Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 361 The Best Opponent's Strategy: Reverse Encirclement
Groom's reaction greatly surprised the Joint Operations Command Center of the Vast Ocean Territory.

On the central sand table, the crimson symbols representing the orc forces are spreading out in an unprecedented way, like several sharp longswords piercing into the depths of the human defense zone.

"What a worthy opponent!"

After confirming the opponent's operational intentions, a low murmur of discussion arose in Han Hai's joint command center.

Since the main force responsible for direct confrontation is the sea creatures, the current defense system designed by the Han Hai Territory forces relies heavily on the dense network of rivers and waterways within the territory.

By using the Sky Eye to lock onto the enemy's movement route, and utilizing the abundant main roads and tributaries to maneuver the sea creature forces, we can block the enemy's inevitable path, launch landings, interceptions, and defeats, using offense as a form of defense to preemptively neutralize the enemy's attack.

After several battles with the orcs, the orcs, having suffered heavy losses, learned their lesson. Whether setting up camp or marching, they would try to stay as far away from the river as possible to avoid being directly attacked by the sea creatures after they landed.

Those four-armed giant insects were incredibly tough. Not only could they withstand attacks, but they could also fight nonchalantly with over a dozen spears protruding from their bodies. They could even summon elemental creatures to aid them in battle, and during their attacks, they would occasionally unleash a water shockwave or a bolt of lightning with paralyzing and dizzying effects.

To combine magic, martial arts, and summoning is outrageous.

The only drawback is that there is a time limit for operations on land, so the farther away you are, the safer you are, which is the instinct of most commanders.

However, Han Hailing himself was well aware that such defense meant that while his upper body was covered in what looked like imposing armor, his lower body underwater was actually just a pair of underwear.

Grum's sweeping advance directly targeted the Achilles' heel of the Vast Ocean Territory.

A counterintuitive concept is that Han Hai Ling's fighting style is not afraid of distance, but rather afraid of close proximity.

Each time the sea creatures land, they need time to change gears. If they are far away, the sea creatures can time their re-equipment perfectly and intercept them calmly. However, if the opponent has already pushed to the riverbank, the enemy can take the opportunity to create distance during the sea creatures' re-equipment period.

The young sea creature liaison officer frowned: "It will take our royal guards at least ten minutes to switch from underwater mode to land combat mode! In those ten minutes, the enemy could run several miles away!"

Sea creatures are fast in the water, but they struggle to catch even orc infantry on land, let alone cavalry.

Another human strategist quickly added, "The crossing point is even more troublesome!"

"We only have two main warships, Xilan and Chaoyin, to provide effective beachhead fire support. The long riverbank is simply undefendable! Once multiple groups of orcs successfully cross the river and enter our territory..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

Although the inland waterways are densely networked, the land between them is vast. Orc infantry can cross only a few dozen kilometers from one river to another. But if the Vast Ocean wanted to intercept them, it would need to order its warships to sail downstream, find the confluence of tributaries, and then turn back upstream, a round trip that would cover hundreds or even thousands of miles of water.

After you painstakingly circle back, the enemy will split up and cross the river again, forcing you to travel hundreds of miles by water, panting and exhausted.

Mobility has completely collapsed.

Without the sea creatures' initial interception, the battle will shift back to a head-on clash between humans and orcs.

Chen Mo clearly marked the various forces of the orcish southern expeditionary army on the map, and in front of the young military cadets below, he gave the enemy extremely high praise.

"Did you all see that clearly? This is the battlefield; the enemy will never act according to your script."

"Our opponent is indeed a veteran of the orc army. Whether it is his quick thinking or his keen war instincts, he has presented us with a new challenge."

"I'm starting to believe the Green Pine Kingdom's explanation. They might not be unwilling to resist; they might have realized they really can't win!"

This little joke eased the tense atmosphere slightly, with a few suppressed chuckles, but they were quickly replaced by low murmurs of discussion.

Chen Mo then posed the question: "So, commanders, what should we do in this situation? Let's hear your thoughts."

After a brief pause, the young officers raised their hands to speak one after another.

"We can't fight in the open field with the sea creatures anymore; they'll lead us by the nose all over the plains!"

"No, we must retreat immediately and return to the Xuan Shui City defense line. We need to release the sea creatures into the Liang River near the defense line, and have them move back and forth along the river to provide support to the ground forces at any time!"

Opponents immediately raised questions: "What if the enemy bypasses Xuanshui and attacks Heizongling? What about the dozen or so resource villages and the hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding area?"

