I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Under Zod's leadership, the troops maintained full speed and advanced rapidly toward the town of Segner.

The soldiers' footsteps were quick and orderly, raising a trail of dust.

However, things change rapidly on the battlefield, and plans can never keep up with changes.

Just as the group climbed over a gentle slope and continued forward, a figure suddenly appeared on the horizon ahead.

Then, a second, a third... more and more figures emerged, densely packed from behind the ridgeline, their outlines becoming increasingly clear against the dusty sky.

It's the Holy Kingdom's army!

Zod's pupils suddenly contracted.

However, instead of ordering a halt, he continued forward without stopping.

Hitis frowned, quickly caught up with Zod from the middle of the group, and said in a low voice:

"Lieutenant Zod, the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements are ahead! We cannot advance any further until we know their organization and firepower!"

Before he could finish speaking, Cassius caught up from the back of the group, his expression grave:

"I agree with Warrant Officer Hitis. The situation ahead is still unclear, and it would be too risky to proceed rashly."

"We should take advantage of the terrain to organize a blocking action, while sending reconnaissance teams to find out the enemy's troop strength and firepower."

Clearly, Cassius was worried that the troops showed no sign of stopping.

Without a moment's hesitation, Zod continued walking and decisively rejected their suggestion: "By the time we're ready, they'll have already established a firm foothold over there."

"Don't worry, they are definitely the vanguard of the Holy Kingdom. Their numbers will not be too large, and they will not have heavy weapons."

"We must take advantage of their unstable foothold and crush them in one fell swoop!"

"All troops, advance at full speed! Follow me and crush the Holy Kingdom's army ahead!!"

He abruptly drew his sword from his waist, the blade flashing coldly in the sunlight: "To achieve victory, fight your way through!"

In truth, Zod knew that Hitis and Cassius's concerns were not unfounded.

He also couldn't accurately determine the true strength of the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements ahead.

But he had no choice; only moving forward remained.

As for holding the line?

That's a joke!

If they can't even handle the vanguard in front of them, the longer they drag on, the longer the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements will arrive.

With Zod's force of less than two hundred men, there was absolutely no chance of victory.

Now, their only way out is to launch a fierce attack on the Holy Kingdom's army ahead.

Zod was unaware of their actual troop strength, just as the Holy Kingdom could not possibly know whether Zod had Imperial reinforcements behind them.

Even an army of two hundred men should fight with the spirit of two thousand.

Take advantage of the enemy's unstable foothold to completely crush them and rush to the aid of Segna!

The wind whistled in my ears, and the ground beneath my feet rushed past.

Zod gripped the Imperial longsword tightly, his gaze fixed on the Holy Kingdom army ahead, with only one thought in his mind:

"No matter what awaits him, he will live!"

The soldiers around Zod were initially taken aback, but were then inspired by his resolute spirit. They drew their swords, raised their rifles, and charged into the enemy ranks with shouts.

Hitis and Cassius exchanged a glance, and without the slightest hesitation, gripped their weapons tightly and followed Zod.

Perhaps even Zod himself did not realize that whenever his survival instinct deep inside him was fully ignited...

That strong will to survive will transform into an invisible force, invisibly infecting everyone around them.

At that moment, he seemed to transform into a flickering flame in the darkness.

He showed all the soldiers the most primal power of life and the hope that could still be believed in even in dire straits.

This imperial army of fewer than two hundred men, led by Zod, charged aggressively toward the Holy Kingdom's army ahead.

The soldiers' orderly steps kicked up a cloud of dust on the yellow earth.

……

……

Meanwhile, the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements, which had been blocking Zod's path, were quietly lying in wait on the gentle slope.

Commander Lieutenant Patrick stood atop the hill, holding binoculars in one hand and squinting as he observed the Imperial troops rapidly marching toward him in the distance.

Sunlight filtered through the thin layer of dust, casting flickering shadows on the other person's silhouette.

He roughly estimated that there were no more than two hundred people, maybe a hundred or so at most.

The camera slowly pans, finally settling on the young officer leading the charge at the very front of the column.

The man's rank was clearly visible: a lieutenant in the Empire.

"Have these imperial dogs gone mad?"

Lieutenant Patrick lowered his binoculars and couldn't help but curse viciously, "A squad of less than two hundred men, led by a second lieutenant, dares to charge at us so brazenly? Are they here to die?"

A soldier beside him looked doubtful and said cautiously, "Lieutenant, they dare to charge in so recklessly, could it be... that the Empire's main force is behind them?"

Upon hearing this, Patrick raised his binoculars again and carefully scanned the rear and flanks of the squad.

In the open wilderness, apart from sparse low shrubs and undulating earthen slopes, there was no other human figure.

He lowered his binoculars, his tone certain: "No trace of Imperial military activity has been found in the vicinity. Moreover, the main force of the Empire is currently busy attacking the city of Sarlom, and they simply cannot spare many troops to face the 'Black Sheep Holy Chief' legion."

He paused, his gaze falling on the approaching squad, a cold smile playing on his lips: "This small force is most likely going to reinforce Segna Town."

"Our army has over four hundred men, more than twice their numbers. In any case, the advantage is on our side!"

Patrick was absolutely confident of defeating this imperial army that had walked right into his trap.

No, it's not just about defeating them; he wants to "annihilate them all."

The phrase "annihilate completely" carries far more weight in a combat report than "defeate" does.

Which boss doesn't like to see the words "total annihilation" in a report?

If you're going to do it, you should do it to the best of your ability.

Time was of the essence, and the opportunity to strike was fleeting.

Patrick quickly regained his composure and issued the order in a deep voice:

"Lieutenant Lucien!"

"arrive!"

"You shall immediately lead one hundred men to circle around to the left flank and lie in ambush."

"Warrant Lieutenant Forcent!"

"exist!"

"You lead a hundred men to circle around to the right flank and lie in ambush, also concealed and awaiting orders."

The two stood at attention, their eyes gleaming.

"Once the Imperial army engages our forces and enters our encirclement, the two of you will simultaneously attack from both flanks, cutting off their retreat. Make sure to annihilate them completely; don't let a single enemy escape! Do you understand?"

"Understood!" Lucien and Fersent saluted almost simultaneously, then turned sharply and led their respective squads to quickly disappear from sight on both sides of the gentle slope.

Lieutenant Patrick turned to the remaining soldiers, his voice suddenly rising: "All of you, listen up! Set up crossfire positions in place, according to the terrain! Wait for my order, and give those damn Imperial dogs a good beating!"

The soldiers quickly dispersed, setting up their weapons on the undulating slope, their gun barrels all pointing in the direction where the Zod troops were about to appear.

A tense silence hung in the air, waiting for that overconfident Imperial squad to step into this carefully woven trap.