380: Chapter 315: Joint Command, Five Teams Demonstrate Their Power

On the third day, before dawn, at the darkest hour, the battle on the outer perimeter of the Temple of the Eternal Flame had not ceased throughout the night.

The shrieks of the Bug Tide and the roar of energy explosions blended into an endless symphony of death.

The air was thick with the scent of burning, corrosion, and a faint, bloody stench, along with that omnipresent, icy pressure of calculation originating from the Mother Empress.

However, unlike the chaos and near-collapse of the previous two days, the defensive line today faintly exuded a completely different atmosphere—a sense of resilience that was gradually shifting from fighting individually and being riddled with loopholes to orderly coordination and mutual support.

This change began after Elios visited Lin Zhou last night.

The Spirit Army of the Eternal Divine Court remained the most dazzling golden defensive line.

But a careful observer could see that their battle formation was no longer as rigid and uniform as before, as if they were precise but stiff clockwork gears.

When the Bug Tide charged a section of the line in a dense 'Rolling Ball' formation (a large number of low-level bugs clustering and rolling to charge, using numbers and inertia to break through), the stationed [Spirit Heavy Guards] squad did not mechanically maintain a standard circular formation to hold the line.

Under the command of their commander (mostly [Spirit Centurions], elite units, Rank LV48-LV52, possessing tactical command skills), several squads on the flanks suddenly performed small-scale, rapid maneuvers to retreat.

This retreat seemingly opened up part of the front, but it cleverly lured the surging 'Rolling Ball' Bug Tide into a pre-set crossfire network composed of several newly repaired [MK-IV Automatic Turrets] (provided by the Mechanical Divine Domain, standard range 2.5 km, rate of fire 30 rounds/minute, armor-piercing warheads).

At the same time, the [Spirit Sharpshooters] (elite units, Rank LV45-LV50, ranged physical attacks, with minor armor-piercing and holy damage) in the rear did not focus fire on the front-row bugs, but instead, according to a new attack priority list, prioritized sniping the few [Acid Burst Bugs] (Rank LV42, trait: self-destruct upon death, splashing acidic liquid, highly corrosive to buildings and shields) mixed within the Bug Tide.

When the 'Rolling Ball' formation was scattered by the crossfire and fell into brief chaos, the previously retreating Spirit Heavy Guards squad snapped back like a spring, launching a fierce counterattack in coordination with the [Spirit Rangers] (high-speed mobile units, Rank LV46-LV49, skilled in charging and flanking) cutting in from the sides, cleanly wiping out this part of the Bug Tide.

This tactic of 'elastic defense, luring the enemy in, and focused elimination,' while still a bit raw, and with the reaction of the command chain being slightly slower than Lin Zhou's Hundred Schools army (information transmission and instruction Execution delay of about 1.2 seconds), significantly optimized the combat loss ratio compared to the previous head-on war of attrition.

According to the simple tactical assessment model Elios built overnight, the defense efficiency of this section of the line improved by about 18%, and the combat loss per unit of time decreased by about 25%.

More importantly, this change was captured by other keen commanders on the battlefield.

The captain of the Phantom Sound Academy, the leader of the Spirit Sound Singers with an ethereal voice and graceful figure—Evelyn (hero unit, Rank LV155, divine office [Spirit Sound], kin: Spirit Sound Singers, Phantom Sound Spirits), after stabilizing a space unsettled by violent explosions with another [Requiem · Soul-Peace], sent an inquiry to Elios through the spirit link: "Elios, your spirits... their combat rhythm has changed. More flexible, but also more effective. Is it that Lin Zhou's suggestion?"

The captain of the Star Hunter Academy, Rain (hero unit, Rank LV160, divine office [Hunting], kin: Shadow Hunters, Tracking Masters), who had just precisely sniped a [Flying Cutter] (Rank LV50, high speed, possessing armor-piercing claws) attempting to infiltrate from high altitude with a super-long-range [Star-Slaying Arrow] (special attack against elite/hero units, with 'weakness insight' effect), also cast a silent, attentive gaze.

His kin were better at individual hunting and small-scale special operations, and were equally sensitive to global tactical changes.

