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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The combat arms of Hearts of Iron are broadly divided into four categories: infantry, cavalry, artillery, and magic soldiers.
Any combat arm, excluding special units unique to certain nations or the later-unlocked ‘air force,’ can be categorized into these four.
Of course, within these categories, there are further subcategories based on role and equipment, such as fire support squads, light infantry, and airborne troops. Also, as technology advances, the nature of the combat arms themselves often changes dramatically.
For example, cavalry could transform into an ‘armored’ combat arm, operating tanks and vehicles in addition to just horses, once internal combustion engine technology was applied.
Similarly, artillery would evolve from a simple mobile field artillery unit to a powerful combat arm operating anti-tank self-propelled guns and railway guns.
However, in the case of infantry, while individual weapons could improve, the infantry combat arm itself didn’t undergo dramatic changes. After all, the combat power of infantry depended on how good their weapons were and how diverse their arsenal was.
Light infantry, anti-tank infantry, and special forces all had different roles, but they were all armed with a single rifle and vulnerable to a single bullet.
That’s why there were two technologies in HOI that could dramatically change infantry. And those were mutants and cyborgs.
Cyborgs were, as the name suggests, soldiers made of metal. The final stage of the infantry tech tree. With the existence of unrealistic abilities like magic, they possessed combat power comparable to ‘future warfare,’ but their biggest drawback was the high technological requirements, making them unavailable until the late game.
They were treated as a kind of ultimate weapon. An overpowered unit that, despite being infantry, possessed the defense of armor, the firepower of magic soldiers, and the mobility and deployment capabilities of infantry.
The fact that one cyborg battalion had the combat power equivalent to one regular infantry division says it all.
Sometimes, players would try a ‘fast cyborg’ build, but it was the most inefficient of the meme builds, as it required abandoning all other military power and focusing solely on cyborgs. Meme builds should at least be somewhat viable to be worth pursuing.
But mutants were different. They could be invested in from the very beginning of the game, and if timed correctly, they could even be used in the Ukrainian-Soviet front, which was usually the first to open.
A special infantry unit with several times the frontline holding and breakthrough capabilities of regular soldiers, and an unusually high survival rate. However, its biggest drawback and problem was that mutants could only be developed through ‘inhumane human experimentation.’
Therefore, to go down the mutant tech tree, you absolutely needed other test subjects nearby, not ‘your own citizens.’ And if the human experimentation became public, you would face immense international condemnation, and sometimes, it could even be considered a just cause for war, so you had to conduct it in secret facilities with all sorts of security measures.
“Damn it.”
And they had stumbled upon such a research facility. Even worse, they had found it in the basement of an armory they had infiltrated after secretly crossing the border to retrieve an artifact!
“What do we do now, Captain…?”
The soldiers were visibly agitated. I didn’t know how Master Sergeant Claude knew about ‘mutants,’ but what was important now was the high probability that mutants still existed in this facility.
No matter how skilled the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion was, handpicked from the best of Ukraine, they were at a disadvantage against mutants. Not only because of the sheer numbers, but also because the existence of mutants wasn’t yet widely known to the world, which was another disadvantage.
Humans are creatures of experience. No matter how powerful an enemy, fear lessens after encountering them multiple times or being educated on how to deal with them. But what if there was no information at all? If they were faced with a horrific human figure tearing apart their comrades, would the unit members be able to avoid panicking?
‘In the end… do we have to leave it to luck?’
It was impossible to know how far the Soviet Empire had progressed in developing mutants. However, considering the timing, it was unlikely that they were ready for immediate deployment on the battlefield.
The initial mutants had high resistance to physical attacks, but were particularly weak against magic—especially Red magic. The genetic factors used for their development were those of trolls and yetis.
“We’ll reorganize the formation now. I’ll take the lead, and the platoon leaders who are skilled in Red magic will accompany me.”
“Does that mean…?”
“It’ll be too late if we react later. First, since we haven’t completed our mission, we must advance.”
The key to this operation was ‘speed and precision.’ By not directly encountering the mutants and discovering their traces, the intelligence advantage was still on their side.
“They’re horrific, as you can see. Brace yourselves.”
