I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 172 The Tyrannical Lord and the Master Strategist

After clarifying the current situation, John did not immediately mobilize his troops to set off. Instead, he remained in the temporary command post in Mad Fang City, pondering the specific location of the next battle.

After pondering for a while, he directly instructed Wendy through the communication device in his ear to invite the two naval captains whom Bob had helped to come over.

Next, he needed to lobby the two colonels to ensure that they would follow his instructions completely when they received orders, thus preventing any accidents.

After all, although the Third Navy were all trustworthy allies, John was unsure what Bob's two helpers, who had been sent to assist him, really thought about this extremely dangerous support mission.

Although it's unlikely to be to the extent that Dolan would immediately retreat upon discovering that allies are in trouble.

But unless these two people are truly confirmed, it still makes people somewhat uneasy.

Just as John was frowning and pondering how to make the two colonels completely obedient if they were dissatisfied with him, a major, taking over command of the other side's troops when they met later.

With a dull knock, Wendy quickly led in a man of contrasting build, one muscular and one thin, and saluted him.

"Reporting to Commander John Maslow, these two are the commanders of the Raider Marine and Land Combat Force and the Special Medical Operations Force, which the Third Navy has sent to support us."

Upon hearing Wendy's report, John immediately perked up and focused his gaze on the two colonels in front of him.

Upon seeing their faces, he froze on the spot, then felt a surge of intense astonishment.

Because before this, he had considered countless possibilities.

But to everyone's surprise, Bob actually sent two of the top combatants from the Third Navy to support him during this support mission.

Roderick Dalton, who possesses the 'Lava Stomp' spell and is also a super-rank earth mage, and...

As John recalled the latter's name, images of the game's CG visuals flashed through his mind: the figure leading a nearly immortal plague legion, who had undergone horrific mechanical experiments and modifications, with most of his body replaced by machinery, standing a full fifteen meters tall, resembling a terrifying fortress.

Even when walking, the toxins that person unconsciously emitted were enough to kill any lower-ranking mage who smelled them instantly. With the amplification device, they could turn a battlefield into a hell in an instant.

Originally on the Falken front, due to the destruction of the Third Navy, half of his body was blown off by a cannonball, and even his head was blown out. In the end, with the will to survive and with his superb medical skills, he used half of his body and a broken plank to drift with the waves to the coast far away from Falken, and almost miraculously escaped all the way back to the Empire.

Ultimately, after being modified through forbidden experiments, it became the most powerful villain the Allied forces encountered on the battlefield in the mid-game:
[Tyrannical Lord] - Cambert Stanvo!

After whispering the name in his mind, John felt an unprecedented mix of emotions, as his former formidable opponent had now become his teammate, but this was quickly replaced by excitement.

As the first person to lead the Allied forces to defeat the enemy, no one knew better than John how powerful Cambert was in the early to mid-game.

Although the current target has not undergone the forbidden modification experiments from the Magic Research Institute, becoming a terrifying modified weapon that has lost its own mind and can only receive and execute orders.

However, in terms of combat strength alone, the opponent can definitely be considered the strongest in our forces at present, without exception.

Even with the extremely high potential of Leia, who inherited the technique of stripping away all things, she is currently no match for Cambert.

It can be said that one enemy soldier is worth three thousand soldiers.

If the opponent's unique tactics are fully utilized, it is even possible to directly annihilate an enemy division.

Colonel Roderick, who came to support the enemy, was killed in the Third Navy's annihilation. He took the initiative to cover Marshal Bob's retreat and was killed in a hail of shells.

This results in his specific combat strength being unknown.

However, according to the data provided by the game's official sources, the opponent's combat strength in ground battles is also considerable. It was just that the opponent was constrained by the naval battle and was unable to unleash even one-tenth of the power of its magic. Therefore, their encounter can be described as a plot-driven death.

In other words, even if Roderick's combat strength cannot match Cambert's, it can at least be two-thirds of Cambert's level.

In other words, these two are definitely super teammates, and both possess outstanding military skills.

This was obviously fantastic news for John!

Before this, John had thought that it would be good enough if Bob could send him two generals with the combat power of high-ranking mages after he had sent almost all of the Third Navy's marines to support him.

