Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 178 Delay! Forbidden Magic Races Against Time! (Please Subscribe)

Click.

With a soft click, the shackles binding the wrists snapped open.

Eileen moved her wrist, and the cold sensation faded from her skin, replaced by a long-lost sense of freedom.

What captivated her even more was the abundant and familiar magic in the air, like a parched riverbed receiving sweet rain, seeping into her limbs and bones with her breath.

The magic flowed through her body again, and the powerful feeling of regaining what she had lost made her squint her eyes.

Beside her, her two companions were also freed one after another. They greedily breathed in the forest air, feeling the return of their power, a flicker of fire burning in their eyes.

Eileen's gaze swept over her companions, finally settling on the group of human warriors who were slowly retreating.

They maintained their formation and moved unhurriedly. The long, black magical weapons were never aimed at them; they simply retreated slightly.

An impulse began to grow in my heart.

The three of them are all skilled fighters in their clan. Now that their magic has been restored, they might be able to teach these humans a lesson by launching a surprise attack!
But as soon as the thought arose, she forcibly suppressed it.

She recalled her days in prison and the cold declaration made by that human named Gong Pengfei.

It also reminded me of the faces of Lani and other friends.

The leading human officer, seeing the elves' varying expressions, immediately activated the translator.

"Gentlemen, we have delivered our message: bring back our peace and goodwill before nightfall, or we will take action."

"Our patience is limited. The choice between peace and war is yours. We advise your leaders to think carefully, as choosing war may lead to a very bad outcome for you."

After speaking, he waved his hand.

Several warriors threw three packages on the ground, containing ordinary swords without any magical enhancements.

Having done all this, the human armored vehicles roared to life and, without the slightest hesitation, swiftly retreated to a distant place out of sight.

"Let's go!" Eileen whispered to her companion.

"go!"

Without a word, the three figures vanished into the dense forest in a flash, their movements as light as three leaves blown by the wind, without making a sound.

……

Meanwhile, inside the operations command center.

"How's the situation? Did they let them go?"

Su Mingjin stared at some defensive situation maps on the screen, wondering if there were any missing points.

"Report! They've been released, and the marked dagger from the elf has also been taken away," a technical officer quickly reported. "The drone is tracking them from 15 kilometers away, but... the signal isn't very good."

"explain."

"Although the energy field interference within the forest is not strong, the electromagnetic fluctuations are completely unpredictable. Thirty minutes ago, the signals we received began to be intermittent. We have already adjusted the interval between signal pulse transmissions to once every three hours."

Commander Man stood to the side, looking at the area marked as high-risk on the big screen, his brows furrowed.

"These long-eared thugs have their counter-surveillance awareness ingrained in their bones. The forest is their best natural barrier. When we high-tech gadgets are far away, we're practically blind."

He waved his hand irritably, having basically given up hope of using technical means to directly locate the elves' lair.

"It's alright, just consider it setting up a fishing spot." Su Mingjin's voice remained calm. "Whether there are fish or not, we have to give it a try. What if we get lucky?"

"I'm afraid that if I set the bait, no fish will come, and I'll attract another dragon crossing the river." Commander Man snorted, his worry undisguised.

Su Mingjin smiled and said, "Based on the speed of their withdrawal, when will they be able to rejoin their troops, and when can the communication equipment be sent out?"

"About eight hours! Right at night."

"Okay, then let's wait patiently and aim more accurately when the time comes."

"it is good!"

Only with real strength can one have a solid physique; otherwise, wouldn't it be like LeBron James celebrating his birthday, trying to become the greatest of all time through intrigue and backstabbing?
Releasing the second batch of elves back was just another instance of feigning politeness before resorting to force.
-
Modern world, Zhurihe base, early morning.

The corridor was so quiet you could hear the echo of footsteps. Wang Kaixuan led the way, pushing open the heavy isolation door of the medical area for Li Weiguo behind him.

"Mr. Li, all twenty patients in the Phase I clinical trial are in stable condition."

