247: Entrusted with a critical mission, the military strategist adopted a defensive posture to stabilize the situation.

The [Simple Ground Tremor Sensing Array] acted like a lighthouse in the darkness, illuminating some of the hidden dangers within the chaotic battlefield. The unpredictable subterranean ambushes of the Digging Piercers were laid bare under the array's pale yellow glow, their movement trajectories and lurking positions completely exposed.

"Ten o'clock direction, fifteen meters underground, two targets approaching rapidly, expected to breach the surface in fifteen seconds!"

"Below the southeast corner foundation of the Command Center's main structure, a stationary high-intensity signal, suspected lurking unit!"

"Under the ruins of the right-side passage, vibration trajectories are dispersing, at least four targets maneuvering!"

Grum Anvil's hoarse callouts echoed through the temporary comms channel, mixed with the intense gunfire and explosions from the distant Command Center direction. This Tiangong Dwarf master now had half his beard singed and curled by high temperatures, his Rune Robe stained with dust and dark purple zerg blood. Yet, his eyes remained fixed on a Portable Array Terminal flashing with red and yellow dots in his hand, focused as if carving the most intricate rune.

"Roger! Literary Heart Elves, three-shot volley pre-emptive cover on the ten o'clock ground position! Delay their surfacing speed!" Lin Zhou's voice was as cold as ice, cutting clearly through the chaotic battlefield. He stood behind a half-collapsed Alloy Wall, the pure white Fire of Civilization faintly circulating around him, maintaining a weak perception of Order in the surrounding area while commanding the entire mixed unit's advance.

"Zhao Hao! Have your Blue Dragon target the southeast corner foundation, cover it with Frost Breath! Whatever's inside, freeze it first!"

"Wang Meng! Form a spearhead assault with the Behemoth and Rock Giants, push forward head-on! Senior Leo, have the Thunderfire Elementals provide arc cover, suppress the bugs maneuvering on the right!"

With the warning, the counterattack became sharp and efficient. The pre-emptively fired Elf Arrows, though not directly killing the subterranean piercers, seemed to interfere with their digging rhythm as they burrowed into the ground with faint Order light attached. This caused them to surface several meters off their intended location and with slightly diminished Aura. The Frost Dragon Breath froze the Command Center's southeast corner foundation into a crystalline mass. The piercer lurking inside became noticeably stiff and sluggish, and was subsequently "excavated" by arriving Dwarf Heavy Warriors using Warhammers and Demolition Charges. On the front, the Behemoth and Rock Giant combination acted like a heavy battering ram, ruthlessly crushing any sporadic piercers daring to surface along the way. The arcs from the Thunderfire Elementals lashed out like agile whips, striking enemies attempting to harass from the flanks.

The advance speed noticeably increased. The Command Center's main structure, its alloy exterior walls blackened by smoke, riddled with cracks and puncture holes, was now within reach. At the main entrance, the most intense firefight raged. The remnants of the Base Guard Force (primarily Human Heavy Infantry and a few Elf Archers) stationed there were desperately holding their ground behind hastily piled Sandbag Barricades and damaged Auto-turrets, fending off what seemed like an endless tide of Digging Piercers swarming from all directions, along with some smaller, more bizarre-looking zerg units (likely mutated variants of Drones or Warrior Zerg) emerging from within the building.

"Leo! Lin Zhou! Is that you?! Hurry! Fighting is still ongoing inside the Command Center! The Major is trapped in the Central Command Room!" A Captain Officer (around lv180) with a bloodied face and shattered armor leaned halfway out from behind the entrance barricade, roaring hoarsely. One of his arms hung unnaturally bent, clearly fractured.

"Hold on! We're coming!" Veteran Leo roared in response, commanding the Rock Giants to charge forward like runaway chariots, crashing hard into the zerg swarm besieging the entrance!

However, just as the Rock Giants were about to breach the zerg line and link up with the entrance defenders—

A sudden, drastic change occurred!

On the side of the Command Center's main structure, a Ventilation Shaft that originally seemed blocked by collapsed pipes suddenly imploded without warning! It wasn't broken by external force, but burst from within by some powerful strength!

Immediately after, a dark golden figure, at least twice the size of an ordinary Digging Piercer, shot out like a cannonball! Its carapace displayed a sinister dark golden metallic sheen, its surface covered with more complex and robust reinforced bone plates and energy patterns. The rotating bone blades on its forelimbs were no longer simple sickle shapes but had evolved into spiral drill-bit-like conical structures. Their rotation emitted a piercing, air-rending shriek, even forming a visible distorted force field around them!

