"I—I don't know!" the attendant stamred, his voice breaking with panic.
"My lord, I swear, I don't know! The pendant—it was fine just this morning! But now it's... it's shattered!"
Geisler's expression darkened further, his fury boiling over. He raised the servant higher, his massive arm bulging with effort.
"You don't know? You don't know? Then what use are you to ? Perhaps I should crush your skull right now and save myself the trouble of hearing more of your drivel!"
The attendant shrieked, his eyes wild with terror. "Wait! Please, my lord! Please! I can show you! The pendant—it's here! It's here!"
The Baron froze, his rage montarily halted by the man's frantic plea.
He lowered the servant slightly, his grip still tight, and barked, "What do you an, it's here? Speak quickly, or I will send you to the afterlife without a second thought!"
The servant fumbled at his belt, his hands shaking so badly that he nearly dropped the small leather pouch he was carrying.
"I-I brought it, my lord! The pendant—your son's pendant—it's inside!"
Geisler's eyes narrowed suspiciously. With a growl, he yanked the pouch from the servant's hands and dropped the man unceremoniously to the floor.
The servant crumpled, gasping for breath, as the Baron turned his attention to the pouch.
Pulling it open, Geisler reached inside and withdrew the shattered remains of the pendant.
His brow furrowed as he studied the fragnts, his expression shifting from anger to confusion.
The pendant's once-perfect surface was now cracked and broken, its intricate design marred by jagged lines.
The faint glow it had always emitted was gone, leaving it dull and lifeless.
"What is this?" the Baron muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"This pendant was enchanted—crafted by the finest mages in the capital to ensure Maxillian's safety. It was supposed to protect him, to warn us if he was in danger. How could it be shattered?"
The room remained silent, the advisors too afraid to speak.
Even the broad-shouldered man, usually unshakable, looked uneasy.
Geisler clenched his fist around the pendant fragnts, his knuckles turning white.
"Sothing has happened to my son," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And I will find out what."
…
anwhile, amidst the grim stillness of the forest clearing, Lira and Mareen crouched beside the lifeless body of the fallen noble Maxillian. His fine clothes were now soiled with dirt and blood, his expression frozen in a mix of arrogance and terror. Your next journey awaits at empire
The two won rummaged through his belongings, their hands trembling as they worked.
"Here," Lira whispered, pulling out a folded parchnt from a hidden compartnt in his cloak. Her hands shook as she unfolded it. "A map... no, wait... there's two of them."
Mareen leaned closer, her face pale and her breathing uneven. "Two maps?" she repeated, her voice quivering. "Why would he carry two?"
Lira shrugged, her nerves getting the better of her. "Does it matter? We just need to give it to him before he gets angry again."
Mareen nodded reluctantly.
Together, they turned toward Volk, who stood a short distance away, his attention fixed on the glowing tallic green gauntlet that had now fully enveloped his right arm.
He flexed his fingers experintally, the tal shifting and pulsing with a faint radioactive hum.
The faint glow illuminated his rugged, battle-scarred face, casting eerie shadows across his tusks and crimson eyes.
"Um... Volk?" Lira called hesitantly. Her voice wavered, but she managed to catch his attention.
Volk turned his head slowly, his piercing gaze locking onto them.
The two won flinched under his scrutinizing stare, the weight of his presence making them feel small and insignificant.
"What do you want?" Volk growled, his deep voice reverberating through the clearing.
Mareen held up the two maps with trembling hands. "W-we found these," she stamred. "There's a large-scale map... and a smaller, detailed one. Which do you want?"
Volk's eyes narrowed as he considered their words.
After a mont, he let out a derisive snort. "Obviously, the large-scale one," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Why would I waste my ti on sothing small and useless?"
The two won exchanged nervous glances before carefully handing over the larger map.
Mareen's fingers brushed against Volk's clawed hand as she passed it to him, and she recoiled as though burned.
Volk smirked, his sharp teeth glinting in the faint light. "Go," he commanded, his voice cold and dismissive. "You've done your part. I don't need you anymore."
Lira and Mareen hesitated for a mont, their fear anchoring them in place. But when Volk's eyes narrowed dangerously, they quickly turned and fled, their footsteps crunching against the forest floor as they disappeared into the trees.
Volk let out a low chuckle, his amusent echoing in the silence.
Unfolding the map, he studied its intricate details, his smirk widening. "This will make things easier," he muttered to himself, tucking it away into his belt.
His gaze then shifted back to the gauntlet.
The radioactive glow had grown stronger, the tal feeling almost alive as it pulsed in sync with his heartbeat.
He raised his hand, admiring the lethal beauty of his newfound weapon.
"Let's see what this thing can do," Volk said, his voice low and filled with anticipation.
He clenched his fist, and suddenly— BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the gauntlet, sending a shockwave rippling through the forest.
Trees nearby shuddered, their leaves trembling violently as if in fear of the power unleashed.
Volk laughed, "HAHHAHAHAHA!" the sound guttural and raw.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" he exclaid, slamming his fist into the ground repeatedly.
Each strike sent out another devastating burst of energy, the ground quaking beneath him.
Craters ford where his fist landed, the forest floor splitting apart with violent cracks.
The radioactive energy surged through him, feeding his strength and amplifying his already terrifying power.
Volk's laughter echoed through the woods, a sound of triumph and unrelenting ferocity.
With one final strike, he stood, the forest around him now eerily silent save for the faint hum of the gauntlet.
"Not bad," Volk muttered, a grin spreading across his face. "Not bad at all."
He turned in the direction marked on the map, his crimson eyes gleaming with determination. "But this is not enough."
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