I, the undead, save the world with the dolls

"Of course. I'll help." Carl nodded and contacted the heavy-armored humanoids in the distance, asking them to prepare for the march.

"Oh, by the way, did you mention something like sacrifice?" The battalion commander suddenly turned around and looked at Carl.

"Yes, do you have anything new to add?" Carl asked.

"The Germans deployed some very strange troops. Radio reports said the Nazis were generally over two meters tall, incredibly strong, with tough skin. It often took dozens of bullets to kill them, and they were incredibly sturdy."

"The report mentioned that they have lost the ability to use weapons, but can kill a soldier with their fists and hands. I wonder if they are related to the sacrifices you mentioned? After all, your athletic ability is much stronger than that of ordinary humans." The battalion commander explained quickly.

"I can't say for sure, but I think this is a clue." Carl immediately perked up.

"Well. I don't care whether you are really from the secret forces, but I think with you here, those Nazi troops with amazing combat effectiveness should not be your match." After muttering, the battalion commander quickly climbed onto the vehicle.

Ten minutes later, the entire tank battalion advanced towards the friendly positions in the north.

373 War, Cleaning, and Searching

"Captain, where do you think those strange augmented humans come from? I mean, I always feel that the Germans only deployed them after seeing us." MP40 sat on the side of the Tiger tank and asked his captain through the intercom.

In the dim night, this Soviet armored battalion dispatched part of its troops to advance towards the northern defense line to support friendly forces.

The humanoids didn't know what to call this unit, so they simply called them enhanced humans.

"Of course. With our combat efficiency, how could the Nazis fight us? We took down two camps in two days, and wiped out an entire tank battalion along the way. I bet the enemy would have a heart attack after seeing the battle report." Karl remained calm.

[So we were mistakenly thought to be a Soviet card?] STG44 interjected.

"Surely there won't be a third party intervening at this critical juncture to stir up trouble? We picked the perfect time. We arrived here just two days before the war began. Speaking of which, Captain, can you figure out where those augmented humans came from? Is there any radio communication?"

MP40 asked the commander of the heavy-armored humanoid tank who was staring at Xue Ye.

"No, don't look at us like that. We've been monitoring and analyzing the radio. These Nazi Germans are really good at keeping the enhanced humans secret. I didn't hear anything." The commander replied.

[Enhanced humans... We feel like the protagonists of a game's prologue. Suddenly, I realize this is a fantasy world. I need spoilers from the Commander.] STG44 complained softly.

"Then we need to be even more careful. As creatures of a purely physical world, we don't have any magical resistance or anything like that. A single soul spear from the Dark Souls world could shatter our bodies, and we'd likely take significant damage from magic missiles from other worlds. If we become arrogant and self-righteous, we'll only end up dead," Carl advised.

"Don't say that. Before we left, didn't the humanoid say he wanted a body from the Dark Souls world? I feel like if I had that powerful body..." STG44 said with some longing.

"And then, periodically, we'll have to use avatars to sustain ourselves? Every time we die in battle, our zombification intensifies? Even if we could frequently copy and access memories, have you considered how long it would take to train to the level of Rukatiye or the Commander? And where would we even have so many souls? If we really start that, we'll all become monsters that only know how to plunder souls... The research and development of our bodies hasn't stopped, and we'll only get stronger, so don't indulge in such crazy fantasies." Carl offered another long-winded exhortation.

"Captain Carl, how come you've become so good at preaching? Hey, is this mission really stressful for you?" the tank commander scoffed.

"Because there are indeed many humanoids who want to use undead bodies... basically, they want to push the limits of their humanoid powers and become stronger for various reasons." Carl retorted.

"But simply seeing their power isn't enough; we also need to consider the price paid to obtain and maintain that power. However, I think the Commander will still agree to everyone switching to undead bodies. He probably wouldn't refuse such a thing." Carl sighed softly.

***

The time for chatting passed in a flash. About ten minutes later, the support force was about to arrive at the friendly position.

The Soviet positions had already fired dozens of flares, and as they slowly descended, the German infantry below attempted to charge into the Soviet positions. Many German soldiers also fired rifle-grenade-style flares to illuminate the Soviet positions.

The machine guns, firing tracer bullets, fired at the approaching German soldiers. But it was clear that the Soviet position was much smaller than the humanoids had expected.

The firing point originally held in the front row had been eliminated, and inside one could see a human corpse that was over two meters tall, extremely heavy, with arms as thick as a woman's waist, wearing metal armor, and with a hideous face.

