As Emperal stepped outside, the sight that greeted him nearly made him pause. The guards were sprawled across the ground, their faces locked in grotesque grimaces, like they'd just seen their worst nightmares come to life.
He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Well, someone had fun," he muttered, already certain of the culprit.
Turning toward the forest's edge, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "Grimblaze! Where are you?"
There was a rustling in the bushes before the familiar yellow Hippol waddled out, looking distinctly pleased with himself. His stubby legs were covered in mud, and a few twigs clung stubbornly to his back. "Boss! You should've seen it! This daddy put on a show worthy of legends!" Grimblaze puffed out his chest, clearly proud.
Emperal sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I can see your 'work' right there," he said, as he turned towards the unconscious guards.
Grimblaze grinned sheepishly but quickly recovered. "Well, they won't be bothering us anytime soon. You're welcome!"
"Great. Now let's get out of here before she wakes up," Emperal said, already moving toward the forest.
Grimblaze trotted after him, muttering under his breath. "A little gratitude wouldn't kill you, Boss. I saved your sorry hide, after all. And who is this 'she'?"
Emperal glanced back with a raised eyebrow. "Keep up, or I'll ride you again."
That was all it took to silence Grimblaze, who hurriedly caught up, his grumbles replaced by hurried panting.
…
Meanwhile,
Back in the cavern, the woman stirred, her fingers brushing lightly against her face, where his lips had lingered moments earlier. Her cheeks flushed a soft crimson, a stark contrast against her pale skin.
"W-Who was that?" she muttered, her voice unsteady as her legs trembled beneath her. It wasn't fear—no, it was something far more frustrating, something unfamiliar that made her heart race and her composure falter.
Her fingers instinctively touched her lips. "H-how dare he touch m-me!" she stammered, a mix of indignation and embarrassment painting her expression. This was an entirely new experience for her, and it left her utterly flustered. "His voice… it was so deep and… alluring—W-what am I even thinking?!" she blurted out, the blush on her face deepening as she quickly shook her head.
The rush of confusion gave way to a surge of fiery anger. "That insolent brat!" she bellowed, her voice reverberating through the cavern. She clenched her fists, the residual energy in the air responding to her fury, making the ground quiver slightly beneath her.
Hours later, after she had regained her strength, the cavern was deathly silent. Her aura flared, oppressive and overwhelming, as she began piecing together what had happened.
"That bastard!" she growled, her voice laced with venom. "He even took 'that' box… Little thief!"
The air around her cracked and warped under the pressure of her power. A deep rift tore through the cavern floor as her rage spiraled, her energy surging like a tidal wave. "A CYCLE 5 TIER BEING reduced to this indignity?! He even dared to mock me!" she shouted, her voice a mix of fury and disbelief.
As the cavern trembled around her, she cast her eyes toward the egg at the center of the chasm. It was trembling slightly, pulsing with a faint, ominous glow. Her anger subsided for a moment, her gaze narrowing. "Now isn't the time to worry about other things," she muttered, her voice steadying.
She clenched her fists tightly, her resolve hardening. "I have to get that box back from him. If it weren't for her... her work would have been completed long ago."
The mountain trembled under the weight of her anger, the oppressive aura radiating outward, stretching far and wide—so far, in fact, that even Emperal, now more than 500 kilometers away, felt it as a faint ripple against his skin.
"Hahaha, Guess who's mad?," He muttered, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
Grimblaze, trotting beside him, paused for a moment and looked up, his ears twitching. "Boss, is it just me, or does that feel like trouble heading our way?"
"Haha, trouble? You mean opportunity," Emperal said with a low, demonic chuckle. He reached down and gave Grimblaze a firm pat on the head, his crimson eyes gleaming with mischief.
Grimblaze groaned. "Yeah, opportunity for us to end up fried and roasted, maybe!"
As the oppressive aura grew more distant but no less foreboding, Emperal stretched his arms and let out a deep laugh. "Guess who's furious, Grimblaze? Let's hope she keeps that temper—it'll make our next meeting all the more entertaining."
