mousepad-d2 Chapter 570: Surrender
Chapter 570: Surrender
The entire path ahead felt unstable, and the further they moved, the more signs of war appeared around them while the ground carried marks of recent battles and the air itself felt tense and heavy.
Thankfully, once they passed through the worst of the war-affected zones, the surroundings began to change slightly, and they started entering regions that were still under human control, and the pressure eased just a little.
But that relief did not last long.
Not when Ethan sensed it.
His steps slowed slightly, and his eyes narrowed as he looked into the distance, and his expression changed almost instantly.
"No way…" he muttered under his breath.
Hale noticed it immediately and frowned.
"What happened?" he asked.
Ethan did not answer right away, and instead he focused his senses forward before letting out a slow breath.
"…A legion," he said quietly.
Hale's brows furrowed.
"…So?" he asked.
Ethan's gaze darkened.
"…Grand Commander level," he added.
Hale froze for a second.
"…Saint realm?" he asked.
Ethan gave a slight nod.
That alone was enough to change everything.
The air between them turned heavy again, and the situation that already felt complicated now became even worse.
Hale ran a hand through his hair and shook his head slowly.
"…Trouble… This is serious trouble," he said.
He looked at Ethan and sighed.
"I don't have any family, but you do," he added. "You have an entire family that can get dragged into this."
His tone turned more serious.
"You need to take things carefully."
Ethan did not respond immediately, but his expression turned ugly as his thoughts moved quickly.
His original plan had been simple.
He thought he could observe the battlefield, find a chance, and make a heroic appearance to save people, and then use that to justify himself and soften whatever accusations came after.
But now everything has changed.
The war was no longer limited.
It had expanded.
Empires were involved.
The scale had grown too large.
And he no longer wanted to step into that slaughter.
Not like this.
He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, and then he turned his head toward Karlo.
"Have you preserved them well?" he asked.
Karlo nodded without hesitation.
"Yes," he replied.
Then he looked at Ethan carefully.
"Do you want to use them?" he asked.
Ethan paused for a moment and then gave a small nod.
"Hm… Please go out and bring those things," he said.
Karlo did not question further, and he turned and left immediately to retrieve what Ethan had asked for.
As soon as he stepped out, Hale moved closer and lowered his voice slightly.
"Ethan, but that isn't enough," he said.
Ethan nodded faintly.
"I know," he replied.
His tone was calm, but there was something firm in it.Then he added.
"Since I planned to act, I am going to go all out."
Hale frowned slightly as he heard that, and before he could say anything Ethan reached into his storage and took out a small vial.
The liquid inside it had a strange color, and it seemed unstable as it moved slightly on its own.
Hale's eyes narrowed.
"…What is that?" he asked.
Ethan did not answer.
He uncorked the vial and brought it to his lips without hesitation.And then he drank it.The effect was immediate.
Hale's eyes widened in shock as he watched Ethan's face turn pale almost instantly, and his body swayed slightly as if he had lost balance for a moment.
"What the hell…" Hale muttered.
Ethan clenched his teeth slightly, and his hand pressed against his chest as his breathing changed.
A faint tremor ran through his body, and his aura fluctuated briefly before stabilizing again, but there was something different now.
Something off.Hale stepped forward quickly.
"Ethan!" he said.
Ethan raised his hand slightly, signaling him to stop, but his expression remained strained.
Hale stared at him with disbelief, and his voice came out low and shaken.
"The hell… Is there such a thing in the world.Where did you get those?"
Hearing this Ethan put up a sly smile.
"What can I say?"
"It's just that I have an extraordinarily talented alchemist."
....
Inside the main army tent, the atmosphere felt heavy and tense, and the faint sounds of movement outside mixed with the distant echoes of war that never truly stopped, so even the silence inside did not feel calm.
At the center of the tent stood an aged man with a burly build, and his thick beard looked sharp and rough like needles, while his broad shoulders carried a quiet authority that filled the entire space and made others instinctively lower their voices around him.
His eyes were fixed on the large map spread across the table in front of him, and his fingers rested lightly on the edges while his gaze moved slowly from one marked point to another as he tried to make sense of the shifting situation.
A look of restlessness flashed in his eyes, and his brows pulled together slightly as his thoughts grew heavier.
The situation was bad, and it was getting worse with each passing day.
Arcadia had once taken seven prefectures from the Demons, and it had been considered a strong advantage at that time, but after the Demons allied with the Orcs and Beastmen, everything had changed rapidly and without warning.
Not only had those seven prefectures been taken back, but four more had fallen into enemy hands, and the balance had completely shifted against them.
It was a complete reversal, and it was a pain in the ass that he could not ignore no matter how calm he tried to remain.
His jaw tightened slightly as he stared at the map, and the lines marking the front seemed to move in his mind while he calculated possibilities and outcomes, but none of them looked good.
Just then, the flap of the tent opened, and a guard stepped inside before giving a sharp and respectful salute.
"My Lord, there is a man named Ethan Blanks who wants to meet you," the guard said.