Chapter 394 Avalanche
"Is there any need to think about it? It must be because they discovered us!" another imperial soldier sneered without thinking.
Many people have rushed over, scrambling to try to grab the precious supplies scattered in the snow, making the already loose and chaotic team even more messy.
"...Wait, something's wrong." An old soldier didn't rush forward to grab it. He raised his head vigilantly and looked at the towering ice walls on both sides. The old soldier's eyes suddenly widened and his face turned pale.
From far behind the column came a low, horrible rumbling sound, as if coming from the depths of the abyss. At first the sound was distant and faint, but soon it rushed towards the long group with a terrifying speed, getting closer and louder.
Almost at the same time, a Limin Army soldier at the very end of the Limin Army team also shouted at them from a distance: "What the hell are you still standing there for? Run!"
Some experienced veterans had already started running without looking back, and many imperial soldiers subconsciously stopped fighting and looked behind them in confusion and horror - the snow fog, even higher than the towering cliffs, was like a white torrent like a huge wave, rushing around the corner towards them!
Under this overwhelming natural disaster, fear spread like a plague. No one cared about the few supplies on the ground. People were like headless flies, crying, pushing and shoving, running forward frantically, the desire to survive overwhelming all rationality.
Human strength seemed insignificant before the might of nature. People and livestock, jostling and trampling each other, were swept away and drowned in droves. The Imperial soldiers of the Second Legion, trailing behind, barely had time to utter a single scream before they were instantly engulfed by the surging snowwave, vanishing without a trace. Some tried to scramble up the nearby ice wall for shelter, but were struck by falling ice and plunged wailing into the snow.
Phil Goree, protected by his personal guards, tried his best to charge forward, but the end of the Great Rift Valley was the narrowest section of the road. Those behind were completely blocked by those in front, leaving them with nowhere to go. Moreover, out of fear of ghosts, he and his personal guards were positioned at the back of the group, so that if a conflict arose, they could rely on their lives to create a gap for escape.
Phil Goree turned back in horror and despair. The last thing he saw was a pure, despairing white. The next second, the commander of the Empire's Second Legion, along with his ambition and unwillingness, was completely buried by the overwhelming snow.
The terrifying rumbling sound lasted for several minutes before it finally subsided. At the same time, the people's army, who were almost pushed out of the rift exit by the snow waves, looked back in shock, and everyone fell silent.
Where was the Great Rift Valley? As far as the eye could see, there was only a vast, smooth, fan-shaped slope of fresh snow, still slowly flowing and spreading forward. If it weren't for the scattered relics of human civilization that had been washed out from the depths of the rift—broken weapons, shattered sleds, even the remains of human limbs or dead livestock—it would have seemed as if the narrow chasm had never existed.
If the ghost had not given the order in time, if it had been two or three minutes later, they would be buried in the snow now.
Due to the warning from the People's Army, the lucky ones who were running in the front of the Second Legion also rushed out at this time. Their legs were weak and they knelt on the ground trembling, shaking as they looked at the terrifying natural disaster scene.
Some people began to retch uncontrollably, letting out suppressed sobs of relief. Others forced themselves to observe their surroundings, and when they discovered that they were completely surrounded by the enemy, fear and despair suddenly appeared in their eyes.
The professor was held tightly in someone's arms, his head pressed tightly against his chest. He gestured to the savior to let go, jumped off his horse, and quickly wiped the snow from his face. What caught his eye was a silent and hushed silence, swallowing up the wailing and struggle of all life.
“…”
The black-haired young man was silent for a moment, closing his eyes. Then he turned around and gave a crisp order: "Begin counting our numbers and remaining supplies. From here, start digging for survivors within a fifty-meter radius. Whether they are from the Empire or ours, rescue them as much as possible. Only within fifty meters, absolutely no more."
Fifty meters meant searching almost exclusively the edge of the avalanche impact zone. Amidst the confusion and panic, Ghost's voice was clear and cold, as if it would never waver.
"Deep within the impact zone of the avalanche, there's virtually no chance of survival. The extreme cold will quickly claim the lives of those buried deep within," the black-haired young man commanded, explaining expressionlessly to the solemn-looking Maxiline and Yialos, "We don't have the time or resources to conduct a large-scale search and rescue operation. Fifty meters is the limit. If an accident occurs, it's still manageable. Any further and our people are exposed to unknown risks."
