Chapter 81: Retreat to the main camp! Comatose for three days! A very grim situation!

The setting sun was like blood, casting a desolate shadow over the broken walls of Vanguard Valley.

Roko's figure disappeared into the distant smoke and dust, leaving behind the territory that had once poured his countless efforts.

Now it was a scene of dead silence.

Not long after, Mosika led the orc warriors into Vanguard Valley.

"Humph, human castles are nothing more than this."

Mosika looked around, watching the houses that had been deliberately destroyed and the empty warehouses.

A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, which then turned into deep disappointment and anger.

Inside the castle, apart from the mess on the ground and the bulky stones that couldn't be moved, almost no valuable supplies could be found.

Grain was burned, water sources were simply filled in, and even the slightly decent wooden furniture was hacked to pieces.

"Damn humans!"

Mosika let out an angry roar.

"They didn't leave anything for us!"

He had originally hoped to loot some wealth and supplies in this human lord's castle, but he didn't expect the other party to retreat so thoroughly.

A kobold scout stepped forward tremblingly.

"Master Mosika, the humans in the castle have all run away."

Mosika kicked the kobold scout to the ground.

"Trash!"

"You need to report such a small matter?"

He paced restlessly in the empty council hall, the gravel under his feet making a harsh friction sound.

Although he had occupied this castle, it felt like punching cotton, making him feel indescribably stifled.

"Pass the order!"

Mosika finally stopped and roared at the personal guards behind him.

"Have the boys clean this place up simply and use it as our temporary stronghold!"

"Then, immediately send out scouts to track the traces of those fleeing humans!"

"I want them to know the consequences of daring to play with me, Mosika!"

However, Mosika did not know.

The few short days that Roko and the others had delayed with their lives and blood had played a crucial role in the war situation of the entire Xin Feng Province.

It was precisely this precious time that allowed Duke Auston, who was commanding from the rear, to build defensive lines that were relatively solid in the hinterland of the Xin Feng Province.

Countless serfs, under the whip of soldiers, worked day and night.

Simple earth and stone castles rose one after another, guarding every major traffic artery.

Large amounts of rolling stones, battering logs, arrows, and simple bed crossbows.

Were also continuously transported to the front line and piled up like mountains.

When Roko arrived at the temporary command camp where Duke Auston was sitting with his remnants, dragging his exhausted body, the scene before him made his spirit lift.

Endless tents stretched as far as the eye could see, and countless flags fluttered in the wind.

On the towering watchtowers, soldiers watched the distance vigilantly.

Trenches newly dug and earth city walls just completed, although simple, also carried a murderous aura.

"Hart."

Roko's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

He felt blackness before his eyes, and his body was swaying.

Days of fierce fighting, excessive blood loss, and high mental tension had long since exhausted his physical strength to the limit.

"Young Master!"

Hart quickly stepped forward to support him, his face full of worry.

"How are you?"

Roko shook his head reluctantly, wanting to say something, but only felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining his armor red.

Immediately, his eyes went black, and he lost consciousness completely.

"Young Master!"

"Roko!"

Hart and Fura, who followed closely behind, exclaimed at the same time.

Seeing Roko vomiting blood and unconscious, Fura's heterochromatic eyes were instantly filled with fear and panic, and tears slid down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"Master!"

She threw herself beside Roko, her small hands trembling as she wanted to wipe the blood from Roko's mouth, but was afraid of hurting him.

"Master, please don't be okay, Fura, Fura cannot live without you."

Her voice carried a crying tone, filled with helplessness and despair.

Roko was her heaven, her entire faith.

If Roko had any accident, she didn't know what the point of living was.

The surrounding soldiers were also stunned by this sudden change, and for a time, they were at a loss.

Just then, a burst of urgent hoofbeats approached from near to far.

"Move! Move aside!"

"The Duke is here!"

The crowd automatically parted a path.

Duke Auston arrived on horseback, surrounded by several personal guards.

When he saw Roko, covered in blood and unconscious, even his face, which was always calm, couldn't help but show a hint of emotion.

