'I have to find a solution to this.'
Malakai couldn't keep going . He had known battle for years, and coming here, he had expected to face darkness creatures daily, not… whatever the hell this was.
He focused on Renlo for a moment. The boy was training hard.
'He's improving.' He had come a long way from when he first got on the course at the manor. If Malakai fought him now, he'd definitely notice a difference.
To Malakai, balance was the core of everything. With proper balance, a warrior could do nearly anything.
Still, he couldn't wait until Renlo cleared the entire course. He was anticipating a major change after that.
Eventually, Malakai left the course and ventured into the forest. After running around the base for more than two hours, he felt satisfied and returned. With no missions coming in, he had to find other ways to stay sharp.
Once inside, he took a quick bath and sat on his bed, ready to begin absorbing vita, when the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside his door, followed by a knock.
There was only one person in the base who sounded like that. Grunde.
'Is he finally confronting me?'
"Make sure no one is listening in on us," Malakai said aloud.
He didn't need a response. He felt the firm nod of Nyx, and rose to open the door.
A massive figure blocked the entire frame. A sight that would've intimidated many. But Malakai just stared.
"May Grunde come in?" the big man asked after a long moment.
Malakai let the silence hang, let the tension breathe a little more, then nodded and stepped aside.
Grunde had to turn his massive body sideways just to enter. As the door closed behind him with a soft thud, silence blanketed the room.
Grunde cleared his throat. "How have you been, little bro—"
"What do you want?" Malakai cut in sharply.
Silence again. The two stared at each other.
Then, without a word, Grunde approached the bed and sat. His eyes were intense, but Malakai narrowed his own as he saw something glisten.
Like a switch had been flipped, the floodgates burst. Tears poured as his voice cracked.
"L-Little bro!" Grunde sobbed. "She left Grunde! She left me!"
It was said that nights in Sylvastein were experienced differently depending on which part of the city you were in.
On the good side of the Kaer Thorn district, the night was alive.
It was past 11 p.m., yet the streets still buzzed. Rich men strolled about in fine robes, laughing with their companions, women adorned in fine beast skin and jewelry. Street lamps cast warm glows. Open stores still hummed.
But even amidst all this, most of the crowd avoided the towering, obsidian colored building closest to the city's heart.
It was a private club, reserved for the most powerful in Kaer Thorn. Not just anyone could enter, hell, not just anyone could even approach. It was so exclusive that even after everything they'd won at the Red Maw, Rhett hadn't tried to bring them here.
The Nocturne stood black and regal, its walls tall and smooth, surrounded by steel spiked gates and silent guards.
A carriage approached the gates and immediately came to a halt as a guard stepped forward.
"Hey, Lazio," the coachman said with a grin.
"Hey, Lonag," the guard returned the smile. "The usual?" He leaned to glance toward the carriage.
Lonag gave a curt nod. "The usual."
Lazio nodded, stepping closer and opening the carriage window. Instantly, shrill voices exploded from inside.
"How dare you touch the door like that!?"
"Do you know who we are!?"
"My darling will hear of this, you oaf!"
Lazio ignored the outburst and calmly scanned each of the women with a narrowed eye. His gaze paused slightly as it landed on a stunning blonde seated quietly at the far end.
'She's really gorgeous…'
If not for the fact that these women were for the men inside, he might've taken his chances. But he calmed the thoughts and reached into his pocket, bringing out a small black device.
He ran it slowly past each passenger. Once done, he turned toward the others by the gate.
"Let them through!" he called out.
The gates creaked open. The carriage rolled forward into the depths of the Nocturne.
Once inside, the women still looked visibly livid.
"Rotten cock of a guard," one of them muttered with a scoff. "Did you see the way he was looking at us? Like we were meat."
Another snorted. "I should've slapped that pervert."
"Still," a third chimed in, "Bean suffered the most."
All heads turned then, eyes settling on the quiet blonde sitting at the end.
She wore a tight, short black gown that hugged every curve and brought out everything that mattered in their line of work.
The outfit accentuated her golden eyes and sunlit hair perfectly. A few of the women couldn't help but stare, their expressions filled with envy. She was what many of them wanted to be.
Bean smiled lazily. "Please. That fool couldn't afford me even if he sold his life."
That earned a round of giggles from the rest, the tension in the carriage quickly fading as they neared the front of the building.
As the women began to disembark, they were met by a suited man standing at the entrance, arms crossed, face tight with impatience.
"You're late," he said firmly as they approached.
Just like Bean, the others were dressed in provocative outfits that left little to the imagination, every curve enhanced, every step calculated.
"We got delayed at the gate," the woman beside Bean stepped forward. She wore a flowing blue gown and carried herself like she was in charge.
"Save your excuses," the man snapped. "They're waiting. Let's go."
He turned sharply, and the women quickly followed.
Bean, however, lingered at the back, her golden gaze locked on the swaying backs of the other girls.
'I hope I finally get something useful for the Ninth Vein.'
Karla's thoughts were calm as she followed them into the Nocturne.