Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei's War Journey

Chapter 102 Taking Down Hill 304

"Everyone put on your gas masks." Lu Mingfei's expression immediately turned serious, and he put on the gas mask at his waist. In order for this attack to go smoothly, Prussia not only fired a large number of artillery shells but also a large number of poison gas shells.

The soldiers methodically pulled out gas masks from their waists and put them on their faces.

Outside the tunnel, the distant mountain peaks were slowly swallowed by a layer of eerie yellowish-green mist.

"Get ready to go," Lu Mingfei said in a low voice.

He took one last look at the faces of the soldiers behind him, each one hidden by a mask, before running out of the tunnel first. Not far away at the exit of the Galvez tunnel, figures wearing gas masks emerged like groundhogs.

Hill 304 is just ahead.

The artillery fire came down again, but this time it was French shells. However, the French artillery positions were disrupted by the poison gas and the previous shelling, and their counterattack was very hasty and ineffective. But this also made Lu Mingfei realize that the battle ahead would not be easy.

Lu Mingfei ran desperately towards Hill 304. They not only had to take this hill, but they had to take it decisively. This was their only way out of this hellish place.

He didn't want to die here, and neither did the others behind him. Caesar wanted to be a pilot, and Otto and the others wanted to go back to see their families.

So we absolutely cannot lose.

Lu Mingfei's pupils began to turn a molten gold, his domain began to expand and its effects were maximized, and the adrenaline of the soldiers behind him began to surge.

Fear and confusion vanished, and they were like a pack of wild beasts, ready to tear apart all the enemies on the mountaintop.

The distance of several hundred meters passed in the blink of an eye, and Lu Mingfei and the soldiers behind him were all moving at speeds exceeding world records.

Lu Mingfei was the first to step onto the edge of the mountaintop. The moment he reached the top, he activated the skill on the Wraith Spear, and the skull relief on the spear shaft frantically devoured the blood in his body.

At this point, his unlimited bullet time had reached two minutes, and the bullet caliber had also reached .460.

What is the concept of .460? It goes far beyond the scope of conventional pistols, and even many rifles. This caliber of ammunition was originally designed for hunting large wild animals on the African savanna.

Its targets have never been humans, but rather those tough, resilient giants, such as brown bears, African buffalo, adult wild boars, and even elephants.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Mingfei unleashed a torrent of bullets at the remaining French troops on Hill 304, who were just recovering from the shock of the poisonous fog and artillery fire and were trying to organize resistance.

A French soldier struggled to his feet from behind a collapsed sandbag and tried to raise his Lebel rifle to fire.

But the next moment, a .460 caliber bullet struck his chest, instantly sending him crashing head-on into a thin earthen wall, like a speeding car.

The French soldier did not stagger and fall to the ground as if hit by a regular bullet. Instead, his body flew backward violently, his feet even briefly leaving the ground, and a terrifying hole the size of a bowl appeared in the center of his chest.

The terrifying kinetic energy carried by the bullet instantly shattered his ribs, sternum, and even part of his spine, sending his internal organs, along with his tattered uniform and flesh, splattering onto the scorched earth behind him.

.460 caliber bullets bring not only death, but also near-savage destruction. Unlike rifle bullets that aim for precise penetration, they use absolute kinetic energy and stopping power to brutally smash and blow away any structure they hit.

Lu Mingfei was like a grim reaper emerging from the poisonous fog. The Wraith Gun in his hand roared continuously. The muzzle flashes were particularly dazzling in the dim yellow sky and the still-lingering poisonous smoke. Each shot was accompanied by a short scream, or there was no scream at all, only the dull thud of heavy flesh hitting the ground.

The only drawback is that this caliber makes it impossible to hold it easily with one hand and fire rapidly in continuous bursts, unlike when using .44.

Under the influence of Lu Mingfei's domain, which had been raised to its limit, Otto, Karl, and the others behind him were completely transformed into berserkers, their adrenaline surging through their veins, and their fear completely suppressed.

Otto roared as he charged toward a French machine gun position that had just put up a weak resistance, a light machine gun in hand. Bullets hit the dirt at his feet, splashing up a trail of mud, but he paid no attention. When he got close enough to be extremely dangerous, he suddenly propped the machine gun against a rock and pulled the trigger.

Bullets instantly engulfed the machine gun position, riddling the two French machine gunners inside with holes along with their Hotchkiss machine guns.

Karl and the other soldiers, in groups of three, used craters and wreckage to quickly advance, using grenades and precise rifle fire to clear out French skirmishers who were trying to peek out from collapsed bunkers or trenches to fight back.

The long battles have honed each of them into true killing machines. Any one of them could be a pillar in any other company. Now, with Lu Mingfei's enhancement, their unit is the most elite without exception.