Wang Kaixuan reported as he walked, keeping his voice low for fear of disturbing the patients.

"The fastest recovery is seen in those who received the prosthetic eye for vision. The others who had amputations or were paralyzed from the waist down have more complex wounds and are currently undergoing initial link feedback testing."

Li Weiguo grunted in response, paused in his steps, and his gaze fell on the sign on the door of a ward—B-3.

"This is Comrade Mu Fuguo's ward. He has been receiving single-room care since the surgery," Wang Kaixuan added.

"The young comrade who lost his eyes and hands, right?" Li Weiguo's voice was devoid of emotion.

"Yes."

Li Weiguo took out a white mask from his pocket and put it on to prevent possible infection from droplets. He recalled Mu Fuguo's past injuries before pushing open the door and entering.

Inside the ward, various sophisticated instruments with flashing indicator lights surrounded the hospital bed, and several people in white coats were talking to Mu Fuguo, who was half-lying on the bed. The atmosphere was somewhat lively.

Upon seeing Li Weiguo enter, the room instantly fell silent, and everyone stood up straight in unison.

"Mr. Li!"

"Chief!"

Hearing the noise, Mu Fuguo struggled to sit up, while his wife stood helplessly beside him, her face flushed red.

"Hey, don't move, don't move!" Li Weiguo quickly stepped forward and waved his hand. "Comrade Xiao Mu, lie down and don't aggravate your wound."

His gentle tone eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

Li Weiguo walked to the bedside and his gaze fell on Mu Fuguo's face, where the eyes should have been, but were now covered by a futuristic silver-gray metallic eye mask.

"Young man, how are you feeling after the surgery?"

"Reporting to the commander! I feel... fantastic!" Mu Fuguo suppressed his excitement, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"No! The experts are so skilled. I had a very smooth working relationship with these new eyes and new hands."

Li Weiguo was somewhat surprised: "Oh? You're already starting to connect the prosthetics so soon?"

A gray-haired expert standing nearby immediately explained, "President Li, Comrade Mu Fuguo has a strong will, and his recovery speed, combined with our wound repair fluid, far exceeded expectations, with one day's recovery equivalent to four days in the past. Only after confirming that the wound was healed today did we begin the debugging and integration ahead of schedule."

"Good, very good!" Li Weiguo nodded approvingly. "May I take a look around here?"

"Of course, of course! Please look this way."

A researcher led Li Weiguo to a monitoring computer, where the screen displayed the same images that Mu Fuguo saw through his visual aid glasses.

The screen had just been connected, and like an old-fashioned television with a bad connection, it was full of static and distorted color blocks.

"We are currently conducting the first focusing of neural signals and visual images," the expert patiently explained. "Although the prosthetic eye we designed is realistic, it is not original. The recipient needs an adaptation process, just like installing a driver for a brand new camera. Comrade Xiaomu needs to adapt to his cybernetic prosthetic eye!"

Li Weiguo stared at the screen, watching the technicians rapidly input commands on another computer.

"Won't there be a rejection reaction after this sensor chip is implanted in the eye socket for a long time?"

"Rest assured, Mr. Li. The core signal transmission equipment uses absolutely mature biocompatible materials. It is the only new material used that does not cause rejection by humans and has an incredibly high affinity for the human body."

Li Weiguo nodded and didn't say anything more, his gaze shifting back and forth between the screen and Mu Fuguo's face.

The snowflakes on the screen gradually decreased, and blurry color blocks and outlines began to appear.

"It's clearer now!" Mu Fuguo exclaimed, somewhat stammering. "It's a hand!"

"I can see it! The outline is getting clearer!" Mu Fuguo's breathing became rapid.

The images on the screen changed rapidly, from a screen full of mosaics to large blocks of color where objects could barely be distinguished, and then to low-resolution images that looked like they had been heavily pixelated.

Suddenly, the image became clear for a moment.

Although still blurry, the face of a concerned woman is clearly visible on the screen.

