89: Human-machine collaborative advancement

Days later, the opportunity Brian had foreseen and anticipated arrived with a roar, carried by the northern winds and the sound of war drums.

An urgent battle report was delivered to the Allied high command at the fastest possible speed:

The Orc race had fully mobilized a half-million-strong army, establishing continuous encampments three hundred miles outside Blizzard Fortress. War clouds gathered, and a new round of fierce attacks was imminent.

Fortunately, the true elite, their trump card, numbered approximately two hundred thousand.

But!

Even more troublesome intelligence caused all the generals' hearts to sink: the Orcs had deployed their secret weapon this time—War Beasts.

These behemoths, like small mountains, had skin as tough as composite armor, and ordinary magic attacks bounced off them like mere scratches.

Preliminary estimates suggested that each War Beast could withstand at least ten direct hits from Dragon Crystal Cannons without falling.

And five such monsters had appeared this time!

“Look, this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for!”

Brian stood before the holographic sand table in the Mage Tower’s War Room, his fingertips precisely tracing the areas representing the Orc legions and the five giant red dots. A slight, irrepressible smile played on his lips.

“Right now, Commander Adrian and his colleagues in their conference room are probably shrouded in gloom.”

Just as he expected, the atmosphere in the Allied high command conference room was so heavy it could almost drip water.

“Five War Beasts are five mobile, attacking super fortresses! Our conventional methods are extremely limited against them. We must devise an unconventional tactic!” Clemence, the Quartermaster General, broke the silence, his brows tightly furrowed.

“Indeed,” Franco, the Commander of Blizzard Fortress, said with worry in his voice, “Ordinary magic and crossbows can’t even penetrate their hides. This battle… will be too difficult.”

Everyone spoke over each other, arguing incessantly but unable to propose a solution that offered any hope.

At this moment, Commander Adrian’s gaze swept across the room, finally settling on an empty seat.

“Gentlemen, perhaps… we should hear Lord Brian’s opinion. Please invite him to the meeting immediately!”

This suggestion was immediately approved by all the generals.

Soon, Brian, accompanied by Spirit Eye, walked calmly into the anxious conference room.

He surveyed the grim-faced generals and asked in a calm tone, “Commander, Generals, such an urgent summons must mean there’s been a major change on the front lines?”

Adrian immediately handed him the grim battle report. “Lord Brian, the Orcs have deployed their ultimate weapon—War Beasts. The situation is extremely critical. I wonder if you… have a good strategy to deal with them?”

Brian quickly scanned the report, and far from showing any solemnity, a confident smile appeared on his face.

“Commander, gentlemen, why worry about this? A mere five War Beasts are nothing to be concerned about. My human-machine collaborative combat system was designed precisely for such situations.”

He thought to himself: In fact, my intelligent robot army alone is enough to deal with these Orc armies. But this clearly doesn’t align with my best interests. Such a perfect stage for a practical demonstration! How could I miss it?

“Human-machine collaborative combat system?” Medivh looked bewildered. “Can that really deal with War Beasts?”

The other generals’ faces were also filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Brian had anticipated this and calmly explained, “Gentlemen, please hear me out.”

“The essence of the human-machine collaborative combat system lies in perfectly combining the wisdom, experience, and adaptability of human soldiers with the powerful firepower, precise execution, and tireless endurance of intelligent robots.”

“In actual combat, we can use robots with excellent defense and mobility as vanguards to directly attract and tie down the War Beasts’ attention, while human soldiers, leveraging their flexibility, launch multi-dimensional attacks from the flanks, rear, and other angles, precisely seeking out and striking their weak points.”

Deputy Commander Ores still frowned, “The theory sounds good, but the War Beasts’ defense is undeniable. Ordinary attacks are ineffective. Even with collaboration, it might not succeed, right?”

Brian smiled, offering a more convincing argument.

“General Ores, you’ve overlooked the dynamic advantage in collaborative combat. Robots can analyze the beasts’ movement patterns in real-time during battle, dynamically adjust tactical positioning, and create fleeting optimal attack windows for human soldiers. This is not a simple 1+1=2.”

“Lord Brian,” Commander Adrian asked on behalf of everyone, posing the most critical question, “If we adopt your plan, what do you estimate our chances of defeating the War Beasts this time?”

Brian gave a number that surprised everyone.

“If we rely solely on the fifty-thousand human-machine collaborative army that has completed initial training within Blizzard Fortress, the odds are less than thirty percent; but if the Commander can transfer another two hundred and fifty thousand elite troops from Military City to temporarily collaborate with our robots, then… the odds can reach eighty percent!”

