Chapter 318: Refugee Wave
A week flew by in the blink of an eye.
October 22.
The Carl Plains.
Once peaceful and prosperous, the Carl Plains were now ravaged and brutalized by the orc army.
The millions of civilians living here were unprepared and fell victim to the orc onslaught.
Countless fields ready for harvest were destroyed, numerous villages burned, and hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives.
"Run southeast! There's shelter there, hurry!"
Chris shouted at the top of his lungs, directing the displaced people to flee quickly.
"Don't bring food, the orcs are coming soon!"
Wiping sweat from her forehead, Alice used the magical amplifier provided by Bay Territory to continue shouting:
"Don't bring anything, just take your family and stay together! Every village, stick together and head southeast without stopping!"
Her loud calls guided thousands of panic-stricken refugees to escape in the direction she pointed.
They had every reason to be afraid—behind these adventurers, dozens of large, muscular orcs roared in fury with bloodshot eyes.
However, these orcs could only roar, as they were all locked in iron cages and dragged around by carts.
In addition to the orcs,
The cart drivers displayed recordings from Shadow Crystal, showing orcs slaughtering farmers, destroying farms, and committing acts of arson and looting.
Several disheveled deserters stood on the carts, shouting alongside them, guiding everyone away from the farmland.
These soldiers were from nearby noble families.
The other unfortunate souls were either trapped in castles or had already fallen to the orcs.
After guiding the refugees and farmers to safety, they quickly made their way to the next farm.
Just then, Leon frowned, looking at the distant figures.
"Let's go. We can't save everyone, but we save as many as we can."
Rubbing his throbbing brow, Chris took a deep breath and continued:
"There are just too many orcs. Fortunately, they're limited to running on foot, and their discipline is lax."
Shaking his head in frustration, Leon exhaled heavily and muttered:
"It's not about that. I'm just wondering why those fool nobles didn't organize an evacuation in advance. It's been almost a week!"
Approaching from afar, Elio wiped blood from her sword, nonchalantly remarking:
"Pff, the Lord told us not to waste time on those nobles."
"Don't go that way; it's too late. Head further east; there's a large group of refugees there!"
Hearing this, Leon and Chris's expressions shifted, their hatred for the orcs intensifying.
Thick smoke billowed from the direction Elio came from, accompanied by furious orcish roars and desperate screams.
The eastern and southern Carl Plains had turned into a hell on earth.
Many refugees were fleeing in all directions.
Those heading west were unfortunate, as they couldn't outrun the orc horde.
Those fleeing east and south were guided by Bay Territory's Inspectorate and adventurers, finding refuge in Blood Moon City and the Misty Swamp.
Misty Fortress.
Matthew stood atop the solid, towering walls, gently tracing the stonework.
In just a week, a mighty fortress had risen.
The outermost defense was a 500-meter-long, 10-meter-high wall on all four sides of the fortress.
Newly modified stone guardian golems stood silently atop the walls.
At each corner of the wall, sturdy and towering watchtowers were being constructed.
These were filled with dense shooting ports, where heavy crossbows would soon be mounted.
Behind the gate, a new barbican was being built.
Over ten thousand people were busily working within the fortress, constructing various defensive facilities.
Already, more than 500,000 gold coins had been invested, and Matthew estimated they'd need over a million more.
A commotion rose from below.
Thousands of refugees were being guided to the fortress.
Some were sobbing, others wore somber expressions, many were anxious, and some tried to maintain composure.
The large teleportation array kept lighting up, transporting them to Bay Territory.
Bay Territory was now under a Level Two Alert.
It was working quickly to settle these farmers and refugees.
In just a week,
Bay Territory had already resettled over 50,000 people.
Most had resumed their lives, while others awaited further instructions.
Of course, those who merely waited and didn't work received just enough food to survive.
Most people chose to comply willingly.
Bay Territory wasn't a charity; its goal was to bring in as many people as possible.
A steady flow of resources from Bay Territory arrived through teleportation.
They were then distributed to various outposts, ensuring refugees had enough to eat.
343 watched Matthew's grave expression with curiosity, then blinked and asked:
"Are you angry? At whom?"
"The orcs, or those foolish nobles?"
Shaking his head silently, Matthew met 343's faintly red eyes, hesitating before replying:
"It's those fools."
"Those fools would rather drag their entire territory to ruin than abandon their wealth."
Hearing this, 343 chuckled softly: "Isn't that just humanity?"
Matthew gave her a faint look, shrugging casually as he replied:
"Most intelligent beings are like that. With emotions comes desire."
"If they can't control their desires, they'll be controlled by them."
Matthew spoke pointedly, then asked directly:
"What's the situation in the Carl Plains overall?"
"Any changes with the orc forces heading our way?"
The thoughtful look vanished from 343's face as she pointed to the hovering map of the Carl Plains.
The red markings showed the orc-controlled areas, with darker colors indicating greater numbers.
"The orc army continues advancing west at high speed, with a clear objective."
"They're even ignoring Brightmoon City and heading straight for Servanton!"
Servanton as their target?
That didn't make sense!
Matthew frowned, hesitated, then quickly asked:
"What about the group moving south toward us?"
Zooming in on the southern terrain of the Carl Plains, three prominent red bulges appeared.
"Around 70,000 orcs are headed straight for us, targeting Bay Territory!"
"Additionally, more than 150,000 refugees and farmers are fleeing this way. Can Bay Territory handle them all?"
Seventy thousand orc vanguards?
And 150,000 refugees?
Such good fortune!