Chapter 59: No Losses, Huge Production Cuts
The herd of dead great antler deer fell once again, and the billowing black mist dissipated as quickly as it had when it first appeared. Bright sunlight poured down from the high dome, and the excited cheers of the flower fairies were carried far, far away by the wind.
There were no corpses of any "extraterrestrial monsters" left on the ground, but the flower fairies didn't think there was anything wrong with that, as if these so-called extraterrestrial monsters would leave nothing behind when they died.
Shu Xin's feelings at this moment were so complex that they were hard to describe.
The black mist that appeared alongside the herd of giant deer was clearly something was wrong. Her fingers, which she extended out of the defensive barrier, were instantly dissolved. Flower fairies without a defensive shield were corroded and harmed. Worse still, Shu Xin soon discovered that the wheat fields covered by the black mist had also visibly become dull in color.
The original deep blue color of the bitter wheat now looks more like grayish-black. No matter how much the wheat swayed in the chaotic wind, the leaves were still stretched out. But now, at a glance, all the wheat leaves are curled up and limp!
Shu Xin couldn't care less about grieving for the River Fairy's tragic past; all she could think about now were two bold, black words: "Reduce production!"
Fortunately, only this small patch of wheat field was affected by the black mist. Before the black mist invaded the area covered by the Tree of Life, the Flower Fairy Squad defeated all the suspected ghostly Great Horned Deer. The black mist dissipated, so the wheat field and the grass field behind the Tree of Life were still intact.
However, both Nonori and Pengpengan had previously stated that the Flower Castle was the safest place, which meant that nowhere outside the Flower Castle was safe. In other words, even with the protection of the Tree of Life, the wheat fields planted under the tree could be covered and soaked by the black mist, resulting in a significant reduction in yield...
This large herd of ghostly giant deer has only "sneaked out" yet; it's not harvest time!
The black mist that appeared alongside the ghostly great antlered deer easily reminded Shu Xin of the black mist emanating from the flower fairy slave. And the current situation did indeed resemble the vicious cycle that had repeated countless times in the Land of Sin.
The ghostly stags have reappeared in the world for unknown reasons. Following their will in life, they went to aid the river spirits, trying to help them protect the Tree of Life. However, all they brought was death and disaster. The flower fairies had no choice but to fight to the death to protect their homes and farmland. As a result, each defeat of the ghostly stags only made the black fog thicker and thicker, and the damage caused by the thicker black fog became more and more severe!
Shu Xin was able to unleash a wide-range purification spell to break the vicious cycle that was happening to the flower fairy slaves, but she didn't know how to break the vicious cycle caused by the ghost horned deer. Would the purification spell be useful?
Thinking of purification magic, Shu Xin recalled the Pegasus that had turned gray and drab. The chilling aura emanating from the Pegasus's fur was left by a monster from another continent. She had used purification magic to dispel the grayness from the Pegasus back then. Perhaps purification magic really would work?
Now the question is, how much purification magic will she need to cast, and how much magic power will she need to expend, to make the black mist, which is spreading like seawater, effective? The black mist in the Land of Sin still hasn't completely dissipated!
Pinching her brow, Shu Xin roused herself and soared into the sky. She dispelled her concealment magic and amplified her voice: "Attention everyone! Headcount! Report casualties!"
The patrol members, who were celebrating their victory, quickly quieted down and lined up neatly. The captains swiftly counted the number of members, confirmed their status, and then flew in formation to report to the purple-haired officer.
Looking at the orderly flower fairies below, Shu Xin's mood gradually calmed down. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out. Just because she can't think of a solution now doesn't mean she can't think of one later. So, she'll deal with the rest later.
Soon, the older flower fairy flew towards Shu Xin, sunlight falling into her purple eyes, making them appear incredibly bright: "Your Highness! No patrol members died! There are only twenty-three wounded! No serious injuries or disabilities! All are minor injuries!"
Letting out a long breath, Shu Xin smiled: "This is wonderful!"
The pre-battle objective of "zero casualties" was successfully achieved!
Upon learning that all twenty-three lightly injured flower fairies were patrol team leaders, Shu Xin felt heartbroken for the riverside elves' overly kind and responsible nature. All twenty-three patrol team leaders were injured while helping their teammates, whose defensive shields were on the verge of failure, to retreat in time, and without exception, they were all eroded by the black mist.
No wonder Peng Pengan said that as long as the patrol captain is given a better magic wand, the patrol's mortality rate will be greatly reduced. No wonder Nono said that as long as the patrol captain can get a better magic wand, the patrol members will have time to escape!
Shu Xin did not directly appoint the patrol team captain. These flower fairies who took on the role of captain all volunteered. The moment they received the high-level magic wands, they were probably already prepared to die to cover the escape of their teammates.
Only a riverside fairy like her could win the friendship of the Great Antlered Deer… Those greedy human magicians deserve to die! They'd better be in hell already. If they're still alive, once she and the flower fairies have grown up, she'll definitely test the effects of forbidden magic on them! Ideally, she'll even finely chop their flesh and souls into minced meat and bury it under the Tree of Life as fertilizer!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Shu Xin patted her chest to calm herself down and stopped thinking about these unlucky things, shifting her attention to the care of the injured.
Unlike Nonori, who suddenly ran away, Peng Pengan dutifully arranged for his servants to hide in the Flower Castle. He then herded the civilians, who had been awakened and panicked, back into their rooms. Afterward, he used his innate magic to create a large clump of vines that completely surrounded the civilian settlement. Finally, he held his magic wand and stood guard above the wheat field, ready to repel the alien monsters that the patrol had failed to defeat and kill.
Peng Pengan was not worried about the flower fairy who left the Flower Castle. In his opinion, the omnipotent princess would definitely be able to handle the monsters from the outer continent with ease and victory. He only needed to take care of the commoners, servants and land.
As expected, the menacing monsters from the outer continent were quickly driven back. Seeing the flower fairy flying towards the civilian settlement in the distance, the red-haired flower fairy happily went to greet her:
"Your Highness! Welcome back in triumph! Although I didn't want to spoil your fun, this matter is too important for me to hide from you—Your Highness, Nonori deserted his post!"
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-07-28 19:37:02 and 2024-07-29 18:56:26!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 2 bottles for Salamander; 1 bottle each for One Rabbit Head, Junbuyu, and Chihuo Orange Cat;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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