87: Death substitute system

Several days later, Commander Adrian's carriage, escorted by a squad of elite knights, slowly drove into Brian's outpost city.

At this moment, Brian was suspended in the center of the circular archives on the top floor of the Mage Tower, with several automatically turning ancient parchment scrolls floating around him, and a faint blue arcane dust swirling at his fingertips.

Spirit Eye and Vera were nestled by a 'small mountain' of stacked archives not far away, Spirit Eye's sensitive cat ears twitching slightly with the rustling of book pages.

"Master!" Spirit Eye suddenly transformed into a silver streak of light, instantly pouncing beside Brian, her voice joyful, "Commander Adrian's entourage has arrived at the city gates!"

Since being able to use magic freely, she had become increasingly lively and active.

Brian casually closed the heavy "Astral Grimoire," a knowing smile playing at the corner of his lips:

"What is meant to come will always come. It seems this game of chess is about to enter the mid-game struggle."

His figure moved slightly, landing gracefully on the ground, his black Mage Robe swishing in a clean arc as he turned to walk towards the terrace, flapping in the wind.

Inside the spacious and solemn council hall of the Lord's Mansion, Commander Adrian had been waiting for a moment.

When Brian's figure appeared at the doorway, he immediately rose, greeting him with a perfectly appropriate smile:

"Brian, given your research posture, you must have gained new insights into the path of magic?"

"It's merely perusing the legacies of predecessors, for self-reflection," Brian waved his hand dismissively, dispelling the magical glow that still lingered on a few tomes, his gaze calmly meeting the other's.

"Commander, you have come all this way in person, so there must be something more important than academic discussion?"

Adrian stepped forward, his gaze becoming sharp and sincere, getting straight to the point:

"Your contributions on the battlefield are evident to the entire army—annihilating one hundred thousand orcs with thunderous might, single-handedly reshaping Blizzard Fortress, and healing countless wounded with a compassionate heart. For this, after careful deliberation by the Allied Forces' Supreme Command, we wish to confer upon you the title of 'Honorary General of Military City' and sincerely invite you to serve as the chief military advisor to the Allied Forces."

Brian's fingertips tapped rhythmically on the smooth tabletop, producing a crisp clicking sound:

"An honorary title, for which I am grateful. However, the responsibilities and scope of authority of this chief military advisor..."

"Please rest assured," Adrian pressed his hands on the edge of the central military sand table, leaning forward, his tone firm,

"Tactical recommendations will be guided by your judgment; all magic support missions will be entirely at your discretion. However, core decision-making powers concerning the overall strategic movements of the army and troop deployments, according to tradition, still require joint resolution by the Allied Forces' Command. After all, we share a common and singular goal..."

"—to thoroughly repel the orcs," Brian smoothly interjected, a subtle glint flashing in his eyes.

"I accept this arrangement. But I hope that my suggestions will receive due and full consideration within the Command."

"That is inevitable!" Adrian solemnly promised, "Every strategic or tactical suggestion of yours will be sent directly to the core council hall of the Command via a dedicated channel."

Just then,

the little fairy Vera suddenly peeked her head out from behind the thick velvet curtains,

with cake crumbs still clinging to her golden hair,

her mouth bulging with a piece of honey cake, mumbling indistinctly:

"Wow! So our Master will be a big shot in Military City now! Does that mean the supply of desserts can be unlimited from now on?"

Brian chuckled, reaching out to gently flick Vera's smooth forehead: "Little rascal, the adults are discussing serious matters, don't mess around here."

He then turned to Adrian with a slightly apologetic smile, "Please excuse the Commander."

"No matter, a meritorious official deserves special honor," Adrian said, unconcerned, and instead took out a crystal seal from the sleeve pocket of his Mage Robe, carved with complex patterns and shimmering with flowing light inside.

"This is the advisor's exclusive highest-authority communication crystal. Through it, you can directly contact any frontline commander, or even my command center, at any time."

Next, the two engaged in an in-depth discussion about Military City's future defense planning, material allocation, and other matters.

During the discussion, Brian casually mentioned:

"Speaking of which, Blizzard Fortress's current defense system is impregnable, but perhaps... we could try some innovative approaches in combat modes? For example, introducing intelligent robots for more in-depth collaborative combat?"

"You mean those... powerful magical constructs?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, showing interest.

"Currently, it's just a concept that can be tested on a small scale," Brian's fingertips lightly traced the area on the sand table symbolizing Blizzard Fortress.

"After all, there are now ninety thousand troops permanently stationed in the fortress. If we can draw some elite forces to conduct targeted human-machine collaborative training with my robots, it might greatly enhance the overall combat efficiency during future siege defense and even counterattacks."

Adrian looked at the sand table, nodding thoughtfully: "This proposal... indeed has significant strategic value. However, the specific implementation plan, personnel grouping, training outline..."

"I'll handle these trivial tasks," Brian suddenly stood up, his black Mage Robe billowing behind him like an ink-colored tide with his movement. "After all, when it comes to sustained combat and precise execution in extreme blizzard conditions, my robots have an inherent advantage over human soldiers."

As Adrian's carriage drove away from the outpost city, Brian stood quietly on the Mage Tower's terrace, watching the convoy disappear into the distance.

Spirit Eye flew to his side like a silver streak, bumping into his arms, her small face looking up, her cat eyes full of curiosity:

"Master, I don't quite understand why you only suggested human-machine collaboration in the fortress, but didn't ask to implement it in the more central Military City as well?"

"The art of chess lies in the layout," Brian's fingertips traced a faint, complex rune in the air, then made it vanish into thin air.

