Volk stood still, his eyes shut tightly, forcing his mind to focus.
His breaths were ragged, and his body was trembling with the pressure of them all.
He knew how his system worked—how it thrived on the reality of the situation, the choices made under extreme duress.
If there was an escape, it would help him find it.
"But where?
"Where could we go?"
His thoughts raced wildly, colliding in a chaotic jumble.
His mind shed through images of forests, valleys, mountains—but nothing seemed right.
"The forest?"
He considered it for a moment.
The forest could provide cover, ces to hide... But as soon as the thought formed, he dismissed it.
No, they''re already in the forest.
It wasn''t enough.
The trees would only dy the inevitable.
His brow furrowed as frustration gnawed at him. He had to think faster.
"A ce...
"A ce where we can survive…" But no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn''t find it. His breathing quickened, panic wing at his chest.
Think, Volk! Think!
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp chime in his mind:
| Ding!
| The host has ten seconds to suggest a location. |
Volk''s eyes shot open in terror.
"Ten seconds? "
The blood that pumps his heart immediately quickened, his muscles tightening as if they were ready to explode from the pressure.
His eyes darted around wildly, searching for anything, any hint of salvation.
"Think, think, THINK!"
And then it hit him—Zenveil.
His mind shed back to that fateful battle.
The cold, damp air of the catbs.
The twisted shadows that had danced along the stone walls as he faced the three-headed beast.
The catbs beneath the battlefield.
They were treacherous, yes, but they were also vast, abyrinth of tunnels that had swallowed even Zenveil, a Warlock of immense power. If I could kill Zenveil there, then maybe—
Volk''s eyes snapped toward the elder Orc who had stopped him earlier.
Before the elder could turn away, Volk surged forward and shouted, "Wait!"
The Orc paused mid-step, turning slowly to face Volk. His expression was skeptical, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
The others, too, looked toward Volk, the faintest glimmer of hope in their weary eyes.
"We could escape to the catbs!" Volk''s voice was strong, his eyes wide with urgency. "The catbs where I killed Zenveil!"
For a moment, there was a stunned silence.
The crowd of Orcs and Elves exchanged nces, their faces etched with disbelief. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the elder Orc threw his head back andughed—loud, hearty, and cruel.
"Grahahhahahaha!
"The catbs?!" the elder roared, hisughter ringing out across the clearing. Hisrge frame shook with each bellow.
"You''re serious, young one? The most dangerous ce in thisnd? The catbs are a death trap! If we go there, we''ll be attacked from all sides!
"After all, our powers would be supresswd there. The horrors that lurk in those depths would eat us alive before the Elven Warlocks or Witches eveny a finger on us!"
The other Orcs and Elves began to murmur amongst themselves, and many nodded in agreement.
The catbs were a ce of death too, a nightmare whispered among them.
It was said that the dead roamed those tunnels, that dark spirits and worse called it their home.
To enter the catbs was to face certain doom. And yet, despite the elder''s mockingughter, Volk stood firm.
The elder shook his head and stepped closer to Volk, cing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You''re desperate, young one. I understand. We all are. But there''s no escaping this fate. The Red Elven Warlocks and Dark Elven Witches are closing in.
It''s toote."
"It''s not toote!" Volk snapped, shaking the elder''s hand off his shoulder. His eyes were wild, his voice desperate. "If we can make it to the catbs, we can survive! The tunnels go on for miles. They''re deep—too deep for the Elves to follow us easily. We can hide there, regroup.
It''s our best chance!"
The elder sighed, a mix of pity and frustration in his gaze. "Even if we go there, Volk, we''ll be attacked by the creatures that dwell within. You may have killed Zenveil, but you know as well as I do that the catbs are far more dangerous than that one battle."
Volk''s lips trembled, his mind racing for an argument, but before he could speak, the elder added, "Unless..."
The elder paused, his words hanging in the air like a fragile thread.
"Unless what?" Volk demanded, his heart pounding in his chest.
But before the elder could finish his thought, a familiar voice cut through the air like a de. "Volkpleted the catbs."
The voice was sharp,manding, and instantly recognizable.
Volk''s heart skipped a beat as he turned to see her—Solluha''r, her fierce eyes locking onto his. Her presence was like a storm, her aura radiating confidence and strength.
"Volk gave me the magic crystal." Solluha''r continued, stepping forward with a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
The elder''s eyes widened in surprise, his disbelief palpable.
The crowd stirred, murmurs spreading like wildfire.
A ripple of hope began to form as they processed Solluha''r''s words.
If Volk had truly conquered the catbs, maybe there was a way.
Maybe, just maybe.
—
Away from the Dreadmaw n, far from the chaos and desperation that gripped Volk and his people, a very different scene unfolded.
The entrance to the catbs loomed before a group of fearsome warriors, its dark, gaping maw seemingly ready to swallow them whole.
Standing proudly at the forefront were the Bloodfang n, their attire fierce and primal. Blood-red armor adorned their bodies, fashioned from the hides of beasts they had in in battle.
Their faces were painted with war symbols, and they carriedrge, serrated des and axes, weapons known for tearing flesh from bone with ease.
They were brutal, ruthless warriors, known for their savage tactics in battle.
Next to them stood the Ironhide n, a stark contrast to the Bloodfangs.
Their skin was as tough as stone, their armor thick and unyielding, made of iron tes fused to their very flesh.
Their weapons wererge hammers and maces, designed to crush their enemies into dust with a single blow.
Wounds barely fazed them; their bodies were as unbreakable as the iron they were named after.
Further back, the Thunderstrike n moved restlessly, their attire sleek and lightning-quick, matching their reputation for speed and agility.
They wielded long, thin des that crackled with electric energy, and they could strike down an opponent before they even knew what hit them.
The Stonefist n stood like giants among the group, their muscles bulging beneath their armor.
Massive brutes, each with fists capable of shattering stone, they wielded enormous clubs and warhammers, capable of breaking bones with a single strike.
Their attire was simple but reinforced with tes of metal that protected their vital areas.
From the shadows, the Shadoww n watched in silence, their ck and grey attire blending seamlessly into the darkness.
They were assassins, masters of stealth and subterfuge. Each carried thin, curved des and throwing daggers, tools of silent death that struck without warning.
Their eyes gleamed from beneath their hoods, always watching, always calcting.
The Fireblood n exuded raw, burning energy. Their fiery tempers matched their affinity for me magic, and their armor shimmered with heat.
They wielded short swords and fire-enhanced gauntlets, dangerous in close quarters where they could ignite their enemies with a touch.
And finally, the Frostbite n, cold and calcting. Their armor was pale blue and white, reflecting their icy demeanor.
They wielded frost-forged des that could freeze flesh on contact, and their bodies radiated an aura of chilling calm, even in the heat of battle.
The leader of the Ironhide n grunted as he inspected the entrance to the catbs, his voice a deep rumble. "Are they done?"
The leader of the Bloodfang n stepped forward, his lips curling into a satisfied grin. His eyes glowed with a dark, dangerous light.
"It''s done," he said, his voice dripping with malice.