This giant piercer appeared precisely in Veteran Leo's flank rear, the Rock Giants' attack blind spot! Its target was also exceptionally clear—not the nearest Rock Giant or entrance defenders, but Leo himself, who was commanding the Thunderfire Elementals to release area arcs!

[Elite Unit: Digging Piercer · Lord (Mutant)]

Rank: Estimated LV50-LV55 (Elite Lord Template)

Morphology: Enlarged Digging Piercer, dark golden metallic carapace, forelimbs are high-speed rotating spiral drill bits.

Observed Capabilities (Partial):

[Enhanced Subterranean Ambush]: Lurks deeper (up to thirty meters underground), ambush speed and power far exceed ordinary individuals, drill bits possess high-frequency energy cutting and rule-penetration effects.

[Drill Force Field]: The force field generated by the rotating drill bit can deflect some energy attacks and provides additional armor-piercing effect against physical defenses.

[Lord's Pressure]: Has some command and enhancement effects on lower-level zerg units.

[Carapace Overclock]: Extremely high defensive power, significant resistance to common energy attacks like fire, ice, and electricity.

"Senior Leo! Behind you!" Lin Zhou's warning came almost simultaneously with the dark golden figure bursting through the wall!

But it was too close! Too fast!

Veteran Leo's combat experience was immense. The moment Lin Zhou warned, he sensed the lethal threat. Without a second thought, acting purely on instinct, he abandoned control of the Thunderfire Elementals, instantly converting most of his remaining Divine Power into a thick, Composite Shield interwoven with rock and flame patterns enveloping his body, while desperately rolling to the side!

"Screech— BOOM!!!"

The dark golden spiral drill bit, with an Aura that seemed to tear everything apart, slammed hard into the hastily formed shield around Leo!

There was no stalemate, no explosion.

Only a teeth-grating, ear-piercing noise, like metal being forcibly torn and then ground at high speed!

That Composite Shield, capable of withstanding several heavy strikes from ordinary piercers, instantly spider-webbed with cracks under the terrifying penetrating power and high-frequency energy cutting of the dark golden drill bit, then shattered like fragile glass!

The drill bit's residual force, not yet spent, viciously grazed the left side of Leo's body as he rolled, unable to fully dodge!

"Pfft—!"

The backlash from the shield's destruction, combined with the terrifying impact and cutting force of the graze, sent Leo flying backward as if struck head-on by a battering ram. He vomited a mouthful of blood mixed with viscera fragments, landing heavily in a pile of rubble over ten meters away! The armor and flesh of his left shoulder and nearly half his chest were almost completely torn open and shredded, revealing charred, broken bones and faintly pulsating internal organs tainted by dark golden energy erosion! More critically, a cold, violent, devouring insectoid lord's will surged madly into his Divine Core through the wound, violently clashing and resonating with the existing "spore" contamination within his body!

"Ugh—!!!" Leo let out a groan of extreme agony. The Divine light around him instantly dimmed to its lowest point, his Aura rapidly withering as he fell into a critically wounded, near-death state! The Thunderfire Elementals around him flickered erratically, losing control, and the Rock Giants roared in confusion and anger.

"Leo!" "Senior!"

Lin Zhou, Zhao Hao, and Wang Meng stared wide-eyed in fury!

Having succeeded with its strike, the dark golden Piercer Lord seemed somewhat depleted itself, its drill rotation slightly slowing. But its crimson compound eyes had already locked onto the next target—the nearest, momentarily stunned Rock Giant!

At this critical juncture—

"Monstrous beast! Cease your rampage!" An angry shout came, not from Lin Zhou and the others, but from the direction of the Command Center entrance!

A figure enveloped in blazing golden light shot out from the entrance like a meteor! In its hands, a greatsword burning with holy flames, carrying an unstoppable momentum, slashed fiercely towards the dark golden lord's side carapace!

It was that one-armed Captain Officer! He had burned his remaining Divine Power and even part of his life's Origin to launch a desperate strike!

"Clang—!!!!"

The Holy Flame Greatsword collided with the dark golden carapace, erupting in dazzling sparks and a piercing metallic clang! The greatsword left a charred slash mark half a foot deep in the carapace, even chipping off several shattered bone plates! But it failed to cleave through!

In pain, the dark golden lord let out a sharp shriek, temporarily abandoning its attack on the Rock Giant. Its rotating drill bit suddenly turned like a scorpion's tail, viciously stabbing towards the Captain Officer!

