Robb placed the torch beside him, intending to rest near the blazing red magma pool. But as he shifted the Frostfang sword, its tip accidentally struck a round object by the pool's edge.
Tink!A sharp sound rang out as Lovarian steel collided with the hard surface.
Vuuxi, who had been sleeping to keep warm, jolted awake. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, alert."What was that, Robb?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.
Robb stared intently at the object, eyes gleaming as realization dawned. "My sword hit this stone… But look, Vuuxi! It's reddish in color, and there are faint lines along its surface!"
Vuuxi leaned in, studying the object carefully. "Looks like… an egg? But it could just be magma stone, rounded by extreme heat."
Robb bit his lip. "I don't know why, but I've got a feeling this isn't just a rock."
Vuuxi frowned. "In that case, we should push it into the pool!"
"Wait," Robb stopped him. "It looks like part of the magma pool's structure. If we push it carelessly, we might trigger something dangerous."
"That's exactly what we need," Vuuxi said with a spark of excitement. "If we can sink it into the pool, the extreme heat might trigger an explosion! That could open our way out!"
Robb nodded, but hesitation lingered. "How are we going to pull it out?"
Vuuxi eyed Robb's sword. "Frostfang got splashed with magma earlier, but it didn't melt, did it?"
"No. The blade's tough enough to withstand heat—at least for a while."
"Perfect. We don't have much time. Wrap wet cloth on both ends of the sword and hook it around the egg. If it holds, we might just pull it out before the cloth burns away!"
Robb took a deep breath. "The only way, huh? Alright, let's do it. But if this fails, we lose everything—the sword, our coats… even our chance to get out."
Without delay, they set to work. Robb and Vuuxi sacrificed their cloaks, using them as makeshift straps. Seconds ticked by, tension mounting like a drumbeat in their chests.
"Ready? Pull!" Vuuxi shouted.
The cloth began to smolder, smoke curling into the air, but they pulled with all their strength. As the object lifted, they both gasped.
"It's… an egg!" Robb breathed. "A giant egg!"
"Damn! We need to get another one out!" Vuuxi yelled.
Working swiftly, they repeated the process and retrieved another—this one blackened, with glowing magma embers still clinging to its surface.
"Now we drop it into the snowmelt pool down there!" Vuuxi commanded. "Three… two… one! Now!"
With all their might, they rolled the 50-kilogram egg down the ten steps into the icy pool.
The moment it touched water—BOOM!A violent explosion rocked the cave. Steam and water blasted against the stone walls.
"There it is!" Vuuxi cried. "The wall's absorbing the steam where it's thinnest! That's our exit, Robb!"
Robb immediately tapped the wall with Frostfang. Tok! Tok! A hollow ring echoed."There's a tunnel behind it!"
Vuuxi furrowed his brow. "We'll need something stronger to break through."
Robb looked to the magma pool. "Another egg. One that's still burning."
Vuuxi caught the idea. "You want to burn through the wall from the inside?"
"Exactly."
"This has to work! We don't have any more cloth to bind the sword!"
Carefully, they repeated the process. A pale white egg was hauled out, but this time, the cloth burned away completely. Frostfang took heavy damage.
"Push it sideways! Aim it at the wall!" Vuuxi shouted.
Using their last strength, they rolled the egg. When it struck the weakened wall, blazing flames surged through the cracks, burning deep into the tunnel beyond until the fire disappeared from sight.
"The tunnel's still on fire… We can't go in yet," Robb muttered, gasping.
Vuuxi looked at the magma pool. "We need one more egg. To douse the flames."
Wearing only their thin inner layers—since their cloaks were gone—they dragged a red-hot egg from the magma and hurled it into the passage.
A sizzling sound filled the air as the egg rolled down… then—hssshhh!The fire began to fade.
Robb and Vuuxi exchanged glances. Their breaths were heavy, their bodies shivering from the loss of their coats.
Robb straightened up. "We need to get inside—before this tunnel seals up again."
Vuuxi nodded. "I'll go first!"
Without hesitation, he shot into the tunnel, with Robb following closely behind.
The cave behind them dimmed, and before them, only a shroud of mystery lay ahead—darkness waiting at the end of the corridor.
They kept sliding through the narrow tunnel. Thanks to the giant egg they had rolled ahead, their path was slightly clearer, though still filled with unease.
But the passage grew darker. Their speed increased, their bodies slipping as if no longer in their control.
BOOOOOM!
Suddenly, they were thrown into a deep underground river within the mountain's belly. Vuuxi plunged in first, followed by Robb splashing right behind him.
"Vuuxi! Do we follow the current?" Robb shouted, his voice clashing with the roar of water.
