27 Military tactics and magic

General Anglius knew that the key advantage they held was the fortress's strategic position, which offered a defensive bonus and forced the demons to advance through a bottleneck.

Of course, not everybody would know how to exploit them, but General Anglius had spent decades on the battlefield and was a master of warfare. 

"All Mages must fire their Mana Missile at those four locations. They must keep firing until they're out of Magic."

Anglius' eyes were sharp as he identified four key points a few hundred meters ahead of the horde.

"They must start firing once the horde gets five hundred meters from the castle."

The young man nodded, his gaze intent as he memorized the locations.

"After they've drained their Magic, ensure they assimilate any Origin Force that reaches their minds. Although the new Magic Water would not provide too much energy, it should reduce their exhaustion. They must also start to spread oil on the walls once the horde gets within one hundred meters."

After ensuring the young officer understood all his commands, General Anglius's attention shifted to the choke points in the path leading to the fortress.

"Place half of our Warriors in that bottleneck. Ensure they wait for the monsters to enter the zone before attacking, utilizing their Force. They must pull back as soon as they start to be overrun, and the other half will cover their retreat."

The young officer nodded in understanding and departed. Maintaining a strict chain of command and efficiently passing orders became crucial in the absence of communication devices.

General Anglius remained vigilant, his eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting for the horde to reach the designated position.

"Now!" 

His voice boomed, echoing across the fortress, reaching the Mage soldiers.

The Mage soldiers, already briefed on their mission, channeled their energy across spell modules inside their Soul Dimension as described in the Mage Cultivation Technique. Small and compact white energy spheres were shot toward the predetermined points on the terrain.

Each sphere detonated upon impact, reminiscent of a powerful hand grenade's might. While a single explosion did little, the combined effect of several simultaneously triggered the desired effect.

"Rumble!"

Trembling rocks resonated across the mountain, and rockslides buried sections of the advancing demons, making smiles appear in the soldier Mages. As they perished, bright golden light emerged from their corpses, funneling into the Mages responsible for their demise, and a small amount of Origin Force was directed to General Anglius.

Clearly, the Plane Will recognize cause and effect. As long as one's actions directly led to the Aliens' death, one would gain Origin Force.

A determined look flashed across General Anglius's face as he watched the demons crushed under the rocks and the Origin Force enter his Soul Dimension. However, he remained composed as he saw that the horde did not falter, continuing their advance without showing fear, a stark reminder of their bestial nature.

General Anglius remained silent as he took a couple of binoculars that rested on his neck. He watched as the demons approached the bottleneck and began to face the ambush of the soldier Warriors. Employing their Force relentlessly, the soldiers quickly dispatched the demons but also rapidly depleted their own reserves.

Using his binoculars, General Anglius monitored the situation closely. Upon noticing the first signs of exhaustion among the soldiers, he commanded,

"First group, retreat!"

At his order, the first group of soldiers withdrew while the second group stepped forward, providing cover. The transition was smooth until an unfortunate soldier stumbled, providing an opening for a demon to strike.

Despite the impulse to assist the fallen comrade, General Anglius's stern command echoed once more.

"Retreat!"

Though it was a bitter decision, the soldiers obeyed, withdrawing through the fortress gates before they closed behind them.

General Anglius gripped his machete tightly, witnessing the monsters devouring the fallen soldier. With fewer than 60 soldiers remaining in the fortress, he knew discipline and control were critical to their survival.

As the demons approached the walls, General Anglius prepared for the imminent clash. Soldiers armed with long pikes and spears began to strike the beast as they attempted to climb up. The recent oil spread made the demons advance much slower, allowing the soldiers to kill more.

However, despite the death of their comrades, the abyssal demons just keep rising up. Inevitably, some demons would reach the top of the walls, leading to deadly confrontations.

General Anglius understood the danger of being on the frontline, and it was not a position a commander should take, not out of fear, but because if they fell, chaos would spread among the troops. However, his presence was pivotal in maintaining order and morale among the soldiers.

"Soldiers, ready your weapons. Kill all that rise!"