The giant warship departed.
But people still have to face the devastation it left behind.
The houses and roads were dilapidated, with piles of rubble and debris, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of dust and blood.
The groans, cries, and calls for lost loved ones made this scene of survivors seem incredibly tragic.
The delegates from various countries were very lucky; they were gathered in an open area halfway up the mountain, and almost no one was injured.
But most people were left with only bewilderment and confusion; even though they knew what Gore was going to do, what were they supposed to do?
All the spaceships, along with the Mining Town's docking area, were reduced to ruins in the first round of shelling, and the radio equipment used for long-distance communication on board was also destroyed.
The only way to get the message out was through the traditional Horseclaw messenger, but even to the nearest member state, it would take two whole days.
By the time the message arrived, the giant warship had already circled the nations of the Sea of Corruption.
Moreover, even if the message arrives in time, what can those countries do?
In terms of military strength, apart from ancient gunboats, the nations of the Sea of Corruption have almost no weapons that can rival the warship from before, but the conscripted army that took most of the gunboats has not yet returned.
Asking Tolmekia for help? This thought only flashed through the minds of a very few people before they immediately rejected it.
Unless the ruler of a feudal state is of a certain scale, no fool would do such a thing.
To put it nicely, Gore's raising of the flag is a family matter; the worst outcome is being ruled by "their own people." But if they were to call upon that ally—it's easy to invite him, but difficult to get rid of him.
Discordant voices began to emerge from the crowd.
"We should leave here first and bring the situation back to our country."
"Leave? How do we leave? By walking out of this sea of sand?"
"Perhaps we could consider another option; at least Gore is very strong."
"Enough!"
A shout interrupted the whispers, and Haideng pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
His clothes were tattered, and his face was covered in dust, but his eyes were incredibly sharp, piercing the fearful delegates and sending a shiver down their spines.
"What kind of time is this to be planning your escape route and calculating those pathetic gains and losses!"
"Look at this devastation! Look at those buried beneath, their fate unknown! We stand on the land of our allies, and hear the cries of our people! As representatives of various nations, your first reaction is to flee, or even surrender?!"
He turned abruptly and pointed in another direction.
Look at the people from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind! What are they doing?!
Everyone's eyes followed.
The members of the Valley of the Valley of the Wind caravan had already joined the rescue efforts. In addition to Trudeau and the five Blessed Warrior, there were also several Blessed Valley villagers who had previously been inconspicuous but were now displaying great power.
The seemingly frail ordinary villagers slowly lifted the metal pipe, which required several people to hug, with their bare hands, while another person took the opportunity to break the bricks and stones, creating a life-saving passage for those trapped behind the wall.
Immediately afterwards, a third person carried the survivor, whose legs were broken and whose bones were exposed, to an open space, where he knelt on one knee and emitted a soft golden light.
The severed limbs automatically straighten, and the wounds close and heal.
"A miracle—this is a miracle!" The rescued man was so excited that he was incoherent and knelt down to kowtow to the person Blessed.
The Blessed ignored him. "Don't thank me, thank the great Erdtree for its guidance. If you really want to thank someone, why not help me clear these bricks? There are survivors down there."
In the blink of an eye, the survivor who was just on the verge of death joined the rescue team.
The golden light was like a beacon in the darkness, and heartfelt gratitude began to spread among survivors in different countries.
The market promotions over the past two weeks have made most people who come to the Mining Town aware of the news that Valley of the Wind has converted to the " Erdtree ".
But most people didn't pay much attention to it at that time, as they had all sorts of "gods" and rituals.
But the reality is that they can only pray to God in their hearts, while the people of the Valley of the Wind can display their divine power by relying on the strong bodies bestowed upon them by the gods and the ability to heal fatal wounds.
What kind of being is this deity called the " Erdtree "?
The representatives from various countries witnessed all of this, and their feelings were complex.
While others were still hesitating, the representatives of the small countries that had been promised food aid by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind were the first to make their choice.
"What are you all standing there for? Take your men over there, follow the instructions of our friends from the Valley of the Wind, and rescue them!"
Seeing this, perhaps out of shame, or to save face, the other representatives also issued orders one after another.
" Champion of the Valley of Sand, go and help clear the passage!"
"Medics, take your medicines and prioritize treating the seriously wounded!"
"Everyone who can move, go help move the stones!"
With these representatives speaking, the security forces were immediately mobilized.
Even representatives from small countries usually bring dozens of guards, while representatives from large countries have guards of hundreds of people. With this force joining the rescue efforts, the efficiency immediately increased significantly.
Under their leadership, the surviving merchants, travelers, and local residents spontaneously organized themselves and began digging through the ruins with any tools they could find, searching for survivors.
However, as the rescue operation truly began, the difficulty of the rescue and the sheer scale of the tragedy quickly exceeded everyone's expectations.
The shockwave from the giant ship breaking through the ground and taking off was no less than that of a major earthquake. Although the "foundation" of the Mining Town, namely the towering Ceramic Steel walls on all sides, was as stable as Mount Tai, the houses built layer upon layer were all made of ordinary bricks and stones.
Buildings and streets that previously offered shelter from artillery fire were transformed into death traps during the earthquake.
At the bottom of the mine pit, a metal beam slanted down, pinning a boy and a girl to its ends.
The two children trembled with fear, but with their mother's encouragement, they bravely refrained from crying.
However, their strength could not break the cold reality that the beams were too heavy and the structure too unstable; forcibly lifting one end might completely crush the other child.
Saving one means abandoning the other.
"My children—both of them are my children—" The mother knelt beside the ruins, her cries like dull knives cutting into the hearts of every rescuer.
Similar tragedies occurred almost throughout the entire Bridge Mine.
The husband dug until his fingernails were torn and bleeding, but he only managed to pull out his wife, who was barely breathing; the father used his back to brace himself against the floorboards, yelling at the rescuers, "Save my daughter first!"; two brothers were impaled by the same steel pipe, the older brother urging, "Don't worry about me, get him out of here!"
The entire mining town had become a living hell.
The Blessed of the Valley of the Wind have done everything in their power, healing one seriously wounded soldier after another and moving one giant boulder after another.
But faced with a disaster area of several square kilometers and hundreds or thousands of trapped people, a dozen or so people could only tell themselves that human strength has its limits.
Despair began to erode the hearts of many rescuers, and a profound sense of powerlessness nearly crushed them.
In despair, some believers instinctively begin to pray.
"God, where are you? Save my child!"
"Great spirit of the mountains—if you can hear me—"
"Our ancestors, please help us!"
They invoked all the gods and faiths they knew, but those fictional "gods" who embodied their beautiful wishes could not respond to the cries of this mortal world.
But at this moment, there is indeed someone listening.
Listen to the incredibly strong will to survive and the sorrow that gathers from these ruins.
The next moment, the supplicants received a response.
A blue-clad messenger with golden wings on his back descended from the sky and hovered above the Mining Town.
A sacred voice, intelligible even without translation, came from the sky, reaching the ravaged land and the hearts of countless survivors.
"In the name of the Erdtree, I have heard your prayers."
As soon as he finished speaking, the messenger placed his hands lightly on the ground.
[ Erdtree Heal ]