Free Web NovelChapter 360: Returning to Blazing Flame City
"Nina, did something happen? Why do you suddenly want to go back to Blazing Flame City?" Odian asked, confusion evident in his voice.
A faint crease formed between Nina’s brows.
"I have a feeling something may have happened to Setan. I want to go back and check."
"Alright. Give me a moment." Odian nodded without hesitation. "I’ll adjust the direction of the teleportation array so we can travel straight to Blazing Flame City."
He asked no further questions.
Whatever decision Nina made, he would support it unconditionally.
The other males felt the same. As long as it was Nina’s wish, none of them would object.
"Okay. I’ll wait for you."
Using Odian’s teleportation array would save them a tremendous amount of time. Nina’s instincts told her that returning sooner was better. If Setan was truly in danger, every moment could mean the difference between life and death.
Without delay, Odian headed off to modify the array while Nina and the others waited nearby.
Her gaze drifted toward the distant direction of Blazing Flame City.
Whether the dream had been a warning or merely a nightmare, she needed to see the truth with her own eyes before she could find peace.
Deep within the Ice Thunder Cavern of Blazing Flame City, Setan lay sprawled on the frozen ground.
His body had long since lost its strength, and his breathing grew weaker with every passing moment.
"Setan, are you still refusing to talk?"
Freen frowned as he stared at the battered city lord.
"Tell us where that female is, and we’ll release you immediately. There’s no need to keep suffering like this."
His patience was wearing thin.
How could someone be this stubborn?
The man was already hovering on the brink of death, yet he still refused to reveal a single word.
The punishment of Ice Thunder Torment was infamous for a reason. The agony was unbearable even for the strongest warriors. Freen could hardly believe Setan had endured it for this long.
"City Lord, please tell them," Roen urged anxiously. "If this continues, your body won’t survive it."
He genuinely did not want Setan to die.
Setan had always been a good ruler, one worthy of respect.
Nearby, Yian anxiously scanned the surroundings.
Why hadn’t Father returned yet? If he delayed any longer, the foolish brat would truly die.
His eyes settled on Setan’s frail figure, pain and worry filling his gaze.
If not for the fact that his strength was still insufficient to confront so many elders at once, he would have stormed into the cavern long ago and dragged Setan out himself.
A trace of determination flashed through his eyes.
He would wait a little longer.
But if Father still failed to appear, he would risk his life and charge in regardless.
His attention never left Setan, watching closely for any sign that his condition was worsening.
Time crawled by.
Yet even after enduring countless waves of torment, Setan showed no intention of yielding.
"He still won’t talk?" one elder asked Freen.
Freen’s expression darkened.
"Not a word. The man’s stubborn beyond reason."
Even he had not expected Setan’s resolve to be this terrifying.
"So what do we do?" another elder demanded anxiously. "If he refuses to speak, how are we supposed to find that female?"
"Exactly," a third elder added. "We don’t know who she is, what she looks like, or where she went. Without any clues, finding her is impossible."
The information they possessed was pitifully scarce.
Setan had erased every trace too thoroughly, leaving nothing behind for them to follow.
He had prepared for this long ago.
The beastmen who had once seen Nina at his residence could provide no useful information whatsoever.
Under such circumstances, locating her was no different from searching for a single grain of sand in an endless ocean.
Inside the cavern, a faint smile curved Setan’s pale lips.
Good.
As long as they could not find Nina, everything he had endured would be worth it.
He had anticipated this possibility from the very beginning. That was why he had meticulously cleaned up every loose end, making it countless times harder for the elders to track her down.
Even so, worry lingered in his heart. He hoped Nina had already traveled far away. The greater the distance between her and Blazing Flame City, the less those elders could do to her.
Eventually, this storm would pass.
As time went on, their obsession with finding her would gradually fade, and she would become safer with each passing day.
Once she was far enough away, she would no longer need to fear their relentless pursuit.
Considering the strength of Nina and her companions, the trackers sent by the elders would likely be powerless against them anyway.
And the elders could not simply abandon the city’s affairs and mobilize every citizen solely to hunt her down.
As long as she had left, she was relatively safe.
The reason he had not escaped alongside her was simple.
He carried guilt toward his people.
As the city lord, he believed he had a responsibility to bear the consequences of his own choices.
Freen clenched his fists tightly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Setan.
