CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 87: OFFICIAL INTERVENTION, BLUE STAR ONLINE WORLD WAR II?! (3K)

The Imperial offensive on Kyiv has surprisingly slowed down.

Then....

An armored unit has split off, heading straight towards the south.

With just a bit of advance, the Blue Star players figured out the Empire’s plan using the real-time map.

It’s actually to encircle the entire southern Soviet forces completely.

The Blue Star players are aware, but the Soviet Union inside the game doesn’t have the god’s-eye view of a real-time map that the players do.

Players’ personal capabilities are limited, making it impossible to report, or they can’t even meet the Soviet Union’s commanders.

By the time the Soviet Union found out for themselves, it was already too late.....

The Imperial forces have almost entirely surrounded the large southern unit near Kyiv.

Only one gap remains, and both sides are racing there.

Looking at the place name of the gap, many players are searching for it, wanting to watch the critical battle there.

But as the place name was searched out, their gaze was attracted to the official channel of the Antarctic Star Federation.

Many players are puzzled.

What’s going on?

The Federation official channel live broadcasting a game?

Upon clicking in.

Seeing the introduction inside the live broadcast room, players then realized.

The Antarctic Star Federation’s official account is broadcasting players fighting against the Imperial armored troops. These players are soldiers of the armor Seventh Division within the C Army Group, who first made the racing ranks at the start of the Battle of Normandy.

Unlike players’ solo immersive storyline.

The Antarctic Star Federation originally played in the multiplayer collaboration storyline mode, but coincidentally matched this breakthrough battle’s instance, coinciding with the overall progress within the game.

Thus began the livestream immediately.

In the live broadcast room.

armored soldiers from the Antarctic Star Federation, each commanding a tank crew, relying on their superior skills far beyond the Soviet Union’s local tank soldiers.

Successfully repelled several attacks from the Imperial armored forces with twenty tanks.

This is the first time Blue Star players have directly seen someone crushing the Imperial forces in ’Earth’.

Previously, Blue Star players were brutally tortured on the European Battlefield.

Either by artillery bombing, or air bombing; even trying to do daily tasks could lead to sudden death by Imperial forces, as individual power within the game is limited.

But now someone managed to make the Empire suffer at the hands of technology.

The popularity of the live broadcast exploded directly.

Many internet users flooded into the official live broadcast room of Antarctic Star Federation, watching their Blue Star warriors crush the Imperial troops.

This made the official personnel of the Antarctic Star Federation overjoyed, ordering the armored Seventh Division soldiers to perform more extreme operations.

However....

No matter how extreme, there are only 20 people.

After several times repelling the Imperial armored forces’ offense, the Imperial NPCs have realized this is a tough nut to crack.

Only after half a day later.

The Imperial troops appeared again, with the Antarctic Star Federation prepared to show off.

A group of Stuka Dive Bomber suddenly appeared in the sky, shattering the Antarctic Star Federation’s live broadcast room with a wave of all-encompassing aerial bombing, coupled with the armored Imperial forces closing in.

The Antarctic Star struggled a few times but was ultimately flattened by a wave of artillery.

Although the popularity came fast, it went fast.

This wave of operations opened the gates to a new world for other Federations and the Great Xia Federation.

The official accounts of major Federations suddenly started live broadcasting.

All were in multiplayer collaboration storyline mode, teaming up to enter "World War II: Empire’s Rise", beginning broadcasts fighting against the Empire.

....

....

The Great Xia Federation.

Songgel Ice Field, Third Armored Division.

Within the Seventh Special Operations Brigade.

The soldier on duty received an order and promptly reported to Chief of Staff Qu Guang.

Qu Guang, looking at the orders, nodded and had the duty officer return before summoning the clerk:

"How many hours has the brigade commander been training?"

Since the Songgufeng Sniper Battle requires endurance for six hours, almost impossible to last till the end, most of the time Shen Yan here has to retreat after only about five hours.

The clerk checked the time and replied:

"Four hours and forty-seven minutes."

Qu Guang nodded, instructing:

"Inform me once the brigade commander finishes training."

The clerk responded:

"Yes!"

At this moment.

Within the Songgufeng Sniper Battle.

Shen Yan, with two soldiers, curled up in a makeshift dug trench.

Boom!

Boom!

The deafening roar of artillery, as if exploding right beside the ear, was indeed true.

This mere 200-meter-high hill, facing enemy bombardments, lacks any place to hide, regardless of where the explosions occur.

As the artillery fire ceases.

Shen Yan turned over, holding seemingly thousand-pound heavy gun, crawled behind an earth mound cover:

"Fire!!!!"

Across the small mound, only three people are left, and yet it hasn’t reached five hours.

In over an hour... only three people....

The mere thought brings despair, this situation has occurred many times already, almost nothing remains as the most difficult hour approaches.

Every second is torture.

