Chapter Seventy-Four: Choices

While most of the Winged warriors had gathered before the fall, due to differences in altitude and movement after landing, the group that descended later was unable to find Sigrid and the others.

During the descent, however, Vilyric spotted several Winged people hanging from extremely sharp plants or pierced by protruding stones, clearly dead.

These were likely the ones with relatively weak strength, mental fortitude, and reaction capabilities, unable to adjust their body’s center of gravity during the abrupt fall, and unfortunately stumbling upon such lethal terrain, which resulted in their immediate deaths.

They were all Red Feather warriors or Silver-winged mages; not a single one of the White Feather Winged people brought by Sigrid was among them. Although Edwina showed signs of distress and attempted to help them, it was clear that these Winged people had been dead for quite some time. Without miraculous resurrection magic, ordinary healing was utterly meaningless.

In this situation, Vilyric naturally could not do anything, especially since she didn’t know these Winged people at all.

Apart from feeling sorry for their misfortune, the loss of a few lives did not leave much of a psychological impact on the Priestess.

Following Philena’s suggestion, before leaving, the group burned the bodies they had gathered. Abyss Beasts would consume life, and the dead bodies, if left unattended, would be devoured by passing enemies. It was better to cremate them and have done with it.

It was said that this was the most common and formal burial method for most Winged people after death.

There was no need to be buried deep beneath the earth; instead, they would be turned to ashes and fly freely to the sky.

Then, the group of nearly twenty scattered within a range where they could support each other, searching for the movements of nearby allies.

After the previous fall, even those who had been fortunate enough to survive were definitely injured, and with their formation broken, the situation was likely quite dire.

The roars and howls of beasts surrounding the forest gradually quieted down, with only the central area still dense with sounds, indicating the battle was not going well.

Blood of various colors splattered everywhere—on the ground, in trees, and on stones—but not a single corpse from either side was visible. Vilyric, having had one bout with an Abyss Beast, understood that these were likely the defeated magical beasts, all consumed by the Abyss Beasts.

These monsters had an unreasonable ability to devour; no matter how large the size, they could swallow everything and convert it into special energy to strengthen and heal themselves.

Therefore, Abyss Beasts were almost impossible to kill when food was plentiful.

The search was not going smoothly; this couldn’t continue any longer.

Vilyric had initially planned to adhere to her agreement with Sigrid, avoiding any proactive engagement unless absolutely necessary, like the previous time.

Although she didn’t understand the reasoning behind this request, a promise was a promise, and if possible, she didn’t want to break it.

However, given the current situation, it seemed that the resistance on Omoland had essentially collapsed, and the Abyss Beasts were rampaging and devouring. Those Winged people scattered across the island, including Sigrid herself, were likely in grave danger. If they didn’t act, something catastrophic would happen.

The most direct proof was the booming sound from the Abyss Worms in the distance, which showed no sign of stopping. Clearly, they were still lively, and the status of the largest individual among these Abyss Beasts, in a sense, represented the trend of the battle.

Philena clearly recognized this as well, her expression turning somewhat grave, but as an ordinary person who was not even legendary, and unable to fly, there was very little she could do at the moment.

Given that the current situation was unclear, recklessly wandering about was obviously unwise; only this slow, methodical approach could guarantee as much safety as possible.

“Forget it… Philena, have everyone gather together.”

Upon hearing the black-haired girl speak, the knight princess immediately perked up.

Previously, His Majesty had secretly told her that if they truly encountered a problem beyond their abilities that they had to solve, she could try asking Vilyric for help. Moreover, the previous Southern Disaster had already proven Vilyric’s abilities.

“Miss Vilyric, do you have any thoughts?”

“Hmm, you see, we haven’t seen a single Abyss Beast or a living creature. The roars are primarily concentrated in the interior of the island, so they must have devoured everything in this area, converging near that small lake in the center to battle with the magical beasts pulling back for defense. Sigrid and her group can fly, with a wide field of vision. If they are still alive, they will surely head in that direction to engage in battle.”

The Priestess pointed around, then glanced at the people who had quickly assembled as she had instructed, nodding in satisfaction.

Decisive and effective, that was definitely an admirable trait of Philena.

“Our biggest problem at the moment is that as newcomers, we are unclear on the direction and are wasting time searching for nearby survivors, which significantly delays our progress. At this rate, we simply won’t make it in time.”

Philena immediately understood the implication of Vilyric’s words.

“Are you suggesting we give up searching for any potential scattered comrades and head straight for the center of the floating island?”

Talking to a smart person is truly effortless.

“Exactly, didn’t I mention before? There are likely no living beings left here. Even if we truly found a few surviving little cats, it would be utterly meaningless. The most important goal now is to locate Sigrid and eliminate the enemies invading this floating island.”

Saying this might come off as somewhat ruthless, akin to sacrificing the few for the many, but the reality was that neither Vilyric nor Philena, representing their kingdom’s forces, had any obligation to save the citizens of the Kingdom of Azure or the potentially scattered Winged warriors.

If it were convenient, helping out would be fine, but it was clear there was no leeway for that now. Vilyric believed that Philena, as the Envoy Group Leader, would certainly understand this bigger picture.

Sure enough, after a moment of contemplation, the girl clad in knight armor nodded in agreement.

“You are correct. While I feel somewhat regretful, it seems we have no choice but to do this. However, there’s still one question: Given the current uncertainty on the island, even if we know the rough direction, how do we find the main force of the Winged troops? If we wander aimlessly, not only might we fall into a trap, but here’s also the possibility that the magical beasts might regard us as enemies.”

Philena was not speaking lightly. Although the Kingdom of Azure was not as exclusionary as the United Kingdom, due to persistent poaching and human trafficking, combined with the fact that many offenders were humans or half-breeds who had fled from the north, the internal borders were not particularly welcoming to humanoid beings.

The Winged people were somewhat better off, but the relatively low-intelligence magical beasts ruled by the Sky King were even more rigid. Given the current invasion by the Abyss Beasts, and with humans suddenly appearing, it could easily lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

So, it seemed that they had to find Sigrid and the others first.

“Don’t worry, this island isn’t that big; locating them should be easy. Just give me a moment.”

Vilyric closed her eyes, and her soul network spread out like a tide.

In a rush of urgency, she did not suppress her power this time; the boundless net expanded endlessly.

The scenes in her vision rapidly shifted.

She saw magical beasts covered in blood gazing skyward, their eyes filled with shock and confusion; Winged warriors with broken wings, yet determined, still charging desperately toward the depths of the battlefield in the forest; Abyss Worms rampaging madly through the woods, and Sigrid leading a dozen White Feather warriors battling hard to stop them.

And those Abyss Beasts, rising viciously during the battle, their various forms coated in the blood of the fallen, gazing skyward, their fierce eyes reflecting the colors of the Abyss.

As well as the familiar yet foreign divine aura lingering throughout the island, slowly dissipating.

   

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