"And then what?"
The battalion adjutant next to Hoffmann also asked with a tense expression, having never seen such a scene either.
"First, have the machine guns fire a burst into the ground as a warning! Then use the megaphone to warn them! If they continue to charge, then... then..."
"Then what, Battalion Commander?"
Hoffmann gritted his teeth, issuing what was perhaps the hardest order of his life.
"Then open fire and stop them!"
The atmosphere in the position instantly grew tense. These Guard Reserve infantrymen never expected they would suddenly have to turn their guns on their allies.
Although the primary gunner of the MG08 heavy machine gun hesitated slightly, he still quickly prepared to fire, though he cast an uncertain glance at his assistant gunner and others.
"Are we... really going to open fire? Aren't they our own people?"
"If they're from the Austro-Hungarian Empire... it's hard to say if they're our own people," the assistant gunner replied without looking up as he arranged the spare ammo belts.
Their conversation was overheard by an NCO passing behind the machine gun position. The NCO went over, kicked them both in the rear, and said:
"Don't overthink this. Pay attention to orders. If ordered to fire, then fire. The threat of routed soldiers is no less than that of the enemy..."
The men in the position watched tensely as the Austro-Hungarian routed soldiers drew closer. Under the shouts of the NCOs, they readied themselves for combat, resting their fingers on the triggers.
"Da-da-da-da-da!"
Finally, the rattle of machine-gun fire broke the last tranquility before dusk.
However, the bullets weren't aimed at the crowd, but struck the ground over a hundred meters ahead of the routed tide, kicking up a long line of dust.
This was the final warning.
Immediately after, several megaphones originally set up on the position for warnings began operating simultaneously.
In Saxon, Hungarian, Czech, and several other languages, a cold warning played on a loop:
"Ahead is the defense sector of the Saxon Imperial Army! Halt your advance immediately! I repeat, halt your advance immediately! Any attempt to charge the line will be considered a hostile act! We will return fire!"
This warning, coupled with the highly deterrent machine-gun fire, finally caused the chaotic flood of routed soldiers to slow down slightly.
Some Austro-Hungarian soldiers running at the very front, upon hearing the familiar Saxon language and seeing the Saxon position fully prepared for battle ahead, seemed to see their saviors.
Under the dark muzzles of the guns, they slowed their pace. Some even collapsed directly to the ground, wailing loudly.
But more people, especially soldiers who didn't understand Saxon, continued to charge blindly forward, driven by panic.
The heart of 4th Battalion Commander Hoffmann leaped to his throat. His hand had already drawn the M1915 Mauser military pistol from its holster. If these people truly charged over, he would immediately order his men to open fire.
At this critical juncture, several Austro-Hungarian officers who still retained their reason rushed out from the crowd of routed soldiers.
Waving their arms and shouting loudly in various languages, they tried to stop the chaotic soldiers.
"Stop! Everyone stop! Ahead are our allies! The Saxons!"
"Stop charging! Anyone who wants to live, stand still!"
Thanks to the efforts of these officers, and the immense pressure exerted by the dark muzzles on the Saxon position, this unstoppable flood miraculously halted less than two hundred meters from the position.
The scene temporarily became somewhat comical and awkward.
Over a thousand terrified Austro-Hungarian soldiers stood blankly in front of the position, facing the heavily armed, stern-faced Saxon soldiers from a distance.
The Saxon soldiers in the position were all dumbfounded.
Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine they would experience something like this.
If the current situation continued to develop, the very first enemies they "captured" in their lives might well be their own allies.
And in such an absurd manner.
An Austro-Hungarian Army lieutenant colonel, surrounded by a few guards, cautiously walked towards the position, holding up a piece of white cloth torn from who knows where.
"Don't shoot! We are from the Austro-Hungarian Fifth Army! We are not enemies!" he shouted in fairly fluent Saxon.
Hoffmann hesitated, but ultimately waved his hand, signaling his men not to fire.
He had an experienced NCO take a squad down to bring the Austro-Hungarian officer up.
Soon, the ash-covered Austro-Hungarian lieutenant colonel was brought before Hoffmann.