"What happened?"

Duke Auston asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over Hart and Fura.

Hart endured his grief and briefly reported how Roko had led his troops to hold the temporary castle to the death, fought against several times the number of orcs for several days, and finally succeeded in delaying the enemy, but was also seriously injured as a result.

Duke Auston listened, a hint of complex expression flashing in his eyes, both appreciation and regret.

He leaned over to check Roko's injuries, his brow furrowing slightly.

"The injuries are very heavy."

"Excessive blood loss, and his Battle Qi is almost exhausted."

"Philip!"

Duke Auston stood up straight and instructed a middle-aged man who looked like a butler beside him.

"Immediately go and invite the best priest in the army!"

"Yes, Master Duke!"

Butler Philip did not dare to delay and quickly took the order and left.

Soon, an old man wearing a white priest's robe with gold trim, wearing a silver cross badge on his chest, hurried over under Philip's guidance.

"Greetings, Master Duke."

The old priest bowed slightly in salute.

"Priest Harvey, no need for formalities."

2

Duke Auston pointed at the unconscious Roko and said urgently.

"Quick, take a look at Roko, is there any hope for him?"

Priest Harvey walked to Roko's side, carefully checked his wounds and pulse, and flipped his eyelids to take a look.

"Master Duke, rest assured."

A hint of a smile appeared on Priest Harvey's aged face.

"Although this young knight's injuries are heavy, his vitality is exceptionally tenacious."

"Plus, his own strength is not weak; he should be at the initial stage of Great Knight, with a solid foundation."

"As long as the treatment is timely, there should be no danger to his life."

Hearing this, Fura, Hart, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Priest Harvey did not say much more and took out a magic crystal emitting a soft white light from his bosom.

He began to chant ancient and sacred prayers.

Following his chanting, the magic crystal gradually lit up, and strands of warm and holy milky white light slowly injected into Roko's body.

【Sacred Healing】

Under the exquisite healing magic of the Silver-ranked priest, the ferocious wounds on Roko's body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His pale, paper-like complexion also gradually regained a hint of ruddiness.

His originally rapid and weak breathing also became much steadier.

Fura held Roko's hand tightly, feeling the temperature coming from his palm, and the panic in her heart finally calmed down.

But her gaze remained fixed on Roko, fearing that he might have another accident.

The treatment lasted for nearly half an hour.

Priest Harvey's forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat; clearly, casting such a high-level healing spell was also no small consumption for him.

"Alright."

He put away the magic crystal and let out a long breath.

"This young knight's injuries have basically stabilized, and his life is not in danger."

"However, he has lost too much blood and his spiritual power has been greatly consumed; I fear he will need to recuperate well for a period of time before he can fully recover."

"Thank you, Priest Harvey."

Duke Auston nodded, a hint of gratitude appearing on his face.

"Philip, take Priest Harvey to rest."

"Yes, Master Duke."

Philip replied respectfully.

Subsequently, Duke Auston looked at Hart again.

"You have worked hard all the way, so go down and settle the troops and have a good rest."

"As for Roko, I will arrange for someone to take special care of him."

"Thank you, Master Duke."

Hart said gratefully.

Given Roko's current condition, he indeed needed better care.

Fura, however, remained by Roko's side, never leaving his side.

Duke Auston glanced at her and didn't say much, just instructed his personal guards to move Roko to a quiet tent to recuperate.

Over the next three days, Roko remained in a coma.

Fura guarded his bedside day and night, almost never closing her eyes.

She personally wiped Roko's body, changed his wound medicine, and every once in a while, would carefully feed warm water into his mouth with a small spoon.

Her movements were gentle and focused, seemingly afraid of hurting Roko.

Hart and Martina also came to visit many times, but were "persuaded away" by Fura with those heterochromatic eyes filled with vigilance and stubbornness.

In Fura's heart, taking care of her master was her own responsibility and would not allow anyone else to intervene.

During these three days, the war in the Xin Feng Province intensified.