After all, as the Fleet Admiral of the Third Navy, Bob's personal safety was related to the battlefield outcome of the Third Navy, and he had to be protected with utmost care.

But John never expected that Bob would hand over two of his top generals to him this time.

This clearly shows that he attaches great importance to the outcome of this ground campaign.

It could even be described as exaggerated.

To be honest, if it weren't for his limited experience, John would have even considered switching directly from the Air Force to the Navy.

Because Bob Ariel is really willing to spend money!
Slowly suppressing the jumble of thoughts in his mind, John calmly nodded to his two super teammates, who were scrutinizing him, and then said in a deep voice to Wendy, who was leading the way:

“Very well, Lieutenant Wendy, you may leave.”

"Yes, Commander."

Upon hearing John's instructions, Wendy didn't think much of it. After saluting the two colonels, she stepped out of the command post, leaving the space to the three most core members of her own force.

"Tap, tap!"

After Wendy left, the command post fell silent instantly. Neither side spoke first, but instead scrutinized each other, each lost in thought.

Just as Roderick, feeling the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, was about to break the silence by introducing himself, John's voice slowly entered their ears:

"Your Excellencies Colonel Cambert Stanworth and Colonel Roderick Dalton, please skip the formalities and take your seats."

"!"

Upon hearing John call out their names directly, Roderick's gaze immediately sharpened. The slight disdain he had subconsciously felt due to the other party's youth vanished completely upon hearing John's action.

However, unlike Roderick, who was astonished by the other party's intelligence capabilities, Cambert, with his long hair tied in a ponytail, slender figure, and narrow eyes that were always slightly squinted, like a sleeping fox, inexplicably gave people a strong sense of threat.

He was not surprised at all; he simply gave John a deep look.

He smiled and pulled out a chair to sit down. Then he looked with great interest at the person in the head seat, an air force major who was obviously too young, but whose command ability and methods were terrifying.

They await the other party's subsequent swearing-in ceremony to assert their dominance.

"..."

Roderick, who is bald and has a scar running across his face that looks like it was caused by a bullet, but upon closer inspection, it looks different.

Seeing his best friend's actions, he didn't say anything unnecessary and pulled out a chair and sat down directly.

But compared to Cambert's relaxed and natural sitting posture, his muscles remained tense, and his face was expressionless.

His gaze was fixed seriously on John, who sat in the head seat, and his demeanor perfectly embodied the phrase "unsmiling."

John paid no heed to their scrutinizing gazes. Instead, he placed the black cane, a symbol of command, aside, interlaced his fingers on the table, and slowly began to speak:

"To be honest, I'm glad that the reinforcements this time are the two of you. After all, I already know your military skills and combat capabilities very well from the intelligence of the Eye of Truth."

"As for my personal resume and command abilities, I believe that you two should be aware of them under the instructions of Field Marshal Bob."

"Therefore, I will not say anything superfluous. The reason I called you two here today is twofold: first, to confirm the command of the subsequent operations, and second, to formulate the tactical plan for the naval and land forces based on your techniques, so as to win this battle."

"So, if what I'm about to say offends you, please forgive me."

"..."

Surprisingly, neither Cambert nor Roderick commented on John's almost provocative words.

Even Cambert smiled and nodded at John, responding to him gently:

"Major John, please do not worry. We have already made preparations after receiving His Excellency Marshal's instructions, and your exemplary tactical command in Horseshoe Ridge has won the approval of Colonel Roderick and me."

"Moreover, the opponent we are facing this time is the so-called invincible Morning Star. Any mistake in the details could be seized upon by the opponent, leading to the defeat of the entire battle."

"Therefore, we two will not interfere with your command. You can simply treat us as ordinary soldiers and give us orders."

"Barring unforeseen circumstances, Colonel Roderick and I will faithfully carry out every order you give us and do our utmost to complete it." With that, Cambert subtly turned his head slightly in Roderick's direction, and the latter nodded in response to John.
"Ok!"

If no unexpected circumstances arise, they will faithfully carry out their duties. So, if a sudden crisis occurs, will they take initiative?

Well, although it was expected, I'm still a little disappointed.

Hearing their answers, John couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

But he was not discouraged by this, after all, the scene where the other party would bow down immediately upon meeting was really absurd.