"I am Lieutenant Colonel Karl Strauss, Commander of the Austro-Hungarian 79th Infantry Regiment."
The Austro-Hungarian officer tried hard to straighten his back, but the exhaustion and terror in his voice couldn't be concealed.
"We were subjected to a despicable sneak attack by the Serbians, and the unit was scattered... We request to enter your noble army's defense line to rest and reorganize."
"Are you truly entering to rest and reorganize?"
"Uh... yes."
Hoffmann looked at him, then at the massive, dark mass of routed soldiers behind him, his feelings mixed.
"You may."
He finally nodded, then emphasized:
"But your current state truly prevents me from trusting you. Therefore, you must have your men lay down their weapons first and accept our temporary reorganization..."
"According to the directives from the high command of the Joint Command, all routed... fleeing... cough... I mean, all retreating troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire must obey our command."
Hoffmann's words were completely devoid of politeness. For the armies of other nations, this would be naked insult.
But the Austro-Hungarian Empire was not "other nations."
Although a trace of struggle still flashed across Lieutenant Colonel Strauss's face, he ultimately nodded.
"Very well, for the lives of the soldiers, I agree."
And so, a scene that could be considered rare in world military history unfolded.
Over a thousand Austro-Hungarian soldiers, under the watchful eyes of Saxon soldiers, lined up in crooked formations, threw their weapons into a designated area, then trudged dejectedly into the Saxon position, ultimately being guided to an open area behind the trench line to sit down.
The entire process was slightly chaotic but generally orderly.
Although the 4th Battalion's defense line was suddenly supplemented with over a thousand men, looking at these friendly forces, Hoffmann couldn't feel happy at all.
Because he quickly realized the difficulty of commanding this army.
He saw that when Lieutenant Colonel Strauss had his subordinate officers organize the formations, those Austro-Hungarian officers had to shout themselves hoarse in Saxon, Hungarian, Czech, and some languages he had never even heard of.
And they had to shout the same command many times before the soldiers below could barely form a somewhat orderly formation.
"My God..." The adjutant next to Hoffmann was dumbfounded. "Is this how they usually fight?"
Hoffmann also shook his head with a shocked expression.
He now somewhat understood why the Austro-Hungarian Empire, perceived by the outside world as powerful in all aspects, would be beaten to a pulp by tiny Serbia.
However, being "language experts" could be considered a rare advantage of the Austro-Hungarian officer corps...
After letting these routed soldiers rest in place, Hoffmann found Lieutenant Colonel Strauss.
"Lieutenant Colonel, could you trouble yourself to tell me what exactly happened to you? How could an entire army group collapse overnight?"
Hoffmann handed him a canteen as he spoke.
Lieutenant Colonel Strauss took the canteen with immense gratitude. Ignoring manners, he chugged several mouthfuls before panting and saying in a tone that still carried lingering fear:
"It was a sneak attack... Last night, we were subjected to a sneak attack by the Serbians."
"A sneak attack? Was it that cavalry unit?" Hoffmann asked. The army group intelligence had already reported this.
"No... it wasn't just cavalry."
Lieutenant Colonel Strauss shook his head. A look of extreme terror revealed itself in his eyes, and his voice began to tremble.
"Our positions... were breached by a pack... a pack of 'Vukodlak'."
"What the hell is that?"
"'Vukodlak', a kind of monster!"
"Monster?"
Hoffmann frowned. He thought the other man might have been beaten silly and was starting to speak nonsense.
"Yes, monsters!"
Lieutenant Colonel Strauss suddenly grew agitated, grabbing Hoffmann's sleeve and saying:
"'Vukodlak' is a kind of monster spoken of by the people in the Empire's Transleithania region and the Serbs! I originally thought it was just a folk legend, but they actually appeared before us yesterday!"
"These monsters are taller than bears, seemingly draped in blankets. But when I saw them up close, the torsos under their blankets were covered in dark hair, and their eyes were red!"
"Wait..."
Hoffmann interrupted the lieutenant colonel, his face clearly showing disbelief.
"Lieutenant Colonel, are you sure you encountered the 'monsters' you speak of at close range?"
