My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 354

Lyra had been expecting this. "All First Line commanders—prepare for general assault. Rules of engagement: inflict maximum casualties during their advance, then withdraw in good order when your positions become untenable. Do not try to hold to the death. Do not sacrifice yourselves for ground we’re abandoning anyway."

"When do we fall back?" Captain Vex asked.

"When casualties start mounting on our side, or when they commit their reserves and you’re about to be overwhelmed. Use your judgment, but err on the side of withdrawal. We need every fighter alive for Second Line."

Jessica’s voice cut in: "All medical stations are ready. We have evacuation teams standing by at each defensive position. Wounded will be pulled back to Second Line medical immediately."

"Good." Lyra studied her map one final time, calculating angles of attack, kill zones, retreat routes. "Everyone understands the mission?"

Mental confirmations rippled across the network.

The human assault began with devastating simplicity.

Eighteen hundred soldiers advanced in three massive columns—six hundred men per column, moving in disciplined formation with shields locked and spears ready. Battle mages provided magical shields overhead. Sappers led the way, detecting and marking traps. Archers followed, ready to suppress settlement defenders.

It was textbook professional military assault, executed with the precision of well-drilled soldiers led by experienced officers.

From the First Line defenses, settlement defenders watched the massive formations approach and felt the cold calculation of mathematics.

Six hundred versus maybe seventy defenders per sector.

Nearly ten-to-one odds.

"Hold until they reach the engagement zones," Lyra’s mental voice was steady, calming. "Then make every arrow count."

The eastern column reached three hundred yards. Still advancing.

Two-fifty yards.

"Archers ready," Captain Vex commanded his sector.

Two hundred yards.

"Loose!"

Arrows darkened the sky.

The human battle mages activated defensive spells and most arrows deflected off magical barriers or glanced off raised shields. But not all. The sheer volume of fire meant some penetrated. Seven human soldiers went down in the first volley.

The column didn’t even slow. It stepped over its casualties and kept advancing.

One-fifty yards.

Another volley. Ten more casualties. The column tightened ranks and kept coming.

One hundred yards.

The settlement’s prepared defenses activated. Pit traps—but the sappers had marked most of them. The human column flowed around identified traps with barely a pause. Only three soldiers fell into unmarked pits.

"They’ve mapped our traps too well," Vex reported. "We’re not getting the casualties we expected."

"Adjust," Lyra commanded. "Focus on the mages maintaining shields. Kill the magical protection and arrows become more effective."

Vex redirected his best archers. "Target the casters! Robes, not armor!"

It took three volleys to punch through mage protection, but eventually a battle mage went down with an arrow through his chest. The magical shield over that section of the column flickered and failed.

Arrows suddenly became deadly effective. Twenty human soldiers fell in rapid succession.

But the column was at fifty yards now, and charging.

"Melee imminent!" Vex shouted mentally. "We can’t hold hand-to-hand against these numbers!"

"Then don’t," Lyra answered immediately. "Pull back to secondary positions. Fighting retreat, not rout. Make them fight for every yard."

The eastern sector began withdrawing—not running, but falling back in controlled stages. Rear guard held each position for thirty seconds, inflicted what casualties they could, then retreated to the next prepared position while front guard covered them.

It was a tactical dance performed under extreme pressure, and it worked because Satou had drilled these patterns into settlement defenders for months.

The human column pursued but couldn’t catch them. Every time they got close, the settlement rear guard would turn and unleash a withering volley of arrows, forcing them to raise shields and slow down.

In the southern and western sectors, similar patterns played out. Initial arrow volleys inflicted moderate casualties. Human shields and magical protection reduced effectiveness. Settlement defenders fell back in controlled retreat rather than be overrun.

By hour nine, the human army had pushed deep into First Line defenses across all three sectors... but they hadn’t destroyed the defending forces. The settlement fighters were withdrawing in good order, taking minimal casualties, and making the human army fight for every position.

Elric watched from his command position and made notes.

"Their command structure is excellent," he observed. "Coordinated withdrawal across three sectors simultaneously. No panic, no rout, no units being left behind to be slaughtered. This is professional military retreat conducted by trained soldiers."

"Should we pursue harder, sir?"

"No. If we commit reserves to catch them, we’re charging into potentially more traps and prepared positions. Let them withdraw. We’re accomplishing the mission—taking First Line and learning about their capabilities."

"Casualty count, sir?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A runner delivered the tally. "Thirty-four dead, seventy-one wounded across all three assault columns."

"Over a hundred casualties to take a position they were willing to abandon," Elric noted. "And they’ve only lost..." He checked the enemy casualty estimates from field observers. "Maybe twelve defenders killed, twenty wounded. They’re trading ten of our casualties for one of theirs."

"That’s not sustainable for us, sir."

"Which is why we’re being methodical. We can afford these casualties today because we’re learning. Watch how they withdraw to Second Line. Watch how they establish new defensive positions. Every piece of data makes the next phase cheaper."

Hour Ten

The withdrawal wasn’t a rout, but it was accelerating. Human forces had penetrated deeply enough that staying at First Line risked being cut off and surrounded.

"All units, general withdrawal to Second Line," Lyra commanded. "Fighting retreat, maintain unit cohesion, do not leave wounded behind. Medical teams, prepare for incoming casualties."

The settlement defenders pulled back in staged leapfrog patterns. Half would fall back while half provided covering fire, then roles would reverse. It was chaos to an untrained eye but actually demonstrated excellent small-unit tactical coordination.

Human forces pursued cautiously, wary of traps in the ground between First and Second Lines. Their caution gave the settlement defenders time to execute the withdrawal properly.

Author Note :

About last Chapters what do you guys think about me putting some of the war strategies in between