...What's more, Sandro is probably nearby. The savior beside him has been solemn since a while ago. While protecting him, he used his divine power to try his best to slow down the speed of the avalanche, and at the same time fought against some invisible disaster - a saint-level "uncertain gambler" whose trace cannot be found. This kind of existence can be said to be at the level of causality and is simply the most terrifying thing on the battlefield.
The order was quickly executed, and the soldiers of the People's Army took decisive action, finding any available tools, even their own hands, to dig in the white, loose graves. Their main targets were the affected rear members of the People's Army and some barely usable supplies, but they did dig out a number of Imperial soldiers who happened to be at the edge of the impact zone, shallowly buried by the snow.
By the time the survivors were dragged out, they had basically entered a state of hypothermia, suffocation, or even coma. If they had been a few minutes later, their lives would have been in danger.
The imperial soldiers who were still sober looked at this group of people whom they contemptuously called "slave soldiers" with complicated expressions. One after another, regardless of their frozen and bleeding hands, they dug hard in the snow, dragged out the imperial soldiers who were supposed to be enemies, and carried them to a relatively safe place together. Some even took off their clothes to provide simple bandages and cold protection for the enemy's wounded.
At first, there were only a few, hesitant and waiting. But gradually, almost all the Imperial soldiers who could still move came forward to help. At this moment, no one cared whose side they were saving. The boundaries of the human camp became blurred in the face of life and death and disaster.
The professor casually supported a wounded soldier who nearly fell beside him, ignoring the man's terrified look. He looked up at the sky. Beneath the grayish-white sky, the cold wind swirled fine snowflakes. Beyond that, there was nothing, yet he stared intently.
A moment later, a small black dot appeared in a corner of the sky. Nova narrowed his eyes slightly. The small dot circled above everyone's heads, then glided down silently and landed on the raised arm of the black-haired young man.
A crow.
The black bird nuzzled the black-haired young man's fingers affectionately with its beak, then modestly raised its right claw. The professor removed the small letter box from its leg. On it was densely covered with intricate, indecipherable symbols written in fine charcoal. He read it quickly, a subtle flicker of relief in his eyes.
"Ore's people are here, they will pick us up." The ghost raised his head expressionlessly and let the big crow jump onto his head. It sat firmly in his black hair with its head held high and chest puffed out, flapping its wings and croaking proudly.
Yialos and Maxine: "..."
The former's mouth twitched, and he tried to look away calmly. The latter, despite being in a bad mood, couldn't help but put on a gentle look of happiness.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Azuka's eyes. He reached out and took the daring crow off the man's head, ignoring the other's croaking protests.
"Have you finished the inventory?" The ghost, whose hair was messed up by the crows, seemed unaware of this and looked at Ialos.
"Almost," the Knight Commander replied succinctly. "Fifty percent of our supplies were lost, but the core items and the vast majority of our personnel are intact."
A complex expression flashed in his eyes. "As for the Empire... we've dug out another twenty or so people from the snow. But even with the survivors who escaped, the remaining supplies are far from enough."
The professor nodded noncommittally, then turned to look at the Imperial soldiers who had managed to survive. His voice remained calm, "You now have two choices."
Everyone fell silent, especially the imperial soldiers, who held their breath and stared nervously at the black-haired young man who was about to decide their future fate.
"First, follow us." Ghost raised a finger expressionlessly. "We will prioritize providing food and basic necessities to the wounded, depending on the situation. However, you must obey our orders absolutely. Any disturbance will result in immediate execution."
"Second." He raised a second finger, his tone devoid of any threat, as if he were simply stating a fact: "Stay here and fend for yourself, waiting for the Imperial reinforcements that may or may not arrive from the south."
Of course, no one chose the second option. After the devastation they had just experienced, remaining alone on the ice field would be tantamount to suicide.
"...We'll go with you." An imperial soldier who looked like a squad leader stepped forward and answered on behalf of the others in a hoarse voice.
The ghost didn't seem surprised at all, and simply nodded calmly: "Add them to the end of the team, under the supervision of Leon Croft - set off immediately."
Leon was stunned for a moment. All along, the other party had practically handed him full authority over the Empire's captives. He had never imagined he could rise from a miserable captive to his current position. He was deeply touched by Mr. Ghost's trust in him. He straightened his back as much as he could and replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes! I promise to complete the mission!"
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