Nobilis of War novel Chapter 1487

After seizing control of the metal creatures, Darren noticed something that made him feel uneasy.

"Why does it feel like the strength of these metal creatures is waning?"

Hearing what he had to say, Yolanda's shoulders relaxed as she heaved a sigh of relief. From Darren's reaction, she had braced herself for something worse.

"The strength of these metal creatures changes as the cultivation base of their controller changes. Don't fret. It will only fluctuate slightly and won't decrease too much," Yolanda explained, eradicating Darren's doubts.

"I see." Darren nodded to Yolanda and then turned his attention to the metal creatures. He noticed they had only been demoted by one level and weren't on the same level as him.

In this way, their collective strength wasn't subjected to a considerable downgrade as he initially expected. After all, they relied on their cooperative operating method.

"As Darren continues to add numbers to his ranks, we grow stronger as a unit. We'll be able to fend off potential threats with ease," Yolanda said with a smile.

With tens of thousands of metal creatures at his beck and call, Darren strengthened his defenses. Even if he were to be besieged by countless other metal creatures, he would be able to survive.

Apart from that, he could also use his current army of metal creatures to make more of them submit to his command, further fortifying his numbers.

Even if they were unsuccessful in determining the whereabouts of the center of the array, Darren would still emerge as the overlord of the Second Dangerous Area.

"Let's scout this place for small groups of metal creatures and subdue them. While we're at it, we can look for that special metal creature too."

"Alright, let's move!"

Darren and his companions packed their essentials and headed off with renewed vigor.

While on the move, they maintained a low profile to avoid running into large groups of metal creatures to keep the casualties on a minimum.

After scavenging for their targets for a while, they stumbled upon thousands of metal creatures on patrol. They would serve as the perfect bait for their plans.

The process was simple. At first, the metal creatures under Darren's command would ambush the ones on patrol and surround them, rendering them powerless, and then Darren would repeat the previous steps. In this way, the scattered metal creatures would fall under Darren's ranks, adding to his army.

After they searched the broad landscape of the Second Dangerous Area restlessly for half a month, Darren's mob of metal creatures had reached an astounding number of over a hundred thousand!

The swarm walking behind him was overwhelming in both power and numbers!

With this army supporting his every move, Darren could go berserk, wreaking havoc in the Second Dangerous Area without fear of retaliation. Due to him targeting groups of metal creatures, most of them altered their routes to avoid encountering Darren.

"Several days have gone by, and there isn't any metal creature in sight. Where could they have gone?"

Determined, Darren and his companions took to the skies, covering high ground to continue their search for the metal creatures, but to no avail. With each passing day, the metal creatures appeared less and less. They were only able to capture a dozen of them in a few days, which wasn't satisfactory.

Were the metal creatures capable of experiencing emotions such as fear or caution?

"How is this possible? They can't have disappeared into thin air."

"No, I don't think that's the case." Noticing the sudden scarcity in metal creatures, Yolanda had spent her time deducing the reason behind the issue. Quick-witted as she was, she already came up with a few possibilities leading to this occurrence. "They can't hide at their own will. Someone must have been manipulating them into doing so."

"That may be so..." Murray nodded, rubbing his chin with his fingertips.

"Who do you think it is? Do you think the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince is still here? Is he messing with us?"

"I don't think so. If it were someone as powerful as the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince, then he would have shown up already instead of resorting to underhanded tactics and lurking in the shadows." Juan shook his head, discarding the thought. He had decided to remain with Darren and his companions instead of abandoning them.

"I see." Hearing everyone's conclusions, Darren fell into his thoughts to decipher the situation. "Maybe this is the doing of that special metal creature? As the center of the array of the Second Dangerous Area, that special metal creature is very likely to be able to command the ordinary metal creatures."

"I think Darren is right. It all makes sense that way. The creature must have the ability to manipulate the normal metal creatures to do its bidding." Connecting the dots to their scattered theories, Yolanda recalled that this was exactly how her husband had set things up before he died.

"So, as long as we find the whereabouts of the metal creatures, is it possible for us to find the center of the array?"

"Theoretically speaking, yes."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's keep our eyes peeled for those metal creatures. Alert one another if you find something."

Now that they were convinced they were close to their objective, Darren and his companions split up to broaden their search radius, determined to look for their targets in the Second Dangerous Area.

But several months had passed, and their search had borne no fruit.

