Clyde’s eyes narrowed and looking at Greamory with sharp intensity as she ntioned Demon King Asmodeus’s most precious artifact.
The offer caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected the Demon Duchess to dangle such an enticing reward. Much better, its for sothing he was already wanted to pursue himself.
Graemory noted his reaction, her crimson eyes gleaming with satisfaction. A sly smile curved her lips.
"I see I’ve piqued your interest," she said smoothly.
Clyde didn’t reply imdiately, his mind start spinning. The prospect of uncovering sothing valuable to Asmodeus was too tempting to ignore, but Graemory’s motives were another matter.
"You’re serious about this?" he finally asked with skeptical tone. "I find it hard to believe you’d part with that kind of information so easily."
Graemory let out a soft laugh, brushing a crimson strand of hair from her face. "Oh, I’m quite serious. You see, my relationship with Asmodeus... well, let’s just say it’s far from harmonious."
Clyde tilted his head slightly, digesting her words.
"I see," he said. "Even from the sa race find ways to hate and undermine each other."
Outwardly, he nodded with his flat expression as alway.
"That’s all you need to know," Graemory said. "What happens between and Asmodeus isn’t your concern. Now, are you accepting my offer or not?"
He act hesitated only for a mont before replying. "Fine. I’ll take the reward. But don’t expect to forget how eager you are to sell out your own kind."
Graemory smirked, unfazed by his pointed remark. "I expected no less from you. Now, go. Find out what these creatures want and tell . When you return, we’ll talk."
Clyde turned without another word, his boots squelching in the swamp as he made his way back toward the portal.
He activated the black stone once more, the portal rippling to life before him. He stepping through it and vanished into the vortex.
Graemory watched him go, her expression contemplative but also satisfied.
"He’s grown far stronger than when we first t," she murmured to herself. "Whatever he’s been doing, it’s working for him. He could beco a great asset... if I can keep him on my side."
Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she turned her gaze toward the twisted landscape.
"Yes, Clyde... I’ll make sure you remain useful to . For now."
---
Clyde stepped out of the swirling portal, the humid air of the Fortress enveloping him once more.
Graemory’s words lingered in his mind as he made his way through the pathway of the center city, his boots clicking softly against the stone floor.
The Fortress was still alive activity. But Clyde paid them no mind. His thoughts were elsewhere.
"Asmodeus," he muttered under his breath with his brow furrowing.
The Demon King had made his intentions clear: Clyde was either a potential pawn or an enemy to be eliminated. He was already reject him once, and he don’t know if Asmodeus would be directly attacking him or offering him a chance to be his warrior again.
But if an attack was coming it was only a matter of ti. Graemory’s offer had opened a door he hadn’t considered before. Information about Asmodeus’s artifact could give him an edge, but the risk was undeniable.
"What is this artifact, anyway?" he wondered, his mind churning. "Is it sothing hidden in Asmodeus’s domain? If that’s the case, getting to it would be nearly impossible without walking straight into his grasp."
The idea left a sour taste in his mouth. Infiltrating the domain of one of the most powerful Demon King wasn’t just reckless, even with his strength right now.
But what if the artifact wasn’t there? If it were located elsewhere, then perhaps the odds wouldn’t be as dangerous.
Clyde sighed. There were too many unknowns and speculation wouldn’t get him anywhere. For now, his priority had to be the strange anomaly that seed to recognize sothing in him.
That was an imdiate threat and understanding it might offer answers about the forces in this wide worlds.
His thoughts drifted to the anomaly’s unsettling nature. It wasn’t just its fixation on him, it was the way it just suddenly appear in the Ruins without clear purpose.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t sothing he could ignore.
Reaching his quarters, Clyde pushed open the door and stepped inside. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees.
"One thing at a ti," he thought. The anomaly first, then Asmodeus’s artifact.
After a mont of stillness, Clyde stood. There was soone he needed to consult. Without wasting another second, he turned and made his way out of the room.
