Chapter 626 Victory (1/2)

Ten or so days later, the expedition force returned to Nest No. 77 again, and the entire tribe had become a region of death with the corpses of Subterranean Mutants littering the underground world.

Even the hardened Sunil soldiers could not help but take deep breaths upon witnessing the hellish scene before them. Many players felt their hearts tremble and could not help but feel pity.

With a solemn mood, Herlous instructed the mining of the Prophecy Stones to begin and all the corpses to be burnt.

They also began searching for the corpses of their deceased brothers.

After cleaning up the New Rock Tribe, the expedition mission did not meet with any further trouble. They continued to battle and persuade the other tribes with little to no trouble.

After a long period of battling, the final Subterranean Mutant tribe surrendered and Herlous returned to Forest City.

…

Outside Forest City, almost all the Sunils had left the city, and they waited in the rain to receive the victorious return of the troops.

Hu!

Ten or so spaceships flew over from afar and landed outside the city.

As the hatch of the spaceship opened, all the Sunil soldiers disembarked from the spaceship wearing their ordinary uniform with fatigue all over their faces. The players were in a better state, and they still looked pretty energetic.

Herlous stepped out of the spaceship and led the troops toward the crowd.

”Hero!”

All of a sudden, the Sunils broke out into a deafening cheer and rushed forward to surround the returning warriors. Their faces were full of agitation, excitement, and gratitude as they welcomed the return of the victorious troops.

Herlous was surrounded by countless individuals, and wherever he looked, he could see gratitude and reverence in their eyes.

The Sunils knew that the Black Star Army had only been willing to help them because of Herlous. In the eyes of all the Sunils, Herlous' status already exceeded that of the rest; he was the hero and idol of every Sunil.

The crowd cheered loudly and were filled with endless praise toward the expedition forces, including the players.

More accurately speaking, the Sunils were extremely grateful toward the Black Star Army and Han Xiao was like a messiah to them. The prestige of the Black Star Army was also at its peak.

”We are truly extremely grateful to all of you.”

”All of you have saved Sunil!”

”Black Star Army, you are our benefactors.”

The Sunils surrounded the players and showered them with words of gratitude.

Many of the players were taken aback and had an inexplicable sense of accomplishment in their hearts. The mission this time was truly a meaningful one, and their collective effort had changed the fates of the Sunils.

This sense of accomplishment was truly a different experience for many. They felt both satisfied and enriched. This was something completely unrelated to benefits; it was a sense of satisfaction on a spiritual level.

Many of the young soldiers rejoined their families, and the joy of their families wiped away the fatigue of the soldiers, putting a bright smile on all of their faces.

Parents received their children, wives received their husbands, and children received their fathers.

This warm scene unfolded all around.

Every day, the families of the soldiers lived in fear—fear that they would one day receive a notice of death. Now, everything had ended, and there would not be any more war sacrifices.

There was no need to despair or fear. A beautiful tomorrow awaited them.

The darkness had gone, and the Sunils could see the light.

The day for peace and tranquility had finally arrived.

Upon looking at the smiling faces of their people, all the Sunil soldiers felt comfort. Everything that they had done for their people and family was worth it.

However, not everyone was happy.

With a heavy mood and expression, the officers handed the ashes of the deceased soldiers back to their families.

There were some who were filled with disbelief, others argued loudly, and some cried as they hugged the box of ash.

The cries of these families were a stark contrast to the cheering crowd. The light shower also seemed slightly depressing, and the temperature of the morning seemed to have fallen a bit.

Lana's parents hugged onto his box of ashes and knelt on the ground as though they had lost their souls.

As Herlous saw such a scene, he went forward to help Lana's parents up and softly said, ”He was a truly exemplary man.”

Lana's parents looked at him and did not say a word.

Upon seeing this, Herlous knew that any words of consolation would be useless. He turned around and walked away silently with his fists clenched tight. The Sunils had been through far too many life and death separations. Thankfully, this would be the last time.