"Wife?" From Mu Fuguo's perspective, he saw his wife.

He froze, his voice trembling slightly.

"Hey! Hey! I'm here!" His wife could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face, but she covered her mouth tightly for fear of disturbing the test.

"Hey, don't cry, your makeup's all ruined." Mu Fuguo grinned, instinctively reaching for his hand, then realizing what was happening and looking at his brand-new mechanical hand connected to the wiring, "When can this thing wipe my wife's tears?"

One sentence made everyone in the room laugh, and even the young nurses with red eyes burst out laughing.

Seeing this, Li Weiguo's serious face broke into a slight smile. He then inquired when it could be put on the market!
"Mr. Li," the expert next to him reported at the right time, "if all goes well, we can complete the second and third phases of clinical trials within two months and enter the mass production stage. At that time, the resolution will be stable at 1080P, which is sufficient for daily life."

“1080P…” Li Weiguo pondered the word, his gaze distant. “Isn’t this resolution a bit low? Can it be higher?”

The expert was taken aback for a moment, then understood what Li Weiguo meant. He pushed up his glasses and lowered his voice, saying, "It's possible. We are researching an even better version. The ultimate goal is to give our soldiers eyes like eagles."

Li Weiguo nodded slowly, his gaze returning to the gradually clearer face on the screen, a face weeping with joy.

well.

Our heroes are recovering, and our warriors will become even stronger.

Li Weiguo watched for another ten minutes or so, confirming that Mu Fuguo's neural compatibility with the new equipment was extremely high, before he patted the expert next to him on the shoulder with satisfaction.

"thanks everyone."

"Thank you, Mr. Li, it's no trouble at all!"

Li Weiguo nodded, walked over to Mu Fuguo's wife, and looked at the woman with a happy smile on her face. He softened his voice and said, "Young comrade, the country will not forget the heroes' contributions. You have worked hard taking care of Comrade Mu Fuguo all these years."

Mu Fuguo's wife smiled shyly.

"You're busy, we won't bother you any longer." Li Weiguo turned around and led Wang Kaixuan and the others out of the ward filled with hope and tears.

The group then bid farewell to Li Weiguo and his companions with their voices.

As soon as Li Weiguo and his group turned a corner in the disinfection corridor, a faint fragrance wafted into everyone's nostrils. This smell seemed out of place in the medical area filled with the odor of disinfectant, yet it was also incredibly tempting.

"Oh, Professor Deng, what a coincidence!"

Li Weiguo immediately spotted an old acquaintance carrying a huge thermos in front of him.

"Mr. Li... Mr. Li! What brings you here?" Deng Dakang was startled and almost dropped the thermos in his hand. He instinctively tried to hide the thermos behind his back, but the thing was too big, and his movements looked ridiculous and clumsy.

Li Weiguo was amused by his appearance: "Can't I come? Old Deng, which restaurant's kitchen did you bring over? This taste is extraordinary."

"Hey, this is just some food! These days, who hasn't passed the political review to be admitted here?" Deng Dakang explained with a dry laugh. "My apprentice, wasn't he paralyzed from the waist down before? His surgery was just successful, so I'm bringing him some good stuff to help him recover. I'll be leaving in a bit."

"Oh? It's that young comrade Zhou Yi?" Li Weiguo's expression also became serious. "The surgery was a success, wasn't it?"

"Success!" Deng Dakang's face was full of undisguised pride. "That batch of new materials is excellent. It allowed the spinal nerves to be perfectly reconnected. Now my fingers and toes can move again! The doctor said it's estimated that I'll be fully recovered within six months. After that... I guess I'll be back with my scalpel, treating others!"

"Good! Well done!" Li Weiguo nodded heavily, a relieved smile on his face. "Let him focus on recovering. There will be plenty of time for him to contribute to the country in the future."

"sure."

Deng Dakang nodded repeatedly, watching Li Weiguo and his group walk away before finally letting out a sigh of relief. He patted the scalding hot thermos in his arms and muttered to himself, "Thank goodness I didn't follow them in..."

