My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 353

"We’re losing sappers faster than we can replace them, sir."

"Then we adjust again. Sappers work under maximum magical protection. I don’t care if it drains our mages—better exhausted mages than dead sappers. And start rotating teams so no one’s exposed for extended periods."

Hour Six: The Afternoon Shift

By midday, both sides had developed sophisticated tactical approaches to the reconnaissance phase.

Human tactics:

Small probe teams with maximum magical protection

Sapper units working in short rotations under cover

Battle mages conducting detection from maximum range

Counter-battery archer teams marking settlement firing positions

Cavalry held ready to exploit any weakness discovered

Settlement tactics:

Selective engagement to conceal full defensive capability

Priority targeting of specialists over regular soldiers

Rotating archer positions after firing to avoid counter-battery

Thrak constantly adjusting trap mechanisms to defeat detection spells

Seraphina’s telepathic network enabling perfect coordination

The result was a grinding stalemate where both sides inflicted and avoided casualties through sophisticated tactical awareness.

Human casualty total by hour six: Forty-nine dead, sixty-eight wounded. Settlement casualty total by hour six: Still zero, but arrow reserves down to sixty percent. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Lyra studied her tactical map with growing concern.

"We’re winning the casualty exchange," she analyzed through the network, "but we’re not winning the intelligence war. Elric’s mapped most of our trap zones. His counter-battery teams have identified twelve of our archer positions. His mages have detected the general layout of First Line defenses. The reconnaissance phase is achieving its objectives despite our harassment."

"Should we escalate?" Vex asked.

"Not yet. Elric still hasn’t committed to a real assault. He’s still gathering data. The longer he stays in reconnaissance mode, the more time we buy for reinforcements."

"How long can we maintain this?" Seraphina’s demon lord perspective cut to the core question. "Your archers are exhausted from constant alertness. Arrow supplies are depleting. Elric has fresh soldiers rotating in and out. The attrition calculus favors him in extended reconnaissance."

Lyra knew the demon lord was right. "We can hold through today if he stays in probe mode. Maybe tomorrow too. But if he commits to a full assault before Loki’s reinforcements arrive..."

She didn’t finish the sentence. Everyone in the command network understood the implication.

They needed time.

Time they might not have.

Hour Seven: Elric’s Decision

In the human command tent, Elric reviewed six hours of accumulated intelligence. Maps were covered with annotations—trap zones marked in red, archer positions in blue, suspected defensive works in yellow, safe approach routes in green.

"Assessment," he ordered his staff.

Lieutenant Thorne spoke first. "We’ve identified three major trap zones, twelve active archer positions, and approximate defensive layout of their First Line. Casualties to obtain this intelligence: forty-nine dead, sixty-eight wounded. Most casualties from the northern trap zone disaster. Subsequent probes have been more successful with lower casualty rates."

"Magical assessment?"

A battle mage commander stepped forward. "Their defenses show sophisticated engineering but no unusually powerful magical components. The trap zones are mechanical, not magical. Their archers are well-trained but human-level skill, no supernatural enhancement detected. We’ve seen no evidence of demon lord involvement or high-tier magical support."

Elric absorbed this carefully. The lack of detected magical support was interesting—either the settlement truly had no major magical assets, or they were hiding them very effectively.

"Tactical assessment?"

His senior captain spoke. "First Line is a harassment zone, not a true defensive position. They’re using it to inflict casualties and slow our advance, but they’re not committing to holding it. Estimate: they’ll withdraw to Second Line when we apply serious pressure."

"Agreed," Elric said. "Which means the question is: do we take First Line today, or continue reconnaissance into tomorrow?"

The tent went silent. This was the decision point.

"Arguments for taking it today?" Elric prompted.

"Momentum," said Lieutenant Thorne. "We’ve spent six hours mapping their defenses. We have the intelligence. Taking First Line today denies them another night to reinforce or adjust. Also, soldier morale—they’ve been probed at all morning. Let them actually accomplish something."

"Arguments against?"

"Casualties," the senior captain said bluntly. "Even with our intelligence, forcing First Line will cost lives. Maybe two hundred, maybe more depending on what surprises they haven’t shown us yet. Is taking a harassment zone they’re planning to abandon anyway worth two hundred lives?"

Elric considered for a long moment, studying the maps, calculating odds, weighing options.

Finally: "We take it today."

His officers looked surprised. Elric was known for caution, not aggression.

"Explanation, sir?" Thorne asked.

"Two reasons. First—you’re right about morale. Soldiers who’ve spent all day being shot at by goblins need to feel like they accomplished something. Taking First Line gives them a concrete victory, even if it’s tactically minor."

"Second—and more important—I want to see what they do when they retreat. Do they fall back in good order or panic? How quickly can they redeploy to Second Line? Do they sacrifice rear guards or withdraw everyone? How effective is their command structure under pressure?"

Elric’s weathered face showed the calculation of four decades’ experience. "First Line doesn’t matter. But how they lose First Line tells me everything I need to know about whether they can actually hold Second and Third Lines. That intelligence is worth two hundred casualties."

He turned to his assembled officers.

"Prepare for assault. Three-pronged attack—eastern, southern, and western sectors. Northern sector stays isolated due to heavy traps. Commit six hundred soldiers per prong, eighteen hundred total. Objective: force First Line defenders to either stand and die or retreat. I want to see which they choose."

"When, sir?"

Elric checked the sun’s position. "Two hours. That gives us time to position forces, brief squad leaders, and prepare medical stations for our own casualties. When we move, we move decisively."

Hour Eight: The Calm Before

Seraphina felt the shift in human deployment patterns before any physical observation confirmed it.

"They’re massing for assault," she broadcast across the network. "Large force movements in three sectors. Estimate: eighteen hundred to two thousand soldiers preparing to advance. This isn’t a probe. This is a real attack."