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The castle stood before them—a monolith of bleached stone, stark and unadorned against the emerald expanse of the forest. Its walls were smooth, almost sterile, as if carved from bone. No banners flew from its spires; no guards patrolled its battlements. It was a cipher, cold and silent, defying the grandeur the Vanguard had expected.
Perched in the branches of a gnarled oak, King Kael and his team studied the structure with wary eyes.
“So this is it, huh?” Kael muttered, his voice low.
Kai ‘The Phantom Fist’ Raiden leaned back against the trunk, arms crossed. “Looks very underwhelming from what was expected.”
Ryuzen Takeda squinted, his fingers drumming the hilt of a hidden blade. “Are we sure this is the location the monk told us about?”
“Yes,” Kael replied, his gaze fixed on the castle’s entrance. “We’re at the exact coordinates he shared. He said to expect an all-white castle… though he never mentioned how small it’d be.”
Captain Zarius Blacktide snorted, his storm-lit cutlass glinting at his side. “You all are worried about the looks of the castle—” His voice dropped to a growl as he pointed toward the base of the structure. “—but I’m focused on those three.”
At the top of the pristine white stairs leading to the castle’s gates stood three figures. Two flanked the entrance—tall, armored, their faces obscured by helmets etched with serpentine patterns. Between them loomed a broader figure, his posture relaxed but radiating menace.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “Two of them are around the same power level as the one Kenshiro and Cedric fought. But the one in the middle… his aura doubles theirs. Maybe triples.”
Zarius smirked, cracking his knuckles. “So what’s the call, King?”
Kael didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go alone. With our presence masked, there’s no need to reveal all our cards yet. Wait here until I signal.”
The team exchanged uneasy glances but nodded. In a fluid motion, Kael dropped from the tree, landing soundlessly on the mossy ground. He strode toward the stairs, his posture loose, his aura deliberately muted—a traveler, not a warrior.
Halfway up the staircase, a booming voice echoed from above.
“Oh ho ho ho! We have a visitor!”
Kael paused, squinting upward. At the top of the stairs, the central figure—a hulking man with a chest like a barrel and arms corded with muscle—spread his hands in mock welcome. His voice was a landslide, rough and grating. “And what would your name be?”
“My name is Leak,” Kael called back, forcing a sheepish grin. “I… somehow got lost in these treacherous woods.”
The man cupped a hand to his ear. “Huh? Can’t hear you!”
Before Kael could repeat himself, the man leapt from the stairs. He hit the ground with a thunderous crunch, the impact cratering the earth beneath his boots. Dust billowed around him as he straightened, revealing a face weathered by battle but split by a disarming grin.
Dagon Mirelock23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwT9A6g1unD
Title: The Abyssal Warden23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgi7PVKeNl
Magic: Chthonic Mirecraft (Mud Magic)23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uo319Jp6K
Generation: Second Generation Sentient
“Sorry, pal,” Dagon said, brushing dirt from his sleeveless tunic. “Couldn’t hear you from all the way up there. You said you got lost?”
Kael shrugged, clutching a small, obsidian vial to his chest like a nervous merchant. “Yes. I was trying to find a researcher named Vorst. Heard his lab was nearby, but I… uh… stumbled on this castle instead.”
Dagon’s grin didn’t waver, but his eyes narrowed. “And why’re you lookin’ for him?”
“I’m a brewmaker,” Kael said, puffing his chest with faux pride. He thrust the vial toward Dagon—a swirling shadow trapped inside, writhing like smoke. “The mightiest brews around! Dr. Vorst requested this personally. But he forgot to send updated directions, so… here I am.” He chuckled awkwardly.
Dagon took the vial, holding it up to the light. The shadow inside pulsed, as if alive. For a heartbeat, his smile faltered. Then he tossed it back to Kael. “Tch. Tastes like overpriced swill, I bet.”
Kael caught the vial, relief flashing in his eyes. “So… could you point me to the lab?”
Dagon turned, jerking a thumb toward the castle. “Follow me.”
At the top of the pristine white stairs, King Kael and Dagon Mirelock were met by the two Sentients guarding the castle’s entrance. The first, stood with an icy grace, her pale skin shimmering faintly like frost under moonlight. Her piercing blue eyes narrowed as she regarded Dagon with thinly veiled disdain.
Valae Isolde23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPER29GjS1
Title: The Frostbound Executioner23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nm0yaktIj
Magic: Eternal Wintercraft (Winter Magic)23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRZgXiTbSi
Generation: First Generation Sentient
“Always so loud,” Valae said, her voice a chilling whisper. “You get one person to talk to, and now you’re all reckless.”
Dagon grinned, unbothered. “Tch. Don’t worry ‘bout it. He’s a puny little brewer. I could take him out with a flick, no problem.”
The second Sentient, loomed like a mountain, his stone-like skin etched with glowing runes. His deep voice rumbled like an earthquake. “Another one of those people he sent to the wrong location?”
Garran Voss23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGPuy5MOIM
Title: The Unyielding Colossus23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Sm76U7PBY
Magic: Titanstone Dominion (Stone Magic)23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYa72ZZg9q
Generation: First Generation Sentient
“Yep,” Dagon replied, shrugging. “I don’t know why that old man won’t give updated directions. I’m tired of talking instead of fighting.”
Valae rolled her eyes, while Garran merely grunted in agreement.
Dagon led Kael inside the castle, the heavy doors groaning shut behind them. The interior was a stark contrast to the castle’s austere exterior. The walls were adorned with massive murals and paintings of Dr. Kalmaris Vorst, his stern visage staring down from every angle. Kael’s eyes flicked over the artwork, his expression unreadable.
“So… is this the lab?” Kael asked, feigning awe.
Dagon chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Ah, naw. This is the old man’s home. Though I don’t know why he’s got so many paintings of himself.” He laughed again, louder this time. “Don’t worry—it still trips me out too.”
He gestured toward the far end of the hall, where a massive, glowing portal hummed with energy. “There. All you gotta do is hop in there, and it’ll lead you straight to the lab.”
Kael nodded, offering a grateful smile. “Thank you for your help.”
As he stepped toward the portal, his hand twitched almost imperceptibly. In an instant, the air around them shifted, the light dimming as shadows stretched and coiled.
“Dragon’s Shadow Realm,” Kael murmured.
The world around them dissolved into darkness, the castle and portal vanishing as Kael and Dagon were plunged into a pocket dimension of pure shadow. The air was thick and oppressive, the only sound the faint echo of their breathing.
Dagon stumbled, his grin replaced by a look of genuine shock. “What the—?!”
Before he could react, Kael’s voice cut through the void. “Pause.”
The shadows solidified, freezing Dagon mid-motion. His body locked in place, his expression caught between fury and confusion.
Kael stepped closer, his voice calm but firm. “It would be a hassle to fight you right now, so I’ll keep you here for the time being. I’ll handle your two pals and head to the lab. Get comfortable.”
With that, Kael vanished from the Shadow Realm, leaving Dagon trapped in the suffocating darkness.
Back in the castle, Valae and Garran stood in the grand hall, their eyes scanning the empty space where Dagon and Kael had been moments before.
“I wonder where he went off to,” Valae said, her tone laced with suspicion.
Garran shrugged, his stone-like shoulders creaking. “He probably couldn’t help himself. Saw it fit to personally take that brewer straight to Dr. Vorst.”
Valae’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “Typical Dagon.”
ns 15.158.61.10da2
