Without looking, he already knew. With the situation they were in, with a cry like that… He knew it wouldn't be long before Northy perished.
"VOLLLLL!" Harland howled, speaking his Commander's name, knowing that he too would not be long for the grave. "DO IT, VOL! WHATEVER IT TAKES! DO IT!"
The cry of Northy, and then the cry of Harland – they soured the pleasure of the feast that Vol was indulging him. They dragged him back down to Earth, and made him aware of all that he was losing, just as he gained the greatest flash of progress that his life would likely ever see.
He grunted his irritation. The next Third Boundary man was coming. Already a handful had passed through, inflating Vol's stats. It almost felt as if he were cheating with how rapidly he was growing. It was such a deal of progress that he almost felt he should be thanking the very King that sought to kill him, for giving him the opportunity to progress so rapidly.
