Chapter 560

Chapter 560

"The Blue Star Fortress is switching from low-altitude flight mode to tunnel mode, initiating forward movement!" Silem stood before his stone platform, swiftly operating the holographic screen that had popped up in front of him, and commanded, "All departments, prepare!"

Though no one responded aloud, at that moment, numerous craftsmen within the fortress began working like cogs in a machine.

The Blue Star Fortress was not an entirely automated device that could move forward on its own with just the press of a button.

The internal structure of the goblin-designed fortress was intricate, boasting astonishing defensive capabilities and fulfilling Lorant's various demands. The trade-off, however, was its immense energy consumption. Once activated, it became a crystal core guzzler. Moreover, moving the fortress required many dedicated operators to control specific components—this was why Manny had taken so long to maneuver the Yixiantian Fortress back then.

Hundreds were now syncing with Silem's commands.

All these responsibilities now fell upon Silem's shoulders. Over the past few months, aside from overseeing the clearance operations, he had devoted most of his time to learning how to operate the massive Blue Star Fortress.

This system, designed according to Lorant's specifications, was even more complex than the original Yixiantian Fortress. It incorporated not only goblin craftsmanship but also contributions from the Magic Council and dwarven techniques. Learning it was no easy task.

Only with the full cooperation of his spectral spider was Silem able to accomplish such a daunting task.

Otherwise, he would have needed to grow eight extra arms or triple the speed of his existing limbs to single-handedly control this incredibly intricate fortress.

The spectral spider's invisible silk moved imperceptibly with Silem's will, assisting him seamlessly.

Yet this scene left the goblin artisans so astonished they nearly had their eyes pop out.

What were they witnessing? It was theoretically impossible for a low-tier practitioner to operate such a fortress—there wasn’t even the slightest chance in theory!

Otherwise, why wouldn’t the goblin race station a few low-tier practitioners in their fortresses instead of assigning a legendary warrior like Manny to reside permanently within, ready to handle emergencies?

The reason was simple: low-tier practitioners lacked the reaction speed and physical control necessary to operate a fortress alone. Coordinating multiple practitioners to control it together would require impossible coordination—far more challenging than simply finding a high-level practitioner, making it impractical.

To the goblins, what they were seeing now was no less shocking than an elephant flying by flapping its tail...

Unaware of the sheer disbelief gripping those who couldn’t see the spectral spider, Silem gradually broke into a sweat as he laboriously guided the fortress forward.

Even with the spectral spider’s assistance, maintaining control was an immense struggle.

Thin mechanical appendages extended from the fortress’s sides and top, securing it firmly to the mountain walls. Though delicate in appearance, these appendages were extraordinarily sturdy.

Unlike Yixiantian, the Blue Star Tunnel’s unique shape allowed the fortress to cling even more tightly to the mountain walls.

The tiny appendages gripped the walls seamlessly, inching forward with excruciating slowness.

The process was neither complicated nor grand, but for those watching the live transmission through FullShell, it was absolutely breathtaking. The colossal, mechanized fortress alone was something they had never seen before, and the intricate magic arrays and mechanical constructs covering its surface left ordinary people utterly dumbfounded.

Even professionals were stunned. Aside from goblin formidable warriors and a select few outsiders with close ties to the goblins, most people had to go to great lengths just to find footage of the Yixiantian Fortress’s activation sequence. And how could such footage compare to the real-time transmission via FullShell? This spectacle was truly eye-opening.

Had a curious onlooker conducted a survey at that moment, they would have found that most human settlements across the continent had gone completely silent. Despite the bright daylight, the quiet was as profound as midnight.

Nearly everyone was meticulously studying the fantastical images unfolding on their screens.

Every minuscule movement of the colossal mechanical fortress sent surges of excitement through the viewers, stirring their hearts with longing.

Countless children gazed at the images with wide-eyed wonder.

"Mom, I want to be an adventurer and explore that mountain pass someday!" a child exclaimed, tugging at his mother’s hand with innocent determination, his eyes shining with unmistakable fervor.

His mother, dressed in simple but neat clothing of the urban middle class, smiled warmly and replied, "Of course! If little Yi really becomes a formidable adventurer, you’ll definitely get to go there. Nothing would make me happier!"

