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

"Is there only 5 days left in the Virtual Dream Training Grounds?"

Zod emerged from the virtual dream training ground and glanced at the remaining time in his mind.

After undergoing the Imperial Special Training Camp, Zod went from only being able to do some strength training under 4 times gravity to now being basically accustomed to fighting under 5 times gravity.

This habit goes beyond simply performing tactical moves or actions.

Instead, it can exert its original speed and power as if it were under normal gravity.

The reason for such rapid progress is that the instructors played a significant role.

Even so, according to the instructor, he was only at the level of a first-level "Kakuja". To become a second-level "Kakuja", one must at least master "potential release".

"Potential Unleashed" can completely unleash the power hidden within one's body, and is the true sign of a qualitative change in Zod's strength.

Since understanding the power system of this world, Zod has developed a strange sense of crisis.

After all, while a Level 1 Kakuja sounds very strong, it is still only the lowest rank among Kakujas.

If Zod wants to survive steadily on the battlefield in the future, he still has a long way to go.

Of course, the best solution is to retire completely, like Lieutenant Wesley, and live a secluded life in the rear.

That way, Zod wouldn't have to put in the effort to train.

But knowing Colonel Xavier's temperament, Zod knew he could do something horrible to Zod at any moment.

Who told him to belong to this damn elite unit?

"Take a shower first!" Zod was covered in sweat after just finishing his training session.

After a while, he took a refreshing shower.

Zod suddenly realized that there didn't seem to be anything important happening today.

Because he lavishly handed over his work to his trusted subordinates, Cassius and Hitis.

Why don't we go for a drive around the city?

Just consider it a break for myself.

So he changed into civilian clothes and left his residence, also taking a handgun with him for safety reasons.

Zod found a beer hall in the city called "Rosemary".

He sat down in a quiet corner of the beer hall and ordered a signature "Rosemary" beer and a roast beef.

While enjoying wine and meat, I listened to the tavern patrons chat about everything from trivial matters in their lives to analyses of the empire's situation.

For someone who had just become accustomed to the smoke and bloodshed of war, this "human touch," a blend of tranquility and clamor, brought a strange sense of peace to his heart.

Leisure time flies by.

The plates and wine glasses were quickly emptied.

His next plans were nothing special.

It's simply about strolling around the city, sampling local delicacies, enjoying the street scenes, and savoring this stolen moment of leisure.

……

……

Following the clues provided by the shepherd, Cassius is leading his troops toward Windwhistling Valley.

Cassius dared not delay for even a moment, fearing that the bandits would escape their pursuit, so he urged the group to speed up their journey.

However, halfway there, Cassius suddenly remembered Zod.

If Lieutenant Zod were there, would he make the same choice as Zod?

Do not!

Lieutenant Zod wouldn't make such a hasty decision; he always considers things one step ahead of the average person.

This is the biggest difference between Zod and Cassius.

Just like the first time they chased the bandits, Cassius thought they should follow the footprints, while Zod thought they should do the opposite.

Returning to the attack case at hand, Cassius's journey has been far too smooth, and the bounty just happened to provide villagers with useful clues.

The document Zod gave to Cassius described the actual situation of the mission as follows: the bandits always managed to evade the Imperial army's pursuit before it arrived.

When the shepherd was first questioned, he did not show any nervousness or fear when he first met Cassius, which was in stark contrast to the fearful reactions of the other villagers.

The shepherd answered Cassius's questions with exceptional fluency and without any hesitation.

Perhaps the other party had a strong mentality, but Cassius's intuition told him that things weren't that simple.

If you think about it carefully, Wind Howling Valley is a valley terrain, which is very suitable for ambush.

If he leads his troops into the valley like this, what will he say to Lieutenant Zod if they are attacked?

No, he couldn't take that risk. He trusted his judgment and believed that if Lieutenant Zod were there, he would make the same choice—prioritizing the safety of his soldiers.

So he ordered his troops to stop and find a secluded place to set up camp, and not to proceed further into Wind Howling Valley.

At the same time, he selected a group of soldiers with reconnaissance experience from the team to form a reconnaissance squad, which went to stake out the village at night.

The main task was to observe the situation of the villagers, especially the shepherd, and to immediately track down any suspicious persons entering or leaving the village and report to Cassius.

……

That evening, Cassius's reconnaissance troops guarded the outskirts of the village but found nothing strange happening there.

Some veterans, just as Cassius had questioned Zod back then, questioned why Cassius didn't go to Windwhistling Valley but instead hid in the mountains to monitor the village.

Cassius did not give a direct answer, but simply ordered his soldiers to carry out the command.

At this moment, Cassius suddenly understood Zod somewhat.

As a commander, every decision you make before achieving the ultimate goal is subject to the pressure of being questioned, and often the decisions are contrary to intuition.

And so, Cassius and his soldiers waited on the mountain for another day.

Until the night of the second day.

Three unfamiliar dark figures sneaked into the village under the cover of night, then dragged out the shepherd and questioned him about why the imperial army had not entered Wind Howling Valley as expected.

The shepherd was equally puzzled. He had answered the imperial officer's question almost perfectly and without any hesitation, just as the bandits had requested, and had directed the imperial army toward Wind Howling Valley.

The imperial officers at the time did indeed believe the shepherd's words and assembled their troops to march toward Windwhistling Valley.

Why did we stop hearing from them after that?

He just couldn't understand it.

The entire imperial army vanished into the mountains like ghosts.

This caused the bandits who were lying in ambush to be fed mosquitoes all night in Wind Howling Valley.

Those three bandits were ordered by their leader to teach the shepherd a lesson.

The shepherd, looking utterly wronged, was brutally beaten. While being beaten, he kept protesting, "I really didn't lie!"

After completing their leader's orders, the three bandits ran back up the mountain that very night to report back to their leader.

When they came down the mountain, no one followed them.

But as they went up the mountain, a reconnaissance squad from the Empire followed the three bandits all the way to their lair.

As expected of the reconnaissance squad of the so-called "Imperial Blade" legion.

When the reconnaissance team returned and reported to Cassius, they explained to him in detail the bandit group's stronghold, the outer firing points, and the surrounding terrain.