Linus instantly raised his staff, assuming a battle stance. His eyes locked onto the man standing before him.
"Be careful, Linus. This man is strong. We need to approach him with caution," I warned, tightening my grip on Indra in my right hand. Beside me, Bob stood ready while breathing heavily. He also clearly focused now.
Beltimore positioned himself behind the three of us. The masked man stood between our small group and the rest of the party, cutting us off completely.
I didn't know why, but my heart was pounding wildly. It was the same sensation I felt when facing Gazelle the Blackwing in the Arena card. A feeling when standing before a truly formidable opponent.
"Relax, all of you. Why so tense?" The masked man spoke with a calm, playful tone. "You must be exhausted after climbing all the way up here. Why don't we have a little chat instead?"