"That’s the mountain pass managed by the Blue Star Pet Shop. Your uncle mentioned it’ll open to the public someday. So we’ll be counting on you to work hard, become a strong professional, and take us there! I’ve heard Blue Star has even built a few cities near the pass, specially for adventurers. They’re far more lively than our town—I’d love to see them too!"

The child's face flushed with excitement as he clenched his fists earnestly. "Don't worry, Mom! I’ll first get into Brudasta Academy, then become an adventurer, a practitioner! That way, I can take you everywhere on the continent!" The little one's eyes sparkled as he looked at his mother. "By then, the giant waterfowl routes will surely expand to more places. We’ll be able to travel easily and won’t have to worry about money!"

"You’re right, Little Yi. Mom will be counting on you when you grow up! But until then, you must study hard. When Brudasta Academy opens admissions again, we’ll go to the Blue Star Territory!"

"Okay!"

Lorant couldn’t even begin to guess what was happening in some distant city, nor did he realize that this ceremony had planted a fertile seed for Blue Star’s student recruitment and personnel hiring for many years to come. At the moment, he stood leisurely with his arms crossed behind the platform where Silem was stationed, watching as the fortress inched forward under his brother’s sweat-soaked efforts.

Ahead of the massive fortress was a team of elite practitioners from Blue Star. They would escort the fortress to its designated position and remain there as Blue Star’s first line of defense on the frontlines.

Their task was relatively easier. On one hand, the entire tunnel had already been cleared of beasts, so there was little need for combat. On the other, further ahead, the knight order and Lancelot’s Blue Star Nightwatch squad were patrolling beyond the mountain range, hunting down stray beasts. Until their return, the environment here might even be safer than the Black Forest outposts within the continent.

Even so, these practitioners were fully prepared, each accompanied by two or three companions as a precaution.

The Blue Star fortress moved slowly through the tunnel for three to four hours before finally reaching the spot Lorant had designated—the very place where Jacqueline had cast her grand spell.

From this point onward, the fortress marked the boundary. Ahead lay the smooth, scorched mountain walls left by the spell, while behind stretched an ordinary tunnel adorned with countless lights.

Once the fortress reached its position, the mechanical arms gradually retracted into its body, and with a deafening thud, it settled firmly in the center of the tunnel.

This was the widest section of the tunnel’s latter half. Even with its mechanical arms withdrawn, the massive fortress occupied less than a third of the tunnel’s width.

Many who understood Lorant’s obsession with the goblin-built fortress couldn’t help but frown. This structure was far from capable of sealing the tunnel like a solid boulder.

Then, in the next moment, large sections of the fortress’s outer walls began to creak and expand outward, filling the entire tunnel in an instant.

Even Michael couldn’t suppress a raised eyebrow at the sight. "Living Stone? He actually found that?"

"What?" Shenuska looked at him, puzzled.

"Living Stone—a type of rock that self-propagates. It’s incredibly hard. Just a small piece can grow into a hill. Not exactly precious, but exceedingly rare. I’ve only read about it in texts," Michael explained. "This Blue Star fortress must be using it. That’s the only way it can expand so massively without losing its structural integrity."

Shenuska nodded in understanding. Indeed, simply extending the outer walls wouldn’t be difficult, but a mountain fortress at Lopulo couldn’t afford to be too light—lest it become a joke by being pushed aside by beasts.

In places unseen by the crowd, countless mechanical arms far sturdier than those used for movement extended from the fortress’s inner walls, embedding themselves deep into the mountain and securing the structure firmly in place. As the dust settled, the Blue Star fortress officially took its position within the Lopulo Pass tunnel.

Those watching couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

From this moment onward, the continent’s interior was once again fully enclosed, protected by the Lopulo Mountains against beast surges.

No one could fathom the anxiety people had endured during the prolonged gap in the mountain’s defenses. Many had lost sleep, haunted by nightmares of monster waves breaking through.

The Blue Star tunnel stood roughly a hundred meters tall and even wider in breadth, with the fortress occupying a span of over five hundred meters at its position.