And what’s more despairing, as Shen Yan retaliated, the roar of planes echoes from the sky.

Despair flashed across Shen Yan’s eyes as he looked skyward:

"Damn...."

Once again, bombing time has arrived.

Hiding? There’s nowhere to hide?

Countless times before, they have fallen here.

It’s a complete all-around coverage bombing.

Can we really get through this?

Doubt flashed in Shen Yan’s eyes as the enemy troops below reorganized for an attack. The sky was filled with bombs and incendiaries, turning the hill into a sea of fire in an instant.

Boom!

[This round is over]

Shen Yan withdrew from the session, sat up from the virtual cabin, his eyes somewhat vacant.

Even remembering the bombing points didn’t help because as their attack positions changed, the NPCs would also call in bombing support based on their positions.

How can we hold out for six hours?

Taking a deep breath, Shen Yan snapped back to reality, pulled out an orange Energy Cube from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

The fruity sweetness spread in his mouth, alleviating much of his fatigue.

Just as he stood up.

He saw Qu Guang walking in from outside, holding a piece of paper. Shen Yan asked:

"What’s happening?"

"An order?"

Qu Guang nodded, walked over.

Handed the order over:

"It’s about the game ’World War II: Empire’s Rise’.

Shen Yan took it with some surprise:

"Oh?"

"The higher-ups are concerned about a game?"

His tone was filled with doubt as he quickly took the order to read it since this game also involved the Shen Family shares, though all belonging to Shen Qinghan.

Qu Guang said:

"No."

"It’s the Antarctic Star Federation that’s doing a live broadcast."

"Recently, the Empire in the game started that so-called ’Operation Barbarossa’."

"During the Antarctic Star Federation’s play in [Multiplayer Cooperative Story], they were randomly placed on the frontline battlefield, becoming tank soldiers. Those guys are naturally armored experts."

"Even though the tanks in ’Earth’ are outdated, they managed some impressive maneuvers with them."

"The hype shot up, and the public is also reacting strongly."

"Everyone’s looking for our Great Xia Federation’s own army, and other federations have also started live broadcasts."

"The order from above has arrived."

"Our group army recommended our brigade, so we have to find some people to stream live."

"Consider who would be better for broadcasting."

Shen Yan frowned:

"To show my face... I don’t really like it."

"Let Liu Feng lead the special battalion for streaming."

Qu Guang chuckled and said:

"Are you sure?"

"If you’re reassured, I’ll go call them."

Shen Yan thought for a moment, looking helpless:

"Forget it, I’m really not assured."

"I better lead the team myself."

Qu Guang laughed and said:

"Then you must study it well."

"Make a strong impression."

"The entire Great Xia Federation is watching; we can’t lose face."

Shen Yan’s mouth twitched, giving Qu Guang a glance:

"That’s quite the statement."

"Even if I wasn’t nervous, you’ve made me nervous now. A bad performance could disgrace the whole federation."

He then took the order and headed towards the conference room, asking as he went:

"Right now in ’World War II: Empire’s Rise’, how far has the Empire’s attack reached?"

"What’s the situation?"

Qu Guang replied:

"The front line has collapsed, the situation is chaotic."

"Kyiv is almost encircled."

Shen Yan wasn’t surprised, as it was obvious from the first day’s front line.

The Soviet Union was completely blindsided by the Blitzkrieg, the entire line collapsing.

But it’s been several days, and the time in the game has surpassed reality. Still, no proper defense was organized.

It’s bound to be over.

But Shen Yan couldn’t be sure, given the size of the territory.

The Soviet Union is so vast.

So vast that it could stretch the Empire’s supply lines to the breaking point.

The two of them arrived at the conference room.

They instructed people to call the special battalion to rest, while Shen Yan browsed the official channels of other federations.

And indeed.

Federations like the Free Star Cluster, Golden Moon, Antarctic Star, and Slavic Energy are all broadcasting, and not just in the Great Xia Federation.

Their internal broadcasts are even more fervent.

Seeing this, Shen Yan couldn’t help but smile:

"This game is really hot now."

After the preliminary reviews of the ’Anti-War Competition’, the shortlisted works have begun to be promoted in major federations.

And now with ’World War II: Empire’s Rise’ being broadcasted by so many official channels, the impact is imaginable.

Shen Yan browsed through the live broadcasts of other federation troops, occasionally commenting.

Until he flipped to the Slavic Energy Federation and saw those guys on the other side of the Songgel Ice Field, watching the combat footage in the video.

Shen Yan’s mouth curled up, unable to restrain a smile on his face:

"These guys, haven’t improved at all."

"Their combat style is still so outdated."

What’s more, these guys randomly got the [White Reaper] hidden dungeon and are being massacred by Simon Hayer.

Due to it being a twenty-person dungeon.

The supposed elites from the Slavic Energy Federation, seeing the time in the broadcast room, had in just an hour been reduced to only two remaining.