Chapter 104: Heart-wrenching Plot

Chapter 104: Heart-wrenching Plot

From initial indifference, to smiling at the game's humorous graphics and scenes, then falling into deep silence—feeling the oppressive cruelty brought by war.

Every player was immersed in the game’s story.

Fortunately, through Carl’s subsequent storyline, players realized that Carl hadn’t actually died.

He had exchanged his identification tag with another dead soldier, making everyone believe he was dead.

Carl himself had gone to great lengths to return to his wife at the Saint-Mihiel farm.

Meanwhile, Emile, upon hearing of Carl’s death, remained unaware that it was merely a feigned death. Overcome with grief, he fell into a serious illness.

Freddie, on the other hand, drove the old professor’s modified tank to Somme, cutting through enemy lines and ultimately defeating Baron von Dorf on the battlefield.

Eventually, Baron von Dorf was reassigned away from the front lines—a dream come true for many soldiers.

But for someone like Baron von Dorf, this punishment was worse than death, as it meant the end of his military and political career.

Yet at this moment, Liuliu felt no sense of revenge or excitement.

Instead, she was consumed with worry—had Carl really died?

And what would become of Emile?

Under this emotional weight, the game graphics switched back to Carl.

During his escape, Carl encountered Anna and the dog along the way, finally arriving at Saint-Mihiel—the very Recruitment Office where Emile had enlisted.

But times had changed. This place had now become a training ground for new German army recruits.

Here, the German search and rescue dog met his original owner. But just like that scene in the mine earlier—

The next moment, French artillery bombarded Saint-Mihiel. With the help of new friends, Carl and the dog rushed into a building, only to be instantly killed by an explosion.

Sitting at her computer, Liuliu bit her lips tightly.

By this point, she couldn’t even describe how she felt.

Having escaped the military camp, the French army now launched a gas attack. After enduring countless hardships, Carl finally returned to his family’s farm—only for a gas shell to fall from the sky.

Emile’s farm was utterly destroyed, and Carl’s wife Mary and their son were crushed beneath the collapsed ruins.

After a long search, Carl finally found Mary and his son.

Here, Mary gave her son a makeshift gas mask, exposing herself to the deadly gas.

Without hesitation, Carl took off his own gas mask and placed it over Mary’s face.

With his mask removed, Carl dragged Mary toward the outside.

As he staggered forward, he kept trying to comfort the unconscious Mary.

["Mary... it's me... I'm here!"]

In the end, deprived of his gas mask, Carl collapsed, unable to go on.

At that moment, his son’s heart-wrenching cries filled the headphones.

Watching this scene unfold, Liuliu’s eyes welled up with tears.

Yet, she still held onto a sliver of hope.

She hoped the game developers wouldn’t be so heartless as to let Carl and Mary die here.

But clearly, the game wouldn’t reveal to the player what happened to Carl next.

The screen shifted to Emile.

April 16, 1917. Emile had still not recovered from his illness, but General Nivelle at the front demanded every soldier who could still stand to join the Great Offensive.

The game’s tone shifted dramatically from its earlier humorous style—now the color tone was overwhelmingly dark.

At the ruined front lines, officers raised their Military Sabers, bellowing orders for Emile to gather soldiers for the charge.

The French army launched another attack.

Once again, another battle that might end the war.

Yet before this, they had already fought countless such battles.

Staring at the game graphics, Liuliu no longer narrated and commented as she played, as she had before. Instead, she simply experienced the story.

Under the officers’ orders, soldiers used piles of corpses as cover, desperately charging forward.

Compared to previous levels, this final level was significantly more difficult.

The enemy fire was too intense—timing had to be perfect.

Meanwhile, within the game, the soldiers seemed to have become numb.

All were terrified, yet under the threat of the Supervising Officer, they had no choice but to advance.

This level left Liuliu—and every player—with only one feeling: overwhelming oppression.

Corpses lay everywhere. Blood stained the ground red.

Even the game’s color palette depicted a bleak, dark night.

Through the hail of bullets and explosions, Emile and his comrades inched forward, while comrades beside them fell one by one.

They could only charge forward. Anyone who paused or turned back was instantly shot by the officers behind.

They charged using their fallen Companions as cover, using carts filled with corpses to advance.

Fewer and fewer remained—until finally, only Emile was left.

Yet even then, the officer behind still raised his gun, urging the soldiers to launch their desperate assault.

A shell exploded beside Emile, knocking him unconscious. The officer behind continued to force trembling soldiers forward.

When Emile awoke, he saw the bellowing officer ahead and the trembling soldiers behind. Slowly, he began to move.

There was no system prompt, yet every player simultaneously made the same choice—what Emile believed, in that moment, to be the right thing.

He swung his Shovel hard at the officer’s head, ending the futile charge and sacrifice.

["The Nivelle Offensive was a bloody battle, a massacre"]

["Soon, mutiny broke out among French infantry units, bringing the offensive to a halt"]

["Emile and another Deserter were incarcerated, awaiting judgment by the military tribunal"]

Emile was imprisoned and would be put on trial?

Seeing this, Liuliu’s heart trembled—she sensed something terrible was coming.

But the next moment, the scene shifted again—back to Carl.

Compared to the previous hellish, oppressive atmosphere, Carl’s side now seemed touched by a ray of sunlight.

The German search and rescue dog dragged Carl’s family of three out of the gas, then traveled a great distance to find Anna, leading her back to Carl’s farm.

After basic first aid, Carl was sent to a Field Hospital and finally regained consciousness.

After years of war, the three of them were finally reunited.

Watching Carl embrace Mary and their son, Liuliu let out a long sigh of relief.

A flicker of hope stirred in her heart.

Though the earlier story had been too cruel, too dark—

Now, seeing this warm reunion of Carl’s family, perhaps Emile would also get a second chance?

Holding onto this hope, Liuliu continued playing the game.

(Daily plea for recommendation votes and Monthly Pass—wuwuwu…)

(End of Chapter) <>