Chapter 280: Injured
As the war neared its conclusion, Sein found himself unexpectedly at the western part of the main base, even though he started at the southern front.
Amidst the chaos of battle, he had somehow traversed from one region to another, only realizing the shift upon regaining his senses.
Now, only about ten enslaved creatures remained in his company.
The formidable giant plants that once dominated the battlefield had withered away about half a month earlier, leaving behind nothing but coiled roots.
Sein sliced many of the roots open with his Pyro Blade spell and discovered that these roots were not entirely dead despite their apparent dehydration. This suggested that the giant plant creatures were continuing their existence in another form.
The vine sea, spurred into existence by Master Lorianne’s forbidden spell, had also withered as the conflict drew to a close.
In a world more conducive to plant life, Lorianne’s Forest Fury spell could have persisted a lot longer.
Nevertheless, the remnants of this sea of vines continued to instill deep-seated fear among the native creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World.
This fear would be passed down from generation to generation until this area was transformed into a forbidden zone of terror for all its inhabitants.
This was not the first time something like this had happened in the wars of foreign conquest waged by the Magus Civilization.
Before the burnt smell of the Viridian Venom Flame World could dissipate, a light drizzle suddenly began to fall, clearing the air around the fortress.
The native beings of the Viridian Venom Flame World, accustomed to fire and molten lava, found water foreign and unsettling.
This aversion heightened their resistance to what had now become a “forbidden zone”.
Conversely, the rain washed away the weariness of the mages from the Magus World and the enslaved creatures.
The plant roots that had dried up and lost their vitality seemed to revive under the nourishment of this light rain. Lush greenery reappeared again in every corner of the battlefield.
Hundreds of thousands of fallen creatures and corpses with gruesome wounds scattered across the battlefield were buried under the sea of green.
A Rank Two mage flying in midair near Sein remarked, “This world has probably never seen rain in centuries. Only the formidable power of a divine tower master could alter a world’s terrain and climate like this.”
Sein also shared the same sentiments about the drizzle.
He could not help but look eastward.
Although the lower-ranking battle at the main base was drawing to a close, the battle between Master Lorianne and the Rank Four mecha was still going on.
In the distant eastern sky, Sein could see occasional flashes of blue and green lights among the dark clouds. It was almost as if a terrifying storm was brewing there.
Sein was concerned for Master Lorianne, but he knew there was nothing he could do with his current capabilities.
After casting a few more glances at the eastern sky, Sein resumed his patrol duties across the battlefield.
***
The battlefield had grown eerily quiet.
The native creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World had retreated, abandoning around four hundred thousand corpses of their own kind.
Amidst the scrap metal debris, the damaged metallic constructs scattered around the main base numbered roughly only a hundred thousand.
The larger force had already withdrawn toward the east.
In response, the fortress deployed a significant force of thirty thousand mages and the majority of the enslaved creatures to chase down the retreating mecha army.
The outcome of that pursuit would only be known after some time.
Sein did not join the chase.
One reason was that he was at the west of the fortress, away from the main battlefield. The other reason was that Sein was in no condition to continue fighting.
He had already exhausted his focus and mana reserves.
The bigger problem was that he had serious injuries across his chest, left arm, and back, all of which urgently required immediate medical attention.
The injury on his chest was caused by the Neisse Civilization engineer he had captured.
Using his mental focus for an internal examination, Sein discovered two of his ribs were broken and his lungs had sustained damage.
Unlike a knight, who could easily mend such injuries, Sein, being a mage, preferred waiting until he could return to the fortress for proper medical attention in the laboratory.
The injury on his left arm came from a Rank One pyro elemental creature, but it was a misfortune that he had brought upon himself.
He thought he could capture a Rank One pyro elemental creature alive, but he had overestimated his abilities.
Although the pyro elemental creature was severely injured, Sein’s own condition was hardly better. On top of that, the giant plant creatures were no longer with him at the time.
The pyro elemental creature lashed out at Sein in its desperation.
If it were not for his quick reflexes, as well as the intervention of nearby enslaved creatures and other mages, Sein could have been killed by this creature.
The wound on his back was caused by an explosion nearby. It appeared that a mecha plummeting from the sky had activated its self-destruct mechanism.
Sein was lucky that the blast merely propelled him away.
He knew there was a Rank One mage near the site of the explosion, and he never saw that mage again after the explosion.
The conflict proved challenging for the mages at the main base, with casualties surpassing the single loss Sein witnessed.
After two weeks of patrolling, Sein’s request for a recuperation break was finally approved by the fortress, granting him a month’s respite.
At the month’s end, he would receive new orders.
“Come, let’s go back!” Sein announced to the enslaved creatures accompanying him after reading the message on his crystal ball.
Among them, a dark gray, nearly three-meter-tall antelope monster followed Sein around most closely.
This creature was carrying Sein’s biggest war trophy—an engineer from the Neisse Civilization.
She had regained consciousness and had her wide eyes fixed on Sein.