We promised to develop a game called Candy Crush, what the hell is the Third Reich?

Chapter 146 [Skeleton Master] The Terrifying Earthlings (Please vote with monthly tickets!) (6.2k words, two chapters combined)

Fang Ming searched the game forums for information about the Imperial Skeleton Masters and found very little.

It seems no player has encountered it directly.

This piqued the interest of Fang Ming and the viewers of the live stream on Blue Star even more.

This unit seems to have more than just a scary name.

And it's also incredibly mysterious!

This time we have to take it seriously.

Fang Ming found a website and became a member.

Then, using the website's photon supercomputer, the entire network of game storylines was searched. Half an hour later, based on the game storyline videos across the entire network, a few videos mentioning the Imperial Skeleton Masters were finally found.

Looking at those videos.

Fang Ming clicked on the first one; this player's perspective was from the field hospital.

It's called a field hospital, but it's actually just a makeshift military camp with tents everywhere, and wounded soldiers are lying all over the place. The player is currently pressing down on a Soviet soldier from their perspective.

The Soviet soldier's arm was blown off, his body was covered in blood, and his face showed a look of terror as he resisted everything around him.

He kept muttering 'devil,' 'They're coming!'

As he spoke, his expression suddenly became agitated, and he shouted:

"No!"

"They're here! Those devils!!!"

"I heard the sound of tanks!"

"Run! Run!!!"

The man's terrified scream triggered a chain reaction, with many of the surrounding soldiers also screaming, causing a commotion.

It took the doctor player and the NPC a lot of time to calm them down, and then they took a break to explain:
"These wounded soldiers are survivors of the battles fought on the front lines against the Imperial Skeleton Division."

"They have all developed post-traumatic stress disorder."

"We don't know what kind of battle they went through, but everyone has gone insane."

"Could it be that the Empire's skeleton mages can use magic attacks?"

"Probably not?"

This player doesn't seem to be a streamer, and the commentary is just for the video, so the video ends quickly.

However, this plot twist left Fang Ming and the viewers in the live stream feeling bewildered.

Post-traumatic stress disorder?
How much would one have to be beaten to get this disease?

Was it even more terrifying than Leningrad?
The battles of Moscow and Stalingrad were so brutal that soldiers had very short survival times, so they had no chance to win.

However, Leningrad was a long and arduous place to suffer.

Even so.

Duan Yu is doing well, and the military NPCs are not showing any signs of stress.

But in this storyline, it seems to be just a battle.

It's been beaten up like this. It's a bit scary.

Humans are often filled with fear of the unknown.

Fang Ming then clicked on the next video.

The person in the video appears to be a streamer, explaining the battle situation in his "immersive story" mode to the live stream audience.

on the screen.

The anchor was at the rear of the main force. This Soviet Union unit was large and advancing in a certain direction. The anchor described the situation:

"We are currently in the Demyansk region."

"Our Federation has about several hundred thousand troops, and they have already trapped about 100,000 Imperial soldiers in the Demyansk region."

"As long as we encircle and annihilate this imperial force."

"The morale on the Federation side will definitely be boosted a lot, but I heard that the other side has a skeleton division, and many Soviet soldiers are quite afraid?"

"not sure."

"In any case, Soviet Federation soldiers are very cautious when the topic of the Imperial forces on the other side is mentioned."

"Probably the Empire's elite troops?"

"So it might be a bit more difficult."

I heard the commentary from the streamer in the video.

At this moment, netizens in the live stream, including Fang Ming, were somewhat puzzled.

Something's wrong?

I've never heard of any victory in the Demyansk region campaign.

They annihilated more than 100,000 of the empire's troops.

There should have been at least some news; this should be considered a major victory, right?
Skeleton Master?
Elite troops?

Can 100,000 people break through an encirclement of hundreds of thousands?
Everyone continued watching the video.

As the troops advanced, the battle suddenly broke out.

boom--!
boom--!
The advancing Soviet federal army was suddenly subjected to fierce tank fire.

The Soviet troops at the front responded in a state of panic.

The streamer in the video was in the back, trying to look ahead, but before he could see the battle situation clearly, he was taken away by a shell.

