Eryndorath glared at the arena below, his pride warring with his mother's logic. After a tense mont, he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to relax. "Fine. But I hope you know what you're doing."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and left, his frustration evident in every step.
Beside the queen, Princess Lyralithra, Eryndorath's wife, watched Von with a mixture of longing and worry.
Despite the years that had passed, she could never truly forget him. Seeing him now, alive and standing tall, brought a flicker of warmth to her heart. She knew better than anyone how resilient Von was, but that didn't stop her from worrying.
"I hope he knows what he's doing," she whispered to herself.
Her thoughts drifted to the competition. Von might have made it through the second round, but the challenges ahead would only grow more dangerous.
And despite his strength and determination, she feared for his safety. She feared that this ti, even he might not make it out alive.
"Your husband seems upset," Queen Eurodayle remarked, her voice breaking Lyralithra's reverie. "Go. Calm him before he does sothing . . . foolish."
Lyralithra bowed gracefully. "Yes, my queen."
As she walked away, her mind remained on Von. No matter what happened, she silently vowed to ensure he would leave this competition alive and whole.
anwhile, the streets of the capital bustled with life, and though most players were still recovering from the ordeal, the atmosphere felt lighter. Survivors of the second challenge were treated like heroes by the locals, and whispers of admiration followed Horizon's group as they passed. Read exclusive chapters at empire
"Hey, isn't that the naless guild everyone's talking about?"
"They don't look like much, do they?"
"Still, they made it through. Gotta be sothing special about them."
Horizon ignored the murmurs. His focus was on finding food and letting his team relax. They had earned it.
The restaurant they arrived at was nothing short of magnificent—a grand building adorned with intricate carvings and shimring lights, drawing in elites from across the kingdom. The scent of roasted at and freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making Von and everyone's stomach growl audibly.
As they entered, a server greeted them politely, though there was a brief flicker of surprise in her eyes. Clearly, she hadn't expected a group that looked so rough from the wilderness to step into such an establishnt.
"Table for five," Horizon said calmly, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
"Of course, right this way."
They were led to a private room, away from the noise of the main hall, where a lavish table awaited them. No sooner had they sat down than Von leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
"This is more like it," he said, grinning. "I might never leave this place."
Silphie giggled while Lydia looked over the nu with wide eyes. "Everything here looks so good. What do we order first?"
"Everything," Von said without missing a beat.
Horizon rolled his eyes but didn't argue. After days of near starvation and constant fear, they deserved this indulgence.
As plates of steaming dishes began to arrive, the mood shifted entirely. Laughter filled the room as they recounted monts from the second challenge—so tense, so downright ridiculous.
Von raised her glass, a playful smile on her face. "To surviving hell and coming out stronger."
"To real food!" Lydia added enthusiastically, raising her own glass.
"To peace and quiet," Frigid muttered, though there was a faint smile on his usually expressionless face.
"To desert," Silphie said, raising her cup.
Horizon raised his glass last, his eyes scanning the group. "To us."
They clinked their glasses together, the sound echoing softly in the room.
For the first ti in days, they allowed themselves to relax, knowing that they had conquered one of the most brutal challenges they had ever faced.
But even as they celebrated, a shared thought lingered unspoken between them—this was only the beginning. Tougher battles lay ahead, but for now, they would savor this victory.
"Celebrating already? How pathetic. Surviving the second round and acting like it's a grand achievent . . . truly pitiful."
Horizon and his group halted mid-eating, turning toward the source of the taunt. Cedrick, flanked by the elite mbers of the Kingdom of Stars, stood with a smug expression, his sharp eyes locked on Horizon. The tension in the air thickened as whispers rippled through the crowd.
Horizon rely smirked, unfazed by the attempt to provoke him. "Are you here to lose another artifact? I don't mind," he said, his tone light, yet laced with subtle mockery.
At the ntion of the artifact, Cedrick's expression darkened, as did those of his guildmates. Their humiliation from the previous fight was still fresh, and Horizon's jab only added fuel to the simring resentnt.
"Be careful, you fool," Cedrick snarled, barely keeping his composure. "You don't know who you're dealing with. Thanks to your ddling, you've officially beco one of our primary targets."
Horizon's grin didn't waver. "Oh, I know exactly who I'm dealing with." His gaze flicked briefly toward Trisha, standing quietly at Cedrick's side, before returning to the guild leader. The subtle gesture didn't go unnoticed.
Cedrick clenched his fists, anger boiling dangerously close to the surface. "You! Do you really want trouble—?"
"Or what?" Von interjected with a cocky grin, chiming in. "You gonna start a scene here? Cause so commotion and get yourselves thrown out by the guards? By all ans, go ahead." His grin widened as murmurs spread through the crowd, eyes turning toward the brewing confrontation.
Cedrick hesitated, realizing they had drawn too much attention. The last thing he needed was to create a spectacle and be reprimanded by the event officials. Much worse, embarrassed his mother
Swallowing his anger, he sneered instead. "Consider yourselves lucky. But not for long. When the next challenge begins, we'll make sure to eliminate you for good."
With that, the Kingdom of Stars turned and walked away, their pride bruised but their anger stronger than ever.
As they departed, Cedrick's gaze lingered on two figures in Horizon's group—Silphie and Lydia. Both won stood out in their own unique way.
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