Military Fundamentals

After dismissing Cook, Zul'ra Jin cleaned himself up, wiping away the bloodstains. He carefully inspected the tusks in his mouth; the roots of both were loose. As they bled incessantly, the constant wobbling sent waves of soreness through his temples and jaw.

Zul'ra Jin attempted an internal inspection, tracing his blood vessels from his heart up to his brain. Sure enough, the small vessels around his face and temples were swollen—clearly a result of his injuries. Fortunately, his brain nerves remained unaffected, but these tusks were truly a nuisance.

A male troll's tusks grow from the ends of the upper jaw, protruding through the lips from between the teeth. The tips curve upward or downward at varying angles. As a troll ages, these tusks grow longer and become increasingly cumbersome. Beyond the weight straining the skull, they are prone to causing lip inflammation and are easily exploited as a weakness in combat.

Trolls possess two tusks, four canines, and thirty to thirty-six molars. Aside from the tusks, the canines also eventually grow past the lips with time, but the tusks are uniquely troublesome. Because they sit directly between the upper and lower molars, they grind against them; once a troll reaches old age, those molars are usually the first to fall out.

I must find a way to pull these two teeth out. Zul'ra Jin wiggled the loose tusks, feeling the throbbing in his temples. He closed his eyes to soothe the flow of blood within his body, easing the tension in his temples, and made his decision.

Extracting the teeth would not be a simple task, especially since they were connected to his skull. Zul'ra Jin focused on calming the blood flow in his face, alleviating the soreness in his temples and facial muscles to make himself more comfortable.

His attention remained fixed on his tusks. As for the wounds on his neck that had once sliced near his carotid artery, they had long since healed; his regenerative abilities, bolstered by his growing vitality, were far superior to those of an average troll.

"Zul'ra Jin, the battle results have been verified." As Zul'ra Jin meditated, his adjutant, Cook, walked in and looked at the Witch Doctor sitting in the tent with his eyes closed.

"Speak." Zul'ra Jin opened his eyes, glanced at Cook, and then closed them again, remaining silent.

"Including the five you personally executed, we eliminated a total of 101 Vilebranch Trolls. We lost four companions, and thirty-four were wounded. During the fight against the Vilebranch, they were..." Cook, a fiercely loyal follower who treated Zul'ra Jin's words as golden law, had even investigated exactly how each wounded soldier had been struck.

"First, your report is incorrect. I only killed three; one died of severe wounds, and another was finished off by Broken-Tooth. Have the wounded been treated yet?" Zul'ra Jin listened to the meticulously verified report, nodded after Cook finished, corrected him, and then inquired about the situation.

"Their injuries are not severe. The lightly wounded will recover in a day or two, and the heavily wounded are still mobile. Besides, we aren't carrying a Witch Doctor. The Smolderthorn Witch Doctors are currently helping Dakkalai; he was badly hurt, I heard he broke a few bones." Cook nodded to show he understood Zul'ra Jin's correction and offered his explanation.

"Let's go. I will help them heal. Also, I must tell you: your military reports must be as concise as possible. From now on, every battle must be tallied. Beyond the soldiers, you must also track food and armor. A leader of a mature military organization must always be aware of the state of the army he commands." Zul'ra Jin exhaled, offering advice to Cook as he led him away to treat the trolls.

"Understood!" Cook was not a particularly clever troll, but as a follower, he was incredibly loyal. He carefully memorized Zul'ra Jin's words and resolved to implement them.

While coaching Cook on basic officer duties, Zul'ra Jin arrived at the barracks. As he used his Healing Stick to treat the wounded, he made sure to share his advice with the crowd, offering his own opinions to the soldiers as well.

"This battle should have been won more cleanly, but it wasn't enough. You number eight hundred; though not all were deployed at once, there were at least three or four hundred of you. Three or four of you against one Vilebranch Troll, yet we still lost four and had thirty-four wounded." Faced with Zul'ra Jin's words, some trolls felt ashamed, while others were indifferent. Even in wild hunting, people died—how could there be no casualties in a battle like this?

"These casualties were avoidable. We can always do better. Let us earn the glory of a perfect victory every time. We never know when the next battle will come, so every one of us must maintain peak condition at all times to ensure no unnecessary casualties occur." Zul'ra Jin accurately caught the looks of indifference but continued to speak.

"An excellent warrior must learn to analyze themselves and the enemy, and learn how to surpass themselves. Know the enemy, and know yourself, and you will be invincible. In this battle, not only you, but I also made mistakes." As Zul'ra Jin continued to speak, more and more trolls began to look serious.

"When we set out from Zul'Aman, there were no other Witch Doctors in our ranks besides me. When there is no Witch Doctor, the army should carry sufficient potions, but I neglected this. Because of that, after the battle, our wounded soldiers could not receive timely treatment without a Witch Doctor. I must apologize to you."

Zul'ra Jin bowed to the few trolls among the soldiers who had just healed. The trolls were caught off guard, but Zul'ra Jin did not give them much time to react before speaking again.

"This is a grave danger. If we encounter a large-scale battle and you warriors cannot preserve your strength, losing the ability to fight, that will be an irreparable mistake on my part. I will regret this lapse for the rest of my life. I am criticizing myself before you." Faced with Zul'ra Jin's self-criticism, the trolls below wore various expressions—some were shocked, others puzzled or strange, secretly thinking, So even you can make such a big mistake.

"I am also at fault." Faced with Zul'ra Jin's self-criticism, Cook, standing nearby, felt agitated. He disliked seeing the person he respected in such an awkward position, but he had no choice. After thinking carefully, he quickly raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention.

"Then please, tell us your mistake, Cook." Zul'ra Jin looked at Cook, who had stepped forward to relieve him, and nodded slightly.

"My mistake was being impulsive and reckless during the fight. I am a shield-bearer, but during the battle, I charged to the front, leading to..." Cook did not want to embarrass his idol, but as he spoke, he realized that he had indeed been a bit reckless in the heat of battle, failing to perform his duty as a shield-bearer to provide protection.