My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 308

Commander Vex’ahlia sat with perfect military posture, her black eyes constantly assessing, her silver-white hair pulled back in severe military style. She represented Loki’s two hundred elite forces, and her professional competence showed in every precisely measured word.

And at the head of the table, radiating power that made the air itself feel heavier, sat Seraphina.

She had arrived four hours ago, and her presence had immediately transformed the settlement’s atmosphere. Where before there had been organized determination mixed with underlying fear, now there was focused intensity that bordered on aggressive confidence. Seraphina brought with her not just two hundred elite corruption specialists but centuries of combat experience and the absolute certainty of someone who’d survived countless wars.

She also brought barely controlled fury that Satou had left without telling her.

Her crimson eyes swept the room, taking in every detail—the maps, the defensive plans, the exhaustion on people’s faces, the supplies stacked along one wall. Her blade-like wings were folded against her back, but occasionally they’d rustle with barely contained agitation.

"Let’s review our situation," Seraphina said, her voice controlled but carrying an undercurrent of command that made even Urgak unconsciously straighten. "Lord Satou entrusted you with continuing preparations in his absence. Show me what you’ve accomplished."

Lyra stepped forward, activating the first map with practiced efficiency. "Fortifications are approximately sixty percent complete, on schedule for full completion in two and a half weeks. We’ve reinforced the outer walls with earth and stone, bringing them to twelve feet height with integrated archer platforms every twenty yards. Secondary defense lines have been established throughout the settlement—every building can serve as a strongpoint if outer defenses are breached."

She pointed to marked locations on the map. "Trenches have been dug at the three primary approach routes—twenty feet wide, eight feet deep, stakes at the bottom angled to impale anyone who falls in. We’ve created choke points here, here, and here where attackers will be forced into kill zones with overlapping fields of fire."

"Who designed the defensive layout?" Seraphina asked. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"I coordinated overall strategy," Lyra said. "Commander Vex’ahlia provided expertise on siege defense. Chief Ssk’thar contributed knowledge of terrain exploitation. Urgak planned physical barrier placement."

"Show me the archer positions."

Lyra pulled up the detailed defensive schematic. Seraphina studied it for several minutes, her eyes tracking sight lines, calculating fields of fire, identifying gaps.

"The positions are well-placed for initial engagement," Seraphina said finally. "But they’re predictable. Anyone with military experience will target them immediately. You need false positions—decoys that draw enemy fire while your real archers strike from unexpected angles."

She pointed to several locations. "Add dummy platforms here, here, and here. Make them obvious enough to attract attention. Meanwhile, position actual archers in concealed spots with overlapping fields covering the dummies. When enemy forces focus on the decoys, your real archers have free targeting."

Lyra nodded, making notes. "That’s... actually brilliant. We’ll implement it immediately."

"Supply caches?" Seraphina continued.

Lyra indicated marked locations. "Primary stockpiles here in the administrative district. Secondary caches positioned throughout defensive zones."

"Too centralized," Seraphina said flatly. "If one area falls, you lose access to everything stored there. Distribute supplies more thoroughly—every defensive zone needs completely independent resources. Water, food, medical supplies, ammunition. If sections of the settlement become isolated during fighting, they need to be self-sufficient."

"That will require significant reorganization," Lyra said, her tactical mind already working through implications.

"Then start immediately. We have two weeks—possibly less—to get it done."

Seraphina turned to Urgak. "Warrior training. Where are we?"

The orc chieftain straightened, his deep voice filling the room. "Eight hours daily training for all combat personnel. Weapon drills, formation practice, endurance conditioning. Morale is high. Warriors are eager to fight."

"What about coordination?" Seraphina asked. "Are they trained to fight as units or as individuals?"

Urgak hesitated slightly. "Orcs traditionally fight as individuals. We’re teaching formation combat, but it’s... not natural for us."

"Then make it natural," Seraphina said. "Individual prowess means nothing if you can’t coordinate. A hundred warriors fighting as a unit will defeat two hundred fighting separately." Her crimson eyes locked on Urgak. "I want to see formation drills. Show me what your forces can do."

Fifteen minutes later, they were outside on the training grounds.

Urgak had assembled a mixed unit of fifty warriors—orcs and hobgoblins together. They formed up in the basic shield wall formation that had been practiced over the past week.

"Defensive formation!" Urgak bellowed.

The warriors moved into position—shields overlapping, spears projecting between gaps, second rank ready to reinforce. It was competent but slow, taking almost ten seconds to establish proper formation.

"Attack the center!" Urgak commanded.

A group of ten warriors rushed the shield wall from the front. The formation held, spears driving back attackers while shields maintained integrity. But Seraphina’s expert eye caught problems immediately.

"Stop," she commanded.

Everyone froze.

Seraphina walked to the formation, examining it critically. "Your formation is adequate against frontal assault. But watch—" She gestured, and several of her corruption specialists moved to the flanks. "What happens when you’re attacked from multiple angles?"

The simulated flanking attack immediately revealed weaknesses. The shield wall couldn’t rotate fast enough. Warriors on the edges broke formation trying to respond. The entire structure became unstable.

"This is the problem," Seraphina said, addressing all the assembled warriors. "You’ve learned basic formation. That’s good. But you haven’t learned tactical flexibility—how to maintain cohesion while responding to changing threats."

She spent the next thirty minutes personally drilling the formation, her centuries of combat experience showing through. She taught them rapid reorientation techniques. How to maintain cohesion while portions rotated to face new threats. How to create interlocking formations that covered each other’s weaknesses. How to transition smoothly between offensive and defensive postures.

By the end, the same fifty warriors were moving with noticeably better coordination, but them being a novice was evident, but it was better than before .

"Better," Seraphina acknowledged. "But this needs to become instinctive. Continue drilling until you can reform and reorient in under three seconds."

She returned to the war room, commanders following.