Tactical Meeting
"Alright, everyone, look, this is the data, information, and analysis report of the realm World Master from [ Under the Under the Starry Sky]."
"We simultaneously attacked four newly opened 'advanced worlds.' Although we ultimately only successfully breached and initially controlled two, based on the feedback of various combat power data, the overall combat power of the world [ Under the Under the Starry Sky] is not the highest among the four targets."
The speaker was an old general with epaulets adorned with stars and a stern, iron-like face.
"However! The losses we suffered [ Under the Under the Starry Sky] were the most devastating! The proportion of players killed was the highest! The number of Legendary combatants lost was the greatest! The strategic core suffered the most losses! The expedition plan almost failed! And a large part of the reason for these heavy losses was because of their World Master!"
[Yuncang World], inside a giant command ship belonging to the military's high command, near the Yuncang Star.
A high-level meeting with a heavy and oppressive atmosphere is being held. Attendees include not only powerful military officers, but also top players from Yuncang, including several "Pillars " of the organization.
In the center of the enormous circular conference room, a huge image was suspended, playing at an extremely fast speed fragmented battle footage, data analysis reports, and lists of the dead transmitted back from the world of [ Under the Under the Starry Sky].
The old general's gaze swept over everyone present, lingering for a moment on the faces of several Pillar the family, before finally settling on the figure highlighted on the central screen, whose key battle scenes were being played on a Cycle —a deep blue robe, various Spells, and a calm gaze.
[Scholar]
[BOSS Type: Highly Intelligent Spell Master/Multi-Domain Spellcaster /Information Intruder]
[Strength Rating: Pillar Level]
[The core mechanisms are as follows]
[1. Massive mana pool and terrifying mana regeneration]
[2. Spell Mastery and their counters]
[3. Immune to non-high-level Curses and negative crowd control]
[4. Multilayer Composite Field]
[5. Actual psychological harm]
[6. Atypical melee combat ability: Not strength-based, but gains extremely strong close-range adaptability through a large number of means, possessing abilities such as "energy deflection", "temporary strength amplification", and "Rapid Regeneration", making its melee style unpredictable and difficult to defend against.]
[7...]
[Strategy Challenges: Information isolation, environmental Suppression, the effectiveness of conventional large-scale attacks and Legendary team encirclement tactics is questionable, most mental defenses are fragile, there are very few opportunities for burst damage, and the character possesses extremely strong learning and adaptability (possibly due to skill Optimization during combat)...]
"I've finished reviewing the data from all nine worlds."
The old general, seated at the head of the table, spoke in a hoarse voice, like fingernails scratching a blackboard. "Tell me. What's next? We don't have much time left."
On either side of the long table, the attendees displayed a variety of expressions. The military representative's face was ashen, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the data board; several Pillar either lowered their eyes in deep thought or had wandering gazes; while officials from other systems whispered among themselves, their murmurs interspersed with discussions about resource allocation.
Yun Sha sat by the window, his elbows resting on the armrest, his fingertips touching his chin, his gaze fixed on the magnificent Fixed Star outside the window— Yuncang Star.
What a beautiful Fixed Star it was, even if it was inconspicuous among billions of Stars, it was the most important asset and belief of the Yuncang Civilization.
"My opinion is that we must commit far more troops than anticipated to fight [ Under the Under the Starry Sky]."
A middle-aged general with epaulets adorned with stars spoke first, slamming his finger heavily on the table. "Look at this combat analysis! Overwhelming at the same level, environmental manipulation, information warfare Suppression across all dimensions... This is no longer a 'gatekeeper boss' in the conventional sense. I suggest that at least two Pillar- level players be assigned to oversee the command, supplemented by five fully-fledged player armies, plus an interstellar task force to provide orbital support."
"Your concerns are understandable, but resources are limited."
An official across from him, dressed in a clerical uniform and with graying temples, pushed up his glasses.
"Don't forget, we're facing nine advanced worlds simultaneously. Feedback indicates that the defending forces in these other worlds are equally exceptionally strong. The [Abyss of Annihilation] world, in particular, is extremely corrosive; our mechanical units suffer a 67% casualty rate just from not engaging the Wardens there. If we follow your plan and concentrate our forces under the [Under the Starry Sky], the consequences would be unimaginable if the other fronts collapsed."
"The problem lies in the compatibility of the power systems."
Another Pillar — Yun Xingju, a woman with a calm demeanor and dressed in a plain white robe, slowly raised her head. Her voice was peaceful yet carried a certain penetrating power.
"[ Under the Under the Starry Sky] is a typical high-magic environment, where our Mana system players thrive. However, conversely, their power is significantly weakened in the Yuncang World due to the low Mana. We should pay more attention to worlds where power systems are less dependent on the environment..."
The discussion gradually heated up, with clashes of opinions interspersed with considerations of departmental interests.
The logistics department complained about tight energy supplies, the intelligence department emphasized insufficient reconnaissance data, and officials in the diplomatic corps cautiously mentioned "whether there might be room for negotiation."
The moment the word was uttered, it drew several sharp glances.
Yuncang 21st Expeditionary Army Yun Cangyuan, who died in the ice coffin on the Third Island of [ Under the Under the Starry Sky], sat in a seat near the end, listening to these arguments, and felt a sense of exhaustion seeping from the depths of his bones.
Just then, an uneasy voice came from beside him.
"Um, I have a question."
"Isn't your plan for deploying high-level and Legendary players a bit too idealistic? Don't forget how heavy the losses were for the expeditionary force! Where did all these players come from?"
All eyes turned to the last seat, where a man who looked to be in his early thirties, wearing retro-framed glasses and a distinctive diamond-shaped badge on his chest, looked like a downtrodden programmer.
The old general in the main seat frowned slightly, turned his head and asked his adjutant in a low voice, "Who is this?"
"The chief technical advisor of Yuncang Intelligence Administration Office... was specially approved by Yun Sha Pillar to be brought into the meeting," the adjutant quickly replied.
"Newcomer? Hey you, Yun Cangyuan, explain the basics to him. Don't let him ask uninformed questions. Anyone who doesn't understand, come over and listen."
Yun Cangyuan was called upon, he took a breath and answered in as calm a voice as possible, "Advisor, the game accounts of the players who died in the expedition are... retained after the expedition campaign ends. This means that, from a data perspective, the core combat force of the expeditionary force has not truly 'disappeared'."
"Really?" the consultant asked in surprise, confirming again.
"Yes, the specific reason is unclear." Yun Cangyuan nodded, but a shadow of gloom rose in his heart.
He was only informed of this information after leaving the battlefield; no one in the expeditionary force knew about it until the end of the war.
This is a secret of the higher-ups; the higher-ups of the Yuncang Union have always had more information about [Ten Thousand Worlds] than these players.