Chapter 861: Targeted Research

The harmful smoke from earlier did little damage to the bandit army.

Now it is a different story. As the all-out assault begins, the bandits' spellcaster contingent casts the Water Film Spell.

The spellcasters wring the last traces of moisture from the surrounding air. As the mist settles, they draw more up from underground.

The water carries the harmful dust, whether suspended in the air or settled on the ground, onto the bandits' bodies.

Their bodies burn and itch unbearably.

More importantly, although the Subterranean River Bandits are amphibious creatures, the organs they use to breathe on land are fragile.

That respiratory system is only a backup, suited to routine marches or brief periods of use.

Their main breathing organs are the gills on their necks. They need those gills during strenuous fighting.

Mist or rain over their bodies lets them take in more oxygen during battle.

Now toxic gas has damaged the lungs they use on land.

The films of water covering their bodies are also full of harmful substances.

Both respiratory systems are compromised. The calamity creatures scratch at their bodies and cough violently.

Imagine someone with tuberculosis, severe athlete's foot, and hemorrhoids. Even an elite soldier would be easy prey in that condition.

That is especially true when formations collide and the soldiers have to hold their line.

These enemy soldiers are scratching frantically and coughing nonstop. How are they supposed to withstand a charge?

Senar is not the only one left bewildered by the explanation. The observers from the other powers look just as stunned.

They never imagined a battle could be fought this way.

Everyone here understands military affairs. By a rough estimate, this has cut the enemy's fighting strength by at least half.

It is more than ten times as effective as a costly, wide-area magical bombardment!

"How did you manage this? How did you come up with these things?" Senar asks in confusion.

Then he notices the observers craning their necks and watching eagerly. He realizes his question is rather intrusive.

He waves a hand. "Never mind! This is Peace Haven's secret!"

Pabos smiles. "Sir, it's hardly a secret. As you know, fighting on the Northern Mountain Front began a little earlier."

"We wanted to study the Northern Mountain Raiders and their main troops, the mountain demons."

"Peace Haven established a Biological Research Department to study calamity creatures, identify their weaknesses, and understand their strengths."

"Fighting comes down to avoiding your opponent's strongest attacks and hitting him where he's weakest."

"War is the same, just more complicated."

"Take Operation Dried Fish. It involves intelligence, psychology, terrain, climate, and plenty of other factors."

"We choose the conditions that suit us best and leave the enemy with the worst possible situation."

"That's why Peace Haven set up the Biological Research Department. We've been capturing all kinds of calamity creatures and sending them in to be tested under different conditions."

"We find their weaknesses so that humans can fight them on our terms, at the right time and in the right place."

Senar clicks his tongue in amazement. "I've learned something today. Who'd have thought the ingredients in a little smoke could decide the outcome of a major battle?"

Pabos returns the courtesy, then turns to the observers. "Peace Haven will share its research on calamity creatures with the alliance."

"We hope you'll be just as open with us. Send as many of the calamity creatures you capture as you can to Peace Haven, especially powerful live specimens."

"Then we can develop more weapons and tactics tailored to the enemy, and do it faster."

"This is a war for all humanity. Every human soldier we can save is worth the effort."

The representatives immediately promise to notify their own sides. Plenty of live specimens will be sent over.

In peacetime, none of these countries would fund Peace Haven like this.

Things are different now. With calamity creatures liable to reach their doorsteps at any moment, they have no time to conduct such research themselves.

Once they hear that Peace Haven spends more than a million gold coins a year on the Biological Research Department, they abandon any thought of doing it on their own.

With that much spare money, wouldn't they be better off raising two or three new legions?

Of course, Peace Haven is not simply throwing money away either.

The research was its own responsibility to begin with. It needs to understand the enemy before the situation gets worse.

Half of that annual spending goes toward capturing and transporting calamity creatures.

With the other powers supplying specimens, Peace Haven can focus its efforts on research and analysis. The work will go much faster.

Sharing the results with the other powers also helps protect Peace Haven itself.

And when weapons and equipment need to be tailored to those findings, Peace Haven is naturally quicker at making them, and its products are better suited to the task.

The alliance agreement limits the profits, but there is no shortage of orders. The work keeps production lines running and trains large numbers of industrial workers.

It also helps its industries upgrade their products and production methods.

Sharing the findings also earns contribution credit.

Once a finding is recognized as effective, the Western Federation will send extraordinary materials to Peace Haven as a reward.

However one looks at it, sharing the research benefits Peace Haven.

While the observers discuss the research's effect on the war, the legions split the weakened bandit army into isolated groups and destroy them.

The two warbands from the Southern District of Peace Haven push deepest, almost reaching the heart of the enemy formation.

The bandit commander recognizes the danger. The spellcaster contingent that has remained hidden squeezes out what little mana it has left and attacks the two warbands.

The moment the magical fluctuations begin, both warbands close ranks.

At the signal from their battle standards, the soldiers take defensive positions.

"Defend!"

At the united shout, Civilization Aura spreads from the battle standards and settles over the troops.

The warbands did not activate Civilization Aura at the start of the fighting. They were waiting for the enemy's extraordinary attack.

Thick icicles rain down, only to crumble into powder the moment they touch the civilization barrier.

The largest pieces that land on the soldiers are no bigger than walnuts. Most are little more than snowflakes.

Civilization Aura now has several modes of use.

One weakens the enemy and strengthens the users, helping the troops gradually gain an advantage in head-on clashes with elite opponents.

This mode produces the strongest effect, but activation takes time. At the very least, the troops have to shout Peace Haven's declaration in full.

The process is still being simplified. The proposed activation command for the future is "Suppress!"

Another boosts offense across the board, from speed to strength.

Activation is simple. With the battle standard at the center, the troops need only roar, "Fight!"

Cavalry formations mainly use this mode. Greater speed and strength are especially valuable to cavalry.

The third mode, "Defend," focuses on defense. It raises a civilization barrier to absorb a round of enemy attacks.

One minute after the bombardment ends, the remaining power of civilization is transferred to the soldiers, strengthening their defenses to varying degrees.