I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 761 - 538: Strategizing, Arrival of the Baihu Corps_2

He did not immediately bark out orders. Instead, he prominently displayed crucial data on the command screen, information newly received from headquarters: the projected arrival times of the beast tides at satellite cities 4 through 8, along with their estimated numbers of Snow Beasts and overall combat strength assessments.

"City 4, Snow Beasts arriving in 10 minutes; City 6, in 17 minutes; City 8, in 23 minutes; City 7, in 28 minutes..."

Zhou Ziming's fingers traced the screen, a glint appearing in his eyes.

Excellent, there's a distinct time differential.

This engagement will be won by exploiting these timing discrepancies!

Command.

This was his true passion, his intricate and unmatched war game.

Recalling his days at Dawn Military Academy, he was unquestionably the pride of the Conducting Department.

In every simulated battle or command competition he entered, victory was always his.

He reveled in the sensation of strategizing and overseeing the entire panorama, becoming intoxicated by the supreme thrill of manipulating adversaries within his meticulously planned maneuvers, ultimately leading to their complete annihilation.

However, after graduation and his entry into the Space Fleet Command Department, everything shifted.

He possessed a multitude of strategies but was confined to a sterile command room, participating in monotonous battle discussions and offering suggestions that could be disregarded at any moment.

He was perpetually an observer, a proposer, and at times, utterly overlooked.

He could not delay any longer.

He refused to endure the so-called "step-by-step" progression, spending years or even over a decade to earn his credentials. Thus, he fell for that individual's trap, ultimately finding himself incarcerated.

He once harbored resentment but never regret.

Given a million opportunities to relive his past, he would never forfeit the chance to lead independently.

And now, despite bearing the mark of a criminal, he finally held the command authority he had so earnestly desired.

"The war game has commenced."

Zhou Ziming whispered internally, his previously placid gaze suddenly sharpening like an eagle's, his entire bearing transforming as if drawing a sword, exuding a palpable edge.

His fingers danced across the virtual display, dispatching one command after another, his voice steady and assured, a perfect reflection of his composed direction.

Qin Tian stood nearby, observing and listening, swiftly grasping the tactical essence of Zhou Ziming's plan.

The thought process of this Conducting Department prodigy was lucid and decisive, revolving entirely around the time difference.

He first amassed elite forces from various divisions, led by Xiong, Terreda, Xue Wuyang, and Old Ghost, directing them straight towards the more imminent threat at City 4. Their mission was clear: to rapidly shatter the approaching beast tide there, addressing the immediate crisis first.

Concurrently, directives were issued for the second regiment of City 1, alongside the fifth regiment stationed at the Ice Extreme Pass headquarters, to proceed with haste to City 6. Their objective was to erect a formidable defensive perimeter before the beast tide's arrival.

To gain precious time for subsequent maneuvers, Zhou Ziming deployed Karsas and Kazik, two formidable spirit beasts, to the outskirts of City 8. Their task was to create a diversion and slow the beast tide's advance.

Regardless of how the battle unfolded at City 4, around the 15-minute mark, Xue Wuyang and Old Ghost were under strict orders to disengage immediately and lead their forces directly to City 7, ensuring the defensive line of the final city did not crumble.

The remaining combatants from Cities 2 and 3, after eradicating the few remaining beasts, would rapidly move towards City 8. With the assistance of Karsas and Kazik, although complete annihilation of the enemy might prove challenging, defending the city would be well within their capabilities.

The entire strategic framework was meticulously synchronized, incorporating the concentrated offensive power of elite units with the cautious dispersal for defense, along with time-delaying tactics and precise execution transitions. This approach maximized the tactical advantage of limited personnel while perfectly circumventing the weakness inherent in widely scattered forces.

Qin Tian observed as the various units, seemingly guided by an unseen conductor, progressed towards their designated targets in a remarkably organized fashion, the smile on his lips widening.

It is no wonder he is a command genius; even a brief demonstration of his skills reveals his profound capabilities.

At this precise moment, Zhou Ziming calmly surveyed the screen, his expression unwavering, as if he had already foreseen the entire progression of the conflict.

In this instant, he was no longer a prisoner bearing a criminal's insignia but the architect of this complex engagement, a brilliant commander wielding the might of thousands.

The moment the commands were issued, the entirety of the Ice Extreme Pass forces began to operate like a perfectly calibrated, high-precision mechanism, functioning with swift efficiency.

