The devastating blast not only immobilized the tank but also rocked its interior so violently that both Alan and Luis were rendered unconscious for a few brief moments. Alan’s ears rang with the aftermath of the explosion, his vision blurred, and his body felt numb. Yet, the urgency of their situation and the sound of the encroaching enemy soldiers managed to pull him back from the brink.

Gasping for air, Alan’s mind raced, taking stock of their perilous predicament. They were now sitting ducks, surrounded on all sides by the enemy. He shook off the dizziness and, with gritted teeth, tried to awaken Luis, who was slumped against the tank’s wall, “Luis… We need to get out, … follow me!”

Using the last reserves of his strength, Alan forced the tank’s hatch open. The outside world greeted him with the sharp cacophony of gunshots. Swiftly, he reached for his trusty handgun, ensuring it was fully loaded. He cast the [Enhance Sense] spell to sense his surrounding.

As Alan vaulted out of the tank, he found himself in the eye of the storm. Bullets whizzed past him, each leaving a deadly trail. Without hesitation, he returned fire, the recoil from his handgun a familiar sensation against his palm.

“Come on, Luis! We don’t have much time!” he shouted over the din of battle. Leaning back into the hatch, he extended a hand to help Luis, who looked disoriented but was slowly coming to. Together, they managed to climb out of their damaged refuge, ducking and weaving to avoid the hail of bullets.

However, it wasn’t just the ordinary soldiers that concerned Alan. He had noted earlier the presence of two elite SS troops. The heavy, deliberate steps he now heard told him they were closing in. Quickly raising his weapon, he fired several rounds in the direction, forcing the figure from approaching.

Alan swiftly accessed his [gamelink], Without hesitation, he allocated his two free attributes.

[Strength: E-] + 1 [E- >E]

[Agility: D-] +1 [D- >D]

Alan could immediately feel the benefits of his choices. His muscles seemed to surge with newfound energy, his reflexes sharper. With enhanced strength and agility, he wrapped an arm around Luis, urging him to keep pace. Together, they sprinted towards the closest building, hoping it would offer a momentary reprieve from the onslaught.

“Let’s go, Luis!” Alan cried out, hope and determination clear in his voice.

The frenzied footsteps of Alan and Luis echoed in the dimly lit hallways as they rushed from one room to the next. Every turn and door seemed to bring a new wave of enemy soldiers on their heels, their shouting and gunfire almost deafening. The air was thick with tension, smoke, and the scent of gunpowder.

While Luis murmured a mix of Spanish prayers and curses, Alan concentrated on using his [Enhance Sense] spell, which provided him an almost sixth sense of the maze-like building. The spell’s magic pulsed in his veins, helping him choose the right path, discern ambushes, and make quick decisions.

Every few moments, Alan would kick open a door, rapidly scanning the new space for any threats or exits. He was leading them southward, following his game’s internal compass that indicated the next player outpost was just 200 meters away. If they could make it there, they’d find reinforcements and perhaps a moment’s respite.

However, their escape route wasn’t without obstacles. Alan’s heightened senses picked up the unmistakable sounds of Nazi soldiers setting up an ambush just 50 meters ahead. A crucial decision lay before him – face the lesser evil of a handful of soldiers directly ahead or the relentless pursuit of the more formidable SS elite behind them.

His mind made up, Alan burst out of the building, his handgun barking loudly, cutting down two soldiers who were caught off guard. Right behind him, Luis, clutching his assault rifle, sprayed a volley of bullets, managing to drop another soldier. The immediate threats neutralized, they sprinted towards the safety of another building across the street.

But their relief was short-lived. As Alan glanced behind, the chilling sight of the SS elite troopers, wielding a menacing machine gun, sent shivers down his spine. Their weapon roared, spitting out bullets at an alarming rate.

“Luis! Get down!!” Alan yelled. The duo dove behind a collapsed wall, the machine gun rounds chipping away at their cover.

Alan’s ears, still under the influence of the spell, honed in on the machine gun’s rhythm. He knew that type of gun, knew its magazine capacity. His heart raced as he counted each shot, waiting for the inevitable pause that would come when the gun needed reloading.

And it came.

Recognizing their window of opportunity, Alan pulled Luis to his feet, and they burst out of their cover, once again making a mad dash from door to door.

As they ran, the weight of exhaustion began to press down on them. For Alan, the benefits of his scholar job class played a vital role. The extra stamina it provided meant he could maintain a steady pace even under such strenuous circumstances. However, for Luis, the strain was more evident. His breaths came out in ragged gasps, and his steps became increasingly heavy, his energy drained to almost nothing.

Fortunately, they have finally reached the intersection – a place that was deeply etched in Alan’s memory. In his previous game, this crossroads was a bustling stronghold, brimming with US soldiers, their defenses set up to stave off Nazi advances.

But as the duo approached, a deep sense of dread replaced the relief Alan had been expecting. The known bustling intersection was now desolate. No sandbags, no manned turrets, just an eerie silence. The gravity of his actions dawned upon him. The butterfly effect was in play. By revealing the mission’s secret, he had inadvertently changed the course of the game’s events, the troop’s placement, and now possibly his and Luis’ detriment.

The distant sounds of marching boots and muffled conversations became more pronounced. The Nazis were closing in, and their numbers sounded overwhelming. In this game of life and death, Alan’s mind raced, calculating possible escape routes, choke points, and defensive strategies.

Gasping for breath, his face pale and sweat dripping, Luis halted, his voice a mere whisper, “Senor Alan… I can’t… I can’t run anymore. Save yourself… leave me.” The despair in his eyes was evident, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still for Alan.

In that brief moment, Alan made a quick decision. “Find a hiding spot, Luis. Wait until everything’s clear.”

Luis’s eyes widened in confusion. “Clear?! What are you…?” 𝗈𝑣𝑙xt.𝗰𝒪𝓶

But Alan didn’t have time to explain. He jumped out into the open street, firing rounds from his handgun, drawing the attention of the enemy. He wanted them focused on him, giving Luis a fighting chance to escape. The air was thick with flying bullets, and Alan ran through that deadly shower, dodging and weaving. A bullet grazed his arm, and another bit into his leg. His health and stamina started depleting at an alarming rate.

[Health Point: 85/200]

[Stamina: 20%]

Alan quickly ducked into a dimly lit alleyway, taking a momentary respite, he pulled out a [Medical gauze], quickly wrapping it around his wounded arm. He then tore into a [Chocolate], seeking the quick energy boost it would provide. Next, he activated his newly acquired skill, [Concealment], intending to disappear into the shadows.

But before the skill could take full effect, a chilling presence made him freeze. There, at the other end of the alley, stood a menacing figure, bathed in the faint moonlight – the elite SS soldier, his cold eyes locked onto Alan’s.