375: Chapter 310: Struggle for Command, Captain Eternal Aims to Take Dominance

The ruinous retardation zone instantly transformed into a meat grinder of flesh and steel.

Thousands of low-level Drones hissed as they swarmed forward. They looked like purple-black beetles magnified countless times, with hideous mouthparts and sickle-like forelimbs. The Piercers were like a combination of a giant mantis and a centipede, with larger bodies and shells shimmering with an eerie light; their sharp segments and mouthparts could easily pierce metal. Ignoring casualties, they trampled over the corpses of their kin and the wreckage of triggered traps, pushing forward frantically.

However, the retardation traps meticulously laid by Xinghai University played a massive role. Pre-set chain collapse pits swallowed hundreds of vanguards, and metal wreckage inscribed with explosive runes bloomed into flowers of purple-black flesh within the swarm. Tripwires and spikes hindered their charging speed. The dragon flight led by Zhao Hao dove from the sky, as Dragon's Breath, acid, and frost plowed scorched ravines through the insect tide. The Literary Heart Elves' Sword Cultivators and Dwarf assault squads, lying in ambush, moved like ghosts through the shadows of the ruins, precisely sniping those elite Piercers attempting to rally or bypass the defenses.

In the first wave of contact, the insect tide seemed overwhelming, but under Xinghai University's three-dimensional, flexible, and intelligent small-scale resistance, it was successfully delayed, dispersed, and weakened, failing to form a decisive spearhead. It was estimated that the Zerg vanguard lost over fifty thousand units, while Xinghai University, relying on traps and mobile forces, suffered negligible casualties.

Within the temporary communication channel, Lin Zhou calmly reported the preliminary battle situation on the Eastern Front (the main defensive line): "The first retardation zone on the Eastern Front is functioning. The Zerg vanguard is stalled, and the casualty ratio is favorable. It is estimated that the main swarm will make contact with the second main defensive line in 8 minutes. Requesting shared status from other sectors."

After a brief silence, Elios's cold voice rang out, carrying a hint of imperceptible... satisfaction? "The Eternal Divine Court has entered the temple core and activated part of the Ancient Defense Array (Holy Light Barrier). The core area is as solid as a rock. The Zerg have not launched a direct assault on the temple yet, but their corrosive energy is continuously weakening the outer barriers."

The synthesized voice of the Mechanical Divine Domain Academy followed immediately: "Repair progress of the left-wing Psionic Hub's automated defense system is at 87%. The Logical Firepower Net has been initially constructed, successfully repelling three waves of small-scale probing swarms with an efficiency of 99.2%."

The female captain of Phantom Sound Academy spoke with a slightly hurried voice: "The Eye of the Leyline on the right wing is under attack by a large number of flying Zerg units. The stability of the Spiritual Vein is being disrupted, and the deployment of the Mental Barrier is hindered. Requesting support!"

The scarred man from Star Hunter Academy cursed: "Damn it! The perimeter is crawling with bugs! Just slaughtered a few 'Assassins' trying to sneak in, but there are too many bugs; our scouting range is being compressed!"

Elios immediately ordered: "Mechanical Divine Domain, allocate a portion of your logical computing power to remotely assist Phantom Sound Academy in stabilizing the Spiritual Vein nodes and calculating the optimal mental interference frequency. Star Hunter, contract your scouting range and focus on monitoring special units approaching the temple and energy nodes. The Eternal Divine Court will dispatch a Heroic Spirit Squad to assist the right wing in stabilizing its defense."

His commands were clear and swift, demonstrating powerful global control and resource allocation capabilities, which indeed temporarily eased the crisis on the right wing. However, his Orders did not mention the Eastern Front—the main defensive line managed by Xinghai University that was under the most pressure—as if Lin Zhou's report was merely irrelevant background noise.

The main force of the insect tide finally slammed into Xinghai University's second defensive line, built around the Observation Tower base, like a deep purple tsunami!