Next to these corpses lay several Soviet soldiers with twisted bodies, and the metal armor on the corpses was riddled with bullet holes.

If these soldiers had not fought desperately to resist the enhanced men's charge and prevented them from advancing deeper into the position, the flag of this position would probably have been changed.

Next to these corpses were Nazi German soldiers who had followed the enhanced humans in rushing in and occupied the outermost Soviet positions in one breath.

As the distance closed, the sound of gunfire grew louder. Dozens of tanks rolled over the German positions, and the German soldiers lying on the ground immediately began to fire non-stop, even though doing so would result in being called out by the Soviet machine gunners above.

The German army also drove self-propelled artillery nearby. When the German infantry fired their own flares, these artillery units delivered fire to the center of the Soviet position.

But even so, the Soviet army still stubbornly resisted the attack.

The effect of the Soviet flares was about to disappear, but dozens of flares were fired from the Soviet positions. These flares were fired into the sky one after another, slightly illuminating the woods behind the positions.

"Strange? Why does it feel wrong?" MP40 looked at the distant woods and adjusted the visual module several times. When she switched to thermal sensing, a large group of red and yellow figures appeared.

"I saw them! Those enhanced humans are in the woods!" After MP40 took a look into the woods, he immediately saw the follow-up enhanced human troops hiding in the woods.

After the augmented men's surprise attack in the dark, the Soviet army's defense line was not broken. They survived the initial chaos and launched a desperate counterattack.

But the Soviet positions were much smaller than they had been at the beginning. Their defenses were still retreating. The Germans clearly hoped to rely on this new unit with strong breakthrough capabilities to recapture the lost positions.

"Battalion Commander! We saw German troops ambushing in the northwest woods!" Karl quickly reported to the battalion commander who was nervously driving the tank.

"Oh! Great! Let's charge over there and cut off their retreat! First Company! Second Company! Follow Carl and take out the reinforcements at the rear! Third Company! Follow me and take out those Nazis in the friendly positions!" the battalion commander shouted excitedly.

The tank battalion immediately split into two groups, the smaller group rushed towards the attacking German troops, and the other group rushed into the woods.

[Nighthawk, Nighthawk! This is Chrysanthemum Tea! We've arrived at the battlefield. Our troops have discovered follow-up German troops hiding in the northwest woods! Requesting lighting!] The battalion commander immediately changed the channel and began transmitting to the command post inside the position.

[Nighthawk received! Flares being prepared!] The opposing command center immediately sent a message, and seconds later a new round of flares was fired from a greater distance, landing right above the grove.

The German soldiers who had hidden themselves in the woods, using dry branches and snowflakes to conceal themselves, had no idea that they would be taken care of. They immediately got up and hurriedly prepared to launch an attack, but were caught off guard by the two Soviet tank companies and the humanoid tank squad that broke in.

Various grenades and vehicle-mounted machine guns fired into the grove. The troops, who were planning to launch the next charge and seize the position in one fell swoop, were quickly cut down by heavy fire.

Even those enhanced humans wearing heavy armor could only die under the attacks of artillery shells and machine gun bullets.

However, the German armored units that intended to cooperate in the battle still failed to launch any effective attack on the Red Star Tiger tanks.

They were engulfed in the artillery fire of Soviet T-34 tanks. Although their accuracy and firing speed were not as brutal as those of the humanoids, the saturated firepower still beat these standby troops into a pulp.

After all, tanks are just sitting ducks if they don't move. The German tanks, which didn't have time to speed up and evade, were destroyed one by one.

The battle ended quickly. When the reinforcements' attack speed outpaced the German advance, the outcome of the battle was already determined.

The dolls won the battle with almost no effort. If they really had to make an effort, it was probably because they could see the hidden German troops from a long distance away.

[Thank you again for your help, Ms. Karl.] The battalion commander sent a message to Karl after defeating the German troops who were pinned down in their positions.

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure. These...what do you call these humans?" The Red Star Tiger tank stopped at the edge of the grove. Three humanoids jumped out and took a close look at the breathless augmented humans.

These augmented individuals' faces seemed to have been altered through some kind of surgery or ritual. Their faces were covered in bloody scars and densely packed with stitches. Their heads were one or two sizes larger than those of a normal human.

Their expressions are forever frozen in a ferocious and angry moment, and with this huge, angular face, their deterrent power is even more enhanced.

"Super big one." said the battalion commander.

