Nathan waited for some time and blew his special whistle a couple of times, but still, there was no sign of Doombringer.
'What could be wrong?' he thought, feeling a sense of dread washing over him. This was the first time something had happened. Often, as soon as he blew the whistle, Doombringer would arrive within a couple of minutes.
His delay today was unsettling, and Nathan had a bad feeling about it. There were a couple of scenarios that resurfaced in his mind, but he tried to stay positive, shaking the thoughts as he turned back to Hans, Cole, Gordon, and a few Awakened who had accompanied them.
Because of the presence of monsters outside the walls, most of the non-Awakened were told to stay back and seek shelter here in the Armstrong Duchy. Traveling with so many people could only be inviting trouble; the last thing Nathan wanted was for a beast horde to attack them on their way.
If something like that were to happen, it would stall them.
"For some reason, Doombringer is delayed, but don't worry, we'll use horses!"
"B-but that would take days," Cole stuttered, recalling their journey to the Armstrong Duchy.
"We can only hope Elvin can hold on against the horde until we arrive!" Hans exhaled deeply as he turned to Cole and assured him that they'd do their best to reach the Barony as fast as they could.
"Besides, the reason we took that long was because we camped some days." Gordon hummed. "If we ride non-stop, we could reach the town in, at the earliest... a day and a half."
Gordon's words brought a bit of hope to Cole, and then they looked at Nathan, who was staring absentmindedly into the distance, a hint of flames dancing wildly in his eyes.
Gordon and Hans could vaguely tell what was going on in their fiery friend's mind. The next moment, this thought proved correct as Nathan turned towards the others, his gaze specifically settling on Cole.
"Come. There is a faster way to reach the Barony." Nathan stretched out a hand to Cole. "It's been a long time since I manipulated my flames like that, but I'm certain I can do it."
Cole was a bit lost as he listened to Nathan's words, which he could only describe as random ramblings, as he didn't understand anything. Still, he decided to take his master's hand.
Before Cole could react, Nathan swept him off his feet, carrying him in a princess style.
Things had happened a bit too fast, but the next thing Cole knew, he found himself in the sky.
Huh? How did he get here? The young pyromancer thought as he glanced up at Nathan's face, which was fixed on the direction of Cromwell Barony.
Then his gaze fell downward, and his eyes widened slightly.
From the soles of Nathan's feet, a torrent of flames surged out like the thrust of a rocket back on Earth. With the help of the flames, Nathan was hovering in the air like a sword. He didn't waver; he was steady, and even his usually hunched back was straight.
Cole was shocked! He was a pyromancer too, but he never knew flames could be manipulated in such a manner.
"Hold tight, brat," Nathan warned, and then a supersonic boom echoed as they bolted toward the direction of the Barony, leaving nothing but smoke in their wake.
Hans and Gordon watched this sight and exhaled deeply. With that speed, as long as Nathan didn't run out of mana—which was highly unlikely—the two were certain the mad dog could arrive in a couple of hours.
"Come on, let's go!" Hans roared, and the shriek of horses was heard as they rode into the distance, leaving a cloud of dust.
"Listen up, all of you." Aina's feminine yet strong voice echoed. She was currently facing a group of Awakened who were the private force of the Duchy. Despite their massive, dominating appearance, these men were shivering as they stared at the red-haired woman before them.
She was tall, beautiful, and most importantly, she was a warrior. From her fierce eyes alone, the Awakened could tell she had fought countless wars. Her mere presence alone screamed danger, and there was a strange power in her voice that compelled them to listen to her.
Earlier, she had informed them that the Duke had disappeared after gambling away his position in the tournament. Though it came as a great shock at first, they quickly accepted the new changes.
Within the midst of soldiers was Kron. Kron held his head low, avoiding eye contact with the red-haired woman. He was praying to whatever god that cared to listen to not be detected by her. This woman had, after all, nearly crippled Hendrix, despite him being the son of the Duke.
Kron couldn't even begin to imagine what she might do to him. Though he was grateful to the Cromwells for taking the initiative, he wasn't foolish enough to show himself.
Unfortunately, he expertly blended into the crowd, and because Aina had more pressing issues on the ground, she didn't notice him.
While Aina was assembling the private force, Nox and the group weren't slacking either. Nox stood on the walls of the Duchy, staring into the distance, his hair whipping in the air. Beside him was none other than Nyx, Wendy, and Rab. Further away were some archers.
The city gate had been rebuilt and further reinforced with earth magic by Awakened with earth-related affinity. Still, Aina knew the reinforced walls would only buy them time. So while the town was evacuating, she had ordered Nox and his friends to be the first line of defense.
After witnessing their prowess in the mysterious realm, Aina wasn't scared that something would happen to the kids. She was confident they could take care of themselves.
Soon, the beast horde reached a hundred meters, and their mutated, monstrous appearances became visible, making the soldiers tense and tighten their grasp on their weapons.
However, in contrast to them, there was a wide, dangerous smile on Nox's face.
Unlike the others, Nox saw this as an opportunity.
"I have been stagnant at level 15 for a while now," he thought, his eyes flashing sharply. "With this monster horde, I wonder how many levels I'll attain."
He paused, then added, "Of course, I won't forget my pets as well... speaking of them... I think it's time I summon them."