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

[Congratulations on acquiring the ultimate martial arts technique: Iron Defense!]

"Iron Defense: Converts power into defense, allowing the user to freely harden any part of the body, making it as hard as steel; the strength of the hardening is determined by the user's own power."

The instant he drew the 'Iron Defense', Zod felt as if lightning had flashed through his mind, and the secret to using this profound technique had clearly emerged.

This ability is far too important for Zod at this moment.

He didn't aspire to possess formidable fighting prowess; he only wished to survive in this war-torn era.

Therefore, a superior defensive skill is far more valuable than a powerful offensive skill—survival is always Zod's top priority.

The remaining unused points are 3 points of arbitrary potential.

As Zod's mind stirred and he attempted to use these potential values, a semi-transparent human model suddenly unfolded in his consciousness.

The model clearly marks each part that can be enhanced: eyes, nose, ears, limbs, brain... and even the "sword" that is not yet drawn from its sheath.

In addition to strengthening specific body parts, you can also choose to improve various attributes: vision, hearing, smell, strength, agility, constitution, memory, charm... Potential values ​​can be used to cover almost all physical and sensory areas.

However, the exact amount of improvement each enhancement will bring remains unknown.

Considering the wide range of uses for potential points, and the fact that there is no immediate need to strengthen any particular area, Zod decided not to use these 3 potential points for the time being.

As for that "virtual dream training ground", I'll try it when I have time later!

Now is clearly not the time.

After dealing with all of this, time had quietly slipped away.

Judging by the time, the team should have already assembled.

Just as Zod was about to push open the office door, a rapid knocking sounded:

"Reporting, Lieutenant... the troops are assembled!"

"understood."

Zod stopped in front of the mirror, put on the dark Shak military cap, carefully straightened the collar and cuffs of his uniform, and then pushed open the door and walked out.

According to Lieutenant Wesley's intelligence, the two hostages went missing en route from Bain to Egret Park.

Zod believed it was necessary to first investigate the scene of the disappearance.

Even though I'm not a detective and probably won't find any clues, what if I am?

After assembling their troops, Zod led them to the scene of the crime before dusk.

……

Two pools of dark red blood, long since congealed, remained at the scene. Based on photos from the on-site investigation, these were left by the two guards of the hostage.

They all died from multiple bullet wounds, and their bodies have likely been removed and disposed of by the local police station or military personnel.

An ordinary-looking carriage veered off the road, its wheels sinking into the mud beside the road. The harness had been cut, leaving only a clear hoofprint stretching into the distance on the muddy ground.

Several bullet holes were scattered on the walls of the carriage, with wood chips exposed, revealing the light-colored wood underneath.

However, no trace of blood was found inside the carriage.

This at least indicates that the hostages trapped inside were not directly hit by bullets.

Zod then took out the photos of the hostages that he was carrying with him.

The photo shows two women, one older and one younger. The younger woman is about eighteen years old, and the older woman is over forty years old. It is preliminarily determined that they are mother and daughter.

They were dressed in exquisite aristocratic women's clothing. Although their appearances were not stunningly beautiful, they were dignified and elegant, possessing a unique charm that drew attention from ordinary people.

Based on these traces alone, it is difficult to determine whether the perpetrators were agents of an enemy country or bandits who were causing trouble on the run.

What's even more troublesome is that, apart from that line of hoof prints, there are no other traces to follow at the scene.

The trail ends here.

"What do you think, Cassius?" Zod asked Cassius, who was reading a document, after a brief investigation of the scene.

"They look like the family members of some important person."

Cassius stared at the document and said, "Hopefully, they weren't kidnapped by enemy agents, otherwise the soldiers on the front lines might be in trouble. If they were kidnapped by bandits who prey on women, then the situation will be dire for these mother and daughter."

Zod frowned, raising his voice slightly: "Cassius, I'm not asking you to analyze their state after the kidnapping. Our current mission is to find and rescue them both."

Cassius pondered for a moment and said, "If they were kidnapped by agents of an enemy country, they would definitely move them towards the border. If they were kidnapped by bandits, they could probably just find a cave anywhere in the mountains..."

Then, he helplessly spread his hands: "I don't know the specifics. But I believe in you, Lieutenant, you will definitely lead us to a bright future!"

He had already witnessed Zod's true wisdom and strength, so this time he only needed to trust Zod as always.

Zod's plan to rely on Cassius has completely failed.

"Cassius, make the arrangements. We'll camp in the nearby mountains tonight. We'll start the search tomorrow!"

After Zod gave the order, Cassius immediately returned the troublesome documents to Zod, and then happily organized the soldiers to set up camp and cook.

Zod was left alone to begin studying the troublesome maps and case-related materials.

This time, he doesn't need to worry about how to find the two hostages, how to rescue them, or how to avoid increasing his "popularity" after the rescue.

Given the current situation, Zod has no chance of finding the two kidnapped hostages.

His team consisted of only about 30 people, and the surrounding area was wilderness, forests, and swamps for dozens of kilometers.

With less than five days to spare, where was he supposed to find two hostages?

Besides, it's one thing if the other person isn't even alive; they might have been brutally murdered and buried in some unknown ravine.

Zod thought about it more and more and felt that the task was simply impossible to complete.

He's not a famous detective, not Sherlock Holmes, he's just a minor character.

Zod just couldn't understand why Wesley wouldn't believe that Zod was an extremely honest person!

When Zod says he can't do something, that's not modesty; it means he simply can't do it.

Now look what's happened, this whole mess has come up.

Why don't we give up?

If we give up now, what if the big shot behind those two hostages is a petty person?

Being dismissed from office will be a minor matter.

Zod could even picture the powerful figure holding Zod's resume, a benevolent smile on his face: "I think this young man named Zod has a lot of potential. Let him join the suicide squad and contribute to the Empire's cause!"

Immediately, Zod sensed a hint of conspiracy and scheming.

Recalling Lieutenant Wesley's words, "If he were capable, he would have led the team himself long ago."

Zod knew it wouldn't be an easy task.

If things go wrong, and the hostages are killed or the rescue fails, the bigwigs behind those two hostages might hold a grudge against Zod, who was in charge of the mission.

No wonder Lieutenant Wesley pushed the mission onto Zod; he's a real old fox!

Perhaps this top-secret mission was also pushed onto Lieutenant Wesley by someone else.

The reason we can't spare anyone is simply that nobody wants to take on this thankless and arduous task.

If Zod could simply pass the buck to Cassius, driven by a strong will to survive, Zod might just trick Cassius into accepting the mission.

Unfortunately, it didn't work; he was just a low-ranking officer and couldn't push anything forward.

"Maybe we should run away!" A dangerous thought flashed through Zod's mind: "But how? And where to?"

This idea had been troubling Zod; making a decision was difficult, and putting it into practice was even more challenging.

Zod stood there, stunned, for an unknown amount of time.

Zod's thoughts were interrupted by Cassius's words: "Lieutenant, the food is ready. Eat something before you think about it!"

Cassius handed Zod a stew made of various ingredients and military rations.

Since things have come to this, let's eat first.