For the first time in thousands of years, the Guardian Legion stood outside the defensive line.
The Black Starship shuttled back and forth through space, clearing away the deadly corruption and harmful debris left on the battlefield at top speed. Temporary outpost fortresses and defensive platforms were erected one after another, reinforcing this still-unstable position layer by layer. Spellcasters among the Guardian Giants established Eyes of Vigilance along the perimeter, ready to guard against a sudden counterattack by the Corruptors at any moment—everything proceeded in orderly fashion.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the enormous drone legion was also reorganizing its ranks and withdrawing from the position in an orderly manner. They were setting up bunkers and drone storage depots farther away from the hub, and this posture effectively reduced the Guardians' wariness toward those terrifying machines.
Nakdal Fortress slowly drifted into the area where the Guardian and drone legion lines intersected, then anchored itself at this point of balance. This new fortress had been unable to show its full strength throughout the battle, but in the final dozen or so minutes, it had at least used its anti-aircraft fire to intercept the Corruptor army, earning some baptism by war. Above Nakdal Fortress, Giant Turtle Rock Platform and the Guardians' flagship, "Ayr," were slowly drawing closer and establishing a passage between them.
Considering that the Guardian Giants' heights of over ten meters made it inconvenient for them to move around many parts of Giant Turtle Rock Platform, Hao Ren and Vivian accepted Salamander's invitation and boarded the colossal vessel, majestic and towering like a black mountain range. The Legion Commander of the Guardians personally and warmly welcomed them.
This was not Hao Ren's first time aboard a Guardian vessel, but it was his first time aboard a Guardian warship in perfect condition.