Mikhail and Maria walked out of the study.
Gwenllian followed behind them, armor jingling with each step.
They moved through the palace and descended into the depths beneath—down stone stairs, through guarded checkpoints, into the prison cells that lay deep underground.
At the entrance to the dungeons, Mikhail stopped.
"Guard the entrance, knight."
He walked past her without waiting for a response. Maria followed.
Gwenllian halted. After a moment, she nodded and took position at the entrance.
Once they were out of earshot, Maria smiled faintly.
"Are you not being too harsh on her, my Lord?"
Mikhail didn't look back.
"Not harsh enough."
They walked through the endless rows of cells—stone and iron, silence and darkness. Finally, they reached the deepest chamber.
The chieftain's cell was unlike any other.
No metal. No wood. Nothing physical at all.
A shimmering magical barrier surrounded the Orc, crackling faintly with arcane energy. Chains made of pure magic bound its wrists and ankles, suspending it in the center of the cell.
It looked worse than before. Beaten. Exhausted.
Mikhail approached and stopped just outside the barrier, smiling.
"Ah. We meet again, chieftain."
The Orc slowly lifted its head. Its voice was hoarse, broken.
"Human... ask your questions. Then finish me. End this misery."
Mikhail nodded.
"Of course. I hate wasting time." He stepped closer. "So tell me—who were the ones who forced you to invade?"
The Orc's jaw tightened.
"Humans. Using dark... demonic magic. Just a few of them were enough to wipe us out."
Mikhail extended his hand. Without a word, Maria placed a dagger in his palm, hilt-first.
In one smooth motion, Mikhail drove the blade into the Orc's thigh.
The chieftain screamed.
Mikhail's expression didn't change.
"Tell me something I don't already know." His voice was cold, clinical. "Do you know why they did it? Anything at all?"
The Orc gasped, blood dripping from the wound.
"No! That's all I know! We Orcs were thriving in the Forbidden Forest—we had no intention of coming to your human lands!"
Mikhail studied the Orc for a moment, then nodded.
"You have nothing else of value to me, then." He paused. "Except one thing."
He thought to himself:
Every boss monster has a core stone. In the game, they could be used to gain passive skills.
I need it.
He spoke aloud.
"Maria. Pull the chains apart."
Maria stepped forward and gripped the magical bindings. With a sharp tug, she yanked all four chains outward, spreading the Orc's limbs wide and exposing its torso.
The chieftain struggled weakly, groaning.
Mikhail stepped closer, raising the dagger.
"Hold still now. I'll be gentle."
He drove the blade into the Orc's chest.
The chieftain shrieked.
Mikhail stabbed again. And again. Digging deeper, carving through flesh and bone with methodical precision. Blood poured down the Orc's torso, pooling on the stone floor.
Finally, his fingers closed around something solid.
He ripped it free.
A stone—smooth, crystalline, pulsing faintly with dark energy.
Black.
Mikhail held it up to the dim light, studying it.
Usually monster cores are red, orange, or violet. But this one is black. Maybe because of its unique class.
Behind him, the Orc went limp in the chains, dead.
Maria stepped forward, eyeing the stone with curiosity.
"My Lord... is that a monster core?"
Mikhail nodded, slipping the black stone into his coat.
"Yes. I'm keeping it."
I need to find a way to use it. Like I could in the game.
He turned back to the Orc's corpse, his voice flat.
"Maria. Feed it to the hounds."
Maria bowed.
"Understood, my Lord."