"So, in these five days, how many desert residents have we taken in?"

At this moment, in the underground warehouse, Andrew asked in a deep voice.

Through "Water Spirit Sensing," one could see that around the town, temporary camps had sprung up in large numbers.

Compared to the former scale of the camps, it has expanded more than three or four times, hasn't it?

"I'm not quite sure of the exact number." Aunt Sofia shook her head, "An Ya should have kept records."

An Ya indeed kept detailed personnel records.

In fact, in these five days, she, the administrator of the Wildfire Territory, was almost driven mad by the workload! She was even busier than Barbara.

Firstly, she had to arrange for manpower to set up numerous temporary tents around the town for the desert residents who were driven here to live in.

Secondly, with more people, water and food immediately became the top priority issues!

On the third day after Andrew and Ivan's disappearance—

"The water issue is actually manageable."

An Ya, in her current office at the Living People Cemetery, bit her lip and said, "Andrew had told me he'd solve the town's water problem, and he really did solve it thoroughly! The water storage of 'Shire' is even more than before it was damaged! Wildfire Town has never had such abundant water resources in its history."

Previously, Andrew had brought back a large amount of high-quality water from the Lake of the Ocean.

At that time, Andrew just casually said, "The water problem is solved."

Now, Barbara and An Ya truly comprehended the level and extent of the "solution" mentioned in that sentence.

If not for this, Wildfire Territory wouldn't have sustained even a single day, and a water shortage problem would have immediately erupted.

In fact, deep in the desert, Rose, who was now controlling the desolate beasts, was also greatly shocked.

In his original plan, Wildfire Territory was supposed to collapse in two days at most.

Now that three days have passed, Wildfire Territory has taken in a large number of desert residents, appearing to be struggling, yet order remains intact!

"As for food..." Barbara, sitting opposite An Ya, slowly said, "I still have a fair amount of food in my personal storage space. It should last about a week." She looked slightly downcast, for that food was originally the return supply for her and her knights. Sadly, the knights are no longer here.

The two women immediately exchanged glances and stayed silent.

The current situation, compared to the worst, is actually much better. That's a fact.

Yet both women knew that this still couldn't fundamentally solve the problem.

Water and food are, after all, finite.

The opponent's disgusting vanguard tactic seems to have no end in sight.

The week's time is predicated on no new desert residents being driven here.

Another more likely scenario is that it won't even take a week, as long as Rose continues to besiege without attacking and just keeps pushing more people towards Wildfire Territory, it is foreseeable that in a few days, Wildfire Territory will "burst," and collapse on its own.

"Damn it, that bastard Rose really knows how to disgust people!" Barbara gritted her teeth.

In her heart was another sentence: "And Andrew, disappearing at such a crucial moment, isn't much better! Where on earth did that guy go?"

With delicacy and courtesy like Barbara, and outward softness but inner strength like An Ya, both had an unspoken thought, which was:

Andrew, you'd better show up soon!

How can a Chief Mage be so unreliable?!

Of course, behind this unanimous "common enemy" sentiment, there's also an underlying layer: both women innately believed that Andrew would never shirk his responsibilities, nor would he just disappear forever. Deep down, they both thought:

Andrew will surely come back!

"...During the fourth and fifth days of your and Ivan's disappearance, the number of people driven by the desolate beasts increased severalfold." At this moment, in the underground warehouse, Aunt Sofia slowly said, "That's roughly the situation. The water can last about half a day more. There's essentially no food left."

These are the events that happened in the past five days.

After finishing her explanation, Aunt Sofia couldn't help but ask, "Andrew, do you... truly not know you've been missing with Ivan for five days?"

She, after all, hasn't undergone professional awakening and knows little about the domains involving cultivation.

Even among professionals, not everyone is aware of the existence of "Space-Time."

Andrew knew about the existence of such a Space-Time but overlooked the possibility of such a significant difference in time flow between a small world and the big world!

"I truly don't know." Andrew shook his head, "Ivan and I were trapped in a place, feeling like only about ten minutes passed."

"Ten... ten minutes?" Aunt Sofia was shocked and thought this was too exaggerated.

Little Sophie also tilted her head, with curious yet confused eyes, obviously unable to understand: Clearly, five days have passed, how could Big Brother Andrew say it's only been ten minutes?

Andrew, however, fell silent, digesting the latest situation reported by Aunt Sofia.

"Water Spirit Sensing" was already fully deployed, investigating the current situation.

Inside and outside the town, one word could describe it: overcrowded.

A small portion of them were Wildfire Town residents who had undergone his "Enlightenment Magic," but the majority were unfamiliar faces, forced to come to Wildfire Town in these five days.