What was more, while they were preoccupied with locating the metal creatures, the remaining three kings disappeared from the Second Dangerous Area. Darren concluded that they must have retreated after receiving the knowledge of the high numbers of metal creatures under his command.

Since they had been going on for months with no luck, Darren and his companions decided to halt the search for the time being. After all, they didn't have to worry about any potential threats.

With nothing else to do, they decided to enter Darren's small world to rest their weary bones for a few days.

Under the cushion of dense scattered clouds, the sunlight dashed along the ground, lighting up everything in sight with its pleasant influence. Several mountains were carved across the landscape, kissed with rivers trailing along smoothly beneath them.

Basking in their serene surroundings, Darren and the others set up tables and chairs to hunker down on the grassland and placed pots of wine to relieve themselves.

"Humph! I thought you forgot all about ever returning!" Elsa snorted, crossing her arms angrily, glaring at Darren.

"Haha! Something came up, and I got held back." Nervously, Darren stroked his hair from the back of his neck.

Still upset, Elsa rolled her eyes and looked away. "Fine. I'll spare you this time, for the sake of the presence of these seniors. But don't think you're off the hook just yet. From now on, you will come back every day. Is that clear?"

"Uh... As you please, Lady Elsa."

"Hahaha..." Hearing Darren sound so helpless made everyone erupt in a fit of laughter.

"By the way, Elsa, this is Aunt Yolanda. Come and greet her." Darren gestured towards Yolanda as he introduced.

Elsa had heard stories of Yolanda from Darren, but she never had the opportunity of meeting his relatives in the Primitive Wilderness in person. Since this was a first, she couldn't help but feel nervous, holding in her breath.

With her eyes lowered in respect, she gracefully walked over to Yolanda and bowed elegantly. "Nice to meet you, Aunt Yolanda. You're so beautiful."

"It's nice to meet you too. You're quite a charming woman yourself. I have brought you a gift. This is from me." Meeting Elsa, Yolanda gave a satisfied smile as she eyed her up from head to toe. She was thrilled to see Darren had such a beautiful and obedient wife.

Maintaining her gracefulness, Yolanda passed down her gift to Elsa. It was a bracelet with dark red beads strung together. Of course, those were of high value.

"Thank you for this lovely gift, Aunt Yolanda." Knowing the gift was a bracelet passed down as an heirloom from the previous generation of Darren's family, Elsa kept it in high regard and cherished it.

"Good girl." Yolanda patted Elsa's shoulder and flaunted a big smile.

"By the way, Aunt Yolanda. I wanted to apologize to you. Last time when you came in to heal your wounds, I planned to tend to you, but Xavier hid you somewhere. So I couldn't come to see you. I hope you're not upset..." Elsa said, lowering her gaze apologetically.

"Silly girl, why would I be upset?"

"You're not? That makes me feel so much better! Allow me to treat you with some wine." Feeling delighted from her pleasant exchange with Darren's aunt, Elsa poured in wine into the cups of Yolanda and the other seniors, serving them energetically.

Soon, the air was choked with casual laughter and chatter, coupled with the clinking of wine cups. After such a long journey, Darren and his companions finally had the chance to lay back and relax.

"How are things with Todd and Roland going?"

When the feast concluded, Darren questioned the Rule Soul Avatar.

"Fortunately, Master Todd's condition has stabilized. Roland, however, he still needs time to recover," the Rule Soul Avatar replied.

"Thank you for your help."

"Don't worry about it." After giving Darren a slight nod, the Rule Soul Avatar gulped down a few cups of wine to hydrate and then immersed himself in treating Roland.

Following that day, Darren passed his nights and days by Elsa's side, cherishing their time together, while the others cultivated or went sightseeing. Without a care in the world, they let time tick away as they relieved themselves. Life was so peaceful, which was a feeling they had long forgotten with all the strife that struck them.

A few more days passed by when something unusual happened outside his small world.

Darren had sensed that some of his metal creatures had disappeared mysteriously. They were under attack, and he had faced the loss of a thousand metal creatures from his army.

"Elsa, I have to go out now. You and Miss Jenifer can stay here and wait for me and Xavier to come back."

"Be careful out there. If there's any danger that can overwhelm you, please escape immediately." Usually, Elsa would act like a spoiled child who'd want Darren to do her bidding when she was moody. But when the situation called for it, she would deal with it maturely and let Darren handle it his way without interfering. Indeed, those were the qualities of a good wife.

"Don't worry. I'll be back, I promise." After reassuring her, he pulled her into his warm embrace before leaving his small world with the others.