Although the situation of the battle is unclear.

However, it was clear that the opposing armored forces were quite elite.

The battle was swift and decisive.

However, these analyses did not yield any results. Fang Ming watched several other videos and discovered that the Soviet wounded soldiers who mentioned the Totenkopf Division all suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

But judging from the only battle scene in the video, it shouldn't be that bad, right?

Fang Ming spent a long time studying the problem with the viewers in the live stream, but he couldn't figure it out.

However, this incident also made it to the top of trending searches.

While many people searched for the Imperial Skeleton Army, they also noticed the battle in the Demyansk region.

Because not many people were involved in the storyline there.

Therefore, the battles fought here are little known.

However, as they continued to dig deeper, netizens on Earth noticed this battle and learned the full picture of it by collecting information.

Several thousand skeleton soldiers led 120,000 ordinary imperial soldiers.

During the months-long encirclement and suppression by the Soviet Federation, they successfully broke through the Soviet Federation forces' defenses and led more than 100,000 people out of the encirclement.

The casualties on the Soviet Federation side were several times greater than those of the Skeleton Division.

No wonder we haven't heard anything about this place in other regions; it's really embarrassing.

However, this also indirectly demonstrates the terrifying combat power of the Imperial Skeleton Army.

Meanwhile, Fang Ming was facing...

It was the complete Skeleton Division, not the remnants of a few thousand that were besieged in the Demyansk region.

Fang Ming immediately began gathering information within the game.

Fortunately, due to the upcoming battle, the Soviet Federation had also gathered a lot of information about the Skeleton Division.

The Soviet officers in the regimental headquarters didn't care because they had won too many victories and no longer took the Reich Totenkopf Division seriously.

But Fang Ming felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the information he had gathered:
"So many armored tanks?"

"Tiger tank?"

"Never heard of it?"

"The key is that there are so many tanks, plus the current frozen ground. If they launch a blitzkrieg to encircle us from both sides, we'll be completely wiped out."

There's no need to even think about it anymore.

Fang Ming estimated that Manstein's side had already begun to take action.

After all, the plot has been triggered.

Fang Ming, however, was unaware that the battle situation would change so quickly.

Having just finished reviewing the information gathered online and the information I've collected myself, less than two hours have passed in the game, and the Empire's counterattack is already fast approaching.

evening.

Fang Ming's unit was preparing dinner. Fang Ming was in his tent looking at the map when a sudden, urgent alarm sounded outside.

Fang Ming immediately packed his things and left.

boom!
boom!
The muffled thud of artillery shells echoed in the distance, clearly indicating that the vanguard had encountered the enemy. Fang Ming quickly went into battle mode and ordered his soldiers to organize themselves.

Afterwards, they went to the regimental headquarters for a meeting.

At this moment, the people in the regimental headquarters had not yet realized the seriousness of the problem. The regimental commander looked at the map and said:

"The enemy is the Imperial Skeleton Army, and we've encountered them."

"These guys suddenly appeared here."

"It doesn't match the intelligence, but it's not a big problem. Everyone just needs to be ready for battle."

"The beasts of the empire are merely making their last stand."

"Our mission is to flank the Skeleton Army and launch a surprise attack on its right flank."

"Do you understand everything?"

Everyone nodded in understanding, and Fang Ming did not raise any further objections.

Instead, they wanted to fight the Imperial Skeleton Division and experience firsthand what made this unit so mysterious.
Darkness fell quickly.

Fang Ming's Soviet Federation corps had also outflanked the Imperial Skeleton Division, preparing to launch a surprise attack on its flank and coordinate with the division headquarters' frontal assault.

at this time.

under night.

The ruins and wreckage on the outskirts of Kharkiv are faintly visible amidst the fierce fighting.

The situation is now far from optimistic.

The soldiers who came into contact with the Soviet Federation immediately realized that this force was different, and the previous method of relying on numerical superiority to continuously advance and break through the imperial defenses seemed to be no longer effective.

Under the cover of night, they were met with a dense barrage of fire; for every meter they advanced, someone fell.

