Eskar and Drago both turned to Vale, strange expressions crossing their faces. Confusion lingered in their eyes, the suddenness of Vale's statement clearly catching them off guard.
Slowly, Eskar shifted his weight and looked directly at Vale. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone cautious but curious.
Vale met his gaze for a moment before reaching over his shoulder. His fingers closed around the shaft of the spear, and with a smooth, practiced motion, he drew it free and extended it slightly toward Eskar. "I want to see what this guy can do," Vale said at last, his voice calm but edged with anticipation.
Eskar's eyes followed the spear, his brow furrowing as he studied it, still unsure what Vale meant. After a moment, he released a deep sigh and shook his head faintly. "Sure," he said, resigned but cooperative. "Whatever you wish."
A brief smirk crossed Vale's face. "Thank you."
Without waiting further, Vale began climbing the dune. Step by step, he ascended the tall slope, the sand shifting beneath his boots. Eskar and Drago followed a short distance behind, curiosity pulling them onward despite themselves. Vale's grip tightened around the spear as he climbed, excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. A deep, eager smile spread across his face as he glanced down at the weapon.
"Ready to face your first opponent?" Vale asked quietly.
For a long moment, there was no response. Then darkness seeped subtly from the spear, twisting and shaping itself into words that hovered in the air.
''Yes.''
Vale nodded, satisfied. Reaching the crest of the dune, he stopped, and looked down.
The massive scorpion stood several dozen meters away, its armored body partially buried in the sand, its onyx claws flexing slowly. The moment its many eyes locked onto Vale, fury ignited within them. With a shrill hiss, the beast charged, sand erupting beneath its legs as it surged forward with animalistic rage.
Vale did not flinch. He planted his foot firmly into the sand, lowering into a throwing stance. Just before releasing the spear, he spoke one final time.
"Their weak spot is the head."
Then he hurled the spear.
It tore through the air with immense force, the darkness around it twisting violently, but never leaving the weapon. The spear soared forward and plunged into the sand with a thunderous impact, embedding itself deep. The scorpion was still coming, now only a dozen meters away, its charge relentless.
Vale watched intently.
He lowered himself to the ground, one knee raised, the other leg extended casually before him. Eskar emerged beside him atop the dune, eyes narrowed as he stared at the embedded spear.
"You missed," Eskar said flatly.
Vale tilted his head, amusement dancing across his features. "Did I?"
The scorpion rushed past the spear, and the moment it crossed the weapon's reach, darkness erupted. Shadow surged upward, binding the scorpion's limbs in an instant. The beast shrieked as the darkness tightened, wrenching it violently backward and hurling it across the sand, back toward where it had come from.
The scorpion hissed and struggled as the shadows twisted and collapsed inward, forming a dense sphere of impossible blackness. Slowly, deliberately, the darkness reshaped itself.
Drago narrowed his eyes.
Eskar's eyes widened in disbelief.
From the sphere emerged a humanoid figure. Armor plating of pure shadow and mist formed seamlessly around its frame. Ruby-red eyes ignited beneath a featureless helm, burning with fury and thrill alike.
Shade stood tall, facing the scorpion.
For a moment, the two stared at one another. Shade's posture was relaxed, almost amused.
Vale studied the figure carefully. "I wonder," he said aloud, curiosity evident in his voice. "Will you use your weapon for this one?"
Eskar blinked, then let out a short, incredulous chuckle as he finally tore his eyes away from Shade. "You really got her to do this?" he asked, glancing at Vale.
Vale met his gaze briefly, then returned his attention to the battlefield. "Of course," he replied calmly. "I'm like family to her, after all."
They shared a grin before turning back just in time to see the fight truly begin.
The scorpion hissed again, rising to its full height, towering over Shade, easily twice as tall. But height alone meant nothing. Power did. And this battle would prove that truth swiftly.
The scorpion charged, its onyx legs striking the sand in rapid succession. It lunged with its right claw, snapping toward Shade in an attempt to seize him.
