章節 105: Urging growth

After the battle, a desolate atmosphere filled the air. The sky started to drizzle, and "Bible" complained about Germany's ever-changing weather.

With no other options, they quickly cleared the battlefield and gathered the bodies of the fallen soldiers. They decided to rest here for the night and then proceed to the planned assembly point the next day.

During the night, Norman stared at his trembling right hand in silence, while "Wardaddy" smoked a cigarette nearby.

Though his merits had risen again, he couldn't feel any joy. He had truly had enough of these days and longed to return to his hometown, yearning for the peaceful and quiet life he had once imagined.

No one could fall asleep, and they started to chat.

Everyone had noticed Norman's performance as a new recruit. At this moment, "Coon-Ass" began to speak.

He talked about how he couldn't even have enough food to eat at home and how poor his family was. He thought that joining the military would provide better benefits, so he enlisted. Initially, he was nervous when he went to the battlefield, but he felt that the war was beneficial to him.

He could eat his fill and improve his judgment and willpower through training. He used to be confused about his future, but now, even if there were no more wars, he had the confidence to live well.

So, he reassured Norman not to be afraid and that everything would get better once he overcame the initial inexplicable fear.

However, "Wardaddy" couldn't think that way. He had been in the military much longer than "Coon-Ass" and had witnessed teammates he had bonded with sacrificing themselves in front of him, not just once. It was a heavy burden of guilt, and he would comfort himself, saying, "Such sacrifices are worth it, as they can save five times, ten times, or even more people."

If he didn't think this way, he would have mentally collapsed long ago. Only by convincing himself that the war had meaning could he avoid feeling overwhelmed.

"Bible" silently recited prayers beside them, always doing so before joining the conversation.

"Discussing the meaning of their military service."

He was the most devout person in the squad, and his talk about "the Lord" and "Father" opened up Norman's topic.

As he gazed at the rising candlelight, "Bible" seemed lost in memories.

He spoke of his family.

His father had passed away early due to a serious illness, and his mother had to work two jobs to support the family. Due to the immense pressure of life, she often came home late.

Every time, Norman wanted to wait for his mother to talk to her and spend some time together. However, when she finally returned and he saw her exhausted figure, he didn't dare to disturb her and pretended to be asleep.

Those days were truly hard to bear, especially since he had a younger brother who was five years younger than him.

He wanted to help his mother share the burden, but he didn't know how.

Until he saw the newly issued recruitment notice with excellent benefits, he decided to join the military.

He spoke casually, but his teammates could empathize with him.

Everyone had their own stories, but fate had brought them together here.

As "Wardaddy" gazed at Norman's young face, he seemed to see countless nights where Norman stayed up just to catch a glimpse of his mother returning late at night.

Perhaps, only in this way, could he find peace in falling asleep.

Everyone shared their thoughts until midnight before falling asleep.

The next day, the marching troops arrived at the assembly point, and under the commander's orders, they split into two routes again.

With the urgency to expand their achievements and end the war as soon as possible, everyone was filled with determination.

After all, they had encountered many frontal defenses of the German troops before. Now, the main Allied forces were engaging the main enemy forces, and all they had to do was clear the remaining scattered enemy troops along the way.

No one knew what feelings Norman had after last night's conversation.

However, the Fury squad noticed that with the increase in battles, Norman's hands gripping the trigger became steadier, and his demeanor grew calmer. He spoke less and less. While others chatted during their downtime, he preferred to listen rather than speak.

Perhaps, this was the process of growing up. War brought about more than just combat; it also eroded their humanity.

Norman was no different from others. Even someone as devout as "Bible" was scared enough to wet his pants when he was hit by an anti-tank shell for the first time. But now?

Norman had gone from experiencing death up close, to trembling while taking a life for the first time, and then... calmly taking lives, as if there was no difference.

War never followed a progressive order; each time was like a violent storm. To swallow weakness and abandon suffering was the only way to survive.

Everyone had a turning point in life that brought enlightenment. Faced with random hunts from the Grim Reaper or the landing of an artillery shell, what surged in their hearts?

Helplessness, fear, confusion, pain, or grievance—no one knew. But Norman had become a qualified soldier.

"Do you know why he's here? He's here to kill you."

"Do you know why you're here? You're here to kill him."

Perhaps, as "Bible" said, everyone stepping onto the battlefield had their own emotions and thoughts, whether it was excitement, numbness, or other feelings. In the end, they all merged into a torrent on the charge.

