Avidia's sudden appearance and departure was like an unseasonable wind. It blew away the delicate atmosphere within the main hall, but it could not blow away the quiet changes that had taken place between the two of them.
Yuno's face still carried a fading blush and a hint of chagrin, but when she looked at Rover, the previous unease and stubbornness in her azure eyes had been replaced by a soft light of reliance and trust.
She took a deep breath, as if making up her mind, and took the initiative to reach out, gently grasping Rover's fingers.
Rover paused slightly, looked down at their intertwined hands, and gently squeezed back.
His palm was warm and steady, as if silently transmitting strength.
"Let's... go out," Yuno's voice was very soft, but no longer hesitant. "Let's go find Augusta and tell her... I trust you."
Rover nodded.
When the two walked hand in hand out of the slightly dim Quadrangle Hall, they ran right into Augusta, who was dragging her greatsword back after just repelling another wave of the Black Tide's attacks.
The female Governor exuded a thick aura of battle lust and the stench of blood; even the sun coronet on her forehead had been knocked askew.
When she saw the two walk out—especially Yuno, whose eyes were still slightly red but who was clearly much more relaxed, even wearing a hint of shyness, and the intertwined hands of her and Rover...
She was momentarily stunned, before a massive burst of pleasant surprise and realization erupted in her crimson eyes.
She let out a hearty laugh, stepped forward, and forcefully patted Rover's shoulder with her bloodstained hand. "Good! Excellent! It looks like you two have made up? I knew you had a way! Now I can finally put my mind at ease!"
Her smile was radiant and sincere, as if the joy of her friend being saved had instantly washed away the exhaustion of the battlefield.
Yuno's cheeks turned even redder at her words. Embarrassed, she shook off Rover's hand and glared reproachfully at Augusta, though the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"Alright, down to business."
Augusta dropped her smile and turned serious. "That last wave of attacks was fierce. I can still hold on, but the pressure from the Town of Murmurs to the east is growing. The camp over there probably won't be able to hold out much longer. We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible."
The three quickly returned to the temporarily set up command post, where Bu Ling also strolled over.
"Things aren't looking good," Bu Ling spoke first, her Mengzhou accent taking on a more serious tone. "It's not just a problem with the number of Tacet Discords."
"My mirror detected a very strange 'whisper' mixed within the Black Tide. It's slowly affecting people's minds. That's the real big trouble."
She pointed her mirror at the permeating black fog in the distance. The mirror's surface flashed with a twisted, chaotic image, like countless people raving madly: "Ordinary gladiators have already begun to show signs of irritability, auditory hallucinations, and even attacking their own people."
"If this continues, the Black Tide won't even need to break through the defense line; we'll collapse from the inside first."
As if to confirm her words, a faint commotion and roars could be heard from the direction of the camp. Although it was quickly suppressed, it was enough to illustrate the severity of the problem.
Yuno's face paled, and she subconsciously clenched her fists.
She had long given up her ability to foresee the future and didn't know what would happen if this continued, but she too could faintly sense this mind-confusing malice permeating the air.
This made her even more certain that Rover was right to veto her manifestation ritual, which required extreme mental focus and stability.
Augusta's brows furrowed tightly: "Mental attacks... this is the trickiest part. Our warriors do not fear head-on combat, but this kind of silent erosion..."
She looked at Bu Ling, "Can that mirror of yours defend against this whisper?"
"The range is too small," Bu Ling shook her head. "Protecting a few people is fine, but to cover the entire battlefield, unless..."
"I just took a look around and found a massive ancient Resonance array buried beneath the Quadrangle Hall. If we reactivate it and run it on overload... but if we do that, it'll definitely become the brightest target around. The Black Tide monsters across the entire Hunting Grounds will swarm it like crazy."
Right at that moment, a signalman stumbled over, terror written on his face: "Reporting to the Governor! An emergency comms... an emergency comms from the Senate!"
He handed over a specially made communicator.
Augusta reached out and took it. Immediately, a somewhat familiar, shrill voice of reprimand came through:
"Augusta! What exactly is going on at the Hunting Grounds frontline?! Why are the casualties so severe?! Why haven't the Black Tide been repelled yet?! Are you disregarding the lives of the soldiers and delaying military operations just for your unrealistic 'Hero King' dream?!"
"The Senate demands an immediate explanation! Otherwise, we will consider terminating all support to you and recalling Avidia and his loyal warriors!"
This comms call completely ignored the tragic and difficult situation on the frontline, blindly applying pressure and making accusations, even implying the threat of cutting off logistical supplies. Its intentions couldn't be more obvious.
Hearing this kind of rhetoric, Augusta, who had always despised the Senate nobles, was so angry the veins on her forehead bulged. She roared into the communicator: "Shut up, Marcus! You want an explanation? Wait until we win this war, and I'll personally return to the Senate to give you your 'explanation'!"
Saying that, she violently crushed the communicator.
But after the anger passed, there was a profound sense of powerlessness.
The Senate's opposition and constraints against her were omnipresent. Even with the threat of the Black Tide right in front of them, they were still thinking about fighting for power and profit.
"We cannot wait any longer," Rover said in a deep voice. The Senate's foolish comms call actually acted like a sobering agent for everyone. "Bu Ling, immediately try to activate and overload the ancient Resonance array. Prioritize purifying the area around the Quadrangle Hall to buy us a stable command center. Hold out for as long as possible."
"You got it, Boss!" Bu Ling's eyes lit up, immediately energized. Pulling out a bunch of strange tools, she ran toward the underground of the Quadrangle Hall.
"Augusta, go to the eastern line personally to stabilize the situation and suppress the unrest. Your presence itself is the best stabilizer."
"Do not hold back your power. I will have the Black Shores squad's armed personnel bring Resonance suppressors and heavy weapons to go with you. Focus on clearing out those high-threat Tacet Discords."
"Understood, I'll go right now!" Augusta grabbed her greatsword without hesitation.
"Yuno, you stay here with me." Rover finally looked at the blue-haired Oracle. "Although you gave up your ability to foresee, you exchanged it for the ability to perceive Black Tide energy."
"Rather than sacrificing your 'existence' to forcefully manifest the Black Tide's core, I just need you to concentrate your mind. Feel the flow of the Black Tide's energy, feel the source of that 'whisper,' feel the most abnormal energy convergence point on this land... This might be a more direct way to find the 'Divine King' than driving the Spine-Corroding Dragon."
"As for manifesting the 'Divine King', leave that to me and the Black Shores' technical personnel."
Yuno nodded heavily, her eyes resolute: "I understand. Although I can no longer see the threads of fate, I can feel the pain of this land... Leave it to me! This time... I will find the answer my own way."
Her words were filled with rekindled determination and trust in Rover.
The orders were quickly issued, and everyone sprang into action.
Rover stood alone in place, looking east toward the Town of Murmurs, which was continuously spewing out the Black Tide, and further away at the Black Tide vortex that was constantly spinning and expanding.
The "whisper" seemed to permeate the air, carrying cold malice and temptation, attempting to drill into his mind, only to be blocked out by an even more massive and icy mental power.
He could feel that beneath the undercurrents, the true shadow was surging.
It wasn't just the Threnodian Tacet Discords driven by the Black Tide, but also certain people attempting to use this disaster to achieve their own goals.
The war in the Sanguis Hunting Grounds had only just entered its most dangerous stage.
And he had to cleave open a path of survival for everyone.
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