Shade reacted instantly. He caught the claw mid-swing, his grip unyielding. The scorpion recoiled, but before it could recover, its left claw lashed forward.
Shade did not panic.
With overwhelming strength, he twisted his grip and tore the lower half of the scorpion's right claw clean off. In the same fluid motion, he slammed the severed limb downward, driving the scorpion's left claw into the sand and pinning it there.
The scorpion shrieked in agony.
Shade raised his fist, shadow coiling tightly around it, ready to end the fight,
but the scorpion was faster.
Its stinger snapped downward in a blur. Shade twisted aside at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. Before the stinger could retreat, Shade seized it with both hands and wrenched it apart with brutal force.
The scorpion collapsed.
In less than fifteen seconds, the beast was fully neutralized.
However, the beast was not dead, not yet.
Its weapons were gone, torn away and rendered useless, but the scorpion still twitched weakly in the sand, its massive body shuddering with fading instinct. Shade stood over it in silence, ruby eyes fixed on the broken creature. For a brief moment, he seemed to acknowledge it, not with mercy, but with cold recognition.
Without ceremony, Shade seized the scorpion's severed stinger and hurled it away. It sailed through the air and landed more than a dozen meters off, vanishing beneath the sand. Shade looked down once more, exhaling slowly, before lifting his fist.
Then he struck.
The blow drove straight through the scorpion's skull, crushing it instantly. The creature went still at once, its body collapsing into lifelessness. Azure blood splashed across Shade's shadow-forged armor, staining the darkness in shimmering streaks, but Shade's expression did not change.
There was no satisfaction in the kill.
The fight had been far too easy.
Slowly, Shade's form dissolved, collapsing inward as darkness folded back into itself. The shadow condensed, reshaped, and finally fell to the ground as a spear, clattering softly onto the hot sand.
Vale watched the transformation in silence. He let out a short sigh and began walking forward, his boots crunching softly as he approached the darkness-coated weapon. When he reached it, he bent down and picked it up, a faintly satisfied expression crossing his face.
The darkness rippled once more, forming a single word in the air.
''Weak.''
Vale rolled his eyes. "Do you still want to fight the next one?" he asked, half-hopeful, half-teasing.
There was a pause. Then another word formed.
''No.''
Vale's shoulders slumped slightly. "Well… that's disappointing."
With that, he turned back toward Drago and Eskar and walked over to them. "So," he asked casually, "which direction now?"
Drago didn't stop walking. "Just follow me," the old man muttered, his voice rough and irritable, as though Vale's little demonstration had done nothing to improve his mood.
Vale raised a brow but said nothing, falling in step behind him. Eskar joined him, and the two continued speaking quietly as they walked. Eskar, in particular, seemed fascinated by Shade, asking questions and stealing glances at the spear. Vale couldn't blame him, it was rare to see a Shade manifest outside the temple. Or at least, that's what Vale had thought.
Now Shade was bound to him, like a specter, yet undeniably something else entirely.
They walked for several more hours, the desert stretching endlessly around them. Eventually, the sun began to dip toward the horizon, painting the dunes in deep shades of orange and crimson. Drago led them to a large dune sheltered from the worst of the wind and announced they would make camp there.
They released their packs and supplies, exhaustion settling into their limbs. Vale and Eskar shared their water bottle, an enchanted container capable of holding nearly a hundred liters. Both drank greedily, the cool water a blessing after hours under the relentless sun.
As they finished, their attention was drawn back to Drago.
The old man reached into his pack and withdrew a small, metallic storage device. His expression was tense as he pressed a button on its side. With a faint hum, the device opened, and released three crimson eggs onto the sand.
Vale and Eskar stared at them in silence. The eggs pulsed faintly, their surfaces etched with delicate, unfamiliar patterns. Something about them felt wrong.
Eskar stepped closer, noticing the troubled look on Drago's face. "Is something wrong with them?" he asked carefully.
Drago looked up, hesitating. For a moment, it seemed as though he might not answer at all. Then, quietly, he spoke.
"I believe… they will die."