[Punitive Expedition defeated, suffers heavy losses at the hands of Lu Shan.]
[City Defense Department forced to withdraw from the Red River Region, leading remnant forces in retreat back to the shelter city.]
[Wilderness outposts have fallen. Warlord Ogrin has been killed in the wilds. Lu Shan has become the most powerful warlord in the upper Red River Region...]
For several days, similar news from the wilderness flooded the streets and alleyways of Ring City.
Everyone who saw the news was fraught with anxiety, their faces etched with worry.
"How could the Punitive Expedition have been defeated?"
"Weren't things going well just a little while ago? They were saying the final offensive was about to begin."
"Don't tell me Lu Shan is actually going to attack us?"
"We can't go on living like this! The news of the defeat just came out, and prices have already gone up again!"
