Nothing could have made Matthias happier than what he had just witnessed. A powerhouse had cleared the deadly scarlet mist, and the city-wide crisis was resolved. He finally had hope of turning things around again.
Though there would still be some minor troubles to deal with later, these could be handled through human effort. Talk about a dramatic turnaround. Just when things seemed hopeless, everything opened up again.
“Your Highness, the figure has left.”
Just as Matthias was rejoicing, the white figure in the distant sky had already streaked away like a meteor. From arrival to departure, the entire stay lasted less than ten minutes.
“Send someone to investigate and find out this expert’s identity. If there’s a chance to bring them over to our side, do it. Otherwise, don’t force it. But whatever you do, don’t offend them,” Matthias instructed.
He knew all too well that someone with that kind of strength and who could bend the forces of nature to their will wouldn’t be swayed by status or material gain.
People like that stood above worldly concerns.
Matthias knew it would be almost impossible to recruit someone like that, but it was still worth trying. He wasn’t holding out much hope, but miracles had happened before. And right now, he needed one.
In Sommertown, Nathaniel was overseeing an extortion operation while commanding his subordinates.
After multiple failed attempts to control the scarlet mist, he had finally given up. Deep down, he knew the city would
eventually be swallowed by it.
When that happened, the entire city would be reduced to ruins, so he might as well use the time he had left to line his own pockets.
Nathaniel wasn’t targeting ordinary citizens but specifically focused on Sommertown’s wealthy elite and high officials. After all, these people were rich and valued their lives above all else.
All he needed to do was find some random excuse or dig up some dirt on them, and he could extort these influential figures to his heart’s content.
Those who handed over their wealth willingly would naturally keep their lives. Anyone foolish enough to resist would face prison at best or death at worst.
Nathaniel had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. Most of those wealthy officials had skeletons in their closets, and none of them dared report him. It made skimming off their dirty money almost effortless.
Just as he was directing his men to load up the loot, one of his personal guards rushed over and reported, “Your Highness, we have a situation!”
“Sommertown’s about to fall apart. What kind of situation could be worse than that? “Nathaniel replied irritably.
This entire mission had cost him dearly in terms of resources, manpower, and funding. If he didn’t take something back, how else was he supposed to make up for the loss?
“Your Highness, we’ve just received word that the scarlet mist in both Harbortown and Thornwick has disappeared,” the guard reported.
“What? How is that possible?” Nathaniel’s expression changed dramatically. Weren’t they just as helpless as we were? How did they suddenly come back from the brink of collapse?”
Finding out that Harbortown and Thornwick had been saved hit him harder than any financial loss. If all three cities were destroyed, at least the three princes would be starting from the same position. No one would be at a disadvantage.
Tristan and Matthias had solved their problems, while the scarlet mist on his side kept spreading. Nathaniel now felt like someone had thrown him straight into the fire.
“Your Highness, don’t panic,” the guard said. “The mist in Harbortown and Thornwick didn’t just vanish on its own, but someone made it disappear.”
“Someone? What do you mean?” Nathaniel was stunned.
He had already tried every method possible, deploying all his skilled subordinates, yet still couldn’t do anything about the scarlet mist. Could someone else have found a way?
“Your Highness, according to reports from Harbortown and Thornwick, a powerhouse appeared and used supreme divine power to absorb all the mist. That’s what saved those cities from destruction,” the guard explained.
“What?” Nathaniel was shocked.”
Someone with such abilities exists in this world? Do you know who it is?”
“The person’s identity remains a mystery, and we haven’t been able to identify them yet. However, spies from Thornwick have sent word that this powerhouse is flying toward Sommertown and should arrive very soon,” the guard reported.
“Excellent! It looks like Sommertown’s crisis can be resolved.” Nathaniel’s face lit up with joy.
Though he didn’t know the identity of the powerhouse, he would treat him as an honored guest if that person could resolve his crisis.
“Your Highness, should we make any preparations?” the guard asked.
“Of course!” Nathaniel exclaimed. ”
Prepare the finest food and wine. As soon as that powerhouse clears the scarlet mist, I’ll host a feast in their honor.”
“Yes, Your Highness!” The guard acknowledged the order and quickly departed.
“Stop moving those things for now. Clean up all the streets and prepare to welcome our distinguished guest,” Nathaniel shouted, directing his subordinates into action.
Moments later, a streak of light came from the distant horizon and stopped above the scarlet mist.
Nathaniel looked up and saw a white figure hovering in the air. With a single wave of their hand, the skies rumbled and the air shuddered as a massive energy vortex formed out of nowhere.
Then, the figure raised their hand again, and the vortex began spinning rapidly. A terrifying suction burst from its center, sending shockwaves through the air.
Within seconds, winds howled across a six-mile radius, lifting dust and debris from the ground. The scarlet mist that had been spreading outward was now being pulled upward into the vortex at incredible speed.
Although Nathaniel had mentally prepared himself, witnessing this scene still left him speechless with shock.
What kind of person could wield power like this? How could they possess supreme divine power? It was as if they could command the very elements with a simple gesture, like an immortal.
