Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: This Isn't a Self-Deprecating Stream
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“Someone, please grab the radio! Hurry!”
I shouted toward the company members following right behind me.
Piloting a fighter while typing in chat would be tough, so to communicate with Wild Boar, I absolutely needed a user-exclusive radio.
Sure enough, a young man dashed out from among the gathered company members.
It was a huge relief that someone had bothered to carry the heavy, cumbersome radio.
The young man, who had now settled into the role of our communications officer, operated the radio.
User radios allowed two-way communication with party members, so it should work with Wild Boar too.
“This is Sukka! Wild Boar, please respond!”
= “Signal received loud and clear! You finally got your hands on a radio!”
“What do you mean the Luftwaffe is coming?!”
= “The German faction's air users have banded together!”
The radio connected, and Wild Boar's voice came through.
I could tell how serious the situation was just from his frantic shout, which didn't sound like a current U.S. Air Force pilot at all.
It looked like I'd need to gather real-time intel with help from outside the game too.
Coming to that conclusion, I asked the viewers for some reconnaissance work as I listened to the radio.
= “There are tons of personal streamers in the German faction too. Their streams caught footage of bomber formations heading east. Intel says the German aviation users have united to accelerate the Operation Barbarossa timeline.”
“So France has surrendered after all? Even so, that's way too fast.”
= “The Allied users are all focused on the Dunkirk evacuation right now. With Hitler in charge, Germany can't get NPC help, so it seems they're giving up on the Battle of Britain and aiming to hit the Soviets instead.”
“What's the target? Do you know the Luftwaffe's objective?”
= “Sorry, we haven't pinned it down exactly. But it looks like they're heading for the Soviet southern regions.”
“Blyat...”
Listening to Wild Boar on the radio, I instantly figured out the Luftwaffe's target.
The madness of their desperation to win the war at any cost made my teeth grind.
The southern region we were in was Eastern Europe's largest breadbasket and the heart of Soviet industry.
No matter how many soldiers you had, you couldn't fight properly without weapons, so from the Soviet perspective, it was an absolutely vital stronghold.
But in my memory, the Germans had swept in like a tidal wave, and the Soviets were always a nation that defied common sense.
When it looked like the Germans would seize the munitions factories clustered in the south, the Soviets had dismantled them down to the last part and shipped them to the rear.
This massive scorched-earth policy had played out in history and in Eastern Battlefield just the same.
So it would repeat in Frontline Archive's full-scale war too—and I'd heard the munitions factories in Odessa were already being dismantled.
That meant the Luftwaffe bombers now inbound had only one possible goal.
To invade ahead of the NPCs and destroy the factories completely before they could retreat and keep producing weapons for the Red Army.
They knew the history, so they advanced the war timeline—and to win, they were more serious than anyone.
Typical fascist bastards, ruthless to the core.
“The Soviet southern region is packed with industrial facilities. The Luftwaffe coming now is after the munitions factories. Wild Boar, how's our air force looking? Can we intercept those bombers?”
= “We're scraping together everything we've got and heading up. But as the Soviets, we have way too few aviation users. Most of them flocked to Germany or Britain.”
“Wh-why...”
= “Everyone knows the Soviets have weak air superiority... Aviation users avoid this faction...”
“Ah.”
But knowing the enemies' goal didn't improve the situation.
The Soviets' weak air power always made them bomber fodder, and it looked like Frontline Archive would be no different.
Rage boiled up at being seen as easy prey.
But it was an undeniable fact, so helplessness smothered the anger.
Of course, it wasn't like we couldn't resist at all—escape routes weren't blocked yet.
I asked Wild Boar to hurry over as fast as possible, then issued orders to everyone.
“Anyone near the barracks, log out right now! I'm heading to Norandol Beach as is! Bombers will prioritize factories and buildings! The empty beach should let us dodge the strikes!”
“S-sis...”
“If you have time, help other users and NPCs evacuate too! No air raid sirens are going off, so we have to warn them ourselves! And everyone, absolutely do not die! That's an order from your company commander!”
“V-Victoria sis? What's gotten into you...”
As soon as I gave my orders, the company members sprang into action.
They were closer to Norandol Beach than the barracks anyway, so most were giving up on logging out like me.
Of course, I hadn't even considered logging out.
I couldn't abandon Yelena, who was clinging to my side right now.
No matter how invincible she was, it wouldn't shield her from mental trauma.
