41: Chapter 41 Repaired

Wang Sheng looked into her eyes, his palm still pressed against the wound on her shoulder as the Power of Holy Light flowed gently.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only let out a heavy sigh; that sigh contained so much, yet he didn't say a single word.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun walked over.

She did not walk fast, her silver-white hair drifting like snow in the morning light; the chill in her ice-blue pupils had faded, replaced by something very faint, like a warm current beneath an icy surface.

Her mage robe was stained with frost fragments, refracting tiny rainbows in the morning light.

She didn't speak, simply handing Wang Sheng a bottle of ice-chilled spirit water.

It was the exact same action as when the last Beast Tide had ended.

But this time, her fingers lingered for a moment during the exchange; it wasn't the light brush and immediate withdrawal of last time, but a pause of about a second.

Between her cool fingers and his warm ones, something more subtle than temperature was flowing.

Then she withdrew her hand and turned to walk toward the wounded.

After two steps, she paused, tilting her head slightly without looking back, her voice clear and cool like a stream:

"Next time, don't get sent flying. It looks ugly."

Wang Sheng froze for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh; the movement pulled at the injury on his ribs, making him wince in pain, but the smile overflowed from his eyes.

Hua Jieyu and Shen Xun'er joined forces to cast healing spells, the green light of life and the silvery-white Moonlight Blessing intertwining to envelop the wounded.

Shen Xun'er stood on the Ancestral Spirit Altar, the silvery-blue radiance of the Moonlight Blessing enveloping the entire camp; her almond-shaped eyes swept across the battlefield, her lips slightly pursed.

She saw Wang Sheng's hand at the shattered shoulder armor of Murong Xue, and she saw the second that Frost Mage Lin Shiyun had lingered while handing over the water.

She saw many, many subtle ripples, like flower petals falling onto the surface of the water.

She didn't say a word, simply increasing the output of the Moonlight Blessing by another thirty percent; at that moment, the silvery-blue light was brighter than ever before.

Liu Ruyan appeared from the shadows, her smoky, misty eyes sharp as knives; she walked to Wang Sheng's side, her voice lowered to a whisper:

"The direction the Shadow Wolf pack retreated to is the Myriad Races Market."

Wang Sheng's pupils constricted.

"The underground stronghold?"

"I suspect this Beast Tide was not a natural disaster." Liu Ruyan's voice was calm as water, but her slender, willow-like figure was tensed straight.

"The Shadow Clan might be driving the Savage Beasts. The Spirit Rune on the horns of the Giant Horned Rhino King is not a naturally formed wild Spirit Rune; it looks more like... a man-made control array."

The morning light illuminated the devastation on the battlefield: the corpses of Savage Beasts, shattered fences, upturned soil, and the Lingxi River stained red with blood.

But more unsettling than the mess on the battlefield was the implication in Liu Ruyan's words.

If the Beast Tide was artificially manipulated by the Shadow Clan, then today's battle was not the end, but the beginning.

Wang Sheng looked toward the distant Savage Beast Forest, the morning light swirling in his golden pupils.

"Liu Ruyan," his voice was low and firm, "keep watching. Whatever the Shadow Clan intends to do, I want to be the first to know."

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, her figure dissipating into the morning light like smoke.

On the ruins of the camp, the girls began to clear the battlefield; some carried away the corpses of the Savage Beasts, others repaired the fences, and some collected the scattered Savage Beast cores.

Su Mengyao's spirit vines helped drag the corpses of the Savage Beasts, Zhao Linger's sonic techniques helped disperse the lingering stench of the beasts, and Zheng Liuli sorted the meat and hides of the Savage Beasts in preparation for alchemy.

Murong Xue sat by the Lingxi River, taking off her shattered silver armor to reveal the white undergarment soaked in sweat and blood beneath.

The morning light spilled over her toned body, the skin beneath the silver armor as fair as jade; the wound on her shoulder had already begun to heal, but the bloodstains and sweat marks traced uneven patterns on her undergarment,

outlining her full yet powerful physique; she lowered her head to look at the shattered silver armor, a flicker of heartache crossing her brown eyes.

