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

Chapter 249 Surprise Attack, Shifting Landscape, Destruction

"Wow!"

At 1 PM, in the northern part of the Aiken Sea, the first fleet of the Lieyang Fleet.

In the ship's command center, looking through the rain at the indistinct Crescent Strait in the distance, Vice Admiral Pilsen, the temporary commander of the squadron, calmly lit a cigarette, his expression serene.

Clearly, he had absolute confidence that his forces, in coordination with the Second Fleet in the south, would bombard the Crescent Strait and defeat the Imperial Third Navy, whose number of warships was far fewer than his own.

After all, our side had begun preparations for this pincer attack more than ten days ago, and even used manpower to transport warships, creating an unprecedented strategic advantage for this campaign.

Under Marshal Reginald's command, the enemy fleet was completely surrounded and had no chance of escape.

Even if the enemy fleet's battlecruiser HMS Horst was equipped with the Empire's most powerful Omega-class magic cannon, a single shot could trigger an unprecedented tsunami, and could even destroy 80 warships in an instant.

However, according to intelligence from spies planted within the Empire, given the strength of the HMS Horst's hull, firing this shot would render the enemy ship wrecked and completely incapable of combat.

Moreover, with the two sides now less than ten kilometers apart, after firing this terrifying magic cannon, the enemy's warships, and even the coastal defense artillery in the south, will be swallowed up by the tsunami.

Therefore, unless the enemy commander is not stupid and is unaware of the ambush behind them, and believes that the enemy has a way to retreat, they will not make such a decision to perish together with the enemy.

Instead, as Marshal Reginald predicted, they would choose to coordinate with coastal artillery to try to contain the attacks of their two fleets and attempt to destroy as many of their own fleets as possible in this way.

However, this only resulted in the enemy being routed due to the disparity in firepower, ultimately forcing them to retreat westward with their damaged warships.

Then they were surrounded by Marshal Reginald, and ultimately, with the activation of the Sun Domain, they completely lost the possibility of firing.

It ends here, filled with regret that we could not perish together!

"Therefore, the victory is already secured!"

Pilsen chuckled as he stubbed out his cigarette. He was informed by the first mate that their reconnaissance ships had located the enemy's coastal artillery positions and observed the exact location of the enemy fleet. He also learned that the Southern Fleet No. 2 had arrived at its designated position and was ready to launch a feint attack on the Crescent Strait.

He immediately and without hesitation waved his hand and said:

"On my command, all ships of Fleet 1, immediately adjust the angle of your guns, target the enemy's defensive line in the eastern part of Crescent Strait, and launch seven volleys of fire!"

"Yes, General!"

With Pilsen's orders issued, the ships began to mobilize rapidly.

After obtaining the distance from the reconnaissance ships, calculating the shelling location, adjusting the fire control and hull, and sharing information with Fleet 2 via communication to ensure that their respective shelling targets did not overlap.

With a dull rumble from the artillery barrage, countless shells gleaming with magical light instantly illuminated the night sky.

Then, like a falling meteor, it swiftly struck the surface of the eastern part of Crescent Strait, and deafening explosions shattered the rain curtain and resounded throughout the entire Aiken Sea area:

"Boom boom boom!"

"Keep shelling, don't stop!"

"Blow those damn imperial bastards to pieces!"

"After the shelling ends, the destroyers should immediately accelerate to the front of the fleet, prepare for radar detection, and once the enemy appears, do not hesitate to fire hard!"

Gazing at the Crescent Strait in the distance, which was covered by a large amount of magical light, Bilson's face was full of excited grins.

He was now eager to engage the enemy in battle and claim the credit for winning this crucial naval battle.

But soon, Bilsen realized something was wrong.

Since our two fleets began shelling the Crescent Strait, a full ten minutes have passed. In those ten minutes, both the enemy's coastal defense artillery and the enemy fleet that seemed to be waiting to defend the sea area have been engaged in combat.

So far, there has been no response to their shelling, not even a single retaliatory shell has been fired.

This was clearly unusual for the well-trained Third Navy, which was under the command of Duke Ostan, the 'Wind of Extinction'.

"Something's wrong. Something's very wrong!"

