The night was deep, and the flurry of light snow continued to fall until the latter half of the night. Although the snow was not heavy, it still covered the entire city softly and silently - the not-too-thick snow was like a pale bandage, wrapping the city.
The numerous scars a city has experienced after disasters have covered up those things that had no time to heal.
Destroyed buildings, bloodstains that were too late to be cleaned, scrapped steam walkers, barricades waiting to be dismantled, and dried "mud" that accumulated in almost every corner of the city and would take an unknown amount of time to clean up.
The mirror invasion subsided, but the "by-products" of this paranormal disaster remained in the city in the form of physical matter.
The church has taken over the city's operations after dark according to procedures.
The guards carrying lanterns watched the night streets vigilantly, wary of every dark corner that could not be fully illuminated by the gas streetlights and any strange sounds coming from their ears.
The smell of burning incense floated in the air, and the softly murmured prayers of the vigil priest brought reassuring power.
"It seems to be very peaceful tonight..." A guard in black stared at the darkness on the street. After a long time, he suddenly muttered to his companion beside him, "I thought there would still be a fierce battle tonight."
"Everyone thinks so," another female guard in black with long hair and shawl said in a low voice. On the lantern hanging around her waist, there were several scripture tapes filled with prayers fixed with wax paint, which showed that
She is the leader of this team. "After all, we have just experienced such a serious extraordinary disaster, and a large number of priests have died... It stands to reason that the city-state's protection will reach its lowest point tonight."
"The other vigil teams didn't seem to report the situation - there wasn't even a whistle this night."
"...Anyway, keep your nerves tight. You won't be able to relax for a moment until the sun rises."
"Yes, Captain."
The female guard in black, known as the captain, nodded slightly and looked at another team that was busy not far away.
The exquisite brass incense burner was suspended by a thin chain. Misty smoke was emitted from the incense burner. A silent monk blessed the street with incense and whispered the prayer of the God of Death. Several low-ranking monks accompanied him.
The priest carefully used a scraper and a glass bottle to collect black sludge samples from nearby walls, lampposts and the ground.
The dried "mud" has completely lost its activity and will no longer appear horrifically deformed. When the scraper cuts through its surface, the texture they present is like something semi-dry but with a delicate structure.
of... "pigment".
"You think...how much of this 'sludge' is there in this city now?"
She couldn't help but turn around and mutter to the men beside her.
"Who knows - it is said that there are few of these on the surface. The sewers and subways are the hardest hit areas. There are also several sewage treatment plants. Those places are almost filled with this sludge. The city hall is now a mess.
It’s such a mess, I don’t know how long it will take to clean it up.”
"Cleaning up the sludge... at least this is the easiest trouble we have to face," the female captain sighed softly, raised her head and looked at the end of the street, "Now Hanshuang has to face more than just these weird troubles.
of mud.”
The guard in black next to him subconsciously raised his head when he heard this and looked in the direction where his captain was looking.
It was the port area on the edge of the city-state, where the lights were bright and there were faint sounds.
"Yes, there's more than just mud..." the black-clothed guard muttered, with a hint of nervousness in his strange tone, "There's an entire sea fog fleet surrounding this city."
…
The eastern port area is brightly lit and bustling with people.
As the only port that resisted the invasion of monsters and continued to operate during the entire defense war, Donggang remained busy after the battle.
All docks and construction machinery were used, and all remaining staff had to work overtime. Several docks that were slightly damaged during the day's battle were temporarily repaired as quickly as possible to prepare for those situations.
The better ships docked for repairs.
For many people in the city, the battle is over, and tonight is a time for them to refresh and heal their wounds, but for the Frost Navy and port logistics units, the battle is still going on - a large number of ships have been severely damaged and are in urgent need of repairs
, a large number of injured people need treatment, and compared with these things, they have a more difficult and complicated situation to face:
The Sea Mist Fleet, their temporary comrades today, their deep nightmare for the past fifty years.
The largest and most powerful "ghost ship" that has been used by countless Frostmen to scare children in the past fifty years is parked next to the largest pier in East Port.
The majestic bow of the ship towered in the night, and the deck turret and bridge building showed a ghost-like silhouette in the wind and snow. The lights from the shore hit the armored belt, reflecting a pale reflection that was reminiscent of bones. And there.
