Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1282 - 1275: Responsible to the End

Chapter 1282: Chapter 1275: Responsible to the End

"So it seems that the generals from Dongsheng are also searching for survivors just like us," Luo’er said, frowning.

"What should we do if that’s the case?" Tangmo asked, looking at him.

"If that’s the case..." Luo’er hesitated for a moment, then, after deep consideration, said pensively, "let’s not actively make contact with them for now. We’ve been greatly weakened and urgently need to recuperate; we don’t have the strength to confront them."

"What if they come looking for trouble?" Tangmo continued to ask.

"Then we’ll take care of them, not leaving a single one behind," Luo’er said through gritted teeth.

"Hehe." Seeing Luo’er’s somewhat frustrated appearance, Tangmo couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably.

"But," pondering for a moment, Luo’er said, unable to help frowning, "if the situation is true, the Dongsheng army is also greatly weakened right now. They’ve not only lost over ten thousand men but have also lost a command layer. If we were to launch an attack now, we should be able to achieve decent results."

"It would be difficult," Tangmo shrugged his shoulders, dismissing his idea, "the orderliness of the Dongsheng army’s withdrawal indicates that they did not verge on collapse due to the loss of their command system; someone is still organizing their orderly retreat. Blindly chasing them could lead to bigger losses. Moreover, it’s already the fifth day, even if the Dongsheng army was in chaos, by now they should have steadied their footing. I don’t believe launching a counterattack at this point will yield any results."

"When we had the air fleet, we still couldn’t guarantee a complete defeat of the Dongsheng army; now that we’ve almost lost everything and have to start from scratch, it’s even more difficult to think of defeating them," Luo’er sighed, suddenly becoming reflective.

"You can’t say that. The Dongsheng army appears strong, but as you have seen, they are severely internally divided," Tangmo consoled, saying, "Commanders and generals are at odds with each other, so they’re not invincible. Luo’er, I understand your worries, but we have to see that we might not be so weak as to be unable to resist, and our enemies are not so strong as to be unbeatable."

"Thanks." Hearing Tangmo’s comforting words, Luo’er nodded and expressed his sincere gratitude.

Tangmo smiled, then continued, "I thought you were always fairly rational when speaking. I didn’t expect you to have blind worries too."

"After all, it’s the safety of the whole team," Luo’er said candidly. "If it were just me, I really wouldn’t mind."

"What would you do if you were alone facing this situation?" Tangmo asked curiously.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? What else can I do?" Luo’er responded with a shrug.

"When in Rome, you mean marrying into it, right?" Tangmo squinted and said.

"What are you babbling about, all this nonsense..." Luo’er felt inexplicably guilty in the face of Tangmo’s query.

"I believe you’d live quite comfortably on your own," Tangmo said, biting her lip and pinching Luo’er’s cheek with a huff, "That handsome face of yours would win over women wherever you go. By then, you can just forget about us and peacefully live your life as a son-in-law."

"You’re still thinking about that..." Luo’er said, caught between laughter and tears.

Tangmo didn’t take it lightly, instead, she sighed deeply and said, "Although I know your character, I still can’t help but feel worried, feeling like you’ll be taken away by someone else. Luo’er, there won’t be another woman who can leave such a lasting impression on you as Melia did, right?"

"I’ll try my best to ensure that," Luo’er said seriously, blinking.

"Forget it, that’s better. If you said there wouldn’t be, I would feel even more insecure," Tangmo sighed.

Facing Tangmo’s candidness, it was Luo’er who seemed somewhat at a loss, uncertain of how to face her.

"Luo’er." Walking ahead of him, Tangmo suddenly turned around and called out to him softly.

"What’s wrong?" Luo’er asked.

"You say, if we drive away the Dongsheng troops and can’t return to the West Continent, why not just settle down in West Outer Heaven?" Tangmo suggested excitedly, blinking her eyes.

"Settle down in West Outer Heaven..." Luo’er was stunned.

"Yes, we set up a small home and farm from sunrise to sunset, steadily managing our little household. After all, we have long years ahead of us, and we can take our time, besides, headquarters will sooner or later arrive on the East Continent to find us. It won’t be too late to return then," Tangmo said, getting lost in her beautiful vision.

"You’re talking about making the best of things..." Luo’er didn’t know how to respond to her and could only smile wryly.

"Isn’t that good?" Tangmo asked, tilting her head.

"Ah," Luo’er sighed, then said, "If I were your husband, naturally there would be nothing wrong with that, but I am also the Captain of the Advance Team. I have responsibilities to everyone, so I might not be able to do what you’re suggesting."

"You’re saying, if you were my husband, you would be willing, right?" Tangmo asked with narrowed eyes, looking delighted.

"It’s just a hypothetical, why are you so happy..." Luo’er said, slightly embarrassed as he lowered his head.

"Actually, I know it’s just a fantasy, but I still thank you for taking my question so seriously," Tangmo walked up to Luo’er and gazed at him affectionately, "and I know that you have someone else in your heart, it’s not just me."

"I..." Luo’er tried to explain, but Tangmo covered his mouth.

"Don’t say it, I know what you’re going to say. Actually, for a pastoral life like this, I would prefer that you live it with Yue’er. I’m not a magnanimous woman, but I know that Yue’er can’t wait through our long lifetimes, and you wouldn’t have the heart to let her down."

"I’m sorry..." Luo’er said, feeling guilty.

"There’s nothing to apologize for, since things have developed to this point, let it be. Ah, my foolish sister, she not only troubles you guys but also gets herself into trouble," Tangmo sighed heavily, feeling emotional.

While their conversation was awkward, Cheng Ziang took the initiative to come over and interrupt. He glanced back and forth between the two and then said, "Hey, Luo’er, we found Captain Reimer’s body. Come and take a look."

"Okay, I’ll be there right away." Luo’er nodded and then followed him.

The three of them awkwardly trudged up the muddy slope to a relatively flat open space where a row of charred bodies was laid out, with a few Dwarven soldiers gathered around one corpse, talking. Seeing the three approach, they made way.

So they came before the charred corpse and crouched down to examine it. It was the body of a Dwarf, apparent by the height. Though it had been burned to a near-unrecognizable charred shape, the Dwarven soldiers had found Captain Reimer’s military rank insignia and medals on the body, confirming his identity.

Seeing a comrade-in-arms with whom he had once fought side by side reduced to charred remains, Luo’er bowed his head, covering his face, his heart filled with a myriad of reflections, a rush of uncontrollable sadness welling up within him.

He still remembered the first time he met Captain Reimer, back when they were in pursuit of the Asirens. At that time, Captain Reimer was a moderate, sympathetic toward Mu Lansi.

Although their camps were different and their stances varied, they were friends in a way. Seeing his friend buried in a strange land now made Luo’er feel desolate.

He also remembered Reimer’s attempt to invite them aboard before the affair, suggesting they flee immediately if things went wrong on the ground. But Luo’er had declined his invitation, and that refusal turned out to be lucky for the Advance Team but unfortunate for Reimer.

Finding Captain Reimer’s body essentially meant that the surviving Dwarves were without a leader and needed someone to take charge. And at present, that someone could only be Luo’er.

Therefore, once the identity of Captain Reimer’s body was confirmed, Luo’er felt a heavy burden descend upon his shoulders once again. Now he was responsible not only for the Advance Team but also for these surviving Dwarves.