The Empire's Skeleton Division guarded the ruins on the outskirts of Kharkiv, fighting against the ever-approaching Soviet Federation soldiers.

As the main force of the corps arrived, the regimental commander also issued an order for a surprise attack.

Taking advantage of the cover of the battlefield and the night, their unit kept advancing until they were discovered by the rifles, just as the enemy spotted them.

A fierce firefight ensued.

The distance wasn't far, and Fang Ming's corps quickly reached the ruins on the edge of the city.

They wanted to use the ruins to set up firing positions.

however.

This, however, provoked a swift counterattack from the skeleton mages on the Empire's side.

The skeleton division soldiers, dressed in black uniforms, charged forward fearlessly, and a large number of them pressed forward, entangled with the Soviet Union's soldiers.

What should have been a battle using firearms was forced into a brutal close-quarters fight.

Fang Ming, holding a bayonet in one hand and a pistol in the other, fired a finishing shot into the head of the Skull Division soldier who had fallen on top of the Soviet Federation soldier.

boom!
Blood flowers bloom.

However, slightly off-target, the skeleton soldier, shot in the head, struggled to raise his head and look at Fang Ming, uttering crazed sounds.

That evil and manic look startled Fang Ming and everyone in the live stream.

The skeleton soldier was then pushed aside by the Soviet Federation soldier beneath him and finished off with a final blow.

But that scene sent chills down Fang Ming's and Blue Star netizens' spines.

Something seems off about this unit.

Fang Ming's gaze swept around and he noticed that all the Imperial Skeleton Division soldiers were somewhat frenzied.

It was clearly a fight to the death.

But his face showed a fanatical excitement, and he was making chilling screams.

They no longer look like normal humans.

Moreover, their fighting style was extremely cruel; they used their entrenching tools to chop at the heads of Soviet soldiers, sometimes missing completely.

They even used their teeth to bite Soviet Federation soldiers.

Looking at this scene.

If you didn't know better, you would definitely think this is some kind of zombie game.

But there are no zombies in this game.
All that remained were these crazed Imperial Skeleton Division soldiers.

Fang Ming even saw a Skeleton Division soldier kill a Soviet Federation soldier and then cut off the Soviet Federation soldier's ear with his bayonet.

He stuffed it into his pocket, seemingly intending to keep it as a trophy.

However, he was quickly dealt with by several Soviet Federation soldiers nearby.

Even on his deathbed, he was still emitting a chilling, eerie laugh.

This isn't a fight with people at all!

No wonder the soldiers who fought against the Imperial Skeleton Division all developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

If they had won, things would be better. But if they hadn't won, this scene would have left a deep psychological scar.

Even knowing it's just a game.

These 'skeleton masters' are all fictional, but even Fang Ming and the Blue Star players couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Fang Ming didn't dare to go forward for close combat, but instead used his pistol to fire follow-up shots from the edge. However, just a moment later, the situation on the battlefield reversed.

The skeleton soldiers fearlessly held off the attack from the flank.

An armored unit had somehow circled around to the rear of Fang Ming's corps.

boom--!
boom--!
They also attacked from behind.

A barrage of tank fire shattered the formation of the corps.

Seeing this, the Imperial Skeleton Division soldiers went even more insane.

The movements of the hands became faster.

Fang Ming even saw an Imperial Skeleton Division soldier repeatedly smashing the limbs of a corpse with his shovel, busy dismembering the body on the battlefield.

Although there is a distance between them.

Fang Ming couldn't see the details clearly, but the impact of the scene truly shocked the netizens in the live broadcast room.

It changed my worldview.

Fang Ming subconsciously raised his gun. The skeleton soldiers who were dismembering people in the distance seemed to sense it, and suddenly raised their heads, grinning maliciously at Fang Ming.

His face was covered in blood, coupled with a ferocious smile, against the backdrop of the pitch-black night and the firelight.

Chilling.

Fang Ming flinched and immediately pulled the trigger.

The instinctive reaction was still there; a shot struck the Imperial Skeleton Division soldier squarely between the eyebrows.

The grinning skeleton soldier slowly fell to the ground.

Even before he died, he was still making strange "hoho" laugh sounds.

boom--!
Shells exploded around them.