"The pieces must be placed one by one, and the situation must be controlled little by little, to steadily win in the end. Only by letting them see with their own eyes and personally experience the real benefits, and then having them propose it themselves, will it be a natural and irresistible path."

"Oh, oh! So that's how it is!" Spirit Eye suddenly understood, then became excited again, "Then... will I be in charge of human-machine collaborative training and combat from now on?"

"Of course," Brian said with a smile, ruffling her hair, his voice full of trust,

"Our Spirit Eye is so capable, so smart, who else would I entrust this important task to if not you?"

With Spirit Eye, his ray of sunshine, chattering beside him, Brian felt his mood also become lighter and more cheerful.

"In this process, you also have an important task," he added, "Collect and analyze data on the training modes, command procedures, and combat habits of human legions. This will be of great help to our subsequent plans."

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Spirit Eye patted her small chest to assure him, but then thought of a key point,

"Oh, right, Master, there's currently a communication barrier between intelligent robots and human legions! They can't understand complex verbal commands, nor can they effectively transmit information back."

Brian pondered for a moment, then quickly came up with a solution: "That's easy. Immediately adjust the robot production line to add a 'Phonetic Magic Formation' module to the inscription Magic Formation sequences of all new and to-be-modified models. That way, they should be able to simulate human voices for basic communication."

"Oh, like that! Okay! I'll go arrange the production line upgrade right away!" Spirit Eye immediately noted it down.

"Wait!" Brian suddenly called out to her again, seemingly having thought of something deeper.

"You also organize the development of a miniaturized data interaction and display device. I plan to specifically modify a portion of the robots produced later into instructor types. They will need to be input with systematic military theory, drill manuals, tactical regulations, and other content."

"Master, that's absolutely no problem!" Spirit Eye was full of confidence, "The relevant knowledge base and data transfer protocols are all readily available in my database; I just need to integrate them!"

Brian slapped his forehead, laughing: "Look at my memory, I almost forgot that our Spirit Eye herself is the strongest knowledge base and processor!"

"However, Master, if we are to deploy instructor robots in batches, I suggest adding a miniaturized optical display Magic Formation to the core armor on their left chest, directly connected to the robot's main database."

Spirit Eye drew inferences from one instance, offering an optimization suggestion, "This way, it can display the robot's model, serial number, mission status, and other basic information in real-time, allowing people to identify its function at a glance."

"Spirit Eye is so smart! That's a brilliant idea!" Brian's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in surprise, then affectionately ruffled Spirit Eye's fluffy cat ear ornaments.

"This will greatly improve the recognizability of robot types! Do you have a specific concept for the production line and existing robot modification plans?"

"Yes, Master," Spirit Eye nodded vigorously, a data stream flashing across her eyes.

"The plan is very clear: inscribe that miniature display Magic Formation at the designated position on the left chest, and then connect it directly to the robot's intelligence core via an internal energy circuit, allowing for real-time updating of display information."

"Excellent! Then proceed with this plan," Brian ordered decisively.

"You are fully responsible for the modification and upgrade of the production line. At the same time, arrange for existing robots to return to the factory in batches for adaptive modifications one by one."

"Received! I guarantee mission completion, Master!"

Time quietly passed amidst the intensive modification work.

Two days later, when Spirit Eye was once again accompanying Brian in the archives, she proposed a new suggestion:

"Master, all of our robot legions have completed their basic modifications. For easier management and command, shouldn't we establish a clearer hierarchical command system?"

"Hmm..." Brian looked up from his book, pondering for a moment, "Indeed, it's necessary. How about this: organize our existing three hundred thousand robots into basic combat units of one hundred thousand each, formally establishing the First, Second, and Third Legions."

He put down his book and elaborated on his concept:

"Each legion will have one Legion Commander and two Deputy Legion Commanders, and will be divided into ten standard regiments. The Legion Commander and Deputy Legion Commanders will each be assigned a direct guard regiment, responsible for their safety and special missions. Each Regimental Commander will command a ten-thousand-robot combat unit."

"Below the regimental level, there will be Chiliarchs, Centurions, and Decurions, each commanding a corresponding number of robots."

"At the same time, a battlefield death replacement system will be adopted. That is, if a Legion Commander is lost in battle, the First Deputy Legion Commander will immediately and automatically take over command of the entire army, and so on down the ranks, ensuring that the chain of command is never broken under any circumstances."

"Hmm, for now, let's plan it this way." After speaking, Brian looked gently at Spirit Eye, "Spirit Eye, what do you think of this organizational plan? Is there anything else that needs to be added?"

"Master, I think it's very complete, there's nothing that needs to be added!" Spirit Eye wagged her tail excitedly.

"Hmm, oh, there's still a crucial step," Brian added,

"Instill standardized tactical command knowledge modules into all combat units. Additionally, allocate ten thousand robots from the most recently produced new batch, specifically designating them as instructor-type robots and loading them with corresponding training databases."

"Okay, Master!... Wait," Spirit Eye had just agreed, then showed a hint of confusion,

"Why instill command modules in all combat units? Wouldn't it be enough to only instill them in the various levels of commanders?"

Brian smiled and patiently explained: "This is precisely to perfectly execute the 'death replacement system.'"

"Gradual replacement means that on an intense battlefield, any basic combat unit might instantly need to take on the responsibility of commanding adjacent units."

"If they don't have basic command knowledge and a holistic perspective, once they need to step in, they will fall into chaos and be unable to effectively take over command. What we want is an army that, even if scattered, can autonomously reorganize and continue fighting."

"Oh, oh! I understand!" Spirit Eye suddenly realized, "It's about training every soldier as a potential officer! Master is far-sighted!"

"Good! It's good that you understand. Go do it!"