Rod spotted a steep and towering gray mountain range from afar.
A thin crack split the mountain range down the middle, and Sword Pass was situated right within it.
It wasn’t until they approached that they realized the "crack" was over a hundred yards wide, and the Sword Pass at the end of the canyon was a majestic blue fortress.
The warriors guarding Sword Pass were greatly heartened by the arrival of the reinforcent squad; when Rod and the rest stepped into the fortress, cheers so loud they nearly echoed through Dead Mountain Canyon erupted.
The defense commander was nad Charas Steel Hand, a man in his thirties with a weathered face and graying temples, but his current smile made him appear much younger.
"It’s wonderful, brothers, you’ve arrived at the perfect ti. We were expecting reinforcents only after another week. The upper echelon of the Seventh Defense Zone told the Military War Departnt schedules were completely booked, but we really couldn’t wait any longer. The overflowing Black Tide might reach us at any mont, and our Spiritual Power Generator is still not repaired. If the fortress falls, everything is over."
Beowood stepped forward to shake his hand.
"Rest assured, commander, we’ve brought Mina, a specially-appointed researcher from the chanical Research Institute and a distinguished professor at Jinworth Academy. She will definitely be able to fix the Spiritual Power Generator."
Applause and cheers rose once again.
Mina waved to them generously, stirring up a wave of whistles.
Anna murmured softly, "Bimbo."
Beowood smiled, "Commander, please assign us our tasks."
Steel Hand nodded and led them into the central command room of the fortress.
On a large round table, there was a map centered on Sword Pass.
"This is our position, at the end of the Seventh Defense Zone’s inner defensive circle. Just behind us lies the heartland of the Kingdom, the Red Soil Plain. If we fall, Rock Village and Southwind Town will bear the brunt."
"After demolishing these two settlents, the frenzied Monster Tide will continue to spread along these three routes to eight more villages and towns, until it reaches the Old City where there are enough defenses in place. Besides the heavy civilian casualties, three True Silver Mines and seven platinum mines will halt operations, creating a significant supply gap that will be very difficult to recover from."
Steel Hand’s thick finger moved across the map, his tone becoming sowhat heavy.
"The Black Tide arrived a day earlier than the White Tower predicted, and the outer defensive circle is now inoperative. The middle defensive circle is assuming the outer circle’s function, which ans our inner defensive circle has beco the middle circle."
"According to defensive principles, we too, will sustain a heavy impact. In fact, we have already been attacked by nurous Evil Spirits, and it was they who damaged our Spiritual Power Generator."
Beowood nodded, "Please rest assured, commander, we’ve brought a top-class Spiritual Visionary. No Evil Spirit can escape his sight."
A warrior shouted, "That’s great! For the first ti, I feel like we’re getting the attention we need."
An excited squad captain exclaid, "Isn’t that the truth? And they’ve brought Guardian Fire as well! Our Guardian Fire Sacrificial Ground can finally stop relying on Residual Fire!"
Steel Hand also revealed a joyous smile.
"This is the best news I’ve heard all year. Our top priority now is to urgently repair the Spiritual Power Generator; without its Spiritual Protection, Sword Pass Fortress could be breached."
"Then we need to clear the monsters near Sword Pass to lessen the pressure when the Monster Tide arrives, especially those Evil Spirits still wandering the wastelands."
He turned his head and said earnestly.
"I’m sorry, my warriors have been through nurous fierce battles and now only twenty-one remain," said Rod. "Two unfortunately fell in battle, and fifteen are seriously wounded and have been sent back to the Royal City. Our defensive duties are going to be heavy."
Beowood and Reslin both smiled and said in unison, "Don’t worry, Captain, we’re not afraid."
Steel Hand spoke loudly, "Good, with your words I can rest assured. May the Guardian Fire accompany us, illuminate our blades, and annihilate all demons and monsters!"
Three strong arms intertwined, and all three showed expressions bursting with passion.
Then, surrounded by the warriors, Mo’er arrived at the Guardian Fire Sacrificial Ground and placed the Guardian Fire in the center of a huge stone dish.
Accompanied by his strange ritualistic movents, the Guardian Fire gradually stabilized.
Until there was a click, as if so chanism had locked into place, and the missing piece was filled. The Guardian Fire solidified.
The next instant, the entire fortress lit up.
The warriors’ spirits also broke free of their restraints, and many couldn’t help but burst into tears, feeling a warmth they hadn’t felt in a long ti.
Rod too felt that strange and heartwarming current.
It was as if the Guardian Fire had taken root here, driving away the cold that ca from the depths of the world.
This may well be why humanity has always relied on fire as a point of stability.
Mo’er also showed a smile. After the Guardian Fire was in place, its power fird up and would no longer be easily lost.
As long as the Fuel Elent was replenished regularly, the fire would hardly go out.
Afterward, the warriors took Mina down to the fortress’s basent.
In the very center of the basent, stood a large, red tree-shaped crystal.
The base of the crystal was a round altar made of copper, resembling a giant tal bonsai that seed to grow out from the tal itself.