The massive fortress now acted like a massive gate, sealing the entire space shut. As the dust cleared, the lower gates of the fortress slowly opened.

The impossibly heavy doors didn’t require manual operation. With Silem’s controls, lights inside the fortress dimmed, and the once-solid outer walls silently vanished.

To accommodate practitioners and companions of all sizes—as well as the transport of various beasts—Lorant had instructed the goblins to design exceptionally wide entrances. The fortress’s lower section featured two passageways, each a hundred meters long and over thirty meters tall.

In this configuration, apart from a central support pillar and the outermost steel-reinforced walls, the opened gates turned the fortress into a seamless thoroughfare. Even though the tunnel was narrower compared to a typical mountain pass, practitioners could move in and out without feeling cramped.

Once the massive gates were fully open, the tunnel’s oppressive atmosphere dissipated entirely. The space, already illuminated by the fortress’s lights, now felt even more open and uplifting.

Michael chuckled, shaking his head. "Classic Blue Star—always going the extra mile, unlike anything ordinary."

"I really didn't expect that even the entrance of the Lopulo Mountains could be made this elaborate by him!"

"Come on, let's go inside this fortress and take a good look at what exactly the shopkeeper's been brewing up for himself!"

As they spoke, the levitating waterfowl above the square began to descend slowly, marking the conclusion of the mountain fortress's activation. However, the images from the FullShells would not be removed yet; they would continue broadcasting the Knight Order's tournament for several more days, allowing the world to see the nightmarish realm beyond the Lopulo Mountains.

Soon, the view cut back to the cavalry units rapidly advancing on the other side of the Lopulo Mountains.

Leading the charge was the Thorn Knight Order's Thorn Legion. As the first knight order to establish a true cavalry, the Thorn Knight Order's elite cavalry had long been the largest in scale among all knight orders, not only in numbers but also in combat strength, undoubtedly the strongest.

During Lorant's recent lectures, he even overheard senior knight academy students discussing during breaks whether they would be lucky to get into the Thorn Knight Order in the future.

By now, under Jaina's leadership, they had already made it to the first edge of the valley outside the Blue Star Tunnel.

The entire valley outside the Blue Star Tunnel was shaped like a gourd, with large rings enclosing smaller ones, ending in a narrow neck. Beyond one mountain pass lay another, and at the very end of the innermost neck was the current location of the Blue Star Tunnel.

The Thorn Legion had already reached the mountain pass at the end of the gourd neck. High above, the FullShells captured the knights cutting through countless floral predators in the forest as they galloped forward.

Though it was just a 'gourd neck,' the Windbreaking Horses had taken ages to traverse it. Even with the floral predators obstructing their path, the distance was already dauntingly long.

On this side of the Blue Star Tunnel, while the number of floral predators didn't match that at a typical mountain pass—where daily life resembled a creature swarm—it was still comparable to the depths of the Black Forest.

Previously, the floral predators hadn't gathered mainly because they hadn't discovered the mountain pass cleverly hidden deep within the gourd. Emerging from the tunnel, one could see how well-hidden the pass was, with a large cluster of "Giant Vine Bones" growing on the mountain walls, blanketing the entire visible surface from below.

These floral predators were only Tier 5, not particularly dangerous. Their primary hunting method was to grow as large as possible and extend their bone-like vines outward, snaring any hapless creatures that strayed into their territory to use as nutrients.

The lowest-hanging skeletal vines of the Giant Vine Bones effectively masked the tunnel, making it difficult for floral predators to detect its presence.

As for those floral predators unaffected by the vines and able to find the tunnel, they were all devoured by the mutated and violently temperamental pregnant Dimensional Hole. Thus, before the forbidden spell was cast, the number of floral predators here likely represented the usual state of this side of the Lopulo Mountains.

Now, however, the number of floral predators here was unusually low, as evidenced by the charred terrain.

One FullShell, whose footage was kept entirely confidential and transmitted only within the fortress, broke away from the cavalry units immediately after leaving the tunnel and flew high above to map out the distribution of floral predators and the surrounding terrain.

This was the only FullShell whose footage wasn't broadcast externally. Unlike its counterparts, its mission was entirely different.