"Send a group of sea creatures to Blackmane Ridge to assist in its defense?"

"Impossible! To get from Lianghe to Huanyanjiang, you have to take a long, winding waterway!"

The debate intensified, and more and more ideas emerged.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a waterway. We can move from one tributary to the next, allowing the sea creatures to travel on land. It'll just consume some electricity from the water storage tanks!"

"The sea creatures can cross the land, but what about the warships? Can you carry the Xilan across?"

"Without the cover of warships, the sea creatures' safe zone on land will have to be defended by ground troops. In that case, the sea creatures will not only be a help, but also a burden, right?"

"Let's notify everyone in the outer villages to come in first. If the orcs break in, I don't know how many people will die!"

"In the end, we still have to rely on our own troops in the Hanhai region to fight tough battles!"

A student sitting in the back row, whose voice was still a bit hoarse from puberty, timidly raised his hand and put forward that classic idea again: "Teacher, in this situation, can we decapitate him? Take Groom down?"

"Perhaps, with the orcs leaderless, it will be easier to fight them once they come down!"

Ultimately, after such a heated discussion, opinions in the hall were mainly divided into two factions: one faction advocated a steady and cautious approach, and a comprehensive defensive posture; the other faction advocated carrying out a decapitation strike to quickly break the deadlock.

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, arguing heatedly until their faces were red with anger.

Chen Mo wore an encouraging smile, but ultimately showed a slight disappointment.

These children are passionate, knowledgeable, and dare to think and express themselves; they are promising talents.

However, most of them come from ordinary backgrounds and have not had enough time to systematically study military theory. Their vision is more focused on tactics and weapons, and they are clearly lacking in deeper strategic thinking.

Their proposals, whether to hold their ground or to decapitate, failed to break free from the traditional battlefield framework of the Starry World.

I really hope these young people can grow up faster so I don't have to worry about them so much!
In fact, Chen Mo was also helpless in this situation.

However, behind the lord is a powerful strategic analysis and contingency planning team for the Eastern Xia.

In the planning simulation provided by Dongxia, the weaknesses of our side had already been thoroughly analyzed, and the possible tactics that the enemy might use to target these weaknesses, as well as several countermeasures and methods, were proposed.

"Crack, snap."

The lord clapped his hands lightly twice.

The hall quickly fell silent, and all eyes were focused on the commander-in-chief, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Concentrate civilians and hold the city to the death?"

"Then we're back to our initial predicament: How long can Xuan Shui City hold out? Are we relying entirely on airlifts for food, ammunition, and medicine? We went to great lengths and paid a high price to bring in our sea tribe allies and sign an alliance, just to avoid being trapped and forced to retreat. Wouldn't that be a waste of our efforts?"

“A classmate just mentioned decapitation, which is indeed an idea. However, even if the decapitation is successful, it doesn’t mean that the tens of thousands of orcs will fall apart. In fact, we might face an even more chaotic siege.”

With a tap on the map, several dark arrows representing orc troops are heading in different directions toward the Liang River and its tributaries, which form a natural barrier for the Vast Sea Territory.

"The enemy's attempt to bypass the sea creatures' frontal defenses and avoid our advantageous areas, advancing from multiple directions, has indeed given them a certain initiative. A very clever tactic!"

"However, this does not mean that we cannot regain the initiative on the battlefield!"

Chen Mo paused for a moment to make sure everyone heard what he was about to say.

"I believe the most appropriate method is to behead, but not actually kill!"

The lord's commander-in-chief pointed his baton at the insignia representing Groom's central army: "No matter how many routes he divides into, this conspicuous palanquin is right here!"

"His troops ran faster than the sea creatures, but the sea creatures were faster than his sedan chair."

"Have the Naga and the Righteous Army surround and trap Grum's central army. Focus your attack on him, but don't kill him all at once!"

"I just don't believe he would dare not send troops back to defend."

"You all learned this in tactics class, right? What's it called?"

The students stood up in a flash, their young voices ringing out in unison, tinged with the excitement of sudden realization.

"Attack the enemy, and they will surely come to their rescue; besiege the city and attack their reinforcements!" "That's right!"

“Groom wants to use a split-pronged infiltration tactic to exploit our weaknesses, so let’s go smash his head in!”

Let's see who can't hold back first!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As orders were relayed from both sides, the situation on the entire Bailu Plain instantly descended into chaos.

On the northern front, the orcish tribal alliance, which had previously suffered heavy losses after being dealt a crushing blow by the sea creatures, was holed up in a mountain camp more than 50 kilometers away from the Phantom Flame River, anxiously gazing south and waiting for news of a breakthrough by the Grum army on the southern front.