"Uh... actually, my subordinate soldiers saw them. But I also saw the way they move from a distance! Sprinting on all fours is absolutely not a human way of moving!"
Exposed to his face, Lieutenant Colonel Strauss was somewhat embarrassed, but he quickly adjusted his expression and emphasized very seriously: "But... you really must believe me, my friend!"
Hoffmann didn't speak. Instead, his battalion adjutant said:
"Lieutenant Colonel, it's not that we don't believe you. We just want to broaden our horizons..."
For Saxon soldiers like Hoffmann, although they knew magic existed, they had indeed never seen so-called "monsters" in real life.
The undead calamity in Paris was basically the first time the people of the Europa continent had their horizons broadened...
"You wouldn't want your horizons broadened like this!"
"Their speed is as fast as lightning; it's simply not easy to hit them. Even if you do, it's not of much use! They'll still charge right up to you and tear our soldiers to pieces alive with their claws and teeth!"
Seeing the other man's story becoming increasingly absurd, yet the terrified expression on his face not seeming faked, Hoffmann's heart began to waver.
Since Paris could have an undead calamity, it wasn't impossible for there to be monsters here on the Balkan Peninsula...
"Lieutenant Colonel, you might be too tired and hallucinating."
Hoffmann waved his hand, not intending to continue this topic. He was afraid if they kept talking, his own mindset would be affected.
"You should get some good rest first..."
"Then could I ask you to spare some rations for my men? They haven't eaten for almost a day, and they ran all the way back at such high intensity."
The Austro-Hungarian lieutenant colonel's tone was sincere. This was also the first time Hoffmann noticed that the other party at least treated his subordinate soldiers as human beings when speaking of them.
Although the 4th Battalion carried a limited amount of supplies, looking at these starving soldiers, Hoffmann ultimately had no choice but to order a small portion of bread to be distributed, and then dilute the thick soup to let them pad their stomachs.
After the Austro-Hungarian lieutenant colonel left, Hoffmann also planned to turn back to the command post. However, pondering it over and over, he always felt uneasy.
Although logic told him that "monsters" and the like were highly likely absurd tales spun by Austro-Hungarian soldiers to cover up their defeat.
But the terrified expression of that lieutenant colonel lingered in his mind. Moreover, among these Austro-Hungarian soldiers who fled back, many were indeed constantly muttering about "monsters."
Under these circumstances, Major Hoffmann also recalled the "preventive measures" Colonel Morin had spoken of when addressing them, the newly attached units...
"Pass my order!!!"
Hoffmann stopped and said to the battalion adjutant beside him:
"Have all positions heighten night vigilance! Post double... no, triple the sentries! Have all flares ready! Tell everyone not to sleep like the dead tonight, prepare to face any special situation that might occur!"
Although he didn't know what that so-called "Vukodlak" actually was, an extra ounce of preparation never hurt.
Though the Guard Reserve infantrymen didn't understand why the battalion commander suddenly became so tense, they still executed the order without compromise.
And when the 4th Battalion commander relayed the intelligence about the "Vukodlak" he heard from the Austro-Hungarian officer to Morin via both messenger and radio, Morin's reaction was completely different.
"Damn, there really are monsters here..."
Having witnessed numerous "wondrous and magical" things, Morin was not surprised at all that monsters would appear in this world.
"Hmm... Werewolves and vampires appearing in Eastern Europe, isn't this a bit too stereotypical?"
"By this logic, shouldn't there be 'Morozko' over in Russia? And 'Wendigo' in North America?"
Looking at the report in his hands, Morin was momentarily speechless.
He handed the report to Kleist and Manstein beside him. After reading it, their expressions were equally colorful.
"Although it's possible those Austrians made up a lie to shirk responsibility after losing a battle, since their noble officers are best at that... I still think we should heighten our vigilance."
Kleist, having seen much of the world while following Morin, was the first to offer his opinion.
Manstein nodded after listening and said:
"Colonel, I agree with the battalion adjutant. Although it sounds absurd, it's not like we haven't seen more absurd things..."
You see, these are the officers of the instruction unit.
After experiencing some bizarre battles, their horizons had long been broadened.
