Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 166 New Perspectives on Tactics and Strategy

The orcs began a rapid retreat northwards.

Sargeris is considered a strategist among the orcs because he is one of the few rational individuals among them.

It doesn't give you a headache!
After suffering heavy losses in the air force, Sargeras Bloodhowl did not hesitate for a moment and firmly issued the order to retreat.

He not only abandoned the siege of Tianshuang City and the plan to continue advancing towards Dongguanling Pass, but also abandoned all the previously planned schemes to search and plunder in this area.

And so, with unwavering resolve, he commanded the still seemingly vast army to surge back towards the path they had come from, like the receding tide.

During the retreat, General Bloodhowl maintained excellent military discipline, conveying combat orders in an orderly manner.

"The entire army shall turn northeast! Return along the Razor Corridor!"

"The rear guard will become the vanguard and will be the first to set off! The camp garrison and flank guards will increase their alert level!"

"Wolf riders, spread out and cover the flanks! Expand the reconnaissance area!"

"Wyverns... Remaining wyvern units, take off and conduct long-range reconnaissance, but must not leave the support range of the ground wolf riders!"

Sagris's orders were clear and precise, and under his command, the troops were divided into three parts: the front, the middle, and the rear.

The vanguard consisted of tribes that had suffered less damage and whose organizational structure was relatively intact, and they were responsible for clearing the way.
The central army protected the supplies and the wounded, advancing slowly but steadily without stopping;

The rear guard consisted of Bloodhowl's personal guards and some of the tribe's elite troops, along with the remaining wolf riders and a few terrified wyverns, who served as the rearguard on high alert.

Further out on both flanks, large numbers of wolf riders roamed, attempting to weave a massive perimeter to block out any possible spying.

Everything still seems to be proceeding smoothly.

But General Bloodhowl knew in his heart that morale had been shattered!

On the surface, this army still retains the basic structure of an orc legion, and its movements are quite orderly. But just a short distance away, one can clearly feel the low pressure that is almost tangible.

In the past, when orcs marched, the order was often somewhat chaotic.

The orcs from various tribes shouted and chanted, their ranks crooked and unsteady, occasionally bursting into wild laughter and swearing. Occasionally, one could see a volatile orc soldier rushing out of the ranks to fight one-on-one because of a quarrel.

But this is the true nature of the orcish army. In fact, Sargeris always believed that this was the vibrant expression of the orcish army's lower-ranking warriors. When they encountered the enemy, they would yell, curse, and charge forward, brandishing their weapons.

But now, the retreating teams are too quiet.

They stopped talking, stopped shouting provocative battle cries, and even their complaints and curses disappeared.

Most of the orcs simply kept their heads down and hurried on, their heavy breathing revealing the exhaustion of surviving a catastrophe.

In those dim eyes, all I could see was profound bewilderment.

In the past, orcs liked to expose their bodies and their scars when marching. This was a symbol of their bravery, and each additional scar seemed to mark an honor.

But at this moment, they all wrapped themselves up tightly, and even the wounded who were being carried and lifted covered their faces with tattered fur.

The warriors of each tribe numbly obeyed the orders, forming ranks, turning, and setting up defenses. Their actions were even more orderly than usual, but Sagris felt an extraordinary sense of desolation.

A somber and mournful atmosphere spread through the group like a plague. Occasionally, a dire wolf would let out an uneasy low howl, which would be quickly reined in by the knights, for fear that the noise would attract something terrible.

They just wanted to leave this place, as quickly as possible, and get as far away from that strange human city as possible.

The vibrant energy that once filled the orcish ranks had vanished, leaving only a deathly silence.

Sargeris doubted whether his army would have the courage to face a main human force head-on if they encountered one at this moment.

Or perhaps, it will collapse in an instant!

It's more likely to collapse.

For such a multi-tribal collective, when they are in a position of advantage, their troops are in high spirits; when they are in a position of disadvantage, they are just a disorganized mess.

Sagris had done everything he could in his retreat arrangements, but he still had a strong sense of unease. Would the enemy really let him leave like this?
Looking back on the previous encounters, each time it was just when the orcs seemed to have victory within their grasp that the other side would suddenly strike, crushing the orcs' hopes to dust with an incomprehensible power.

The feeling wasn't like waging war, but more like a cunning cat teasing its prey, grasping and releasing with complete control.

Even in the post-war review, the decision to launch a decapitation strike by deploying the air force seemed like a trap carefully set by the enemy.

How could an enemy with such cunning and skill simply watch its prey, already severely wounded and on the verge of collapse, escape back to its lair unscathed?

Reason told him that this was absolutely impossible.

Looking around, the fields were empty, with only the smell of dust swirling in the wind.

