Two hours passed.
Within the manor, Grot surveyed the dozens of northern warriors clad in dwarf-forged armor who stood in the courtyard. A satisfied gleam flickered in his eyes.
Northern warriors were born warriors in the world. Even civilians unfamiliar with them would recognize them upon first encounter, for their unique temperament was truly exceptional.
Unyielding and fearless.
No force could vanquish a band of northern warriors head-on. Even if they met their end, their bloodlust would drive them forward relentlessly.
"Form ranks!"
A thunderous roar reverberated through the air. With practiced precision, the northern soldiers divided themselves into five squads, each consisting of exactly ten members.
These elite warriors were the ones Grot had brought along upon leaving the north twenty-five years prior.
Initially, there had been three hundred of them, but the ravages of time and the casualties of war had reduced their numbers to the present group.
Amy's focus was elsewhere. He silently assessed the strength of the warriors before him based on their auras.
He counted twelve level beta minus warriors among the fifty. All other northern warriors are at level alpha plus.
Including Grot's level beta plus,
Amy took a deep inhale.
A cohesive group of northern warriors could charge into battle against hundreds of enemies in formation.
Fearless of adversity.
Although confident in his plan, Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of gravity upon observing Grot's unwavering countenance. No one could ignore the ferocity of northern warriors.
Their reputation as exceptional warriors was hard-earned through countless battles.
Suddenly, a carriage drawn by a magnificent white horse approached the yard. Amy's eyes narrowed slightly as he detected the presence of life within.
A glimmer of recognition flashed in his gaze. The Northern Valkyrie.
"Lord Amy, we may depart."
Amy nodded in response, his gaze still fixed on the carriage.
"As you wish."
Servants presented horses from the stables, and the northern soldiers swiftly mounted and surrounded the carriage, forming a protective escort.
The procession moved out.
......
Approximately fifty kilometers from Green City, in a secluded valley.
"Ancestral Crown, do you believe Lord Amy will return with the northern warrior?"
Odis stood behind Morgen, his tone calm as he scanned the empty valley below.
Upon learning of the formidable foes they were to face, a heavy burden settled upon all the second-generation blood descendants.
This was the second confrontation between the blood clan and such an overwhelming adversary since their inception.
The last occurred a century ago, when an extraordinary existence from Green City besieged the blood clan.
The consequences of that war were well-known, and the fear instilled by the extraordinary still lingered among the blood clan today.
It had been a nightmare they preferred not to recall.
Despite facing another formidable enemy, the blood descendants felt an inexplicable confidence whenever they looked upon the tall, imposing figure standing before the cavern.
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It seemed that as long as Morgen remained, no challenge could truly daunt the blood clan.
After all, in a mere half year, their ancestral figure had augmented their power tenfold.
The blood clan now possessed the strength to confront forces that had once seemed insurmountable.
As long as their ancestor stood by them, the blood clan would remain fearless.
What Morgen had accomplished in this short period had not only instilled infinite confidence within the inhabitants of Dawn City but also earned the unwavering loyalty of the blood clans.
This was a bond born of the blood's ancestral affinity, a trust in the strong and the future.
It was all Morgen's creation.
"Fear not. None shall force the blood clan to bow. With me here, we shall stand tall even against the gods."
"Blood, fearless."
His calm yet resolute voice instantly lifted the morale of the blood descendants gathered behind him.
"Teacher~"
A melodious voice cut through the demonic atmosphere created by the blood clan's bat wings.
As Morgen turned to face the concerned face of the girl beside him, he extended a hand and tenderly caressed her long, flowing hair.
"Isa, are you afraid?"
Petite Isa scanned the blood clans with her enchanting gaze before turning back to Morgen, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"Isa is not afraid. Teacher is here."
With those words, she reached out and gently grasped Morgen's hand.
Her ruby-like eyes held an immeasurable trust and devotion.
She cared not whether Morgen was human or of another race. She knew that he was her teacher.