After saying that, he cheerfully pushed open the door to Zhou Yi's hospital room.

"Zhou Yi, haha, what are you doing...?"

Deng Dakang hummed a little tune as he pushed open the door, and the smile on his face froze the next second.

In the ward, his beloved apprentice was half-lying on the bed, while a woman's back was turned to the side, facing the door, leaning over and pressing down on Zhou Yi.

The posture... looks a bit strange no matter how you look at it~
This...this kid!

These two young people!!!
Deng Dakang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he almost threw the thermos in his hand on the spot.

The nerves have just been reconnected, and you're already in such a hurry to test their functional strength?

That's incredibly desperate!

He subconsciously shifted his head, wanting to go out, but then remembered that this was a busy ward, and only after changing his angle could he see clearly.

Oh... it turns out that Zhou Yi's wife is carefully wiping his body with a hot towel.

Zhou Yi had just undergone surgery and hadn't been able to clean himself properly for several days, as his wife is a very clean person.

"Ahem!" Deng Dakang's face flushed red, and he coughed heavily to cover up his embarrassment.

"teacher!"

Zhou Yi turned his head and saw Deng Dakang; his eyes lit up instantly.

He excitedly raised his more normal arm and waved it vigorously, "You didn't even tell me you were coming, so I could have had Qianqian pick you up."

Zhou Yi's wife, Lin Qianqian, also quickly straightened up.

Perhaps sensing that her posture was somewhat inappropriate, she blushed slightly as she helped her husband put on a clean hospital gown, and called out somewhat shyly, "Professor Deng."

"Ha, Zhou Yi, Xiaoqian, you've come uninvited, uninvited indeed!" Deng Dakang strode in, slammed the huge thermos on the bedside table with a thud, and laughed it off.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yes! It's better than ever before!" Zhou Yi said, his eyes shining.

To prove himself, he deliberately concentrated, curled his toes tightly, and then moved his other, slightly sluggish hand.

Although his movements were still a bit clumsy, it was a world of difference compared to the living dead who could only move his eyes a few days ago.

After being bedridden for several years, his muscles had begun to atrophy, and his nerves and body needed to readjust before they could be gradually activated and then he could fully control them.

Deng Dakang stared at his moving fingers and toes, and nodded in satisfaction: "Good, very good! You must not have eaten at this time, so I specially asked the small canteen over there to make some good food. Eat more, it will have a miraculous effect on your wound recovery."

"Thank you, teacher!" Zhou Yi said excitedly, extending his hand. Deng Dakang looked at it for a moment before walking over and letting him hold it.

"Teacher, I owe you my life!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Deng Dakang slapped him on the forehead with his other hand, not too hard, not too soft.

"Nonsense! Your life belongs to the country, not me!" Deng Dakang patted him on the shoulder, his tone serious. "Get well soon, and you'll have plenty of time to serve your country in the future!"

"Ok!"

He inquired in detail about the recovery process, whether Lin Qianqian's accommodation was convenient, and only after confirming that there were no problems did he check the time.

"Alright, I have a ton of things to do, I can't keep nagging you. Work hard and try to get back on your feet soon!"

"Teacher, please sit down for a while longer."

"No need, I'm busy!" Deng Dakang waved his hand, turned around and left. "Xiaoqian, don't see me off either. I find you young people too lovey-dovey."

As he reached the door, he turned back, pointed at Zhou Yi, and then at the enormous thermos: "Remember, not a single drop of soup can be left; eat it all!"

"Okay, thank you for your kindness, teacher."

A few minutes later, Lin Qianqian closed the door and came back.

"Teacher Deng specifically instructed that we must finish our meals, saying that some new ingredients were used that were very good for wound healing."

"Oh? Then you'll have to give it a good try!"

Zhou Yi's mouth was already watering from the overpowering aroma.

Lin Qianqian smiled as she set up the small dining table on the hospital bed before laboriously unscrewing the lid of the thermos.