Its sole task was to closely follow Lancelot's Blue Star Night Watch team, flying as high as possible to faithfully record these scenes for internal Blue Star archives.

The other FullShells focused on the cavalry, highlighting their ferocity in battle.

The team led by Lancelot vanished straight into the dense forest upon exiting the tunnel. They sprinted forward relentlessly, encountering few floral predators drawn by human scent along the way, largely due to the sheer number of beast companions with them.

As Lorant had previously told Robert, Blue Star had its own mission, and the task of clearing floral predators would truly be left to the knight orders.

On one of the broadcasted feeds, sharp-eyed viewers noticed something flash past the Thorn Knight Order in the nearby woods before quickly disappearing from view. Most, however, paid it no mind.

After all, all cavalry units were visible in the broadcasts, and it was clear the Thorn Knight Order had outpaced the competition. Given their position, it was unlikely anyone could keep up.

By now, the Thorn Legion was already in a frenzy. The further they advanced, the more floral predators they encountered. After passing through the 'gourd neck' mountain pass, they entered an even larger valley—the 'small gourd'—where the density of floral predators had more than doubled.

This made Jaina, who had initially been confident in showcasing her cavalry's strength, grow increasingly alarmed and more serious as they progressed.

She was no novice to venturing beyond this side of the Lopulo Mountains and had a clear understanding of the expected distribution and density of floral predators outside.

Normally, the number of floral predators was highest near the Lopulo Mountains and decreased the further one traveled outward, eventually dropping to levels comparable to the Black Forest. This conclusion had been confirmed during Lorant and Jacqueline's previous long-distance expedition.

Beyond the Lopulo Mountains lay another continent belonging to the floral predators, indistinguishable in environment from the one they inhabited.

There were forests, lakes, hills, and seas, with various floral predators inhabiting and reproducing in their suitable environments. Unlike the common perception of floral predators as mindless hordes solely focused on slaughter, they lived much like any other creatures.

However, no matter what, the irregular concentration of monsters outside the Blue Star Tunnel is absolutely abnormal—this much Jaina is certain of.

"Take out this wave and press forward!" Jaina raised her hand, wiping blood from her visor. "Something's off here. Scouting party, stay vigilant!"

"Target the rocky hill ahead!"

"Aye!" The Thorn Knights responded in unison.

Once beyond the Lopulo Mountains, command must consolidate to a single strategist. Even if their decisions are flawed, all members must follow without hesitation or resistance.

This is the discipline of the knights. On the other side of the Lopulo Mountains, many groups composed of headstrong mercenaries lack such strict rules. It's not even noteworthy when subordinates question their leaders' decisions.

Even within the Thorn Knights, Jaina doesn't rule unchallenged. If others feel her arrangements are unreasonable, pushing back is commonplace, and no one sees an issue with it.

In this world, status has never known equality—nobles, commoners, slaves...

Yet the world is shockingly egalitarian among professionals. As long as abilities are similar, there is absolute parity, with no hierarchy.

But in dangerous zones, survival rules are far stricter. Any hesitation could cost everyone their lives. Thus, only knights who can execute orders with military precision are selected for these units.

Lancelot’s Blue Star contingent is no exception. They brushed past the Thorn Knights without breaking stride, though both sides noticed each other, charging straight toward the distant mountain pass.

Lancelot had also noticed the irregular monster concentration, but this was within his and Lorant’s expectations. In fact, it was the main reason Lorant stripped Blue Star bare to ensure Lancelot’s safety on this mission.

Yesterday’s arcane cataclysm cast by Jacqueline cleared the Blue Star Tunnel, but given its colossal magnitude, it undoubtedly affected the monsters on this side of the Lopulo Mountains.

The clearest evidence was the sparse vegetation at the gourd valley's entrance. The scorched earth around the area was visible at a glance. The moment they stepped out of the tunnel, everyone knew who was responsible.

Such a seismic upheaval, covering the entire gourd valley entrance and even affecting the interior, couldn’t have gone unnoticed by the monsters.

Previously, the lack of monsters passing through the tunnel and forming a tide was partly due to the numerous Dimensional Holes within, creating a spiderweb of protection that devoured any creatures attempting to cross. The other reason was the terrain—the tunnel was hidden within three layers of valleys, further obscured by giant vines, making it hard for monsters to discover.

