On the scorched earth, the smoke of battle had yet to clear.
After the ground legion arrived, the cleanup operation proceeded with high efficiency.
One thousand "Spider Slayer II" units patrolled the edges of the ruins like a scattered pack of metal wolves.
Their optical sensors glowed red. The moment they scanned a gray-robed underling of the Black Wizards, they skipped the warning protocol and directly eliminated any remaining resistance.
Overhead, seventy-two "Storm Falcons" circled on alert, the roar of their engines overpowering the howl of the blizzard.
The other five "Hive" motherships that had followed the legion hovered like black, floating mountains. Hexagonal hatches opened and closed as Mad Bee Drones flew in and out, weaving an airtight aerial reconnaissance network.
And on the outermost perimeter, five hundred "Peacekeepers" marched with heavy steps, gathering the surviving academy apprentices into a safe clearing.