This unusual calm only made him more terrified. He felt that in every unseen corner, countless cold eyes were watching his disheveled northward-bound army, waiting for the best opportunity to attack.

The general, on whom high hopes were placed, took a deep breath of the air filled with the smell of rust and burnt metal, forcing himself to calm down.

The most important thing now is to bring back as many troops as possible. As for how to face the Great Chief's wrath and how to quell the resentment of the various tribes after returning, those are matters for later.

"Pass down the order: speed up! If necessary, abandon the baggage train and return to the main camp at full speed!"

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.

Sargeris was right. The young officers of the Vast Ocean Territory had been keeping a close eye on the retreating orc army, looking for an opportunity to take a bite out of them.

Because Lord Chen Mo's direct subordinates are almost all students of the Torch Youth Corps, the age of this officer corps is excessively young. A large number of teenagers and young adults, along with a few relatively "older" adults, form the core of the highest military command in the Vast Ocean Territory.

They had systematically studied the most advanced tactical theories, were proficient in those strange and unusual fighting methods that the lord called "technology," and were sharp-minded and full of vigor.

Of course, their immature age and lack of practical experience also make them appear overly radical and idealistic at times.

On the huge, makeshift sand table, a black line representing the orc army's retreat route snaked northeastward. Chen Mo stood before the sand table with his arms crossed, listening to officers of all ranks report on the enemy situation they had scouted from the front lines, as well as their military suggestions filled with aggressive intent.

"My lord, the orcs' retreat order remains intact, and the rearguard and flanks are heavily guarded, but their overall morale is extremely low."

Kaga, who had just rushed back from the front lines of Skyfrost City, still bore the marks of his journey, but his eyes shone with an irrepressible excitement.

The excitement of his recent feat had not yet subsided, and the young centaur commander was eager to lead the field army to pull off another big victory.

"Our staff has discussed this for a long time and believes we can set up an ambush here in advance!"

Kaja drew a heavy circle on the map at a certain point, which was the middle section of Razorfen Downs, very close to Blood Fortress.

"There are two main considerations!"

"First, the terrain advantage!"

"To the south are rolling sand dunes, and to the north are remnants of the Qishan Mountains. The passage narrows here, forming a natural bottleneck. As long as we seize the high ground on both sides in advance and set up heavy machine guns and howitzers, we can create a perfect crossfire network!"

"No matter how strong the orcs are, it will be difficult for them to break through our lines."

"Secondly, from this location, it's only a few dozen kilometers north to the orc camp. We believe that the closer this defeated orc army gets to their own camp, the more eager they will be to flee back, and the weaker their will to fight will become!"

"If we launch an attack here, as long as we leave a visible escape route, most of the orcs will likely choose to flee, which will minimize the resistance our army will encounter!"

"We can lay another minefield ahead to completely cut off these orcs' way home!"

Chen Mo laughed heartily: "You've even used the strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one open. Tell me, who gave you this idea? Was it that little guy who reads 'The Art of War'?"

Kaga scratched his head somewhat shyly: "Yeah, he's just a pawn. I think his idea is pretty good!"

In fact, the entire plan was laid out completely, and it did indeed appear to be arranged quite rigorously and meticulously.

Having just experienced a resounding victory, and with their own troops riding high on morale, the enemy fled like stray dogs. By taking advantage of suitable terrain and fully utilizing the power of their firearms, it is entirely possible to block the orc army on their way.

In particular, the strategy of using machine guns and minefields in the front and white phosphorus incendiary bombs to block the road in the rear, even taking into account the ammunition reserves, makes the plan highly likely to be realized.

Seeing the excited and expectant eyes of the students, Chen Mo did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked around and continued to call out names one by one.

"Lynn," Chen Mo called on her, "what do you think?"

Lynn, the oldest commander of the city defense forces, pondered for a moment before speaking, "My lord, this is indeed a good opportunity to pursue and expand our gains. With the mobility and firepower of our field army, even if we cannot annihilate the enemy completely, we can at least inflict heavy casualties on them!"

"Protect the country? What's your opinion?"

"I will follow the lord's orders!"

Stop flattering me and tell me your thoughts!

"Kill these orcs!"

"Where's the pawn? Come out and say something."

"My lord, this is the plan we've discussed. We need to hurry, or we might not be able to stop them..."

Chen Mo inspected each of the commanders he had chosen, his gaze sometimes sweeping across the sand table, sometimes looking at the young, spirited, and eager faces inside the tents.

These are the officers he personally trained; they are the backbone of the future of the Vast Ocean Territory. They yearn for battle and for glory, which is a good thing.

Even Chen Mo himself wanted to wipe out these annoying guys in one go.