A warrior said, "Miss Mina, this is our Spiritual Power Generator. When activated, it strengthens our fortress with Spiritual Energy, preventing it from falling to monsters and stopping spiritual bodies from penetrating. But we haven’t maintained it for too long, and after the last attack by Evil Spirits, it malfunctioned and cannot be started again."
Mina nodded and approached, noticing the cracks all over the Spiritual Power Generator. With a gentle touch of her slender hand, she detected the loss of Spiritual Energy at the base of the tal.
Her expression turned solemn as she pulled out tools from her backpack and began disassembling the tal at the bottom, revealing a complex structure underneath.
Although no one understood it, Rod could barely make out so parts. It had so similarities to the internal structure of the Spirit Gun, both altering or amplifying Spiritual Energy through certain configurations and then forming specific effects through certain cores.
Even though they did not understand, almost all the warriors within Sword Pass Fortress ca to watch.
The Spiritual Power Generator was the core of Sword Pass, and the fortress was built with ordinary stones—convenient and fast, but without the Spiritual Power Generator, it would easily collapse.
Everyone watched Mina with hope.
But as the repair progressed, Mina’s face grew more and more serious, and everyone’s mood beca anxious.
Suddenly, Mina stood up and said in a grave voice, "The situation is far worse than expected. It’s been too long without maintenance, and the internal damage is very severe, with multiple breaks. The worst is this Spiritual Energy regulator—it’s completely ruined."
Steel Hand anxiously asked, "Miss Mina, can you fix it?"
Mina glanced at him, her delicate and beautiful face now only bore the solemnity of a researcher.
"I can repair it, but I need at least ten pieces of red copper and platinum."
Steel Hand quickly said, "We have it, we have it in our warehouse."
"I also need a piece of Red Jade."
As soon as these words fell, everyone’s face showed difficulty.
Red Jade was no ordinary material, and they did not have it in their warehouses.
Beowood asked, "Will there be enough ti to apply for it from above?"
Steel Hand showed a troubled look, "The fastest would take four to five days, and right now everywhere is difficult. The fortresses and strongholds on the front line are facing the assault of the Black Tide and are in dire need of supplies. Our situation is relatively relaxed, the Military War Departnt won’t be able to deal with it imdiately."
"Then what do we do? Are we going to give up Sword Pass?"
This was too hard to accept.
Steel Hand turned and glanced back; almost everyone was gathered in the basent. He asked with a plea in his voice, "Does anyone have Red Jade?"
No one answered.
He knew it was almost impossible for anyone to respond, who would carry around a piece of Red Jade that couldn’t be eaten or used for anything?
However, Rod’s heart suddenly stirred.
He rolled up his sleeves, fastened his buttons, made the Lightning Symbol, his Soul soared up, and he instantly returned to the Dream Realm.
In the quiet mist, that pile of miscellaneous items was stacked in the corner of the cabin.
Rod rummaged through and quickly found the Red Jade they were talking about.
It was oval-shaped, the size of a pebble, smooth and glossy, and very expensive, four thousand nine hundred silver coins.
It was what he had bought during a major shopping spree.
Rod clenched the Red Jade, placed his hands crossed making the Lightning Symbol, his Soul rapidly descended, returning to the Material World.
He unfastened his sleeve, opened his palm, and the Red Jade was already there in the center of his hand.
"I have one!"
In the midst of a gray, silent atmosphere, Rod’s voice was like a ray of light, piercing through the Yin Cloud.
In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on Rod, on the hand he stretched out, and on the jade that radiated a warm red sheen.
Mina was extrely surprised. "How do you have one? What do you need Red Jade for?"
She reached out to take it, but Rod recoiled as if he had been burnt.
"I bought this, and it needs to be paid for."
Rod’s words made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
Steel Hand imdiately said, "Don’t worry, Brother Rod, if the Military War Departnt doesn’t reimburse you imdiately, I will cover the cost."
"Alright then."
Only then did Rod relax and stretch out his hand again.
Mina snatched it away angrily, "Money, money, money, that’s all you know!"
Rod retorted discontentedly, "I paid for it out of my own pocket!"
"Don’t you know anything about sacrifice?"
"Why don’t you sacrifice spending a night with then?"
"Pah! Dream on."
Mina’s joy 9
Humanity 1
Mina turned her head and examined the Red Jade in her hand carefully, "It’s real, it’s usable!"
Cheers imdiately filled the basent.
Reslin was also beaming with joy; he did not want to see the mission interrupted before it had even started.
He leaned in and asked quietly, "Rod, why do you have a piece of Red Jade on you?"
Rod casually answered, "To ward off evil spirits!"
"...Red Jade is a very precious Spirituality material, without protection, its Spirituality will attract corruption by the Black Fog, it can only bring disaster."
While Rod was racking his brains to co up with excuses, Mina spoke again:
"Don’t celebrate too early, its contact core is also completely destroyed, if we were in the Royal City, I would recomnd scrapping this device."
Steel Hand asked eagerly, "Is there a way to repair it, Miss Mina?"
"Yes, I can make a new one, I have the standard materials, but I need a piece of Radiant Stone weighing more than thirteen grams."
Really?
Looking at everyone’s faces sinking again, Rod had a very bad premonition.
Are you guys poisoned?
Am I here to do a major shopping for you?
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