88: Adrian's request

The next morning, inside the Mage Tower’s war room.

On the gigantic holographic projection, countless light dots were dynamically reorganizing, outlining a brand-new organizational blueprint for intelligent robots and human soldiers fighting in synergy.

According to Brian’s set ratio of 10:1, human soldiers and intelligent robots were integrated into the same smallest tactical unit, interlocking tightly like gears.

After initial rune modifications and data infusion, the intelligent robots were now able to perfectly understand and execute complex voice commands, communicating with humans seamlessly.

On the vast simulated training ground, the synergistic effect began to manifest:

"Attention! Feint on the left flank, outflank on the right!"

A human centurion’s command had barely fallen when the robot centurions under his command almost instantly adjusted their units into an offensive formation, their swift reaction drawing glances from the veteran observers.

What surprised and even somewhat embarrassed the human soldiers was that these steel constructs could not only precisely execute orders but also, based on real-time battlefield data, predict enemy movements to a certain extent… Some ambitious junior officers began to proactively seek advice from their robot "comrades."

They discovered that within these cold constructs, there seemed to be a vast tactical library.

"They know more than the most demanding instructors at the Military Academy."

A human decurion said to his companion, wiping his beloved greatsword, "Last night, I asked the 'metalhead' assigned to me about the key points of a flank attack, and it managed to explain it clearly to me using classic battle examples from three different eras."

Brian sat silently before the control panel.

His deep gaze swept across the increasingly formed, three-dimensional, and efficient operational network on the projection, like an artist admiring his masterpiece in progress.

On the training ground,

A thousand instructor-type robots acted as tireless and perfect teachers, guiding soldiers through various tactical drills in each training area.

Meanwhile, five thousand-man combat robot teams were conducting practical human-machine cooperative drills with Blizzard Fortress’s fifty thousand human defenders.

Driven by the embedded basic command module, the robots displayed a level of coordination that exceeded everyone’s expectations:

When human soldiers instinctively hesitated due to complex terrain, the robots had already, through clear voice commands, prompted the squad to adjust to the optimal formation.

When human commanders needed time to think due to sudden changes in battlefield conditions, the robot backend had instantaneously generated several data-simulated response plans for them to choose from.

During a high-intensity simulated confrontation drill:

"Attention! Area three has detected high-intensity magic attack coverage!" The human centurion’s warning still echoed.

The robot units under his command had already activated, energy shields instantly deploying, forming a shimmering energy barrier in front of the team.

At the same time, all robot magic guns simultaneously turned, aiming at the source of the threat for precise counter-suppression fire.

Subsequent data analysis showed that the robots’ overall reaction speed was, on average, 0.3 seconds faster than that of human soldiers.

This seemingly insignificant split second, on a rapidly changing battlefield, often meant the chasm between life and death.

In another simulated ambush battle, a mixed thousand-man team was surrounded.

The accompanying robots completed enemy identification, firepower allocation, escape route calculation, and tactical adjustments within 0.5 seconds.

And while the human commander was just confirming his position on the electronic map, a complete escape plan had already appeared on his tactical eyepiece... Brian stared at the constantly flickering data stream on one side of the projection.

The data showed that in the last ten large-scale drills, human soldiers’ reliance on data and suggestions provided by robots for tactical decision-making and battlefield response had quietly climbed from an initial 35% to 62%.

"All of this is still just a carefully designed drill," Brian murmured, his slender fingers unconsciously tapping on the control panel, the rhythm perfectly matching the data pulse frequency generated by the robots' movements in the projection.

On the surface, this was perfect human-machine synergy;

But in reality, the rhythm and logic of the entire system were being subtly guided towards an efficient model centered around robots.

The boundaries between human soldiers’ intuition and experience, and the robots’ cold calculation and efficiency, were gradually blurring through daily interaction.

The future battlefield scenario dominated by data and algorithms might arrive earlier than anyone anticipated.

"Spirit Eye, progress is even smoother than we expected." A satisfied curve appeared at the corner of Brian’s mouth.

"Master, then should we proceed with the next step of the plan?" Spirit Eye’s image flickered excitedly nearby.

"No, the time is not yet ripe." Brian shook his head steadily, "The seed of trust has just sprouted; it needs more sunshine and rain to take deeper root. Once they can't do without these reliable 'partners,' they will make the request themselves. We possess the most valuable capital – time."

Spirit Eye tilted her small head, her cat ear ornaments gently swaying with the movement. She asked with a hint of innocent confusion:

"Then how much longer do you think we need to wait, Master? Humans can be very stubborn sometimes; what if they never think of it?"

