Ryen chatted with the group for a while longer regarding the situation from the previous night's zombie siege.
The primary focus was assessing the destruction in the areas affected within the Redstone Technology City. In truth, the damage amounted to little more than a few ruined houses and breached ground terrain. As for casualties, the only losses occurred when Ei led a squad to purge the remaining zombies inside the city, resulting in a few dozen fallen soldiers. Yet with the Totems of Undying in their possession, it could hardly be counted as a true loss.
Aside from that, nothing had escalated beyond their control.
With the current stock of firearm ammunition, holding out for a few more days under the siege posed little pressure. The true difficulty lay in the final two days. By then, the ammunition reserves would inevitably run dry. Finding a solution for that remained a troubling prospect.
As for the greatest threat from last night, it was naturally the zombie.
Ryen furrowed his brow slightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "Regarding the zombie..."
Before he could finish, Zhongli cut him off firmly.
"I will handle the matter of the zombie."
Ryen raised an eyebrow, searching Zhongli's face with a deep gaze. The latter clearly bore a heavy, somber countenance.
"The plan from last night?"
Zhongli offered a subtle nod, offering no further elaboration.
Ryen shook his head helplessly.
"Fair enough. I shall leave it in your hands then. Handle the rest among yourselves. I have not rested yet, so I will catch some sleep first. Wake me when evening comes."
With that, Ryen stood up, leading Guizhong and Ei toward the interior of the City Lord's Manor.
The rest of the group exchanged a few more words in the living room before taking their leave one by one. Zhongli gathered the Adepti and set off with swift steps, walking aimlessly down the streets of the city.
Zhongli himself could not say where his feet were leading him. Deep in his heart, he repelled the task he had to execute next, making him reluctant to make the arrangements just yet.
Xiao appeared to read the heavy thoughts lingering in Zhongli's mind. He pressed his lips together, keeping his voice low.
"Lord Rex Lapis, the special task force is prepared. They are all elites from the Millelith. Would you like to brief them?"
Zhongli's footsteps came to a sudden halt, and the Adepti paused behind him. Visibly, a complex storm of emotions swept across Zhongli's face.
The special task force.
The very unit agreed upon last night, designed specifically to carry out a decapitation strike.
To put it bluntly, a suicide squad.
A journey with no return.
From the moment this special task force stepped outside the city walls, none of them would harbour thoughts of returning safely. Their mission was to drag the zombie down into the abyss with them before drawing their final breath.
This was the solution with the smallest margin of total loss that Zhongli had devised.
And yet...
To personally send Xiao and those children of Liyue down a road of absolute death was something Zhongli found almost unbearable.
As Rex Lapis, even in retirement, he believed his existence was meant to ensure his subordinates and people lived in peace and safety. But now, he was forcing himself to send the very people who trusted him to their graves.
Even with the guarantee of resurrection, it violently clashed with the convictions he held. In executing this plan, Zhongli was the one suffering the deepest agony.
Xiao, sensing the grief weighing on Zhongli, spoke softly, "Lord Rex Lapis, there is no need for sorrow. For Liyue, certain sacrifices are unavoidable. So long as victory is secured, everyone will gladly take part in this plan."
"This is the path of least casualties. If the zombie is not dealt with, the pressure on Redstone Technology City will escalate, leading to far more deaths."
"Sacrificing a few to ensure the safety of the majority is a rational choice."
"Besides, the zombie may not even appear again, and we still have the Totems of Undying to turn the tide."
"Lord Rex Lapis, please give the command."
The Adepti's eyes flickered with emotion, several of them turning their heads away in pain.
The captain of this suicide squad was Xiao.
The very Yaksha who had fought on the frontlines ever since Zhongli saved him during the Archon War, purging the remnants of fallen gods across Liyue day after day for a thousand years. Now, he was stepping forward to die for the greater good once more.
Even with resurrection guaranteed, how could one accept the concept of death so lightly?
Bosacius clenched his fists tightly, his voice deep and heavy. "Lord Rex Lapis, let me go instead."
Before Zhongli could answer, Xiao narrowed his eyes, his voice cutting through the air like cold steel. "We settled this last night, Bosacius. You are not suited for this."
Most of the Adepti specialized in head-on combat or varied esoteric arts. The Yakshas were pure combatants, yet even among them, differences remained.
Bosacius, as the Electro Yaksha, fought with a wide, sweeping, heavy style. Menogias, the Geo Yaksha, excelled in defense. Indarias and Bonanus wielded Pyro and Hydro, but as the younger sisters among the Yakshas, their raw strength was not their main asset, nor were they suited for high-speed infiltration warfare.
Only Xiao...
As the Alatus, the Wind Yaksha, he was as swift as the storm and as sudden as thunder. Back in the Archon War, he was the force that darted across battlefields at blinding speeds to collapse enemy defensive lines. Xiao's speed was the fastest among the Yakshas and all the Adepti, a trait that held true even in this blocky world.
His single-target burst damage was equally devastating. Given his history of penetrating deep into enemy lines during the Archon War to disrupt their rear guard, operating behind enemy lines was familiar territory.
No one was more fit to captain this special task force than him.
Yet Bosacius refused to yield.
"Regardless, I am your elder brother! As long as I am breathing, it is not your turn to jump into the fire!" Bosacius glared fiercely at Xiao, eyes burning with anger.
"You are being unreasonable!" Xiao let out a sharp, irritated huff. "What is death when it is for Liyue? A thousand years ago, this was already my destiny and my duty!"
"Furthermore, with the Totems of Undying, I will not truly perish!"