The captain of the Mechanical Divine Domain, Kevin · Blade of Logic (hero unit, Rank LV162, divine office [Logic], kin: various mechanical units), although still in the predicament of a damaged Divine Kingdom with most core computing power used to counter residual viruses and maintain basic operation of the psionic hub, his dispatched mechanical reconnaissance units (micro-drones) also faithfully recorded the tactical changes of the Eternal Army and performed preliminary logical analysis, the conclusion showing: this change pattern could effectively cope with about 37.5% of the current Bug Tide's known attack patterns and possessed the adaptability potential to deal with about 15% of unknown patterns.

In the darkest moment before dawn, when the Bug Tide launched a particularly fierce, multi-axis coordinated attack mixed with various units, the gap between fighting individually and initial coordination was magnified to the extreme.

The Bug Tide split into three routes: the left route was dominated by a large number of [Burrow Piercers] (Rank LV48, skilled in underground digging and raids), attempting to bypass the front line and break in from a geologically weak point on the side/rear of the temple; the middle route remained a frontal assault, but mixed with a large number of new [Energy Absorption Bugs] (Rank LV52, trait: absorb and reflect part of energy attacks for a short time, physically weak); the right route saw several [Void Weavers] (Rank LV55, elite, trait: create small-scale spatial folds, interfere with ranged attacks and communications, and deploy small bug swarms).

The Eternal Divine Court's Spirit Army bore the pressure of the middle route, and Elios tried to apply the new formation-shifting concept, ordering the Heavy Guards line to retreat to lure the enemy, while mobilizing Rangers and Sharpshooters to prioritize clearing the Energy Absorption Bugs.

The tactic was effective, but facing the suddenly joined Void Weavers that could create spatial interference, the Spirit Army's ranged firepower was significantly affected, and the clearing speed was not as expected, causing some Energy Absorption Bugs to successfully get close to the defensive line, absorb several waves of holy attacks, and reflect them back, causing unexpected casualties and instability in the defensive line.

The Burrow Piercers on the left were discovered by [Earth Tremor Sensing Runes] pre-placed by the Shadow Hunters of the Star Hunter Academy.

Rain immediately dispatched an elite hunting squad to intercept them, but they were better at sniping high-value targets; facing the numerous, scattered digging bug swarms, the clearing speed was not fast enough to completely stop them from approaching the side/rear of the temple.

The Void Weavers on the right severely interfered with the Phantom Sound Academy's transmission of spirit sounds and the remaining remote turrets of the Mechanical Divine Domain.

Evelyn's Spirit Sound purification range was compressed, and the hit rate of Kevin's turrets plummeted.

For a time, dangers appeared on all three routes! Although it had not yet collapsed, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the defensive line was breached at multiple points.

And once one point was breached, with the Mother Empress's computing power, it would immediately tear this point into a fatal gap.

Just when Elios was sweating on his forehead, urgently adjusting the middle route tactics, trying to draw up reserves to fill potential gaps; Rain was considering whether to risk using more core hunters to clear the left route; Evelyn and Kevin were struggling to counter the interference on the right—

A calm, clear voice, seemingly carrying a strange stabilizing power, sounded simultaneously in the spirit link of the four captains, as well as the core members of Lin Zhou's own team (Su Yueyao, Qin Qing, Li Mo remotely connected).

This link was not the previously public battlefield channel, but an encrypted, high-efficiency command link temporarily built by the Eternal Divine Court after Elios left last night, with lower latency and stronger confidentiality, which now quietly connected Lin Zhou to the core layer.

"Captain Elios, the Void Weaver interference on the middle route has a higher priority than the Energy Absorption Bugs. Please Order your [Spirit Breakers] (rare unit, Rank LV50-LV53, possessing [Holy Dispel] skill, effective against abnormal states like space, curses, etc.) to concentrate fire, and coordinate with Qin Qing's Law Lock (can briefly stabilize local spatial rules) to first clear or at least suppress the Weavers. The Energy Absorption Bugs will be handled by my Star Sea Society's Mohist Mechanisms (non-living entities, mainly pure physical/kinetic attacks) and Wang Meng's Behemoth Assault Squad."

