SSS Frost Sovereign: Rewinding The Apocalypse!-Chapter 56: Redd...

Meanwhile, Icard’s group had already heard the news.

’Hmph. Finally. It’s time,’ Icard thought.

With no hesitation,

"We should register with the mayor’s union," Icard suggested.

Katar frowned slightly. "Why?"

"Think about it," Icard replied. "People believe they can operate independently now. So, the mayor wouldn’t just call everyone in unless he had something they all needed."

Katar clicked his tongue softly.

’He’s right,’ he admitted to himself. ’Ixie must have helped them figure something out. If she’s involved, then it’s definitely not just bureaucracy.’

Nearby, Reya had already put Matt, Alia and herself through relentless drills and military based exercises.

It was methodical conditioning, forcing their bodies to move, react, and endure under pressure.

Sweat soaked into the cracked pavement beneath their feet as Reya barked orders, correcting stances, pushing them to exhaustion, then demanding more.

She had tasked herself to meet up with Katar’s expectations next time, taking Matt, Alia and herself on these hard drills.

Meanwhile, inside their home, Eric lay recovering, his body still wrapped in bandages from the previous day’s battle.

Icard and Katar sat off to the side, watching Reya drive Alia and Matt through the routine.

It was the kind of street level combat conditioning they would need if they ever got cornered in real combat again.

From Katar’s perspective, they had been too sloppy last time.

Too slow and hesitant, so they needed more pressure. More discipline.

As the training continued, three figures suddenly appeared at the far end of the street, walking toward them through the ruins.

Icard narrowed his eyes.

From the color of their hair alone, he recognized them immediately.

That was Redd and his team.

The sight of him made a thought strike Icard more deeply.

Now that he really considered it, Redd was a fairly notable incarnation. Strong, bold, loud enough to leave an impression.

Yet Icard couldn’t remember seeing him at all in his last turn.

If someone like this had existed back then, where had he gone?

Their approach interrupted Reya’s training. She halted mid command, Alia lowering her stance as both of them turned toward the newcomers.

Redd stopped just beyond the broken fence that marked the edge of their yard, the space between them and the street littered with cracked concrete and rusted metal.

Reya and Alia stood a short distance away, still catching their breath, sweat glistening on their brows.

Redd smirked, letting out a short huff.

"Took us a while to find where you were holed up," he said, eyes settling on Icard, who was still seated beside Katar.

"Does this look like we’re hiding?" Icard replied with a light scoff. "We own the place."

Redd stopped at the edge of the yard, so Icard rose to meet him halfway.

"It’s been a while," Redd said. "We only met during the raid, but..."

He took a few casual steps closer, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket.

He had a confident grin on his face, with Rybie lounged atop his head.

"...I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna get along just fine."

Icard forced a grin.

’Who the hell is this guy?’

Redd glanced around, taking in the scene, while Reya stood relaxed but alert, Alia wiping sweat from her brow and Matt breathing hard nearby.

The place looked more lived in and less like a hideout.

Redd shrugged at it and returned to his reason for coming.

"Looks like you lot might not’ve heard yet," Redd said. "The mayor’s setting up a guild union or something."

"We have heard about it and have talked it over too. We’re planning to join them."

He looked at Redd. "What about you?"

Redd stared blankly for half a second, then huffed.

"Of course. Better odds when you’re united, right?"

Icard gave him a look.

’Unity is the last reason most people would join that thing,’ he thought. Redd was clearly just dressing up his real motives.

"And besides," Redd added, "I didn’t get to claim that spawn’s mana essence. Albert finished it off himself."

Then he scoffed.

"That bastard’s strong. There’s a lot I could learn from him."

Reya’s eyes lit up, a mix of surprise and respect softening her usually stern expression.

"So you actually brought that thing down? It looked terrifying out there."

Alia swallowed, her brows knitting slightly as the memory resurfaced.

"That thing... it was definitely stronger than the chieftain we saw in the first gate. It took Icard, Eric and Albert to finish it off. Even my efforts barely made a difference."

Redd shrugged, though the corner of his mouth lifted with faint pride.

"That thing was indeed tough. Like hitting a walking iron shell. Actually, it was tougher than iron, I’d say. Still, it took everything we had just to crack it."

"Wow," Matt muttered under his breath, genuine awe in his voice.

Meanwhile, Rybie lounged on Redd’s head, eyes drifting lazily across the yard. Then his gaze landed on Katar, who had turned his face away, clearly avoiding eye contact.

Rybie’s eyes narrowed, instant recognition dawning as he laid eyes on the snow cat.

"You!" he hissed. "You damned snow cat!"

He leapt forward in a sudden burst of fury, only for Tye, to grab him mid air and yank him back.

"You nearly got us killed back then, you idiot!" Rybie thrashed in Tye’s grip. "You don’t care about anyone but yourself! Let me go! I’ll teach him a lesson!"

The sudden outburst drew startled reactions from everyone around. Reya stiffened, Alia took a step back, and Matt looked between them in confusion.

Even Redd blinked, clearly not expecting his companion to explode like that.

But then, it was just a small scuffle.

"I’ll be going now," Katar said awkwardly.

"Where do you think you’re going?! You haven’t learned a lesson. I’m sure you’ll do it again!"

Alia laughed quietly at the quarreling Erwalds. They all did, remembering just how close it could have been with Seban.

All that mattered then was that, at least, they all survived at the end. That was more important.