Natural Disaster

"Knock him out and take him away."

Vivian did not hesitate at all and immediately issued the order.

The soldier holding the little boy casually patted him, and the boy immediately fainted and never responded again.

The team then continued their evacuation through the violently shaking tunnel.

As the leader of the envoy team, Vivian made the right judgment, and her abilities were commensurate with her status.

But the word 'father' still changed the little girl's eyes.

In the dim torchlight, Vivian's vision cut through the dust and she saw a soldier ahead.

The short knife at the other person's waist had a golden-yellow boxwood handle.

It looks just like the color of the law.

The group continued to move forward amidst the chaos.

A few minutes later, the trembling ground beneath their feet gradually calmed down, but the surrounding environment remained chaotic, and their progress inevitably slowed down.

After some time had passed, someone at the front of the retreating column suddenly stopped.

Although the people behind stopped in time and avoided a collision, they still couldn't help but complain:

"Hey, what's wrong up ahead? Why did you stop?"

"Miss Vivian said that we must leave here immediately!"

The next second, a desperate message came from the soldier at the front:

"No, the road is blocked!"

"..."

Upon hearing the call, Vivian immediately led her trusted confidants toward the end of the tunnel.

The original roadway has completely collapsed in this devastating landslide.

Traces of the mine tunnels can still be seen on the nearby walls, but the tunnel leading directly ahead has been completely buried by earth and rocks.

Vivian turned around and looked at the mine dwellers she had rescued along the way:

"Does anyone recognize this place?"

"Who knows how far we are from the surface exit?"

A ragged man in the crowd raised his hand:

"Miss, I know this road. If we want to get out of here, it's probably still a few hundred meters away!"

Immediately, one of Vivian's guards stepped forward.

He pressed his ear against the stone wall, then reached out and tapped the soil in front of him.

Bang bang bang—

His deep, resonant voice made his expression solemn, but the truth had to be reported:

"Miss, the landslide area is quite long. With the weapons we have... we probably won't be able to get out in a short time."

"..."

Vivian naturally remembered the props Linsey had given to the workers.

Those picks were incredibly powerful tools for digging through rocks.

However, to avoid suspicion, and since this was his first mission to these unfamiliar powers, he certainly couldn't build roads right up to their doorsteps.

Therefore, there were no workers in the team who knew how to use the tools.

It's really asking too much of them to dig a tunnel with just their short swords or even bows and arrows.

However, Vivian also knew that she couldn't show weakness right now.

Controlling her expression, she began to give her subordinates important instructions:

"Anda, take a headcount of the team members and the miners we rescued; Figgs, you and your men treat everyone's injuries. Don't skimp on the medicine you have; rescue is the priority!"

Upon hearing the order, the two soldiers immediately began their work.

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief and sat down alone to rest by the collapsed tunnel.

Moving forward during an earthquake is already incredibly difficult.

Not to mention the oppressive and dark environment of a mine.

Vivian is still a child after all, and she has exhausted a lot of energy. She needs to rest now.

Another confidant approached her:

"Miss Vivian, are you alright?"

Vivian looked up and saw that the person who came was named Mill, a soldier who had worked under her father since the time of the Yarrow Camp.

Mill survived the attack simply because he wasn't an Awakened.

He has now received training and become a member of the elite soldiers.

It was also because of this identity that Mill knew what effect the child's shout would have on Vivian, which is why he came over to check on her.

Vivian simply shook her head:

"Uncle Mill, it's alright."

"If I have any thoughts—I'm only dissatisfied with myself. If I had the power to change everything, we wouldn't be stuck here."

Mill was still very worried:

"But Lord Yarrowen..."

Vivian shook her head to interrupt Mill, displaying a more rational attitude:

"I've thought a lot over the past six months."

"My father's teachings and Lord Linsey's guidance have taught me one thing: our focus should be on the people who are alive in front of us, and we should not let what we have now harm us because of what we have lost."

"..."

Mill's eyes held a complex expression.

But children of this age should cry and fuss because they have lost a loved one, not like Vivian.

But upon closer examination, he realized...

In today's Wasteland land, isn't such a mature character a good thing?

"Miss Vivian!"

At this moment, Anda, who was counting heads, came over:

"Our entire team has arrived. Some people are injured, but not seriously. We rescued 17 miners on the way, some of whom are seriously injured. Figgs is currently treating them."

Mill, who was standing next to Vivian, suggested:

"Miss, let my brothers and I try to dig a tunnel first."

"Although the tools we have aren't quite right, we can't just sit here and wait to die. If we dig slowly, there will always be a chance to get out."

Vivian nodded in agreement:

"Then let's give it a try."

Vivian then divided her soldiers into groups.

The original width of the mine shaft was enough for about five people to dig forward at the same time, and she assigned the task based on that number.

Soldiers with minor injuries were assigned to care for the miners.

The other group returned to the mine and gathered the other survivors in a safe area.

Soldiers in good condition worked in teams of five, taking turns to move, dig, and rest.

The soldiers strictly followed orders.

Deep inside the mine, injured survivors were being rescued one after another.

The team ahead also gradually opened up a passage, slowly but surely advancing the distance.

Everything inside the mine tunnel seemed to be on the right track.

But an accident still happened a day later.

There was no second earthquake that struck them.

Instead, it was after a soldier used his scimitar to pry open a piece of rock from the wall.

The surrounding soil and rocks collapsed instantly.

Then, fine sand and soil slid down the walls like bursting springs, and even the caves that had been dug were on the verge of collapse, with gravel and sand falling down.

"Everyone, retreat immediately!"

Vivian immediately organized people to retreat.

In just a few seconds, the crowd was pushed back dozens of meters, and the tunnel they had just been digging collapsed with a roar.

"..."

The roar echoed back and forth in the enclosed and narrow mine tunnels.

People stood there, saying nothing.

After the dust settled on the ground, what appeared before them was the underground mine tunnel that had collapsed again.

All the hard work of the day was wasted.

The collapsed soil and rocks even pressed down on more areas, pushing their living space back several meters!