"What a simple and plain nickname. Hmm, these people's faces seem to be in extreme pain?" Karl continued to use the Soviet army's nickname. She turned over a super big guy whose two legs were knocked off. The big guy was still alive, and when Karl kicked him over, he suddenly swung his fist upwards.

Boom! A fist hit Carl's leg armor, causing her to stagger. Carl had no choice but to use the STG44 and MP40 to suppress the oversized creature so that he could observe it more easily.

[Are you investigating? Are there any survivors?] The battalion commander's voice came over the communication.

"One of his legs was severed. I think the severed artery will drain his blood. Let's find some clues before he dies. Hmm?" Carl looked at the big man's knee. The broken section was no longer bleeding.

"The super guy has a strong ability to stop bleeding, and he is no longer bleeding. Hello, can you communicate?" Carl asked the big guy who was suppressed by the humanoid.

"Woo woo!! Rage! Aaaaaaaa!!" The big guy could only roar angrily, but the faces of the corpses around him also had angry expressions.

No sense? So how does he distinguish friend from foe? He doesn't look like he'd follow orders properly, so maybe his brain is broken.

"Captain, do you think it's possible that these big guys are controlled by someone? For example, a wizard or something?" said STG44.

"Let's check the bodies here first. If there are no wizard-like creatures here, it means that he has been hiding for a long time and slipped away when the battle started. Or this so-called wizard can be controlled remotely... This is the most troublesome." Carl fired continuously with different weapons, tested the damage-bearing ability of this super big guy, and then fired several shots at his heart and head.

The MP40 bullet failed to penetrate, becoming lodged in the chest muscles. This forced Carl to raise his rifle and fire a single shot into the chest. Even with its heart blasted, the creature remained able to fight for several seconds before succumbing to excessive blood loss.

"Tsk, his heart is much tougher now. If his mental problems are solved, this kind of soldier can drag down the Soviet army even when carrying out missions behind enemy lines." Looking at the pistol bullets embedded in the muscles of this creature, MP40 rarely complained about the weapon in his hand.

"Have you found anything important? We're currently interrogating prisoners and cleaning up the battlefield. Oh, and I've asked the men from Company 1 and Company 2 to accompany you on the cleanup. Command them, they'll obey you." The battalion commander interjected.

"I feel that this super big guy should not have a reliable self-awareness. I'm looking for someone wearing a wizard costume... Hey! You guys! Come and help!" Carl waved behind him, and the tank soldiers who were chatting in groups after the battle and remained alert looked at Carl.

Then half of the tank soldiers got off the tanks with PPSh and Mosin-Nagants. When they saw the German weapons on Carl and his group, they couldn't help but talk.

"Captain Carl, why are you still using these guns? It's not like we're short of supplies. Is it because the logistics guys won't give you guns?"

"No, I'm just used to it. If you see a super-sized guy, shoot him twice, no matter if he dies or not. Then look for anyone dressed like a wizard."

Carl laughed it off, then hurriedly urged the soldiers to search for the possible unique corpse in the grove full of corpses.

It was not easy to find something useful from the pile of debris and rotten meat. The soldiers often had to endure the strong smell of blood and the stench of excrement flowing out after the large intestine was broken.

Fortunately, these soldiers were not on the battlefield for the first time, and the long war had made them numb to these scenes and environments. But one of the soldiers let out a wail after seeing a huge corpse.

"Tori? Oh my God, how could they do this..." A female tank soldier turned over the corpse of a super-large man. She covered her mouth when she saw the hideous face.

The corpse had a flower tattoo on its neck, and it seemed that the tank soldier used this to confirm the identity of the corpse.

Prisoners of war? Those Germans were rehabilitating the prisoners... and then throwing them into the plan to attack the Soviets... What a diabolical plan.

Carl clenched her fists. She couldn't bear to look at the soldier crying heartbreakingly, so she could only focus on the search in front of her.

374 Magic Expert Consultation (?)

"Captain Carl, we found a body that looks very much like a wizard." After a carpet search, the tank soldiers took Carl into the woods and pointed out a body lying in the bushes with a funny death appearance.

This is a female corpse, which is quite rare. After all, in Karl's impression, the German army did not have any female combat troops on the front line.

In contrast, there were many female soldiers joining the Soviet army, including tank soldiers, battlefield first aid, snipers and the like.

She was lying on the ground facing west with two large gunshot wounds on her back. She was probably hit by a stray bullet while escaping and died.