Morin felt the same.
As a transmigrator, his thinking was far broader than anyone in this era.
Let alone an undead calamity, he had even seen the "Burning Legion's return."
If, when he first arrived in this world, Morin still harbored doubts about these supernatural forces, then after witnessing and even personally casting spells, he had long accepted the fact that supernatural forces existed in this world.
Since there are mages, having something else pop up didn't seem so hard to accept.
"Vukodlak... werewolf? Vampire? Or something else?"
Morin muttered the word softly, then looked at the newly refreshed entries under the [Information] and [Intelligence] interfaces in the system.
["Vukodlak" is a combination of "vampire" and "werewolf" prevalent in the folklore of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Transleithania region and the Kingdom of Greater Serbia. In reality, it is a product possessing supernatural characteristics, spawned after artificial extracts of magic crystal ore are injected into the human body.]
[The Kingdom of Greater Serbia has already deployed the Royal Army 0th Special Pioneer Regiment into the war. In the war at the end of 1914, relying on the powerful nocturnal raiding capabilities of this special unit's 'Vukodlak', the Kingdom of Greater Serbia successfully dismantled the Austro-Hungarian offensive.]
Seeing this content, Morin suddenly thought of the relevant materials regarding the "Sentinel Project" he had brought out from the underground research facility in Paris.
Since even the Gauls were secretly researching biotechnology to enhance soldiers...
Then it wasn't completely impossible for the Balkan region, a land where countless dark legends circulated, to possess some similar, or even more ancient and eerie, modification technologies.
"Vukodlak..."
Morin murmured the word softly.
"Let me see it, the supernatural power of the Balkans..."
"As long as it's not some 'Vlad the Impaler Pro Max' or something~"
Meanwhile, Major Hoffmann, commander of the 4th Battalion of the 12th Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment, looking at the Austro-Hungarian soldiers ravenously devouring food behind the position, and the Austro-Hungarian quartermaster coming to him with an awkward face to ask for more bread, suddenly regretted his earlier decision a bit.
Hoffmann: "I should have just hardened my heart and gunned these guys down earlier..."
Battalion Adjutant: "You can say that again... Who would have thought they could eat so much... Do we still distribute bread to them?"
Hoffmann shook his head: "Distribute my ass. If we give it all to them, what do we eat?"
"Yeah, what do we eat..." the battalion adjutant muttered.
It was also during the time the 4th Battalion gathered these routed Austro-Hungarian soldiers that night fell once again.
Like last night, the moonlight tonight was equally bright. One could even see that brilliant full moon through the cloudless night sky.
The wind was also stronger than yesterday, howling across the plain, kicking up dust and the smell of blood from the ground, emitting sounds like ghosts crying and wolves howling.
At the position of the 4th Battalion of the 12th Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense as night fell.
Although Hoffmann and the others hadn't revealed the matter of the monsters to the rest of the troops, through the word of mouth of those Austro-Hungarian routed soldiers, the rumor that "monsters attacked the Austro-Hungarian army last night" still spread among the Saxon soldiers.
Under these circumstances, Battalion Commander Hoffmann's order in the afternoon to heighten night vigilance also made all soldiers feel a trace of unease.
The number of sentries on the position increased significantly. Everyone kept their eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the dark land draped in a white veil of moonlight ahead, trying to discern any hint of abnormal movement.
Searchlights for night combat were also set up. Beams of white light swept back and forth in front of the position, illuminating the ground intermittently.
Signal flares and dedicated illumination flares had already been distributed to every squad, ready to be fired into the sky at any moment.
As for those routed Austro-Hungarians, after eating and drinking their fill, they picked up their weapons again and were dispersed into the third trench line—whose excavation had accelerated since the afternoon—to stand by.
Hoffmann himself didn't rest either. After downing two large cups of coffee brewed with somewhat improved technique, he draped an overcoat over his shoulders and took his guards on a patrol through the position's communication trenches, occasionally stopping to chat with the sentries to "refresh their spirits."
"Keep your spirits up! Don't fucking fall asleep!"
He patted a young sentry's steel helmet, saying half-jokingly:
"Don't let some ghost slip right under our noses!"
