Chapter 105 A Board Game

Nathan only realized after he had finished fighting Gydarra that there were cameras capturing the fight from afar. He then disregarded this and urged the others to hurry, as they needed to return to the shelter where everyone was gathered.

***

Anonymous Deer: "What on earth is going on? Nathan really unleashed on that dark elf without mercy. He's so powerful; he looks unbeatable."

Anonymous Cat: "That was a great fight! I'm laughing so hard at the outcome."

Anonymous Horse: "He's certainly not holding back when it comes to his opponents."

***

Nathan and Meriel rode Fang while the other dark elves ran after them. Occasionally they stopped because not everyone on the team had endurance as good as the others. The night was still long, but they hoped to arrive before morning if they kept going at the same pace.

The two people from The Shadow Warriors were a mage and support. They weren't as strong as the others in terms of physical strength, so Nathan decided to get off Fang and join them, running on the ground at a pace everyone could keep up with.

After a few hours, they reached their destination. Nathan was amazed by the huge transformation that had occurred in such a short period of time. A stronghold made of ice blocks stood before him.

"What is this?" Nathan asked in wonder.

The night was dark, the air was cold, and the forest was silent. Even the wind seemed to have frozen in time, leaving everything still and eerie. In the middle of this ancient and freezing forest, a tall and imposing stronghold made of blocks of ice glowed in the moonlight. Its walls were thick and strong, and the trees seemed to stand guard like silent sentinels around it.

Outside the stronghold, the coldness of the night was still present. But now, the darkness was lit up by the warm orange light of the fire torch that stuck to its wall. The trees seemed to glow in the light, and the shadows of the night were chased away by the burning coals. The icy walls of the stronghold glowed in the moonlight, and the night seemed to be a little less cold and a little less dark.

Two gates of ice opened when Nathan approached, and Robert greeted them with a kind smile, welcoming Nathan and the Shadow Warriors. "Welcome, everyone!" He spoke with a warm smile. "With the large number of dwarves here, we were able to quickly set up this emergency stronghold. Please come in."

The entrance was guarded by two stone statues, their eyes glowing with the burning coals placed in their sockets. The coals lit up the entrance in a warm, orange light, casting eerie shadows on the icy walls.

Nathan patted Gydarra on the shoulder. "He is the leader of The Shadow Warriors," he said to Robert, "so please pass on the details to him." Nathan then left them and walked off, looking for his comrades.

Inside the stronghold, the coldness was almost unbearable. The walls were thick, and the air inside was still and heavy. But the warmth of the burning coals gave the stronghold a strange, welcoming feel. The walls glowed in the light, and the shadows danced and moved in the flickering light.

"Hi Oppa," Linda smiled as she ran towards Nathan. She stopped in front of him with a happy expression, "I'm so glad you're back safe and sound."

"Hi Linda," Nathan smiled. "Where are the others?"

"Yudan is helping to complete this place," she replied, "while Muramoto is helping to get the food ready. That's the igloo for us," she added, gesturing towards the igloo she had just come from.

Nathan surveyed the area, looking in every direction. He quickly spotted dozens of igloos already constructed across the grounds. The structures were strong and sturdy. He felt warmth radiating from one of the igloo entrances, and without hesitation, Nathan walked inside, hoping to escape the bitter, freezing night.

After a few minutes of rest, Nathan heard someone calling from outside and smelled the delicious aroma of meat drifting in his nostrils, making him instantly feel hungry. He stepped out and saw his friends sitting in a circle near the fireplace. Linda waved to him, "Oppa, come here..."

Nathan joined them and couldn't resist reaching for the food that was making him even hungrier.

Not far away, he noticed seven dark elves had also gathered by the fireplace.

"Gydarra and the others chose to be near us," Meriel murmured.

"That's fine with me," Nathan replied.

"So, Meriel told me that the leader of them had challenged you to fight, Oppa?" Linda said with food in her mouth.

Nathan nodded slowly. "Yes, but I taught him enough."

"Can I challenge him to a fight after his term is over with you?" Linda asked with a light chuckle.

"Linda-chan," Muramoto interjected, "why is all that's in your head just eating and fighting? Don't you think about other things?"

"What else should we think in this situation? Playing a card game?" Linda responded.

"Actually..." Yudan said. "Playing card games is quite fun. I learned some from New Earth. Would you like to come with me to play? I also have some interesting board games."

Meriel chuckled lightly at Yudan. "Sure, Yudan, I'll come with you to play."

Linda raised her hand. "I'm not coming."

"Let's go, Yudan," Muramoto added. "Playing board games will certainly make tonight a bit more fun!"

Nathan didn't have time to pay attention to the temporary score announcement while he was busy on his way home after meeting the Shadow Warriors, so he tried to confirm the result.

"Yudan," he said. "I didn't pay much attention to the temporary scores, is there any significant update?"

"We've risen to rank two, Oppa!" Linda answered enthusiastically.

"Really?"

"It seems like everything we did today really boosted our score, and maybe it's also because you managed to beat Gydarra in a one-on-one battle," Yudan added.

"Okay, that's good then," Nathan said calmly. "I really need some sleep. Let's play a board game later," he added.