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

Chapter 230 Coping, Traits

"Everyone, halt and immediately equip your gas masks."

Looking at the moss-covered woodland ahead, Roxie pondered for a moment before issuing this seemingly strange instruction.

In fact, long before arriving at this battlefield, she had already anticipated the scenario of her side engaging in battle with the leader of the plague.

Therefore, before setting off, she ordered her troops to wear specially made gas masks to deal with the infection caused by the enemy's plague spell, which forced her side to withdraw from the battlefield.

"However, now that we have passed through the outer jungle, we still haven't seen any monster or animal carcasses."

"Then it's highly likely that John Maslow didn't bring Cambert's troops to this battlefield. And the role that the Empire's Lava Son, Roderick, can play on the main battlefield is far greater than in this small battlefield. Therefore, John Maslow probably wouldn't place this super-powerful expert here just to buy time."

So, is it highly likely that the enemy forces facing us this time are the Imperial Magic Battalion led by them?
Considering that this front line is covered with moss and the ground is dark and damp due to the large amount of leaves covering it.

Therefore, in the forests of this area, the only plant types that could be used by the enemy for ambushes are probably mosses and fungi.

For example, mosses that can release hallucinogenic spores, or areas of mushrooms that can release toxic spores.

Once equipped with gas masks, our troops can ignore all potential traps, thus thwarting the enemy's attempts to delay us.

However, to Roxie's utter surprise, John Maslow did not bring a single super-level expert to the battle between the two sides' main generals.

Could it be that the other party thinks that even without the combat power of a super-powerful expert, they can easily defeat them with tactics?

"It seems I've been underestimated!"

Realizing this, Roxie was not angry; instead, a cryptic smile appeared on her lips.

Although being looked down upon by the enemy is an absolute disgrace for a commander.

But in Roxie's view, the other party had just exposed a weakness called arrogance.

Previously, she had underestimated the other party's arrogance and suffered defeat due to their schemes.

Unexpectedly, only a few days have passed, and the offensive and defensive strategies of both sides have shifted dramatically.

This feeling is truly indescribable and wonderful.

"So, the bitter fruit I tasted before because of my arrogance, you will taste it yourself this time, won't you, John Maslow?"

However, unlike before, I will use your arrogance to defeat you.

But you won't have any chance to escape!

Hearing the report from the troops that they had completed their equipment preparations, Roxie immediately gathered his thoughts, took the gas mask handed to him by Orian, quickly put it on, and turned on the filter canister.

Then she raised her hand and gave the order:
"Everyone, keep moving forward!"

"Yes, General!"

"Tap, tap!"

……

Following Roxie's order to advance, the Allied forces quickly arrived at ambush point number 1.

The moment the Allied forces arrived, a large number of hallucinogenic spores, influenced by a mysterious magical wind, began to rush towards the Allied troops. However, thanks to the gas masks worn by the soldiers, these hallucinogenic spores had no effect whatsoever.

They couldn't even slow down the Allied advance.

"So, the ambush on Front 1 has completely failed?"

Watching the large number of Allied troops wearing gas masks continue to advance deeper into the front lines, even John couldn't help but frown slightly, somewhat surprised.
Was it predicted, or did the opponent accidentally crack their tactics?
"It should be the former. After all, given Roxie's intelligence level, the other side should be more wary of this kind of ecological tactic after the previous series of defeats."

"The ordinary traps that are currently only at the first level are unlikely to be able to ambush the other party."

It's even possible that the other party might use it against us.

Realizing that the first trap zone had completely failed, John didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, he immediately turned his attention to the ambush point number 2 that the enemy was about to enter. Then, as if a certain scene was flashing through his mind, a playful smile appeared on his face:

"Since you can avoid the first layer of traps by observing the environment and making predictions, can you avoid them all if I overlap all three traps and set corresponding surface baits for each?" Roxie Sancaster

Three traps, three baits, and these three ambushes can all be linked together. Even if you predict them all, I still have one last ambush to deal with them.

In other words, if you want to get through this battlefield unscathed, you must make eight kinds of predictions.

Krokshi, you've suffered so many setbacks that your judgment and execution have almost reached rock bottom.

Do you really still have the courage to overturn your own judgment seven times in a row?
John had no idea and no way of knowing.

But looking into their field of vision, they saw a group of Allied troops wearing gas masks, rapidly crossing the spore ambush zone, about to step into the termite acid bomb ambush zone.

At that moment, John realized something profound.

Will this battle be decided by the enemy's swift victory and capture of him?
He still managed to buy himself a lot of time through his calculations, allowing his main force to annihilate the enemy. Then, as promised, he and the members of the 14th squad jumped into the sea along the underground waterway to survive.

The crucial moment that will determine everything is about to arrive.

"despair!!"

……

"You haven't launched an attack yet? John Maslow, do you really enjoy hiding like that?"

Looking around at the jungle where no enemy soldiers had appeared yet, Roxie's brows furrowed.

However, just as she was considering whether to immediately use the Spirit Mind Technique to directly enhance the combat power of her own soldiers and try to use multiple visions under micro-management to directly find John Maslow's true hiding place.

But the next second, a piercing explosion suddenly occurred, followed by Roxie's screams of agony from the vanguard soldiers.

"Oh!"

"what!"

"!"

Roxie's gaze sharpened, then she turned sharply to Liria beside her, who was picking up the communication device, and asked in a deep voice:

"Have you found out what happened?" "Reporting to the general, while our forward reconnaissance troops were advancing, the ground suddenly cracked open and exploded. Furthermore, the enemy had planted a bomb containing a large amount of strong acid, causing it to spray outwards in all directions upon detonation. Soldiers near the explosion site died instantly, and even those more than twenty meters away sustained injuries of varying degrees from the flying acid."