In an instant, over fifty Mohist Rapid-Deployment Defense Turrets fired simultaneously! [Chain Explosive Bolts] acted like a metal storm, covering a vast area; [Armor-Piercing Concussive Ballistae] precisely sniped the heavy Piercers and Proto-Devourers charging at the front; [Energy Interference Rays] worked hard to disrupt the flickering mental network fluctuations within the swarm.

The combined Spells of the Literary Heart Elves' mage corps also fell violently! [Thorn Fire Rain] ignited patches of purple-red flames within the swarm, carrying burning and piercing effects; [Chain Lightning] jumped through the dense swarm, causing wide-range paralysis and damage; [Slowness Field] and [Mental Interference Mist] continuously weakened the swarm's charging speed and coordination.

Qin Qing's Net of Law expanded fully, as invisible Order power enveloped the main defensive zone, countering the erosion of the Zerg mental network and greatly increasing the Execution of the subordinates within range, making skill releases more stable.

Su Yueyao's Domain of Moonlight Purification was like a clear spring, constantly purifying the Zerg pollution and spores permeating the battlefield, healing the occasional wounded, and maintaining morale and stamina.

The defensive line was like a reef, enduring the impact of crashing waves! Turrets roared, Spells flashed, and the sounds of metal clashing with carapaces, the hissing of Zerg, and the roars of subordinates filled the sky! Zerg corpses piled up at an alarming rate, but the following insect tide seemed endless, stepping over the remains of their kin to frantically assault every part of the line! Turrets began to overheat and break down, the mages' mana was being consumed rapidly, and the Dwarf Warriors had to engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat with bugs that broke through the firepower net!

Xinghai University's defensive line was under unimaginable pressure. Li Mo's monitoring data flashed frantically: "Swarm density has reached its peak! The frontal pressure on the Eastern Front is more than double the total of all other directions! Turret damage rate is 3% per minute! Mana reserves are dropping faster than expected! Special units detected—[Infection Spore Spitter] have appeared! They are polluting the area behind our second defensive line!"

“Qin Qing, concentrate the Law Domain to suppress the infection spore area! Yue Yao, increase the purification intensity! Bronzebeard, take your men up there and plug the gaps! Wen Yuan, have the mage corps rotate their rest to save mana, prioritize low-cost control Spells!” Lin Zhou's voice rang out quickly in their private channel, calmly adjusting the deployment. He simultaneously sent a warning to the temporary general channel: “The Eastern Front is under extreme pressure. Infection spore units have appeared and are polluting the rear of the line. Requesting tactical guidance and... possible support.”

This time, Elios finally gave a clear response, but his words made the hearts of everyone from Xinghai University sink.

“Xinghai University, report your exact casualty data, resource consumption rate, and the real-time pressure coefficients of each node on your line,” Elios's voice remained cold, as if querying a pile of frozen data. “According to the Eternal Divine Court's 'Order Deduction Model,' the Eastern Front's defensive line, under its current configuration, has a theoretical maximum sustainable time of 4 hours and 32 minutes. Currently, your defensive structure has multiple redundancies and inefficient nodes. I require you to immediately adjust your deployment: abandon turret groups three through seven on the left wing of the second line, concentrate firepower on the right wing to form crossfire, and simultaneously retreat the left-wing forces to the perimeter of the Base Fortress to construct a third reserve defensive line. All mage units stop using area-of-effect Spells and switch to precision sniping of elite units that break into the line to save mana. Execute immediately.”

His Orders sounded "reasonable," an "optimization" based on some model. But Lin Zhou saw through its fatal flaws in an instant!

Abandoning part of the turret groups on the left wing? That would immediately create a massive gap in the left-wing defense, and the insect tide would pour in like a burst dam, segmenting and surrounding the entire defensive line! Concentrating firepower on the right wing? With the insect tide pressing in on all fronts, localized firepower enhancement could not offset the reduction in overall defensive area! Mages stopping area-of-effect damage? That would allow the swarm to charge in clusters even more recklessly, overwhelming everything with numbers! And retreating to build a reserve line... under the continuous high pressure of the insect tide, a retreat could easily turn into a rout!