Fang Ming was thrown back by the shockwave. When he came to his senses, he was panting heavily, still in shock and uncertainty.

"We can't get distracted, brothers."

"I'll fight first."

That's what I said, but the scene from just now kept replaying in my mind, and I couldn't concentrate at all.

boom--!
boom--!
Shells from the Imperial Tiger tank kept falling.

Some tanks were also sent from the main battlefield, but as Fang Ming could see with his naked eye, the Soviet Union's tanks were firing shells.

Even after it hit a Tiger tank and exploded, it did not affect its operation in any way.

Instead, they engaged in a fierce battle with Soviet tanks under heavy artillery fire.

As for the result
Fang Ming was so shocked by what he saw that he began to question the meaning of life.

How can these Imperial tanks be so resilient? They must have withstood at least ten shells!
Fang Ming and the viewers on the live stream watched as two Tiger tanks from the Empire destroyed four Soviet tanks under heavy fire.

They're even looking for their next target.

Fang Ming, who was observing the battlefield, did not notice anything amiss.

A skeleton soldier who had been lying on the ground got up at some point and approached with a ferocious smile on his face.

"Ho--!!"

A deep roar exploded in Fang Ming's ears. Fang Ming, who was hiding behind the ruins, tried to get up, but someone grabbed his neck tightly and bit his ear hard.

Then it tears!

The entire piece of flesh was torn off.

And then take another bite.

Extreme terror rose in Fang Ming's mind, and his heart pounded wildly.

However, the skeleton soldier, unleashing his final burst of power, showed no sign of weakening. His large hand gripped Fang Ming's neck like a vise, slowly suffocating him.
The screen fell into darkness.

Swish!
We've returned to the main screen.

Fang Ming jumped up as if by reflex, only coming to his senses after looking at the game's main interface.

He had already been killed.

Looking at the game's main interface, Fang Ming took a few deep breaths and said to the live stream:
"Brothers, let me take a break."

A few comments in the live stream also expressed understanding.

In fact, many people, like Fang Ming, were still in a daze.

That's absolutely terrifying.

This scene is like a horror game, those aren't people at all!
They looked exactly like zombies.

Fang Ming took a moment to calm down, rubbed his face, and regained some energy. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Yes, everyone, don't be afraid."

"'Earth' is all fictional; it's just a game."

"And it's not a horror game either."

"These can all be explained scientifically; the Empire has a long tradition of drug use."

"These people seem to be in a high, like they're on drugs."

So there's nothing to be afraid of.

"It's just scary to look at."

After all, he still needed to make a living from this game, so Fang Ming came up with an explanation, unaware that this explanation was the answer.

Scattered comments floated across the live stream screen.

Fang Ming looked at the start button again and said:

"Keep going."

"The Battle of Kharkiv has just begun; we must at least experience it in its entirety."

"They'll probably drive there again."

With that, Fang Ming clicked "Start".

The screen flashed.

I entered the game again, but all I could see around me were scattered soldiers.

The main force was scattered?
The thought crossed Fang Ming's and Blue Star netizens' minds. Fang Ming immediately glanced at the time. Only one night had passed. Could it be?
Is this all the damage you've done in one night?

if it is real.

That further demonstrates the empire's long-planned scheme and its terrifying fighting power.

However, what Fang Ming wants to know most right now is the situation of the unit he was in at the start of the last game.

We were just fighting a skeleton master, what about now?

Fortunately, at the start of the game, Fang Ming's identity was still that of a military officer, and even a deputy regimental commander.

After asking around, I was completely baffled.

In just one night, the entire force from the previous start was wiped out, and the Imperial Skeleton Division is still advancing.

The Imperial Skeleton Divisions didn't rest at all after finishing their battle last night; they set off without stopping for a moment.

Upon receiving the message, the real-time map displayed in Fang Ming's live stream room has been updated.

The once smooth battle line is now uneven.

The Empire's forces began to launch blitzkrieg tactics in various locations, advancing, breaking through, and the initial form of the cut-off strategy had already taken shape.

"hiss--"

Looking at the situation on the map.