---
Seeing Clyde approach, Hamr let out a deep sigh, followed by a smile. The dwarf blacksmith set down his tools, brushing soot off his thick leather apron.
"Well, look who decided to grace with his presence," Hamr said with warmth voice but also mock exasperation. "I thought you don’t need an old smith like anymore. What with all that power you’ve been stacking up."
Clyde allowed himself a small smile, the corners of his lips barely lifting. "How’s that possible? I’ll always need you."
Hamr chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. But it’s only when you want to whip up sothing troubleso, isn’t it?"
"You like the challenge, don’t you?" Clyde countered, his tone steady but teasing. "If not, you wouldn’t keep making them."
The blacksmith shrugged, his broad shoulders lifting as a grin tugged at his lips. "Well, you’ve got there. Guess I do like a bit of trouble. So, what is it this ti?"
"Let’s discuss inside," Clyde said, his tone changed to seriousness.
Hamr gave a curt nod, then turned to his apprentices, barking orders to take over the forge in his absence. Once satisfied, he motioned for Clyde to follow him into his private workspace.
Closing the heavy iron door behind them, Hamr gestured for Clyde to speak. "All right, out with it. What’s this about?"
"Have you heard what Samuel and Leyan found?" Clyde asked, leaning casually against the wall.
Hamr nodded while rubbing his thick beard. "Yeah, they ca by earlier, yamring about so strange anomaly showing up in the Ruins."
"Good that you alredy know," Clyde said with a nod. At least he didn’t need to explain the basics. "I need you to make sothing to contain the anomaly’s energy."
Hamr’s brows furrowed as he leaned back against a workbench, crossing his arms. "Contain it? Boy, I’ve never even seen one of these anomalies. How the hell am I supposed to know what kind of material can hold sothing like that?"
Clyde didn’t respond imdiately. Instead, he unsheathed his Elderglass Sword, the blade glinting faintly in the dim light of the room. "Wait. Let check sothing."
He ran a finger along the glass-like edge, hoping to find any lingering traces of the anomaly he had cut through. But the blade was pristine as always, its surface didn’t content even the faintest residue.
Hamr watched with interest, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Nothing, eh?"
"Clean," Clyde muttered and sheathing back his the sword with a frustrated click of tongue.
Hamr scratched his head with thoughtful expression. "You’re asking for a hell of a challenge, Clyde."
"I figured as much," Clyde replied. "But I belive that you can make it."
Hamr snorted, his grin returning. "You really know how to butter a dwarf up, don’t you? All right, I’ll give it a shot. But first, I’ll need you to bring sothing from the anomaly itself. Energy, a fragnt, or anything. Without that, I can’t do anything."
Clyde nodded, his mind already racing through what he would do. "I’ll bring you that when the anomaly appeared again."
"Alright."
---
For a few days, Clyde remained within the Fortress, dedicating his ti to training with Leon and his group. The grass field training ground beca a constant echo of clashing weapons and magic, heavy breathing, and the occasional grunt of exertion.
Leon’s team had grown significantly stronger during this ti. But no matter how much they improved, the gap between them and Clyde was still huge.
Clyde often found himself holding back, pushing just enough to challenge them without overwhelming them entirely.
One afternoon, under the dim light of a gray sky, they decided to spar again, five against one.
Clyde, however, was untouchable. His movents were smooth, his attack was strong, and he evaded effortlessly. Every ti they thought they had him, he was already gone.
Then, in the middle of their intense sparring, Samuel appeared on the edge of the field.
Clyde noticed him imdiately and raised his hand, signaling the others to halt.
"That’s enough for now," he said calmly.
The group stepped back, panting and wiping sweat from their brows then dropping to the ground.
Clyde turned to Samuel, who had co closer now. "What is it?"
Samuel didn’t waste ti. "The anomaly," he said. "It’s appeared again in different location."
Clyde nodded to Samuel. "Let’s go."
Without another word, the two prepared themselves and set off toward the portal in the city center.
---
Reviews
All reviews (0)