On the southern front, Groom's main autumn hunting force unleashed its full power.

The five armies, like five sharp swords, probed several possible crossing points along the upper and lower reaches of the Liang River and the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Cuiling River.

The orc soldiers collected boats, floats, and timber along the way, and hurried on their way at the urging of their officers. Once they spotted the battlefield of the Vast Sea Territory, they immediately turned around. In this chase and escape, at least three groups of troops had already crossed the first waterway.

For a time, the sea tribe army could neither stop nor catch up with them, and it seemed that the enemy was about to fully push into the outer control area of ​​Xuanshui City.

Then, Lord Chen Mo gave an order: the Xilan ship led a sea race guard across the Cuiling River, the Chaoyin ship covered another sea race guard across the Liang River, and the Guiyi Army, supported by the Hanhai Air Force, crossed the pebble beach and headed south, forming a three-sided encirclement.

Ignoring the orcs waiting to cross the river nearby, they charged straight toward the most conspicuous target on the plain—Groom's central camp!

Groom immediately received a report from the scouts.

"You mean, the enemy is ignoring our home base and coming after me?"

"Hahaha!"

The massive body of Groom the Skullbreaker trembled violently from the burst of laughter, causing the skull wind chimes beneath him to rattle.

"Utterly foolish! You think you can catch me with those water snakes?"

"Tell the little brats to keep going!"

Groom grinned, a brutal red light flashing in his eyes: "Notify the accompanying shamanic regiment and the 'Skullcrusher Guards,' all of you, be on your guard! Teach these arrogant scumbags a lesson!"

Upon receiving the order, the massive orcish army slightly adjusted its direction and formed a defensive formation on the spot.

The most elite bear warriors stepped forward, and the shamans began to dance wildly. Strange drumbeats and chants rang out, and streaks of blood-red, earth-yellow, or eerie green light enveloped the warriors, causing their muscles to visibly bulge.

The Vast Ocean Territory acted swiftly, its conch horns blaring as the heavy-armored sea creature assault team, having completed their refit first, rammed head-on into the orcs' most formidable central force.

On one side were royal guards wielding giant tower shields and trident spears, and on the other side were bear-like orcs holding flails and giant axes. There was a spellcasting array of Naga sea monsters on one side and a buffing legion of orc shamans on the other.

Without probing or maneuvering, both sides firmly believed their strength was enough to crush the other. The moment they met, a fierce battle erupted, sparks flying everywhere. A deafening roar echoed across the plain.

On the vast plains east of the Liang River, two ethnic groups known for their strength and resilience clashed violently.

The first to engage the enemy was the Sea Clan Royal Guard's tower shield formation, which resembled a moving city wall. Each shield was over three meters high and as thick as a stone slab, making it heavy equipment that even a regular human warrior couldn't lift.

The orc bear warrior, his body glowing red, roared and swung his flail, using the force of the rotation to slam the flail head heavily onto the shield, unleashing a series of deafening roars. The Naga royal guards ignored them, continuing to push the tower shield forward until the enemy's battle line was completely suppressed. Only then did they withdraw the shield and turn their halberds, unleashing streaks of frost lightning.

The trident pierced the orc's thick leather armor, penetrating his robust body and drawing spurts of blood. However, the orc elite guard's ferocity exceeded expectations. The wounded warriors went berserk, and with the combined effects of bloodlust, strength, and pain paralysis, they launched a more ferocious counterattack.

Some orcs, though pierced in the abdomen, roared as they gripped the halberd shaft with their muscles and swung the flail at the Naga's heads; others simply abandoned their weapons and pounced, tearing at the Naga with their claws and fangs.

Hammers clashed, blades pierced flesh, and screams of agony filled the air. The two sides exchanged blows, the battle line tearing back and forth like a jagged saw.

The Guiyi Army soldiers on the far side of the battlefield trembled with fear.

This kind of battlefield is not a stage for humans. They can only throw a few Molotov cocktails and continue to watch from afar, forming ranks!

For the first time since the start of the war, the Naga sea race, which had been invincible, suffered more than four figures in casualties.

However, the Naga race clearly did not care about this. They also had enough numbers, and in this local area, the sea race had the advantage in military strength. Therefore, they could continuously land, fight, retreat, change clothes and rest, and then change clothes and enter the battlefield again, repeating this cycle.

This relentless, almost endless offensive pressure was taking a heavy toll on the orcish defenses. On the central palanquin, Groom's sinister grin had vanished, replaced by a furious, crimson rage.

