48: Ander Valley, easy to defend and difficult to attack

Huang Yichen had long since finished self-healing, thanks to the red alert three-star automatic health regeneration.

In the Harsh Forest, a group of Snipers stood lazily in place. Beside them was the newly produced Yuri, and rows of night hawk helicopters were also waiting for Huang Yichen's arrival.

"Board the helicopters, depart!" Huang Yichen commanded as he flew over the Snipers. Since these were red alert soldiers, he skipped the time for mobilization and set off immediately.

"Yes!" The Snipers and Yuri lined up in an orderly fashion and boarded the night hawk helicopters.

"Haha, unless they can all fly, they have to take the route through Ande Valley. Let the Snipers cause some panic and stall for time! Hahahaha!" Wei He was doing this to buy time for tank production.

The night hawk helicopters carried the Snipers toward Ande Valley. After six hours of rapid flight, they finally arrived near the valley. After disembarking, they quietly dispersed across the mountain peaks and forests, lying in ambush.

The mountain roads, which were once considered safe, suddenly became a man-eating demon, becoming an eternal nightmare for the Magic Empire.

In the Magic Empire's marching column, there were hundreds of beast-drawn carriages, preceded by dozens of horse-drawn ones. One carriage was exceptionally luxurious, its cabin carved from a rare pink wood unique to the Magic Empire, pulled by three purple Thunderbolt Warhorses.

Everything indicated the noble status of the person inside: Alice, the Great General of the Magic Empire and a magician who had reached the Magister rank.

At this moment, Alice sat quietly on a futon in the carriage. Her unique purple magic robe emitted a faint glow. Worthy of being a Great General, she seized every second to meditate and cultivate, surrounded by purple Holy Light.

Su Qinglei sat quietly by her side, waiting for any instructions from the Great General so she could attend to her at any time.

Alice, who was meditating, felt the carriage stop. Frowning, she withdrew the purple Holy Light around her and asked outside in confusion, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Great General, it's getting dark. We need to set up camp and rest now. This humble servant will prepare a tent for you immediately!" the coachman replied quickly.

"Oh, it's dark already? Where are we now?" Alice said with some displeasure, seemingly dissatisfied with the marching speed.

"Reporting to the Great General, we have reached Ande Valley!" the coachman smiled flatteringly.

"Fine, I understand. Go and prepare everything," Alice said.

Everyone in the Magic Empire knew about Ande Valley. Its sprawling mountain ranges and roads were like sheep's intestines, twisting and turning. If someone were to set an ambush, it would likely be a hard-fought battle.

Thinking of this, Alice summoned the various generals for a meeting.

"Soldiers, we have reached Ande Valley. The terrain here is treacherous, easy to defend but hard to attack. You must stay alert and not fall into an enemy ambush!" Alice said.

"By your command, Great General! We will certainly inspect everything thoroughly!" Although Alice was a woman, she commanded the respect of many generals because they knew her strength.

"Ah!!! My foot!!!" The group in the meeting suddenly heard a heart-wrenching scream from not far away.

Alice led the group out of the tent to investigate, while Su Qinglei, who was responsible for pouring water, remained inside.

As soon as they stepped out, they heard continuous cries of pain rising and falling all around.

"Ah!!! My hand!!!"

"My leg! Ah, so much blood! Ah!!!"

"Ah, his head suddenly exploded! Ah!!! What's going on?!"

...Alice was both annoyed and angered by these sounds. As a Magister-level magician, she lightly tapped her toes and flew gracefully above the forest, shouting angrily, "Everyone, quiet down!!! What on earth is happening?!"

Looking at the soldiers around her, some had blood on their hands or legs, others had their heads burst open or a bloody hole in their chests. It was clear the attacker was striking at random, taking wanton pleasure in the assault.

"What a strange attack method. So many people have been hit, yet there isn't a trace of magic in the air. Even for an Ability User from the Lingshu Kingdom, there should be energy fluctuations!" Alice said in confusion.

"Purify, O fallen land! — Holy Light!" A small, purple, circular Magic Array appeared in Alice's hand, and a beam of purple Holy Light shot out from it.

Alice used the Holy Light to strike randomly at the surrounding forest. Wherever the light passed, trees were destroyed—some snapped in half, some split down the middle, and others had their branches stripped bare. Different angles of impact produced different effects.

Since she couldn't see where the enemy was, Alice just attacked blindly. However, after her assault, the frequency of the enemy's attacks gradually decreased until they ceased entirely.

Of course, Alice didn't hit a single Sniper. After all, they were spread out, and Wei He had ordered them to temporarily cease fire.

Because even hiding in the forest carried the risk of being found, it was now Yuri's turn to take the stage. The destruction and chaos he could cause were even greater and more intense, and far harder for the people of the Magic Empire to detect.

"The attacks have stopped. Go and see how the wounded are doing," Alice said to the generals as she landed in the clearing.

"Yes! The Great General is truly valiant! They were wiped out as soon as you made your move!"

"Indeed, indeed! As expected of a Magister!"

Alice ignored their flattery and walked quickly toward the wounded.

Alice watched the Military Doctor treating the wounded and hurried forward to ask, "How are they? Will they be alright?"

"Reporting to the Great General, the bones in their arms and thighs have been pierced by some unknown object, and the residual force has shattered the surrounding bones. I'm afraid they won't be able to move for a while!" the Military Doctor said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"How many wounded are there in total?" Alice felt a surge of nameless rage in her chest upon hearing the Military Doctor's account.

"Reporting to the Great General, there are three hundred and seventy-seven wounded and one hundred and twenty-six dead. Most died from headshots or their chests bursting open!" the Military Doctor continued.

"Ah! He's crazy! He's gone mad! Ah!"

"Ah! Don't kill me! It's me, brother! We're from the same village!"

"Ah! You've lost it! Why are you pulling a blade on me? We've known each other for twenty years!"

"Mad! They're all mad! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

...While Alice was getting the situation report from the Military Doctor, she heard another burst of noise from outside and immediately hurried out.

"What's all this noise? Where is your discipline? Any more noise and you'll be dealt with by military law!" Alice said, looking at the chaotic camp.

"Reporting to the Great General, they've suddenly gone mad! They're swinging their weapons at their own comrades. Many brothers have already been killed or wounded!" a soldier reported urgently.

"Take them all down!" Alice ordered.

Several men dressed as generals emerged from the crowd and knocked the crazed individuals unconscious. The others immediately tied them up.

"How could they have gone mad?" Alice said, utterly perplexed.

What she didn't know was that the culprit behind their madness was none other than the bald-headed Yuri in the forest.

While Alice was still outside handling these emergencies, Su Qinglei was cleaning inside her tent. Suddenly, a large hole appeared in the ground, and a person covered in mud sprang out from it.

"Ah!" Su Qinglei had just cried out when Huang Yichen covered her mouth.