The busy scene around Ayrin suddenly stopped.
Many people heard Ayrin's shout.
The order for retreat is the decision of the entire Corps. What use is a student arcane master yapping in disagreement?
It sounded like a joke.
However, everyone saw the flames burning in Ayrin's eyes. Nobody could treat Ayrin as a joke.
Getshe looked at Ayrin and did not respond immediately.
He also knew the rationale behind Ayrin's words. However, the decision to retreat was made after simulating various scenarios using their countless experiences. It was the best choice to preserve the Corps.
"Why do you retreat?"
"Are you afraid of dying? If you immediately retreat, the Evil Dragon army and that demihuman-plus-monster army will meet up. Soon, many places in the Kingdom of Doa will fall. There will be even more arcane masters dying!" Ayrin continued shouting.
More and more people stopped with what they were doing.
"This is an approved decision......" Getshe took a deep breath and tried to explain. However, Ayrin's fervent gaze made him unable to continue.
"Who made the decision? Who's the boss here? Whose words count?" Stingham shouted.
He was too lazy to think about the correct decision. However, he thought that since he and Ayrin belonged to the same team, he should support Ayrin when he was so agitated.
"Acting Corps Leader Mody is currently in charge of the Corps. Due to your special identities, he will be here soon." A sonorous voice spoke. A robust arcane master wearing heavy bronze armor walked out from the direction of the voice.
That robust arcane master was over two meters tall. However, more astonishing was the fact she was a female arcane master.
A green-robed arcane master followed behind the female arcane master. He seemed to be an important figure. There was a huge black panther releasing a strange arcane energy fluctuation next to him.
"Lady Emila!"
"Lord Philp!"
Seeing the two arcane masters, Getshe and the Corps arcane masters immediately greeted them.
"Dimension Traveler Lenyu?"
The green-robed arcane master initially had an expressionless face. However, when he saw Lenyu, his brows rose up in surprise.
"You actually remember me? We only met once." Lenyu pinched his nose and replied.
"Lord Mody is here!"
At that moment, a small commotion occured.
Although retreat was a decision made by the entire Corps...... simple retreat seemed incredibly frustrating to those who treated the stronghold more valuable than their lives.
Ayrin's shouting had awakened something within them. They began to feel a strange sense of hope...... hope for the current situation to change.
A normal-looking man with many scars on his face and hands entered Ayrin's sight.
He was clearly a powerful arcane master. There was not a single arcane energy fluctuation leaking out of his body, but he still gave off a pressuring aura. It was as if a volcano eruption-like power would gush out from him at any moment.
"You are the current acting Corps Leader of this Corps huh!?" However, Ayrin paid no attention to it as he immediately began shouting towards him, "Is the retreat order your decision?"
"It's not my personal decision."
Acting Corps Leader Mody humbly nodded towards Ayrin and the others, then explained, "This is a decision made based on our experience and rules."
"What experience and rules?" Ayrin asked.
"Such a major decision requires all leaders and generals to discuss together. Hence, this decision has been approved through the final voting from all leaders and generals." Mody humbly and patiently explained, "Furthermore, in regards to the entire Corps, there are also some experience guidelines. For example, although I am chosen to be the acting Corps Leader, the entire Corps will judge my performance. The Corps Leader may be replaced anytime within two years. Regarding the retreat order, the most important experience guideline is that when enemy arcane teams of similar strength outnumber us three to one, the Corps must retreat. Otherwise, the probability of annihilation will be over 70%. This data is a conclusion made from past war records of the Corps."
"However, this is not just about one Corps or one battle. This is related to the entire Kingdom of Doa. Everyone is fighting everywhere!" Ayrin stubbornly and fervently looked at Mody and the leaders, "Uncle Getshe also said if your Royal Thorns Corps did not suffer any casualties, you could still stay and fight against the current threat. Now that we are here, if Uncle Lenyu, Jean Camus and the others completely recover, our fighting strength will greatly improve. Plus, we all know the importance of this place to the entire Kingdom of Doa, so there will be more arcane masters like us who will rush here to fight against the Evil Dragon army! As long as we defend this place, more and more arcane masters will come to join us. If we announce we're abandoning this stronghold, no one will come here to help."