The orc army, under the unified command of Prince Kagerosh, frantically infiltrated the hinterland of the Xin Feng Province like locusts crossing the border.

Countless villages were burned, and towns were captured.

The western and northern borders of the Xin Feng Province were almost ablaze with beacon fires everywhere.

Wailing was everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.

Those noble allied forces that were originally scattered in various places and responsible for clearing out small orc tribes were simply vulnerable under the impact of the orc main army.

They were defeated one after another and had to close in on the command camp where Duke Auston was located.

For a time, the scale of the allied camp on the Luoxing Pingyuan expanded rapidly, but it also became more chaotic and crowded.

People with various accents, various flags, and various hidden agendas gathered here.

Forming a torrent that looked massive but was actually filled with panic.

On the morning of the third day, the first ray of sunlight shone on Roko's pale face through the cracks in the tent.

His eyelashes trembled slightly a few times.

"Ugh."

A faint moan escaped from his dry, cracked lips.

Fura, who was guarding the bedside, noticed it almost immediately.

"Master?"

She let out a low cry of joy and leaned toward Roko, her eyes filled with expectation and concern.

Roko opened his eyes slowly, his vision still somewhat blurry.

He felt as if his body had fallen apart, his whole body was sore and powerless, and his throat was so dry and thirsty that it felt like it was going to burst into flames.

In the haze, he saw a delicate and slightly haggard pretty face looking at him with concern.

Those heterochromatic eyes, intertwined with deep blue and shattered gold, looked exceptionally bright in the dim light.

It was Fura.

Roko felt a warmth in his heart.

He wanted to speak, but found his throat was extremely dry and couldn't make any sound.

Fura seemed to see his embarrassment and quickly turned to pick up a water bag from the small table beside her.

She took a small sip of water herself, then leaned over and pressed her soft lips against Roko's dry, cracked lips.

A warm and moist touch came.

A stream of sweet spring water flowed slowly into Roko's mouth, moisturizing his parched throat.

Roko was stunned for a moment, then understood.

Fura was actually feeding him water in this way.

A warm current that could not be described in words surged through his entire body.

He greedily sucked the sweet spring water and also felt the softness and greenness of the girl's lips.

Fura's cheeks were already flushed with shame, and even the tips of her silver-gray ears were stained with a layer of cute pink.

Her heart was beating fast, as if it were about to jump out of her chest.

But she did not retreat, still clumsily and seriously feeding the water in the water bag to Roko little by little.

Until Roko's parched throat was relieved, she ran out of the tent like a frightened little deer.

"Huff, huff."

Fura leaned against the pillar outside the tent, panting heavily.

Her small hands covered her burning cheeks, her heart in a mess.

Just now, just now, what had she done!

Actually feeding her master water in that way.

Would her master think she was very frivolous?

Thinking of this, Fura's heart was filled with concern and unease.

Inside the tent, Roko looked at Fura's fleeing back, and a helpless and doting smile couldn't help but curl at the corner of his mouth.

This silly girl.

Roko moved his somewhat stiff body and felt he had regained a lot of strength.

Although still somewhat weak, he was much better than three days ago.

"Sigh."

A sigh came from the corner of the tent.

Roko looked in the direction of the sound and saw Martina sitting at a simple wooden table.

She was holding a thick account book in her hand, her brow furrowed tightly, occasionally letting out a faint, almost imperceptible sigh.

She didn't seem to notice that Roko had woken up, still immersed in her own thoughts.

"Martina."

Roko called her, his voice still somewhat hoarse.

Martina was stunned by the sound and looked up abruptly.

When she saw Roko sitting up, a hint of imperceptible surprise and joy flashed in her snow-white eyes.

"Roko? You're awake?"

Her tone carried a hint of surprise.

"Yeah."

Roko nodded.

"How long have I been in a coma?"

"Three full days."

Martina put down the account book in her hand and walked to Roko's bedside.

"You scared us all to death."

Her tone, although still carrying a hint of her usual coldness, was filled with concern.