Realizing that the situation seemed to have changed, the smile on Bilson's face gradually disappeared, his golden eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at the 'enemy line' ahead with suspicion and uncertainty, a strong sense of unease beginning to rise in his heart.

Just as he was about to halt the advance of his destroyers and order them to immediately retreat to the flanks of the battleships for protection, the next second, a report from the communications department sent a chill down his spine, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, causing his pupils to tremble uncontrollably:
"General, something terrible has happened! A large enemy fleet has suddenly appeared in the waters behind our lines and has already begun shelling our forces!"

what? !

Our rear?

Where did these enemy troops come from?

Could it be that the Empire secretly sent reinforcements?

Bilsen looked on incredulously, but after regaining his senses, he saw the magical projectiles that were tearing through the rain like aurora borealis and rapidly approaching his side.

He immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and then, almost frantically, roared at the first mate who was still frozen in place:
"Immediately change course and turn the guns around to return fire. Order the destroyers to return to defense immediately. Order the defense departments to immediately activate the defensive barrier spells and set the intensity to the maximum. Immediately, right now!"

"Yes, General!"

The first mate, covered in cold sweat, picked up the communication equipment, intending to issue various instructions. However, before he could even speak, he heard a piercing whistling sound in his ear.

The sound was like the biting wind blowing across the northern ice plains during a cold winter in the Kingdom of Victoria; no matter how tightly you wore clothes, you couldn't keep out the cold that was enough to freeze everything.

Like the whisper of death.

That is the ultimate fear called 'death' that no living person can avoid!

"!"

Watching the cannonball hurtle towards him at an indescribable speed, becoming increasingly dazzling in his pupils, the two-meter-diameter cannonball, which, under the expansion and splitting of numerous internal magical formulas, instantly transformed into a gamma-class magic cannonball, enveloped in countless flames and with a diameter of five hundred meters, resembling a small sun.

Sensing that the magical power within it was strong enough to completely devour their battleships, which had not yet raised their defenses, in an instant, Bilson immediately realized this.

He's finished!

"boom!"

……

"What?! Our No. 1 fleet was ambushed by enemy warships in the northern part of the Aiken Sea and has been completely wiped out? And after the fleet was destroyed, the enemy warships immediately began to retreat to the east?" An hour later, in the captain's command room of the battleship Damister, Reginald listened to the report from the No. 2 fleet and immediately looked incredulous.

But soon, as if he understood something, he suddenly turned his head to look at the artificial sea passage entrance on the northern coast that had been created by explosive magic, combined with the enemy's inexplicable appearance behind Fleet 1 and their surprise attack.

He instantly understood the reason for this turn of events.

"They actually used explosive magic to turn the entire Crescent Peninsula into an island? Didn't the intelligence say that John Maslow was just a victim of the Imperial factional struggle? How come he, as a discarded pawn, was able to obtain so many military resources? It's unbelievable!"

Reginald was filled with confusion and astonishment, and even began to doubt the intelligence gathering capabilities of his own spies.

To achieve this level of terrain modification using explosive magic, the number of high-energy magic stones required would be at least a thousand!

This quantity is almost equivalent to the total amount of resources mined from a medium-to-large magic stone mine over the past twenty years!

Furthermore, it requires extensive refining and fusion, as well as extremely dangerous compression, before it can be manufactured, and the cost is astronomical.

Moreover, before launching this naval battle, John Maslow's forces had already clashed with nearly three army groups on the ground.

Furthermore, according to military intelligence reports, the enemy had also used explosive magic on the battlefield multiple times to create battlefield advantages, and even directly blasted out a giant floodgate.

The number of high-energy magic stones required to build that floodgate alone was at least around 500.

Add to that the various other tactics, and the opponent's incredible feat of opening up an artificial seaway, doesn't that mean that the opponent, as a pawn, already has an astonishing two thousand high-energy magic stone resources at their disposal?

You call someone who possesses two thousand high-energy magic stones, enough to arm an entire army of magic soldiers, a "sacrificial lamb"?
What a joke!
Realizing that he had seriously misjudged John Maslow's war reserves, Reginald wished he could fly back to the kingdom and slap the head of his intelligence department twice.

But he also knew that the mistake had already been made, and any blame or abuse would be meaningless to his side.