"Yes! It's the only way out!" Vuuxi struggled to stay afloat as the current grew stronger.
Ahead of them, the two eggs drifted with the flow, swept along by the now-merged tributaries. The river had become a torrent, dragging them deeper into darkness.
"We've gone far enough! Do we have to keep going with the current?!" Robb yelled again.
Vuuxi glanced back briefly. "Unless you have another idea, go ahead—"
His words were cut off. Suddenly, his body vanished into the shadows.
"VUUUUUXIIIII!" Robb screamed, panic tightening his chest, but no answer came.
A second later, he too was hurled downward—falling into a thunderous waterfall, unimaginably high.
For a moment, silence swallowed everything. They were swept away, their bodies spun in the churning current until finally plunging into the icy, bottomless waters below.
Time seemed to freeze.
Moments passed before Robb surfaced, coughing and gasping for air. His entire body ached. Beside him, Vuuxi was already sitting up, staring wide-eyed at the towering waterfall before them.
On the riverbank, the two massive eggs lay intact, stranded yet unscathed.
Robb groaned. "Vuuxi…"
Vuuxi didn't answer immediately. "Robb, you need to focus. I'm starting to think… these eggs were deliberately kept at the mountain's summit."
Robb struggled to sit, still dizzy from the water in his ears. "Why, Vuuxi? What made you go silent like that?"
Vuuxi pointed toward the waterfall. "Look closely, Robb… Something huge is hiding behind it. Something that's been here for thousands of years."
Robb squinted, following Vuuxi's finger.
His eyes widened. He rubbed them to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
"So that's… the true form of a dragon?" he whispered in awe.
"There's no way out of this now, Rogg. You must fight my men. You have two choices—surrender and come with me to Whiteheaven as a prisoner… or die in this arena." Thaldrim Covarthis's voice dripped with mockery, his eyes burning with challenge.
Rogg snorted, his gaze unshaken. "I hate wasting time on useless matters. If the rules set by the elders could be changed, I'd challenge you right now—regardless of how many men you've brought." His words were sharp, unwavering, ignoring the insult flung from Thaldrim's seat in the council.
Thaldrim's face twisted in offense. He stood, shouting with rage, "You're nothing but a bastard with no name!"
"Thaldrim!" boomed Thalion Velary, his voice cracking through the tension. "You are both a guest of honor and a contestant in this arena. Show the respect and dignity your title demands."
The debate heated up until Veynor Lauxi, standing at the high podium, raised his voice. "Rules can evolve. The law must serve the greater good."
Sigido Covarthis narrowed his eyes. "So… does this mean the matchups can be altered?"
Thalion Velary stood, raising a hand to quiet the rising murmurs. "We will deliberate. Reguya Veynor, Rogg Robelix—return to your places."
The three great elders—Thalion Velary, Sigido Covarthis, and Veynor Lauxi—entered a tense discussion. The arena buzzed with whispers from knights, assassins, and the youth of Smokeland watching this Round of 32 unfold.
In one corner of the arena, Brisena approached her brother with a serious expression. "Brother, they'll likely change the rules. Your conflict with Thaldrim has stirred things up… and the rumor of you being wanted by the empire isn't helping."
Rogg nodded slowly. "Yes. I may be forced to fight Thaldrim sooner than expected."
"Are you ready for that?" Brisena asked, concern etched in her voice.
Before Rogg could answer, Elandra stepped in. "Lord Rogg, allow me to injure him first. If I can, I'll eliminate him for you in this round."
"She's right, my lord! We can weaken him before he faces you," Nyx added with conviction.
But Rogg shook his head. "No, Nyx. Elandra. I don't need a smoothed path to win this tournament. Save your strength. I'll need you both—for something far greater than this fight. Whatever happens here… let me handle it."
"But, my lord…" Argento hesitated.
"She's right, brother! How can we just sit and watch you face off against Thaldrim's chosen knights?" Brisena protested.
Rogg gave a faint smile. "It's fine—so long as the fight is fair."
At that moment, Veynor Lauxi's voice echoed throughout the arena. "For this round of 32, we grant all knights the right to choose their opponents. They may follow the initial draw or switch challengers until the quarterfinals—provided the new opponent agrees to the duel. Additionally, they may forfeit honorably by conceding defeat without combat."
The knights exchanged glances, calculating their strategies.
Elandra gave Rogg a nod. "Very well. I'll take on Reguya. Thaldrim is yours."
Rogg returned her nod firmly. "Understood."
Thaldrim smirked. "There's no turning back now, Rogg. You'll soon be a prisoner of the Whiteheaven Empire."
Rogg answered with a cold smile. "We'll see about that."