How could things get this bad in just one night?
Was the empire too powerful, or the Soviet Union too weak?

That can't be that bad, can it?
Was Manstein's military command too abnormal?

The foremost of the three great generals of the empire.

This title is certainly not just for show.

They perfectly grasped the psychology of the Soviet Union, constantly luring the enemy deeper into their territory, and in just one night, they turned a disadvantage into an advantage.

Even looking at the mounted 'real-time map,' Fang Ming estimated that the Soviet Federation side hadn't come to their senses yet.

After all, it's not a third-person perspective.

It is estimated that more troops will be sent to continue the offensive, but this will result in even greater casualties.

Until it finally turned into a crushing defeat.
Fang Ming and the netizens in the live broadcast room were inexplicably moved.

It was originally thought that the situation would be reversed after the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad.

As it turned out, only half a month had passed in the game.

The situation changed abruptly.

Needless to say, this crushing defeat will directly shatter the morale boosted by the victory at Stalingrad.

The importance of generals is now crystal clear.

The Battle of Kharkov and the Battle of France are the battles that most directly demonstrate the importance of generals.

The victory was entirely determined by military command capabilities.

For a while.

The initial feeling that the Allies were about to turn the tide has instantly turned back into uncertainty.

The storyline from Fang Ming's live stream spread.

Online discussions about the outcome of the battle between the Axis and Allied powers have once again become increasingly unpredictable.

Even those who initially supported the Allies are now somewhat uncertain.

Who will ultimately win?
Some military experts also dare not easily express their opinions, because no one can guess what's going on.

Who could have imagined that after the victory at Stalingrad, they would suffer such a crushing defeat so soon?

But it does make it more interesting to analyze.

the other side.

Polaris Corporation headquarters.

At this moment, on the edge of Donghai City, the company headquarters, near the sea, rose from the ground.

With the support of various technological devices on Earth.

The construction is progressing at a visible rate, changing every day. As Zhao Ming walks through the construction site, the Polar Star Building is beginning to take shape.

It looks like the Empire State Building.

At this moment, the secretary came over to report on the online public opinion.

Zhao Ming took out his phone and looked at it.

The storyline for Fang Ming has already jumped to the Battle of Kharkov:
"That's a bit too fast."

Shen Qinghan glanced at it from the side:
"What's coming soon?"

"Plot?"

Zhao Ming nodded:
"Yes."

"We need to control the pace of the plot."

"The Battle of Kharkiv is connected to the later Battle of Kursk, which is to be made into a national war instance, so it cannot be revealed in advance."

"However, the [Kharkov Campaign] could be made into a permanent instance."

"While the Federation competes, players experience the horrors of 'Earthlings'."

Zhao Ming laughed as he spoke.

Shen Qinghan rolled her eyes, knowing that this guy was thinking of ways to torture the players again.

Zhao Ming looked around the construction site for a while, then returned to the car with Shen Qinghan and brought up the virtual projections of the [World War I Series] and [China Series].

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Ming spoke:
"The Chinese history series is too long and not suitable for making into an anti-war game series."

"This series focuses primarily on the experience."

"It can be launched ahead of schedule and promoted in conjunction with the Huaxia series of merchandise."

"With the support this year, we should be able to open up the market soon."

After all, we won the championship this year, but the outcome next year and the year after is uncertain.

If we really wait three years to launch the Huaxia series in the correct order, it will be too late.

Shen Qinghan had no objections and nodded:
"It's okay, that's fine."

"But are you done?"

Zhao Ming smiled and said:

"There's no need to complete everything. The official website's game database has been updated with a lot of game information."

"The early access version is ready, mainly consisting of some independent Chinese versions."

"In the [World War II series] game, the battle is currently at a point where it's difficult to determine a winner. If time goes on, the outcome will become clear, so now is a good time."

"We've started promoting the [Chinese History] series of games, and we'll invite some streamers to experience the gameplay."

"Try different identities and experience the novelty and culture of Chinese history."

(P.S.: The CG for the Chinese history series is about to be completed, please vote with your monthly tickets!)

　I highly recommend this book by a friend! It's an American comic book fanfiction that already has 30,000 favorites!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)