Grimblaze sighed dramatically but picked up his pace, muttering to himself. "I need a new boss…"
…
As night fell, they found a spot to camp between four massive trees, their towering trunks forming a natural enclosure. The space they provided was vast, easily spanning 500 square meters, and offered plenty of room for a fire, rest, and, unfortunately, Grimblaze's antics.
After setting up a fire, Emperal turned his attention to their haul for the night. He had hunted down two colossal beasts, each the size of an elephant—a more than sufficient supply of meat. But his gaze kept drifting toward the mountain of carcasses piling up, totaling eight.
His eyes twitched, his lips curling into a frown. "Grimblaze..."
The yellow pygmy hippopotamus, sitting beside the fire, was already in his own world, staring at the heap with glistening eyes and a string of drool hanging from his mouth.
"Grimblaze!" Emperal snapped, louder this time.
The beast flinched but quickly composed himself, wiping his mouth with an air of dignity. "What? I'm just appreciating our glorious bounty."
"You do realize there's no way we're eating all of this tonight, right?" He said.Then added,
"Our bounty?" Emperal arched an eyebrow, pointing at the extra beasts. "I hunted two. Where did the rest come from?"
Grimblaze puffed up his chest, clearly proud of himself. "I may have... added a few extras along the way. Well we have to be prepared for the worst, right? You can thank me later."
"Prepared for the worst?" Emperal's voice dropped, his patience wearing thin. "Prepared for what, exactly? A feast for a small army?"
Grimblaze grinned, completely unbothered. "You don't get it, boss. You've got to think ahead. What if we're stranded somewhere? Or worse, what if I get hungry again in a few hours?"
Emperal pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "We don't even have space for this much meat. Not to mention the smell is going to attract every predator in the area."
Grimblaze waved a stubby paw dismissively. "Let them come. More predators mean more food. Problem solved."
Emperal stared at him, deadpan. "You're just a Pig."
"And you're ungrateful," Grimblaze shot back, plopping down with a smug expression.
The fire crackled as Emperal focused on skinning one of the beasts. He worked quickly and efficiently, but he could feel Grimblaze's gaze boring into him.
"Need help?" Grimblaze asked, a little too eagerly.
"No," Emperal said flatly, not looking up. "The last thing I need is your slobber everywhere."
"Slobber?" Grimblaze gasped, feigning offense."Slobber? I'll have you know I'm a refined connoisseur. My saliva only enhances flavor."
"Right," Emperal muttered, slicing through the hide with renewed focus.
Grimblaze sat in silence for a moment before shuffling closer to the pile of meat, clearly unable to resist. As Emperal worked, the sound of faint drooling reached his ears again.
"Grimblaze," he warned without looking up.
"What?" Grimblaze mumbled through a mouthful of air, his gaze fixed on the fresh cuts of meat.
"Step away from the meat."
"But—"
"Now."
Grimblaze groaned dramatically but waddled off toward a nearby stream, muttering something about "unappreciative bosses." Moments later, Emperal heard a loud splash followed by an enthusiastic shout.
"Boss! "I found fish! Bonus snacks!"
Emperal closed his eyes, shaking his head. "This is going to be a long night."
…
After all the meals, Grimblaze was snoring loudly, sprawled on his back with his face pointing skyward, his belly rising and falling like a tiny mountain.
Emperal, no longer paying him any mind, pulled a small box from his sleeve and studied it closely. The intricate, ominous inscriptions glowed faintly under the firelight. "Such a fascinating box. I wonder what secrets it holds," he muttered, turning it over in his hands.
"Such a demonic artifact in an elven world? This place never fails to surprise me," he said, his smirk growing wider.
"But this thing seems to react to the specific Aetryn who locked it. In that case..." He paused, his crimson eyes narrowing as a faint, otherworldly hum emanated from the box. With a dark chuckle, he whispered,
"Solastasis."