While Derick and the others were regrouping with Trianne, Nikador's avatar was fleeing in panic.
Although currently insane, its instinct for self-preservation remained. Having paid the price of a torn-off arm, it successfully escaped the pincer attack of the two enemies.
After getting away, it instinctively planned to find a place to recuperate.
However, at this moment, a pitch-black figure with glowing red eyes, holding a scythe, appeared before it.
Swinging the scythe, Derick controlled his avatar to attack it.
...
On the way back, Castorice noticed Derick's somber expression and asked with concern:
"Derick, what's wrong? Why do you seem low-spirited?"
Beside them, Mydei spoke with understanding, "It's normal for someone on the battlefield for the first time to react this way after seeing so many corpses. Derick's current state, even among the Kremnos clan, is considered quite good."
"So that's how it is." Castorice nodded in understanding, then reached out to take Derick's hand, wanting to comfort him.
"Thank you, I'll be fine in a bit," Derick said to Castorice and Mydei.
He wasn't feeling unwell because of the battlefield. He had controlled his avatar to attack Condemnation Gladiators and Hunters many times before and was already accustomed to the battlefield situation.
The reason for his current expression was that he was still controlling his avatar to fight Nikador's avatar.
During the battle with Mydei and Castorice, Nikador's avatar had suffered extremely severe injuries and its arm was crippled. Meanwhile, his own avatar had just absorbed a wave of enemy corpses, significantly boosting its energy and skills.
Despite this disparity, the fight between Derick's avatar and Nikador's avatar was still extremely difficult. The Nikador avatar's strength and speed still surpassed Derick's avatar, making it very challenging for Derick to handle.
Fortunately, Derick still had an advantage. With his main body safe, the avatar's immortality remained active. And the heavily injured Nikador avatar lacked the high attack power of the Flame Reaver. By slowly wearing it down with immortality, Derick's avatar could eventually grind down Nikador's avatar.
It was just that during these few hours of battle, Derick's mental state wouldn't be great.
Derick, Castorice, Mydei, and the Salthos warriors regrouped with Trianne and the civilians she was leading. The mood among the group was somewhat low. During the earlier battle, the tribe had suffered many casualties, and many injured people were now lying on the ground, groaning constantly.
Trianne walked over to Derick and said, "Little Derick, thanks to you bringing so much medicine this time, otherwise the injured among the Salthos tribe wouldn't have received adequate treatment."
"That's truly wonderful."
A smile appeared on Derick's face.
He was very happy to see this situation. Moreover, his avatar side had also made significant progress. Seizing an opportunity, his avatar successfully dragged the Nikador avatar into the range of ground wrestling.
This was extremely disadvantageous for the one-armed Nikador avatar. Coupled with the avatar's 'immortality', Derick was confident that the final victory in their battle would belong to him.
"But..." Trianne's expression fell slightly. "During the battle just now, most of the Salthos tribe's food was destroyed. The remaining food, combined with what we brought, can only barely last until they reach Okhema."
"Getting the Senate to allocate their food will still take some time. I don't know how this tribe will manage during this period."
"This..."
Derick could imagine that during the time it took for the Senate to provide grain, many people would surely starve to death. Derick even suspected if this was the Senate's intention.
Let the old, weak, sick, and disabled unsuitable for survival starve, leaving the strong young adults for labor or military service, thus maximizing efficiency.
Derick clenched his fists.
He didn't want to see this happen.
In the eyes of the Senate members, the Salthos people were just numbers. But in Derick's eyes, they were living, breathing human beings.
An old man over there was telling stories to children; a wife here was mending her husband's battle-torn clothes.
Must he really watch them all starve like this?
Derick felt the world shouldn't be like this.
Thinking of a solution, he said to Trianne, "Aren't they a tribe that worships Georios? Aren't their farming skills very good? Perhaps they can use these farming skills to trade for grain."
"Little Derick, that won't work. Okhema has limited arable land, and the area illuminated by daylight is finite. Currently, all of Okhema's arable land is utilized to its maximum potential. Even with the best farming techniques, food production cannot be increased."
Tribbie shook her head. However, seeing Derick still thinking, she quickly said, "Don't dwell on it for now. After we return, I will suggest it to Aya. I won't let this tribe suffer large-scale starvation."
"Mm." Derick nodded reluctantly.
But he was still pondering this issue.
And on the other side, he was also controlling his avatar in battle.
...
By evening, the battle on Derick's avatar side finally concluded.
After a prolonged war of attrition, the heavily injured Nikador avatar was finally defeated by Derick's avatar.
Picking up the scythe, Derick's avatar began dismembering the Titan avatar. After dismemberment, the avatar began devouring it.
This time, it could be described as a snake swallowing an elephant. After Derick's avatar devoured the avatar, it didn't immediately convert its techniques and energy. Instead, it needed a period of digestion to fully master them.
Coincidentally, the continuous exertion of energy had also left Derick feeling mentally exhausted, and he needed a good rest.
So he controlled his avatar to move to a secure location and began resting.
At this moment, Castorice walked over.
"Derick, have some soup first." Seeing his tired appearance, Castorice brought him a bowl of soup.
She comforted Derick, "Things have reached this point; we can only do what we ought to do. Right now, we can only trust that Lady Aglaea won't watch so many people die."
"Mm."
Derick took the hot soup, intending to drink it to ease his mood.
Just as he was about to resign himself to fate, his gaze fell upon the area beneath a damp stone. Looking under the stone, his eyes instantly lit up.
The crops grown under Okhema's sunlight were limited. But what if there was food that didn't require sunlight?
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