So I had to take Yelena and evacuate to safety.
“Yelena, from now on, stick right by my side. Do not let go, got it?”
“Wh-what's wrong all of a sudden... Sis, you're scaring me...”
“I'm protecting you. So follow my lead.”
“O-okay...”
I grabbed Yelena's hand and bolted straight for Norandol Beach.
From the real-time intel scrolling in chat, the bombers were almost on top of us.
Viewers said that despite the surprise attack, a streamer was broadcasting it.
It was a stupid move exposing tactics to the enemy, but to those who couldn't fight back, it was practically mockery.
“There’s too many...”
By the time we arrived, over a hundred company members had gathered on the sandy beach.
It was a holiday, so most of our comrades were logged in.
I'd always thought more comrades were better, but in this situation, I couldn't welcome it at all.
An ominous premonition kept surfacing, making my whole body tremble uncontrollably.
But no matter how scared I was, I couldn't just stand still.
I'd been a hero on the old Eastern Front, and now I was company commander on this one. To protect my subordinates, I had to muster courage like always.
“Don't bunch up too much, everyone! Trust your uniforms' camouflage and scatter, then hit the deck! And stay away from the tanks just in case!”
Thankfully, the company members followed my orders without complaint.
Some grumbled in dissatisfaction, but it seemed aimed at Soviet air power, not me.
Just then, familiar voices from behind stopped me in my tracks.
My dear comrades—Ttalgwi and Irina.
“Sukka! Bombers are coming! You sure you don't need to log out?”
“Yelena! Where've you been, showing up now!”
Ttalgwi's stream had spread the word too, thankfully.
Her viewers wouldn't sit idle, so other users and NPCs would prepare for the air raid.
I'd gotten the company members to a relatively safe spot and secured the Morozova sisters' safety.
Sadly, there was no way to fight the bombers head-on, but I'd done everything in my power.
Now all we could do was huddle together and pray.
I pulled Yelena into a hug and called over Ttalgwi and Irina.
“Ghost, hug me and Yelena. Ttalgwi sis, stick tight to Irina's side.”
It was to boost our survival odds even a little.
Being near essential NPCs like Irina and Yelena should keep us safe even if bombs fell nearby.
It was exploiting the essential system in a way, but I still didn't fully trust it.
So we’d protect each other without clumping enough to draw fire.
“Th-then, excuse me.”
Hesitant Ghost led the way as our group of five gathered together.
And at that moment, urgent reports erupted from the company members half-buried in the sand.
“Enemy bombers sighted in the western sky!!”
“Th-they're coming in fucking hordes!!”
“Whoa, shit, what the hell is that?! I'm emergency logging out, see ya!!”
“S-sorry!! I'm logging out too!! Wake me when it's over!!”
Even our bravest comrades were freaking out at the terrifying sight.
An enormous swarm of bombers approached like a plague of locusts.
Sure, plenty would fly past Odessa unscathed, but even if just some bombed, it would be hell on earth.
Part of me wanted to emergency log out too, so the company members fleeing to reality felt like the smart choice.
Then, perhaps thinking the same, Ttalgwi spoke up in a trembling voice.
From how she was rubbing her legs together, she’d gotten a bladder warning like me.
“S-S-S-Sukka! Log out! Emergency log out now! You're not in combat, so it should work! We'll watch Irina and Yelena!”
“N-no! I can't just run away alone!”
“Don't be stubborn and listen to me!! You'll relapse into PTSD!!”
“Ugh...”
I hugged Yelena as tight as I could and squeezed my eyes shut.
I'd been cocky lately, thinking my PTSD was improving, but facing a massive air raid made my heart pound like mad.
My long experience sent urgent warnings that panic was closing in.
If I didn't log out right now, I'd definitely confuse game and reality again.
So I opened my eyes and gave the Morozova sisters one last look.
It might seem like an excuse to dodge PTSD, but logging out looked better if I didn't want to be a burden.
“S-sis...”
But in the end, I couldn't log out.
Yelena's terrified sobs and Irina's confused mutterings barely stopped me from fleeing to reality.
“I... I must've died here...”
“Why my sister...”
The Morozova sisters were recalling the tragedy that had befallen them.
The incident where Yelena died in a Luftwaffe bombing.
Finally, the timeline of this world had synced with Eastern Battlefield.
In the end, my second Eastern Front had begun.