En route to City 4, the elite contingents spearheaded by Xiong, Terreda, Xue Wuyang, and Old Ghost surged through the Spatial Gate, hurtling towards the city's periphery.

At the edge of their vision, the Snow Beast tide loomed, a darkness carried by the wind and snow, drawing ever closer.

Xiong hefted his colossal blood-red axe, vigorous Qi and Blood swirling about him as he charged into the vanguard of the beast tide, his every swing cleaving several Snow Beasts asunder.

Terreda’s Zhanshou saber flashed with cold light; moving like lightning, he carved a vortex of death within the surging horde.

Xue Wuyang, leading his elite squad, formed a wedge formation, a precise spearhead puncturing the beast tide’s weakest points. Old Ghost, alongside the Barbarian Race elites, swept the flanks, annihilating any stragglers.

With these four main forces engaged, the elite troops’ impact was magnified, subjecting the once-overwhelming beast tide to a brutal culling.

Meanwhile, the second regiment of City 1, still concluding their battlefield lockdown, immediately reformed and set their sights on City 6.

The fifth regiment, garrisoned at the Ice Extreme Pass, was already mobilized.

Both units converged outside City 6 via the Gate of Space.

Soldiers rapidly erected defensive works, preparing with full readiness.

On the outskirts of City 8, Karsas and Kazik traversed space, arriving directly above the beast tide.

Karsas unfurled the Soul Scripture, summoning legions of spectral green Soul Army units to assault the Snow Beasts. A wave of Soul Shock incapacitated many beasts, while Kazik weaved like a phantom, his scythe-like arms reaping a Snow Beast’s life with each movement, focusing his deadly strikes on the elite specimens.

The two spirit beasts, one attacking from afar, the other engaging up close, one disrupting, the other slaying, plunged the steadily advancing Snow Beast tide into disarray. Their efforts significantly retarded the horde’s progress, buying invaluable time for the arriving reinforcements.

Across the battlefronts of Cities 2 and 3, the remaining soldiers, after dealing with the last of the beasts, consolidated their forces without delay and hastened to lend aid to City 8.

They surged across the desolate, snow-covered terrain, the clamor of clashing armor and marching feet melded with the howling wind and snow.

Thanks to Karsas and Kazik’s intervention, the city would be secured by the time they arrived.

From his vantage point above, Qin Tian observed it all through the Mirror Demon’s ice-clear mirror.

Each unit’s actions flawlessly adhered to the strategic blueprint, executed without hesitation. The once precarious, widespread battlefield situation was now evolving into a manageable scenario.

Witnessing this, Qin Tian offered a nod of approval.

In his estimation, Zhou Ziming possessed the rare commanding talent he sought for his ranks. Zhou Ziming’s grasp of the grand strategy, his battle-honed decisiveness, and his astute understanding and deployment of subordinate abilities were unparalleled.

Under his own command, there was never a dearth of valiant warriors eager for the fray, but what was truly scarce was a strategist capable of remote planning and dictating outcomes, much like the legendary Han Xin.

On the battlefield, the roars of intense combat ascended to the heavens as the engagement escalated into its most critical phase.

Qin Tian was not merely a spectator; with a mere flick of his fingers, he conjured dozens of avatars. These phantoms did not engage directly but served as ‘mobile support’—whenever a soldier fell wounded, they were instantly tended to and healed.

The soldiers, beholding their commander’s avatars consistently providing aid from the rear, felt their morale surge dramatically. They charged forward with even fiercer resolve, akin to unstoppable tigers descending a mountainside.

However, the tide of battle did not turn as favorably as hoped.

Despite Zhou Ziming’s masterful leadership, with Xiong, Terreda, Xue Wuyang, and Old Ghost steadfastly anchoring the front lines, and every soldier fighting with fearless valor, the sheer numbers of the Snow Beasts proved relentless. Their assaults were ceaseless.

Frequently, just as a battle concluded at one satellite city, the soldiers found scant respite before being redeployed to another, facing fresh waves of the beast tide.

Under such relentless, high-intensity combat, even the most battle-hardened veterans struggled to conceal their exhaustion.

Observing this, Qin Tian recognized it was time for him to intervene and bring this exhausting conflict to an definitive end.

Yet, precisely as he gathered his spiritual energy, preparing to act, the military communicator on his wrist suddenly chimed.

The incoming call displayed a number he’d recently added, belonging to none other than the soon-to-be Commander of the Baihu Corps under his direct authority—

Ran Tu.

A smile touched Qin Tian’s lips.

It appeared this arduous engagement would not require his personal conclusion after all.