Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1348 - 1341: Historical Patterns

Chapter 1348: Chapter 1341: Historical Patterns

After settling Cheng Ziang and his party, Luo’er finally let out a sigh of relief, his entire body’s muscles relaxing all at once, giving him a feeling of weakness.

Soon after, Zisu hurried over to their residence. Upon seeing Luo’er, she couldn’t help but lower her head, pursing her lips and remaining silent.

"Do you need something?" Seeing her arrive, Luo’er took the initiative to go forward and ask.

"Well, the Linglan leader wants to see you. You probably know what she’s looking for you for," Zisu said, biting her lip.

"Uh, oh, yes..." Luo’er was momentarily distracted, then quickly nodded.

"Then let’s go," Zisu said, turning to leave first.

"Take good care of Ziang and the rest," Cheng Ziang turned and cautioned Tangmo.

"Got it," Tangmo pouted, her face expressing dissatisfaction, but she still let Luo’er leave.

Luo’er quickly caught up to Zisu. Hearing his footsteps, Zisu felt considerably more at ease and began to speak with her head low, "We are very sorry about this incident. Seeing your friends return safely is truly wonderful; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to you."

"Why should you apologize to me? This is your war," Luo’er asked, puzzled.

"You had warned us before, yet it was our arrogance that led to today’s outcome. If only we had listened to you then," Zisu’s tone carried sincere regret.

"There are no ifs. Even if given another choice, you would still have proceeded with the invasion," Luo’er walked up beside her and said.

"That’s why I find us quite ridiculous," Zisu said with a wry smile, shaking her head.

"Don’t talk like that. To put it bluntly, it’s a lesson that inevitably required the sacrifice of many to be learned. You should be glad that you only sent twenty thousand troops, so not all were lost," Luo’er commented.

"But those were the elite of the Demon Clan..." Zisu remarked, feeling sentimental.

"Heh..." At her words, Luo’er remained silent, but a cold smirk appeared on his face.

Zisu raised her head, puzzled by his sudden laugh.

"Zisu, I want to say something unpleasant, and it might offend you, but I still hope you will listen," Luo’er said after pausing, mustering his courage.

"Please speak. As a friend, I would be pleased to hear any advice you have to offer. Don’t worry, I won’t be angry," Zisu gently shook her head, fluffing up her furry ears.

"Forgive my frankness, but of all the losses sustained, the only thing I truly care about is those twenty thousand guns. As for the people, to be honest, I didn’t really pay them much mind," Luo’er said emotionlessly.

"Yes, it is, after all, your war, and it’s normal for you not to care," Zisu said, although she still wore a bitter expression.

"Line infantry can hardly be considered elite troops. The biggest advantage of this kind of unit is that it’s convenient to train and can be quickly replenished. As long as you can ensure the supply of war materials like firearms, you could reassemble twenty thousand line infantry in three months," Luo’er stated earnestly.

"So," he paused, then continued, "that is why I said I care more about the loss of the firearms than the loss of personnel. Because once you start getting used to this tactical system, you’ll find that in war, soldiers are just a number, expendable and easily replaced."

"What you say sounds so cold..." Zisu said, visibly moved.

"In our world, war is but the constant fluctuation of numbers between opposing forces, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions. No one cares that behind these numbers are lives, tens of thousands of them, reduced to mere digits, dispensed into the game of war, dying meaninglessly like stray dogs. This is the reality you are about to face," Luo’er said earnestly as he looked at her.

"But we no longer have enough people to cope with this war," Zisu said, hanging her head.

"No, you do, you haven’t failed yet," Luo’er countered.

"The three tribes of North West Outer Heaven also harbor thoughts of retreat. Once they fully pull out of this war, we will be left to fight alone. My sister is still watching from the rear, guarding the entire Maoyou Clan. Because the situation on the front lines is unclear, they don’t even dare to take a step south," Zisu said in a defeated tone.

"Don’t be so discouraged. You can try to rally the tribes of North West Outer Heaven, but even without them, you can still hold onto the cities and lands you have taken," Luo’er consoled her with a kind voice.

"Luo’er, you must have a way, right?" Zisu suddenly turned around, grabbed Luo’er’s arm, and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, pleading, "Please, please, even as a friend, I beg you to save us."

"Calm down," Luo’er said, taking her small hand, "I can understand your anxiety about losing this war, but I’m quite optimistic. Rest assured, the terrible consequences you fear are unlikely to happen."

"How is that possible..." Zisu looked at him helplessly, choking up a bit.

"You think that Dongsheng Empire will counterattack next, taking back the cities you’ve just occupied, right?" Luo’er asked calmly in the face of an agitated Zisu.

"Yes!" Zisu nodded affirmatively.

"I don’t think so," Luo’er said firmly.

"Why?" Hearing his words, a glimmer of hope flickered in Zisu’s eyes.

"It’s simple. We’ve analyzed the patterns of the wars between West Outer Heaven and Dongsheng Empire over the past century. We’ve noticed that Dongsheng is currently in a phase of strategic contraction. Even if they have won battles, they’re likely not to counterattack but will continue to defend their cities."

"Strategic contraction..." Zisu was not from a military background, so the concept was rather vague for her.

"If you think of Dongsheng Empire as a person, then such behavior would certainly be abnormal, incomprehensible. But if you understand Dongsheng Empire as a political entity made up of complex interest groups, then many of their abnormal actions can be explained," Luo’er patiently explained.

"I don’t understand," Zisu blinked and shook her head frankly.

"Put simply, inside Dongsheng Empire, there are those who wish for the Demon Clan to be wiped out and those who wish for you to survive to serve their own purposes. These two or perhaps even more power struggles reflect in their military’s rhythm of expansion and contraction."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Dongsheng Empire has sent a letter hoping the Demon Clan would agree to an armistice. To a certain extent, this represents the strategic contraction of the Dongsheng military. This is why I think the Dongsheng military is contracting. That’s why I would advise you to accept it, because you can use this time to consolidate the territory you’ve gained and reorganize and reform your forces before launching a counter-offensive."

"So it’s our problem, isn’t it?" Zisu said, looking down, ashamed.

"Listen," Luo’er said seriously, "we have already made our stance clear. This is your war, not ours. We help you simply because we want to use you to take revenge for us. We have no reason to keep helping you, so the sacrifices you make must be borne by you, not by pinning your hopes on us."

"But we really do need you. Can’t I persuade you to help us, even as a friend?" Zisu said anxiously.

"Sigh..." Upon hearing her plea, Luo’er sighed, then said, "I can help you. You really do need someone who can command the army on a strategic level. Just like now, hardly any of you can deduce the internal conflicts of Dongsheng Empire, which leads to your not even understanding the real reasons behind your successes in the counterattack."

"Listen," Luo’er continued, "I don’t deny the bravery of the Demon Clan’s army in battle, but we should see that the Demon Clan has been able to take cities in succession because the Dongsheng military is undergoing strategic contraction. To put it bluntly, these cities and lands were given to you by them, not won by your own efforts. It may be sad to lose a battle, but if you don’t even understand the intentions of the other side, that is the greatest tragedy."