After the Blood Moon Season: Cleanup and Preparations for Departure
The scarlet full moon that had hung above the Blackpine Fief for seventy-three days finally began to recede.
The Blood Moon still rises every night as usual, but the light falling on the dark purple Frozen Tundra has become much thinner.
Outside the defensive line, only a few low-level monsters remained, dragging their severed limbs and moving slowly.
Logically speaking, having survived such a near-death experience, they should have collapsed into the mud and slept soundly for several days. But the Eternal Night Wall did not give them time to rest.
After all, the end of the Blood Moon Season is often accompanied by greater hidden dangers: plague, counterattacks from remnants of the enemy, and a loosening of internal order.
At the top of the tower, with his Shien closed, [Lv.4 Warzone-Level Cluster Command] was unleashed with a roar.
The immense Divine Power transformed into an invisible, dark blue net, instantly enveloping Blackpine Fief and the surrounding area.
In less than two hours, under his precise command, Blackpine Fief was quickly divided into three teams of a thousand men each with clear objectives and close coordination.
The first team, carrying longswords and spears, worked with the Holy Knight to clear the trenches, impaling the remaining corpses that weren't quite dead yet, nipping the plague in the bud.
The second team took over the Inner Fortress, dismantling tons of Magic Creature flesh and blood, dividing it into piles of alchemical materials according to parts and value, and repairing the damaged equipment.
The third team, composed of heavily armored Knight, stood at the outermost edge, sweeping back and forth along the edge of the Gray Fog, catching any remaining stragglers one by one.
Under Shien's ruthless command, the Blackpine Fief sprang into action like a machine as soon as the Blood Moon Season ended, beginning the most thorough cleanup of the Blood Moon Season.
"Pfft."
With a sudden burst of strength, Todd thrust the Silver-Plated Iron Spear, its tip already bent, into the eye socket of a Riftclaw Night Wolf.
The beast, its lower body already blasted apart by the poisoned lightning, still growling in a pool of blood, finally twitched a few times before collapsing completely dead.
He pulled the iron spear out with force, shook off the black blood and brain matter sticking to the blade, and continued to walk forward, stumbling along.
Outside Blackpine Fief lay half-dried blood, mud, and bits of flesh, each step producing a sticky, squelching sound.
The cold wind blew in through the gap, carrying with it the stench of burning and rotting, trying to get into the seams of his mask, but his nose was already numb and he couldn't smell it anymore.
He wiped the cold sweat from his face, straightened up, and glanced around.
Further down in the pit, a dozen laborers were bending over, roughly separating the Magic Creature corpses by their skin, bones, and internal organs, and then dragging them with long Pig Iron hooks toward the incineration pit behind them.
The open area Inner Fortress, which was originally intended to be used to assemble troops, has been completely transformed into an open-air slaughterhouse.
The sharp boning knife moved swiftly along the rough flesh.
Dozens of butchers, shirtless and covered in blood, gritted their teeth, slicing open the Magic Creature's remains along its skin, peeling off its tough hide, then grabbing heavy axes and snapping the thick leg bones in half with a crack.
In the center of the open space, five large Pig Iron pots, each about half a person's height, were being boiled over a fire.
The dark yellow Magic Creature fat churned in the pot, puffing up sticky oil bubbles that burst open with a pungent, meaty odor.
Several apprentices, their faces covered in oil and sweat, stirred the oil incessantly with long-handled iron ladles by the pot, their sleeves stiffened from the hot oil splattering.
The most valuable items were the Primordial Blood Crystals that were directly extracted from the chest cavities of High-Tier Demonic Beast.
The apprentices' hands were covered in sticky fluid, and they didn't even bother to wipe them off. They just kept stuffing the still warm Sourceblood into the thick wooden boxes lined with lead plates.
As soon as the lid was closed, the Pig Iron lock clicked shut, instantly suppressing the eerie red light and violent energy fluctuations of the Raw Blood back to the bottom of the box.
The wooden crates were quickly piled onto handcarts, which were then transported down the stone steps one after another, all the way to Victor's Workshop, which roared day and night.
The ground was covered in rotting flesh; just a few days ago, it was the source of plague and festering sores.
They have now become a whole field of spoils spread out at the foot of the Blackpine Fief.
High-grade bone material, intact skin membrane, alchemical fat, Primordial Blood Crystals, contaminant.
From extreme scarcity before the war to now having Tier Three Sourceblood and high-level materials underfoot, this defensive war that drained the entire territory dry is finally beginning to give back what it deserves.
Meanwhile, in the outermost Gray Fog of the defensive line, white-gold Battle Aura was still occasionally exploding.
Fabien, leading the remaining heavily armored Holy Knight, spurred his warhorse and pinned down a wandering Third-Tier Demonic Beast, then finished it off with his Cross-Shaped Greatsword.
Everyone in Blackpine Fief is just a cog in this massive machine.
The will of the silver-haired boy atop the tower was guiding them along that invisible line, placing them in the most suitable positions, like Assembly Line where each performed its specific task.
Sacred Flame Altar, the air was almost distorted by the residual heat emanating from the Sacred Flame's base.
As we descended the steep stone steps, the soles of our boots clattered against the stone slabs with a dull thud.
--
The rock strata had long been blackened by the high temperature, and a strong smell of burnt food wafted into the nostrils along with the heat.