Liria spoke with a somewhat unpleasant expression, her eyes filled with regret.

Because in the recent explosion, the most severely affected were her Silent Assassin troops.

After all, Will's Independent 1st Battalion had considerable firepower due to the addition of heavy artillery vehicles.

However, the enemy's soldiers had little experience in reconnaissance and exploration.

Therefore, in this operation, the Silent Assassins not only served as assassination units, but also took on the role of scouts for their own side.

Liria had assumed that with her subordinates all being mid-to-lower-level mages, these elite soldiers would surely be able to react quickly enough to the ambush by John Maslow.

But she never expected that her proud army would be so easily defeated.

They didn't even see the enemy's figure from beginning to end, and more than ten people were killed on the spot by these bombs that the enemy had planted in advance!

More than ten mages, all of whom were holders of the Silent Domain spell of the Corwin family.

This was so heartbreaking that it drove Liria almost crazy!

"A magical bomb armed with strong acid? So, that guy's real goal was still to buy time?"

Is it because they lack sufficient troops and dare not fight against us?
Or is this a scheme he's devising against himself?
Upon hearing about their own losses, Roxie's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he astutely grasped the meaning behind the Imperial Army's use of landmines.

After a brief moment of thought, Roxie quickly rejected the latter.

After all, if the enemy had truly sufficient troops, given John Maslow's style, they would likely have already devised a series of schemes and immediately sent troops to attack when they fell into the trap.

But now, after the bomb exploded, he did not see any enemy figures.

This proves that the other party did not lack the desire to do so, but rather had absolutely no ability to do so.

Moreover, it is well known that landmines are only laid to hinder the enemy's advance and buy time when the troop strength is far less than the enemy's and there is no certainty of annihilating the enemy.

Therefore, with this analysis, everything becomes clear!
"John Maslow engaged in battle with only a very small force for some reason, and his purpose in fighting him was not to defeat him, but to buy time so that the main battlefield elsewhere could decide the outcome?"

Upon realizing this, Roxie immediately smiled.

However, she did not intend to have Orion use phase teleportation to send her to the main battlefield immediately, thus preventing the Allied Forces from being destroyed due to Zalga's foolish command.

Moreover, Roxie knew very well that even if she forcibly returned to seize command and intervened in the command of the main battlefield, John Maslow's pre-arranged backup plan would be ineffective.

Having joined temporarily, she could only reduce the losses of the Allied Legion before retreating in defeat along with them.

Given Zalga's foolish nature, it's entirely possible that after the war ends, the other side will shamelessly shift all the blame onto her, making her take the fall for the defeat by claiming that her temporary usurpation of command led to the defeat.

She would only do something so thankless and exhausting if she were completely out of her mind.

"Therefore, instead of trying to minimize our losses, we should try to gain more merits."

After all, the honor and merit that could be gained by capturing the enemy commander alive was far more valuable than saving a unit led to its death by idiots.

Thinking of this, Roxie immediately stopped hesitating and turned to the stunned Will, giving the order:
"Colonel Will, immediately arrange for the engineering corps to retrieve the ground-penetrating radar and scan the ground ahead to locate all the mine sites."

"Yes, General!"

Hearing this, Will felt helpless but had no choice but to brace himself and order his men to begin scanning, feeling extremely worried about ruining John's ambush plan.

Just as the 1st Battalion of engineers began scanning the ground, Will was also contemplating whether he should report a few false reports to try and use the acid mines planted by Lord John to take Roxie down with him.

The next second, the report coming from the communication device in his ear made him freeze on the spot, and the expression on his face became hesitant.

"Hmm? Colonel Will, judging from your expression, has something gone wrong with the engineering unit's scanning mission?"

Noticing Will's unusual expression, Roxie raised an eyebrow and looked at the colonel, who was still a suspect, with a cold and scrutinizing gaze.

"Reporting to the general, the situation is indeed somewhat different."

Coming to his senses, Will quickly saluted, then, under Roxie's icy gaze, steeled himself and began to speak:

"Just now, the engineering corps discovered signal interference while using ground-penetrating radar. It seems the enemy commander anticipated our use of ground-penetrating radar to detect landmines, and therefore, they pre-buried a large amount of magnetite in the surrounding area to interfere with signal detection..."

Did they even anticipate something like jamming radar?

If it were any other commander, they would probably be constrained by your elaborate scheme and forced to act according to your own ideas, right?

"But the problem is, John Maslow, do you really think this will stop me, Roxie Sancaster?"

"Have you forgotten that besides strategy, I have always had an advantage that you can never match no matter how hard you try?"

"And that advantage is called 'Unique Technique'!"

"Buzz!"

Realizing that John had run out of options, Roxie immediately began using the Spiritual Mind Technique.

As she rapidly channeled her magic, pure golden light began to emanate from her azure pupils.

Immediately, to the astonishment of all the Allied troops, countless blue threads began to spread rapidly outward from Roxie's body.

And with unparalleled precision, it connected them to everyone.

It also increased everyone's magic to an unprecedented level.

Before anyone could recover from this astonishing state, Roxie's authoritative and unquestionable voice suddenly echoed in their minds:
"I have activated the Spiritual Mind Technique and completed full coverage of the troops. Enemy traps will be unable to have any effect on our forces!"

"All troops, charge forward immediately! The objective of this operation is to capture John Maslow alive!"

"Yes, General!!!"

……

(End of this chapter)