Moreover, these two were not ordinary soldiers with little experience; they were battle-hardened generals with a wealth of experience.

The fact that the other party is now able to sit properly in a chair and listen to this major explain the upcoming tactical arrangements already shows that he highly approves of him.

John's most pressing task right now is to convince the two men by explaining his tactical plans.

This will completely convince his two super teammates, who will undoubtedly become his biggest trump card in the upcoming war.

Before the two arrived, he had already been pondering this point, using the sand table in front of him as a blueprint, and through intelligence and analytical techniques, he had conducted tens of thousands of deductions and selected the twelve most suitable battle locations.

They were now fully confident in persuading the two of them.

Thinking of this, John immediately gathered his thoughts, but did not speak immediately.

Instead, based on the characteristics of the two individuals' spells and how to divide the enemy forces with minimal cost, thereby cutting the two orc divisions out of the battlefield and achieving the ambush objective, the previously selected locations were re-selected.

Soon, his gaze unconsciously fell on a certain area on the sand table, and then, under the watchful eyes of the two men, he raised the cane on the table and pointed it at that spot.

Located in the southwest of Mad Fang City, this massive sand table displays numerous stones and locations of eroded pits. He then spoke in a deep voice:

"This time, I plan to lead my troops to engage the enemy in the first battle in this area called Throat Peak!"

John's voice was very calm, but the firmness and unquestionable tone in his voice were unmistakable.

Clearly, John had made up his mind about this location where he would first engage the enemy, and no matter how the two men in front of him tried to persuade him, he would never change his mind.

The problem is that this location is not only very far from Mad Fang City, but also has a complicated terrain, so even if they set off immediately overnight...

However, with a distance of 500 kilometers between Mad Fang City and Throat Peak, even if they maintained a fast march, it would still take them at least a day and a night to arrive.

By the time they arrive, the enemy forces advancing towards Mad Fang City will have already reached the city. At that point, they will have little time to set up traps and will most likely run into the enemy forces, resulting in a direct confrontation.

However, our current troop strength is far lower than that of the enemy.

Under normal circumstances, the enemy's numbers should be reduced by setting up ambushes and traps in advance at passes and strategic locations close to our own forces along their marching route.

The next step was to employ mobile warfare tactics, with one unit launching a retreating offensive from the front to draw the enemy's attention, while elite troops were sent to harass the perimeter and attempt to infiltrate.

This makes it easier to narrow the gap in troop strength between the two sides, thereby increasing the possibility of annihilating the enemy.

Instead of abandoning the advantage of the ambush as John currently intends, they should engage the enemy directly in battle.

Did this genius commander have other ideas, or was it just out of youthful arrogance that he wanted to challenge the Morning Star, who was also a genius commander?

Based on John's previous tactical performance at Horseshoe Ridge, Cambert is more inclined to believe the former.

But considering the other person's age, he felt that it wasn't impossible for the latter to be a possibility.

Although the probability is quite low.

Thinking of this, Cambert, who had been smiling, gradually stopped smiling. After exchanging a glance with Roderick, whose brows were slightly furrowed, he then asked John in a low voice:

"Major John, would you mind telling us why you chose this location for the first engagement?"

"Of course, but unlike your concerns, there are actually three reasons why I chose Throat Peak as the location for our first confrontation."

"It is precisely because of these three reasons that can help our army that I gave up the ambush advantage that would have been beneficial to our army and chose this place as the battlefield for the initial confrontation!"

Meeting their gazes, John slowly raised his left hand, making a "3," and then explained in a deep voice:

"First, this terrain is a unique karst landform in the tropics, with a large number of limestone peaks standing on the ground. Due to the relatively high altitude and abundant water vapor, it is shrouded in dense fog all year round, resulting in poor visibility. This can effectively weaken the enemy's vision and help our army complete a flanking attack."

"Furthermore, the narrow roads between the mountain peaks can effectively curb the large-scale advance of the enemy, thereby reducing the pressure of direct combat."

"In addition, in previous battles with the Seventh Legion, I also used explosive magic to destroy limestone peaks and wipe out a light dragon cavalry regiment of the Seventh Legion by disrupting the terrain. However, considering that this tactic has already been used once, it would be very difficult to replicate it a second time."