Lorant had also pondered why the tunnel was found yesterday.

It was likely due to the mutated Dimensional Hole. Normally, it would’ve been just an ordinary Dimensional Hole, albeit with an unusually large range and strange abilities, keeping the tunnel sealed for years. Even if spotted, a tunnel without emerging monsters would’ve been mistaken for a small cave in the Lopulo Mountains.

But the problem was, this Dimensional Hole had offspring.

Most monsters with offspring exhibit behavioral shifts.

According to observations and records from the Beast Tower, the most common change is giving off pheromones not present in their usual state.

Different monsters exhibit different pheromones—some hide to avoid detection (typically weaker ones), while others attract other monsters to ensure sufficient nourishment during gestation periods...

Lorant guessed this Dimensional Hole was the latter.

It lured monsters in, sated its hunger, then fell into brief dormancy, allowing the monsters to spill out of the tunnel and be discovered by the Church.

Had the mutated Dimensional Hole not malfunctioned, the tunnel would’ve remained hidden, guarded by these creatures.

But now, with Jacqueline’s arcane cataclysm, it was like setting off a hundred-foot firework in an open field. Every monster within hundreds of miles capable of sensing the disturbance would likely come to investigate.

This was why Lorant was racing to erect the fortress quickly. Any delay, and monsters might swarm the tunnel entrance or even flood inside, leaving Blue Star in a world of trouble.

Blue Star’s forces include many monsters—both the flying creatures above and the Glassy Ice Flame Dog packs flanking the group—cloaking their human presence and reducing monster aggression. In terms of mobility, Blue Star held all the cards over all cavalry units.

Thus, they could make better time.

Lancelot led them swiftly past the first mountain pass of the gourd valley without stopping. Images from the high-altitude FullShell showed an endless plain beyond the pass, with only sparse thickets visible around the entrance, starkly different from the densely forested interior of the gourd valley.

This place was even more suitable for rapid movement. The Blue Star group rushed ahead at full speed and arrived at the second mountain pass that same evening.

Lorant referred to this pass as the 'Gourd's Waist,' connecting the larger and smaller valleys, acting as the second barrier after exiting the Blue Star tunnel.

Thus, this pass wasn't directly aligned with the 'Gourd Handle' pass. The power of the forbidden spell had already begun to wane by the midpoint of the 'Small Gourd' valley, never reaching this far.

However, Lancelot could still see numerous beasts surging toward this area from the 'Large Gourd' valley.

Clearly, they had been lured by the noise.

In theory, the terrain of the 'Small Gourd' was advantageous for Blue Star. Firstly, the plains would naturally have fewer beasts, and once the sentry posts were established, they could monitor the entire valley more easily without obstructions.

Most importantly, the 'Gourd's Waist' pass at the front of the sizable inner valley was surprisingly narrow—only about one or two times the width of a typical Lopulo mountain pass, nothing like Pokara.

From an aerial perspective, this was clearly an excellent location for Blue Star's future expansion.

Observing all this, Lorant was quite satisfied.

"Form ranks and advance!" Lancelot faced the tide of beasts pouring through the pass with no thought of retreat. "Glassy Ice Flame Dogs! Expand the flames!"

He knew his mission was to stop this threat before it grew. Blue Star couldn't afford to deal with an uncontrollable beast horde immediately after deploying the fortress.

This was unacceptable for Blue Star.

Maomao was positioned in the middle of the formation, not far from Lancelot. Upon hearing the command, the towering Glassy Ice Flame Dog released a piercing howl.

The Glassy Ice Flame Dogs on the periphery responded with short barks, their calls cutting sharply through the chaos, clear and distinct.

In an instant, countless crystalline flames burst forth around the team, forming a vast, glowing web in midair, starting from the enormous Glassy Ice Flame Dog at the center and enveloping the entire advancing Windbreaking Horse team.

From the perspective of the high-altitude FullShell, it looked like phantom fire streaked across the ground below.

Wherever the phantom fire passed, the 'carpet' of beasts was no longer intact.

The beast horde melted away like butter under a hot knife.

