Chapter 313: "Dawn's" seal
At the newest blockade line, temporary wire fences had long since been erected, with makeshift sandbag firing positions spaced every few dozen meters.
Now that the withdrawal order had arrived, none of the Defense Force soldiers spared a thought for the fortifications they had worked so hard to build. They hurried back along their designated routes.
Professional soldiers were still human. On this inexplicably dangerous front against the Death Miasma, everyone's nerves were stretched taut after seeing comrades inexplicably go mad and kill themselves. Every few minutes, they exchanged a few logical remarks to confirm that neither they nor their comrades had fallen under a mental curse.
The reinforced battalions totaled more than two thousand men. Although the encirclement was circular, they did not withdraw outward in every direction, instead following several main roads.
Jogging infantry and armored vehicles, troop carriers, and other vehicles converged into a vast stream as they withdrew.
Some soldiers made sure to record footage with military cameras as they passed the Dawn Association members.
Passing them face-to-face made their intensely oppressive presence all the more palpable.
They were like a ring of scorching air, slowly closing in toward the center.
One soldier in the column had been a superhero fan since childhood. Mustering his courage, he tentatively offered a piece of chewing gum.
"Would you like some?"
The Silent Knight Reserve he addressed looked briefly surprised, then smiled.
"Yes, thank you!"
He accepted the gum. It would help ease his nerves; after all, even the Sage had said that the thing inside was extremely dangerous.
His smile spread to the nearby soldiers, making these legendary guardians seem all the more approachable.
As though that had been a signal, passing soldiers began offering gum or water, while others simply wanted to say