"Especially that girl Fura, who guarded you almost without taking off her clothes for these three days."

"If it weren't for Priest Harvey saying your life was not in danger, she would have likely gone crazy with worry."

Roko felt another warmth in his heart upon hearing this.

"How is Vanguard Valley?"

He was silent for a moment and asked.

Although he had anticipated it, he still couldn't help but want to know the result.

Martina's face dimmed slightly.

"What else could it be."

She sighed lightly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and desolation.

"After we retreated, it was occupied by an orc vanguard unit."

"Everything in the castle that could be taken was taken, and what couldn't be taken was destroyed as you ordered."

"Now, Vanguard Valley is likely already a ruin."

Speaking of this, a hint of pain flashed in Martina's eyes.

Vanguard Valley, after all, was something she had poured a lot of effort into planning and developing.

Watching it fall into the hands of the orcs and turn into scorched earth, she naturally didn't feel good in her heart.

Roko was silent.

Although he had psychological preparation, hearing this news still caused an indescribable sense of loss to surge in his heart.

"What about our casualties?"

He took a deep breath, suppressed the sense of loss, and turned to ask about more important things.

"When we retreated, it was still timely."

Martina replied.

"The Storm Knights have seventy-three left."

"The knight reservists have eighty-five left."

"Added together, there are still one hundred and fifty-eight knights."

"As for the main force soldiers, after successive bloody battles, there are only over two hundred and thirty left."

"As for the Scout Battalion, because of Duke Auston's order, after we retreated, they were drafted by him and incorporated into the legion's direct scout units."

Roko nodded; this casualty figure was better than he had expected.

At the very least, the core strength of the Storm Knights was still there.

"What is the situation outside now?"

He asked again.

Martina's face became grave instantly.

"Very grim."

She said in a deep voice.

"In the three days you were in a coma, the orc army has fully invaded the Xin Feng Province."

"Except for this area of ours, because the Duke is sitting here and a large number of allied forces are gathered, we can temporarily hold on."

"Other places in the Xin Feng Province, especially areas with weak border defenses, have almost all been infiltrated and attacked by orcs."

"Countless villages have been burned, and towns have fallen."

"The entire Xin Feng Province is about to turn into a sea of fire."

"Those noble allied forces that were originally scattered in various places are also fleeing toward us one after another."

"According to the latest statistics, the total number of allied forces gathered here has exceeded one million."

"But..." Martina's tone paused, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

"This million-strong army is a mixed bag, and everyone is panicked."

"Among them, the elite troops that can truly fight are likely less than thirty percent."

"The rest are mostly serfs and militia temporarily conscripted, and there are even quite a few deserters who are scared out of their wits."

"Moreover, just yesterday, the total strength of the allied forces had plummeted from a peak of over 1.1 million to only over 800,000."

"In just a few days, nearly three hundred thousand people were lost!"

Upon hearing this, Roko's heart also sank.

"Among them, how many died in battle and how many became deserters, I fear no one can tell clearly."

Martina's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

"What about Duke Auston? Does he have any response?"

Roko asked.

"The Duke has also been overwhelmed these past few days."

Martina shook her head.

"On one hand, he has to appease those nobles who fled, and on the other, he has to reorganize the troops, strengthen the defensive lines, and resist the orc offensive."

"It is said that he hasn't closed his eyes for several days."

"By the way."

Martina seemed to have thought of something and said again.

"The Duke specifically instructed that after you wake up, you should recuperate well and temporarily not participate in the upcoming battles."

"He said you made a great contribution this time, but your injuries are also very heavy and you need to rest quietly."

"Moreover, according to intelligence from the front line, the orcs have dispatched elite main forces this time, among which there is no lack of high-level orcs with powerful strength."

"The upcoming battles will be exceptionally tragic, far from what the previous skirmishes can compare to."

"With your current condition, even if you want to participate, I fear you don't have the qualifications." **CHAPTER 82**

"Given your current condition, even if you wanted to participate, I'm afraid you no longer have the qualifications."