The flames of the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs possessed formidable offensive capabilities. Even when not deliberately controlled or aimed at specific beasts but instead shaped into a massive arrowhead, their inherent power remained devastating.

Low-level beasts caught in the flames instantly burst into towering infernos, offering no resistance. A single charge from Lancelot's team shattered their ranks.

At the vanguard of the Night Watch team was a phalanx of shield knights, each wielding shields of varying sizes. Upon closer inspection, most shields, though differing in shape, shared a clearly identical material—proof of their origin from Blue Star's Saint Shield Grass.

This plant-based beast companion grew into a perfect shield tailored to its owner's level and abilities. After a brief, albeit reluctant, promotion by the Knight Academy, it spread like wildfire among shield knights.

No shield knight could resist the allure of Saint Shield Grass. Many who had saved for years to buy a Windbreaking Horse or other beasts swiftly changed their priorities to acquire one.

As Blue Star's elite team, Lorant didn't hold back in equipping these knights with such auxiliary companions, especially when they significantly enhanced their combat prowess.

The Night Watch team was outfitted with only the best.

These shield knights formed the team's protective line, their bodies and shields merging into an unbreakable bulwark safeguarding those behind them.

If the shields failed, their bodies would serve as the last line of defense—no beast would breach their formation while breath remained in them.

During charges, they became the team's razor-sharp tip, cleaving through beast ranks with their shields as the breakthrough point.

Lancelot's objective wasn't competition—that was the knight orders' task. They gathered beast remains into spatial storage for evaluation and ranking back across the mountains.

Blue Star was different. Their formation had one sole purpose: to cripple as many beasts as possible. Even wounding beasts enough to immobilize them meant victory.

In the beast horde, the first to be devoured are always the injured beasts. As long as the injury is severe enough, they won’t last long.

After all, before the beasts breach the Lopulo Mountains and encounter adventurers, their only food source is each other. Different species of beasts inherently prey on one another, and the beast horde merely crams them together without stopping them from turning on each other.

This is especially true in a horde like this, which clearly lacks high-tier beasts and is instead formed on their own by large numbers of low-level creatures.

Without a dominant leader, injured beasts are quickly ripped apart and eaten by their peers, reducing the overall numbers of the horde. While no beast horde has ever been fully quelled this way, Magic Parliament studies show that this method effectively weakens the horde.

Moreover, the Glassy Ice Flame Dog's fire possesses a unique property—if a beast has even the slightest wound, the flames can worm their way in, burning them from the inside out.

From what the Night Watch has witnessed so far, Lancelot can attest that in the crowded chaos of the beast horde, beasts without wounds are few and far between.

Most beasts, upon contact with those beautiful flames, begin burning from within, shrieking as they are pushed aside, turning into living torches lighting the way.

At this moment, whether it's the people watching the live broadcast through FullShell in the fortress or Lancelot himself on the battlefield, everyone suddenly realizes what a game-changer the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs are in a beast horde.

This was something no one had fully anticipated.

Wherever the flames spread, they spread like wildfire, quickly setting whole packs of beasts burning. Those caught in the fire thrash in pain, rolling and spreading the flames to others.

One by one, a wall of fire erupts before Lancelot and his team in mere moments.

Of course, the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs' fire isn't eternal. Once it spreads beyond a certain range, the initial flames weaken, and the chain reaction of beasts catching fire is forced to end.

Yet even so, the results far exceed Lancelot's expectations. After a brief rest, the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs can create another huge fireweb, repeating this large-scale "beast ignition" once more.

"Good job, Maomao!" Lancelot exclaims in delight, looking down at the Glassy Ice Flame Dog beside him, unable to contain his joy.

The proud alpha, however, couldn’t be bothered to look at him, instead roaring commands to the surrounding Glassy Ice Flame Dogs.

The outermost dogs begin an orderly retreat inward, while the shield knights immediately step forward to fill the gaps. Massive shields lock into place to form an impenetrable barrier, protecting the team while giving the exhausted Glassy Ice Flame Dogs a chance to recover.

During this stretch of the journey, many dogs on the outer edges suffered injuries—some from the claws and fangs of nearby beasts, others from long-range attacks. Bloody wounds mar their bodies, a gruesome sight.