He was the hero who had rescued her from hell and brought her into the world. She would never forget the day when the world had turned its back on her and it was his figure that had promised to protect her with his life.
When Morgen had confided his true identity to the young girl, Isa's first thought was not of fear or apprehension but... How amazing her teacher was. He was the legendary Ancestral Crown of the blood clan...
Even Morgen had been surprised by the young girl's unique perspective.
Isa, the little girl, was Morgen's ultimate trump card. Although he could not guarantee that the dark covenant would not launch a sudden attack, he had decided to keep Isa close by for the foreseeable future.
Even if the Scarlet Mage Tower fell, he could not place Isa in danger.
As for Bella, Morgen had concocted an excuse for her to secretly travel to other cities under the guise of procuring magical materials. She would not be back for at least half a month.
The strength of the dark covenant forced him to proceed with caution. The only regret he harbored was the shortness of time. Even with thorough preparation, perfection proved elusive due to time constraints.
Tightening his grip on Isa's hand, Morgen's gaze fell upon the valley below, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
Leading a race to greatness was not as straightforward as one might assume.
When every decision and action carried the weight of their destiny, the pressure could become unbearable.
Yet, at this moment, Morgen felt a surge of exhilaration. He had never considered himself weak, and the stubbornness ingrained within him refused to countenance retreat.
Upon learning that the dark covenant possessed multiple figures with powers exceeding level beta, including their leader who approached the realm of extraordinary, Morgen had never entertained the thought of abandoning the Scarlet Mage Tower.
"Life and death matter not. If they challenge us, we shall meet them."
......
As Grot led his men and Amy through the third valley into the fourth, his growing anxiety finally overcame him.
"Lord Amy, how much further until we reach the cubs?"
Grot had observed their surroundings closely. By now, darkness had descended, and the birds and insects in the nearby woods had fallen silent.
However, Grot's worries preoccupied his mind, rendering him oblivious to the tranquility. They had already traversed three valleys.
It was not surprising that Amy had taken in the cubs of the golden race.
Initially, Grot had been vigilant, dispatching pairs of northern warriors to scout ahead.
But after the third valley, his concerns dwindled. He became consumed by the desire to locate the golden race cubs as swiftly as possible. The royal family in the north could not afford to lose them.
The Northern Valkyrie, who was on the brink of death, could not afford it either. The sooner she regained her strength, the more at ease he would be.
A glimmer of amusement spread across Amy's face at Grot's question.
"Lord Grot, we are already here."
"Arrived?"
"Yes. Welcome to the land of death..."
Grot's warrior's intuition flared, sending a wave of danger coursing through him.
Danger! Every pore in his body shrieked an alarm.
Before he had a chance to react, Amy's faint chuckle echoed through the air as the second-ring spell, Shadow Jump, activated and he vanished.
Simultaneously.
Gigantic figures erupted from the valley's perimeters, and giant bats filled the darkening sky.
Their gray-black wings were adorned with vicious barbs, their razor-sharp teeth glinted menacingly, their enormous ears twitched, and their guttural roars grated on the nerves.
The scene resembled the arrival of a demonic horde from the abyss.
Whoo~
Accompanying the giant bats was a terrifying assault.
As a roaring wind howled, dozens of towering boulders, resembling gigantic stones hurled by a siege engine, hurtled toward the northern warriors with fearsome speed.
"Ambush!"
"Disperse into squads!!"
"Protect the Princess!"
At Grot's thunderous command, the northern warriors, led by a senior warrior, swiftly separated into squads.
At that precise moment, the boulders crashed into the ground.
The deafening impact reverberated as the earth beneath surged and cracked.
One squad of northern soldiers, unable to evade in time, were crushed to smithereens under the relentless weight of the boulders.
Blood splattered everywhere.
The boulders continued their destructive path, smashing into trees and boulders for several hundred yards before finally grinding to a halt.
"No!" Grot's eyes turned crimson at the sight. His gaze fell upon Amy, who had teleported to a distant location, filled with murderous intent that could make even dragons tremble.