In the depths of the shadowed hall, Mondrik sat upon his stone throne, the restless torchlight dancing across his cold, unyielding features. Before him, Harris stood firm—like a soldier awaiting an order too heavy to refuse.
A faint smile touched Mondrik's lips as his voice rumbled, deep and commanding:
"Harris… I will give you a purpose. A task for the future."
Harris's eyes glimmered, his joy reflected in the fire's glow. He bowed slightly, answering without hesitation:
"I will do whatever you ask, my lord."
Mondrik's gaze lingered on him, steady and weighty, a mixture of sternness and trust. Then his tone shifted, heavier, each word pressing down on the air:
"As you know… betrayal is inevitable in times like these. That is why you must become the sword that cuts through such obstacles. When Gumble arrives, you will leave with him—train in the City of Fire, in the western lands. There, you will eliminate those he deems dangerous… or suspicious."
Leaning forward, his voice sharpened like steel:
"As for Cable and Noel… tell them their task lies in gathering followers and wealth in the Slink region. We hold nothing there."
For a moment Harris faltered under the weight of the command, but quickly nodded and replied:
"Understood, my lord. I will tell them. Is there anything else you wish of me?"
He bowed his head respectfully, though his eyes stole a fleeting glance upward, searching for a sign of acknowledgment—proof of trust. Mondrik's reply came cold, decisive:
"The rest, Gumble will tell you. Now… leave."
Harris bowed deeply, turned swiftly, and his footsteps echoed into the vast chamber. His chest swelled with pride. The mission was dangerous—but it bore the seal of Mondrik's trust.
⸻
Two days passed in a blur, as if the hands of the clock were racing forward.
Then Mondrik gave his next command: Julian was to leave the cave's darkness and begin his mission—collecting the cores of beasts.
Dressed in a fitted dark attire that clung to his frame, Julian's single-edged sword gleamed faintly at his side, like a predator poised to strike.
⸻
The moment he stepped out of the cavern, the world revealed itself—breathtaking, immense.
Mountains rose like titans, their peaks swallowed by thick veils of mist. At their feet sprawled dense emerald forests, pierced by golden shafts of sunlight cascading like threads of heaven. Waterfalls tumbled down jagged cliffs, pouring into wide valleys where crystalline lakes mirrored the sky.
Above, winged beasts soared, their massive wings drumming echoes through the air. Below, colossal creatures roamed the plains and valleys, their sheer presence bending the land to their will. The sight struck Julian with both awe and dread—like stepping from the womb of darkness into a rebirth, into a world alive with wonder and peril.
He froze, his heart pounding, his eyes widening at the vast expanse before him. Then, without hesitation… he leapt from the cliff.
Cold wind tore across his face, the air howling in his ears. And in that fleeting moment, only one thought filled his mind: How vast this world is… how alive.
Near the ground, spirals of wind gathered beneath his feet, softening the fall. He landed with ease, as if descending a single step rather than plummeting from a mountain's edge.
⸻
He wandered through plains and stone valleys, until the earth quaked beneath him.
From the shadows of the forest emerged a beast.
It towered over him, its massive frame bear-like but monstrously larger. Its fur bristled with fiery veins that pulsed like molten streaks, tusks long and jagged sparking with every breath. Its eyes glowed like burning embers, and when it opened its jaws, a roar thundered forth—smoke and red fire spiraling toward the heavens.
A fourth-rank beast. Not the strongest, not the weakest—but deadly enough to kill him alone.
Julian's breath quickened. His grip tightened on the sword hilt. Around him, the wind stirred—rising, circling, whispering like a call to battle.
Fixing his gaze on the beast, he muttered to himself, voice steady, unshaken:
"Now… the true test begins."