"Hmm," the voice seemed to contemplate before speaking after a long pause. "I will only intervene if the entire village has been destroyed."
"But-"
"No," the voice cut Noah off abruptly.
The coldness in the voice sent a strange chill down Noah's spine, and his instincts screamed at him that uttering another word would mean his instant demise.
"Alright," Noah nodded, his heart pounding.
"If anything happens to William, then you will incur my wrath and bring destruction upon this whole village," the voice stated lightly before falling silent.
Noah broke out in a cold sweat as he hurriedly left the room, his face etched with apprehension.
"Looks like there's no way out," he muttered, rubbing his temples anxiously.
....
It was a bright, sunny day, and the north village was bustling as ever, with countless people hawking their goods and children playing around the area.
However, in this bright daylight, there were some figures slowly walking on the road, drawing the gaze of countless people who looked at them with respect and reverence in their eyes.
One of the children was curious to see the crowd and the people bowing in reverence.
"Mommy, who are these people?" the child pointed curiously at the row of people who were walking.
The mother hurriedly caught the child's finger and immediately bowed, making her child bow as well.
Only when she noticed that no one was paying attention did she heave a sigh of relief.
"They are the protectors of the village. Remember to never point at them," she said in a stern tone.
"Yes, Mama," the child nodded cluelessly.
The group of people was led by a relatively young-looking person who was dressed casually.
"Aur, can you keep up with our speed?" Noah, who was ahead in the group, suddenly asked with a smile on his face, his eyes flashing with a siren pattern. Who else could these people be but the group of elders, including Aur, Noah, and even William.
Aur nodded respectfully. "Yes, Leader."
"Good," Noah smiled. "What about you, William?"
"I should be able to, Master," William replied in a haughty tone.
Aur gazed at the horizon, observing how far the ice had spread, feeling a stir in his heart as he calmly proceeded forward.
"Wow, did you see that, Aur? My master is awesome," William exclaimed proudly.
Aur glanced at William with a strange glint in his eyes. "Indeed," he nodded in agreement.
"Haha," William laughed, moving closer to Aur and whispered, "How do you like those spells from the book you found in the dungeon?"
Immediately, Aur's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" he asked, taken aback.
William looked meaningfully at Aur before increasing his pace.
"How stupid can he be?" Aur thought to himself as he followed Noah's lead.
Their pace was undoubtedly fast, as almost all obstacles were cleared.
Aur scanned the surroundings and immediately spotted a group of imps with green eyes in the darkness. However, they didn't approach; instead, they trembled with fear. This reaction was mirrored by all the beasts they encountered; the moment they caught sight of Noah, they fled in terror.
Noah frowned slightly when he noticed the lengthy road ahead.
"Let's speed up," his voice lingered in the air as his figure blurred.
The elders' figures also blurred as their speed increased to a frightening pace, leaving Aur and William behind.
A smirk formed on William's mouth.
"Wanna compete with me, Aur?" He challenged.
"Sure."
Swish!
The air rustled as the two instantly rushed forward; however, soon William's expression changed when he saw Aur's speed.
In just ten breaths' time, Aur had overtaken William by at least a hundred metres.
Immediately, William's eyes glowed with a strange white and black, his body turning into a blur as he caught up to Aur.
"Oh," Aur looked at William with an amused gaze. Although he was maintaining one-fourth of his speed, being able to catch up to him was an accomplishment in itself.
"But I wonder if he can even keep up with the mana consumption," Aur pondered.
Aur didn't increase his pace further; instead, he maintained it, while William soon overtook him with a smug smile.