Brian was amused by her expression and gently tapped her nose with his finger:

"Be patient. This small 'sweetener' is not enough for them to completely let go of their guard against the unknown and their inherent pride."

"Hmm... Alright. So, Master, what should we focus on next?" Spirit Eye blinked her big blue eyes, full of curiosity.

Brian stood up and walked to the holographic projection, his gaze seemingly penetrating the data, seeing a more distant future:

"Let the instructor-type robots begin to teach higher-level tactical theories and battle analysis to those officers and soldiers who show potential. We must use undeniable 'value' to continuously increase our leverage in their hearts."

Spirit Eye nodded vigorously, though she seemed to only half-understand: "Understood, Master! Then... if there's nothing else, Spirit Eye will go play with Vera for a bit, okay?"

"Go ahead."

With permission granted, Spirit Eye’s figure instantly blurred, teleporting to the vibrant magic plant cultivation layer.

Time flew by, and more than ten days passed in a blink.

Today,

Brian was analyzing an ancient rune structure when he received an instant message from Spirit Eye:

"Master, Commander Adrian’s carriage has appeared at the city gate again."

"Understood. Come with me to meet him."

When Brian and Spirit Eye teleported to the lord’s manor reception hall, Adrian was already waiting there.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries,

Adrian immediately stated his purpose, his tone more earnest than before:

"Your Excellency Brian, I have come this time hoping you can send more instructor-type robots to Military City to assist us in comprehensively deepening the professional skills training of our soldiers."

Brian raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, a flicker of a successful plan in his eyes, but he did not immediately agree. Instead, he showed a hint of difficulty and slowly spoke:

"Your Excellency Commander, dispatching more robots is not difficult in itself. It’s just that..."

He paused at just the right moment, creating an impression of deliberation,

"You should know that the manufacturing and knowledge infusion of each instructor-type robot require a considerable amount of magic materials and energy. If we were to dispatch them on a large scale, I’m afraid I would need to readjust the current production and resource allocation plans, which could very likely affect the equipment maintenance and upgrade progress here at Blizzard Fortress."

Adrian fell into brief thought after hearing this.

He recalled the revolutionary efficiency improvements brought by those robot instructors on the Military City training grounds, and his gaze immediately became firm:

"The difficulties regarding resources can be jointly borne by the allied forces. As long as it can effectively enhance the combat literacy of all officers and soldiers, these investments are undoubtedly worthwhile!"

Brian nodded gently, acknowledging the "sincerity" Adrian displayed, but his tone remained cautious:

"Since Your Excellency Commander is so determined, then I naturally cannot be too rigid. However, the specific number of additional robots, the handover process, and the subsequent training outline still require us to jointly formulate a detailed plan."

"Of course! All details can be discussed together." Adrian responded immediately.

A faint, knowing smile finally appeared at the corner of Brian’s mouth: "In that case... very good."

The reason Brian dared to put on airs at this moment and engage in this subtle political game was due to the precise intelligence continuously provided by Spirit Eye:

"Within Military City, instructor-type intelligent robots, with their tireless rigor, vast knowledge reserves, and millisecond-precise demonstrations, have established extremely high prestige among officers and soldiers of all ranks. Several high-ranking generals have, in private settings, highly praised their training effectiveness, considering it a 'shortcut' to rapidly improve army quality."

Next, the two delved into details such as the specific number of additional robots, forms of resource compensation, and deployment timeline, eventually reaching a preliminary consensus.

However, until the end of the meeting,

Adrian did not mention a single word about the core issue of promoting "human-machine cooperative combat" in Military City.

Brian knew full well that there were two reasons behind this:

Firstly, the superficial reason: The decision-makers in Military City had not yet personally witnessed the revolutionary combat power enhancement brought by mixed human-machine forces in a real combat environment. They currently only understood the concept through reports and numbers, lacking a sufficiently shocking and intuitive victory to dispel all doubts.

Secondly, the deeper reason: The high-ranking officials in Military City, especially those from the Southern Kingdom factions, still harbored deep-seated apprehension and vigilance towards him, a mage of mysterious origin who wielded advanced power.

But Brian felt no anxiety at all.

He understood that,

To completely break down this final barrier, a sufficiently significant and undeniable opportunity was needed.

And this opportunity, as Spirit Eye had foreshadowed in a intelligence briefing a few days prior, was quietly brewing in the snow and wind of the Azure Wolf Continent and would soon arrive.