Chapter 44 - Reverence
I floated in the middle of the broken wall leading to the desolate Barrens that the monsters continued to rush to. [Infernal Purge] and [Frigid Impermanence] continued to fall onto them, but not a single one turned around to face me as they escaped with all their might
Things began settling down until only one or two could be observed running here and there, with most of them already deep in the Barrens. I couldn’t leave the city now as I didn’t know what else would occur, and there were still rank B dungeons that were red and nearing another dungeon break
Movements could be heard behind me as hunters began appearing, the first one being Elizabeth. She stood on her injured eagle that was licking the wounds all over its body as she looked at me with a complicated expression.
Elizabeth approached from behind as she said, "The city is gradually being stabilized, with some teams already clearing the dungeons in the high-risk category that haven’t had a dungeon break."
She was looking at me differently and speaking in a much more reserved tone than usual. I nodded as she continued, "We’re trying to get in contact with other cities of the empire, but we don’t have an estimate of deaths and which cities are still standing." She held back the pain as she said this, and I thought about her new tone towards me and the looks I had been receiving
Ever since I had begun moving around the city destroying the monsters relentlessly, people began looking at me differently. This was even more so for the rank A hunters and higher-ups that saw my power first hand when I handled the TITAN and its minions from the rank A dungeon break
I knew my strengths and weaknesses though, and leading people was not something I was confident in. I thought for a bit and said, "All I can do is hunt down the beasts, so I will rely on the help and ideas from everyone else on matters I am not knowledgeable on."
The hunters in the conference room nodded as they waited for my opinion about what we would do from now on. I continued, "The first thing is information. We need to find out which cities are still with us, and which cities still need a helping hand that haven’t already been overwhelmed."
The officials in the room nodded as they began moving around busily, The issues after that were logistics about the city, its people, food and water, and many more things I didn’t know or have an ounce of knowledge on that I left to the relevant departments to take care of.
After the direction was decided and the officials began to act, I went towards the melancholic Elizabeth who was standing in the corner of the conference room. I looked at the sight of this person that I didn’t know how to feel about and said, "Are you doing alright?"
She looked at me and put a smile on her face as she replied, "Yeah. I just thought we were close to being done, but it looks like things are just beginning"
I looked at the tired woman that seemed to be trying her best. She had lost another friend today, someone she knew much longer than I did. Magnar’s face flashed in my thoughts as I observed the sad expression on her face and replied, "Get some rest, it’ll be a new day tomorrow."
She nodded her head as she looked around the room and went towards the living quarters. No other thoughts passed through my mind as I went out of the building and flew to the skies of the city once more. I looked to the destroyed buildings and people that were moving about and mourning for the losses of those they knew. My thoughts moved to something I didn’t want to imagine right now, which was the people of Outer Bank X. With the highest ranker there being rank B...I shuddered as I thought at the possible number of deaths that had occurred there and in other similar cities
I continued to fly higher and higher up until the buildings seemed tiny and the outline of the city could be viewed fully by me. I would wait for the information to come out after what remains of the military acts to move their drones and other things to obtain intel, but I could still move myself and be ready for whatever might occur
The immediate surrounding of the city’s walls were clear, and I couldn’t see much else in the darkness this high up even with [Eagle Eyes]. But I instinctively felt that there was something in that darkness. I stayed in the air, watching and waiting for dawn to break to see what was waiting for us in this darkness