"Om-"

A unique fragrance instantly spread, filling the entire ward with its distinctive aroma.

The aroma carried an indescribable vitality, making one's stomach rumble just from smelling it, and the two of them swallowed their saliva frantically.

Every cell in my body seemed to be screaming wildly, "Eat it!!!"

Lin Qianqian looked at the box and found that there were several exquisite lunch boxes placed in layers inside the bucket. The main dish was a large bowl of golden-yellow stewed meat, with tender meat chunks and thick broth. It was also accompanied by bright green chopped vegetables and a bowl of smooth steamed egg custard. It was clearly prepared carefully to make it easier for the patient to digest.

"What...what kind of stew is this? It smells so good!" Lin Qianqian looked at the meat, which was almost melting in her mouth, and was somewhat surprised. "Professor Deng is so thoughtful." "Let's eat together."

"You eat first, I'll eat after I'm full!"

Lin Qianqian set out the bowls and chopsticks, serving Zhou Yi soup while asking, "Is Teacher Deng always this efficient? He seems very busy."

"Hmm, I guess the teacher is busy with some big project again." Zhou Yi took a sip of soup and felt a warm current instantly flow from his throat to his whole body, and even the surgical wound seemed to hurt less.

“Once you’ve recovered, you must personally bring generous gifts to Teacher Deng’s house, and also have our children kowtow to him. Our family will remember this kindness for a lifetime,” Lin Qianqian said softly.

"okay!"

Lin Qianqian paused in her work, giving him a reproachful glare: "Why are you so taciturn again? Can't you say something else? Like, how is Professor Deng's spouse? How are his family members? What's their temper like?"

“It’s all good!”

"Silent type!" Lin Qianqian frowned and gently pinched Zhou Yi's cheek with her finger. "You're completely unreliable!"

Zhou Yi was taken aback when she pinched him. Looking at his wife's feigned anger, he suddenly grinned.

“Once I’m better,” he said, emphasizing each word, “I’ll take you there!”

Lin Qianqian rolled her eyes: "I need you to tell me about Teacher Deng's family situation so I can bring her some things! Even though your teacher doesn't need anything, we should still show our appreciation!"

As Zhou Yi's recovery showed promise, his wife's previously worried expression gradually improved.

During her paralysis, her previously gentle attitude towards Zhou Yi began to resemble that of a normal person.

When Zhou Yi was paralyzed, he was very vulnerable, and we had to take good care of his mental state.

Now, after taking care of you for so many years, I'm the little baby now!
……

the other side!
After leaving the lively treatment and recuperation area, Wang Kaixuan followed beside Li Weiguo, his excitement still lingering.

"President Li, as you can see, Mu Fuguo and Zhou Yi, one with a prosthetic eye and limb, and the other with a reconnected spinal nerve signal, both of them were successful! Our new material is simply a revolutionary miracle!"

"Once clinical trials confirm its safety, it can be launched on a large scale into the market immediately. I wonder how many families it will solve their problems, and I also wonder how much the marketing department will price these products."

"They will all be large-scale public welfare projects, with controllable intellectual property rights and materials, so the prices will not be too high."

Whether it's the crucial super repair fluid, the mechanical prosthetic eye, or the nerve conduction signals for high-level paralysis, these are all core technologies for solving major human diseases.

These things, under the soon-to-be-implemented healthcare system, will benefit the people and the country.

Once a new technology is confirmed to have minimal side effects, its adoption will definitely proceed quickly.

Blindness and high-level paralysis are too painful. If there is a chance to recover, patients are willing to accept some unknown side effects.

Wang Kaixuan believes that at this moment, many high-ranking leaders are probably asking every day when such medical products will be available.

"Mr. Li, will we be in charge of this project, or will it be handed over to the medical company?"

“A triumphant return,” Li Weiguo suddenly interrupted him, “Let’s not talk about that, you’re asking too many questions! How’s the southern forest?”

