Chapter 657: The Battle's Conclusion
Chapter 657: The Battle's Conclusion
A raging inferno illuminated the darkness within the enclosed underground cave, its orange-red flames burning for over ten minutes.
To ensure the 'health' of the Deviator, Linsey smashed the enemy into a pulp and then built a makeshift forge using construction materials before tossing them inside to roast.
Half an hour passed, and Linsey caught up with the Deviator ahead, rescuing all the warriors of the Fourteenth Legion and returning to the cave.
Approaching the charred makeshift forge, he dismantled it.
"Hmm..."
"The timing is just right."
"Not quite dead, but completely incapacitated."
Linsey nodded slightly, satisfied with his 'cooking' skills.
Without bothering to extinguish the fire, Linsey switched to the [Molten Fire Emblem] and reached into the forge, pulling out the half-charred Deviator.
The Fourteenth Legion warriors following him were intrigued by the scene.
"Lord Linsey, what is this thing?" one warrior asked, covering his left arm, which had been affected.
Linsey turned to see the speaker, whose limb had suffered issues, a common problem among the group.
Having been directly attacked by a Phase Five Deviator, the warriors were infected with the Corrupting Venom to varying degrees. Only the reinforcement from the fruit of the Wilted Tyrant Blossom prevented them from being completely transformed into lower-phase Deviators.
"This thing..."
"Is the very one who escorted you here," Linsey replied.
The warriors' expressions changed instantly.
As they watched Linsey stuff the charred, blackened flesh into a torn cloth bag and drag it on the ground, their eyes revealed a mix of relief and satisfaction.
Linsey walked ahead alone, contemplating his encounters with high-phase Deviators.
The number of ancient Deviators he had personally slain was still in single digits.
But in actual combat, the strength disparity was stark.
A noticeable pattern emerged.
The further north they ventured, the weaker these Deviators became.
The first Deviator Linsey killed was, in fact, the strongest he had encountered so far.
It had taken a considerable effort to finally defeat that enemy.
In contrast, the two Deviators who attacked the Underground Fortress were weaker, despite Linsey's advantage of surprise or preemptive strikes.
"Is it because the base is too far from the main camp, so the more powerful Deviators are stationed there?" Linsey pondered.
"Or is it because the strong Deviators from the main camp have already left with the main force, leaving behind only the weak and deformed?"
Linsey analyzed the situation, adding a new objective to the interrogation list for Hilda.
Half a day passed, and Linsey safely returned to the Underground Fortress with the rescued warriors of the Fourteenth Legion.
Thanks to Linsey's earlier sweep, the pressure of the battle within the labyrinth had significantly decreased. The Legion Commanders rallied their troops, leading the ordinary soldiers in a familiar rhythm to eliminate the Deviators, who were not the ancient Phase Five enemies.
The warriors, with their skilled coordination, defeated them one by one, eventually sending them to the garden as fertilizer.
By the next day, the battle in the city had concluded, and the outer layers of the labyrinth were completely repaired.
The injured gathered in front of the Arcane Tent within the underground fortress.
This underground fortress was initially designed for researching various toxins.
But with Tie Yu's presence, the Arcane Tent also served as a hospital. Wounded soldiers and those severely infected with Corrupting Venom were treated here.
"..."
Meanwhile, utilizing the power of maps, Lindsay cleared out the Deviators hidden within the maze.
He returned to the city, near the vicinity of the Arcane Tent.
"Injured soldiers, treatment..."
Lindsay surveyed his surroundings.
Tie Yu had flawlessly executed his commission, establishing a competent medical and nursing system.
However, the problem lay in the soldiers' expressions, which were far from optimistic.
Even the determined Legion Commanders wore the same look of concern.
As Lindsay returned to support the Forest Capital, the battles faced by the underground fortress showed no signs of ceasing.
Endless enemies and occasional familiar faces among the Deviators kept the pressure on the warriors at the underground fortress.
Despite their combat advantage, the mental strain on the soldiers continued to mount.
Yesterday's battle marked a critical turning point.
The maze defenses nearly breached, Legion Commanders severely injured, and a member of the Fourteenth Legion abducted by Deviators, only to be rescued by Lindsay's intervention.
After more than half a year of expedition, the warriors were physically and mentally exhausted.
This exhaustion was no longer just visible on their faces but had etched itself into their hearts.
"..."
A clear thought emerged in Lindsay's mind.
Or rather, a fact.
The physical and mental state of the warriors could not support their continued fighting.
As Lindsay pondered, Vivian rushed over from the city.
She looked at the injured soldiers and Legion Commanders with concern and then focused her attention on Lindsay.
"Mr. Lindsay, this offensive should have been completely repelled, right?"
Lindsay patted Vivian's head.
"Rest assured, I specifically went to clear out the maze."
"There won't be another attack for a while."
After calming Vivian, Lindsay added, "By the way, in a couple of days, a new swarm of insects will arrive at the underground fortress. They'll still be under your management."
Receiving insectoid soldiers had become a routine task for Vivian.
Noticing Lindsay's mention, the girl became curious.
"You're specifically mentioning this; is there a change?"
Lindsay nodded in response.
"This time, I've upgraded the Insect Nest by one level, and the types of insectoid soldiers are all new, with strength surpassing the previous level."
"And this time, I plan to build a structure called the Hero Altar. We can select three suitable individuals here and grant them hero panels..."
As Lindsay explained, he casually opened the building panel, only to pause in surprise.
He had an idea.
Over the past few months, the underground fortress, through its counterattacks against the Deviators, had sacrificed enough slaves to reach the 100 requirement.
In other words.
Lindsay could now upgrade the base.
He turned to look at the disheartened human warriors around him.
This civilizational leap would undoubtedly be one of the best options to boost their morale!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
