The man’s eyes, brimming with killing intent, swept across the crowd. That gaze and aura sent shivers down spines. No one dared meet those domineering eyes.
Fear. It was primal, bone-deep fear.
Looking at his towering, robust frame, people couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
However, when Nathan realized the newcomer was a soldier, he instinctively hesitated.
Fighting through the pain in his hand, he tried to keep his composure. “Sir, may I ask who you are?”
Recognizing the man’s skill, Nathan respectfully used the term “sir.”
The uniformed man gave Nathan a cold glance, then sneered, “You’re not worthy of knowing.”
With that, he strode to Kayden.
With a thud, he dropped to one knee, saluting respectfully. “Your lowly subordinate, Greedy Wolf, arrived late to protect you. I await your punishment, my Lord!”
As he finished, he bowed his head deeply, ready to accept any punishment.
This scene left many onlookers dumbfounded, their eyes darting between each other.
What was going on? How did this ragged, pale-faced guy command such authority?
Lord? Who was he?
Nathan swallowed hard, his gaze now uncertain. He cautiously asked, “Who exactly are you?”
Greedy Wolf turned back, barking, “My Lord, I request permission to raze this place to the ground!”
Raze it to the ground!
Nathan’s face turned ashen. Could this one man level the entire place? But surely he wasn’t alone. Unless…
Nathan’s mind raced with possibilities.
Kayden sighed, “Alright, stand up.”
Greedy Wolf frowned, seemingly surprised by the Defender of the South’s leniency.
In the past, Kayden would have already ordered executions.
But Greedy Wolf dared not question it, simply responding with a “Yes” and rising to his feet.
Just then, Nathan received a call from his father, Eliot.
“Son, do as you please. I’ve had Enoch seal off the ring road. Nothing that happens here today will get out.”
Nathan’s confidence surged due to Eliot’s words. Though the newcomer’s arrival had rattled him, he was no longer afraid!
Enoch Bernard, the commander of Inassea’s regional forces, wielding immense power. With a word, he could crush any opposition. Thinking of his uncle Enoch and the forces outside, Nathan felt invincible.
However, convinced the man was just a bodyguard, Nathan snorted dismissively, muttering, “All for show!”
“Man, is this your trump card? One bodyguard? What waves can he make?” Nathan taunted, glancing at his injured hand.
“By the way, do you know how many men I have here?” Nathan spread his arms boastfully.
Kayden’s brow furrowed slightly, but before he could answer, Nathan held up two fingers, exclaiming, “Twenty thousand! A full twenty thousand men. No matter how good you are, can you take on twenty thousand? And behind them, I’ve got Inassea’s regional forces. What do you have to challenge me?”
“What? You want to compare numbers?” Kayden replied coolly.
Since Nathan was so boastful, Kayden didn’t mind letting him die with his eyes wide open.
Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. “Are you saying you can gather enough men to match me?”
Before Kayden could speak, Greedy Wolf angrily drew his twin blades, snarling, “My Lord, why waste words on scum like this? Order me to kill him! He’s already committed a capital offense!”
With just a word from Kayden, Greedy Wolf could slaughter all twenty thousand here.
Kayden raised a hand to stop him, then looked up at Nathan. “Give me ten minutes. I can summon an army of one hundred thousand.”
Nathan burst into laughter, turning to the other three young masters of Inassea. “One hundred thousand troops, he says! Did you hear that?”
Eagle laughed along. “This guy must be mental!”
“That’s right, Mr. Atkinson. Just give the order, and we’ll kill him!” Black Tiger said excitedly.
Iron Bull chimed in, “Indeed, he’s just stalling for time!”
“No!” Nathan raised a hand to stop them, then addressed Kayden. “Fine. I’ll give you half an hour. Let’s see you summon your hundred thousand troops!”
Kayden gave Greedy Wolf a look, and he immediately understood, starting to make phone calls.
Nathan watched Greedy Wolf’s theatrics, finding it even more amusing, but he didn’t mind waiting another ten minutes.
“By the way, which faction in Inassea could gather a hundred thousand troops?” Nathan whispered to Eagle.
Eagle shook his head. “We’re the biggest organization in Inassea, unrivaled! The surrounding areas combined might have a significant number, but gathering a hundred thousand in ten minutes? It’s just a bluff to buy time. Mr. Atkinson, we shouldn’t fall for his trick. Let’s act now!”
Nathan smirked coldly. “It’s fine. Let him make his last struggle. I want to see the despair in his eyes myself.”
Ten minutes flew by. Nathan checked his phone with his uninjured hand. “Time’s up. You’ll die!”
As soon as he spoke, the sky suddenly changed color, and thunder rolled in the distance.
Not just from the sky, but strange sounds came from all directions, like the synchronized marching of countless feet.
The footsteps resonated, uniform and swift, seeming to make the ground itself tremble.
If these were footsteps, how many people could be making such a sound?
Ten thousand? Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand?
No one knew exactly how many people were behind those footsteps. But the sheer intimidation factor made the twenty thousand present seem insignificant.
As everyone looked around in confusion, the source of the footsteps appeared – rows upon rows of figures in military green. They marched towards them in perfect formation, weapons in hand, their presence overwhelming.
Their numbers, aura, and spectacle completely overshadowed the twenty thousand gathered there.
Many trembled at the sight.
A man standing at the front bellowed, “Halt!”
After the command, he turned and shouted, “One hundred thousand infantry of Inassea region, all present! Awaiting orders!”