Wang Kaixuan's smile vanished instantly, his expression turning serious. He sorted through his memories before lowering his voice to report.

"The briefing just sent by General Su says we have released the second batch of elven prisoners and are expected to send a drone tonight to deliver a peace ultimatum to the elves. This will be the last time."

Li Weiguo stopped in his tracks.

Do you think they will respond?

“I don’t know!” Wang Kaixuan’s tone turned somber. “Those elves are quite stubborn. President Su’s meaning is that if they don’t accept our goodwill before the sunset in the other world, the frontline troops will proceed according to the second plan.”

"We know little about magic, and magic is too unpredictable. Attacking first will at least give us more initiative."

“The second plan…” Li Weiguo chewed on those words, a cold glint in his eyes. “What about logistics? Ammunition replenishment, especially ammunition specifically designed to counter their magic, has it all arrived?”

"Don't worry, General Li!" Wang Kaixuan replied decisively, "All supplies have been deployed! The frontline heavy artillery brigade and rocket force have prepared their firing ranges and are on standby 24/7, ready to unleash a thunderous storm as soon as they spot any troops on the front lines!"

Thunderstorm, one of the code names for the Truth Shot from Above.

Li Weiguo remained silent for a moment, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, looking towards the distant south.

"Looking forward to the true arrival of peace!"
-
In another world, the three elves released in the second batch are also working for peace.

In the forest, the wind carried a cold, damp chill that felt very uncomfortable on the face and body.

Eileen and her group leaped and twirled, their newly replenished magic making their movements light and swift.

Having been captured for many days, they had little magic replenishment and their bodies had not yet fully recovered, causing their stamina to be depleted much faster than expected.

The magical properties contained in the berries picked along the way are only a drop in the ocean.

To return to his previous peak condition, he needs to rest and recuperate for at least a few days.

These 17 kilometers of primeval forest took a lot of their energy.

Looking at the sacred tree with its red leaves and white bark standing quietly before her, Eileen breathed a sigh of relief.

She came to the tree trunk and looked at the human face patterns carved by her ancestors.

The red-leaved, white-barked, human-faced tree is an excellent magical spirit tree. Its ancient and majestic patterns are not only key to marking the territory of the forest kingdom, but also crucial nodes for establishing mind magic.

In the past, when magic was prevalent, the priests of the Elf Kingdom could easily use the sacred tree to unleash incredible ranged attacks.

Unfortunately, as magic gradually deteriorated and magical particles weakened, many offensive spells now require a very high price to be paid.

Or perhaps in a few thousand years, magic will no longer exist in this world.

Despite her exhaustion, Eileen stepped forward, placed her palm on the rough bark, closed her eyes, and tried to establish a connection with that familiar, great will.

"what……"

She suddenly opened her eyes, and pulled her hand back as if she had been burned.

“No…” Eileen’s voice was filled with a deep sense of helplessness. “The Mother Goddess has refused to establish a mental magic link with us again, just like before. You should try it too and see if the Mother Goddess can accept you.”

The other two Cloud Clan elves followed the instructions and received the same result.

That once warm and comforting emotional network, like a mother's embrace, now stands like a cold and hard wall, completely isolating them.

"How could this be?" an elf muttered to himself, his face deathly pale. "Have we been completely abandoned?"

"Those humans put us in touch with the main force, saying we needed to convey their goodwill today. But right now, we can't even find our own people!"

It's several days' journey from here to New Erigian City, and it's impossible to deliver the message in time on foot.

Humans also said that they must make contact during the day.

The elves are now extremely anxious.

Eileen gritted her teeth, sweat dripping down her pointed chin: "Let's keep going south. I remember there's a sacred forest fifteen kilometers away. With war approaching, there might be patrolling squads of rangers there."

"Everyone, we can't give up, keep going!"

"Eileen, I'm so tired. The priests should be able to see us through the sacred tree, right? Should we wait a bit?"

