Chapter 966: Chapter 966: A cloaked visitor (2)

"What is this?" Said Frost sternly as he sat on the sofa and examined the screen in front of him.

He would occasionally peruse the city through the Dungeon menu, searching for problematic entities or those with impressive strength, a routine scan that Findley and Khuno also often performed to gauge any threats. But this time he was scanning the area because he felt something in his heart, a foreboding of great danger.

The passive DP he was absorbing suddenly had a richer flavour, a higher quality meaning someone with great strength was within the Dungeon’s influence.

"Findley! Khuno!" Goosebumps covered his skin, shivers ran down his spine, and a stench of danger assailed his nostrils, so Frost wasted no time in calling up his big guns.

"Maya where are the kids!" Before Findley and Khuno even had a chance to arrive he shouted on the first lady of the house who given his recent gentler activities was able to resume her own regular schedules.

"Hmm Loki’s with the frost troll witchdoctors and dwarven priests, improving his medical skills while Nanna’s working at the Sleeping Fenrir. Why what’s wrong?" Maya replied noticing the panic in Frost’s voice. He should have known this already but clearly he wasn’t thinking straight.

"Shit! We need to get her to safety now! Khuno!" Frost turned his head to the side where Khuno started to materialise from the warp.

"You summoned me Milor..."

"No time for that have a security team bring Nanna to the Lord’s manor and then the private space, do it now!" By this time Frost had risen to a standing position, sweat dripping down his forehead, something was very wrong.

"By your will." Understanding that time was of the essence Khuno didn’t even bow, immediately ordering the team closest to the Sleeping Fenrir to escort Nanna to safety before teleporting himself to the Lord’s manor to oversee it personally.

"Master." Findley arrived a moment later confused by Frost’s panic and Khuno’s sudden departure.

"Frost!" Maya suddenly yelled in a state no less panicked than Frost. She opened up the Dungeon menu and saw exactly what had her partner so frazzled.

"I know." The frown on Frost’s brow deepened as he looked at his valiant right hand man. "Findley."

"Master."

"Prepare for battle." Three words but the significance behind them was heavy.

It took Findley but a fraction of a second to don his persona as commander of the Dungeon’s forces. The air around him rippled as his aura manifested, his axe was pulled from storage and bloodlust oozed from his body. He was ready for war.

Frost watched as Findley readied himself for battle, his triumphant aura and imposing majesty revealing his great strength, but his panic didn’t subside. Findley with strength likely rivalling his own given his current level offered him no comfort. The opponent was just that strong.

On the screen entering the city was a man wrapped in cloth, his appearance hidden and outward strength roughly peak C-rank. He was alone, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily as he was granted access through the gates. A regular person would likely overlook him but those with a vast deal of battle experience would be able to sense something off about him, the blood on this man’s hands being immeasurable. Even without effort he leaked a natural presence of death and decay.

This man walked with purpose towards a nearby restaurant and ordered a simple meal before sitting at an outside table, eyeing the distant Lord’s manor as well as the Sleeping Fenrir.

According to the Dungeon menu this man was no C-rank, nor was even B-rank rather he was an A-rank individual. Someone far beyond Frost’s current strength and clearly with a specific agenda.

An adventurer party with A-rank strength would be a worry yes but he could understand their purpose, but this man was alone, reeking of blood and watching the Lord’s manor and occasionally the Sleeping Fenrir like a hawk, as though waiting for an opportunity....his actions were both subtle and clearly suspicious, like he was making his presence known but not to a great degree.

Using both his instincts and the Dungeon menu Frost knew that this man wasn’t someone he could hope to defeat at least not without great cost.

His first reaction was to ensure Nanna’s safety. A group of ronsos under Khuno’s command quickly and quietly escorted her out the back of the Sleeping Fenrir and rushed to a rear entrance of the Lord’s manor all out of sight of the possible enemy.

Frost only relaxed his guard when he saw the adorable angel in the private space alongside him, unharmed.

"Maya hold down the fort and tell me if I miss anything, Findley with me." Maya’s strength had risen to entry B-rank, but her power was closer to upper mid or lower late stage given her experience but to the outside world it was known that he had a female protector who was at the S-rank. As long as she didn’t reveal herself and her current reduced strength her lack of presence would serve as a natural deterrent.

"Frost."

"Yeah."

"Be careful." Her eyes showed her anxiety, but she did her best to put on a brave face and placed a light peck on his cheek.

"Make sure Daki and Loki don’t leave the Dungeon." He said this one last thing before teleporting into the Lord’s manor with Findley. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Milord." Khuno saluted the moment he arrived as did Yuna who was doing paperwork when Khuno suddenly teleported in with a grave expression.

"Here’s the situation." Frost explained the threat, his A-rank power and his actions so far.

"Is he waiting for us to confront him?" Said Khuno.

"Seems like it, perhaps a test of some kind or maybe he’s just arrogant." Replied Yuna, her little hands balled into tight fists. Out of the four of them she was the weakest.

"Have the ronsos quietly evacuate the area, we’ll make our move depending on his reaction." Being A-rank didn’t constitute a crime, but Frost knew in his gut that this man had a purpose, likely a nefarious one given the air about him.

Teams of ronsos quietly and somewhat naturally cleared most of the area, starting at the outskirts before moving in closer.

The man in question seemed to take notice of their actions when they drew close, an eery smile donning his lips as a result.

"Impressive, very impressive no wonder my lord advised me to be cautious. Seems the intelligence was correct you have a protector." He said aloud assuming that the moment he entered this place Frost’s S-rank protector informed him thus the quick reactionary time of his subordinates. Not 20 minutes since he arrived and he was already isolated from the city’s inhabitants, tens of C-rank ronsos forming an impenetrable perimeter.

Frost heard the man’s words, his eyes squinting as his conjecture was proven correct. The man was here with a mission, his goal him rather than Nanna or Loki.

"Let’s see what our guest wants." The fact that the man was aware and wary of Maya served to reassure Frost, giving him an edge of confidence. He couldn’t approach the mysterious man with fear or trepidation, such behaviour would be unbecoming of a person with S-rank backing.

"Master." Findley the ever loyal soldier took up the vanguard, escorting Frost out of the building with his axe at the ready and his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. If this man dared to do anything to his master he’d fight him with all he had even if it meant death.

Seeing this Frost couldn’t help but shake his head, his heart awash with a sense of pride.

"Lead the way the Findley." Not wanting to step on the toes of his right hand man he allowed Findley to act as vanguard with Khuno to his left and Yuna following close behind.

The moment they left the Lord’s manor the mysterious man’s eyes locked onto their figures and all four of them felt an uneasy pressure, an instinct warning them of threat rather than the effects of aura. But knowing that they had to portray a position of strength they did their best to show no reaction, walking slowly but purposefully towards the man sitting in the restaurant.

"Do I have the pleasure of meeting with Lord Frost, the ruler of this town?" Once they were within 20 metres the man rose from his seat and offered an elegant bow in greeting, a measure of respect, rare to see from someone with his level of power.

"You do and you are." Like a dignified King Frost replied with grace, his bearing imposing and charismatic as he stepped ahead of Findley to nod his head to the man.

"You won’t know my name but I’m sure you know of my master." The mysterious man straightened his back and allowed his eyes to take in all of Frost’s majesty, believing that the reports really didn’t do him justice, Frost’s appearance was shocking to say the least.

"Your master?" He had some ideas but wasn’t sure.

The man then showed a confident and slightly domineering smile before revealing the identity of his backer.

"The rightful and only true heir to the throne of the Northrend Empire, Prince Sedrick Northrend."