...
It was already too late Nathan arrived at the Mountain Range behind the city. Shin had already been abducted by Butcher and had been brought to their base.
He should have arrived earlier if not for the interference of the unknown guy that obstructed his path when he was rushing here. That guy's strength was still way too weak compared to him, but they had used a mysterious skill that prevented him from advancing forward.
Even though he was able to quickly break through it immediately after. But that short amount of time was more than enough to delay him and arrive at this place late.
He did not expect that the other party would be able to respond in time despite his rushing over here as soon as he received the news. He was aware of the people that were possibly monitoring his movements, but their response was still a little too fast for them to delay his arrival.
And when he arrived at this place, he discovered that there was a barrier isolating the mountain from the outside.
He did not destroy it since there was no meaning for that at this point. But he also did not conceal himself when forced his way in. He was not concerned that the other party would be able to notice him. He confidently walked his way in, completely unbothered.
Aside from his overwhelming confidence that there was nothing that could match him in this place, he was also doing this to protect Shin and the others.
He was building a fa?ade where he was telling the opposing side that he did not care whether they do something to Shin and the others or not. It was to trick them into thinking that the people that had been captured were just like ordinary soldiers in his army.
He was known for being cold-hearted in the military. Even though he rarely lost his soldiers whenever he was in command, most people thought that he did not care about them if ever one of them got captured.
He was confident that none of them would talk even if they died during the interrogation.
…
He stood at the place where Shin and Shaun had their final showdown as well as where the battle ended. He looked around and observed the surroundings.
He used the traces left behind in the scene to understand what had happened. The entire place seemed to have moved back in time as everything was replayed in his eyes.
After a few moments, he could not help but smirk a little. "That kid still won in the end against a stronger opponent, huh? Not bad."
He stayed still for a few more seconds before asking in a low voice. "This is the final coordinates that have been recovered before the signal disappeared?"
There was an earpiece attached to his ear, signifying that he was talking to someone.
Not long after, John's voice quickly came from the other side of the line. "Yes, Commander. That is the exact place where Shin is last seen before the barrier cut off our signal."
Nathan slightly nodded his head before continuing. "If that is the case, then we are still not sure of their main base."
But quickly after that, he added. "But this no longer put us in a dead end. At least, we do not how to have a place where we can monitor."
"Organized our men and set up blockades that will cover all the exits of the city. Also, put some men in the possible exits behind or around the mountain, we can't afford to let them escape now, especially when we are aware of their general location."
He then started smirking. "Let's see where you guys are going to run now."
At the same time, John's hesitant voice finally sounded from the communicator. "But Sir-… are you sure that we have to mobilize our forces? If we do that now, we are going to alert the camp here in the Eastern Sea Region."
"They-… they can also take this as a provocation. If that happens… then-… then-…" he added after a few moments of hesitation. He also could not help but stutter when he thought about what was going to happen if the two military divisions suddenly clashed against each other.
He could not help but shudder when he tried to imagine the outcome.
Nathan, on the other hand, smirked even further when he heard that and said. "There is nothing to worry about. There is no one in their camp that can deal with me."
"Moreover, there are the first to declare war on us, so if there is someone to blame, then it should be them," he added before walking ahead.
John was having a headache right now since he knew what Nathan was thinking. His commanding general was purposely proving the other division to make their move so that they would come after him.
He could only sigh helplessly and started to miss his father. At least with his old man around, Nathan would not act this way without making any preparations.
"This is the problem with overpowered people, they are too proud and too confident in their strengths, not caring about the consequences," he muttered as he powerlessly collapsed on his seat.
Unknown to him, he forgot to turn off the microphone, which made Nathan hear everything.
"Oh~! You are saying something? Are you missing being thrown in the 'grinder' that much? Don't worry, I will recommend to the academy to send you there once we are done with this operation," said Nathan with an amused look.
"F*ck!" cursed John after realizing his mistake. Unfortunately, he still forgot to turn the mic off.
"Oh~! Are you cursing on your superiors, now? I think a month in the 'grinder' is that that bad, right?" said Nathan.
John suddenly wanted to cry after hearing that. The 'grinder' was a place where the soldiers are in a constant war with the terrorist of the country or some cultist that were intending to massacre anything in their sight.
It was a battlefront where a lot of people died due to the constant fighting.
The students at the Top Military School were being thrown in that place most of the time as a form of training. That place was also one of the reasons why the mortality rate of the school was quite high compared to the other elite universities.
John did not say anything and quickly focused on work, not wanting to carelessly say a single word.
The others in his team were trying their hardest not to laugh, afraid that Nathan would implicate them along with John.
Unfortunately for them, an expert like Nathan had sharp senses. "What are all of you laughing about? He is the captain of your team, so you are naturally included in his punishment."
"If you did not perform well in this operation, then I will extend your vacation in the 'grinder' for another month," he added threateningly.
All of them quickly shut up when they heard those words, not wanting to prove Nathan anymore.
…
Nathan ignored everyone after that and continued climbing the mountain, following the path that Shin took when he was trying to run away.
He could not find any traces leading him to where Shin had been dragged. He suspected that either Butcher or Coffin Maker had brought him, so they were able to erase their traces while retreating.
Given that, Nathan could only follow the path where the traces were impossible to erase within a short amount of time.
While walking, he was also observing the traces that were left behind and imagining how the fight went, understanding the situation.
Based on those traces, he understood that most of the people on the other side were at least in the early phase of the Ethereal Opening Stage. With such a force, he could tell that the opposing organization was quite big and powerful.
Not long after, he arrived at the place where Old Man Roger and Coffin Maker fought. And based on the traces of the battle, he could instantly tell that the two sides fought too intensely.
Nathan could not help but slightly frown when he saw the battlefield. He knew that Coffin Maker was not good when it came to a frontal confrontation. After all, that guy's fighting style fitted assassination the most.
But he did not expect that the opponent that he was facing would be able to put this much resistance. From what he knew, his opponent was supposedly an old man and a seriously injured one at that.
Moreover, the old should only be at the peak of the Void Manifestation Stage. And as Domain Realm Exert like himself, Nathan was aware of the huge gap between the two realms.
Even though the old man was only a step away from reaching the Domain Realm, the gap remained the same.
He was surprised that Old Man Roger was this strong. From his estimate, the old man should be a sliver away from the higher realm.
"This is surprising," muttered Nathan as he thought of something. He then resumed his steps while adding to his words. "If that cunning kid is aware of this, then I am sure that he will be able to create an opening after utilizing all of his cards."
After a few moments, he finally reached the summit of the mountain and saw a huge shrine. There was no actual temple there, but there was a simple altar situated at the center.
And when Nathan saw the statue standing on top of the altar platform, he could not help but wear a mystifying smile. "Now, this is getting more and more interesting."
...
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com