The magic brilliance was so bright that it looked like a giant pillar connecting the sky and the earth. It was impossible for any creature with vision not to see it. The soldiers on the walls of Rock Fortress, who had been vigilant of the movements in the north, certainly could not ignore it.
An elite troop quickly left the fortress and followed the direction of the magic brilliance into the wilderness at the edge of Pompeii Territory. Before the brilliance dissipated, they found the source of the unusual magic outburst.
A "stone statue" made of a mixture of rock and crystal stood upright in the wilderness, holding a long sword and facing the east. Near the stone statue, the soldiers found a boulder engraved with words.
The news was quickly sent to Rock Fortress by Walter Perry, the commander of Rock Fortress. Sir Perry arrived at the scene before the sky was completely dark. The old knight looked at the scene in astonishment. He recognized the face of the stone statue because he had seen the young face in some documents.
"This stone statue is … Belk? Marquis Loren? "Walter murmured to himself in disbelief." This … "
At first, he subconsciously thought that it was indeed a stone statue, but soon he became suspicious and had some terrible associations. He found that the stone statue was so lifelike that every strand of hair and every fold of clothes could be seen clearly. A series of sparkling, translucent crystals were inlaid on the surface of the stone statue, as if they had grown out of the "skin" of the "stone statue". It was a frightening sight.
This reminded the old Knight of some recent information from the north.
The words on the boulder near the stone statue seemed to confirm his judgment.
After carefully examining the engravings on the boulder, the reliable old Knight immediately turned to his adjutant. "Marguarita Knight, contact Duke Gwen immediately!"
The emergency communication from Rock Fortress interrupted a routine communication between Gwen and Daniel. After listening to Marguarita Knight, Gwen, who was sitting in the study, slowly took a breath.
The news from the deepest part of the polluted area in the north … had been delivered to him in the most unexpected way.
Belk? Loren turned into a stone statue? What did he go through? How did he arrive at the Firmrock Stronghold? Why did he undergo such a transformation? All of this was confusing, but Gwen vaguely guessed some of the truth.
On the holographic projection beside the desk, the female Knight with brown shoulder-length hair was waiting for orders. "My Lord, how should we deal with … the situation here?"
Gawain glanced at the holographic projection. Behind Marguarita, he saw a 'stone statue' standing upright in the wilderness to the north of Firmrock Fortress. Illuminated by the light of the magic crystal lamps, Gawain vaguely remembered the last time he saw the statue, which had turned into stone and was covered in crystal.
"Check the 'stone statue' to see if there are any residual contaminants. Its characteristics are heterogeneous arcane energy and unstable life signs. If not, bring it back," Gwen instructed, not forgetting to remind him, "Be careful. Don't hurt it at all."
Although he did not know what Belk had experienced, he could more or less guess: a brave Knight should not continue to be exposed in the wilderness.
After the communication ended, Gwen looked up at Amber who was standing next to him. The latter was still in a state of confusion. She whispered, "The entire Eastern Army … Is it really over?"
Gwen shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid it's not just the Eastern Army that's done for."
Then he activated the magic network communication terminal again and called the emergency line of the military zone. "Philip, come to the liege's residence."
The situation in the Great Wood Pass was now clear. The current situation of the Eastern Army had been investigated. Although further information from Sordling was needed, many things could already be started.
He did not have to wait too long. Thirty minutes later, Betty's voice came from outside the study. "Master! Knight Philip is here! "
Philip, who was wearing a Knight's suit, walked into the study. He first bowed to Gwen, but before he could speak, the magic network communication terminal on Gwen's desk suddenly lit up and buzzed.
"Wait a moment." Gwen waved his hand to Philip, motioning him to wait. He then turned on the communication device. Judging from the special symbol that appeared in the air after the magic network terminal was activated, this was a high-priority emergency communication. If it was not very important, it would not be connected through this line.
The communication device was activated, and the holographic projection above the device quickly condensed a clear image. Sordling, who was wearing a golden wig, appeared in the image with a serious face. "We have important progress here."
Gwen nodded. "Speak."
"We've reached the edge of the contaminated area and rescued a group of royal soldiers who had retreated from the north," Solderlin reported quickly and clearly. "According to them, all the areas controlled by the royal army at the Great Wood Road have been contaminated by the 'Curse of the Crystal Cluster'. Boulder City has fallen, Count Solin has died in battle, and most of the royal army's main force has been wiped out. Victoria Castle has been destroyed. Duchess Wade and her mountain army are trapped in the north. Their current situation is unknown. Some of the royal army's remnants have broken out in the northwest. Their current situation is unknown. A large number of Crystal Cluster Giants have gathered into an army and are moving toward Saint Sunil. "
"The royal army's soldiers who retreated from the north?" Gwen's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of another piece of information that he had just received. Luo Lun warned, "Check the blood of those people first …"
Although Sordling did not quite understand, he still carried out the order immediately. Gwen stood up and walked to the Ansu map next to him. He made markings and deductions on the map according to Sordling's report.