"Yes, Battalion Commander!" The young sentry straightened his back and rubbed his eyes vigorously.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. Besides the sound of the wind, all was dead silent around them.
That tense atmosphere also gradually dissipated somewhat as time passed.
Some soldiers began to feel they were making a mountain out of a molehill. Given the "glorious deeds" of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was highly likely that Austro-Hungarian lieutenant colonel was just spouting nonsense after being scared out of his wits.
Even Hoffmann himself began to wonder if he had overreacted.
Perhaps there really were no monsters; just a bunch of stunned Austro-Hungarian cowards making excuses for their rout.
He glanced at his watch. It was almost midnight.
"If I'm really just overthinking things, that would be a good thing..."
Just as Hoffmann thought this...
"Awooo—!"
The next second, a long, mournful wolf howl came from the distant darkness without any warning.
This wolf howl was completely different from a normal wolf's cry. The sound was filled with brutality and madness, extremely penetrating, as if ringing right in their ears.
The hairs on the arms of all the Saxon soldiers in the position stood on end instantly!
"Holy shit, what is that sound?!"
"Is it a wolf? Where would wolves come from in this godforsaken place?"
And the Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the third trench line in the rear also instantly tensed up. Many trembled all over, constantly muttering: "'Vukodlak' is here... The 'Vukodlak' has come to eat us..."
However, their condition successfully dispelled the fear of the Saxon soldiers guarding them around.
These Saxon soldiers, responsible for "supervising the battle," coincidentally and silently made micro-adjustments to the direction of their muzzles, while simultaneously placing their fingers on their weapons' safeties.
Major Hoffmann, at the frontline, felt his heart contract violently. He immediately rushed to the edge of the trench, raised his binoculars, and looked toward the direction of the sound.
But night visibility was still too poor. Even though the moonlight tonight was considered somewhat bright, looking into the distance through binoculars only yielded a hazy blur.
"Illumination flare! Quick! Fire an illumination flare in that direction!" Hoffmann roared loudly.
A soldier beside him immediately scrambled to grab an illumination flare from a pre-arranged, easily accessible spot, loaded it into a flare gun, and pulled the trigger toward the sky.
"Bang! Whoosh—"
A dazzling white ball of light, trailing a long tail of flame, shrieked into the night sky.
At its zenith, the ball of light released blinding light, like a miniature sun, instantly illuminating the area within a radius of hundreds of meters as bright as day.
Under the pale light of the illumination flare, everyone saw the scene outside the position.
On the plain about four hundred meters from the position, a pack of gray shadows was charging madly toward the position at an inhuman speed!
Those shadows, even from a distance, appeared exceptionally burly.
They ran on all fours. Their running posture resembled wolves, but their limbs seemed to carry human characteristics.
Hoffmann's brain buzzed. Only at this moment did he dare to confirm that the Austro-Hungarian lieutenant colonel hadn't lied!
There really were monsters!
The machine gunners in the position almost reflexively wanted to open fire. But these elite soldiers, trained under the new syllabus, still suppressed their fear at this moment, anxiously awaiting the orders of the surrounding NCOs.
The Saxon soldiers' position remained eerily silent.
This also made the rapidly approaching "soldiers" of the Kingdom of Greater Serbia's Royal Army 0th Special Pioneer Regiment feel somewhat surprised.
After all, in the previous Balkan Wars and the war resisting the Austro-Hungarian invaders, very few enemies could spot them in time at night.
Even if they were discovered, the opponent would open fire in a chaotic mess.
Instead of being like this now...
However, shortly after these "Vukodlak" charged into a range of about 250 meters from the position.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion erupted in front of the position, accompanied by blasts and thick smoke billowing into the sky.
A charging "Vukodlak" only saw in its infrared vision that its two companions were thrown into the air amidst a massive, blinding explosion.
Before it could realize what happened, explosions began occurring one after another in front of the position.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Looking at the front of the position illuminated by bursts of firelight, Major Hoffmann actually breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness... at least they aren't invulnerable. These landmines repurposed from 105mm artillery shells are effective..."