The Captain Officer was clearly at his limit, unable to dodge, and could only block horizontally with his sword.

"Crack!"

The greatsword snapped!

The drill bit brutally pierced through his chest, emerging from his back!

The Captain Officer's body stiffened, the golden light in his eyes rapidly dimming. But with his last ounce of strength, he desperately grabbed the base of the drill bit, roaring hoarsely, "Quick... get inside... help the Major..." Before he could finish, his vitality was extinguished.

His sacrifice bought Lin Zhou and the others precious breathing room and also severely wounded that dark golden lord (carapace damaged, movement noticeably sluggish).

But now, the defense at the Command Center entrance teetered on the brink of collapse due to the Captain Officer's death and Leo's critical injury. The remaining Digging Piercers and mutated small zerg, seemingly stimulated by their lord's injury, attacked even more frenziedly! Worse, the sounds of gunfire and alarms from other directions of the base in the distance indicated the zerg ground forces might also be taking the opportunity to intensify their assault, pinning down reinforcements from other sectors!

"Lin... Lin Zhou..." From the rubble, Leo struggled, using his last bit of strength to forcibly transmit a piece of information and an authority imprint to Lin Zhou through a weak Divine Thought link. "I'm... done for... the spores... can't suppress them anymore... the Command Center... must not fall... now... you... command... everyone... who can still move... hold here... wait for reinforcements..."

Along with this fragmented message, a simple authority rune representing the B3 Sector's temporary highest battlefield command authority—carrying the scent of Leo's blood and his final Divine Thought imprint—along with brief operational instructions on how to urgently connect to the Command Center's internal comms channel and how to activate part of the base's defensive backup power, were forcibly imprinted onto Lin Zhou's Divine Core perception!

A mandate in peril!

Before his consciousness plunged into darkness, Leo entrusted this heavy burden of immense weight to this young academy Genius he had known for only a few days, yet who had displayed astonishing potential and steady composure!

Lin Zhou shuddered, a heavy mix of responsibility, pressure, and resolve surging in his heart. He had no time to hesitate, and no right to refuse! Leo was critically wounded and near death, the Captain Officer had fallen in battle, the morale of the remaining entrance defenders was on the verge of collapse, the situation inside the Command Center was unknown, and the zerg offensive surged like a tide... At this moment, he was the only one left on this nearly snapped string who could stabilize the situation!

"All units, heed my Orders!" Lin Zhou stepped forward abruptly, the pure white Fire of Civilization erupting from his body. Though not blazingly hot, it carried an undeniable authority and power of Order, forcefully suppressing the surrounding chaos and panic. His voice, amplified by Divine Power and the temporarily acquired command authority, rang clearly in the consciousness of every remaining defender at the entrance (including Leo's Rock Giants and Thunderfire Elementals) and all his own followers!

"I, Lin Zhou, entrusted by Senior Leo in this critical moment, temporarily assume command of the B3 Sector Defense Line! Now, I command!"

His gaze was sharp as a blade, sweeping across the battlefield. The essence of the School of Military's 'Immovable as a Mountain, As Quiet As The Forest, Fierce as Fire, and Inscrutable as Darkness' flowed and evolved rapidly in his mind. Combined with the terrain and the current enemy and friendly situation, a complete defensive plan instantly formed.

"First, all units, immediately contract towards the main entrance of the Command Center! Use the entrance as the center to construct a circular defensive position!"

"Wang Meng! Your Behemoths and Dwarf Shield-Axemen, as the core pillars, hold the key positions directly in front of the entrance and on both sides! Remember, Immovable as a Mountain! Without my Order, not a single step back! Use cover and debris to construct simple anti-impact fortifications!"

"Zhao Hao! Dragons, cease dive-bombing! Patrol and maintain vigilance above the entrance! Use Dragon Breath to focus on clearing Zerg swarms attempting to mass for a charge, especially that dark gold Lord Unit (it's injured, but still a threat)! Also, watch for other Zerg Aerial Units that may appear!"

"Grum! Immediately lead all Tiangong Dwarf Engineers and warriors still able to fight! Use local materials—damaged armor plates, Zerg carapaces, building fragments—to urgently construct multiple layers of simple obstacle belts and anti-infantry traps in front of Wang Meng's defensive line! Delay the Zerg charge speed!"

"Elia! Wenxin Elf Rangers and the Priest Corps, occupy the high ground above and on both sides of the entrance (damaged walls, ventilation ducts, etc.) to form a crossfire network! Rangers, fire freely, prioritize sniping Hydralisks, Banelings, and units attempting to dig tunnels! Priest Corps, fully deploy Purification and Healing Domains, covering the entire defensive perimeter! Prioritize stabilizing Senior Leo's injuries (though hope is slim) and treating other critically wounded!"

