for a knight. The prize she risked her life for was likely invaluable.

“Better one bird in the hand than ten in the bush. I’ll become a knight first, then worry about everything else.”

Jiang He raised his sniper rifle, deliberately aiming three inches above the target’s head. After hundreds of sniper kills, he noticed that highly alert prey sensed the threat instinctively when aimed at and often tried to dodge to varying degrees.

This wasn’t unique to knights; veteran soldiers displayed similar heightened senses. The clearest example was Tommy, the pronghorn knight, whose extraordinary reflexes elevated his special perception to an abnormal level. From battlefield 145 to 144, he dodged every incoming shell before it hit, boasting exceptional survival skills and occasionally shooting enemy officers with ease.

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Jiang He whispered a self-hypnosis incantation through the scope. He bore no personal grudge against the Crocodile Knight; their enmity was purely due to opposing sides. Killing prey wasn’t the goal—consuming their flesh to sustain himself was. Any obstacle in his path had to be removed.

Wu He, watching through a surveillance raven’s eye, marveled as Jiang He’s murderous intent rapidly diminished, blending more and more with the surroundings. Without witnessing it firsthand, one might think he had become lifeless.

Jiang He slowly lowered the barrel, aligning the crosshair on the target’s forehead. The Crocodile Knight remained oblivious, continuing her search among the rubble. Her tough defenses were her shield during these forays.

The bullet sped from the muzzle, leaving a faint pale vapor trail. The muzzle flash flickered as the bullet pierced the Crocodile Knight’s eye socket, shattering the eyeball and destroying her brain. The kinetic energy toppled her sideways, ushering her into death.

As expected, the sniper kill was successful. A Class C combat merit was added to the codex page.

Jiang He withdrew from the beam gap. His newly mastered technique of concealing murderous intent was perfect for assassination—a hallmark of a skilled sniper. During daylight, when the Eagle Knight sniped at him, he instinctively did not react. Compared to daily practice and refinement, the hypnosis skill provided substantial aid.

“Two fire teams are approaching your position, eleven men each, all equipped with MP18 submachine guns. I advise a quick retreat. This weapon was only slated for mass deployment two years from now. Its firepower far surpasses rifles.”

Jiang He complied, leaving behind a black gemstone before swiftly withdrawing. Seventy meters away, he sensed his link to the chaos bomb weakening and took another step forward.

Soon, infantry from all directions surrounded the collapsed attic, opening fire on the ruins with a relentless barrage.

Jiang He snapped his fingers, using hypnosis to activate the chaos bomb as a trigger. Like a thunderclap in the night, a violent shockwave blasted debris outward, and intense heat radiation melted metal objects.

“Mental stat seven points—so the remote control’s maximum range is seventy meters.”

The explosion seemed to awaken Leva. Roars and fierce gunfire echoed from all sides as many concealed soldiers stirred and rejoined the escalating battle.

Returning to the chemical plant, Jiang He found the first-floor machine gun nest had been cleared by the Prussians, leaving a crater nearly two meters wide. A new fire team had taken position to control the street entrance.

On the second floor, the corpse of Charles XIII lay cold, his two rations in the supply pack completely gone.

Wu He reconstructed the scene and analyzed, “About five or six hours ago, he woke up, his injuries stabilized but he couldn’t move. Losing the machine gun nest was a huge psychological blow. Fierce gunfights erupted over control of the chemical plant. After eating his rations, he chose to shoot himself. Given the current situation, no one would be foolish enough to fake a suicide scene.”

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After speaking, Wu He humbly said, “Please call me Detective Wu.”

“Detective Wu.”

“That’s embarrassing.”

Jiang He took the remaining supplies, mainly for the ammunition boxes and grenades.

On his way back outside the city, he scattered cinnabar pellets to open a safe passage for ingress and egress.

...

Outside Leva, in a dense forest village.

At the camp’s supply depot, a middle-aged colonel had taken command. It was clear that Lieutenant General Samofort’s headquarters had relocated here to oversee the entire operation.

“You’re saying you killed two knights and twenty infantrymen in half a day?”

The surprised voice drew everyone’s attention. It was rare for knights to fall to one another due to their limited numbers. Killing twenty infantrymen was equivalent to wiping out over half an infantry platoon. Urban warfare was no reckless charge; this achievement indicated exceptional individual combat skills.

“If you like, I can repeat it a third time, or burn the codex page for fun. It’s not as useful as I thought,” Jiang He said calmly.

The middle-aged colonel gave an awkward smile, clasped his hands on the table, then said sternly, “I have a personal mission for you. Are you willing to accept it?”

Jiang He replied, “That depends on what personal reward you can offer, sir.”