I exchanged glances with Claude, and he nodded and stood beside me. Lumia, who was a 1st-class Red mage before becoming a company adjutant, also took the lead on her own accord. If they were prototype mutants as I expected, the mages’ firepower alone would be enough to defeat them.
“The magic to use is the intermediate spell Rapid Fire Arrow. Concentrate firepower on a narrow area and burn them before they can regenerate.”
“Understood!”
“The 2nd Platoon will provide rear guard. Platoon Leader Bell, are you alright?”
“O-Of course…!!”
Though she was visibly struggling, Bell Meyer held her ground. With the platoon leader leading the charge, the morale of the squad members couldn’t fall. They supported Bell Meyer and loaded their guns.
Whatever came at them, they were prepared to kill it. Into the deeper darkness, reeking of blood, the 1st Company and I boldly advanced.
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The basement of the Lymansk Armory, designed for secret experiments, was incredibly complex and narrow. It was a troublesome layout for intruders, but the same was true for the soldiers stationed there.
“Damn it, did you hear that gunshot? Fuck, who the hell is causing this ruckus?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably those damn Red bastards. And on the day someone from the General Directorate of Intelligence comes…”
“Are we even going the right way?”
They had been peacefully guarding the basement, but the sudden intruders had plunged the facility into chaos.
They were currently moving to defend the underground passage connected to Section C, under the command of their superior, the Guard Company Commander, but they had forgotten to bring the floor plan and had gotten lost.
“Fuck…”
Meanwhile, the sound of gunfire grew closer. There must have been dozens of them. Even in a narrow passage, there was no way they could fend them off with single-shot rifles.
How many of their allies were left? Was there even a defensive line? Was this a suicide mission to buy time for the Comrade Captain and the Comrade Inspector to escape? Fear and doubt quickly took hold of the soldiers’ minds.
“Should we just surrender?”
“You think those Red 10th bastards will spare us? They’ve seen what we’ve been doing.”
“Th-That’s true…”
The personnel guarding the underground were seasoned soldiers. New recruits or those who couldn’t keep quiet about the goings-on in the underground were sent outside. Thanks to that, they were working in a relatively warm and cozy environment, but they were still human, and they couldn’t help but feel revulsion towards the ‘abnormal’ experiments being conducted there.
“In the end, we still have to fight.”
A soldier steeled himself. At that moment…
Crash!!
Kang!
KABOOM!!
Something shattered in front of them, and the ceiling collapsed. What was that? As the soldier in front cautiously approached…
“Kuaaaak!!”
A grotesque giant emerged from the dust-filled view.
“Fu-Fuck!! What is this…!!”
He couldn’t even finish his instinctive curse. The Mutant saw the soldier and tore him in half. Splat!! The remaining soldier collapsed at the surreal sight. His comrade, with whom he had been talking just seconds ago, had been reduced to a pile of meat.
The Mutant grotesquely stuffed the meat into its mouth and then turned to him. Sverkh Soldat. A being lower than a beast, unable to distinguish friend from foe, reveling only in slaughter and gluttony.
The soldier desperately tried to move his legs, but it wasn’t just his legs that were paralyzed. His sphincter loosened, and he felt a warm sensation below. Even if he could move, he wouldn’t have been able to escape. The soldier knew this was the end. He squeezed his eyes shut as the Mutant’s giant arm reached for him…
“Fire—!!!”
A voice jolted him awake. Balls of red flame shot past him. Magic.
“Kraaak, aaaaaaaah!!!!”
KABOOM!
Whoosh!
The Mutant, hit by the magic, let out a pained roar. Flames instantly engulfed it.
Bang!
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!
A series of thunderous gunshots followed. The Mutant flailed its arms in resistance, but the flames only grew stronger. The bullets pierced its skin, and the flames immediately cauterized the wounds, preventing rapid regeneration.
Hunting a Mutant. They were hunting a monster that made one’s legs tremble just thinking about it. The miraculously saved soldier could only stare blankly at the scene. As the blond man approached him, he stammered his thanks. He didn’t know who he was, but he owed him his life.
“Th-Thank you…”
“Roxanna! Tie this man up! We’re taking him prisoner!”
“Yes, sir!! I understand! It might be a little tight… j-just bear with it for a moment?!”
“Huh…?”
And in the next moment, a hood was thrown over his head, and he was forcibly knocked unconscious.
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