Chapter 969 - The Heart Chamber

The withdrawal ended during the early hours of the morning, when the final group crossed Asgard's walls accompanied by wagons loaded with wounded soldiers, damaged equipment, and sealed boxes containing the few fragments Frieren had considered safe for analysis. There was no reception, celebration, or attempt to present the result of the operation as a public victory. The twelve outposts had been destroyed and the adaptive network had stopped functioning as a single consciousness, but everyone who had taken part in the battle knew that they had merely uncovered a far older threat. Monica ordered the eastern gates to remain closed, temporarily suspended the rail lines coming from the southeast, and transformed part of the military district into an isolation zone, refusing to allow soldiers to return to their homes before undergoing a complete inspection.