"Lawful Merman Enforcement Squad! As the Mobile Reserve Force and Battlefield Disciplinary Team, patrol inside the defensive line! Be ready to fill any breaches that appear, eliminate small Zerg that infiltrate, maintain military discipline, and boost morale! Those who cowardly retreat in battle will be severely punished according to the Law! Those who fight bravely will be heavily rewarded after the battle!"

"Senior Leo's Rock Giants and Thunderfire Elementals (now unstable), I will directly take over their commands! Rock Giants, disperse and embed into Wang Meng's defensive line to enhance impact resistance! Thunderfire Elementals... concentrate energy, prepare to launch a one-time area-of-effect strike on the densest part of the Zerg swarm!"

Each Order was clear, decisive, and hit the mark, bringing out the essence of the School of Military's defensive tactics to the fullest. There was no flashy maneuvering, no risky counterattacks, only the most solid, most tenacious 'hold this position, await reinforcements'!

Perhaps it was Lin Zhou's unquestionable tone and suddenly displayed commanding Aura, perhaps the Order brought by the Fire of Civilization, or perhaps the instinctive desire for strong leadership in a desperate situation—the remaining defenders (including those base garrison remnants not originally under Lin Zhou's command) barely hesitated and immediately began executing the Orders!

Wang Meng's Behemoth let out a low roar, and the Dwarf Shield-Axemen quickly occupied advantageous positions in front of the entrance. Their massive bodies and shields formed an iron wall. Zhao Hao's Dragons gained altitude, circling warily as they watched below and afar. Grum led the Dwarves, busy like worker ants; the clanging of hammers and the glow of activated runes flickered among the ruins. Elia directed the Elves to swiftly occupy several high points, arrows nocked. The Priests chanted softly, gentle purifying light beginning to spread. The Lawful Merman's cold eyes swept over every soldier, their bone tridents gleaming with a cold light.

Lin Zhou himself, while attempting to connect to the Command Center's internal communications via temporary authority, devoted most of his focus to maintaining the coverage of the 【Net of Law】 over the entire defensive perimeter and mobilizing Divine Power to prepare for the inevitable Zerg counterattack.

His Divine Spark was processing a massive flow of information at an unprecedented speed—enemy and friendly positions, morale status, Divine Power consumption, terrain utilization, even the landing point of every arrow... That feeling of controlling the overall situation, as effortless as moving his own limbs, was accompanied by immense mental strain and Divine Power consumption. It was as if he was at the center of a high-speed chess game. He could feel his understanding of concepts like 'war,' 'command,' and 'Order' deepening and condensing rapidly under this extreme pressure.

【Temporary Acquisition of Battlefield Command Authority】

【Preliminary Comprehension of the Essence of School of Military Defensive Tactics】

【Divine Spark Information Processing Load: Peak 85%】

【Divine Power Consumption Rate: +150%/hour (High-intensity Command + Domain Maintenance)】

【Estimated Current Divine Power Endurance: Approximately 8.5 hours (11500/18000)】

The Zerg did not give them much preparation time.

Just three minutes later, the first wave of counterattack arrived. It was still a large number of Digging Piercers (standard type) mixed with mutated small Zerg, surging out from ruins and underground all around, launching a fierce charge. But this time, what they faced was no longer a scattered, panicked defense force, but a tightly structured, clearly divided, iron-barrel-like defensive formation!

"Immovable as a Mountain!" Wang Meng's roar echoed across the position. The shield wall formed by the Behemoth and Dwarves stood like a reef, stubbornly withstanding the Zerg's first wave of impact! Bone blades struck heavy shields and Behemoth hide, sparks flying, yet unable to advance an inch! The Dwarf Shield-Axemen cooperated seamlessly; the moment their shields blocked, battle-axes hacked out fiercely from the gaps, severing insect limbs and splitting carapaces!

"As Quiet As The Forest!" Elia's cool voice rang out. The arrows shot by the Wenxin Elf Rangers occupying the high ground were no longer chaotic but formed a rhythmic arrow curtain covering key areas. The faint Order light attached to the arrows seemed to have a certain 'weakening' effect on the Zerg's carapace, making subsequent physical attacks more damaging. The Priest Corps' purification Aura effectively dispelled the weak mental interference and poisonous gas emitted by the charging Zerg, allowing frontline fighters to remain clear-headed.