After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he immediately gave a solemn order to the No. 2 warship unit on the other end of the communication device:

"On my command, the southern naval forces shall immediately pursue the retreating enemy fleet. Do not let them escape; we must ensure their complete annihilation!"

As a veteran, Reginald knew very well that given John Maslow's talent and ambition, the other side would most likely not accept the humiliating outcome of abandoning the army and instead withdrawing by warship.

Moreover, once the other party does this, even if they return to the Empire afterward, they will be subjected to a military court-martial by factional infighting and ultimately executed as a criminal.

Alternatively, they might die in an 'accident' during the trial process due to various strange illnesses.

Given the intensity of the factional strife within the Empire and Wolf's attempt to completely erase Emperor Wilhelm's control of the military, there is a high probability that the other side would be capable of forcibly eliminating rising reformist stars.

But Reginald simply didn't dare gamble on that possibility.

After the defeat or even death of three of his own outstanding generals, this rising star of the empire named John Maslow has proven with his strength just how terrifying the opponent is.

He felt he couldn't let the other person leave, not even if there was only a one in a million chance!
"So, John Maslow, where are you now? Are you retreating in humiliation on a warship, or are you still on this island, trying to turn the tide with your meager forces?"

After hanging up the call, Reginald's eyes gleamed with an unpredictable glint as he gazed at the island gradually taking shape in the distance.

But he quickly put his thoughts aside and began to examine the map on the table while sipping his cigar.

His gaze kept darting back and forth between the western mangrove landing point, which was heavily fortified with troops according to intelligence reports, and the Black Stone Beach landing point, which was not observed to have any troops gathered according to intelligence reports.

It was only after a long time that he made a surprising decision:

"On my command, Fleet 3 shall split into two groups of destroyers transporting the Blood Howl Legion. Immediately change course and launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear along the artificial sea route they have created. Land near the Bone Forest Swamp pit battlefield north of Stargazing City!"

"Battleships and dreadnoughts continue eastward. Target: Black Rock Beach landing site!"

After giving the order, Reginald expressionlessly crushed the half-burnt cigar into ashes with his fingers, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes.

He knew that of the two landing points, the mangrove landing point and the black rock beach landing point, one of them must be John Maslow's ambush point, and the other must be a decoy deliberately thrown out by the other side.

Furthermore, this was clearly done intentionally by the other party.

The purpose is to confuse him, make him make the wrong judgment, and thus fall into the other party's rhythm.

However, the other side overlooked one thing: their own firepower was far stronger than the other side had anticipated!

No matter what kind of defense line it is, it will become a useless paper tiger under the heavy firepower of our own attacking ships, and will be completely destroyed with a single blow!
Compared to the mangrove landing points, which are covered in forests and have a large number of troops stationed in the open, even if the front line is cleared by artillery fire, you still have to wait for the trees to burn down before you can land.

There were no garrison troops on the surface, and the terrain was exceptionally flat. As long as the enemy set up a defensive line, the Black Stone Beach landing point would be clearly visible to our side, making it the best option for our attack.

Although Reginald knew that the enemy would likely set many traps in the Black Rock Beach landing area.

But none of that matters.

Because, just as he said.

"Any trap will be reduced to ashes in the face of overwhelming firepower!"

"And John Maslow, with the arrogance common to young geniuses, you too will fight to the bitter end and meet your death on this battlefield!"

An hour later, looking out over the unobstructed Black Rock Beach landing point, Reginald, having completed the assembly of the warships and the adjustment of fire control, slowly stood up from his seat and then suddenly released his unique spell.

"Buzz!"

The intense light tore through the deep night at midnight, painting the sea with the dazzling light of the rising sun. Then, a phantom of a sun, spraying terrifying flames, rose from above the battleship Damister. The next second, Reginald's majestic voice resounded in the ears of everyone enveloped by the blazing sun:

"All warships, prepare to fire! Target: Black Rock Beach!"

"Let our artillery shells crush, devour, and annihilate all life within a ten-kilometer radius of that landing point!"

"In the name of the ever-burning light of Victoria!"

"We will utterly destroy everything that stands in our way!"

"Yes, Marshal!"

"Boom boom boom!"

……

(End of this chapter)