68: Chapter 68 Completion of the Notification Task

As the Qingluan flew out of the base's perimeter.

Qin Ce looked down at the land below; the scene beneath him transitioned from the prosperity and tense preparations of the main Fengling City to the busyness and clamor of the Outer City, and then to the wilderness and scattered villages on the outskirts.

But the wilderness was not silent.

In the fields, farmers were frantically harvesting their crops. The unripe crops were cut down haphazardly and piled on the ground, appearing rushed and disheveled.

The roads were crowded with refugees. They were dragging their families along, carrying meager luggage, and pushing creaking carts. Children were crying, adults were shouting, and livestock were neighing in panic.

Occasionally, one could see squads of soldiers maintaining order, but their numbers were too few; before the surging crowd, they were like a few stones trying to block a flood.

Further away, some small village fortresses had closed their gates. Qin Ce saw people climbing up the earthen walls to reinforce defenses; others were driving their Pet Beasts to patrol the surroundings; still others were burning some kind of pungent herbs at the village entrance, attempting to increase the probability of dispersing any potentially approaching Beast Tide.

Everyone was busy, and every face was etched with solemnity.

Qin Ce saw a six or seven-year-old girl holding a worn-out ragdoll, standing by the roadside, watching the evacuating convoy with teary eyes. Her mother knelt down, hugged her tightly, and comforted her softly.

He saw a gray-haired veteran, wearing a faded old military uniform, standing at the village entrance, giving a speech to the assembled young men. The old man stood straight, his voice hoarse yet powerful.

He saw a civilian Beast Tamer squad, their Pet Beasts laden with supplies, hurrying along the road. Someone in the team looked back toward the direction of their home, their eyes filled with reluctance, but their pace did not stop.

This was the panorama of life under the Beast Tide.

Fear!

Reluctance!

But more than that... the determination to do everything possible to survive!

Everyone was fighting with all their might.

Fighting to live, fighting to protect everything they cherished.

But Qin Ce's Nine-Star Insight could clearly see that the defensive strength of those village fortresses could at most withstand the impact of black iron rank ferocious beasts.

Those patrolling Pet Beasts were mostly bronze low-grade; even Mid-grade ones were rare.

The smoke from the burning herbs was almost useless against ferocious beasts above Bronze Rank.

They were preparing in every way they could, but those preparations... were as fragile as paper in the face of a real Beast Tide.

Qin Ce clenched his fists.

His nails dug deep into his palms.

He... was not strong enough yet.

If he were Gold Rank now, or even Bright Moon Level, he could completely rely on his own strength to hold up the sky for this region, shielding these villages, shielding Yuntai Town, and shielding his mother and little sister.

But he was only Black Iron Peak.

Even with the talent buff of Nine-fold Azure Sky, and even if the Qingluan's speed was already on par with Bronze, he was still not enough when facing such a Beast Tide!

"I must become stronger faster."

Qin Ce muttered to himself, his voice scattered by the strong wind.

"Strong enough... to truly protect everything I want to protect."

...

Qin Ce clenched his fists, withdrew his gaze, and opened his team badge.

The interface had switched to the military merit system, and his identity designation had changed to:

[Qin Ce · Yuntai Town Direction Patrol and Support Member]

[Current Mission: Village Early Warning (0/7)]

There was only one entry in the mission list: Travel to the seven remote villages under the jurisdiction of Yuntai Town that had no communication, sound the alarm, and confirm that the villagers had entered the underground fortresses.

It was very simple, very basic, and the military merit reward was pitifully low—only 35 points for completing all of them.

But Qin Ce did not mind.

Because this military merit was not his goal to begin with.

His goal was that after completing this mission, he could move freely and go home to take care of his mother and little sister.

...

At his signal, the Qingluan accelerated again.

As a Black Iron Peak Pet Beast, with the buff of Nine-fold Azure Sky, its flight speed had reached a staggering level.

The wind whistled in his ears, and the scenery below retreated rapidly.

Two hours later, the horizon was entirely wilderness with no signs of human life.

The first village appeared in his field of vision—dozens of earthen houses surrounded a slightly taller bell tower built with stones. A rusty iron bell hung at the top of the bell tower; that was the village's alarm.

Qin Ce landed, startling the two villagers patrolling at the village entrance. Their Pet Beasts were two Black Iron Mid-grade earth dogs, which cowered and retreated, whimpering, when they saw the Qingluan.

"I am Qin Ce, a Patrol and Support Member for the Yuntai Town direction from the Fengling Battle Academy Elite Class." Qin Ce showed his team badge and deployment order. "The Beast Tide is about to arrive. Please sound the alarm immediately and have all villagers enter the underground fortress; do not come out."

The villagers were stunned at first, then their expressions changed drastically. One of them turned and sprinted toward the bell tower, while the other struck the brass gong in his hand, shouting hoarsely:

"Beast Tide! The Beast Tide is here! Everyone get into the bunker! Hurry—!!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of the gong mingled with the tolling of the bell, breaking the midday silence.

After a brief period of chaos, under the strenuous organization of the village's Upper Bronze Rank old Beast Tamer and the village chief, the villagers began to move toward the sturdy underground shelter in the center of the village in a panicked yet orderly fashion.

The elderly, children, and women, supported and urged on by the able-bodied adults, rushed toward the entrance of the inconspicuous underground fortress beneath the village bell tower.

Qin Ce watched this scene without stopping.

He found the person in charge of the village—an old Upper Bronze Rank Beast Tamer—briefly explained the scale and expected direction of the Beast Tide, confirmed the material reserves and defensive strength of the underground fortress, and then jumped back onto the Qingluan.

"Sir!" the old Beast Tamer shouted from below, "Are you not staying? Our village has enough capacity to accommodate—"

"I still have six more villages to notify." Qin Ce interrupted him. "Hide well. Our direction is not the main path of the Beast Tide. As long as you survive the peak phase of the Beast Tide, you will be fine."

Qin Ce dared not give any more promises, and after offering a word of comfort.

The Qingluan flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

The second village, the third village...

The process was almost exactly the same: land, show identification, sound the alarm, confirm the villagers were hidden, explain the situation clearly, and then leave.

Each village's defensive facilities were much the same—underground fortresses, thick mounds of earth, hidden and sturdy entrances, old alarms, and at most, a few ballistae.

The strongest combat force in each village was nothing more than an Upper Bronze Rank or Mid-grade Beast Tamer.

But they were all preparing with all their might.

Qin Ce watched those figures running, shouting, supporting, and carrying others in the morning light, and the burning urgency in his heart was replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility.

Must be fast.

Must be faster.

When the alarm for the seventh village—also the most remote one—was sounded.

Watching the last batch of villagers disappear into the entrance beneath the earthen mound, the team badge on Qin Ce's wrist vibrated:

[Mission Completed: Village Early Warning (7/7)]

[Military Merit +35]

[Current Military Merit: 35]