Zhao Gang's face was smeared with ash, long since stripped of the composure that had made him everyone's pillar of reassurance.
He stepped forward, silently patted Lin Mo on the shoulder, and explained:
"A powerful creature, suspected to be a Demon Clan commander, broke through the defensive line on your side."
"It came straight for the Portal here."
"To deal with the emergency, we prepared for the worst. If nothing else worked, we were ready to defend it with a nuclear bomb."
His voice hoarse, Zhao Gang pointed at the scorched earth that had been plowed over around them.
"It was incredibly powerful, far beyond anything we humans imagined."
"Its objective was to destroy the Portal. There was even a risk it would pass through and reach Blue Star."
"And our personnel and equipment were constantly coming through the Portal to reinforce the front or build defensive positions nearby."
"Some of the troops heading to reinforce the front happened to run straight into it..."
Zhao Gang paused.
"The infantry fighting vehicles were all destroyed."
"The outer defensive companies were also killed in succession. They couldn't stop it at all."
"It began attacking the Portal, but the Holy Human Race's Magic Shield blocked it."
"To buy High Archbishop Kael time to cast his spell, we then organized robotic dogs and drones to carry out suicide attacks."
"Fortunately, we succeeded..."
As Lin Mo listened, his body began trembling uncontrollably.
It wasn't as though he had never seen death.
But the sight before him, combined with Zhao Gang's cold account, formed a heavy hammer that slammed into his chest.
His head buzzed.
"We succeeded."
Lin Mo's voice was very soft, carrying a tremor he hadn't noticed himself.
"They... were the price of that success."
Something occurred to him, and he demanded:
"General Long!