This set of silver armor was the battle gear that Murong Xue regarded as her second life; every scratch on it was a medal of her battles.

"The armor can be repaired."

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan's voice came from behind; the bespectacled girl pushed up the silver frames on the bridge of her nose, her rational and calm gaze sweeping over the shattered silver armor as her lips curled slightly:

"And I can improve it. By adding a layer of Spirit Rune reinforcement, it will be able to hold on for at least three more seconds next time."

Murong Xue looked up at her, silent for a moment, then reached out her hand: "Thanks."

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan grasped her hand, her palm warm; the Rune Forgemaster's hands were covered in tiny burn marks from Spirit Runes, all of which were medals left behind from countless failed attempts at forging.

Their hands clasped together—one the shield of the battlefield, the other the fire of the forge—their temperatures as similar as two mirrors.

The Lingxi River shimmered like broken silver in the morning light, the water washing away the blood on the banks and gradually returning to clarity.

In the distance, the outline of the Savage Beast Forest gradually became clear in the morning glow, like a dormant giant beast, silent and dangerous.

And in an unknown corner deep within the forest, the Spirit Rune array of the Shadow Clan's underground stronghold was still running.

In the center of the array, a black crystal engraved with control Spirit Runes was slowly dimming, like embers after completing their mission.

On that crystal, the traces of resonance from the Giant Horned Rhino King's horn Spirit Runes still remained.

The morning light grew brighter.

Wang Sheng stood on the ruins of the camp gate, watching his busy tribespeople,

his right hand gripping the high-rank Savage Beast core taken from the body of the Giant Horned Rhino King; the core emitting a warm, deep red light in his palm, like a tiny sun.

On the system interface, the rank indicator for Warrior Rank 4 flashed with golden light.

He knew this was only the beginning.

The Shadow Clan's conspiracy, the threat of Zhao Mang, and even stronger Savage Beasts—the wild world was far more dangerous and vast than he had imagined.

But he looked back.

Shen Xun'er stood on the Ancestral Spirit Altar, the silvery-blue radiance of the Moonlight Blessing covering the entire camp like a giant umbrella, her almond eyes curved like crescent moons.

Murong Xue sat by the river removing her armor, her brown ponytail falling over her shoulders, a rare, relaxed smile appearing on her resolute face.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun was in the back tidying up the residual ice crystals from her Frost Spell, her silver-white hair drifting like snow in the morning light, her ice-blue pupils reflecting the broken gold on the river surface.

Su Mengyao crouched beside her spirit vines, tending to the flowers and plants affected by the battle, her emerald-green hair hanging down like a waterfall, her emerald eyes gentle as water.

Liu Ruyan's figure was hidden in the shadows, her smoky, misty eyes scanning the surroundings of the camp, her vigilance never wavering.

Zhao Linger clung to Wang Sheng's arm, refusing to let go, a look of worship on her baby face; the Spirit Sound Master leaned her small head against his shoulder,

muttering, "Chieftain, you were so cool when you punched that big rhino to death."

There were also Hua Jieyu, Zheng Liuli, Chen Siqi, Xiao Yuqing, Qin Luoxi, Heavenly Strategist Shangguan Xuan...

Sixty-two faces, sixty-two figures, like sixty-two small flags in the morning light.

He was their Chieftain, and they were his tribespeople.

That was enough.

Wang Sheng gripped the core in his palm and turned toward the ruins,

"Repair!"

"Everything that has been destroyed can be rebuilt even better!"

"We will continue to grow stronger tomorrow!"

The morning light was like gold; on the ruins of the camp by the Lingxi River, a voice pierced the post-battle silence.

Sixty-two figures looked up at the same time, the morning light reflected in their eyes,

and him.

In the corner of the system interface, a line of small text flickered quietly:

"Main Quest Updated: Investigate the connection between the Shadow Clan and the Beast Tide. Reward: Unknown."

"Side Quest Triggered: Repair and upgrade the tribal defensive fortifications. Reward: Beginner Defensive Wall Blueprint."

Wang Sheng did not look at those notifications.

He was already thinking about the next step.