Chapter 193: Impatience

Meanwhile, in the fields between the now burnt forest and the smoldered kingdom, The King would be preparing camps upon camps to serve as a substitute for his people's homes. Fires were made to cook over any meat they hunted, utilizing fruits and berries from the remains of the forest to be a side dish alongside with it, even using a few herbs to give it its flavor. Villagers that were once guards and soldiers now serve as scavengers and agents to travel and locate the Archer's location. The King himself kept a watchful eye to his people, making sure they still followed his will, having some organize more and more tents to ensure they have something over their heads, with the Hat Man walking by his side. "C'mon! C'mon! It's going to get darker if we waste any further time! I would rather be buried alive than have my people sleep in the cold with barely a stone over their head." He'd state, his words spurring them further and further to continue their work. As they did, a few guards would be seen closing by, coming from the east. "State your findings." He would order.

"No sign yet, My Liege. They haven't made any tracks towards the forest, nor to the farmlands." The guards would state

"And the Caverns?"

"Negative either. Any tracks made would've been ruined by the explosion from her, though there was some sign that she was approaching in that general direction."

"At ease then." Malak looked towards the cave and had his associate prepare, with Publiq creating the constructs necessary. Apep's and Quilla's, both being mixed together to have its anti-gravity infused into its venom, letting them swarm the cave on all sides, looking for an entrance besides the obvious mouth. "...Now, what about the whereabouts of the statue?" The King asked once again.

"Negative on that front either. Wherever it hid itself, it must've been in an area we haven't discovered yet. We can plan a course come tomorrow, however, to scavenge and find it." The guard would respond back, much to Malak's annoyance.

"Fine. Make sure to keep an observant eye out for it. If the brats and the traitors manage to get its hands on it, there's no telling how much damage its causing." He would order once more, focusing his attention back to the cavern. As he did so, however, the ground quickly began to shake. Pots and pans rattled and spilled across the grassy meadow, the villagers losing their balance and falling over, holding the back of their heads for dear life. The King can see the cave cracking apart, which would in turn have Publiq go faster in his invasion, creating more of such creatures to try and outnumber them. The King kept a close eye at the target, yet when he saw a side of it break apart, he'd be met with nothing but light itself.

KA-BOOM!!!

A Burst of white exploded, a pillar of such brightness acted as its very beacon. A Thunderous roar of a dragon can be heard. The moment that Malak was able to properly see, he was horrified at seeing such a monster before him. He could see its very image quickly disappearing, being absorbed back into the area it once came out, the light slowly dimming, the roar slowly going silent. The Villagers roared as a group, getting up and trying to storm the Cavern, with Publiq having them invade almost immediately, but everyone would cease such movement. Malak would be holding all of their lives by their very heart, threatening to eliminate them before going further in. "CHANGE OF PLANS! GUARDS!! FALL BACK!! FALL BACK! MY PEOPLE, MY EXTENSION OF SUCH WILL, MY SUBJECTS! PREPARE FASTER! PREPARE MORE! REINFORCE THIS LAND INTO BECOMING OUR NEW KINGDOM!! THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO LEAP TOWARDS!! THIS IS SOMETHING GREATER, SO HOLD THE FORT NOW!!" He would yell, immediately having them act upon his command almost instantly. He'd grab A. N. Noh by the shoulder and has them both walk towards the direction to the farmlands. "As for you, you need a much needed upgrade. Call off your serpents and have them follow us instead. We need all the help we can get." He'd demand.

"M-My lord?! What are you doing? They exposed themselves! We can sneak in and silence them in their sleep! Why are you-" The Hat Man would question, before Malak would answer back with clear conviction.

"I understand that you are blind, but have you not at least HEARD its cry!? From what I saw, those brats did something. They did something to get stronger. We invade now, we end up giving them fodder to practice their skills and give them a bigger insight to where we are! Right now we are just far enough away to not be in earshot with such screams. The moment they find it, it kickstarts the war too early, and we do not have the proper strength, nor resources to face whatever the HELL that was! We need to build our strength farther. I have already commanded the beast to keep an eye out, so we just need to focus on improving YOU overall, starting with getting your sight back!" As he gave such an explanation, the Hat Man would have his blind eyes widen in fear.

"You aren't suggesting the kids actually-"

"If one of them, as you said, literally BRAGGED about wanting to DIE, I wouldn't put it past them to try and attempt such a suicidal decision. These aren't normal children here, Therapist. These are something else entirely, and WE need to make sure they don't get the upper hand like last time! You get what I'm saying?" As he finishes such a sentence, he'd snap his fingers and have the ground split apart. To him, it was a risk, knowing fully well that the Devil of the Sea can easily swallow his people whole, yet he doesn't have a proper choice in the matter. Relying on something that lost to them before the strength was not gonna be something to consider, at the very least not yet. The King looked back towards his people and the muscles that spasm in the earth and took a deep breath. "Well now, C'mon! Let's hurry! We're running out of time, Both me and them!" He'd demand, having Publiq expand the size of the serpent so the two can utilize it as a vehicle to get across the area faster.

He was getting impatient. He needs to make sure this war is an absolute stomp to his favor.