On the side of the steel behemoth, facing the frosty edge of the ship's side, a wide cloth curtain swings in the wind, with words written on it in a rough way that look like temporary graffiti——
"Haiwu Venture Capital Company is stationed in Hanshuang for a temporary visit to the research vessel."
Even the Frost Soldiers who have seen strong winds and waves have never seen such a battle. Anyone walking past the pier at this time will have to stare at those rough characters for a long time and hold back from giving themselves a few big words.
The urge to wake up and wake up.
"Captain," First Mate Aiden walked across the deck and came behind Tirian, who was standing on the edge of the deck looking down. "The banner has been hung up. As you said, try to be as friendly as possible."
Tirian hummed, and then raised his finger to point to the soldiers and workers on the dock below who stopped near the Seamist from time to time, watching uneasily: "But I think they still seem quite nervous?"
"I don't know what's going on. Maybe the Frostmen of this era are more shocked." Aiden scratched his bare head, "How about I go tell my men? Let them go down and take care of those nearby.
Drive away all the onlookers?"
"...No need," Tirian thought for a while and shook his head, "Father's order is not to have any more conflicts with the city-state. At such a tense moment, it is better not to irritate these startled Frostmen."
Aiden shrugged: "Okay, since it's the old captain's order."
"How is everyone's condition?" Tirian suddenly asked after a moment of silence, "I mean, the sailors in the second period."
"...Hey, after half a century, I returned to this familiar place again," Aiden sighed softly and said with emotion, "It would be a lie to say that the ship is peaceful - basically every cabin is now
Everyone was discussing this docking and dealing with the Frost Navy again. Even the sailors from the first period were affected and were discussing with them.
"Some people are looking forward to it, some are resisting it, but most people are at a loss, because no one has imagined what this day will be like before, but... everyone will support your decision, and they are waiting for your order."
Tirian did not speak for a while, but the scene he saw on the bridge before seemed to reappear in his mind.
The Queen's second order after half a century - "Defend the Frost".
Is that true? Is that the power left by the queen, or is it a simple illusion?
This doesn't seem to be important anymore.
The Queen once ordered the Sea Mist Fleet to stay away from the Frost Island, and now, he has led the fleet back here. Perhaps... the Queen's order back then was really just for this day.
"Anyway, let's come here." Tirian breathed out softly, and the breath from his mouth and nose condensed into white mist in the cold night. "The commander here wants to entertain his 'comrades,' so that's fine. I
You really should go say hello to them."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"Well, bring a few more guys who understand etiquette - tell them in advance that this time, we are not here to fight."
"Okay," Aiden nodded, and then couldn't help but ask one more question, "Well, do the entourage have any other requirements?"
Tirian thought for a while: "...the front face is relatively complete, the limbs are connected to the torso, and the 'parts' don't fall out when walking - just follow your standards, as long as the clothes can block most of the holes.
"
"Okay, Captain."
…
In the port defense office, Commander-in-Chief of Defense Liszt was sorting out his uniform and medals for the last time.
It's not that he has never seen big scenes, but even as a well-trained professional soldier, he can't help but feel a little uneasy about the "scene" he will face next.
Not because the scene was too big, but because it was unprecedented.
He wants to meet with the leader of the Sea Mist Fleet - after fifty years of confrontation and hostility, the fleet that "defected" from the city-state has returned here.
Today, many places in the city-state are still in chaos, and the consul's disappearance has made the city hall anxious, but even in such a chaotic situation, he still arranged this special reception.
Because he knew that the current frost could not afford any further damage. No matter what the officials and consultants at the city hall thought, he had to stabilize the terrifying ghost fleet - if, just if
, if you want to reconcile with the "big pirate", this is probably your only chance.
After fastening the last button, Liszt breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he lowered his head, picked up the new badge representing the rank of general from the table, and calmly stared at every line on it.
"...Promotion in the line of fire...it doesn't matter, someone has to take over."
He raised his head, looked in the mirror, and carefully fixed the badge on his clothes.
(It’s time to recommend books~ I recommend a new fairy tale called "Tao Ying" by Tai Shengshui. The future we are chasing is just the shadow of the past under the starry sky. Yuan Yanghai, a three-no monk who died tragically, with