My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill

Chapter 355: Chapter 355

Jessica coordinated medical evacuations through the telepathic network.

”Wounded coming in from eastern sector—four casualties, two serious. Western sector has six wounded, all walking. Southern sector lost nine fighters, three dead and six wounded. Medical teams receiving now.”

Lyra tracked the numbers grimly. First Line had cost them eighteen casualties—twelve dead, six seriously wounded. Acceptable losses for a defensive position they’d intended to abandon anyway, but still painful. Every death was someone who’d lived in the settlement, who’d trained under Satou, who’d believed in building something better than the human kingdoms’ genocidal policies.

”First Line is lost,” she reported to Seraphina. ”Withdrawal is proceeding well. Estimate we’ll have all survivors behind Second Line defenses within thirty minutes.”

”Casualties?”

”Twelve dead, six wounded seriously enough to be combat-ineffective. We still have nine hundred and fifty-five effective fighters.”

”And the humans?”

”Best estimate from observation: hundred and thirty to hundred and fifty casualties total across the day. Maybe forty dead, the rest wounded.”

Seraphina’s demon lord calculation was instant. ”They can trade at that rate for three days before reaching force parity. We cannot. We need to improve our casualty exchange ratio, or this siege ends in our defeat before reinforcements arrive.”

”Agreed.” Lyra was already thinking about Second Line tactics. ”First Line was always going to favor them—open ground, multiple approach angles, hard to defend. Second Line is different. Fortified walls, concentrated fire positions, chokepoints. The math changes in our favor.”

”Better make sure of that. Satou would be disappointed if we lost his settlement before he returned.”

Lyra felt the weight of that statement. ”Satou will return to a settlement that’s still standing. I guarantee it.”

Hour Eleven: Consolidation

By late afternoon, the tactical situation had stabilized into a new configuration.

The human army occupied all of First Line territory, having pushed settlement defenders completely back to Second Line fortifications. Elric immediately ordered his soldiers to begin fortifying the captured ground—turning settlement defensive works into human forward positions.

At Second Line, defenders manned walls and towers that were significantly more formidable than First Line’s scattered positions. These were proper fortifications—twelve-foot walls with crenellations, archer towers with overlapping fields of fire, gates that could be sealed and defended, and prepared positions for concentrated volleys.

Thrak’s engineering expertise was evident in every detail.

Lyra stood atop the central tower, surveying the new defensive arrangement and calculating tomorrow’s battle. Seraphina joined her, the demon lord’s presence making reality slightly uncertain at the edges.

”First day assessment?” Seraphina asked.

”We traded First Line for a hundred and thirty human casualties at cost of twelve dead and six seriously wounded on our side. Purely numerically, that’s an excellent exchange ratio.” Lyra’s golden eyes tracked human movements in the captured territory. ”But strategically, we’re now compressed into tighter defensive positions. We’ve lost space to maneuver. The mathematics become less favorable with each line we lose.”

”What’s your projection for Second Line?”

”If Elric attacks tomorrow with the same force commitment, we can hold for two to three days. Maybe longer if he stays cautious. Second Line is significantly stronger than First. We can inflict much heavier casualties from prepared fortifications.”

”And if he escalates? Commits his full force?”

Lyra was quiet for a moment. ”Then we hold as long as we can and pray Loki’s reinforcements arrive before we’re overwhelmed.”

Seraphina’s otherworldly gaze studied the human army’s movements. ”He won’t escalate tomorrow. He’s too careful. He’ll probe Second Line the same way he probed First—methodical reconnaissance, small-unit tactics, gradual pressure. It’s what makes him dangerous. Patient commanders are harder to beat than aggressive ones.”

”You think we can last until reinforcements?”

”I think,” Seraphina said slowly, ”that we have three days before this becomes desperate. Loki’s forces should arrive in four days. That’s a very narrow margin.”

”Then we make it work.” Lyra’s voice carried determination that went beyond mere tactical calculation. ”Satou trusted us to hold his settlement. We don’t let him down.”

Hour Twelve: Dusk

As the sun set blood-red over the battlefield, both sides assessed the day’s results.

In the human command tent, Elric reviewed casualty reports and tactical intelligence with his usual methodical calm.

”Final tally: forty-two dead, one hundred and nine wounded. Total casualties: one hundred and fifty-one soldiers, approximately three point eight percent of our force.” He made notes on his map. ”In exchange, we’ve taken complete control of their First Line defenses, mapped their trap zones, identified their archer tactics, and forced them to reveal their command coordination capabilities.”

”Was it worth the cost, sir?” Lieutenant Thorne asked.

”Yes. We’ve learned they have excellent small-unit coordination, professional withdrawal tactics, and sophisticated defensive engineering. We’ve also learned they’re willing to trade territory for casualty preservation, which tells me their numbers are more limited than they want us to believe.” Elric pointed at the Second Line fortifications visible in the distance. ”Tomorrow we probe Second Line. Same methodology—careful reconnaissance, specialist teams, no unnecessary risks. We have time. They don’t.”

”Orders for tonight, sir?”

”Fortify First Line. Establish supply routes. Rotate in fresh soldiers to give today’s fighters rest. And send scouts to map approaches to Second Line—carefully, from long range. I want intelligence on their walls and firing positions before we commit tomorrow.”

At Second Line, Lyra coordinated the settlement’s own assessment through Seraphina’s telepathic network.

”Day One summary,” she broadcast to all commanders. ”We lost First Line as planned. Casualties: twelve dead, six seriously wounded, fourteen minor wounds. That’s thirty-two out of nine hundred and seventy-three—three point three percent casualties. Versus human losses of approximately a hundred and fifty—about three point eight percent of their force.”

”So we’re trading slightly better than even?” Captain Vex asked.

”Marginally. But they can afford three percent casualties per day much longer than we can. Our advantage is defending strong positions, which makes their attacks more costly. First Line was weak terrain deliberately—we wanted them to take it. Second Line is where we make them pay.”

”What’s tomorrow’s plan?”

”Same as today. They’ll probe cautiously, we’ll respond efficiently. Difference is, tomorrow we’re firing from fortified positions with overlapping fields of fire. The casualty math shifts significantly in our favor if we execute properly.”