The Squad's New Members

Their companions' bodies were gathered one by one and laid out neatly on the empty ice plain.

The massive body of the Earth Violent Bear had yet to cool completely. Nearby lay the remaining ice shards and blue-black blood of Beholder Blair, the headless body of the dragonkin Julia, three Moonflower Deer, and the softly glowing antlers Wesker had left behind.

Between the two squads, thirteen members had entered the battle. After a fight to the death, more than half had fallen. The companions who had once journeyed side by side were now nothing but cold corpses. The survivors stood nearby, silently mourning.

Fukaloss had never shown such open vulnerability before. Her pristine white hair hung disheveled across her forehead, covering most of her face. Crouched beside her companions' bodies, she clutched her eyes with both hands, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. She made no sound, yet her silent grief was more heartrending than any wail.

The once-proud, flamboyant Evil Eye King was now consumed by sorrow.

Barn's gaze fell on the Spine-backed Iron-armored Dragon, who had yet to fully recover, and a flicker of relief welled in his heart. At least his brother, who had been by his side ever since he crossed over to this world, fighting shoulder to shoulder with him, was still alive. If Declan were gone too, Barn didn't know how he could bear Gobada's cruelty and coldness alone.

He turned to the Moonflower Deer. All four of the spirit deer, their bodies glowing with soft white light, lay on the ground with their heads resting against their loved ones' bodies, whimpering softly. It was their sorrowful farewell.

Barn slowly stepped forward and gently stroked Gideon's cold head.

This was the Earth Violent Bear who had once beaten Barn to the brink of death, causing his soul to cross over into this world.

It was also the same bear who later fought alongside him. They had respected one another, and their relationship could truly be called "loving enemies."

But now, this honest, dependable bear had died before his eyes. He would never again charge at the front of a battle.

A thousand words clogged Barn's throat, but in the end, all that came out was silence.

Only after a long while did Barn speak, his voice low and hoarse. There was a hint of self-comfort in it, along with hope for his companions. "At least Julia, Blair, Gideon, and Wesker's true body were all killed by physical attacks. Their souls made it safely to the Underworld."

He didn't know whether Gideon's soul and the soul of Wesker's true body could once again earn the approval of the Will of the World after undergoing the cycle of reincarnation in the Heart of the Underworld, and break through to godhood in the elements they were most adept at.

But at least there was still a glimmer of hope.

Wesker's younger sister, Adele, was already physically and emotionally exhausted. Her Divine Clone had been destroyed, three of her younger siblings had died, and her brother's soul had returned to the Underworld. The immense grief nearly overwhelmed her. But when she heard Barn's words, she slowly raised her head. A faint glimmer gradually lit her swollen, red eyes.

"That's right," she murmured, as if trying to convince herself or find something to hold on to. "My younger siblings and my brother were all killed by physical attacks. They should be able to reach the Underworld safely and become undead. Their souls are strong enough that they won't easily dissipate. They'll still have a chance!"

When she finished, Adele slowly wiped away her tears. A trace of resolve replaced the despair in her eyes. "Yes, they still have a chance to survive. We have to hold on, too! We can't let them have died in vain. We have to live well and wait for the chance for them to return."

Just then, a streak of green shot in from the horizon like a cold wind. It was a lean man with a stern face: Oliver, the captain of the Ice Prison Royal City's guard.

Barn recognized him. When he had first been recruited by Fukaloss and joined the Ice Blade 123 Squad, he had met the guard captain once.

"Miss Fukaloss." Oliver landed on the ground, his tone still respectful. His gaze swept over the bodies and the grief-stricken survivors, and his brow furrowed slightly, a grave look passing through his eyes. "My lord sent me to bring you back to the Royal City."

As captain of the Ice Prison Royal City's guard, he naturally knew the Wesker siblings. More importantly, he had been friends with Timothy, Julia's father, for many years. Seeing Julia's cold body, Oliver sighed inwardly. "Julia actually died in battle. How am I supposed to break this news to Timothy?"

Fukaloss slowly lifted her head. Beneath her disheveled white hair, her golden eyes were bloodshot. She stared blankly at Oliver for a long time before finally recognizing him. In a hoarse voice, she asked, "Uncle Oliver, how did you know I was here?"

"My lord," Oliver replied, lowering his eyes. His tone remained respectful, but he deliberately avoided her question. "She has been keeping an eye on your whereabouts."

The Gobada Plane was only as large as a material plane. With a Highgod's soul, it wasn't difficult to extend one's divine sense across the entire territory under the Ice Prison Royal City's control.

Fukaloss was confused at first, as if she hadn't realized who he meant by "my lord." But the next second, fury swept through her. She sprang to her feet and screamed, "Then why didn't she come save me?! We fought here for so long! She could easily have made it in time!"

Her shout was full of grievance, anger, and despair. The person who claimed to be watching over her had never shown up while she and her companions were fighting for their lives, watching her lose one companion after another.

Oliver kept his head lowered, avoiding her gaze. His tone stiffened as he changed the subject. "Miss, I've already sent people to retrieve all the Ghost-faced Spiders. The mission is complete. There's no need for you to stay here. Come straight back to the Royal City with me."

"I'm not going back!" Fukaloss declared. She crouched beside Gideon again and gripped his cold paw. "I'm staying with my squad. I'm not going with you!"

