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It was something he had been eagerly awaiting. Yet at the same time, it was a reality he found impossible to accept.

“Removing all the fallen trees would have been a huge hassle, so we simply reinforced them and pitched the tents as they were.”

Fred Rowling, Chief Maintenance Officer of the Logistics Corps, said as though it were nothing.

What Howard was shown was less a defensive position and more a small fortress. Apparently, they had even utilized the trees felled during the initial battle. Howard could only marvel at the efficiency of the logistics corps, which had managed to construct something of this scale in barely an hour.

The horde of undead that had surged forward like crashing waves had now retreated like an ebbing tide, and the area had fallen eerily silent, as though the chaos from earlier had been a lie. Even so, a dozen or so undead still lingered nearby, watching for an opening to attack, and sporadic skirmishes continued.

Around the tents, a fence had been built from the fallen trees. Inside that stood another encircling wall approximately two meters high. It had been created using the Earth spell Earth Wall. The logistics corps’ level of skill was impressive. The walls were surprisingly thick and sturdy.

The plan was for members of the clergy to embed consecrated medals engraved with the temple’s crest into the walls, turning them into holy relics that would prevent the undead from entering. Against low-ranking undead, the effect would be tremendous. They would not even be able to approach. Merely touching the walls would be enough to purify them.

However, if a horde on the scale of the previous assault came crashing in, the defenses would quickly be swallowed beneath a tidal wave of undead and rendered meaningless. …Even so, it would serve as a temporary measure. Cedric Meyer furrowed his brow even deeper.

“Knight-Commander, the reconnaissance team has returned.”

Still carrying his halberd, Norman Lance, leader of Squad Four, opened the tent flap and called out.

More than an hour had passed since Howard and the others had eliminated the giant undead. The forest depths, where even the stars could not be seen, were now completely engulfed in darkness. Only the radiance of the Sanctuary Barrier illuminated the camp, making it appear as though a fragment of light had been cut out and suspended within the pitch-black night.

Norman’s report was that the scouting party dispatched after the undead attacks had begun to subside had finally returned.

Inside the largest tent, the expedition’s key personnel had gathered. Present were the four team leaders of the main knight force, Howard and Conrad of Amukham as observers, the three professors, and Connor Clark, the expedition’s commander.

At the table in the center sat Knight-Commander Cedric Meyer and his deputy Kyle Irvine, alongside Tony Easton of Squad Three, Lisa Tuttle of Squad Five, and Cornell Warlich of Squad Six. Norman Lance entered to join them.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Knight-Commander. We’ve just returned.”

Behind Norman came Magritte Gautier, Team Leader of the reconnaissance force, followed by Squad One Leader Djimon Ritsman and Squad Two Leader Raisa Urnova.

Squads One and Two had originally served as the vanguard. Their members had been selected specifically for their superior scouting abilities. The reconnaissance mission had consisted of five selected scouts, the two team leaders, and Commander Magritte herself, a total of eight people split into two groups and sent east and west.

“As Lord Cloud and the others predicted, the Black Rock formation lies approximately seven hundred meters north of our current position and stretches from east to west.”

After confirming everyone was present, Magritte began her report while tracing a finger across the Iroshio map spread across the table.

“The strange thing is that even after advancing two to three hundred meters east or west from here, we didn’t encounter a single Demonic Beast.”
“The closer you get to Black Rock, the more visibly the vegetation decreases. Within a radius of roughly one hundred meters around it, no plants grow at all. It’s completely barren, nothing but black wasteland.”

Raisa reported the absence of Demonic Beasts, while Djimon explained the abnormalities surrounding Black Rock.

“To get straight to the point, the enemy is coming from Black Rock. There’s a fissure, something like a giant crack, in it, and they’re emerging from there. I suspect their main force is on the other side. As for the enemies currently on this side of Black Rock… the number is… approximately six thousand…”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean!? What happened to the estimate of two thousand!?”
“They’re probably pouring endlessly through from the other side of Black Rock…”

Tony shouted in shock at Magritte’s report, and Raisa answered him.

“The fissure appears to be at least five meters wide. We successfully observed large undead emerging from it.”

The tent stirred with unease at Djimon’s words.

“This time, we refrained from climbing Black Rock. The entire surface is exposed stone with no brush cover whatsoever, and attempting it would have compromised our stealth. Unfortunately, we were unable to confirm what lies beyond it. My apologies.”
“No, Magritte, you’ve done more than enough. You returned safely without taking unnecessary risks.”

As Magritte bowed her head, Cedric praised the three scouts, judging the results more than satisfactory considering there had been no losses.

“No brush and difficult to climb? You’ve got to be kidding. And there was never any crack in Black Rock back in the day.”

Conrad voiced his doubts. The Black Rock he remembered, though sparsely covered, had still supported vegetation. At the very least, it had never been a barren mountain of exposed stone. Howard nodded in agreement.

“That’s because the crust shifted.”
“Dr. Morris?”
“This Black Rock… It’s a vein of Manulite, isn’t it?”

Morris Balthasar, a researcher specializing in structural geology, spoke up. Everyone immediately turned toward him.

“For some time now, black rock formations have been appearing throughout this region. I already explained this afternoon that they’re geological formations containing Manulite.”
“Th-That’s right! Exactly! Which is why I…! I’m not at fault here!”
“Please calm yourself, Acting Director Clark. No one has said you’re to blame.”
“Well, it’s true that the moment I mentioned that highly refined Manulite is worth more than gold of the same weight, someone’s eyes lit right up!”
“Dr. Morris!”
“S-So what’s wrong with that!? Once you know something will benefit the nation, seeking it out is only natural for someone who serves their country!”

Connor Clark shouted, looking around at everyone in agitation. Cedric Meyer promptly rebuked him.

It had happened earlier that day. The distance to Black Rock had been less than two kilometers, and the time was shortly after three in the afternoon. According to the original plan, they were supposed to establish a camp on a nearby hill and use it as a supply base. However, just as preparations were beginning, Clark became intensely interested in something Morris had said while examining the local geology.

According to Morris, the black geological formations found throughout the area contained Manulite. Manulite was a mineral with exceptionally high magical conductivity. If refined to high purity and stripped of impurities, it could be worth more than an equal weight of gold. Based on the flow of magical energy, Morris believed there was a high probability that large quantities of Manulite existed beneath the region. Furthermore, the formation they were heading toward, known as Black Rock, was almost certainly an exposed Manulite vein protruding from the surface. Even from the hill, the Black Rock formation could be seen stretching east and west roughly two kilometers away through the trees. Morris had been explaining his findings while surveying it through his personal goggles.

The moment Clark heard that, he became visibly excited. If a supply base were established here now, his role in the expedition would effectively be over, and he would be sent back. It was something he had been eagerly awaiting. Yet at the same time, it was a reality he found impossible to accept.