Looking beyond Wildfire Territory, in every direction—

Desolate Beasts.

Desolate Beasts!

It's all Desolate Beasts!!

The number of desolate beasts was so vast that even Little Ha, who guarded "Shire," appeared intimidated, occasionally letting out distressful howls, as if saying: "Even if I'm a great fighter, there's no way I can fight so many at once! Woof woof!"

Even little Har, who was naturally resistant to Desolate Beasts, was like this. Naturally, the morale of the people in Wildfire Territory was even lower.

"…Hmm."

Andrew took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "I understand the situation."

From the tactics, one can glimpse the character and style of the tactician.

Rose is obviously the kind of person who can spend two weeks ensuring you're trapped to death rather than using one day to explode you with a seventy-percent chance of winning. That's the kind of person he is.

The problem is...if that guy knew that at any point during these five days, a strong attack could flatten Wildfire Territory without me or Ivan stationed here, I wonder what he would think?

"Under the siege of Desolate Beasts, both water and food are almost completely consumed. At most, there's only half a day left before we hit the limit.

——That's roughly the situation, right?"

Andrew confirmed again.

Sofia listened dumbfounded, slightly frowning, thinking what kind of attitude is this? How could he talk about such a horrifying situation in such a relaxed tone?

Andrew's description of the situation is word-perfect.

But this attitude and tone...

Sofia seriously doubted whether Andrew realized the seriousness of the problem and the gravity of the situation!

In Sofia's view, Andrew returning alone is just not enough.

Ivan must wake up too!

Yet, Andrew said calmly, "Ivan, I leave him in your care, Auntie. Come, little Sophie, you be good and stay here."

He held little Sophie, placing her back on the ground.

Little Sophie said, "Andrew brother, what do you plan to do? I… I can help you! I am an Apprentice Hunter now!"

Actually, she hadn't rested well in the past five days.

But she still wanted to act with Andrew.

Andrew squatted down and showed a reassuring smile, saying, "Don't worry, soon it will be fine. Little Sophie, you being good and staying here, and getting a good sleep, is the biggest help you can give, okay?"

Sofia couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Andrew, don't be careless!"

She didn't know what Andrew planned to specifically do next.

But this tone and posture clearly indicated he intended to do something.

The question was, could reckless action really work?

The situation at hand was completely at a different level from when Humboldt and Humboldt's Magic Apprentices rampaged through Wildfire Town!

Sofia's complexion was very poor.

The vanguard tactic inflicted vast invisible torment on the inner will of the people in Wildfire Territory.

The Desolate Beast tide was terrifying enough.

The artificially manipulated Desolate Beast tide was a hundredfold more terrifying.

The manipulated Desolate Beast tide drove civilians into Wildfire Territory but didn't launch a strong attack, instead continually increasing the burden on the town, nearly breaking the inner limits of almost everyone in the town.

Starting from last night, some had already expressed such views: "If so many people cannot be accommodated, then no more can be accepted. Otherwise, everyone will die together."

This was an extremely dangerous signal.

Once a conflict arises between the residents of Wildfire Town and those accepted from various parts of the Inner Sea Desert, even leading to clashes, then… everything would be over.

"How about… waiting for Ivan to wake, and then plan accordingly?"

Sofia looked at Andrew, biting her lip.

Having been through the Humboldt matter, she had quite a bit of trust in Andrew.

But now, she genuinely couldn't gauge if Andrew truly had the confidence to handle this seemingly insoluble situation, or if he was merely offering comforting words.

Andrew didn't explain more.

He merely repeated, "Don't worry, leave it to me." After a brief pause, he added, "Please, auntie, and little Sophie, for these five days, thank you."

It's undeniable that Desert Speaker Rose is a formidable enemy.

If not, I wouldn't have tried to be thoroughly prepared, going to that underground space to explore the Lake of the Ocean, quietly using Water Magic "Tear Stain" to mark him.

Andrew had not the slightest intention of underestimating Desert Speaker Rose.

But…

The biggest difference compared to five days ago is not the massive change brought by Rose's "vanguard plan".

Instead, it's that I've already understood the truth about Desolate Beasts and possess the ability to liberate them!

——That's the biggest difference between now and five days ago!

Rose earned the title "Desert Speaker" because he can control Desolate Beasts.

Desolate Beasts are like his claws.

For this, Andrew's current plan is simple: cut off Rose's claws, pull out Rose's teeth, and turn "Desert Speaker Rose" back into the Tier Four, cowardly, without Desolate Beast strength enhancement, and actually quite ordinary Earth Fire Mage Rose.

Just like that.

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