"Captain Rain, the digging speed of the Burrow Piercers on the left is about 3.5 meters per second, and it is currently 420 meters away from the 'C-7 rock layer' weak point on the side/rear of the temple. There is no need to clear them all; the Star Hunter Academy is skilled in setting deadly traps and obstacles. Please set up [Chain Explosion Traps] and [Deep Solidification Runes] (to delay digging) in the 80-meter area before the 'C-7 rock layer,' forcing the bug swarm to change its path or gather. The changed path will be covered by Su Yueyao's Moonflower Barrier (with slowing and purification effects), and covered by the Mechanical Divine Domain's automatic turrets at the 'B-3 preset turret position.'"

"Captain Evelyn, Captain Kevin, the core of the right-route interference lies in spatial folds. Phantom Sound Academy, please adjust the spirit sound frequency to 'High-Frequency Resonance Mode,' focus attacks on the Weaver main bodies, and interfere with the stability of their spatial manipulation. Mechanical Divine Domain, please temporarily switch the attack mode of the affected turrets to 'Area Coverage Barrage' (sacrificing precision to increase coverage), no need for precise locking, and coordinate with Spirit Sound attacks for suppression. At the same time, I will dispatch some Civilization Elves with [Words as Law (weakened)] ability to reinforce local rules at key nodes, weakening the spatial fold effect."

Lin Zhou's voice was unhurried, like the most precise tactical computer, giving a highly targeted coordination plan after analyzing the battlefield situation on all three routes in an instant.

He not only pointed out the key to the problem but also precisely assigned the tasks that each team was best at and consumed relatively less, and considered the connection and cooperation between tasks.

More importantly, his instructions were based on an in-depth understanding of each party's capabilities—knowing that the Eternal Divine Court had Spirit Breaker units, knowing that the Star Hunters were skilled in trap placement, knowing that the Phantom Sound Academy had different frequency modes, knowing that the mechanical turrets could switch attack modes, and even knowing the precise capability range and cooldown time of Su Yueyao, Qin Qing, and the Civilization Elves under his command!

This insight and coordination ability made the several captains shudder.

Elios did not hesitate and immediately ordered: "Spirit Breaker first and third squadrons, concentrate fire on the second and fourth Void Weavers from the right! Captain Qin Qing, please coordinate with the space lock!"

Qin Qing responded coldly: "Received. Law · Space Lock!" Several pale golden chain phantoms broke through the air, not to attack, but to wrap around the space around those two Weavers, making their folds stagnant and sluggish.

A flash of light appeared in Rain's eyes as he quickly ordered into the communication: "Shadow Hunter second group, immediately go to the 'C-7' front area to set up 'Earth Fire Chain' and 'Rock Solid Rune'. Third group, guide the Moonflower Barrier to cover the 'B-3' area!" He was secretly surprised; did Lin Zhou even seem to know their academy's internal naming habits for trap and rune areas?

Evelyn's ethereal singing immediately changed, transforming from soothing requiem into a sharp and penetrating high-frequency sound wave, precisely piercing towards those few Void Weavers.

Kevin silently executed the Order; in the damaged Mechanical Divine Kingdom, several turrets that could still operate adjusted their firing parameters, and the barrage poured into the interference area like a metal storm.

On Lin Zhou's side, the Orders were issued simultaneously. Dozens of [Mechanical Battle Beast · Formation Breakers] (Rank LV40-LV45, attributes: Strength 55, Agility 60, Physique 50, skills: [Charge Lv.3], [Tearing Claws Lv.3], [Energy Resistance Skin Lv.2]) shaped like tigers and leopards, modified from Mohist Mechanisms and some captured mechanical wreckage, killed their way out from the flanks, fearlessly pouncing on the Energy Absorption Bugs in the middle route; physical claws and kinetic impact were exactly the nemesis of this type of bug.

Wang Meng led a small squad of Behemoth elites (Rank LV48-LV52, Strength attribute can reach 75+ after berserking), like a heavy siege hammer, smashing fiercely into the bug swarm under the cover of the mechanical beasts.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Su Yueyao's moonlight spread like liquid mercury, precisely covering the interception zone preset by the Star Hunters. The slowing and purifying effects within the moonlight made it difficult for the Zerg attempting to cross or change paths. Among the elite Civilization Elves, several Elf Priests (Level 42-45, with prominent Intelligence attributes) who had initially mastered a weakened version of [Words as Law], chanted in unison at a key point on the right flank under Li Mo's remote auxiliary calculations: "Let the space here be restored to its original state!" Although the effect was far inferior to Qin Qing's Law Lock, it acted like stones thrown into turbulent water, creating ripples of stability that further disrupted the Weaver's control.