However, he placed more trust in the judgment of the Eastern Xia General Staff.

We need to let them see further! Let these young fledglings learn to overlook the battlefield from a higher perspective.

"Please sit down!" Chen Mo pulled over a chair. "Let's discuss this plan in detail. Putting aside its tactical feasibility, have you considered another issue?"

"If we successfully ambush them and, as planned, annihilate the main force of this massive orc army here, then what might happen next?"

Will the orcs stop their southward advance?

The officers looked at each other, and finally shook their heads in unison.

The orcs' aggressiveness is ingrained in their very bones, and occasional setbacks will never make them give up their raiding; history has already proven this.

Razorfen Downs has been blocking the orcs for so many years, yet the orcs still march south every year.

"Very good, it seems you all understand this."

Lord Chen cleared his throat and asked, "So, if you were the great chieftain of the Orc Empire, after such a crushing defeat, how many troops would you mobilize when you marched south again? And where would you choose as your main direction of attack?"

The command tent suddenly fell silent, with only heavy breathing remaining.

These young officers were all intelligent men. They had just been captivated by the victory before them, but now, after the lord's prompting and a moment of reflection, a chill crept up their spines.

What if they were orc commanders?
Without a doubt, when they make a comeback next time, they will mobilize an even larger army and then go straight to eliminate that biggest threat!

Vast Ocean Territory!
With a current population of a few thousand and a nascent industrial base, even with advanced weaponry, facing tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of enraged and prepared elite orc armies...

Despite everyone's confidence in their own fighting strength, they still felt a suffocating pressure.

Chen Mo stood up, walked to the whiteboard hanging on the tent frame, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote down a few keywords.

"The first lesson in military class taught us that war is for political purposes."

"The purpose of war is not to eliminate a few or thousands of orcs, but to strive to gradually keep the orcs north of Qishan, or even drive them back to the wasteland, at some point in the future."

"This requires us to continue to expand the living space of the Han Hai Territory, enhance its overall strength, strive for development, and continuously improve!"

"So, looking back, at this stage, can annihilating this defeated orc army help us achieve this long-term goal?"

"I think it's difficult, and might even be counterproductive!"

He wrote down phrases such as "internal conflicts among orcs", "Skyfrost City", and "stance" on the whiteboard and began to analyze them one by one.

"First of all, according to the intelligence that Captain Liu Zaiyue has been sending back from the north, the orcs are not a monolithic group. They are divided into many tribes with numerous conflicts."

"In particular, there are huge differences in interests and power struggles between the orc tribes that occupy the fertile White Deer Plain in the south and the orc royal court in the cold northern wilderness. Some of these conflicts have even become semi-public."

"For many years, the Orcish court has been suppressing internal conflicts and maintaining the superficial unity of the Orcs by constantly creating the common external enemy of 'humans'."

"So, imagine if we annihilated this force, putting immense pressure and humiliation on the orcs. Do you think the orcs would split up or become more united?"

The pawn raised his hand high.

Chen Mo smiled and nodded: "Go on!"

"A powerful external enemy will bridge internal conflicts, and the orcs will become more united as a result!"

"Does anyone else have anything to add?"

Lynn raised his hand and said hesitantly, "This time, the Orcish Royal Court has fewer main force warriors, while the conscripted tribes of White Deer Plain have more. If they are all wiped out, it will be a heavy blow to the Orcs of White Deer Plain, which may... may make the Orcish Royal Court's control over White Deer even stronger."

"Well, that's a good point!"

"The enemy of my enemy, even if he cannot become my friend, can be used to a certain extent."

"Next, the second question." Chen Mo's pen touched the three characters [Tian Shuang City].

"We must be soberly aware that the victory we just achieved was not accomplished by our Han Hai Territory alone. It was because Tian Shuang City stood at the forefront and bore the brunt of the orcs' main offensive pressure that we were able to remain behind the scenes, calmly choosing the right moment to deliver a targeted blow to the orcs."

"Assuming that there is no Skyfrost City to act as a solid shield in front of us, relying solely on the existing forces of the Vast Ocean Territory and the existing fortifications, can we guarantee that we can withstand the all-out attack of the orc army regardless of the cost?"

Seeing that everyone was silently shaking their heads, Chen Mo continued to deduce the next step.

"Conversely, if we annihilate this army, causing the orcs to target us as their primary target for future revenge, and when their massive army marches straight towards the Vast Sea..."

"Can Skyfrost City provide us with the same level of support we gave them?"

Another long silence followed.

Perhaps, but more likely not, or not so timely or with full force. Although the officers present were not very old, they were not three or four-year-old children.

Lord Chen didn't wait for a reply and continued, "Perhaps it is possible, perhaps it is not, but in any case, it will mean that we have handed over the fate and future of the Vast Ocean Territory to others."

