The endless snow blanketed Siberia.
Although this war was mainly fought on the front lines, there were few people deep in the Siberian rear.
But nothing is ever absolute, a handful of elite German troops had still managed, through rapid maneuvering, to penetrate deep into the rear to conduct sabotage operations and carry out missions unknown to the public.
In the high mountain regions of Siberia, the towering ranges were capped in pure white snow, with forests blocking the view in every direction. Even if several military bases were hidden here, they would be almost impossible to find. It was a perfect natural hiding place.
In the vast whiteness, dozens of white figures could be seen skulking through the woods. If not for the fact that they were moving, in a forest completely covered in snow, they would have been nearly invisible.
All of them wore white camouflage suits and were gathered at the leeward side of a mountain slope. Their commanding officer scanned the surroundings, then gestured for a half-hour rest.
The soldiers, following the order, sat down on the spot and took out various types of canned food from their coats. Some even pulled out cigarettes, lighting up and taking a deep drag.
From the slanted swastika insignias on their uniforms, it was clear these were a small detachment of German troops.
They were well-armed and well-equipped, each with full cold-weather gear, from greatcoats and felt hats to thick trousers and leather boots. Their treatment was far better than that of the front-line troops.
Ever since the failure of Operation Barbarossa, the Germans had been dragged into a long winter war. As the weather grew ever colder, supplies from home grew increasingly scarce, and many front-line soldiers didn't even have a single padded jacket.
But this group not only had full winter gear, they even had cigarettes and pork rations. The abundance of their supplies proved they were no ordinary soldiers.
"Damn this weather!"
One man, cigarette in his mouth, pulled his clothes tighter and cursed at the thick snow around him. "When this war's over, I swear I'll never set foot in Siberia again."
"Damn it, who told you to smoke?!"
The officer, who had been studying the map, stormed over, snatched the cigarette from his mouth, threw it on the ground, and crushed it hard with his boot. "Corporal Sergei, if I see you smoking again, I'll shove my rifle barrel down your throat! Understand?!"
"Y-Yes… understood…"
Sergei hunched his shoulders in fear. The German army's hierarchy was strict, talking back to a superior could have severe consequences, at best, expulsion from the army and a brutal beating, at worst, summary execution. And Sergei was certain this man meant every word.
"Everyone, listen up!"
The officer glared at Sergei, then lowered his voice, sweeping his fierce gaze over the group. "This mission is critical, it could decide whether we can turn the tide of the war. If any of you dares to screw it up, I'll shoot you on the spot!"
At those words, the soldiers who had been about to smoke, drink, and relax immediately set their things aside.
When the officer turned away to resume studying the map, Sergei spat lightly on the ground, a look of disdain on his face, muttering under his breath, "Just because he's from Hydra, he acts even more arrogant than the Gestapo. Who the hell does he think he is?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
The man beside him tugged his sleeve and whispered, "Are you insane? Hydra's far more dangerous than the Gestapo. If he hears you, even if he shoots you dead, no one up top will say a word."
Sergei still looked resentful, but at the thought of Hydra's ruthless reputation, he shuddered and swallowed back whatever he had been about to say. Instead, he muttered, "Once this mission's done, I'm putting in for leave and marrying Eva."
"Congratulations," his comrade said with a smile, handing him two chocolate bars. "Consider it an early wedding gift. Get your energy up."
Sergei's eyes lit up, and he took the chocolate without hesitation, rolling it on his tongue. "Make sure you come to the wedding. I'll have Eva make you pork knuckle."
The two were chatting idly when, from deep within the forest ahead, a soldier on watch suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The scream stopped abruptly, sharp and short, and in the deathly silent forest, it sounded especially jarring and clear.
It was like a signal, heralding that the sentry had been attacked, and very likely already killed.
The soldiers, who had been resting just moments before, sprang to their feet almost instantly. Each grabbed their weapon and sought the nearest cover. Not a word was spoken, and not a single unnecessary movement was made.
They didn't need their officer's orders, when faced with a suspected ambush, they instinctively knew what to do. Their movements were polished, battle-hardened, proof that they were no ordinary troops. Even among the German army, this was a particularly elite unit.
Using their white camouflage to blend in, they hid among the deep snow and trees, silently watching the depths of the forest ahead.
No one knew how much time passed...
The forest gradually returned to silence. There was no movement ahead, as if nothing had happened at all.
Yet, it was precisely this eerie calm that made the elite soldiers tense. A suffocating pressure began to spread.
After all, the unknown is always the most terrifying.
The Hydra officer remained silent for a while before motioning for them to go investigate. They still had a critical mission to complete and couldn't afford too much delay.
The unit began advancing cautiously, moving from cover to cover. That way, even if they were suddenly attacked, they could fight back using the terrain instead of being wiped out in a single strike.
When they reached the source of the earlier sound, they saw the corpses of the sentries.
"Hiss..My God!"
Sergei stepped closer for a glance, then instantly sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, filling his lungs with the icy atmosphere. Fear flickered in his eyes.
"Damn it... did they meet the devil before they died? Why are their eyes wide open like that?"
"Shut up, Sergei!"
The officer shot him a fierce glare, then examined the bodies more closely. Kneeling down to check, his expression grew puzzled.
"There are no visible injuries. How did they die?"
The surrounding soldiers looked uneasy. Anything that defied common sense stirred human fear and discomfort.
The dead men looked as if they had encountered something truly horrific before dying, their eyes stretched wide beyond human limits, pupils shrunken to pinpoints from extreme emotional shock. Blood vessels spidered across their eyeballs, and the muscles of their faces were twisted into grotesque, rigid expressions.
Their faces were carved with pure terror. It was hard not to wonder, had they truly seen a demon, one so frightening it killed them with fear alone?
"Check their cause of death."
The officer's face darkened as he signaled for the medic to examine them.
After a quick inspection, the medic's face twisted with even greater confusion. He looked up at the grim-faced officer and said hesitantly,
"Commander Gründ... they... seem to have died from fright."
"You're joking with me?!"
Gründ's eyes hardened, visible anger rising as he spat the words through clenched teeth.
"Corporal Holtz, these men were elite soldiers transferred from Leningrad. They've survived the most brutal battlefields. How could they possibly be scared to death?"
"Commander Gründ, I can swear on my twenty years of medical experience!" Holtz's voice trembled slightly as he swallowed hard.
"They have no external injuries. No internal injuries either. I'm telling you... they really were scared to death!"
Gründ froze.
The other soldiers' faces all turned pale, whether from Holtz's words or from the biting cold, it was hard to say.
A gust of wind blew past, making Sergei hunch his shoulders. When he looked up toward the forest again, a strange chill ran through him.
The snow-covered, silent woods seemed like a voiceless beast, quietly waiting for them to step deeper inside, so it could devour them, piece by piece, until nothing remained.