Chapter 637: Dangerous Individual
“For now, it seems our decision to modify the Tiger and Panther tanks in advance was very timely. The Tiger tank’s current frontal armor can completely handle this cannon. A distance of about 500 meters is still relatively safe—of course, it’s certainly not as absolutely safe and comfortable as before.” The German tanks near Kiev had been modified ahead of schedule. The main modification was to increase the thickness of the frontal armor plates of the Panther and Tiger tanks. However, this modification could not be applied to all units immediately; the German tanks destroyed at Brovary had not yet been upgraded.
“This meeting was called under an urgent notice from Army Group command. All tank crews are required to be cautious and must not act as recklessly as before. Tactics must be planned reasonably, and the enemy must not be underestimated,” the battalion commander said, tapping the wall that was being used as a makeshift blackboard with his pointer. “The enemy will open fire from a distance of about 1000 meters, and their accuracy is quite high. They are a tough bunch. The way to identify them is simple: a new model of tank you haven’t seen before, plus a black five-pointed star.”
By the time everyone had finished asking their questions, the meeting had lasted for more than an hour. The content covered some changes to future tank engagement regulations, including expanding the alert range to 1500 meters. As the questions dwindled, the battalion commander finally concluded the meeting: “Alright, if there are no more questions, you are dismissed!”
As everyone stood up and began to leave, the battalion commander called out, “Rein! You stay. I have something to ask you.”
As the tank commanders filed out of the room one by one, the battalion commander finally spoke. “The recent Soviet attacks are different from before. If you don’t mind, could you tell me what kind of place the Wolf Knight Academy really is?”
Hearing the name “Wolf Knight Academy,” Rein was visibly stunned. In both official and unofficial German circles, that hell on earth was more often referred to as the “Armored Forces Command Academy.”
“That is no place for humans. It is a domain ruled by Satan,” Rein said. For him, the time of torment in the Soviet Union was his most unforgettable and most despairing memory. He would rather fight on a real battlefield for his entire life than spend another summer there.
Suddenly, he realized something. He looked up at his battalion commander. The freckles on his face had faded but were still visible. His eyes were filled with shock, and he reached out and grabbed the commander’s arm. “Where did you hear about the Wolf Knight Academy? Have they appeared?”
“Read this report!” The battalion commander’s expression was strange. He handed Rein a report from a friendly unit. This report had been sent on Guderian’s personal orders; after all, this kind of intelligence was not usually disseminated to battalion-level combat units.
A lot of information was recorded on that thin sheet of white paper, including some content that Rein was very reluctant to see. The black wolf’s head collar tabs, the sharp attacks from over 1000 meters away, the choice of ambush locations… too many familiar things, too many things one wanted to forget but could only remember.
“Scarface…!” This word pulled Rein back many years, to an evening when the sun had already set.
He was running alone in the woods, running helplessly. At that time, his arm was seriously injured. Blood flowed down his arm and fell to the ground, leaving a very clear trail for his pursuers. And not far behind Rein, a young Cossack boy was chasing his prey like a leopard.
When Rein fell, the handsome Cossack boy stood before him with a ferocious grin, the dried blood still visible on the sharp dagger in his hand. Rein crawled to the base of a large tree and leaned against the trunk, panting continuously, as if every breath was a luxury.
“Rein! You are the only one in this wilderness killing training who can threaten me, so I’ve decided to finish you off first! Goodbye!” The handsome Cossack boy raised the steel knife in his hand, as joyful as if he were inviting a friend to a game. For everyone in this forest, killing was a daily routine, as natural as sleeping.
“Rein!” The battalion commander’s call pulled Rein back to reality. Rein gave an embarrassed smile, then said solemnly, “Commander, if this scar-faced man in the tank with the black pentagram appears again, please, you must let me be the first to attack.”
The battalion commander was taken aback, then muttered with some skepticism, “Is it that serious? I know you’re very skilled, but soldiers like you must be in the minority, right?”
“The minority?” Rein forced a bitter smile. “As far as I know, after Germany and the Soviet Union jointly established the Wolf Knight Academy, the Soviets ran similar courses on their own at least twice. Although the scale of these two was not large due to funding issues, putting together 200 or 300 men would certainly be no problem at all!”
“Only that many?” The battalion commander was stunned, then seemed to relax quite a bit. “I thought there were tens of thousands. You scared me.”
