The two bursts of fire in the east and west eventually faded, but the headquarters staff—and indeed the entire army—grew busy.
As more and more scouts were dispatched, an increasing amount of information returned. Inside the headquarters tent, the group gradually pieced together what had happened.
Noel, the older staff officer with gray eyes, quickly reported to Soren, "The explosions did indeed occur at Akela Pass and Lokesi Pass. The cavalry we sent out conducted a detailed inspection. The mountaintops above the passes collapsed, completely blocking them. These two main routes are now almost impossible to reopen. As for some of the narrower secondary routes, leaving aside whether an army can march through them normally, the accompanying Wizards have reported clear traces of Shalin's forces near every one of them.
"Additionally, the armies on the left and right wings have sent urgent reports. They were attacked by Shalin's forces one after another, and the fighting is extremely deadlocked. They cannot disengage, much less turn back and come to our aid from outside the mountains."
After a pause, pain flashed across Noel's face. He lowered his voice. "General, taken together, your previous concerns and guesses were correct. My blind confidence was somewhat foolish—we really are trapped here now. Aside from a very small number of Wizards who can force their way out, the overwhelming majority of the army cannot leave. Nor can reinforcements get in. As for food and supplies, there is no need to even mention them. Based on the provisions we brought, we can last three days at most."
Hearing this grim report, all the staff officers in the tent fell silent, their expressions faintly panicked.
Soren, however, retained his usual calm. He swept his gaze around the tent and said, "It seems there is indeed no shortage of