Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 664 The Reaction of the Alien Race

One week later, at the Ice Sea Exploration Base.

Commanders and staff officers who arrived at the front line one after another gathered around the large tactical sand table in the center of the conference room, comparing it with the map on the wall and having a heated discussion.

As the front line that bears the brunt of the enemy's attacks at the start of the battle, the Ice Sea Base is also one of the most vulnerable areas to enemy ambush and siege during the long war.

Harvey originally planned to set up the command post at the Snow Mountain Base or the Big Bear Lake Base, which are closer to the capital.

However, this was unusually opposed by the vast majority of officers who had personally experienced the battlefield and faced life-or-death battles. They believed that being on the front lines would not only allow them to obtain the battlefield situation immediately, but also enable them to respond and adjust to changes in the battle situation as quickly as possible. Hiding in the rear and giving orders was not a fine tradition of the Northern Army. Fighting alongside the soldiers was the only way to inspire their fighting spirit and courage.

Seeing that even the refined and cultured staff officers insisted on this approach, Harvey had no choice but to agree.

Fortunately, Lord Dawson took the initiative to suggest that he also go to the front line to cooperate in the battle... Ostensibly, he wanted to see how Harvey's magical army fought, but in reality, he also wanted to sit on the front line to boost morale.

The legendary chief commander has personally gone to the front lines to fight the enemy alongside the soldiers... so what is there to fear?

The only thing that was somewhat annoying was that although the Chief was approachable, his penchant for getting to the bottom of everything made the officers and staff officers somewhat exhausted.

Why draw so many squares on a map?

Why are different colors used to mark the squares?

"What does this fork in the road leading to Big Bear Lake and the Snow Mountain Base represent?"

"Your Excellency really doesn't know anything about military operations..." Dickinson sighed and gave a wink to his colleague Ivan beside him.

Ivan immediately understood and led the little old man with a red nose to one side of the sand table, where they began a private question-and-answer session without interrupting the formal meeting.

"Your Excellency, this thick line that starts from the river valley outpost, passes through the Tafuto Highlands, and then extends to the snow-capped mountains and Great Bear Lake... is actually the wasteland railway that is currently under construction!"

"The areas along the railway route have been divided into squares of equal size. Green indicates that the area has been cleaned and a corresponding railway station will be built there."

Dawson nodded in sudden realization. This looked very similar to the Demon Clan's deployment in the Evil Moon Mountains. Several supply lines led directly to their front-line headquarters, with transit outposts built along the supply lines to ensure smooth movement within a certain area.

Yellow squares indicate that the area is not safe enough, and the orc tribes and beast hordes entrenched there have not yet been eradicated or cleared out. The plan needs to be implemented step by step until all the squares along the railway are changed to the same color.

Near the Great Bear Lake, the snow-capped mountains, and the icy sea, deep red squares gradually began to appear... Undoubtedly, this indicated the presence of demonic lizardmen in the area. The closer one got to the vicinity of Floating Island No. 2, the more crimson it became, making one's heart sink.

Just as they were pondering, the Son of Flame suddenly pushed open the door outside the meeting room and entered, giving everyone a crisp military salute with a spirited expression.

A group of officers and staff stood up and returned the greeting with smiles. The fire mage, who seemed to have a fiery temper, was quite popular among the high-ranking officers of the army.

"Colonel Horden, you've already called us together for a meeting while you were still on your reconnaissance return journey. What new enemy movements have you discovered?" Staff Officer Ross asked directly. The Son of Flame nodded somewhat helplessly and said in a deep voice, "Those alien monsters are digging trenches..."

"Dig a trench?" Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. "What trench? Are they going to widen the ice layer and increase the surface area of ​​the second floating island?"

“No… Around Floating Island No. 2, the Lizardmen regularly spray black water to ignite it, ensuring that the troop transport channels beneath the floating island are not blocked.” Fell shook his head and patiently explained, “The first to discover the anomaly were the reconnaissance airship team that went to the area around the floating island this morning. They witnessed a large number of enemies appearing on the ice, using tools made of black water to quickly dig on the ice. Next to the crisscrossing trenches were large blocks of floating ice piled up.”

Vaughn frowned, then realized what was happening. "They're digging trenches! They're imitating us!"

The Son of Flame nodded and said, "That's right, I think so too... so I immediately set off to check it out myself, but they don't seem to be dug in the standard crisscross pattern of trenches, but rather they are tangled like a spider web, trying to extend far into the surrounding area."

As he spoke, he tore off a piece of white paper and sketched out the scene he had seen with a few hasty strokes.

A group of officers and staff gathered around and immediately noticed the difference between the two... These trenches were mainly longitudinal, with fewer ravines in the cross-section, and did not look like temporary fortifications built for defense at all.

"Why are there so many longitudinal trenches? If the goal is to defend against our artillery and aerial bombardment, shouldn't we have built more lateral trenches?"

Dickinson suddenly realized something was wrong and exclaimed, "No! It's not for defense, it's for offense!"

The Lizardmen attempted to use the seemingly endless vertical trenches to evade artillery and aerial bombs while quickly approaching the Northern Army's lines and engaging the soldiers responsible for frontal combat at close range!
“These alien races’ learning and imitation abilities are in no way inferior to their rapid evolutionary talent…” Vaughn slammed his hand on the draft paper, frowning as he said in a deep voice.

Longitudinal trenches not only effectively resist long-range bombing and reduce casualties caused by their advance, but also allow them to avoid rifle and machine gun bursts during close-quarters combat, giving them the opportunity to engage in firefights with the Northern Army within the range of Blackwater weapons.

That's not all! If they also secretly dug tunnels under the ice, they could very well reach the artillery positions behind the front lines without the front lines being prepared, and deliver a fatal blow to the Northern Army's most important offensive firepower.

“How should we respond?”

"The Bloodline Warrior Special Forces must remain at the rear to guard against a surprise attack from beneath the ice..."

"The anti-aircraft beam cannons need to be moved to the front line. I'm worried that the Winged Ones will also approach along the trenches, gather, and then suddenly launch an attack from the air."

"Artillery and air forces must keep a close eye on those conch beasts. Their outer armor is even stronger than that of floating island fortresses. If they push forward, it may cause a breach in our defenses."

Everyone present knew the Lizardmen very well. After a discussion on how to deal with their moves, they quickly came up with a reasonable plan and did not panic because of the enemy's sudden actions.

Dawson listened with a smile, feeling that these officers, most of whom were ordinary people, were now shining with wisdom and confidence like superhumans.

"Gentlemen, I have a small suggestion... Could we try it without affecting the tactical deployment?"

When the chief speaker took the initiative to make a suggestion, everyone immediately fell silent and listened attentively.

(End of this chapter)