After the Battle

The battle was over. Ang stood where he was, leaning on his shield and gasping for breath. They had fought from night until morning, and even the Demon reinforcements had been slain. Ang was soaked in the Demons' blackish-red blood, mixed with his own bright red stains. His iron armor was covered in deep dents, testament to the ferocity and brutality of the battle.

Ang was utterly exhausted, his Qi force nearly depleted. Every breath seemed to take all his strength, his chest heaving violently. His arms trembled, barely able to support the heavy shield and sword. His weary eyes swept across the battlefield, filled with the corpses of comrades and Demons alike.

The faces of his fallen teammates flashed through Ang's mind, filling his heart with heavy grief and a deep sense of helplessness. He knew that surviving was already a miracle.

In the distance, the faint light of dawn began to spill across the battlefield, driving away the gloom of night. Ang felt a trace of hope. Though his body had reached its limit, he still used his last bit of strength to stand firm.

Slowly, the other surviving warriors began to gather as well. They too were covered in wounds, yet their eyes revealed resilience and defiance.

The commanders swiftly issued orders, demanding that the Cavalry Regiment and the other two Infantry Regiments on standby immediately establish a new defensive line in case the enemy attacked again. The Logistics Regiment warriors busied themselves, carefully carrying the wounded back to the camp with speed and order.

The Logistics Regiment warriors also had to clear out the remaining enemies on the battlefield. Whenever they encountered Demons that had not yet died, they mercilessly finished them off, ensuring that no threat remained. Those comrades still alive were assigned escorts and sent back to camp for emergency treatment.

Ang was completely spent. After the battle ended, he was finally placed on a stretcher. His comrades carried him carefully as his consciousness gradually blurred and everything before his eyes became increasingly indistinct. In the end, Ang could no longer resist the onslaught of fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.

While Ang rested, the Logistics Regiment quickly finished clearing the battlefield. All Demon corpses were burned where they lay, while the human warriors' bodies were identified one by one before being cremated together and their ashes collected.

The battle report was quickly compiled. Nearly 3,000 Demons had been eliminated, but the human warriors had paid a terrible price as well. More than 1,500 warriors had died, while over 1,000 others had lost their ability to fight due to injuries. More than 1,000 warriors were also severely wounded and temporarily unable to return to the battlefield.

Among the warriors who had lost their fighting ability, many had suffered severe bodily damage and struggled to survive on the battlefield. Because medical conditions at the front were extremely primitive, many of the seriously wounded likely would not make it. To ensure the battle report did not appear quite so disastrous, those dying warriors were not included on the casualty list, despite their slim hopes of survival.

Though such numbers could temporarily conceal some of the cruel truth, every commander understood that those sacrifices and injuries were real. Behind every name was a living person and a warrior's dream. These figures also sounded an alarm for the commanders, reminding them that future battles had to be handled with greater caution and planning.

The battle report was soon submitted to the duchy and the Military Department.

After this battle, the Demons became even more wary of humanity and did not launch any further attacks for the time being.

The human commanders decided to withdraw the front line back to Canyon Mouth, where defense would be more convenient. It was impossible to establish an effective defense on the plains.

Ang woke from his coma. The Logistics Regiment warrior assigned to care for him hurriedly handed him a cup of water. Ang took it as though he had found an oasis in the desert, greedily gulping down water until his body had taken in enough moisture before finally slowing down.

After catching his breath for a while, Ang asked the Logistics Regiment warrior caring for him about what had happened after the battle. The warrior shook his head, indicating that he did not know the details. Ang did not press further. He knew everyone was busy at the moment, and information might not yet have been passed along in time.

He lowered his head and looked himself over, discovering that the bloodstains on his body had been wiped away, though some stubborn grime remained on his skin and in the gaps of his armor. He understood that in such circumstances, no one had the time or energy to thoroughly clean him. He silently accepted the reality and nodded gratefully at the warrior.

Looking around, Ang saw many comrades who were just as exhausted and wounded, receiving simple treatment and rest under limited conditions.

During his sleep, some of Ang's Qi force had recovered. Sitting on the bed, he began to meditate and control the Qi force within his body to recover further.