Very soon, the high-level ranger returned to the holographic projection. Fortunately, the royal army's soldiers that the Steel Rangers had saved did not show any signs of infection.
"Who is leading those soldiers? How did they come to the south of the contaminated area? "
"A knight named Mitchell. He and his team were one of the teams that followed the main force to break out of the encirclement in the northwest. But near the Purple Water Valley, the entire breakout team was ambushed by the 'Crystal Cluster Army'. The main force was cut off, and Mitchell and his team were separated from the main force. Because it was hopeless to continue breaking out in the north, they began to move south."
"Ambushed by the Crystal Cluster Army?"
"Yes, those Crystal Cluster Infected … Although they look like monsters, we found that they still have their rationality. It's just that their thinking and cognition have been completely heterogeneous, and they see normal living beings as enemies …"
Sordling and his Steel Rangers had really collected a lot of crucial information.
In the following period of time, Gwen asked many detailed questions about the north, about the 'Crystal Cluster Infected', and about the situation in the contaminated area. Sordling also gave a detailed and fast report of the information he had collected along the way.
Gradually, the situation in the Holy Plains, which was originally shrouded in fog, became clear. Gwen quickly combined all the known information in his mind. On the satellite map that overlooked the Ansu, a large number of vague and unknown areas were filled in and completed one after another.
Belk? Rolon brought the information about the Eastern Region and the Eastern Region Army, while Sordling received first-hand information about the royal army. All the information was cross-checked and completed. The main contaminated areas, the distribution of the Crystal Cluster Monsters and their many characteristics, the possible hiding spots and escape routes of the survivors … everything was put together.
Gwen turned his head and looked at Philip, who was standing in front of him with a solemn expression. The young Knight was waiting for orders.
"First Combat Corps and attached Mechanized Corps — attack immediately. Target, Holy Plains."
"Yes, Sir!"
After a short moment of thought, Gwen continued, "This time, I'm going out as well."
"You're going out?" The first one to widen her eyes was not Philip, but Amber, who was standing beside Gwen. "You're not …"
The Shame of the Elves abruptly stopped herself halfway through her sentence. Fortunately, she restrained herself from saying that she was traumatized by her sudden death during the last expedition. However, her glaring eyes clearly exposed the content of her thoughts.
"The situation is different." Gwen could guess what Amber wanted to say, but this time he was not angry. He just smiled faintly. "In the current situation, we can only do our best to ensure the victory of the war. Only then will we have a future and hope."
Then he paused and sighed slightly.
"This kingdom has become a mess that can't be cleaned up. It's time for me, the guy who climbed out of the coffin, to clean it up."
Ten minutes later, Philip left the liege's residence. He was going to the military zone to gather his adjutant and staff to reorganize all the information and make a more complete and practical plan before leaving for the north. Amber also left the liege's residence. She was going to arrange a series of matters in the Military Intelligence Bureau to ensure that wartime intelligence, public opinion, and all other matters were operating in an orderly manner. Gwen left his study and went to Tyre's room.
The siren was not soaking in her favorite big pool at the moment. Instead, she was occupying the large space on the west side of the room. When the door was opened, she was swaying the tip of her tail slightly and humming an unknown song.
It was not a sound that could be made by human beings. The melody of the ballad was mixed with a lot of ethereal echoes and wave-like harmonies. It sounded beautiful and mysterious, but beyond the frequencies that human ears could recognize, there seemed to be a richer and more complex range that only the people of the deep sea could hear.
Gwen came to discuss something with the siren. He did not expect that not only was she not sleeping, she was even singing. To be honest, it was rare for her to do something that was in line with her identity as a siren. Gwen could not help but ask, "You can sing?"
"I'm a siren. It's our instinct, okay?" Tyre poked the floor with the tip of her tail and expressed her dissatisfaction with Gwen's question with a "doo doo" sound. Then she asked curiously, "What's the matter? Look at your serious face … It's not a small matter. "
Gao Wen nodded and went straight to the point. "I'd like to know more about the 'food' aura 'you mentioned last time in the northeast."
"Ah …" Tyre sighed softly. Her wriggling tail slid on the floor and her body moved little by little to Gwen. "It seems that it's not a small matter …"
…
In the deepest part of the Defiant Fortress, beyond the boundary of the material world and the Shadow Realm that reflected the real world, beside the Defiant Fortress in the Shadow Realm, a huge corpse was silent as it had been for thousands of years.
The giant deer, as towering as a small mountain, floated quietly in the middle of the broken floating island and rubble. Countless twisted metal fragments crisscrossed and sealed the space around the corpse of the god. Around the giant deer, a layer of holy and powerful light floated slightly, as if it would never be extinguished. Further away, most of the ancient magic devices inside and outside the Defiant Fortress that were thousands of years old had been extinguished. Only a faint light of runes slowly flashed in the darkness, accompanying the body of the giant deer, Amoen, who had fallen three thousand years ago.
This unchanging state of silence seemed to last forever.
But suddenly, something changed.
On the huge corpse of the god, the faint light flowed slowly. Amoun, the giant deer, quietly opened his eyes.
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