Chapter 599: Natural Disaster
Chapter 599: Natural Disaster
"Knock him out and take him away."
Vivian didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately issued the order.
The soldier holding the little boy patted him, and the boy instantly lost consciousness, never to respond again.
The team then continued their retreat through the violently shaking tunnel.
As the leader of the messenger team, Vivian made the right judgment, and her abilities matched her status.
But that word 'father' still caused a change in the young girl's eyes.
In the dim torchlight, Vivian's vision pierced through the dust and spotted a soldier ahead.
The short knife at his waist had a handle made of golden yellow elm wood.
It resembled the color of the law.
...
The team continued to move forward amidst the chaos.
A few minutes later, the trembling ground beneath their feet gradually calmed down, but the surrounding environment remained chaotic, inevitably slowing their progress.
After some time, at the front of the retreating team, someone suddenly stopped in their tracks.
Those behind managed to stop in time, avoiding a collision, but couldn't help but complain:
"Hey, what's going on up there? Why aren't we moving?"
"Miss Vivian said that we need to leave this place immediately!"
The next moment, the soldier at the forefront delivered a message that filled everyone with despair:
"It's no use, the path is completely blocked!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Vivian immediately led her confidants towards the end of the tunnel.
The once-clear passage had completely collapsed in this catastrophic landslide.
The nearby walls still showed traces of the mine tunnel, but the path ahead was now completely buried under rocks and soil.
Vivian turned around and looked at the rescued mine tunnel residents:
"Everyone, does anyone here know this place?"
"Does anyone know how far we are from the surface exit?"
A tattered man in the crowd raised his hand:
"Miss, I know this road. If we want to get out from here, I'm afraid it's still a few hundred meters away!"
Then, one of Vivian's guards stepped forward.
He pressed his ear against the stone wall and then knocked on it with his hand.
Boom, boom, boom—
The deep, solid sound made his expression turn grave, but he had to report the truth:
"Miss, the collapsed section is quite long. With the weapons we have... In a short time, I'm afraid we can't get out."
"..."
Vivian naturally thought of the tools Lindsey had given to the workers.
Those pickaxes were like divine weapons for mining rocks.
But to avoid suspicion, on this first mission to these unfamiliar forces, they couldn't possibly dig a path right to their doorstep.
So there were no workers skilled in tools in the team this time.
Now, expecting them to dig a tunnel with their short knives or even bows and arrows was indeed a tall order.
However, Vivian also knew that she couldn't show weakness.
She controlled her expression and began assigning crucial tasks to her subordinates:
"Andra, count the number of people in the team, including the mine tunnel residents we rescued; Figs, you and your team treat everyone's injuries, don't be stingy with the medicine you have, and prioritize rescue!"
The two soldiers immediately started working upon receiving the order.
Vivian took a slight breath and rested by the collapsed tunnel.
Navigating through the earthquake was already challenging enough.
Not to mention the oppressive and dim environment of the mine tunnel.
Vivian was still a child, and her energy was rapidly depleting. She needed to rest.
Another confidant approached her:
"Miss Vivian, are you okay?"
Vivian looked up and saw that the person approaching was named Mil, a warrior who had worked under her father since the Aro Camp era.
Just because he wasn't an Awakened, Mil survived the attack by sheer luck.
Now, after receiving training, he has become one of the elite soldiers.
It was also because of this identity that Mil knew what effect the child's shout would have on Vivian, which was why he came over to check on her.
Vivian simply shook her head.
"Uncle Mil, it's fine."
"If I have any thoughts... I'm only disappointed in myself. If I had the power to change everything, we wouldn't be trapped here."
Mil was still worried.
"But Lord Aroen..."
Vivian shook her head, interrupting Mil, and showed a more rational attitude.
"Over the past six months, I've thought a lot."
"My father's teachings and Lord Lin Sai's guidance have taught me one thing. I should focus on the living people before me and not let the loss of what's gone harm what I have now."
"..."
Mil's expression was complex.
But a child of her age should be crying and making a fuss over the loss of her family, not acting like Vivian.
But upon careful thought, in the vast Wildlands, isn't such a mature personality a good thing?
"Miss Vivian!"
At this moment, Anda, who was counting the numbers, walked over.
"Everyone is accounted for. Some are injured, but not severely. We rescued 17 residents from the mine tunnel, and some of them are seriously wounded. Figgs is treating them now."
Mil, standing beside Vivian, suggested,
"Miss, let my brothers and I try to dig out the tunnel first."
"Although the tools we have aren't ideal, we can't just sit and wait. By slowly digging, we'll eventually find a way out."
Vivian nodded in agreement.
"Then let's do it."
Vivian proceeded to organize her soldiers.
The original width of the mine tunnel could accommodate about five people digging simultaneously, so she allocated her soldiers accordingly.
Those with minor injuries were assigned to take care of the injured residents.
Another group returned to the mine to gather other survivors within the safe area.
The able-bodied soldiers were divided into teams of five, taking turns on carrying, digging, and resting.
The soldiers executed the orders strictly.
Deep within the mine tunnel, injured survivors were gradually rescued.
The team at the front also gradually dug their way out, making slow but steady progress.
Everything in the mine tunnel seemed to be back on track.
But the unexpected happened the next day.
There wasn't a second earthquake attack.
Instead, as a warrior chipped away at the wall with a curved blade, the surrounding earth and rocks suddenly collapsed.
Fine sand and pebbles began to fall from the wall like gushing water, even causing the excavated cave to tremble and shower them with debris.
"Everyone, retreat!"
Vivian quickly organized the people to move back.
In a short time, the crowd retreated dozens of meters, and the tunnel they had been digging collapsed with a loud crash.
"..."
The rumbling echoed through the confined mine tunnel.
The people stood there, silent.
When the dust settled, what appeared before them was the collapsed underground mine tunnel.
A day's work was in vain.
The collapsed earth and rocks even crushed more areas, causing their space to retreat by several more meters!
(End of Chapter)
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