As his Qi force circulated again and again, Ang's body gradually recovered as well.

Once he no longer felt any discomfort anywhere in his body, Ang got out of bed and headed toward the mess hall. The first thing he needed to do now was fill his stomach.

Ang ate four whole loaves of bread, an entire slab of meat, and a large basin of soup.

Full and satisfied, Ang stretched and felt a long-lost sense of contentment. He decided to visit the tents for the wounded and search for his comrades, especially Jada and the others. During the battle, Ang had not noticed what had happened to them, and he was filled with worry.

The 36th Infantry Regiment Ang belonged to was one of the units that had suffered the most injuries. Under the Demons' fierce counterattack, many comrades who had not reached the level of a Level 1 Warrior could not withstand the Demons' attacks. Even those who survived by luck were mostly gravely wounded. The vast majority of warriors had either had their arms torn apart by Demons or suffered other severe bodily injuries.

As he entered tent after tent for the wounded, Ang saw a scene of devastation. His comrades lay on crude beds. Some were unconscious, while others endured excruciating pain as medical personnel did their best to treat every casualty. Ang's heart was filled with conflicting emotions. He kept searching for familiar faces until he finally found Jada in a corner.

Jada's right arm was wrapped in bandages. He had clearly been seriously wounded, but he was still conscious. When he saw Ang approach, Jada managed a faint smile. Ang tightly gripped Jada's left hand, feeling his comrade's strength and unyielding spirit.

"Are you all right, Jada?" Ang asked softly, his voice full of concern.

"I'm alive. That's not bad," Jada replied weakly. "What about you, Ang? I heard you fought like a madman."

Ang nodded, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. "We have to hold on. There's still a lot to do." He knew he was not merely saying it to Jada, but to himself as well.

The two silently held hands, as though this simple gesture conveyed strength and hope between them.

Not seeing the other comrades, Ang anxiously asked Jada about them. With a solemn expression, Jada told Ang that the 36th Regiment had suffered severe losses in this battle, and the regiment commander had decided to withdraw once support from the other Infantry Regiments arrived.

Ang was greatly surprised. "Will the commanders really agree to a decision to withdraw on their own?"

Jada explained, "Every Infantry Regiment is jointly controlled by the duchy and its regiment commander, and the commander has considerable autonomy. Besides, during this period of fighting, the 36th Regiment has earned enough military merit to satisfy the commander. He believes we need to preserve our strength for future battles. The warriors of the 36th Regiment all support his decision as well."

Ang roughly understood why the warriors supported it. After hearing Jada out, he learned that the entire 36th Regiment now had less than half of its full complement remaining.

Ang nodded thoughtfully, the surprise in his heart gradually replaced by understanding. He knew that as an Infantry Regiment commander, Richard had to make difficult trade-offs between preserving his warriors' lives and continuing to carry out the mission.

What Ang did not know was that the 36th Infantry Regiment had been established with Richard's own money. The duchy provided logistics, but Richard paid out of pocket for all the warriors' equipment and wages. With losses this severe, withdrawing in time was the wisest choice.

Especially since the 36th Infantry Regiment had earned more than 3,000 points of military merit during this period. Under the duchy's merit system, Richard's title and fief could both be raised by one rank. According to the rules, only two-thirds of the magic crystals obtained in battle had to be handed over, meaning Richard could keep 1,000 magic crystals. That was an extremely considerable profit. Even after paying compensation to the families of fallen warriors and replenishing the regiment with new personnel, plenty would still remain.

For Richard, this support mission had already far exceeded his expectations. His Infantry Regiment had not only preserved its strength, but also gained higher status and more resources within the duchy. Under such circumstances, withdrawing was not only meant to preserve his unit's strength, but also to make better use of future opportunities.

Ang knew nothing of these inner details and only felt the effects of Regiment Commander Richard's decision. Yet from Jada's account, he gradually came to understand the deeper reasons behind the withdrawal. It gave him a deeper understanding of and respect for the regiment commander. He knew that in war, every decision required balancing interests on many sides, and Richard had clearly accomplished that.