"This is dangerous!"

Then, Chen Mo pressed his pen heavily on the word "stance".

"Let's go back to what I said earlier: a powerful external enemy can bridge internal conflicts."

"This applies not only to orcs, but also to humans."

"The city of Skyfrost is not a monolithic entity. The old lord's faction is complex and each has its own agenda."

"The fact that Skyfrost City is able to maintain relative stability and that Flowing Frost's orders can be carried out is largely due to the immense survival pressure brought by the external orcs!"

"It was this sense of crisis of life and death that forced them to temporarily set aside their internal conflicts and petty calculations, unite around Liushuang, and... had to rely heavily on our support, and to some extent accept our tactical command and administrative advice."

"If we now exert all our strength to disperse this external pressure and draw the orcs' attention to the Vast Sea, and Skyfrost City loses its current orc crisis, will the various long-suppressed internal conflicts surface? Will the different factions begin to vie for power and profit?"

"And when that time comes, when we need Skyfrost City as an ally to support us in resisting the orcs' attack, will they come as 'saviors' and then turn around and demand dominance from us?"

This strategic meeting lasted for quite some time. For the young officers of the Han Hai Territory, it was undoubtedly an extremely valuable lesson.

For the first time, they were guided from a tactical perspective to a strategic one, to think about a grander and more complex overall strategy, and to understand the deeper political games behind the war.

After the meeting, the officers, still eager to continue their discussion, engaged in even more lively exchanges.

Based on the general direction pointed out by Chen Mo, the core principles of the subsequent action plan were revised.

First, harassing and pursuing the retreating orc army is necessary, but the key is to maintain pressure, strike with limited force, continue to operate under the banner of Skyfrost City, and gain practical experience in fighting the orcs.

Before making sufficient preparations, the Vast Ocean Territory should not become the orcs' primary target.

Secondly, focus on fighting wasteland orcs and avoid fighting plains orcs.

Make full use of the internal contradictions among the orcs, focus on attacking the wasteland orcs, who are the "central army," while letting go of the plains orcs, who are a loose bunch of tribes, and let them go back to argue about the responsibility for this defeat.

Finally, try to acquire some special orc units.

For example, wyverns. We haven't managed to catch any alive yet. The orcs are currently demoralized. Is there any chance of catching one or two?

For example, shamans, as the spellcasting units of the orcs, have always been well protected in the orc army. Now, is it possible to get some?
Having confirmed the general direction, Chen Mo handed the stage over to these young commanders.

He must hurry back to take charge of Hanhai's work.

He has wasted too much time on this war with the orcs.

In any case, the development of the territory must be prioritized. Now that the main part of the war has ended, the esteemed lord must immediately return to his loyal vast sea.

After the lord left, the orc army's nightmare began, and the retreat turned into an endless torment.

Leveraging the surveillance capabilities of [Penglai] and [Jinghong], the Hanhai Assault Team is always able to accurately pinpoint the orc army's marching routes and weaknesses.

Several elite centaur mobile squads, equipped with long-range sniper rifles and grenade launchers, followed stealthily like ghosts, firing a shot every now and then.

They always chose to attack when the orcish troops were most tired and least vigilant—perhaps when the camp had just fallen silent late at night, or when the sky was still dark and the troops were half asleep.

Sometimes it's a precise sniper bullet from several kilometers away that instantly blows the head off a scout, causing chaos and panic.

Sometimes a bomb, trailing a fiery tail, would crash down far outside the encampment, causing a small-scale commotion.

Sometimes it's like a timed bomb in the middle of the road, suddenly exploding in the marching ranks, causing the orcs to scatter in panic.

Sometimes, it was just a few sniper shots from afar, or a drone with a speaker deliberately emitting a strange roar, that made the already frightened orc soldiers huddle together...

This group of Han Hai squad members never lingered in battle. After a single strike, they would flee thousands of miles away, quickly disappearing under the cover of terrain they had scouted beforehand.

If the orc wolf rider scouts are too slow, they will soon lose track of them.

If you chase too fast, you'll quickly lose your way.

It's better to catch up slowly.

This invisible and intangible threat of death, which could strike at any moment, greatly tormented the orc soldiers' nerves.

They were on edge, seeing enemies everywhere, and their marching speed slowed down drastically. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their pupils were filled with fear and numbness.

Sargeras Gorehowl's unease grew stronger, and he repeatedly urged the troops to speed up, abandoning supplies, severing the seriously wounded, abandoning the lightly wounded, and even some slow-moving orc units.

This orc general, known for his wisdom and composure, had only one thought in his mind at this moment: to return to the Flag Mountain camp as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)