By now, Ning knew that he couldn’t read anything, but was genuinely trying to learn how to read.

He ignored Silvers for the moment and looked back at Alekor. “Explain more, please. What do you mean by deaths? Where? How many?”

”At least 2 dozen on our side, more on the enemy’s side,” Alekor said, continuing to pace back and forth.

”And?” Ning said, waiting for him to continue.

Alekor finally stopped. “Do you remember about the rebellion I was talking about a week or so ago?” he asked.

Ning tried to remember and asked, “The one in Embers we couldn’t go to because of me?”

”Yeah, that’s the one. One of the terrorists that had joined the rebellion group was an Aether Saint, well known for his barbaric methods of fighting.”

”I let the tower know before we left for Urandran, but it seems like they didn’t quickly capitalize on that information, and only send squads with Aether emperors and below.”𝑂𝒱𝐥xt.𝔠𝒪𝗆

”Now, people are dead,” Alekor said and started walking around again. It seemed… he felt somehow responsible for the deaths.

Ning got silent for a moment, thinking to himself while Silvers just shook his head.

”We could have gone there you know. When Captain was not sleeping. We could’ve gone there and had defeated that bastard. Maybe even I could’ve done that.”

”But no, just because you were with us, we had to go to—” Alekor stopped, realizing what he had been saying, and quickly turned to Ning.

”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say you were responsible for this. I was just… ” he didn’t continue. He couldn’t continue. Anything more and he would be punished for insolence.

”Angry at the lord?” Ning dared to finish his thoughts. Alekor looked with horror and even Silvers closed his book to look at Ning in shock.

”What? It’s not like you weren’t thinking about it. Besides, the old man can’t do anything to me. Don’t worry,” Ning said.

”O-o-old man?” Alekor nearly lost himself. He had maybe only heard Merasi call the lord ‘old man’, and that too had been when they were out doing missions.

Ning dared to say so inside the tower. If someone had heard them, then…

Ning looked around. “Where’s Mercy?” he asked.

”She went to wake the captain up,” Silvers said from his sitting position.

”Isn’t she supposed to come out tomorrow?” Ning asked.

”Yeah, but we can’t wait, can we?” Alekor said. “Each second wasted is another one of our friends massacred. We need to go there as fast as we can, and we need a Supreme to open up a portal to the city of embers.”

”Are the other supremes perhaps sleeping too?” Ning asked and was met with a nod from Alekor.

”What about the lord? What is he doing?” Ning asked.

”I… don’t know,” Alekor said. “He must be in sleep or something. Otherwise, he would surely help as well.”

Ning doubted that. The old man seemed out of his mind the last time he had seen him. He was not the dignified leader the tower deserved.

”Can you guys not do that? I thought Captain said your skills were some of the best,” Ning said.

”I may be good in a lot of things, but gravity is something I’m not very good at. Even if I can open it, it only stays there for maybe 10 seconds before collapsing. That won’t be enough time for the people to jump into the portal,” Alekor said.

”Hmm,” Ning thought for a few moments and asked, ” Then what about the other captains?”

”They are like me too,” he said. “They too can only open the portal for a little while, just enough for themselves. Either that or they cannot open portals at all.”

”Why don’t they just go and fight this terrorist then? They should be able to do that at least,” Ning said.

”They’re already doing it,” Silvers said from the ground. “The captains have already gone to fight, but they can’t take their squad with them.”

”At the same time, it’s not just about fighting against the terrorist,” Alekor said. “It’s about quelling a rebellion and healing our allies.”

”We are lacking personnel on both fronts.”

Ning finally understood. It wasn’t the fighting that was the problem, but rather the aid.

”I see,” he said and turned around. “Then let me help. I can create a portal.”

Alekor looked at him in surprise, and Silvers stood up too. “Can you really?” Alekor asked.

”Yes,” Ning said. “Now let’s hurry.”

The three of them no longer bothered waiting for Mercy to go wake up her sister and went to the bottom floor.

Alekor announced what was going to happen and started gathering the people who would be leaving.

”Let me go check and see where I am to open a portal on that side,” Ning said and teleported using his portal.

When he arrived, he was a good 200 meters off the surface and looked down on a massive forest.

He saw smokes billowing from a group of tents, and when his vision magnified, he could see white and purple clothes.

This was the location. He slowly drifted down to reach a location where he could set up the portal, but suddenly a ball of fire came flying his way.

Ning dodged and looked down, only to see people had gathered and were now attacking him.

None of the attacks were lethal, but they were certainly annoying.

”Stop attacking, I’m on your side,” Ning said with a booming voice that everyone could hear from high above.

”We can’t trust you,” the people down below said.

’What? Why not? I’m even wearing the same— oh, I forgot to wear the white clothes,’ Ning thought.

”Stop! Stop!” a voice came from the crowd as a girl walked forwards. “Terran, is that you?” she asked.

”Rachel?” he asked in surprise. He hadn’t imagined he would find the girl in such a desolate place.