Elios's tactics were entirely based on an "idealized," "static" deduction, using the standards of the Eternal Divine Court's own Heroic Spirit Legion—with its absolute defense and infinite sustainability! He completely ignored the Zerg's characteristics of being "endless, fearless, and crushing with numbers," and he also ignored the actual situation and subordinate traits of Xinghai University's defensive line! This rigid "Order," when facing a chaotic sea of insects, was fatal!

"Captain Elios, there is a serious problem with your Orders!" Lin Zhou responded decisively through the general channel. "The insect swarm's attack is comprehensive; abandoning any section of the defensive line will lead to an overall collapse! Area-of-effect Spells are the key to containing the sea of insects! Retreating at this moment is equivalent to suicide! I request that we maintain the current defensive structure and require mobile forces from other lines for support, to share the pressure, or to harass the rear of the swarm to pin down their forces!"

The temporary communication channel instantly fell silent. The other three teams had all heard Lin Zhou's direct and intense rebuttal.

"Questioning my Orders?" Elios's voice suddenly became even colder, as if it could freeze the Soul. "Lin Zhou, be mindful of your status and authority. My deduction model is based on absolute Order and optimal efficiency; it is the most effective way to deal with this chaotic situation. The reason your line is under such immense pressure is precisely because your 'chaotic' deployment and 'inefficient' tactics have wasted resources and attracted too many Zerg. Execute the Order, or take responsibility for the collapse of the line."

He directly blamed the pressure on the defensive line on Xinghai University's "improper tactics" and once again emphasized his own "authority" and "correctness."

The captain of the Mechanical Divine Domain Academy remained silent, seemingly calculating the pros and cons of the two plans at high speed, but ultimately said nothing, clearly more inclined to obey Elios's "Order." The Phantom Sound Academy and Star Hunter Academy were too startled by the terrifying pressure on the eastern line and the dispute between the two big shots to dare interject.

Su Yueyao's voice sounded on Lin Zhou's private channel, tinged with worry: "Lin Zhou, the swarm is getting denser, and the left-wing Battery Group No. 3 is already overloaded... Should we..."

Qin Qing also sent a message: "The suppression effect of the Law Domain on the Infection Spores is weakening; the spores are multiplying too fast!"

Li Mo reported urgently: "High-energy reactions detected deep within the swarm! It seems the 'Void Devourers' have begun to move forward!"

Internal strife and external threats! The front line was in critical danger, yet the rear command was still at a stalemate!

Lin Zhou's eyes were as sharp as blades. He understood that he could no longer count on Elios to make the correct command based on the actual situation. The other party was blinded by his own "Order model" and arrogance. Continuing the argument would only waste precious time and cause the line to collapse even faster.

"Captain Elios!" Lin Zhou's voice rang out again, this time no longer as a request or argument, but with an unquestionable decisiveness. "The terrain on the eastern line is complex with many ruins, the number of insects far exceeds estimates, and high-threat special units have appeared. Your 'optimization plan' is not applicable here. Forcing its Execution will cause the eastern line to collapse instantly, and the swarm will drive straight in, directly threatening the Temple of the Eternal Flame! At that time, all Order-based deductions will lose their meaning!"

He paused and said resolutely, "Given the current situation, I propose in my capacity as the captain of Xinghai University and the actual commander of the eastern line: on the premise of ensuring smooth communication and information sharing across the entire defensive line, each sector commander shall have the highest authority to make immediate decisions and tactical adjustments based on the actual situation of their own line! The Commander-in-Chief shall be responsible for coordinating overall resources, responding to strategic threats, and final arbitration. I will take full responsibility for the eastern line's defense, prioritizing holding the line and taking all necessary measures. If other lines have needs, they can also raise them in the general channel, and we will negotiate support."

These words were equivalent to a disguised division of Elios's absolute command! Tactical decision-making power was being decentralized to the commanders of each sector!

"Absurd!" Elios's voice carried clear anger for the first time, though it remained cold. "Decentralizing command will only lead to Chaos and inefficiency! Lin Zhou, you are undermining the team's Order and integrity! I will never allow it!"