Bosacius grabbed Xiao by the collar, his rage overflowing. "Just because you won't truly perish doesn't mean you won't feel the despair of dying!"
"This is my duty! You have no say in it!"
"I am your eldest brother! It is my absolute right to command you!"
"When you left me behind and marched alone into the depths of the Chasm to throw your life away, I searched for you for five hundred years! Did you think of your elder brother then?!"
"I... I did it for you... for Liyue!"
"Absurd! If you can throw away your life for Liyue, why can't I?! I have stood by Lord Rex Lapis longer than any of you!"
"You... are you asking for a beating?!"
"I am not necessarily weaker than you!"
Seeing the two on the verge of clashing, Zhongli turned abruptly, his voice ringing out with severe authority.
"Enough!"
Both Yakshas felt their hearts tremble. They quickly released each other and lowered their heads.
Zhongli stared quietly at Xiao. After a long pause, a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"Lead the way. Let me see your squad..."
Xiao nodded hastily, stepping forward to lead Zhongli and the Adepti toward a square on the western side of the city.
The square was vast and empty, save for ten Millelith soldiers armored to the teeth standing in formation.
Dashi was among them, alongside several of the most elite members of the guard.
At the sight of Zhongli's approach, the squad stood at attention and offered their solemn salutes.
"Lord Rex Lapis, the special task force numbers ten in total. All present and accounted for," Dashi reported in a low, steady voice as he stepped forward.
Zhongli's brow furrowed slightly. "You are going as well? You ought to know what kind of deployment this is."
Dashi nodded. "I understand completely. But as the Commander of the Dragon Cavalry, my personal combat strength is the highest among the Millelith. In a crisis like this, I must take the vanguard."
"As for general command, Commander Fengyan can seamlessly take over my duties."
Zhongli remained silent for a long moment before giving a faint nod. He surveyed the ten soldiers before him, his gaze lingering on each face.
"You must already be aware of your assignment..." he began softly. "To eliminate the potential zombie with minimal overall casualties and turn the tide. Frankly speaking..."
"Once you depart, eight or nine out of ten will not return alive..."
The soldiers' expressions did not waver; they met Zhongli's gaze with unwavering calmness.
Inside, Zhongli's heart sank with endless sorrow. These were the absolute finest warriors of the Millelith, yet tonight, they were marching straight toward their deaths. How could Zhongli bear to subject his people to such a fate?
"For Liyue, we regret not death," Dashi answered, his tone resolute.
Zhongli let out another quiet sigh. "Though the Totems of Undying guarantee you will not perish permanently, the experience of dying remains one of pure despair."
"Have you truly considered the consequences? You will be surrounded by tens of thousands of zombies, with no hope of rescue."
"You will be torn apart... I offer you one last chance. You may still choose to step back right now."
The Millelith soldiers remained stoic, their eyes burning with unshakable determination as they looked upon their deity.
"From the very first day we joined the Millelith, we understood that our lives belonged to Liyue. If offering our lives can protect more of our brothers, then it is worth it."
"If laying down our lives ensures the defense of the city succeeds, even death is a glory."
"Besides, we will not truly die. It is merely a fleeting moment of pain. Lord Rex Lapis, please place your trust in the iron will of the Millelith!" Dashi declared with absolute conviction.
Zhongli spoke no further. He slowly memorized the face of every single soldier before softly saying, "Xiao will be your captain. Follow his orders for tonight's operation..."
With those final words, Zhongli turned away with a rare trace of weariness, leaving Xiao behind to coordinate with Dashi and the squad.
To Zhongli, issuing such a decree was no different from sending his own children to the slaughter. Xiao had served him for centuries, long regarded as his own kin, and the Millelith were the very citizens of Liyue he cherished. It was the most agonizing decision he had ever made.
Yet if the zombie was not slain, the entirety of Redstone Technology City would fall. If the gates were breached, the dead would no longer be counted in dozens.
Bosacius watched Xiao's back with a storm of emotions raging in his chest. After a long time, he withdrew his gaze and let out a deep sigh.
He could not alter Zhongli's decree, nor could he sway Xiao's determination. He understood intellectually that Xiao was the ideal choice for this mission, but understanding it in theory was vastly different from accepting it in his heart.
As the eldest Yaksha, he had watched his fellow Yakshas succumb to karmic debt and slaughter one another to the death in the past. Now, he was forced to watch Xiao march toward death once again. To him, this was the ultimate failure of an elder brother.
The only solace lingering in his mind was that Xiao would not truly pass away. It was the only thought he could use to comfort himself.
Zhongli wandered aimlessly through the city streets, the Adepti following silently behind.
The group moved without a word, traversing more than half of Redstone Technology City throughout the afternoon. Even under the threat of a apocalyptic zombie siege, the garrisoned troops remained filled with unwavering morale. Not a single soldier doubted their ability to hold the city.
Surrounded by the fierce passion of his army, the dark clouds lingering over Zhongli's heart gradually dispersed.
When the sun finally dipped beneath the horizon, cold moonlight once again blanketed the earth.
The roars and shrieks of the undead erupted in waves, shattering the fragile peace of Redstone Technology City.
The cataclysm had arrived once more.
Zhongli regrouped with the others and ascended the city wall.
Though they were well-acquainted with the grand scale of the siege, looking upon the horde never failed to chill one's blood. Over a hundred thousand zombies surged frantically toward Redstone Technology City—a visual and psychological shock beyond words.
Ryen took a deep, steadying breath.
"The cataclysm... five days from the end... has begun."