"Three thousand five hundred and seventy-two Totems of Undying were lost, with an actual casualty count of three hundred and fifty-four."
"Among the bodies collected while clearing the battlefield... there were only three hundred and five. As for the rest..."
Fengyan did not continue, but everyone understood the unsaid truth.
Those whose bodies could be recovered had mostly fallen while holding back the horde inside the city walls. Even so, the recovered remains were terribly mangled, requiring immense effort to piece together, and even then, complete bodies were rare.
The attacks of the zombies were no laughing matter, especially those that had continuously evolved under the Blood Moon. Without wearing armor or consuming alchemy potions, any direct clash meant being torn to shreds with horrifying ease. Furthermore, many zombies bore enchanted weapons of their own.
As for those who had charged outside the walls to buy time, or suicide squads like Xiao's team, not a trace of their bodies remained.
Even though Ryen and the others had mentally prepared themselves, hearing the casualty report from Fengyan still caused them to frown repeatedly.
This level of loss far exceeded everyone's psychological expectations. It was beyond what even Zhongli and the leaders could comfortably accept.
The Totems of Resurrection could indeed bring people back, but resurrection points were far from easy to come by.
After accumulating points for so long across all nations, the total combined pool amounted to little more than eight hundred points. In a single night, over three hundred had been wiped out, nearly half the entire reserve.
And this was merely the night following the Blood Moon, with five more days of cataclysmic warfare ahead.
While the soldiers rejoiced at the prospect of resurrection, the situation posed an immense headache for Zhongli and the leadership.
A short distance away, Bosacius stood frozen, clutching a blood-stained polearm. It was the weapon he had retrieved from the site of Xiao's detonation, the sole object left behind by his younger brother.
Subjected to tearing claws, teeth, and the searing blast of TNT, Xiao had truly been reduced to ash.
Nearby, Zhongli's gaze repeatedly drifted toward that weapon, his eyes filled with unreserved heartache.
Xiao was someone he had watched grow into the warrior he was today. He was the Adeptus who had accompanied him the longest and stayed closest to his heart. To say he viewed Xiao as his own son was no exaggeration.
Even now, the memory of Xiao's pale face in his final moments stirred the deepest depths of Zhongli's heart.
A heavy atmosphere began to spread once more, originating from Zhongli and the Adepti before quickly suffocating everyone in the vicinity.
Seeing the mood plunge again, Ryen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"We can discuss other matters later. Let us resurrect everyone first."
Zhongli and the others did not delay, producing the Totems of Resurrection without hesitation.
In the next instant, brilliant streams of golden light bathed every fallen soldier lying in the square. Golden light even condensed out of thin air in empty spaces.
As Ryen had explained before, as long as an individual had entered this world and borne the mark of MC, resurrection was possible. Thus, whether Xiao's physical remains or spirit fragments were recovered mattered little.
This was the first large-scale resurrection on such a grand scale, with clusters of golden light shimmering across the entire plaza.
Not a single person blinked, eyes fixed intently on the figures coalescing within the radiance. Such a scene of mass resurrection was truly awe-inspiring.
Baizhu composed his mind, staring intently into the light. This was his first time witnessing a true resurrection, a moment of unprecedented significance to him.
Although he knew the odds were slim, if he could glean even a fraction of understanding from this process, it would be a monumental breakthrough. Even if he learned nothing, witnessing the act of resurrection was something worthy of remembering for a lifetime.
It was the pursuit of his entire life, and now he was finally witnessing his dream manifest. Even if the realized dream had little to do with his own medical path directly, it moved him deeply.
Baizhu even entertained the fleeting thought of dying once just to ask Ryen to resurrect him with a totem, allowing him to personally experience the threshold between life and death.
However, the thought vanished as quickly as it came.
With intense battles raging, the Totems of Resurrection were vital strategic resources that had to be reserved for critical moments. Furthermore, these totems had been painstakingly acquired by Ryen and the group through defeating the Wither Storm. He had no right to squander their shared resources merely to satisfy a personal experiment.
Besides, having gained Ryen's shared physique, he was already immortal within this world, if not Teyvat as a whole. His ultimate dream was already fulfilled; there was no need for such reckless indulgence.
With varied thoughts lingering in their minds, the crowd quietly waited for the light to fade.
The golden radiance gathered with such intensity that it briefly eclipsed the morning sun.
After a long moment, clamorous voices erupted across the square.
The soldiers who had been lying pale on the ground moments ago were now standing in place, their complexions flush with health. Each person looked around with lingering fear, checking their own limbs repeatedly.
They remembered dying. Unlike the momentary protective trigger of a Totem of Undying, true death involved one's consciousness sinking into an endless, void-like darkness.
Even those whose bodies had been entirely destroyed were brought back whole. Among them, naturally, were Xiao and Dashi.
As the golden light dissolved, Xiao snapped his eyes open. He took a series of rapid, deep breaths, scanning his surroundings with a trace of tension.
To him, death was something that had happened just a moment ago. In his memory, the previous second was filled with tearing claws, explosive shockwaves, and searing flames. That bone-deep agony still lingered in his mind.
Yet taking in the scene around him, Xiao quickly realized that last night's battle had ended in victory. It seemed his act of mutual destruction had achieved its purpose.
Before he could speak, a massive shadow blocked his view.
In the next breath, several heavy thuds slammed into his back as strong arms pulled him into a crushing embrace.