"No, the Mother Goddess and the priests are exhausted. We must also inform the priests as soon as possible. Humans are also waiting for our response!"

"Alright! Let's give it our all then."

After a short rest, everyone regained some of their strength, and the three set off again.

After a grueling two-hour trek, when they finally reached another sacred grove, they were met with the same despairing silence.

"Eileen, I...I can't run anymore." A companion, supporting his knees, was panting heavily and almost collapsed to the ground.

For four hours, they marched more than 30 kilometers through a primeval forest with almost no roads. The physical and mental strain on them was enormous.

Running and jumping in such a primeval forest is extremely physically demanding.

They had been detained for some time and their bodies had not yet recovered to their peak condition.

Even with magical particles replenishing, how can one recover physical strength and bodily depletion in such a short time?
Eileen herself was also nearing her physical limit, and her chest was burning with pain.

She nodded, took out the last few berries from her bosom and gave them to her companions, indicating that they should rest where they were.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the woods.

The three elves immediately became alert and gripped their weapons tightly.

They thought they had encountered magical creatures in the forest.

Their tense nerves relaxed a little when they saw familiar figures emerging from behind the trees.

However, they soon became even more nervous.

"It's the Fire Clan's ranger force!"

Eileen recognized the person in the lead, and her brows furrowed instantly.

The elves, clad in fiery red leather armor, surrounded them. The leading female elf was tall and slender with sharp eyes and a faint hint of sarcasm on her lips. She was Celine, who had been marching with the main force earlier but whose purpose was unknown.

"lay down your weapon."

"It is Celine, who is in the lead, who called out in a cold voice."

Eileen didn't move. Instead, she stepped forward and looked directly at the other person: "Cerine, this isn't your Fire Clan's territory, is it?"

Celine's gaze grew even colder. She gestured, and her many elven companions began to draw their bows and arrows.

"I'll say it again, put down your weapons."

The air seemed to freeze.

Eileen hesitated for a moment, then finally let go. The human-made short sword fell onto the fallen leaves with a soft sound.

After the other two elves put down their supplies, Celine signaled to her companions to confiscate the enemy's weapons and temporarily deactivate their attack mode.

"Captain Serene of the Fire Clan, we have urgent intelligence about humans that must be reported to Archon Grice of New Erigian immediately."

"About humans?" Celine scoffed as if she'd heard a joke. "That coward Lani has already brought back the news. What's your news? Humans are terrifying? You want to negotiate? Heh..."

She deliberately imitated Lani's panicked tone, which drew a low chuckle from the Fire Clan rangers behind her.

Eileen frowned: "You know? What does the Governor plan to do? The humans have discovered our forces and could attack us at any moment."

"So what if we've been discovered? Are they going to attack us at any moment? Heh, whatever. Even if all of humanity comes, we won't be cowards like some clans!"

"Cerine, you have such a sharp tongue! Please relay our message to the lords back home: our warriors are in grave danger!"

Celine raised her chin and took the longbow from her back. "Humans are unaware of the sharpness of our longbows!"

"Cerene, I plead for your help in the name of the Cloud Clan! The warriors are in grave danger! Please inform the commander at the rear!"

Seeing that the other party had actually backed down and even brought up the honor of the Yun clan.

Celine hesitated for a moment before saying, "This expedition is being personally overseen by Priest Tiaret, who has authorized me to go to the front lines and inform the humans who dare to invade that our people's conditions are far from ideal!"

"As for you... colluding with humans and undermining morale, I think you should just wait to go back and face trial!"

After saying that, Celine waved her hand, and two Fire Clan warriors immediately stepped forward to restrain the other party and prevent him from suddenly attacking.

“Cerine!”

Eileen panicked and disregarded the other party's hostile attitude.

“I swear on the honor of the Cloud Clan, I swear on my soul never entering the Chaotic Sea, I have not lied. Humans have given me a countdown; we must immediately deliver this message to Priest Tiaret! We only have one day!”

“What right does a prisoner have to tell me what to do?” Celine interrupted her impatiently.