“Tens of thousands? Are you kidding? If you had seen how terrible that place was, then our so-called special forces training would be just child’s play,” Rein said, shaking his head. “They survived a process of continuous killing and elimination, so do not underestimate these Wolf Knights.”
“You are also a Wolf Knight!” The battalion commander now felt it was a great thing to have a “top student” from the Wolf Knight Academy in his unit. At least he had a better chance when facing those Soviet Wolf Knights.
“Perhaps. If I hadn’t gotten lucky and seriously wounded him in that final slaughter, I wouldn’t have been number one at graduation,” Rein said, pouring a basin of cold water on his commander’s confidence. “This scar-faced man is not easy to deal with. Perhaps we can call him Wolf. He is the most terrifying Wolf King in the Wolf Knight Academy.”
“Don’t worry,” the battalion commander said, though even he was starting to feel unsure. In his mind, Rein was already a formidable presence. He couldn’t imagine what a more powerful opponent would be like. Still, he tried to console Rein. “It’s alright. There are millions of soldiers on both sides. It won’t be so easy for two people to run into each other.”
Rein walked to the door, slung his assault rifle over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. He glanced at the battalion commander in the room, then said, “We will meet. He will definitely come looking for me… I think finding me and killing me is the only thing that keeps him alive, right?”
“…” It’s not easy being a battalion commander these days… Watching Rein’s retreating back, the commander of the 502nd Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion shook his head helplessly. He had a formidable character in his unit, and now a tough guy had appeared on the enemy’s side. Maybe he should apply for a transfer to Africa? This was too stressful. He probably wouldn’t live past 50.
That evening, under the setting sun, Rein’s abdomen had been pierced by a dagger, the blood staining a large patch of ground red. And not far from him, a boy clutching his face and screaming was writhing on the ground like a wild animal. They were both found by the search and rescue instructors and ultimately survived. However, Rein, having taken down the Wolf King, Wolf, became the new number one of the Wolf Knight Academy. The original handsome Cossack boy, due to the location of his injury, did not make it to that year’s graduation.
We still have to finish that fight after all. Wolf, this time I definitely won’t just slash your face! Rein thought to himself. He shouldered his rifle and walked out of the battalion headquarters. As he looked up, he saw Marcus and the others waiting for him. Rein nodded and led everyone back to their company’s bivouac.
“Rein! What did the commander want?” Marcus asked curiously. For a standard gossip-monger, Marcus’s habit of asking for news was as constant as breathing.
“Wolf is back,” Rein said without turning his head, continuing to walk forward. But Marcus stopped in his tracks, as if frozen solid.
After Rein had walked several steps, Marcus looked at him as if he had been electrocuted. “Wolf? Which Wolf? You don’t mean that damn guy, do you? You’re saying he’s here? How could he be here? Hey! Don’t try to scare me with such an unfunny joke. Seriously, it’s not funny at all!”
Rein stopped, turned around, and looked at Marcus without speaking.
Marcus stood there awkwardly, ignoring the somewhat puzzled glances of the other tank commanders, and began to ramble, “He’s a devil. A devil should stay in hell, shouldn’t he… He’s a bastard who could shoot his own father and then put five more rounds into the body… He’ll kill all of us. All of us.”
“I will kill him this time!” Rein said, his face like ice. “No matter what, I will kill him this time. After all, that damn Wolf Knight Academy must end at our hands. He and I need to settle this. If I win, there will be no more Wolf King. If he wins, you kill him for me!”
“I think I’ll pass. Have you forgotten how you made an enemy of him?” Marcus spread his hands helplessly. “That bastard used to attack any German he saw, until you and I and a few others ganged up on him and knocked him out. And of the brothers who ganged up on him back then, only you and I are left.”
“Everyone be extra careful on missions. The real tough enemy has arrived!” Rein said, looking at the other tank commanders. “When you’re on a mission, you must be careful. He’s looking for us!”
In a Soviet position, a propaganda card showing Rein and his crew leaning against a Panther tank was thrown to the ground and then stepped on by a shiny leather boot. A terrifying voice roared, sending a chill down the spine: “Rein! You can’t run this time!”
Published: 2025-09-13T02:47:43.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-02-02T20:27:54.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c637-138783195
Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com