This aura... Bosacius.
Xiao realized who it was and did not struggle.
Bosacius, towering nearly a head and a half over Xiao, held his younger brother tightly. After a long moment, his voice trembled slightly, filled with joy and pride.
"Xiao... we won! You are the pride of us all!"
Xiao glanced out of the corner of his eye toward Zhongli. A subtle, comforting smile rested on the corner of Rex Lapis's lips as he offered an approving nod.
In that moment, Xiao felt his sacrifice had been entirely worth it.
Zhongli stepped forward slowly until he stood beside Xiao. He reached out, as if to pat the young Yaksha's head, but ultimately let his hand rest quietly at his side.
After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "The experience of dying is not pleasant, is it?"
Xiao did not deny it.
A flash of heartache passed through Zhongli's eyes. "Next time, let someone else step forward."
Xiao pulled himself free from Bosacius's grip and shook his head firmly. "There is no need. I am already familiar with the sensation. Furthermore, with a successful decapitation strike under my belt, I am the most qualified."
"Though the feeling of death is filled with despair, the sweetness of victory outweighs that despair a thousandfold."
Zhongli let out a quiet sigh. Looking at the unwavering determination in Xiao's eyes, he knew he could not sway him.
The child had truly grown up...
Zhongli was unsure how he ought to feel. Gratitude and pride? Certainly. But above all, a quiet ache in his heart.
"Commander Fengyan... did we win?"
A youthful voice sounded near Fengyan's ear. Fengyan's eyes turned red in an instant as he turned and threw his arms around the newly resurrected recruit. He held the young soldier tightly without uttering a word, his grip tightening again and again.
The young soldier gave a shy, embarrassed smile. "It seems we won."
"Yes... you are a hero," Fengyan muttered, wiping away a stray tear before rubbing Xiao Kai's head affectionately. "When we return, I will introduce you to several fine young ladies!"
"Several?! That... that is far too many!" Xiao Kai's face flushed red as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
A wave of hearty laughter erupted from the surrounding troops, sweeping away the lingering shadow of death.
The newly resurrected soldiers inspected their bodies with awe, though a lingering dread remained in their hearts. Though they were alive, the sheer agony of death and the dark horror of being torn apart by monsters left an indelible mark.
Yet not a single one regretted their actions. If faced with the choice again, they would do the exact same thing, even without the guarantee of resurrection. It was their duty, a solemn vow they served for a lifetime.
The square filled with the joy of reunion, with many asking the resurrected soldiers what death felt like. The lively chatter helped ease the mental strain of those who had just returned from the void.
Ryen tried to force a smile, but his heart remained heavy.
The losses in this battle were severe. If subsequent nights unfolded like this, how long could their resurrection points hold out?
They had resolved the immediate crisis, but if the remaining five days mirrored last night, even the Totems of Resurrection would fail them.
In the end, casualties would become unavoidable.
With a quiet sigh, Ryen instructed Zhongli and the key leaders to meet at the City Lord's Manor shortly before departing with the others.
They made their way back to the manor. While the immediate aftermath of the battle was settled, future strategic arrangements still required intense deliberation.
The damage caused by the zombie had far exceeded Ryen's expectations. While they had saved a considerable amount of explosive ammunition last night, the trade-off in human lives was grim.
Previous skirmishes had resulted in only two or three casualties, or a dozen at most. Tonight, over three hundred resurrection points had been wiped out in one fell swoop. It pressed against the upper limit of what they could sustain.
If they failed to devise a viable strategy today, tonight's battle, and the four days following, would bring catastrophic losses. Excessive casualties would severely impact post-war reconstruction and the development of new mods.
Yesterday's crisis was an ammunition shortage; today's crisis was the exhaustion of resurrection points.
Ryen sat in the main seat without speaking a word, while Jean and the others around him maintained a heavy silence. They understood the weight of his concern.
They had resurrected the fallen this time, but how many more times could they afford to do so? The cataclysm still had five days remaining.
After a long while, Zhongli and the other faction leaders arrived. None of them bore the joy of victory; every face was weighed down with concern.
"Resurrection points..." Makoto pressed her lips together, her voice kept low. "We have barely over five hundred remaining. Based on last night's casualty rate, we can only guarantee zero permanent losses for two more days at most."
"I know no one wants to hear this, but it is an issue we cannot dodge. We must address it."
Ryen gave a subtle nod. After a moment's pause, he snapped his fingers, opening a two-person portal.
"Bring Ningguang and the others over to join the discussion," Ryen said, shaking his head to temporarily dispel his anxiety.
The group watched the stabilizing portal with complex emotions.
Clearly, Ningguang and her inner circle had been awaiting Ryen's summons. The moment the portal solidified, several figures stepped through into the manor.
After scanning Ryen anxiously and confirming he was unharmed, the women let out a collective sigh of relief.
"It seems we secured another victory last night," Yae Miko purred with a light chuckle, stepping over to sit beside Ryen.
Yet as her words fell, no one offered a joyful response. The room remained shrouded in heavy silence.
Noticing the oppressive mood in the manor, Yae Miko's smile faded, and she quietly settled into her seat.
Ningguang's brow furrowed slightly. "Did something happen?"
After a long pause, Ryen let out a tired sigh.
"Last night... our actual casualty count reached... three hundred and fifty-four people."
"What?!!"