Chapter 49 Chapter 49: The Watcher
Chapter 49: The Watcher
"Leave."
The man spoke, whether it was persuasion or simply stating a fact.
The greatsword embedded in the icy plain glowed faintly. Despite being on an icy plain, a scorching heat washed over them.
"......"
Manfred glanced at the "ubiquitous" Lord of Bloodfiends. Well, this issue indeed required careful discussion.
"Are you from Babel, sir?"
"Leave, before I change my mind."
Kevin spoke again, not answering Manfred's question.
But it was precisely this attitude that made Manfred feel increasingly awed. He did not press further.
"Then, what about His Lordship?"
"Fine. In exchange, I allow you to take him away standing."
Kevin could kill the Lord of Bloodfiends, but it wasn't necessary. The Lord had too many ambiguous connections; he likely had many backup bodies.
Indeed, as Kevin imagined, the Lord of Bloodfiends had taken many life-preserving measures during his long life. Simply destroying this body through physical means held little significance.
"Thank you."
Manfred gathered a crimson spell in his palm and hurled it at the ice pillar.
Bang! Embarrassingly, the spell only shook off a few ice shards, showing no sign of breaking the ice pillar.
Kevin glanced at him, and the ice pillar automatically shattered. The block of ice trapping the Lord of Bloodfiends crashed to the ground.
Like a transparent coffin. Manfred resentfully picked it up. The icy cold was somewhat unbearable, but there was no choice—it was his own Lord; he had to carry him back even if it was uncomfortable.
......
"General, are we just going to wait like this?"
The deputy asked with a troubled expression.
"What do you suggest?"
Manfred glanced at him and handed the Lord of Bloodfiends to other soldiers to thaw.
In front of the soldiers, he had returned to his authoritative and stern demeanor.
"We could..."
"Asint, if you want to die, you can go alone. Don't incite others."
Manfred gave him a casual glance. He knew all too well the strength of a Lord of the Royal Court.
Even with this vanguard force he brought now, facing an enemy of that level, they would be completely annihilated in no time.
As for an enemy who could overpower the Lord of Bloodfiends... well, he couldn't even imagine it. What could they fight with? Asint's glib tongue?
So, who exactly is that Aegir?
Or some unknown ancient monster hidden in the annals of history?
Various doubts swirled in Manfred's mind. He did not act rashly and chose to hold his position, quietly waiting for the main army from the rear to arrive.
Take a detour? No, that would be too much trouble. Moreover, without the Lord of Bloodfiends to contain them, they most likely couldn't catch up to Babel anyway. It was better to wait for an opportunity.
If that man still hadn't left by then... well, don't blame him for not adhering to martial virtue. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
No one can stand before an army of corps scale. No one!
......
And so, this awkward stalemate lasted for an entire day. The vanguard force remained at the valley entrance.
Kevin stood leaning on his sword at the center of the valley for the entire night. No one could cross that line of death.
Until early the next morning, he walked out with a leisurely, unhurried pace. Since they hadn't received Manfred's orders, not a single person in the entire vanguard force dared to stop him.
They let him leave.
As for the thawed Lord of Bloodfiends?
"My Lord, he's gone."
"Really? Cough I mean... uh..."
"Literally."
"That's good."
——————
Babel,
"You're saying you left Kevin alone there?"
Theresa was somewhat distraught. Why? Every elite operator of Babel was not the type to abandon a comrade. She, who could sense people's emotions deeply, knew this well.
"Yes. Kevin told us to leave. He stayed behind alone to cover our retreat."
Ace's tone was heavy.
"Relax, relax, Your Highness. I can't really say much about Boss Kevin's strength, but at least a mere Lord of Bloodfiends couldn't possibly pose a threat to him."
W waved her hand reassuringly. She didn't want Theresa looking so worried.
"W, you should know what a Lord of the Royal Court represents."
Kal'tsit sat beside Theresa, somewhat puzzled.
Even if Kevin's test performance was extraordinary, a Lord of the Royal Court... those monsters couldn't be quantified simply based on data. As ancients, their methods were bizarre and numerous.
"I don't know."
W shook her head very bluntly. She genuinely didn't know. As a pure Kevin fanatic, her brain capacity didn't allow her to consider so many things.
BANG!!!
The door was flung open violently, hitting the wall with a deafening sound.
It was none other than Anto in a whirlwind!
She was panting heavily, speaking intermittently:
"Hah... hah... Kevin... Kevin is back!"
Everyone was startled and stood up simultaneously.
——————
"You all...?"
Kevin had just walked through the main gate when he saw a large group of people gathering around him.
Before he could figure out what was happening, he was bear-hugged by Scout and Ace. If not for Kevin's strong self-control, they would have turned into ice sculptures the next moment.
"Hey! Let go quickly! You're so rough! What if you hurt Kevin? Don't you understand the principle of adding injury to injury?"
Anto was like a bristling Feline, forcing Ace and Scout to reluctantly let go.
"Nothing more to say. We'll have a drink together later."
"Ace is right."
"How are you? Are you injured? Go get checked at the medical department. It won't take much time."
Anto hurriedly came over and started fussing with his clothes under Kevin's puzzled gaze.
"Unnecessary."
Kevin looked at W. He thought she would have explained to them.
W understood the meaning in Kevin's eyes and couldn't help but shrug helplessly:
"Boss, it's not that I didn't say anything. They just didn't believe me."
"Hmm."
He nodded. This was within reason. After all, he hadn't initially expected to get involved in this conflict himself.
It was like.......
Kevin lowered his eyelids, lost in thought about something.
"Kevin, just listen to Anto. Otherwise, she probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
Theresa chuckled lightly, persuading him.
"...Alright."
"Come on, follow me!"
Anto beamed with joy and quickly pulled Kevin away to the medical department for a check-up.
Babel Conference Room,
"This is... the scene?"
Theresa covered her mouth in surprise.
The entire enclosed valley had transformed into a world of ice and snow. Crystal-clear ice crystals were stained with blood. From time to time, one could see ugly and disgusting bloodfiend creations frozen within.
"Moreover, according to intelligence, Manfred's vanguard force also arrived within an hour after Ace and the others escaped."
Ascalon's tone carried a rare hint of gravity.
"So you're saying Kevin alone held off the entire vanguard force and the Lord of Bloodfiends combined?"
"Yes. For an entire day, they didn't advance an inch."
——————
Collectible:
*[Watcher's Pendant]*
Effect: Restores Hope to its maximum limit. If the limit is less than 10 points, then Hope +13.
Description: A Fire Moth medal. Every warrior who takes the oath receives a unique one.
But even among so many "unique" ones, this one is the most special.
Because its owner is Kevin.
And Kevin himself, during those dark years, was "hope."
my goat, the Hope of humanity