Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1279 - 1272: Nothing to Rely On

Chapter 1279: Chapter 1272: Nothing to Rely On

In the blink of an eye, the advantages Luo’er and others relied on vanished without a trace; the Helrandum had crashed, and the remaining four airships lacking combat capability fled westward in panic. Although the Dongsheng army ultimately chose to retreat, Luo’er and his team suffered heavy losses.

Most importantly, with the crash of the Helrandum, they had lost their only means of returning to the West Continent. At this point, they had completely become a lone army and had to rely on Abisien, a situation of equal footing that was no longer recoverable.

The Dongsheng army retreated—it seemed somewhat chaotic, but it was still orderly, with alternating armies covering each other as they withdrew, leaving no opportunity for the Demon Clan coalition to pursue.

This retreat was complete; the Dongsheng army abandoned their plan to surround Lingyuan City and began a massive withdrawal.

In this battle, both sides paid a heavy price. The losses of the Dongsheng army were around seven to eight thousand, with more than one hundred and fifty generals killed or injured, and the loss of more than thirty Overturning Beasts that made up the Kunzhou fleet was considerable.

On the Abisien side, the losses were also significant. Overall, due to the participation of generals, the Demon Clan army fought extremely hard, with more than five thousand casualties incurred in this battle.

More importantly, Luo’er and his team lost one of the most advanced airships, as well as several hundred High-peak people crew members on board.

One could say that both sides were severely weakened by this battle. The walls of Lingyuan City were heavily damaged, and the battlefield was littered with bodies, which even blocked the flow of the moat for a time.

The various siege machines of the Dongsheng army were set ablaze by the soldiers of the Demon Clan, spreading over the battlefield with raging fires, while parts of Lingyuan City’s wooden walls were also ignited; after extinguishing, deep char marks could be seen.

After the Dongsheng army’s retreat, Luo’er hoped to lead a search for the wreckage of the Helrandum. However, the Demon Clan cavalry went and immediately returned, bringing even more unfortunate news.

At this time, a fierce fire had ignited at the crash site of the Helrandum, one that was almost impossible to extinguish by human efforts, only hoping for rain.

Not only that, the thirty Overturning Beasts that had crashed into the ground and died had leaked into the Source river, which gathered into a stream at one point. Its high concentration of magical power also made it impossible for people to approach.

Being native to West Outer Heaven, the Demon Clan were very familiar with the characteristics of Overturning Beasts. They knew that, except for ancient divine beasts and beasts with Inner Cores, no one could withstand the magical concentration of the Source river, including themselves.

Thus, although it was unfortunate, no one could approach the crashed Helrandum at the moment.

The first forty-eight hours after the disaster were the golden window for rescue operations; once missed, the survival chances for the survivors would severely decline. However, at this time, the Advance Team could do nothing.

It was probably for this reason that Luo’er, having come down from the battlefield, suddenly fell ill due to depression. The others in the Advance Team all appeared very dejected—ever since the loss of the Helrandum they relied on, they felt very insecure.

On the third day after the end of the battle, Zisu visited the place where the Advance Team was staying to see the ailing Luo’er. At that time, Luo’er was lying in bed, his mood extremely heavy.

Dr. Xiaotian, who came to treat him, diagnosed him with a heart condition that required venting and communication for relief, so for the past two days, everyone had been taking turns talking and engaging in conversation with Luo’er.

In fact, the crash of the Helrandum had been hard on everyone’s spirits, but no one as severely as Luo’er. Ultimately, it was because Luo’er was too demanding on himself, which led to severe anxiety after the crash of the Helrandum.

Coming to the bedside, Zisu sat at the head of the bed. She turned her head and glanced at Tangmo and Baiyue, who were watching her warily, then turned back and asked with concern, "Luo’er, are you alright?"

"I am fine, thank you for your concern," replied Luo’er, his voice very low.

