Tom looked at Aaron's eager and determined eyes. Then he glanced at the seventh and eighth squads, which, despite the ambush, still retained considerable fighting strength. He finally nodded.
"How many of the vanguard remain?"
Roderick turned to the messenger by his side, and the messenger quickly reported.
"The seventh squad has 1,472 combat-ready soldiers, the eighth squad has 1,321 combat-ready soldiers, totaling 2,795 soldiers. The remaining wounded have been taken over by the follow-up units."
Hearing this, Tom nodded.
The seventh squad, with nearly a thousand new recruits, had suffered the heaviest losses in this battle. Compared to that, the eighth squad, with 1,500 soldiers, although also sustaining casualties, had fared better overall.
"Immediately distribute stamina and injury recovery potions!"
Tom ordered without hesitation. "Bring out all the reserve potions from my personal squad!"
"Roderick, Aaron, take the brothers who are still able to fight and head out immediately!"
"The Highlands are in your hands!"
"Understood!"
Roderick and Aaron saluted solemnly.
The main force had brought a large amount of supplies and equipment, but the urgent task of marching to support the frontlines had to be entrusted to them. For the fourth and fifth squads trapped there, time was the most crucial factor!
Therefore, no matter how difficult, they had to push on!
Soon, bottles of light green potions were distributed to the soldiers of the seventh and eighth squads.
Raine took a potion without hesitation and downed it in one gulp. A warm current quickly spread through his body, alleviating his fatigue and pain significantly. While it couldn't completely restore him, it at least gave his exhausted body the strength to move again.
Kyle, Gore, Pros, and Matthew also drank their potions, their eyes sharpening once more.
"Fourth squad! Assemble!"
The voice of Black Falcon rang out.
The outcome of his battle with the Expert-level gargoyle was still unknown. Though he was badly wounded, he still stood tall.
Soon, a rapid-response team, centered around the seventh and eighth squads and supplemented with a small number of fresh troops, was quickly reassembled.
Roderick and Aaron mounted their horses, scanning the faces filled with determination.
"Target: Bloodhowl Highlands! Full speed ahead!"
No further speeches—only the simplest of orders.
More than 3,000 soldiers, filled with rekindled fighting spirit and a sense of mission, charged once again into the vast night.
Behind them, the main force was carrying out the final clearing operation.
Ahead, the Crimson Moon loomed darker than ever.
...
The forced march continued at dawn!
Having consumed various recovery potions and enjoyed a brief respite after leaving the battlefield, the soldiers of the rapid-response unit were barely able to maintain their speed.
But after continuous high-intensity battles and trekking, the weariness was evident on everyone's face. Only the will to rescue their comrades kept them moving.
After another two hours of rapid marching, the sky began to lighten slightly, and the scouts ahead signaled.
"We've reached the Sighing Hill supply point!"
"Rest for half an hour!"
Sighing Hill.
When Raine heard this name, he quickly noticed a complex emotion flash across the faces of some of the veteran soldiers.
Reverence, sadness, and an indescribable weight!
Soon, he saw the supply point. However, it was not the fortified base with barracks he had imagined. Instead, it was a vast, slightly elevated barren hill.
The ground was a sickly black-red, littered with jagged stones and metal wreckage. Rusted swords, twisted giant crossbow parts, and even massive, terrifyingly large biological bones were scattered about.
Ahead were a few dozen low stone houses and tents, seemingly on the verge of being blown down by the wind.
In the center, a heavily faded Iron Dragon Fortress battle flag was planted—this was the so-called base!
What also stood out was the thin mist that hung over the hills.
"Mutated Nex…"
A veteran spoke quietly to Raine and the new recruits, his voice dry.
"Over twenty years ago, a monumental battle broke out here."
"Two legion factions fought an Epic-level alien races monarch to the death!"
"The energy released by the death of the alien races monarch completely polluted the Nex here, turning it into the mess you see now."
The veteran paused for a moment before continuing to explain.
"This mutated Nex is extremely unstable and harmful to both humans and alien races. Prolonged exposure will erode one's sanity and corrupt the body."
"Therefore, alien races have no interest in this place. We only send a few people on rotation to guard it, to prevent the pollution from spreading, and to use it as a forward supply point."
Kyle, Raine, and the others understood.
No wonder it was so desolate and dilapidated here.
As for what the veteran had mentioned about the Epic-level existence...
That was a being more powerful than a Grandmaster. Just the residual power could create a contaminated zone lasting for decades!
The might of that creature in life was almost unimaginable.
"One more thing, you probably don't know this?"
The veteran grinned, his eyes sparkling.
"Lord Garson and Commander Hegros both participated in that battle. They are among the few who survived from this hell."
The new recruits looked at each other in disbelief. Surviving on an Epic-level battlefield? That was almost unimaginable!
Perhaps it was this luck and tenacity that had allowed those two to rise to their current heights!
Soon, the team stopped at the edge of the base to rest.
The soldiers took out their rations and water, eating quietly as they recovered their energy.
Raine leaned against a large rock, using hemostatic powder and clean cloth to rebind his wounds.
Once his wounds were treated, he closed his eyes and sank into the system.
[Host: Raine·Valeri]
[Talent: Blood Devourer]
[Rank: Trainee Level 3]
[Bloodstone: 3980]
[Ability: Bewitching Eye (Basic)]
3980 bloodstone!
This was the harvest from the blood battle in Anvil Village.
Although the temporary promotion was powerful, it came at a high cost and was short-lived, more like a trump card than a regular method.
To survive the more dangerous battles ahead, he needed his own power.
Currently, he was at Trainee Level 3, and to permanently advance to Formal Level, he needed 4281 bloodstone—still a little short.
[Trainee Level Permanent Upgrades]
[Trainee Level 4: 171 bloodstone]
[Trainee Level 5: 288 bloodstone]
[Trainee Level 6: 429 bloodstone]
[Trainee Level 7: 590 bloodstone]
[Trainee Level 8: 770 bloodstone]
[Trainee Level 9: 928 bloodstone]
[Total: From Trainee Level 3 to Trainee Level 9 requires 3216 bloodstone]
Raine quickly calculated in his mind.
3980 minus 3216 left 764. He was just short of a little to reach Formal Level.
The power of Trainee Level 9 would also see a qualitative leap.
This would be a more reliable foundation for survival.
"System, purchase upgrade, permanent promotion to Trainee Level 9."
[Command Confirmed.]
[Total consumption: 3216 bloodstone]
[Remaining bloodstone: 764]
[Permanent body strengthening and energy infusion begin...]