Several times he saw his most valiant generals personally lead counter-attacks, once pushing the Naga's battle line back dozens of meters, but soon, with the addition of fresh troops, that damned metal dam slowly pushed back.

They couldn't hold on. Even their most elite guards and the troops blessed by the most powerful shamans couldn't withstand the onslaught. They were being relentlessly pushed and crushed by the enemy, crashing towards their main camp.

"Trash! They're all trash!"

The battle raged from afternoon until sunset, leaving the plains littered with corpses. The Naga offensive showed no signs of abating, while the orcish defenses were visibly thinning and weakening.

Seeing that the opponent's attacks were relentless, the Skullcrusher made another wise decision.

retreat!

If the enemy dares to use their main force to capture us, we should simply retreat south, away from these waterways. If all else fails, we can retreat to the Qishan North Camp.

I want to see if my opponent dares to keep chasing me, ignoring even my base and letting my other troops attack.

The massive "Skullcrusher Palace" was once again hoisted up and, under the layers of protection of elite guards, began to move south, heading towards the pontoon bridge that had been erected not long ago.

This river, located behind Grum, is quite safe because its intersection with other waterways is extremely far away, and it would take at least five days for a warship from the Vast Ocean to detour around it.

After leaving the battlefield, Groom comfortably lay down in the thick fur chair, a smug smile on his face.

He had even planned out his next move: once he left, the enemy would inevitably have to return to defend their stronghold, and then he could swagger north again.

General Skullbreaker seems to have already envisioned his opponent's impotent rage.

The very next second, when his sedan chair was less than 500 meters from the pontoon bridge and he could already see the orc soldiers running and relaying orders on the bridge, a bright crimson light, like a meteor from the heavens, fell vertically from the darkening sky without warning.

An orange-red fireball expanded in the center of the pontoon bridge! The shockwave, carrying scorching air, swept outwards in a ring! Orc soldiers near the pontoon bridge were thrown into the air like scarecrows, and the pontoon bridge, made of thick logs and ropes, disintegrated into countless fragments right before Groom's eyes.

Groom's smile froze on his face, and the Skullcrusher General suddenly jumped up from his seat.

A chill ran from his tailbone to the top of his head. He turned around abruptly, and behind him, the faint clanging of metal seemed to be approaching.

"Send a message! Send a message!"

"Let Val! Let Bellow! Let all the bastards who have crossed the river and those who haven't come back!"
"Come back immediately! Right now!"

Well, when faced with a life-or-death choice, Groom ultimately chickened out.

He couldn't help but back down. What Chen Mo had placed on the gambling table was the land and population of the controlled area, while what the orcish autumn hunting army had placed on the gambling table was his life, Grum's life.

This is not an equal stake at all. If Chen Mo loses, he can simply return to the Vast Ocean Territory and start over. But he, General Grum, cannot afford to lose even once.

The Skullbreakers held unparalleled prestige in the army. Upon receiving the orders issued with battle flags, fireworks, and sound-transmitting drums, the various orc armies that had already crossed multiple tributaries dared not delay and immediately sounded the retreat horn.

The offensive momentum of tens of thousands of orcs came to an abrupt halt, and like a receding tide, they began to frantically retreat towards the position of Groom's central army.

Meanwhile, Groom's situation became increasingly precarious.

After his sixth attempt to build a pontoon bridge over the nearby river was once again thwarted by precise aerial fire, Groom finally gave up in despair.

He led his army away from the river and retreated to a hill. Meanwhile, the Naga sea tribe and the Guiyi Army's ground forces, guided by the air force and supported by firepower, firmly surrounded the area.

Amidst Grum's roars and howls, the orcish forces, relying on the hilly terrain, constructed a makeshift circular defensive line and struggled to hold on. Opposite them, wave after wave of sea creature attacks relentlessly.

Perhaps because they cannot stay away from water for too long, whenever the orcs are about to give up, the sea creatures often have no choice but to withdraw and take over.

Behind the sea tribe's front, a large number of human engineers and soldiers of the Guiyi Army were wielding entrenching tools, digging trenches, erecting wooden palisades, and setting up fortifications. They watched as a thicker and thicker black line circled the hill, growing longer and longer, climbing further and further away.

On the distant river, shallow-water gunboats were providing cover for several ships, bringing in the artillery and machine gun battalions of the First Brigade of the Hanhai Army, preparing them to enter the dug positions.

The strategy of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking their reinforcements has been successfully executed!
(End of this chapter)