"Allow?" Lin Zhou did not back down, his voice resonant. "Captain Elios, we are on a battlefield now, facing a swarm that wants to devour everything! The top priority is survival and completing the mission, not maintaining someone's absolute authority or some rigid Order! My line is bleeding, and warriors are falling every second! I don't have time to wait for an Order that is detached from reality! If my line collapses and the swarm submerges the east, can your 'Order' and 'model' still protect the Temple?"

He directly pointed out the most brutal reality: if the eastern line broke, the entire situation would be in peril! And Elios's Orders were pushing the eastern line toward the brink of collapse!

The communication channel was deathly silent. Phantom Sound Academy and Star Hunter Academy were frightened by the dire consequences Lin Zhou described. The captain of the Mechanical Divine Domain Academy also stopped his calculations, seemingly re-evaluating.

Elios fell silent, but the cold anger and pressure emanating through the channel were almost tangible, making it hard for the other teams to breathe.

A few seconds later, Elios's cold voice rang out again, every word seemingly squeezed from between his teeth: "Very well, Lin Zhou. Since you are so confident, then it shall be as you wish. You shall be 'fully responsible' for the eastern line's defense. But remember, if the eastern line is lost due to your 'arbitrary actions,' or if irreparable damage is caused to the entire defensive line, you will bear full responsibility! The Eternal Divine Court will not provide any additional support to the eastern line; you must rely on yourselves to hold it! Other lines, continue to act according to my instructions!"

He finally made a compromise, but in the coldest and most divisive way—he abandoned the eastern line! Xinghai University was completely isolated!

"Fine," Lin Zhou accepted without hesitation, as if a heavy shackle had been removed. "Xinghai University will hold the eastern line. And please, Captain Elios, hold the other lines and the Temple."

The link in the communication channel seemed to warp slightly due to the intense clash of wills. A dispute over command power was temporarily settled in this manner of "splitting the household."

Elios no longer paid attention to the eastern line and began to command the other three routes in more detail. Lin Zhou, meanwhile, completely withdrew his focus back to the eastern line.

"Did you hear that?" Lin Zhou's voice sounded in Xinghai University's internal channel, filled with infinite power despite its calmness. "From now on, there is only us on the eastern line. No reinforcements, no retreat. But we have each other, we have the wisdom of the Hundred Schools, and we have the Fire of Civilization. The swarm wants to get past us? Then let them pay in blood!"

"Qin Qing, contract the Law Domain, concentrate your power to purify the infection core area, and apply 'Imprisonment' and 'Judgment' at key passages!"

"Yue Yao, fully deploy your Moonlight to heal the seriously injured and purify contamination, and use the 'Spear of Moonlight' to prioritize sniping those Infection Spore Spitter!"

"Li Mo, analyze the swarm's attack wave patterns and weak points, and guide the artillery and Spells for the most efficient coverage! At the same time, calculate the base's energy circuits and try to use the collected crystal fragments to temporarily construct a small-scale 'Energy Deflection Barrier,' focusing on defending against the rule-based attacks that the 'Void Devourers' might launch!"

"Bronzebeard, Wen Yuan, Elder Qing Ye, Zhao Hao... all combat units, hold your ground! Our line will not retreat a single step!"

The Orders were clear and decisive, striking at the key points. He abandoned unrealistic "global optimization" and focused on solving the most pressing threats at hand.

Under Lin Zhou's personal command and flexible adjustments, although Xinghai University's defensive line still bore terrifying pressure, with batteries being destroyed and personnel suffering casualties, it was like a spring compressed to its limit, bursting with incredible resilience and power! Every impact of the swarm was neutralized with higher efficiency, and every special unit that appeared was quickly focused down or dealt with specifically.

The bloody battle on the eastern line entered its most tragic phase, but also the phase that best demonstrated Xinghai University's independent combat capabilities.

Meanwhile, the other lines, under Elios's "absolute Order" command, temporarily stabilized their positions. However, that rigid and inflexible mode began to show a hint of hidden concern when facing the increasingly cunning Zerg and their new variants.

The struggle for command power ended with the de facto "separate rule" of the eastern and western lines.

But the real test—who could better hold their line and who could contribute more to the overall mission—had only just begun.

The screeching of the insect swarm became the background noise for this silent contest.