After a long while, the tiger being guard slowly regained consciousness, blinking groggily. The first thing he saw was a beautiful human girl sitting nearby, legs crossed, watching him. Around them, ice covered the ground, and snowflakes drifted gently down.
Upon seeing Alex, the tiger guard beca visibly agitated. Despite his exhaustion, he transford into human form and knelt on one knee before her.
"Leader, please save our queen!" His eyes were sincere, filled with anxiety as he bowed his head.
"Get up. What happened? Wasn't Ruby leading you back to the far north?" Alex asked, her expression confirming her suspicions. This tiger being guard, as Ruby's trusted aide, had clearly co all the way to the Dark Forest specifically to find her. Sothing must have gone wrong on Ruby's end to drive him to such desperation.
"Our Queen intended to lead us back to our holand, investigate the situation, and quietly gather strength. Once she reached King level, she planned to reclaim her rightful place," the tiger guard explained briefly, recounting why they had left ahead of ti.
Ruby was too hasty. She could have waited at Frostwind Snowy Mountain until she broke through to King level before returning to her holand. But soon, Alex learned the specific reasons from the guard.
The Arctic Tigerfolk, though secluded in the icy north, were stronger than most empires. The tribe was governed by seven elders, all King level, who handled all matters without a true chieftain.
These seven elders belonged to different camps, and after the previous queen's death, they each went their own way. To prevent internal strife, the tribe was divided among the seven camps.
Among them, there were those close to Ruby, neutrals, and adversaries. The ratio was 1:2:4, with most elders unwilling to let Ruby lead the tribe.
The faction close to Ruby, even if aware, was powerless. The adversaries went so far as to sell Ruby's information to the Beastman Empire, even sending assassins after her.
Ruby's urgency to return was to win over the two neutral elders, but things took an unexpected turn. The white tiger tribe received uninvited guests—high-ranking mbers of the Beastman Empire.
Their intentions were unclear, possibly to recruit the Arctic Tigerfolk or for other reasons. Among them was a Kobold with a bloodline Quintessence skill that allowed him to sll other Beastn.
Ruby was discovered.
The Arctic Tigerfolk didn't want to join the Beastman Empire, but they were powerless against their pressure.
The Kobold's discovery of Ruby gave them leverage. The adversaries were furious, the neutrals turned against her, and the faction close to Ruby was helpless. They mobilized the entire tribe to capture Ruby, with four elders personally involved.
Ruby was severely injured but managed to use spatial magic to hide in the place where she had once slept, a location sealed by her father.
Even after centuries, the seal's power, though waning, wasn't sothing a few King levels could easily break.
However, the tribe's foundation was formidable, and Frost Magic also had sealing power. They must have studied the seal over the years.
The tiger guard didn't know how long the seal would hold. It could be destroyed at any mont, and Ruby, gravely injured, had no strength to resist. The guard managed to escape with the help of a tiger being from the faction close to Ruby, likely with an elder's tacit approval. By the ti he was discovered, he had already left the holand.
Ruby's situation was dire, and the tiger guard had no one else to turn to for help. His last hope rested with Alex. Would she help the queen, even if it ant opposing seven King levels and possibly offending the powerful Beastman Empire?
After recounting everything, the tiger guard lowered his head, staring at Alex's swinging shoes.
"Seven King-level tiger elders?" Alex murmured, analyzing the situation. She had a fair number of King-level forces, but she couldn't mobilize Brak and Brok, and the far north was a long way off. Sending troops would take too much ti.
Of course, not all seven elders might act. The neutrals were uncertain, and the faction close to Ruby wouldn't oppose Alex.
"What about the strength of those Beastman Empire leaders?" Alex asked, standing up from her icy seat, looking down at the tiger guard.
"They're said to be a group of Monarchs, possibly led by a King level. By now, they might have left the far north," the guard replied, unsure of the exact details.
"Lead the way," Alex's cool voice commanded, surprising the guard with her quick agreent.
Seven King levels were no small matter!
Alex's plan was simple. The high-ranking elders wouldn't personally guard the outside. If she couldn't win, she'd rescue Ruby and retreat. But if they were weaker than her, well, she wouldn't mind granting them eternal life.
"Death Spirit," Alex called, and the Death Spirit appeared before her.
"I'm going out for a few days. You're in charge of the undead city while I'm gone," she instructed.
The Death Spirit's shadowy form flickered, acknowledging the command before vanishing.
"Leader, are you planning to go alone?" the tiger guard asked, worried. In his mind, Alex and Ruby were of similar strength. Even as a King level, she couldn't possibly take on the entire Arctic Tigerfolk tribe.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I won't risk your queen's life. Just lead the way," Alex reassured him, not offended by his doubts about her strength.
Seeing the confidence in Ruby's friend, the tiger being guard set aside his worries and chose to trust her.
A spatial portal opened before Alex. "Let's go. It'll be quicker to travel from my city."
The journey from here to Twinface Mountain was long, requiring even Monarch levels to fly for hours, let alone a Commanding level.
Without hesitation, the tiger being guard stepped into the teleportation array, with Alex following closely behind.
When they reappeared, they stood outside the main fortress gate. Through the undead fortress's teleportation, they could reach the top of Twinface Mountain directly.
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