He passed the sigil across the desk to Grey.

"I am not just an Elder in the Veridian Academy, child. I am also an Elder of the Grimhold Council, the lands of the Dwarves," Ignis explained, his chest swelling slightly with pride.

"If you wish to truly learn, there is no place better. You will find facilities and masters there that no human city can offer."

Ignis's eyes softened slightly.

"Take this. This is my personal sigil. With this, you will be treated as a disciple of mine in Grimhold. You can learn the true secrets of the forge without hindrance."

Grey's eyes opened wide in shock as he took the heavy sigil. This was not just a reward; this was a golden ticket.

He already possessed the map to Grimhold, and with Ignis's personal sigil, his journey inside the fiercely guarded Dwarven territory would be smooth sailing. It eliminated untold amounts of difficulty and danger.

He held the sigil carefully, bowing deeply at the waist. "Grand Elder, this is an immense honor. Thank you, sir. I sincerely thank you for your generosity."

His lips lifted up into a smirk as he was jumping inside. With this sigil, his troubles of entering Grimhold vanished, since dwarves were known to be quite the difficult and grumpy characters. They didn't allow entry inside their lands to just anyone.

Grey had been worried regarding this fact, but now the sigil from elder ignis solved everything.

********

In the heart of an enormous, abandoned castle—dilapidated and choked with thick, foreign, thorny outgrowths that snaked over the stone—lay a vast, gloomy hall.

Suspended mid-air in the center of the hall was a small Dark Elf child. His body was limp and pale, held aloft by multiple thick, translucent tubes that pierced his skin at various points.

These tubes ran to two imposing, darkly gleaming machines set up on either side of the hall.

From each machine, more thick tubes extended, connecting directly to two large, sealed pods. Inside each pod, a monstrous Eclipse Beast was dimly visible.

"Begin," a deep, chilling voice commanded.

The voice belonged to a figure watching from the distance.

He wasn't entirely solid, merely a towering blob of coalescing smoke roughly shaped like a human—the terrifying manifestation of Rahukin.

Two subservient Dark Elf researchers stood beside him, observing the setup with clinical detachment.

Upon Rahukin's command, the researchers quickly pressed a button on the nearest console. The machines whirred to life with a heavy, grinding sound.

The Dark Elf child immediately screamed, a raw, piercing sound of agony and pain. His small body thrashed weakly as his blood was rapidly extracted through the tubes.

The crimson liquid rushed through the tubing and into the machines. There, it underwent a rapid, unnatural transformation, turning into a dense, vibrant red gaseous state.

This transformed gas was then pumped with force into the sealed pods containing the Eclipse Beasts.

The two Eclipse Beasts inside the pods started shaking violently, their shadowy hides rippling as the unnatural red gas seeped into their massive bodies.

The shaking was intense, a silent, chaotic struggle within the transparent walls of their prisons.

After what felt like an eternity, the violent shaking of the beasts finally subsided. Simultaneously, the heavy whirring of the machines stopped, and the agonizing screams of the Elven child died down, replaced by a terrible silence.

Rahukin's smoky form shifted slightly, waiting for the results of the grim experiment.

The massive sealed pods hissed loudly, venting plumes of smoke as their doors slid open.

With low, guttural sounds, the two Eclipse Beasts laboriously climbed out, their massive shadowy forms appearing intact.

"Test the effect," Rahukin commanded, his smoky shape shifting slightly in anticipation.

The Dark Elf researchers nodded eagerly. They immediately pulled huge, thick chains connected to an unseen mechanism above.

With a heavy groan of grinding metal, a massive metal plate covering a high aperture began to lift, allowing thick, unfiltered rays of sunlight to stream directly into the gloomy hall.

The two Eclipse Beasts immediately shrieked, a sound of primal terror. They recoiled, hesitantly backing away from the encroaching, blinding sunbeam, their forms wavering in fear.

But just then, Rahukin's voice roared, powerful and absolute, reverberating through the hall: "Move!"

The two beasts shrieked again, a desperate, pained sound. Yet, they knew the fear of their commander, Lord Rahukin, surpassed even the innate terror of the sun. They would rather face annihilation in the light than suffer his wrath.

Without hesitation, the two beasts stepped forward. Slowly, deliberately, they moved until they were completely and fully basked in the intense sunlight.

The usual immediate effect—where they would burn into a crisp—did not occur. They stood there, utterly still, their forms steady. They were, seemingly, completely fine.

A wide, triumphant smile spread across Rahukin's smoky face, echoed by the excited cheers and rejoicing of the Dark Elf researchers.

They slapped each other on the back, successful. The breakthrough had been achieved!

But their celebration lasted only a few fleeting moments.

The Eclipse Beasts suddenly shuddered. A thin, sickly plume of smoke rose from their feet, and the flesh began to burn up slowly, starting from the ground and climbing upward.

The reaction was not instantaneous, but it was relentless. Within seconds, the two monstrous beasts were engulfed in dark, flickering flames and swiftly burnt into complete, silent piles of ash and dust.

An intense, suffocating pressure slammed into the huge hall, originating entirely from Rahukin.

The failure of the experiment, however partial, fueled a profound and terrible rage, and he was not holding back.

The two Dark Elf researchers were instantly flattened against the stone floor, their bodies pinned and contorted, unable to move a muscle or even gasp for air under the sheer, invisible weight of his wrath.

Just then, an Eclipse Beast, distinct from the others, materialized silently beside Rahukin.

It was clad in an elegant violet changpao and possessed an unnatural feature: three vertical, glowing red eyes set into its forehead.

"My lord," the figure managed, kneeling instantly, his voice a smooth, deep tone that attempted to cut through the oppressive anger.

Rahukin's smoky form pulsed violently. "Why is the girl still not here?" he demanded, the voice echoing with thunderous impatience.

"We are trying, my lord. Riven is preparing. She will be in front of you soon," the figure replied, keeping his head bowed low.

"Speed up the process. I want her anyhow," Rahukin commanded, the immense pressure slightly relenting as he focused his will. "I can't waste more time on this small planet. It's been too long anyway."

"I understand, my lord." The three-eyed figure nodded once, accepted his command, and vanished from the spot with a quick shimmer of violet energy.

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