Before Lancelot can speak, a soft white light radiates from the center of the advancing team.

The Holy Light Peacock, guarded closely by the Night Watch, has been safely traveling from the Lopulo Mountains without a scratch. Since it doesn’t fight, it has ample time to recover its energy, keeping a steady flow of healing magic going for both people and beasts.

With its intelligence, the peacock needs no instruction to perform its duties flawlessly.

Thanks to this, despite their deep advance, the Blue Star team remains unscathed—both physically and mentally. Without the peacock’s soothing power, regular fighters caught in a horde like this would have long panicked.

In contrast, many members of the cavalry, who set out alongside them, are already wounded. Though hastily bandaged and still mobile, their condition is far from the comfort and safety of Blue Star’s march.

This stark difference stems entirely from the Holy Light Peacock at the team’s core.

A healing-type Grade A Beast Pet is already highly revered in normal times, cherished by all and never underestimated. Since its debut, the Holy Light Peacock has been every professional’s dream companion.

Most organizations renting beasts from Lorant do so for the peacock, pulling every trick in the book to keep it with them as long as possible.

Yet only now, witnessing this scene, do people truly grasp the staggering advantage a battlefield-ready healer—one capable of following elite forces like the cavalry beyond the Lopulo Mountains—brings to a team.

The cavalry isn’t without other professionals. Each unit has at least one or two healers—mages with restorative abilities or resilient priests—for emergencies.

But they don’t even come close to an adult Holy Light Peacock.

Moreover, due to the slow mana recovery of professionals, their abilities are effectively one-time uses in the perilous, relentless terrain beyond the mountains.

Once used, it's difficult to replenish, so extreme caution must be exercised, allocating every ounce of mana to the most critical areas. Minor injuries and pains are never treated—only when life is at stake will they attempt to sustain the wounded...

And even then, such efforts often fail.

Healers comparable to the Sacred Light Peacock, as they themselves put it, roughly adhere to the principle that "A smart man doesn't tempt fate." They value their own lives immensely, avoiding even the slightest potential danger—a stance no other adventurer would oppose. The consensus among practitioners is that these invaluable healers should be collectively protected by all.

No one would blame them for being cautious. In fact, if these arcpriests could simply stay safely in the rear, living long enough to heal more people, that alone would be their greatest contribution to the world.

Yet even those who are so lenient toward healers fell into awestruck silence upon witnessing the Sacred Light Peacock's astonishing performance.

Perhaps they had been wrong from the start. Maybe the true strength of battlefield medics lies not in the rear but on the battlefield?

But if that were the case, the casualty rate among priests would reach a staggering level.

With bad luck, given the low proportion of those awakening to healing professions, it might not take long for the entire continent's priestly traditions to die out...

The Church of Light, if it learned of anyone harboring such thoughts, would undoubtedly brand them as heretics and spare no cost to eliminate them.

In the short term, given the healers' incomparably precious status, only Blue Star could afford such extravagance—no other organization could match it.

Lorant's final act of mercy was ensuring this scene would not spread beyond those present. These records were accessible only to Blue Star's inner circle and those privileged enough to enter the fortress at this moment.

The impact, naturally, would be far more contained.

Lorant understood that even if a powerful healing specialist were willing to take the risk, their effectiveness would never match that of the Sacred Light Peacock.

Superficial wounds could be patched with potions or endured temporarily—as long as they weren't immediately fatal, the difference between high-level and low-level priests wasn't vast.

But the Sacred Light Peacock's ability to calm frayed nerves was unparalleled. Only with its presence on the battlefield could people maintain their focus in such an environment, preventing mental collapse causing fatal mistakes.

This was the Sacred Light Peacock's irreplaceable quality.

Inside the fortress, Michael and several other formidable warriors with close ties to Blue Star watched in silent contemplation. With their insight, they could clearly discern the difference between Blue Star's Vigilkeepers and the cavalry. Yet the Sacred Light Peacock was protected by Lorant like the apple of his eye—so few existed now, with no timeline for breeding more. All they could do was hope to eventually persuade Lorant, to somehow acquire one for themselves...