Synergy was generated instantly!

On the central path, the Void Weaver's spatial folds rapidly weakened and dissipated under the multiple strikes of Holy Dispel, Law Lock, and high-frequency spiritual sounds, causing it to be severely injured. With the interference gone, the Heroic Spirit Legion's long-range firepower was restored, and the Energy Absorption Bugs quickly collapsed under the physical strikes of the Mechanical Beasts and Behemoths. The frontal pressure decreased sharply.

On the left path, the Crypt Piercers were left dazed by a series of traps and slowed by solidifying runes. Forced to change their path, they crashed into the crossfire of the moonlight barrier and mechanical turrets, suffering heavy casualties and neutralizing the threat.

On the right path, under the suppression of high-frequency spiritual sound interference, rule reinforcement, and covering barrage, the Void Weaver was too busy defending itself to maintain its interference, causing the defensive pressure on the Phantom Sound Academy and the Mechanical Divine Domain to drop rapidly.

In less than ten minutes, the three-way coordinated attack that had seemed so dangerous was systematically neutralized. The defense line not only stabilized but became even firmer than before the attack, and the cooperation between the teams grew more seamless due to this successful coordination.

A brief silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the sound of Zerg corpses decomposing and the sizzle of residual energy.

The encrypted command link remained silent for a moment.

Then, Evelyn's ethereal voice spoke first, carrying a hint of heartfelt admiration: "Precise insight, efficient synergy. Captain Lin Zhou, your art of command is truly astonishing."

Renn added briefly: "Star Hunter Academy acknowledges your tactical distribution."

Kevin's voice, with its synthesized electronic texture, also sounded: "Logical analysis shows that the recent synergy command increased overall defensive efficiency by approximately 41.7% and reduced resource consumption by about 28.3%. It was the optimal solution. Mechanical Divine Domain accepts subsequent joint command."

Elios took a deep breath, the golden pupils of his eyes no longer showing any hesitation or pride, only pure recognition of a higher level of commanding talent: "Captain Lin Zhou, as you can see, the initial 'formation change' idea has been effective, but facing the Broodmother's complex coordinated offensive, relying on a single team's response is far from enough. We need a unified brain that can maximize the advantages of our five teams."

He paused, his voice solemn as he proposed word by word: "I, Elios St. Eternal, in the name of the Seventh Heir of the Eternal Divine Court, propose: that Captain Lin Zhou serve as the temporary Commander-in-Chief of our five teams until the end of this 'Fire Watch' task. All teams, including my Eternal Divine Court, will in principle accept Captain Lin Zhou's unified dispatch and coordination during this period. Those who agree, please respond."

There was no hesitation.

"Phantom Sound Academy, agreed." Evelyn.

"Star Hunter Academy, agreed." Renn.

"Mechanical Divine Domain, agreed. Data support provided." Kevin.

"Xinghai University, agreed." Su Yueyao responded on behalf of Lin Zhou's side.

The pressure instantly shifted to Lin Zhou's shoulders. But he did not decline, nor was it a time for modesty. He clearly sensed that as the four captains expressed their agreement, a faint power of rules seemed to bind the five teams more closely together—a manifestation of the temporary command authority being partially recognized by the Will of the Universe (Dungeon Rules).

"Thank you for your trust." Lin Zhou's voice remained steady, yet it held an unquestionable decisiveness. "Time is pressing, so I will skip the pleasantries. I accept the role of temporary Commander-in-Chief and promise to do my utmost to lead everyone in holding out for seven days to complete the task."

He quickly stepped into the role: "First, we need to optimize the joint command system immediately. Captain Elios, please interface the Eternal Divine Court's tactical assessment model and battlefield perception network with the data analysis node established by Li Mo. Captain Kevin, please share the data stream from the Mechanical Divine Domain's remaining reconnaissance units. Captain Evelyn and Captain Renn, please designate specific personnel to establish direct tactical links with our Qin Qing and Su Yueyao to coordinate responses to abnormal statuses and the hunting of special targets."

