Chapter 1197: Chapter 820: Reunion (Part 2)
His words drew a wave of tired laughter and murmured agreement, and even the scorched Demon ash in the air seemed a little less foul.
Though after fighting the Night Watchers, Demons rarely leave corpses with enough material to harvest, just seeing them reduced to a layer of ash like this is more than enough to make everyone feel wildly satisfied.
They are Avengers, not those opportunists who come to the Abyss to take advantage of it. They come here to walk toward death, or simply to die together with the Demons.
The Night Watchers’ logistics and supply are impeccably complete; they don’t need to spend any effort on anything else, they only need to fight, to clash with Demons, and then die together with them.
If they can take one or two Demons with them before they die, so much the better.
There is no place better than this.
In this recent period, the outside world is already close to calling the Night Watchers’ Blood Pit Fortress the holy land of Avengers.
This place can help them fulfill their mission perfectly.
For these people who came here already prepared to die.
The Night Watchers are always silently providing support.
Trying to dissuade them is meaningless.
Only revenge, only the death of Demons, can temporarily soothe their hearts, covered in cracks.
Blood War Fortress · 1121st Layer Forward Outpost
Hum!
In front of a giant crystal sand table made of flowing quicksilver, the energy light cluster representing the Blood Pit Fortress area, which had previously been almost completely drowned by the deep-red torrent symbolizing the Demons, was now stubbornly and steadily rekindling its silver-blue glow.
Though the edge of the light cluster still surged violently, as if licked by flames, its core had become as steady as Rock.
"Unbelievable!"
Standing before the sand table, "Mountain Bastion" Torgman’s massive rock face showed no expression, but the amber Soul Fire flickering in his eye sockets revealed the turmoil within.
"They’ve held out under an attack that’s at least several times the usual siege intensity, with Purgatory Combat Beasts and multiple Legendary units thrown in... and they actually endured it! That new device... it’s maintaining Order stability in the core area even under such crushing pressure!"
It was mainly that new device.
It was precisely that device which had triggered the unrest among the Demons on this layer.
But for them this was a good thing; they were even deeply curious about that device. If they could obtain the relevant technology, they’d be delighted; even if they could only purchase finished units, they’d still be more than happy.
It’s just that no one would raise this topic.
Because having one red dot that makes the Abyss itch is enough; if a few more appear nearby, the Abyss might start ignoring the rules, and that would not be a good thing.
They and the Abyss are mortal enemies, yet also exist in a necessary balance.
In the end, they can never truly wipe the Abyss out.
After all, this is the cesspit of the Star Realm, its trash can.
If there were no cesspit or trash can, the refuse inside would scatter everywhere, and that would not be a good thing.
The smaller-scale version of this problem has already appeared in Kana’s world.
Fortunately, the Night Watchers’ strongholds scattered across the world have effectively curbed the spread of this issue.
In a sense, the Night Watchers can now be considered the garbage sweepers of this world.
Beside him, the High Elf Priestess Elendra, her silver eyes tightly fixed on the symbol of the Demon flood that was slowly contracting yet clearly losing momentum on the sand table.
"They didn’t just hold out. More importantly, they’ve shown sustained combat capability and recovery speed. Look, the density of their long-range fire suppression has barely dropped. That means their reserves and supply lines haven’t been cut at all, and their efficiency is astonishingly high."
But on this point, the others around her did not find it strange; they’d long been aware of the relevant information, it’s just that this one had been busy with other matters recently.
She drew a deep breath, rare excitement and hope for the future coloring her tone: "This fortress... has truly taken root. It’s no longer a Fragile bridgehead, but a Solid stronghold capable of altering the balance of the battlefield on the 1121st layer.
"Pressure? Heh, from today on, the ones feeling pressure will be those scum on the other side!"
They had gained a new fortress.
Even if it couldn’t be compared with the Blood War Fortress, it was still a foothold that had firmly sunk its roots.
And it sat right along the flank of the main battlefield.
Though the Blood Pit Fortress was currently on the defensive, once they began to turn the situation, shifting from defense to offense, the Demons would learn what pain truly meant.