In the end, Fukaloss refused to give in and did not return to the Ice Prison Royal City with Oliver. She brought Barn, Declan, and the surviving members of the Ice Blade 99 Squad back to the Heavenly River Legion's base.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she didn't say a word. She went straight to her room and shut herself inside, closing off everything outside—the grief and the noise alike.

Barn and Declan stood before the closed door and exchanged a glance, sighing helplessly. They understood Fukaloss's pain. She had lost most of her companions in one battle. Only she could slowly come to terms with that gut-wrenching agony.

Declan's face was still stricken with grief, the sorrow in his eyes impossible to hide. Their squad had been together for over a hundred years, spending every day side by side and fighting shoulder to shoulder. Now that they had suddenly lost most of their members, he couldn't put what he felt into words.

After a long silence, he finally asked in a low voice, "Barn, what do we do now?"

Barn looked at the closed door and thought of their fallen companions. His voice was heavy but firm. "We live. Only by living can we have hope."

With that, he patted Declan on the shoulder and led him toward another courtyard—the Ice Blade 99 Squad's quarters.

The courtyard was deathly quiet. The four Moonflower Deer from Wesker's family sat together with their heads lowered, silent. A heavy gloom hung over the spirit deer, who had lost the person they depended on.

Wesker had died, and his Divine Clone had vanished. As his only sister, Adele had naturally become the new head of their little family. But now she bore the weight of her family's future as well as the pain of losing her loved ones. Exhaustion and sorrow filled her face.

"Miss Fukaloss and Barn haven't returned my brother's and my Godheads," Adele said first, her voice low, colored with worry and unease. "If they really intend to keep our Godheads, we'll have to make other plans."

The other three Moonflower Deer looked even more forlorn. They had lived in Gobada for years and had seen the wickedness of the world. They knew all too well that without god-level protection, Sanctuary Beasts were little more than lambs waiting to be slaughtered in this brutal land.

Without a god-level member stationed at their squad's base, the legion would reclaim it before long. Then they wouldn't even have a place to stay.

Adele looked at the despairing faces of her younger siblings and finally gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand. She knew she couldn't fall apart. She was now the family's only pillar, and she had to hold everything together and protect her remaining younger siblings.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask Barn for the Godheads again," Adele said, her voice carrying both resolve and a trace of hope. "If he really refuses to return them, we'll have to approach other squads and see if any of those god-level lords will take pity on us and give us shelter."

"But, sister," one of her younger brothers said, raising his head, his voice weak and despairing, "other squads might accept one or two Sanctuary members, but there are four of us. Which squad has four vacancies? Besides, our Moonflower Deer talents aren't especially outstanding. It'll be hard to find a squad willing to take us all in at once."

Adele fell silent. Her brother's words pierced the last of her hopes. She slowly closed her eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Then we can only prepare to go our separate ways."

At that, the other three Moonflower Deer lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling slightly.

Ever since their powerful father had died in battle, they had stuck together and supported one another, only barely surviving in cruel Gobada. If they were separated and left alone, they had no idea what hardships they would face or whether they would survive the next battle.

Among the Sanctuary Beasts, the Moonflower Deer's talents were only above average. Their one advantage was that their antlers could amplify the power of Light Element magic. On the Yulan Continent, antlers like theirs would be ideal material for making staffs, coveted by countless mages.

But in Gobada, god-level beings couldn't be bothered to target them. After all, Sanctuary corpses were the one thing this place had in abundance.

Just then, Barn's voice rang out in the minds of the four Moonflower Deer, clear and steady, carrying undeniable authority. "Adele, open the door."

All four Moonflower Deer were only at the Sanctuary level and couldn't detect Barn's divine sense. The unexpected voice startled them, but joy and anticipation soon welled up in their eyes.

They hurried to their feet, walked quickly to the entrance, and opened the door.

Barn and Declan stood outside, side by side, their expressions calm and free of malice.

"Lord Barn." Adele immediately lowered her head, speaking respectfully.

She knew that she was only a Sanctuary member now, while Barn was a bona fide god. In Gobada, the gap between gods and Sanctuary beings was vast. This form of address was both proper and a sign of respect. Any hint of disrespect on her part would only bring trouble to the family she had left.

Barn did not refuse. He knew Gobada's rules well: the strong preyed on the weak, and status mattered. If he pretended to be warm-hearted and rejected this form of address, it would only invite unnecessary trouble.

He got straight to the point, with no unnecessary pleasantries. His tone was calm but sincere. "Adele, I'm here to invite your whole family to join our Ice Blade 123 Squad."

"Join your squad?" Adele raised her head sharply, her eyes wide with shock. She seemed unable to believe her ears. After a long pause, she hurriedly asked, "Lord Barn, has Miss Fukaloss agreed?"

"She'll agree," Barn said with a nod, his tone certain. "We've fought side by side and have a bond forged in life and death. Neither she nor I would abandon you." He paused, then added, "As for your Godhead, it's still with Fukaloss. Once she's recovered a little, I'll help you ask her for it. I won't let you suffer a loss for nothing."

Wesker's Godhead was indeed in Barn's possession, but if Adele wanted to refine a Godhead, it would be better for her to use her own.

Wesker and Adele had fought alongside him and weathered life-and-death battles together. Barn would never forget the bond they shared. Besides, he couldn't bear to watch their family become homeless and helpless after losing the one they depended on, left at the mercy of others.

Adele felt excitement, gratitude, and relief at having survived a disaster. She quickly lowered her head, speaking with utmost respect. "Thank you, Lord Barn! From now on, our whole family is at your disposal. We'll go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"