Chapter 2056: Chapter 686: Schemes of the Split Claw · The Day of the Star-Shattering Earthquake

The taste of this thing is quite awful, but it works well. Murphy quickly felt the toxin that had been stopping his self-healing and making him constantly weak begin to dissipate.

Coughing up black blood, he looked at Triss, who was hesitant to speak. Under his inquisitive gaze, the Blood Vulture Duke still told him about the current situation.

“Blackflame Mountain Pass is done for.”

Murphy was surprisingly calm, as if this result was not unexpected. He wiped the black blood from his lips and said:

“Just as I expected, there’s no such thing as an invincible fortress. The term ‘impregnable’ became a standing flag the moment it was spoken. Send me over, Triss, we’ll be very busy from now on.”

As he spoke, he began to put on his ranger armor, but Triss stopped him. The Crimson Witch reached out to touch the shallow scar on Murphy’s chest.

She said:

“Your self-healing has returned; why not let it fully heal? A scar is unsightly.”

“I’m just learning from you.”

Murphy rolled his eyes and reached out to touch the scar on Triss’s collarbone. Such an intimate gesture would have been rejected in the past, but their relationship had changed, and the Crimson Witch did not stop him, only watching her little darling.

The Governor lowered his head and gently kissed the scar on Triss’s neck.

He said:

“Let this serve as a reminder of the painful lessons from the past. Every time I touch it, I know I’m not the chosen one in the absolute sense. Every time I feel it, it tells me that I’m also a poor wretch who can die.

It teaches me to cherish life more…

Not just mine, but others’ as well.”

“Veylanther needs more materials to create a new Bottle of Rebirth.”

Triss also leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the scar on Murphy’s chest, as if completing a special ‘ceremony.’

She helped the still somewhat weak Murphy put on his armor and said softly:

“Until you get the Bottle of Rebirth, I don’t want you to go risking your life again! You know you have a responsibility to me now, and I’m not ready to become a widow.”

“So, my proud Grand Duke of Triss is ready to become the Governor’s wife, right?”

Murphy laughed silently.

In response, Triss chopped him on the forehead with her hand and scolded:

“No flag planting at this time!”

“Understood, I apologize, my lady.”

—————–

While Murphy and Triss were flirting, the situation at Blackflame Mountain Pass was rapidly deteriorating.

Ovg · Heart of Silver was currently blocking increasingly active undead from breaking out in the Death Space behind the position. That position was very insidious, as it connected all the passages beneath the ground.

Once the undead rushed in, they could launch a wild assault on the Black Flame Maw Position from the core.

These were warriors who died here a hundred years ago, and Dusk must have used some kind of dark magic to keep them from resting, which caused these once-dead warriors to be even more destructive after being undead.

They are angry dead, seeking justice of unrest from their incompetent successors.

The thought of fighting a tunnel battle with ancient warriors deep in the position made Lord Hether’s scalp tingle, but she had too much to deal with and no time to overthink.

Bad news kept coming in, almost all related to the deterioration of the frontline situation.

“The Jackal Priests are disrupting Spiritual Energy! Communication between Psychics is being cut off, and the Calculating Pearl is also being interfered with. I’ve sent all the signalmen, Hether, but it’s not enough!

Think of something fast.”

“There’s a large number of werewolves undead outside Position 3! Those are the corpses that weren’t burned before, and they’re attacking the Nocturne Enchantment.”

“There are undead at Position 4 as well! Many soldiers heard strange sounds coming from underground, like countless claws scratching the earth. They say something is moving underground! Where is the Earth Priest?

We need them!”

The Elf Rangers flew in from the frontlines, delivering reports to Lord Hether, nearly making her head explode.

Damn it!

She still had to urgently arrange the retreat of the following positions.

“Bang”

The command post’s door was kicked open.

General Maxim strode in, shouting at Lord Hether:

“Forget about the retreat, we’ve already planned the routes! Let the administrative personnel on the position immediately withdraw with the shadow half-elves, taking everything that needed carrying. Destroy whatever can’t be taken on the spot. Especially those food supplies, ammunition, and materials!

We can’t leave them for the werewolf people.”

“Alright! Leave the retreat to you guys.”

Lord Hether knew Murphy had been designing plans in secret, and Maxim’s arrival solved the most troubling problem for her. But even before Lord Hether could catch her breath, Elf Rangers’ Commander Dimes · Captain Golden Leaf burst in, dripping with blood.

This eternally composed elf with an eyepatch had an expression of undisguised shock and anger on his usually indifferent face.

He shouted:

“Position 1… Position 1 has completely collapsed! Something is bursting out from underground!”

“What?”

Hether and Maxim were suddenly stunned.

The two, along with the surrounding commanders, dashed out of the command post and climbed the high Watchtower to look over there with binoculars. Maxim could fly and saw the scene more clearly from higher up. The first position that had been repeatedly fought over now looked like it had suffered an earthquake.