"Keep waiting," he said coldly. "Once he reaches his limit, he’ll talk."
He refused to believe that Setan would throw away his life for a female who had never even become his mate.
After a long silence, one of the elders sighed.
"I suppose we have no choice but to wait."
The elders could only sigh in resignation.
At this point, there was little else they could do.
Without any way to locate the female, all their hopes rested on breaking Setan’s silence.
If he truly chose death over surrender, their sacred relic might be lost forever. Should that happen, they would have no choice but to consider other options.
"And if Setan refuses to talk until the very end..." Freen’s gaze shifted toward Yian.
He did not finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.
Several elders immediately showed hesitation. Unless absolutely necessary, they had no desire to take that path.
Others frowned openly in disapproval. They would never support harming an innocent member of their own tribe.
Setan was being punished because he had committed a serious offense. That was the only reason they had remained silent.
Noticing the reactions around him, Freen suppressed his thoughts.
He understood the proposal was inappropriate.
Still, if Setan proved impossible to break, Yian might be the only remaining lead they had.
Fortunately for him, Yian was entirely focused on Setan’s condition and failed to notice the exchange.
Meanwhile, after Odian completed the modifications to the teleportation array, Nina and the others returned to Blazing Flame City without delay.
The moment she arrived, Nina hurried straight to the City Lord’s Manor.
The guards stationed there had recently been reassigned by Setan and did not recognize her.
One of them stepped forward to block her path.
"Miss, this is the City Lord’s Manor. Unauthorized entry is prohibited."
"I’ve come to see your City Lord, Setan," Nina replied politely. "Could you please ask him to come out for a moment?"
A faint crease appeared between her brows.
Why had Setan suddenly replaced all the guards?
She needed to see him today.
Only after confirming with her own eyes that he was safe would she be able to relax.
The guards exchanged uncertain glances.
None of them knew whether they should reveal what had happened.
Immediately sensing something was wrong, Nina’s expression tightened.
"Has something happened to your City Lord?"
After a brief hesitation, one of the guards finally answered.
"Lord Setan is currently undergoing punishment due to certain matters. He isn’t able to meet anyone right now."
Nina’s heart sank. Her fears had been right, something had happened to him.
"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked.
The guards shook their heads.
Such matters were highly sensitive. None of them dared spread information without permission.
"Is Ling here?" Nina asked.
Ling was one of Setan’s most loyal subordinates. If anyone was willing to tell her the truth, it would be him.
The guards considered her request before nodding.
"Please wait here."
They immediately entered the manor.
Moments later, Ling hurried out. The instant he saw Nina, shock flashed across his face.
Without wasting a second, he pulled her aside and lowered his voice.
"Lady Nina, why did you come back?"
"What happened to Setan?" she asked directly.
A look of grief appeared on Ling’s face.
"The City Lord... because of the sacred relic, he was taken to the Ice Thunder Cavern and sentenced to the Ice Thunder Punishment."
His voice grew heavier with every word.
Anyone sent into the Ice Thunder Cavern rarely returned alive.
"Where is the cavern?" Nina asked immediately. "Take me there."
"Lady Nina, you should leave while you still can," Ling urged anxiously.
Nina shook her head.
"Ling, take me there. I’m going to save him."
From the look on his face alone, she could tell how terrifying the punishment truly was. freёweɓnovel.com
Emotion welled in Ling’s chest.
"Lady Nina..." For a moment, he struggled to speak. Then he nodded firmly. "Alright. I’ll take you there."
Perhaps only Nina could save the City Lord now.
Outside the Ice Thunder Cavern, Chifu’s patience was finally running out. freёwebnovel.com
"Setan, are you still refusing to speak?"
The man was barely breathing.
More air seemed to leave his body than enter it, yet somehow he still refused to yield.
There was no response. Not even a flicker of movement.
A dark look crossed Freen’s face.
"If you continue this stubbornness, I’ll increase the punishment."
The threat immediately changed Yian’s expression.
Rage surged through him.
That damned Freen.
The current punishment was already enough to kill Setan. Increasing it further would be nothing short of a death sentence.
Yian’s eyes hardened.
He was done waiting.
Just as he prepared to charge forward and rescue Setan regardless of the consequences, a sharp voice suddenly rang through the air.
"Touch him if you dare."
The furious shout exploded across the cavern entrance, causing everyone present to freeze.