Many arcane masters began to become motivated and hot-blooded after hearing Ayrin's words.
Even Stingham felt Ayrin's words sounded reasonable and praised, "Yeah! You're right!"
Mody kept quiet. He clearly respected Ayrin's words and carefully thought through every sentence. His expression remained calm.
"We have also made an estimation on the number of arcane teams that may reinforce us. From the outbreak of the war in the Doa Royal Palace until now, judging from our intel, if we defend this place, the number of arcane teams that can reach here within three days after the siege battle breaks out would at most be equal to half a Corps. And based on our estimations, the minimum number of enemies will still exceed us by double." Mody looked at Ayrin and slowly but clearly explained, "This is the minimum estimation. The size of the demihuman-plus-monster army may far exceed our imagination."
Mody's gaze moved from Ayrin to Charlotte, "Based on our intel, you must be Charlotte, right? You also have experience staying in a Corps. You should be clearer than Ayrin and the others. This kind of large scale war is different from normal arcane team battles. The war will not finish quickly. Once the numerical difference between the two sides exceeds double, the bigger side can opt for a war of attrition to wear out the defending side. Under normal circumstances, when the war heads in that direction, no matter how we prepare our reserve troops, no matter how we schedule shifts to rest and replenish arcane particles, most of us will exhaust all arcane particles in a day. We may not get a chance to replenish them afterwards."
Charlotte's face paled. She understood Mody's words were true.
When the enemy had nearly double the numbers in manpower, they could constantly invest double the number of arcane masters to keep up the saturated attacking force.
The defending side would not get a chance to rest when facing the constantly saturated attacks.
In fact, many stronghold Corps were worn out to death by such methods in warfare.
Mody took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and continued, "Although the defense structure here is well built, when truly fighting against such a scale of enemies, it will not be of much use. That's because in a war of this scale, the enemy will have a large number of siege weapons. One of their armies is the undead Corps. They are hard to kill. Even in a one-to-one exchange, we can't sustain such a cost."
"War of attrition? Then, if someone can fight continuously without pause, stall over a hundred arcane masters and keep killing them?" Everyone was shocked when Ayrin's eyes sparkled. His burning fighting spirit became even hotter.
Mody and the several important figures of the Corps were taken aback.
"Yeah! Ayrin is such a pervert. He can probably fight for one or two days without any problem. His arcane particles are inexhaustible, so the more intense the battle is, the better. Teacher Liszt also said his path is the path of one vs army!" Stingham shouted in realization.
"Fighting for one or two days without pause? The path of one vs army......" Mody and the important figures of the Corps looked at one another and chewed on the meaning of those words.
Ayrin's eyes glowed brighter as he shouted, "What about it? If I can do that, can you change your decision and stay in this stronghold to resist against the Evil Dragon army?"
Can he really do it?
If he can really fight continuously for such a long time and keep killing enemy arcane masters...... Then, the opponent probably cannot last in a war of attrition, right?
Mody looked at Ayrin, his breathing hastened unconsciously.
He asked the most important question. "Can you really do it?"
"I wonder if the Mountain Cleaving Titans' base has been found yet!"
Ayrin did not answer his question immediately, because a powerful arcane energy fluctuation reverberated from his body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Huge humming sounds suddenly rang in the sky above the stronghold. Three light pillars and five light swirls appeared.
Three huge metal bodies and five monsters descended.
"The Mountain Cleaving Titans are still there! Looks like their base in the swamp hasn't been found yet!
"Merlin, you explained before these Titans require the base to recharge. In the current situation, the base in the sewer will definitely be discovered. Can you build three new bases here to recharge them?"
"You five are still alive too!"
Ayrin kept calling out excitedly as he examined his assets.