Hizon used the first minutes after the defense to count what remained.
The system had removed every defeated creature from the battle, even though they would return after it ended. The survivors were exhausted, injured, or carrying equipment damaged during the retreat. None would recover merely because the direction of the battle had changed.
Hizon left the Forgeguard in the final chamber. The core route still required protection, and the Forgeguard's limited pursuit range made him poorly suited to an invasion. The Stag Beetle remained inside the Ant Hill with cracks running across its armor and one front leg unable to bear its full weight.
The Artificer stayed in the Foundry.
He redirected workers toward the vents, gates, and passages touched by the fungal network. Isolated growth could not claim Hizon's core without an army, but leaving it inside working machinery would create problems before the battle ended.