Unlike the others, Caesar did not charge ahead. He followed closely behind Lu Mingfei, acting as a radar for detecting enemies. His eyes were closed, and his golden pupils burned beneath his eyelids as he continuously expanded the territory of the Kamaitachi.

All the sounds flooded into his mind like a tidal wave, which he processed and filtered at high speed. He had to distinguish from this noise the subtle sound of the enemy pulling the bolt, the officer's hushed command, the suppressed groans of the wounded, and even the abnormal rhythm of heartbeats and breathing.

"Straight ahead, to the left of the collapsed gun emplacement, there are three people setting up a machine gun!" Caesar warned.

Almost as soon as he heard it, Lu Mingfei turned his gun around and pulled the trigger.

Three almost consecutive loud bangs rang out as a .460mm bullet pierced through the still-lingering smoke and dust, precisely hitting the position Caesar had indicated.

"On the right, around the corner of the trench, five people are crawling closer, and they're moving very fast!" Caesar warned again.

Without hesitation, Lu Mingfei pulled two grenades from his waist and threw them forcefully into the trench. The blast wave sent smoke and debris flying high, drowning out several short screams.

Two minutes passed quickly. The remaining French troops on Hill 304 were far more numerous than Lu Mingfei and his men had anticipated. The poison gas and artillery bombardment had clearly not completely destroyed the will and organization of the defenders.

No matter how elite Lu Mingfei and his men were, it was impossible for them to wipe out all the French troops in two minutes.

However, they did the most crucial thing: they completely stunned the remaining French troops, creating an opening and buying precious time for the Prussian troops behind them to climb the mountain.

The main Prussian force arrived at the high ground to begin the final cleanup, while Lu Mingfei and his men drew their entrenching tools and bayonets and engaged the French army in hand-to-hand combat.

The battle lasted less than fifteen minutes.

Hill 304 collapsed rapidly under the triple attack of poison gas, artillery fire, and the nearly insane assault team. The remaining French troops either retreated or were wiped out on the spot.

As the last gunshot rang out, Lu Mingfei stood atop the highest point of the hill, blood still dripping from the entrenching tool in his hand. Looking at the hill occupied by Prussian soldiers, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then a strong feeling of weakness came over him, and he staggered, but Caesar behind him caught him.

"Lu Mingfei, are you alright?!" Caesar's voice was unusually anxious.

"I'm fine, plant the flag—" Lu Mingfei shook his head, broke free from Caesar's hand, and steadied himself.

Otto, who was standing nearby, immediately understood. He took a rolled-up Prussian flag from a soldier and handed it to Lu Mingfei.

The Prussian flag began to unfurl in the wind over the ruined fortifications on Hill 304.

They won, capturing Hill 304 beautifully, with far fewer casualties than expected. However, Lu Mingfei and his team weren't overly happy.

Because everyone knows that the real target was never Hill 304.

It was evening.

When the news was sent back to the command post, Crown Prince William remained silent for a long time. He looked at the battle report in his hand again and again. Hill 304 had been captured, and at a speed and casualty ratio far exceeding expectations. The biggest contributor to this victory was a name he knew well—William Hans.

"Truly remarkable—" Crown Prince William exclaimed, putting down the documents in his hand and addressing the other staff officers in the command center.

"Pass down the order to prepare all the artillery shells. Tomorrow morning, we will launch a general offensive against Dead Man's Mountain."

Without the threat of French artillery on Hill 304, the flank pressure on the Prussian army's attack on Dead Man's Hill would be greatly reduced. He did not want to delay any longer; he wanted to take it in one fell swoop, break the stalemate on the left flank, and open up a new situation for the entire Battle of Verdun.

Taking down Dead Man Mountain was a task he should have completed in March, but it was delayed for more than two months due to various unexpected events and stubborn resistance, consuming countless lives and resources. Now, the time seems to have finally come.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The staff officers beside him immediately stood at attention and saluted, their faces showing excitement.

The stalemate had lasted too long, and any breakthrough was worth looking forward to. They quickly turned around and began to formulate detailed artillery preparation plans and infantry attack sequences. Orders were quickly transmitted to the front lines and logistics departments via telephone and messengers.

Crown Prince William watched them busy at work, then suddenly remembered something and added, "Oh, right, send a telegram to the rear supply and awards departments, and have them expedite the dispatch of a medal of honor. It has to be quick."

The staff officer glanced at the Crown Prince with some surprise, but quickly accepted the order: "Yes!"

Crown Prince William offered no explanation. He turned and looked out the window at the darkening sky. He had a premonition that the man named William Hans might actually fulfill the promise they had made.

Planting a flag on Dead Man's Mountain.

He wants to see that time.

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