"We have already sent people on a detour in search of survivors. I hope you can grieve appropriately," Zisu said with empathy.

"Thank you," Luo’er said somewhat blankly as he nodded.

Seeing his reaction, Zisu sighed deeply before continuing, "The doctor mentioned you’re suffering from a psychosomatic ailment that requires the right treatment. Can you tell me what’s bothering you?"

"I’m fine; please don’t worry about me," Luo’er replied, though his expression involuntarily darkened.

"You’re not being honest at all. You said we are friends, so don’t you trust me?" Zisu asked reproachfully.

"I..." Luo’er faltered, looking like he wanted to say more but hesitated.

"You’re worried about your situation and that of your companions, right?" Zisu suddenly pinpointed his concern.

"Yes..." Luo’er nodded slightly, not denying it.

"As I thought," Zisu shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. "Do you feel that without that warship to rely on, you can’t interact with us on equal terms?"

As if the floodgates had opened, Luo’er suddenly became anxious and said uneasily, "As you can see, only a few of us from the Advance Team are left. Our small numbers cannot offer you any assistance, and we dare not even raise our suggestions to you. I’m sorry. I just hope that when the time comes, you won’t drive us away."

"Luo’er," hearing his words, Zisu frowned and suddenly grabbed his hand. Under Tangmo and others’ astonished eyes, she earnestly said, "What are you talking about? Why would you think that Abisien is a mercenary organization? We are all witness to the help you’ve provided. You are esteemed guests of Abisien. If you’re in trouble now, it is our duty to help, not to kick you while you’re down."

Pausing, she continued, "I know where your concerns stem from, but let me be clear, you will always be Abisien’s guests. Perhaps those three leaders look down on you, but we are different. I, the Linglan leader, and even the Leader Yunji, we will not alter our way of treating you. So, please trust us; can you do that? As long as you don’t mind, the doors of Lingyuan City will always be open to you."

"Zisu, you..." Faced with Zisu’s kindness, Luo’er was both surprised and touched. It felt like being brought into a warm room and sharing a delicious meal when one was shivering from cold and starvation.

"Before coming here, I had consulted with the Linglan leader and Leader Yunji. They couldn’t come to visit you due to their busy schedules, so they specifically instructed me to convey their thoughts clearly. Luo’er, we recognize everything you have done; please do not be anxious. You are our guests, now and always, and we will never mistreat our esteemed guests," Zisu said, pulling Luo’er’s hand, drawing him closer.

"Thank you, thank you..." Luo’er was so moved he didn’t know what else to say.

"Hey, it’s meant to be comforting, but you’re getting too close," Tangmo suddenly interjected, positioning himself between them and watching Zisu warily.

"You’re very nervous, aren’t you? Even though you two get along so well, you don’t trust him," Zisu said with narrowed eyes and a smile.

"Don’t try to stir things up between me and Luo’er; this is just instinct, nothing to do with trust," Tangmo retorted, not buying her argument.

"Zisu," Luo’er inhaled deeply, finally feeling relieved and then distancing himself from Tangmo to address Zisu seriously, "After what we’ve experienced, the Advance Team and the Dongsheng Empire are irreconcilable. Please allow us to join Abisien to resist the invasion of the Dongsheng Empire and strive to drive them all out of West Outer Heaven."

"Welcome to join us. No matter what the other leaders think, I represent the Maoyou Clan in welcoming you," Zisu said with a smile.

At this moment, Luo’er was very clear that with the total loss of their airborne fleet, they had lost the leverage of claiming neutrality. Now, they had to choose either Abisien or the Dongsheng Empire. Straddling the fence would please neither side.

Given the current situation, they really had no choice but to join Abisien in opposing the Dongsheng Empire.

In any case, they could not remain indefinitely in the Dongsheng lands. Sooner or later, the fleet from the Western Continent would arrive. But before that, they must stabilize the situation in West Outer Heaven to prevent occurrences like their own.