"Fierce as Fire!" Zhao Hao seized the moment, commanding Raging Flame and another Red Dragon to spew two intersecting streams of fiery Dragon Breath at the relatively dense rear section of the charging swarm! Flames exploded among the Zerg, clearing a large area and temporarily disrupting the follow-up charge.

"Inscrutable as Darkness... No, now it's 'The Net of Law is Wide-Meshed'!" Lin Zhou focused his will. The Lawful Merman Enforcement Squad appeared like hunters in the shadows near several points in the defensive line that had slightly loosened due to the impact. Their bone tridents accurately pierced the vital points of small Zerg attempting to infiltrate, while they chanted legal statutes. An invisible force of Order spread, further solidifying the local stability of the defensive line.

The first wave of charge was steadily blocked! The Zerg left behind dozens of corpses but failed to shake the defensive line in the slightest!

The defenders' morale received a boost!

But the Zerg's attacks would not stop. That injured dark gold Lord let out sharp shrieks in the distance, seemingly mobilizing and urging.

Five minutes later, the second wave of attacks followed closely. This time, the Zerg seemed to have learned. No longer blindly charging, a large number of Digging Piercers began digging from farther away, deeper underground, attempting to bypass the frontal defense and launch a surprise attack from the flanks or rear. Simultaneously, over a dozen bloated Banelings appeared in the distance, rolling towards the defensive line under the cover of a few Warrior Zerg!

"Grum! Focus the Tremor Array scans on the flanks and underground rear! Elf Rangers, divert half your personnel to pre-aim at the Banelings' rolling paths, intercept early! Zhao Hao, Dragons, prepare to snipe the Banelings! Wang Meng, contract the defensive line half a step, prepare for possible internal Breakthroughs!" Lin Zhou's Orders flowed like running water, predicting the Zerg's intentions in advance.

The Tremor Array proved its worth again, marking several flank underground digging points in advance. Elf Arrows and Demolition Charges (standard type) thrown by Dwarves detonated early. Although they didn't kill the underground Piercers, they successfully disrupted and delayed their surprise attack. Most Banelings were prematurely detonated at a safe distance by Dragon Breath and the Elves' precise sniping. Only two rolled to the front of the defensive line, where the Behemoth smashed them in mid-air with huge rocks. Acidic liquid splashed on shields and the ground, emitting a sizzling corrosive sound but causing no casualties.

The second wave, again, returned with nothing accomplished!

The panic in the eyes of the defenders on the line had completely been replaced by a determined, fight-to-the-death glint. They began to believe that this young temporary commander could truly lead them in holding this position!

However, Lin Zhou's expression grew increasingly grave. He could feel the dark gold Lord's shrieks becoming more urgent, and the energy fluctuations from the direction of the creep in the distance growing more active. The Hive Mind was clearly losing patience with this stalemate.

Sure enough, just two minutes after the second wave ended, the third wave, the most violent one, arrived!

This time, it was no longer scattered probing. Nearly fifty Digging Piercers (including several dark gold Lords whose injuries had somewhat recovered) launched a desperate charge simultaneously from the front, underground, and flanks! At the same time, a buzzing sound came from the sky—dozens of creatures resembling giant moths, with distended abdomens capable of spraying corrosive spores—Mutalisks (basic Zerg Aerial Unit, LV25-30)—appeared on the horizon, diving towards the defensive line! Underground tremor signals were dense, indicating more Piercers were coming from deeper, farther away!

Air and ground assault, pressing in comprehensively! The Zerg clearly intended to crush this stubborn 'nail' in one go!

Pressure instantly reached its peak!

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, white flames blazing in his eyes. He knew the real test was just beginning.

"Everyone! Fight to the death, no retreat!" His voice struck the heart of every defender like a war drum. "Wang Meng, prepare Behemoth Frenzy! Zhao Hao, all Dragons, ascend to engage the Mutalisks! Elia, Priest Corps, activate 'Sacred Word · Hold Fast'! Grum, activate all preset traps! Lawful Merman... prepare to execute 'Final Edict'!"

"For Senior Leo! For the base! For the Human Race!"

"Kill—!!!"

Amidst the furious roars, the third wave of Zerg tide, like a black tide of death, crashed into the 'Immovable as a Mountain' formation shimmering with the Fire of Civilization and the iron Laws of the School of Military!

The temporary command authority allowed Lin Zhou to grow rapidly, tempered in blood and fire. And this life-or-death defensive battle entered its most brutal, most critical phase.