Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

They sacrificed so many lives, yet they didn't even see a glimpse of the enemy.

Who is the enemy? Where is the enemy? Whom am I fighting?

An army capable of annihilating 10,000 of your own troops in a short time must be extremely large, at least an army of 10,000, but why can't you see a single one?

"I'm not fighting anymore! I want to go home!!" A Caldarik soldier, unable to bear the fear in his heart, cried out and ran away.

"You bastard! Do you want to desert?" another soldier shouted angrily at the soldier's weak behavior.

"Shut up! I want to live!"

As the soldier ran back, he suddenly heard a 'crack' sound under his feet, and then...

boom!

The landmine blew the deserter to pieces.

The soldier who had just been cursing him now had unfocused pupils.

Escape? That would surely mean death.

Seeing the miserable state of the deserters, the surrounding soldiers gritted their teeth and decided to continue advancing.

Since there's no way back, we can only move forward!

"Keep moving forward! We have nowhere to retreat!" The remaining soldiers led the way, and the soldiers behind them hardened their hearts and followed.

The remaining soldiers numbered less than five thousand.

Isaac continued to observe the enemy's situation through his binoculars.

"That's right, once you're here, don't go back."

Seeing the enemy soldiers charging towards him with resolute expressions, Isaac drew his saber from his waist, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

"Come on, let me see how many of you can make it to me alive."

The remaining Galdarik troops charged toward Isaac, their route riddled with landmines.

The constant explosions around them told them that their teammates were dwindling in number.

"Damn it!!" the soldiers roared as they charged forward.

They still hadn't seen a trace of the enemy.

Could it be that our army has been attacked by ghosts?

This absurd idea just wouldn't leave my mind!

boom!

A shell hit them nearby, and the force of the impact sent them flying. The powerful shockwave left their minds blank for a moment.

This battle is unwinnable! Every remaining second is a death sentence!

But there was no other way. Charging forward offered a glimmer of hope, while staying put or retreating meant certain death.

With that thought in mind, they ignored their dizzy minds and stood up to continue running forward.

Once you get out of this area, you'll be safe!

Amidst the countless explosions, of the five thousand people who had charged forward, only about seventy remained. Then they saw a figure ahead.

“Enemy troops? No… a child?” They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Isaac eating bread ahead of them.

Clap clap clap clap!

Isaac then clapped his hands: "Not bad, not bad, seventy people left. Although it's a little less than I expected, it's still commendable."

"Where is the enemy? Where is the enemy?" The soldiers were still confused. Where was the promised army of ten thousand? Why was there only a boy standing here?

“The enemy? I am the enemy. From the very beginning, you were all surrounded by me alone,” Isaac said.

"what?"

The soldiers looked at Isaac, unable to believe what they were seeing.

“I don’t think your commander has told you about the alchemists. It’s really pitiful that you’ve been kept in the dark,” Isaac laughed. “But it doesn’t matter. Since we’ve come all this way, let’s go.”

"Kill me, and you will live."

They finally understand.

From beginning to end, their troops were completely outmaneuvered by this boy. He first used those terrifying weapons to block their retreat, forcing them into the minefield, and then pointed out that there was only one way forward.

This person wants to leave them all here.

"What are you afraid of! He's just one man with a knife, while we have over seventy of us with guns. Let's shoot him down together and then we can go back!" a soldier shouted, his gun already aimed at Isaac.

When the other soldiers heard him say that, they quickly picked up their guns and pointed them at Isaac.

"Using guns? Whatever, but didn't you smell anything strange?" Isaac's smile was very eerie.

"Fire!" Although a sense of unease spread through him when he saw the boy's smile, he still decisively ordered the firing.

The instant the bullet leaves the barrel.

boom!

A massive explosion came from the muzzle of his gun, and the sea of ​​fire instantly engulfed the soldiers.

"Didn't you notice? The area you're in is full of methane gas."

Isaac sighed as he looked at the several charred corpses lying on the ground. "I really suffered from a lack of education."

Turning around, I saw that the people who were behind me hadn't been killed by the explosion; they had only been caught in the blast and suffered minor injuries.

"There are only fifteen of you left."

"Evil...demon!"

Most of them had lost their minds. Of the 50,000-strong army, only 15 of them remained. It was all because of this demon in front of them!

Knowing they couldn't use guns, they pulled out short knives from their waists and charged at Isaac.

Isaac simply grinned maliciously and charged forward with his knife, moving as fast as a streak of light.