This number was far higher than the pessimistic estimates in the generals’ minds.

Adrian and several core generals quickly exchanged glances, then made a decisive choice.

“Good! We will proceed with Lord Brian’s suggestion. The core of this defensive battle will be to face the Orcs’ War Beasts with the human-machine collaborative system!”

“I will have Spirit Eye take full responsibility for interfacing and coordinating with the Allied command system. She is fully capable of commanding the robot army for such complex operations.”

Brian prepared to return to the Mage Tower for overall coordination.

“Understood! Thank you for your strong support, Lord! All units, execute the plan immediately!”

Speed was of the essence, so Adrian immediately announced the end of the meeting and began deploying troops.

With the orders issued, the entire Allied war machine began operating at an unprecedented level of efficiency.

On one hand, the five thousand robots stationed at Blizzard Fortress quickly assembled, conducting final, high-intensity, targeted special training for fifty thousand human soldiers, repeatedly rehearsing tactics for dividing, containing, and striking the War Beasts’ weak points.

On the other hand, the two hundred and fifty thousand elite troops urgently transferred by Adrian from Military City were also marching grandly towards Blizzard Fortress, preparing to fight alongside this “future army.”

It is worth mentioning that, according to Spirit Eye’s real-time monitoring, the human-machine collaborative army at Blizzard Fortress had undergone a long period of integration.

Data showed that human soldiers’ reliance on the data support and tactical advice provided by robots had reached 80%.

For Brian, this was an excellent sign.

He believed that after the baptism of this real, hard-fought battle, the reliance of the newly arrived two hundred and fifty thousand elite troops could also be cultivated to at least 60%.

Returning to the Mage Tower’s War Room, Brian immediately asked Spirit Eye’s War Room Clone, “Spirit Eye, have the twenty-five thousand robots participating in this collaborative operation been arranged properly?”

“Master, all arranged! They have all been drawn from and assembled from the standing guard force of Blizzard Fortress.”

“Very good. Inform their legion commanders to immediately begin pre-battle collaborative training with the human units. They must form combat effectiveness in the shortest possible time!”

“Understood, Master. The main participants in this operation are our most experienced brothers from the First Legion~.”

“Mm. Open the real-time feed from the front lines. I’ll oversee the entire situation from here.”

Brian sat calmly before the control panel, looking perfectly at ease. “A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. Only by strategizing from within the command center can one win a thousand miles away.”

Spirit Eye couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly as she listened to his serious pronouncement. “Master’s ‘stability’ mantra has truly reached its peak!”

She floated to Brian’s side, her rabbit ear accessory gently swaying with her movement, her tone filled with admiration. “Master, you’re truly amazing this time! By leveraging the ‘great gift’ the Orcs delivered, you’ve directly advanced our Phase Two plan by more than half!”

“It’s merely going with the flow.” Brian gazed deeply at the busy pre-battle scenes in the projection. “Though the War Beasts are powerful, they are merely the perfect excuse and stage for us to achieve our goals.”

He paused. “The key to this battle is not about killing a few beasts, but about letting the human army witness firsthand, experience personally, and ultimately, from the bottom of their hearts, accept deep integration with robots. Only then will they willingly accept a future led by us.”

An hour later, the Allied forces completed their pre-battle assembly.

When the two hundred and fifty thousand reinforcements from Military City witnessed firsthand how the human-machine collaborative army of Blizzard Fortress trained and prepared for battle, they were all profoundly shocked.

Those robots, once regarded as cold magical constructs, now worked in perfect harmony with human soldiers, acting as one. Their efficiency and precision far exceeded their understanding of the word “collaboration.”

“Is this… the future of warfare?” a veteran human officer murmured, watching the scene before him.

Inside the Blizzard Fortress command center, Spirit Eye was holding a pre-battle meeting.

With a wave of her hand, a detailed holographic sand table instantly unfolded, miniaturizing the vast external battlefield within it.

“Commander Franco, commanders,” her voice clearly echoed through the command center, “According to current intelligence, here are the key data for the War Beasts: their bodies are covered with approximately three meters of magical scales, which have extremely strong resistance to ordinary magic and physical attacks. However…”

Her fingertip lightly tapped the sand table, and the War Beast’s 3D structural diagram was dissected layer by layer, finally highlighting several critical points.

“Their visual organs and main load-bearing joints are relatively weak defensive points, and they are also the key to our victory.”

“Our plan is…”