"Secondly, based on the current battlefield situation and the characteristics of each team, I have drafted the following joint defense core architecture. Please review and supplement it:

1. Eternal Frontline: Centered around the Eternal Divine Court's Heroic Spirit Legion to build the main defensive belt. Focus on leveraging their high defense, discipline, and holy attribute counter advantages to bear the frontal pressure and hold the position. Captain Elios will be responsible for the specific deployment and response of the main defensive belt.

2. Star Sea Crowd Control: Centered around my Xinghai University's Hundred Schools Kin, responsible for global tactical regulation, crisis management, rule confrontation, and filling critical gaps. We will serve as the 'Mobile Reserve' and 'Problem Solvers' on the battlefield.

3. Mechanical Long-range: Centered around the Mechanical Divine Domain's remaining auto-turrets and long-range units to build a fire support network. Focus on leveraging their beyond-visual-range, high-precision, and sustained firepower advantages to handle long-range suppression, clear high-threat cluster targets, and provide covering fire for the main defensive belt. Captain Kevin will be responsible for the coordination and optimization of the fire network.

4. Phantom Sound Support: Centered around the Phantom Sound Academy's Spiritual Sound Singers, responsible for large-scale status buffs, negative effect dispelling, enemy ability interference, and spatial and mental stability in key areas. Captain Evelyn will be responsible for the overall dispatch and connection of auxiliary effects.

5. Star Hunter Guerrilla: Centered around the elite hunters of Star Hunter Academy, responsible for peripheral reconnaissance, penetration into high-risk areas, precise hunting of key enemy nodes (such as command units and special Zerg), and laying traps to delay the swarm's advance. Captain Renn will be responsible for the formulation and Execution of guerrilla tactics.

"The five teams will each perform their duties and rely on one another. The main defensive belt will bear the pressure, the fire network will weaken the swarm, the auxiliary effects will enhance overall resilience, and the guerrilla forces will harass and pin down the enemy, while our side will fill the gaps and handle sudden changes. The final goal is not to eliminate all Zerg—that is impossible—but to ensure that the Temple of the Eternal Flame is absolutely safe within seven days."

A clear architecture, defined duties, and reasonable division of labor. After hearing this, the last traces of doubt in the captains' hearts completely vanished. This was the only way to truly harness the combined strength of the five teams!

"No objections!" Elios was the first to speak.

"Agreed on the architecture." "Seconded." "Logic passed."

Su Yueyao, Qin Qing, and the others naturally had no objections; instead, their eyes sparkled with excitement, as they believed in Lin Zhou's ability.

"Good, then execute immediately!" Lin Zhou ordered decisively. "All units, adjust your deployment according to the new architecture and keep the command links open. Li Mo, activate the [civilization resonator] to attempt to link the command nodes of each team and improve information flow efficiency. Qin Qing, assist in establishing the joint defense rule framework, using Law as the foundation to define basic battlefield public rules and reduce internal friction and friendly fire. Yue Yao, your moonlight purification and insight will serve as a vital part of the battlefield environmental monitoring..."

Orders were issued in an orderly fashion. The five teams, which had been independent and even somewhat estranged, began to operate and mesh at high speed around Lin Zhou, their "brain," like precision components.

The subsequent battle became the touchstone for this new joint defense mode.

The swarm remained surging, and the Broodmother's offensive was still treacherous and ever-changing—sometimes concentrating on a single point to break through, sometimes striking multiple points simultaneously, and sometimes mixing in new types of units with special rule-based attacks.

However, under Lin Zhou's unified dispatch, the five teams displayed astonishing synergy.

When the swarm attempted to overwhelm a section of the Eternal defense line with a "Sea of Banelings" tactic, the Mechanical Divine Domain's fire network would conduct dense covering strikes in advance to reduce their numbers before they could get close; the Phantom Sound Academy's [War Song of Courage] and [Resilient Spiritual Sound] would promptly cover the Heroic Spirits in that section, boosting their morale and defense; the Star Hunter snipers would prioritize clearing the [Explosive Commander Bugs] responsible for guiding and detonating the swarm; and should any bugs slip through the fire network, Star Sea's Mohist Mechanical Beasts or Behemoth assault teams would pounce on them like a fire brigade, forcibly clearing them with physical means.