Through the white vapor rising from the bottom, one could see a massive array of Rune gears slowly meshing, emitting a deep rumble.
With his remaining left hand gripping a Mithril wrench tightly, Victor, along with Eli and several other core Construct Alchemist, was inspecting a cracked drive shaft.
Blinding sparks flew everywhere, hitting the old man's withered leather apron and burning several blackened holes.
Hearing footsteps, Victor stopped what he was doing, wiped the soot off his face with the back of his hand, and turned around.
"My lord," the old man's voice was somewhat soft amidst the roar of the gears, "Those extreme overclocking attempts during Blood Moon Season burned away most of the outer ring of guiding Rune, and several cracks appeared in the secondary transmission gears as well."
He paused, then pointed to the thick, Black Iron spindle behind him.
"Fortunately, the previous maintenance was done well, and the main material was replaced with Blood-Patterned Black Steel. The core frame was not damaged at all, and the wear and tear on the periphery is within a controllable range. The Workshop will be able to completely repair it soon."
Shien's gaze swept over the massive metal structure. After surviving a life-or-death crisis, Blackpine Fief's beating heart had not collapsed.
This tolerance for error is precisely the source of his confidence to push his defenses to the limit during the Blood Moon Season.
"Put the work here aside for now; there are some things I need to explain."
Shien led Victor and the others directly into the workshop at the deepest part of the Workshop.
The other key R&D personnel were also summoned.
Shien stepped forward, holding a stack of parchment drawings in one hand, and casually slammed them onto the Black Iron table.
"Bang."
Shien glanced at the people around the table, his voice flat. "In a few days, I will be setting off for Tear Knight City. My return date is uncertain."
Tear Knight City is the location of the Tear Knight Governor's Residence and the heart of the entire Long Night Defense Line.
Before they could speak, Shien bent his index finger and tapped twice on the edge of the thick pile of blueprints.
"The Workshop's research cannot stop while I'm away. These are some new ideas I've recently come up with; please try to refine them during this time."
What was contained in that stack of parchment was not some spur-of-the-moment sketch at all.
Instead, he spent thousands of Reward Value to exchange for the [Lv.4 Alchemical Mechanical Transmission Construct] and [Lv.4...] from the Canon of Grace and Righteousness.
The product was designed by gradually combining knowledge of Alchemical Rune Matrix Energy Construct with Earth knowledge activated by the Sacred Canon in his mind.
By handing over these items, Shien is essentially setting the direction for the entire territory's technological development.
On the one hand, it ensures that the territory's Workshop system will not shut down while one is away.
On the other hand, as long as this group of people continue digging according to these blueprints, his position as the absolute technical core of Blackpine Fief will not be shaken, and he can also earn some Grace Value points along the way.
After giving his instructions, Shien turned and left through the door.
Garrick huddled by the table, waiting until the sound of boots had completely faded away before finally, unable to contain his curiosity, he cautiously approached the table and looked at the open drawing on the top shelf.
With just one glance, this mechanical master, who had spent many years in the royal workshops of the capital, tensed up as if he had been hit by something.
The drawings did not feature the elaborate symmetrical patterns commonly used by the Church; instead, they consisted entirely of the purest energy circuits and geometric transmission structures.
The way those mechanical structures were combined with the Rune matrix completely overturned all the mechanical knowledge he had used in his head for decades.
Garrick's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, his lips were dry, and he tried to forcefully deduce the logic in his mind.
Immediately afterwards, his breath caught in his throat.
Cold sweat poured down his back, soaking the linen lining underneath.
Based on his talent and most of his life experience, it's highly likely that this system will actually work.
If this line of thinking is followed, the mechanical knowledge of those so-called top Workshop in the Inland Kingdom will probably have to be rewritten.
Garrick stared, his fingers trembling slightly as he hovered in mid-air, too afraid to even touch the parchment.
This is something no mortal could conceive of; it is clearly a creation guide written by the Most Holy himself!
Garrick stared intently at the blueprints, not even daring to blink.
The breathing of the other people at the table also gradually changed.
No one spoke; only the flickering firelight illuminated the sheepskin blueprints on the table.
The cold morning wind swept across the scorched earth outside Blackpine Fief, causing the frozen blood crust to crack and splinter.
Hundreds of Mobile Holy Knight stood in formation before the crumbling outer wall, their pure white Church banners fluttering in the biting wind.
Shien sat astride a Black Horse clad in chainmail.
The pallor and weakness left by Blood Moon Season's overexertion of his Divine Power have almost completely faded from his face.
Bishop Castian rode out and came to a steady stop beside Shien, a thick parchment scroll sealed with dark red sealing wax bearing his hand—
He tossed it casually.
Shien raised his left hand, which was covered by the Holy Silver arm guard, and clenched it in his palm.
The rough parchment rubbed against the leather gloves, and the teardrop emblem of the Tear Knight Governor's Residence was clearly imprinted on the sealing wax surface.
"Governor Yasol wishes to see you; I will escort you there."
Castian's voice, carried on the cold wind, still exuded the oppressive aura of someone who had been issuing commands for years, yet it contained a subtle hint.
"Take your brain with you. When you get to Tear Knight City, do your best."
"Yes!" Shien tucked the parchment inside his cloak, tightened the reins, and let his Black Horse snort softly in place.