My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill Chapter 377

[Author Note; i made so edit on Chapter 376, please read Chapter 376 before you read Chapter 377 so as not to get confused , thanks for reading ]

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"Then I reassess. If the situation becos genuinely untenable—if we’re at risk of losing our entire assault force—I deploy the heroes." Elric’s expression hardened. "But we try it the human way first. Order the reserve infantry to advance imdiately. All three sectors, coordinated assault, maximum pressure. Break those demon warriors through sheer weight of numbers."

"Yes, sir." Thorne saluted and moved to carry out orders.

Captain Marcus lingered. "Commander, permission to speak candidly?"

"Granted."

"The n... they respect your tactical brilliance. Your forty years of experience. Your victories against demon lords when most commanders failed." Marcus chose his words carefully. "But they also wonder if maybe... if the pride that drove those victories is now preventing you from using every tool available."

Elric t his gaze steadily. "Are you suggesting I’m letting pride influence tactical decisions?"

"I’m suggesting that what worked twenty years ago—human forces grinding through demon positions with casualties as the price of victory—might not be the optimal approach when we have alternatives. The heroes were summoned by divine will. Using them isn’t weakness. It’s... utilizing available assets."

"Assets we didn’t request and don’t control," Elric countered. "The Pope summoned them, yes. The Church blessed them. But they answer to their own judgnt, their own codes, their own divine purposes. They’re not soldiers in my chain of command. They’re... independent operators who happen to share our enemy."

"But they’re on our side—"

"For now. Until their divine mandate tells them otherwise. Until Gattychan decides that our military thods are too brutal and withdraws support. Until Seraphelle declares that civilian casualties—which are inevitable in urban warfare—violate her healing principles." Elric’s voice carried decades of experience with unreliable allies. "I’ve fought alongside rcenaries, sellswords, adventurers, and summoned champions. And I’ve learned one universal truth: the only forces you can truly rely on are the ones under your direct command who follow your orders without question."

Marcus absorbed this. "So this is about maintaining command authority."

"This is about maintaining a functional military force that doesn’t crumble the mont otherworldly support is withdrawn." Elric returned to his tactical map. "But I’m not suicidal about it. If the battle genuinely requires hero intervention, I’ll use them. I just want to try the conventional approach first."

A ssenger burst in, breathing hard. "Sir! Eastern wall report—the demon warriors just withdrew! All of them, simultaneously. Pulled back from wall positions and retreated toward settlent interior."

Elric and his officers exchanged surprised looks.

"Withdrew? Under what circumstances?"

"Unknown, sir. One mont they were fighting, the next they disengaged in coordinated fashion. Our assault troops are pursuing but the demons are retreating in good order."

"Interesting." Elric studied the tactical map. "Why would they withdraw? They were holding the walls effectively."

Captain Marcus offered a theory. "Perhaps they sensed our reserve infantry approaching. Recognized they’d be overwheld by numbers and chose tactical withdrawal over being surrounded."

"Or," Thorne suggested, "they detected the heroes preparing to deploy and retreated to avoid engaging them."

Elric considered both possibilities. "Either way, their withdrawal ans our reserve infantry will face reduced resistance. The walls should collapse within the hour without demon warrior support. This might end faster than expected."

"Should we still prepare the heroes for deploynt?" Thorne asked.

"Keep them on standby. If a demon lord appears, we’ll need them imdiately. But if this is just demon warriors retreating..." Elric allowed himself a slight smile, "...then we’ve proven the point. Human forces, with proper tactics and sufficient numbers, can break demon-supported defenses without otherworldly intervention."

—-------

Hour Twenty-Eight:

In a pavilion tent set apart from the main human encampnt, four figures had been waiting with varying degrees of patience for two days.

Gattychan sat sharpening his sword with chanical precision, his face set in grim determination. At twenty-four years old, he looked like a recruiting poster for human heroism—strong jawline, noble bearing, eyes that reflected absolute certainty in his cause. His armor bore the symbol of the Church of Light, marking him as a divine champion.

His Villain’s Bane ability made him the ultimate demon hunter. Any being with demonic, villainous, or "evil" nature had their powers reduced to one-tenth normal effectiveness in his presence. Simultaneously, Gattychan’s own combat abilities increased proportionally—the more "evil" his opponent, the stronger he beca.

Seraphelle knelt in prayer, her healing magic creating a soft golden glow around her. At twenty-two, she was the party’s heart—compassionate, devoted, unwavering in her faith. Her Divine Sanctuary ability could create zones of absolute holy protection where demonic magic simply failed to function. Her healing powers worked at 300% effectiveness, allowing her to restore critical wounds to full health in seconds.

Mikazelle studied tactical maps with intense focus, her spatial manipulation abilities allowing her to see the battlefield in dinsions others couldn’t perceive. At twenty-three, she was the tactical genius—analyzing, calculating, finding weaknesses. Her Absolute Zone: Dinsional Prison could trap enemies in sealed spatial bubbles that prevented escape or external intervention.

Rindelle checked her bow and arrows with archer’s precision, each movent economical and practiced. At twenty-one, she was the youngest but perhaps most dangerous—her Catastrophic Amplification ability multiplied her attack power by one thousand tis. An arrow that would normally wound beca an arrow that could punch through castle walls.

A ssenger arrived at the pavilion, breathless from running.

"Hero Gattychan! Commander Elric requested I give you this letter and also told to tell you that Demon warriors confird on the battlefield. Purple-skinned corruption magic users fighting on the walls. The settlent has revealed its supernatural backing."

Gattychan stood imdiately, hand going to his blessed sword.

"Finally. Combat. We’re deploying."

"Wait," Mikazelle interrupted after opening the letter and reading the ssage. "Commander Elric requests we prepare for deploynt, not deploy imdiately."

Gattychan’s face darkened. "Prepare? The demons are on the battlefield right now. What’s there to prepare for?"

"The ssage specifically says to stand ready but await deploynt orders." Mikazelle’s spatial perception allowed her to observe the battlefield from their position. "The demon warriors have already withdrawn. They’re retreating from the walls."