As for her clothing, she was not wearing a German uniform, but a narrow fur coat that looked very well made. It looked very warm, but of course it was not very convenient for movement.

"Can this person be considered a wizard? This person doesn't even have a gun... Captain Karl, this person seems to have something in his arms." Several Soviet tank soldiers surrounded the corpse.

They had seen how powerful that super-big guy was, so they were very hesitant when facing the corpse of the suspected wizard. They didn't want to touch the corpse, for fear that they would be contaminated by some strange curse.

But the humanoids didn't care about that. What's the point of cursing the human body? A cold, a fever, a runny nose? I don't even have that ability.

"If only I knew how wizards cast spells, I wouldn't be so confused. Oh, if only there was some magic expert here."

Karl more or less hoped that his commander had one or two serious spellcasters under his command. That would at least give him some ideas.

The spellcasters in the Dark Souls world are really weird. In the novels and movies that Carl has read, spellcasters all use herbs, rituals, and spells to cast spells.

Dark Soul magicians tinkered with the properties of souls all day long, which was quite strange. If his commander wasn't also undead, Carl would not have been willing to learn about this kind of magic that used souls.

...Let's ask Strider for now. Carl had the heavy-armored humanoid activate the special communication system on the tank and establish contact with the main base via a special signal.

"We engaged the German night raiders and repelled a creature simply called the Super-Big One. We also located a female human who resembled a spellcaster. I need the assistance of the magicians." Carl reported his combat experiences and what he had seen and heard to the main base.

[Roger that. Strider and Onefix are available to assist. Transferring.] The liaison officer at the main base quickly coordinated the line and connected the channel.

[Humanoid KAR98K, do you have any questions about magic?] Strider's somewhat aged face appeared on the screen. Next to his screen was a bird-headed figure.

"We're investigating local supernatural forces. We suspect someone is using hand gestures or rituals to cast spells. I'd like to ask if you can offer any insights," Carl said.

"This is the first magical world we've encountered, right? We can only offer our own perspectives. After all, rituals and magic must adhere to the local environment, inherited research, and cultural history. This is a very 'scientific' study..." began the birdman Onifex in a lengthy speech.

"I just want you two to take a look at this thing. Can you give me some advice?" Karl reached out and grabbed the coat, turning the body over. It was a very common German face, her eyes blinded by sharp bushes, and her face was also densely covered with needle holes.

"Nothing unusual. Is she holding anything? Are there any special symbols carved in blood or other materials near her?" asked Strider.

Something? Carl switched to a first-person perspective and ripped the person's clothes off. Her abdomen had been shattered, but a pattern of unique tattoos could still be seen on her body. These tattoos seemed to be made of a special material, with a strange fragrance that even the smell of blood couldn't cover up.

These tattoos resembled countless sea monster tentacles, with fine text written on the edges. Carl lacked the ability to interpret them, so he could only upload them to Oasis.

"Uh... I don't feel well..." The soldiers nearby felt nauseous just by seeing the tattoo. They had to retreat ten meters away and to a place where they couldn't see it before they felt a little better.

"Is it just our psychological effects? Captain Carl is fine." The battle-hardened tank soldiers nearby felt nauseous just by looking at the tattoos on these people's bodies.

"A blasphemous tattoo? Without relevant knowledge, there's no way to answer. We have the relevant text parsing algorithms for these words, but we need more text and symbols. So, what is she holding?" Strade asked with interest.

[A statue, a stone statue that looks like an octopus wrapped around a human.] Carl looked at the palm of the corpse's hand.

"It should be a spellcasting catalyst, but in our world, magical craftsmanship and personal skills are more important." The bird-headed man said naggingly.

Carl grabbed the corpse's arm. The body had been frozen in the cold night air for a while, and its body was a little stiff. Carl broke off the corpse's fingers and grasped the statue.

Puff! The stone statue exploded the moment Carl touched it, and a ball of dark, thick, rancid liquid splashed out. When this dark liquid touched Carl's clothes, it immediately corroded his outer coat.

Carl's skin was also stained with liquid, but fortunately, her technology had been improved and her skin had good environmental resistance.

So the result was that the liquid sprayed all over her face and ruined her outer coat.

[It's the type that automatically destroys when removed.] Carl wiped the black liquid from his face. The liquid made a hissing sound when it dripped onto the ground, which looked ominous at first glance. But the humanoid was still made of metal after all, so the effect of this thing on metal was the same as on the humanoid.

There might be a bunch of strange curses that humans are afflicted with, but those curses were probably never considered for application to human form.