"This isn't a plea, Celine, please don't be so stubborn!" Eileen's voice suddenly rose, filled with unprecedented resolve. "If humanity doesn't respond before sunset, they will attack! You have no idea how powerful they are! Going there like this is just sending yourself to your deaths!"

Celine was stunned by Eileen's fearless spirit. She stared at Eileen for a few seconds and finally let out a cold snort.

“Your words are full of cowardice; they will surely become strong evidence to punish you. I will pass that on to Lady Tiaret,” she said dismissively. “Now, stay put!”

After saying that, she ignored Eileen and turned to her troops, ordering, "Everyone, rest for an hour before heading north to the human camp!"

She gazed northward, then went over and touched the sacred tree, beginning to communicate with the priestess Tiaret behind her.

The priestess Tiarat possessed exceptional magical talent and was favored by the Mother Goddess.

Many events can be witnessed through the sacred tree.

In the forest, elves also use this method for rapid communication.

……

A forest troop assembly point dozens of kilometers away.

Tiarat did not stand before the sacred tree of the elves, but instead raised her head slightly, as if communicating with something.

Suddenly, the priest's deputy brought a message that Celine wanted to contact him.

Tiara multitask, controlling a flock of birds to attack drones deployed by humans while simultaneously linking her consciousness to the sacred tree and contacting Celine, who was trying to communicate with her.

“Mr. Tiaret, three more Cloud Clan prisoners that the humans captured earlier have been returned today. They say the enemy is attempting to attack us.”

“Attack us? Did they find us that quickly?” Tiaret frowned. “When will you be able to reach the vicinity of the human camp?”

"It will take a day."

"Too slow! Celine, let's make an exception."

Tiara spoke with Celine for a while, then directly contacted the other shop assistants again through the magical network of the Sacred Tree.

"Priest, the troops still need to be assembled, and the consumables also need to be gathered! We cannot gather the offerings for casting the magic in such a short time."

"Humanity will not give us time, gentlemen. The time for you to be tested has come!"

……

On the other side, Celine's face was filled with complicated emotions as she listened to the news coming from the other side.

"Captain Celine, how is she?"

"The high priest is about to unleash forbidden magic ahead of schedule. He wants us to continue north, trying to delay humanity for another day."

"Continue north? We might get caught in the crossfire of forbidden magic."

"Captain Celine, our lives belong to the Forest Kingdom. May our souls return to the embrace of the Mother Goddess after we die."

Celine sighed, looked around at the dozen or so elven allies, and pointed to some of the younger elves: "You, Ragus, Lillian, Irelia..."

She called out the names of six people in total.

"You escort the three prisoners back. The rest of you will accompany me on this mission to the north!"

The elves whose names were called in the team naturally didn't want to go back, but Celine used the captain's orders to force them to comply.

“You must go back, that’s an order! Also, don’t tell the Yun clan’s priests that they’re going to unleash forbidden magic, I’m afraid those guys will cause trouble for us again.”

After watching the young elf return with three members of the Cloud Clan, Celine sighed, "Everyone, I'm so sorry!"

"Sacrifices are always necessary for the kingdom."

"Go get paper and pen! We need to replenish our strength and can't reach the human camp in a short time. We need to use birds to send a message."

"it is good!"

While the other soldiers were busy, she jumped up to a big tree and looked around.

Soon, her pale red eyes suddenly turned white, and then several large ravens flew over.

After writing several seemingly legitimate letters posing as envoys, they hung them on the raven's feet.

To prevent the ravens from being killed, she used very conspicuous colors to increase their chances of being spotted.

Then, she used mind magic to control the raven and the mimic bird that could imitate human voices, and flew directly north!
The mimic bird carried the voices of elves, while the raven carried news of an envoy's journey.

If humans can communicate with them normally, they can at least buy the rear at least a day to prepare.

If that doesn't work, then they'll have no choice but to desperately harass humanity with their lives.

(End of this chapter)