Because at any time, anyone could dispatch a force from the side of the battlefield to launch an attack, with complete logistics support that the Demons would find hard to sever.
This would make the Demons extremely miserable, forcing the Order Faction to push its front line forward by a significant distance and compress the Demons’ living space.
Of course, such a reversal might well be measured in decades.
Mainly because the Night Watchers seem just a little bit mad, and no one can be sure where their intentions and ultimate actions will lead.
After all, everyone present knows their background.
Blood Pit Fortress · Temporary Command Post
Far away from the still-boisterous rest area, on a relatively quiet tower platform that had been temporarily reinforced.
Raelia, Grey Fang, Annabelle, Karen, and Abis finally gathered together.
Grey Fang sprawled loosely on an ammunition crate, rubbing the left shoulder Armor that had just been brushed by the Giant Hammer of an Abyss Commander, baring his teeth in pain.
"Tss... that bastard hits hard! Good thing my bones are tough!"
Annabelle silently handed him a healing spray; Grey Fang took it and expertly misted it over the bruised spot.
"Thanks. Hey, Abis, when you used ’Corruption Shackles’ to bind that Violent Demon Lord just now, the timing was perfect. Half a second later and it would’ve slipped away." Grey Fang turned to Abis.
He somewhat missed the days of fighting side by side with his teammates, the utter tacit understanding.
Once the battle started, everything felt smooth and effortless.
Abis was carefully using Purification gauze to wipe around a wound on Raelia’s Arm Armor, where acid had corroded the edges.
Damage inflicted by Legendary Demons can’t simply be erased with a dose of potion; you need complicated methods to clear away the lingering filthy energy.
Still, compared to ordinary Lifeforms, the Night Watchers had it much easier.
"That’s how it should be. But you, sis, tsk tsk... you scared that bug so badly it didn’t even want half its tail anymore." She blinked mischievously.
Seeing that her sister had finally grown stronger, Abis was deeply, deeply pleased.
Raelia’s face stayed taut, but a hint of helplessness still showed in her eyes: "...Next time, we need a way to keep them from running. Abyss Legendaries are all too slippery."
Her tone carried a heavy unwillingness.
She should be gloating at this point, but the Demon’s escape left her very displeased.
Karen had already released her giant bear form, restoring the appearance of a tall, strongly built woman Warrior with a gentle face.
She cradled a big chunk of high-energy military ration block, chewing hard as she mumbled comfort, "Raelia... don’t overthink it. This is the Abyss, their home ground, and that Legendary Demon was obviously different from the others."
Annabelle put away the tools she’d used to tend Grey Fang’s injuries, her voice cool as she spoke, edged with precise mockery: "Or, Grey Fang, next time try to control your temper in battle, and stop always diving from the sky to fight hand-to-hand."
Her words, as always, struck right at the sore spot.
"Hey! Annabelle! How is that my fault? There’s not much I can do in the air. This is the Abyss, remember." Grey Fang jumped up to retort, but when he saw the smiles at everyone’s lips, he couldn’t help breaking into a sheepish grin himself.
No long, drawn-out laments, only the simplest, most instinctive exchanges between comrades-in-arms.
A few casual lines, a bandaging gesture, a precise piece of teasing—enough to wash away the heaviness of days of continuous bloodshed.
After all, they were the first Soul Guardians.
Hardship, blood, despair—they’d been through it all.
This was just another ordinary round.
Guarded below by Iron Flower Structures, the Order Magic Power gathered and spilled over them like sunlight, coating their weary forms and battle-scarred Armor in a warm golden sheen.
They sat in a circle, each tending to the marks of battle, sharing high-energy ration blocks and clear water, the air thick with the smells of medicine and sweat, and with a peace called "reunion."
The Blood Pit Fortress still stood unshaken; the Iron Flowers quietly bloomed with the radiance of Order amidst the smoke of war.
And it seemed.
The Abyss’s operation was far from over.
A surging pressure was rushing straight toward them.
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