"Furthermore, given Roxie Sancaster's military expertise, and with precedents to follow, the enemy is unlikely to fall for the trick and will likely retaliate. Therefore, the method of destroying mountains to eliminate the enemy is unlikely to be applicable to the enemy."

"However, creating obstacles to cover the subsequent evacuation is a very feasible and effective method, which is the first reason why I abandoned the idea of ​​creating an ambush zone and chose Choke Point as the engagement location."

Seeing the two men's expressions of sudden realization, John remained unmoved and continued his story:
"The second reason I chose this place to engage the enemy is that about 50 kilometers north of the Throat Peak landform, there is also a large karst landform called the Dark Corridor."

"But unlike the cone-shaped limestone peaks, the Dark Corridor is a typical karst cave landscape. Under water erosion, the Dark Corridor is filled with a large number of natural tunnels, pits and underground rivers."

"Moreover, there are numerous stalactite spear formations overhead, and due to the many and complex tunnels, the transmission of sound is affected by the terrain, which can lead to misjudgments and cause the other side to obtain incorrect information."

"With this terrain, with just simple deployment and exploration of the terrain, this place can become a natural military base and ambush trap for our army, preparing for subsequent battles and withdrawals."

"After the battle at Choking Peak, if the enemy pursues or attempts to launch a surprise attack on our main camp, our army can take advantage of the terrain of the Dark Corridor and, in conjunction with the magic soldiers' magic eyes that can ignore the darkness and make accurate observations and location determination, complete the counterattack and kill of the enemy, thereby further weakening or even annihilating the approaching legion."

"Even if the enemy tries to destroy the terrain and block our troops, our troops can calmly withdraw through tunnels and underground rivers, quickly complete reorganization, and move to the next engagement site to prepare for subsequent battles."

Seemingly surprised that the terrain could be used in this way, Roderick, who had initially been somewhat skeptical, immediately relaxed his brows after hearing John's explanation, and his gaze towards John was filled with shock.

Meanwhile, Cambert, who was on the right, had opened his squinty eyes at some point. He stared intently and seriously at the commander who was nominally their superior. His dark blue pupils flickered as if he were thinking about something.

But he didn't reveal it; instead, he remained silent, staring at John ahead, waiting for the other to explain the final reason.

"As for the third point, which is also the most important one, according to the intelligence I currently have, there is an extremely long underground river inside the Dark Corridor, which is 350 kilometers long."

"And the river's current was not fast enough for the soldiers to travel on rafts."

"What's really interesting is that the entrance to this underground river is located in the peak forest in the eastern part of the Golden Lion Territory, but the exit leads directly to the border between the Cocobia Rainforest and the Golden Lion Territory. Moreover, it only takes about 15 kilometers to reach a town called 'Blue Lake City' established by the Darkmoon Clan in the Cocobia Rainforest."

"Furthermore, as far as I know, due to the previous offensive by the First Legion of the Imperial Rhine Military District, Blue Lake City is the town where the Darkmoon Clan suffered the most severe losses. Currently, there are no more than 4 goblin soldiers guarding this town, and no highly capable general has been dispatched."

"In other words, all we need to do in the subsequent battles is send an elite force, which, by using the underground river for transport, can reach the enemy's rear undetected and easily capture the city."

"After that, we can join forces with the Third Navy, which will soon be engaged in battle with the enemy's Crescent Fleet, and further expand our reach by using naval artillery support."

"This will completely cut off the enemy's retreat, complete the final encirclement, and, with the advantage of both land and sea operations, annihilate the enemy forces in a coordinated manner!"

"This is the ultimate reason why I chose this place as the battleground!"

"Boom!"

Having said that, John, who had tapped his cane on the sand table, creating a dull sound as he stood up, slowly stood up.

Then, Roderick, whose pupils had constricted, looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, his expression filled with disbelief.

And there was Cambert, who had suddenly opened his eyes wide, his gaze filled with amazement.

John, whose eyes were filled with murderous intent, then smiled and slowly spoke.

His voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.

But when the words reached their ears, for some reason, even these two monster-like beings, who had killed at least ten thousand enemies, felt an inexplicable sense of unease:

"So, gentlemen, are you ready, under my command, to offer a near-massacre to those foolish allies who dare to provoke us?"

……

(End of this chapter)