Chapter 453, Section 452: Aftermath
As dawn broke in the east, the morning light spilled onto the valley entrance, which was now unrecognizable.
The destructive force of the giant explosion swept across the canyon, engulfing most of the valley entrance, and the shockwave shattered the rock walls on both sides of the entrance.
The once narrow and treacherous valley entrance has now become a ruin made up of broken rocks and soil. The rock walls on both sides lean inward, blocking the only opening, and the fragile support makes it prone to secondary collapse at any time.
Between the rubble, fragments of broken armor and broken weapons, as well as congealed and blackened mottled bloodstains, could be vaguely seen.
Under the stern command of Sigismund's adjutant, a large number of demon soldiers were digging in the ruins. These were the remaining troops who had not been able to rush in due to the narrow entrance, and they had become the only remaining fighting force.
Besides them, some demons who were further back and had some strength also escaped, as did the vampire elites who were fighting on the aerial walkway. Most of them successfully returned after the explosion.
But the biggest problem is... Sigismund is buried inside.
"What are you digging for? If they're not dead, they'll crawl out on their own. If they're dead, you won't be able to dig them out anyway." After saying this, Veralis left with her remaining troops. None of her troll army managed to escape, and she was furious.
However, Sigismund's adjutant could not give up; he could only continue to organize men to dig through the rubble.
But as Veralis said, the digging was in vain.
Sigismund, who hadn't died, crawled out on his own.
A ruin made of huge piled rocks suddenly exploded from the inside, and rubble and dust flew in all directions!
Sigismund's figure appeared from among them.
At this moment, he looked extremely disheveled.
That enchanted armor, which once symbolized status and power, is now twisted and deformed, like scrap metal ravaged by immense force, barely clinging to the body.
His once meticulously styled silver hair was now covered in dust and draped down in a messy manner, obscuring half of his pale, chubby face.
He stood up, slightly out of breath. Although he appeared weak, the dangerous aura emanating from him caused all the demon soldiers around him to involuntarily take a half step back and lower their heads in awe.
Only the adjutant rushed forward first, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Sir! You're alright...that's wonderful!"
Sigismund's gaze slowly shifted to him, his crimson pupils flashing through the gaps in his disheveled silver hair, his voice calm: "What is the casualty situation?"
"The vanguard... was completely wiped out. The central army also suffered heavy losses, barely able to muster a complete formation. Only the rear guard... remained relatively intact..."
The adjutant spoke with great distress, saying that even when they captured the Gaobao Fortress, they hadn't lost this many troops.
A disheveled and disheveled Sigismund listened to the report of the heavy casualties with a blank expression, then glanced back at the collapsed valley entrance: "Set off, return to High Fortress."
"Then... what about His Highness the Prince...?" the adjutant asked hesitantly.
“It’s nothing more than enduring some punishment,” Sigismund said. “With our current strength, even if we went to Three Mountain City to join the battle, it wouldn’t make any difference.”
What the adjutant didn't know was that Sigismund's condition was far worse than it appeared.
The power within his body was in disarray, the backlash from the dark curse was throbbing painfully, and more importantly...
There are too many questions that urgently need to be clarified.
Why are those storm elements being manipulated? What secrets does that Puji, which excites my roommate so much, hold? And what about that roommate who's always cryptic, now spouting something about "whoever controls Puji controls the world"...?
Logically speaking, since roommates now share the same body and are bound by life and death, it's almost impossible for them to do anything behind each other's backs.
But there are still many things that are difficult to explain.
Sigismund was fed up with being kept in the dark; he had to get to the bottom of it all.
But the biggest problem is how to keep this investigation a secret from your roommate who shares your body?
...
The valley, now completely transformed into a toilet area, is bustling with activity as the survivors of the catastrophe rush about.
"Commander Inanna, the medical supplies are running low, and the accompanying healers are also exhausted... Many of the seriously wounded are probably..."
"Don't give up! Use mycelial symbiosis! Try to save their lives!"
"Commander, numerous cracks have been found in the rock walls near the valley entrance. They are very unstable and could collapse again at any time!"
"Move the entire camp back; now we no longer need to hold onto that valley entrance."
"Lady Inanna, regarding the food as well..."
Alama was seriously injured with a broken arm and fell into a coma. Lorenzo was also seriously injured and depleted of magic. Almost no one knew how he managed to escape with his life from the bloodthirsty Veralis with his staff broken. Almost all the warriors on the plank road were killed or wounded in this battle.
Now, the person with the highest status and the greatest ability to unite people in the valley has become Inanna.
She was not only the commander who brought reinforcements, the only daughter of Alama, and the rightful heir to the duke's title, but also a hero who single-handedly summoned the giant beast Puji, turned the tide of battle, and pulled everyone back from the brink of destruction.
Therefore, even though Inanna did not take the initiative to issue orders, all matters requiring decisions naturally came to her, seeking her opinion, as if they had already regarded her as their temporary leader.
To this end, Lin Jun specially recruited Shou and Xinghuo into her "brain-brain advisory group" within the microbial network, who quietly provided guidance to Inanna through the network, and so far, the results seem to be very good.
As for Lin Jun herself, she was completely absorbed in the top priority of constantly producing Puji to join the escort team and ensuring that the knight Puji could successfully bring the Sunstone fragments back to the dungeon.
In fact, if no one bothered her, Inanna would like to hide away and have a good cry.
Those knights who spent their days with her, protected her, and accompanied her, sacrificed themselves before her eyes for her and her father.
And now, my father is lying there seriously injured...
Seriously injured...
She instinctively picked up a passing common puji, gently squeezed its cap, and squeezed out the spores.
Holding the little dog, she walked into the barracks where Alama was being housed. Reaching the bedside, she looked at her father's pale, peacefully sleeping profile, and lifted the little dog, wanting to get closer to him…
"I... don't plan to become a Puji Master yet." A weak but clear voice rang out. Alama had opened her eyes at some point and was quietly looking at her daughter with a complicated expression.
“Old-fashioned…” Inanna muttered softly, then stopped pouting, but her eyes reddened slightly.
“Perhaps,” Alama didn’t argue, but asked softly, “Now, what’s the situation outside?”
Inanna gave a general account of the situation at the camp, the casualties, and the subsequent arrangements.
“What about the sunstone?” Alama asked.
Inanna shook her head: "It was buried in the valley after the explosion, and we haven't had time to dig it out yet."
Upon hearing the news that the Sunstone was temporarily lost, Alama did not show any excitement or regret.
In his view, it is already a miracle that so many people have survived in the valley.
His gaze fell on his daughter, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief, pride, and a lingering worry.
Finally, he gently encouraged me, "You did a great job... Child, I need to rest for a while, so I'm afraid you'll have to work hard these next few days. Don't worry about it, just do your job and ask me if you encounter any problems."
"Yes!" Inanna nodded heavily, hugging Puji even tighter in her arms.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
