Emprik watched as Cain burst through the blood-drenched fog of decay, his crimson aura tearing the corrupted air apart. For an instant, genuine surprise flickered across the Champion of the Root's monstrous face.
That streak of defiance, that refusal to yield even before the cosmic horror of The Root, was something few had ever shown. But surprise quickly gave way to cold hatred. His eyes glowed with killing intent, twin abysses radiating death. It did not matter how strong this man was. Emprik was stronger.
He was the will of the Root, a chosen champion. Every breath of the decaying essence that flowed from the Heart of the Root fed his existence. Within this realm, within his home, he was unassailable. The moment Cain stepped into the Heart's true domain, Emprik would unleash his monstrous might and reduce him to ash.