Unknowingly, more and more lives vanished in the unrelenting barrage of tank artillery. By the end of April, the dawn of victory was visible.

The German main force suffered another major defeat, and they boasted of sending children and women to the battlefield, but everyone knew they wouldn't hold on for long.

The Allied forces grew stronger, and even Germany's own people began to flee. They might have realized that the government they had trusted had gone mad.

In this favorable situation, the commanders ordered each unit to block strategic points, preventing the cornered dogs from resorting to guerrilla warfare. The goal was to annihilate the remaining enemy forces in one fell swoop.

This order was passed down layer by layer, and finally, the Fury squad, along with another infantry unit, was assigned to guard a residential area's approach in the rear.

This place was one of the two crucial routes from which several towns could break out of the encirclement. Another unit was stationed at the other route.

The two squads were merged and commanded by "Wardaddy". After gathering enough ammunition and supplies, they set off.

Upon reaching the position, they began to deploy their defensive line.

The infantry unit was arranged behind simple defensive fortifications on either side of the nearby road, while the tank Fury was concealed within the residential area.

Amidst the town's ruins, they chatted and laughed, feeling relaxed and carefree.

For two consecutive days, it remained peaceful, with no sign of any **German troops except for the fleeing civilians.

This was expected, as the main forces were still suppressing the enemy in the front. They had swept the area already, which made them feel safe.

They even thought that the war would soon end, and they would all return to their hometowns. They wondered if they should get together once they were back.

It was another typical day. They stood on guard, and "Coon-Ass" had taken out a record player he had scavenged yesterday.

Listening to the song of an unknown German girl on the record, they felt content.

"Coon-Ass" chatted about some risqué stories and shared that his former neighbor was a widow with a large chest. Many nights, in the quiet darkness, he couldn't help but think about her and wanted to go back and try to be with her.

Though the conversation was quite vulgar, this was exactly what these soldiers, well, single men liked to talk about.

"Wardaddy" smiled but didn't speak. Norman remained calm as he wiped his firearms, seemingly thinking about going back to his hometown and seeing his mother soon.

The military merits he had earned would undoubtedly allow his family to have slightly better days.

However, at this moment, "Wardaddy" heard the sound of vehicles advancing.

Years of military experience made him alert, and he immediately picked up his binoculars to look outside.

A troop bearing SS flags was advancing towards them.

A truck filled with people drove steadily, and through the binoculars, "Wardaddy" could see many young men among them.

Although surprised that an enemy force had appeared behind them, "Wardaddy" immediately ordered everyone back to their combat positions.

"Bible" climbed up to a window in a nearby attic to observe the situation from above.

He gestured, indicating that the enemy was still about 500 meters away.

At the same time, the German truck arrived first, and the people on board were laughing and joking, seemingly not prepared for battle.

The soldiers ambushing on the side couldn't miss such an opportunity and were already preparing to raise their weapons.

Then, following the explosion of a landmine, "Wardaddy" and his men launched a fierce attack on the panicking German soldiers in the truck.

Machine gunner Norman kept firing bullets, hitting the fleeing German soldiers.

The Germans were caught off guard by the sudden attack, but their reinforcements quickly arrived.

The enemy had a large number of troops and decent equipment.

Amidst the hail of bullets, the allied forces also began to suffer casualties.

Several members of the infantry squad were blown away by a shell from an M2 60mm mortar, their shattered bodies scattered all around.

Meanwhile, on the attic, "Bible" found himself in danger. He aimed his sniper rifle at the enemies hiding behind various cover, praying each time before he fired. Soon, his gunfire drew the attention of the enemy, and the muzzle of a mortar was gradually aimed at his location.

With eyes squinted open, "Bible" shouted loudly, "Hey, "Coon-Ass", get down!"

Following a loud blast, thick smoke rose from the attic.

"Coon-Ass", who luckily survived, looked at where "Bible" had been with tears in his eyes, then roared and charged towards the tank Fury hidden behind the residential area.

The loader, "Gordo", understood "Coon-Ass"'s intention and followed him into the tank.

Soon, the tank awakened with a roar, slowly advancing towards the German positions.

The ground trembled incessantly, seemingly witnessing this most formidable fortress-style land-based weapon.

The German soldiers on the other side quickly noticed the situation and began shooting with their machine guns and firing mortars.

But it was all in vain; the tank continued to advance steadily towards them.

The cannon barrel slightly lifted, and "boom," several nearby German soldiers watched as the shell whistled, burying them and their fellow comrades behind the cover of rubble and debris.