When the Broodmother sent [Phantom Queen Butterflies] (Level 58, Elite), which specialized in mental pollution and hallucinations, to disrupt the rear Phantom Sound Academy and Mechanical Divine Domain, Qin Qing's Law Domain would immediately unfold, defining "mental illusions" as illegal and weakening their effects. Su Yueyao's moonlight purification would follow closely to dispel the pollution. Simultaneously, Lin Zhou commanded the Confucian Scholars among the Civilization Elves to chant passages imbued with Vast Righteous Qi, forming a mental protective barrier, while the Star Hunter Shadow Hunters used their high Willpower attributes to forcibly charge in and hunt down the Queen Butterflies themselves.

When the swarm utilized its numerical advantage to launch feints from multiple directions to divert and scatter the defensive forces, Lin Zhou, sitting at the center, relied on the global data stream integrated by Li Mo (with information latency optimized to 0.3 seconds and a tactical synchronization rate of 85%) to always quickly judge the main attack and feint directions. He precisely deployed troops and even intentionally exposed "flaws" to lure the Zerg in, only to use preset traps and mobile forces for a counter-encirclement annihilation.

The advantages of the five teams were utilized to the fullest, while their weaknesses were perfectly compensated for by their teammates. The defense line was no longer a rigid dam, but had become a resilient, organic whole that constantly self-adjusted and countered.

By the afternoon of the third day, when yet another large-scale mixed swarm was repelled and the battle line even advanced slightly by dozens of meters as they cleared the Zerg corpses and obstacles at the front, all participants clearly felt an unprecedented sense of stability.

Even the dungeon space itself seemed to provide feedback to this.

[Prompt: The coordinated combat of the five participating teams has reached a new height. The joint defense formation has received initial recognition from the Will of the Universe (Dungeon Rules).]

[Joint defense formation rating generating...]

[Rating complete: Current joint defense formation rating—S-Rank!]

[Formation Effects:]

1. Overall defense strength increased by 35% (based on the stacking of each team's base defense and synergy bonuses).

2. Battlefield information sharing efficiency increased by 50%, and command latency reduced by 60%.

3. When each team's exclusive skills are released within the formation, there is a 15% chance to trigger "Synergy Resonance," increasing the effect by 10%-30%.

4. When dealing damage to Zerg units, an additional 5% "Order" damage is added (highly effective against Zerg of the Chaos alignment).

5. Overall advancement speed of the swarm reduced by 50% (due to formation rule suppression and efficient interception).

An S-Rank formation rating!

The swarm's advancement speed was halved!

Seeing this prompt, even someone as cold as Elios couldn't help but have a flash of excitement in his eyes. Evelyn's ethereal singing became a bit more high-spirited, Renn's hand gripping his longbow relaxed slightly, and Kevin's logic core sent out a faint ripple representing "efficiency maximization satisfaction."

Su Yueyao and Qin Qing looked at each other and smiled, their gazes toward the tall figure in front filled with pride and trust. Li Mo excitedly reported the optimization of various data indicators from his remote position.

Lin Zhou let out a soft breath, feeling the extra load on his Godhead from serving as Commander-in-Chief, as well as the subtle resonance between the Temple of Civilization and this joint formation. He knew that this S-Rank rating was the result of everyone's joint efforts and a confirmation of his command.

But the joy was but a fleeting moment. He cast his gaze deep into the swarm, where the Broodmother's will remained cold, vast, and unfathomable. It would never sit idly by and watch the defense line become so stable; the next counterattack would surely be even more lethal.

"Do not slacken," Lin Zhou's voice sounded through the command link, calm as ever. "The Broodmother is recalculating. I'm afraid the true test is coming soon. All teams, prepare for a high-intensity impact according to the S-Rank formation defense plan. Star Hunters, strengthen your depth reconnaissance; I need to know the latest movements of the Broodmother's main body."

"Yes!" came the uniform response, filled with unprecedented confidence and cohesion.

The five teams were unified, and the S-formation was set.

Behind the now impregnable defense line, an even fiercer storm was brewing.