In the blink of an eye, Isaac had arrived behind them and slowly sheathed his sword.

Click!

The instant the swords were sheathed, the fifteen men simultaneously felt the world turn upside down and saw their own headless bodies.

Looking at the headless corpse lying beside him, Isaac pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket.

"Transfer me to the logistics department and tell them..."

"The enemy forces were completely wiped out."

Chapter Sixty-Three: People from My Hometown

"Wow, look at these corpses, they're not even human-shaped anymore."

"And there are even worse cases. Some of their bodies are still burning. Did they really die at the hands of humans?"

Several soldiers wearing disinfection suits and cleaning up the battlefield couldn't help but sigh.

Less than an hour after Isaac notified the logistics department, all the personnel clearing the battlefield were in place.

When they saw the enemy's miserable state, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

The corpses scattered all over the mountains were charred black. Except for the soldier who suffocated to death in the oxygen-deprived zone created by the initial thermobaric bomb explosion, who had no wounds, the other soldiers were either dismembered or their bodies were burned to a crisp.

Almost everyone in the army knew that Isaac had single-handedly come out to meet the enemy, and to this day they still couldn't believe that one person could do such a thing.

Gilbert and Claudia stood behind, watching the soldiers who were cleaning up, taking notes with paper and pens in their hands.

“Many soldiers were burned alive by a bright yellow flame, a large number of landmines killed most of the enemy, and…” Claudia looked at a huge crater not far in front of her, “It’s like a post-apocalyptic scene.”

"Is this the thermobaric bomb your brother mentioned? This apocalyptic destructive power... Are the State Alchemists of Amestris all monsters?"

“I’ve heard my brother mention the immense power of this weapon before,” Gilbert mused.

When they arrived after being notified, the forest was still covered in white smoke. Knowing that this was an oxygen-deprived area, they could only wait for the smoke to dissipate before they could begin cleaning up the battlefield.

They were inside for a long time before they finally saw the enemy commander's body, but they could only tell from the metal medals in his pocket that the body and his clothes were still charred.

“I’ve heard there are nearly a hundred State Alchemists like Isaac in Amestris. Are they all that terrifying?” Claudia said, the thought sending chills down her spine.

"I don't think so. I've heard that Mr. Isaac is one of the top alchemists in all countries in terms of destructive power and military capabilities."

"That's true, otherwise Amestris would have unified the world long ago."

--------------

The scene returns to Isaac's side.

Since single-handedly defeating an army of 50,000, Isaac's prestige within the army has reached unprecedented heights. He is now virtually the undisputed leader in the military.

"That's true, but could you please not have a barbecue in the military camp, Lord Isaac? If possible, please find another place," the officer said helplessly, looking at Isaac and Violet roasting marshmallows on the ground.

“That won’t do. Everyone in the whole of Mazig knows me now. I’ll definitely be discovered if I go out.” Isaac said this as he continued roasting marshmallows in the open space of the military camp.

The news of him single-handedly defeating an army of 50,000 somehow made the news. The newspaper clearly stated, "Our army, under the leadership of the commander-in-chief, annihilated an army of 50,000," a very eye-catching headline, accompanied by a picture of Isaac holding a knife and confronting the last fifteen men.

Of course, the newspapers wouldn't write that Isaac wiped out everyone by himself; that would be too shocking.

After being exposed in the news, everyone in the city of Mazig now knows that Isaac is the commander-in-chief of the army and has saved the city twice. Now, he is surrounded by crowds whenever he goes out.

"You shouldn't have a barbecue here... there are quite a few flammable and explosive items."

It seems I can't persuade him anymore.

"Speaking of which, have all the weapons back in Layton been maintained?" Isaac asked casually while munching on a marshmallow.

"It's all done. The mortars just need some maintenance because of overheating, and the tanks only need some parts repaired. They should be delivered in the next day or two."

It seems that I don't need to worry about Mazig anymore.

Next, we'll start conquering the surrounding cities, aiming to take them all within a month, and then head straight for Intans.

The plan is perfect.

Just as Isaac was pondering what to do next, the logistics team returned from cleaning up the battlefield.

"how's it going?"

"The enemy force numbered 52,300, all of whom were killed in action." He paused, then continued, "We discovered a large number of undamaged tanks and mortars in the area previously covered by the oxygen-deprived zone from the thermobaric bombs, which can be used to replenish our supplies."