The chamber remained eerily silent, the only sound being the faint crackling of dissipating energy from the now-dormant pedestal.
Leon ran his fingers over the stone tablet in his hands, feeling the deep etchings of the inscription. The First Fang.
A relic of legend, lost to time.
But if this trial had been corrupted—if the cycle was breaking—then the First Fang might be more than just a symbol of power.
It might be a weapon.
Or a key.
Either way, they needed to find it.
---
A Fragment of History
Kaelen's sharp gaze flickered between the tablet and Rhun. "You know more about this than you're letting on."
Rhun's ears twitched, his golden eyes narrowing. "Every beastman has heard the legends. The First Fang was wielded by the First Emperor, the one who united our kind." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension in it. "It was said to contain the raw essence of our ancestors."
Jarek groaned. "Oh great, another 'lost, sacred, super-important artifact' we have to find. Those always come with death traps."
Leon ignored him, his focus still on the tablet. "If the corruption in this trial was connected to it, then it's not just a legend anymore. It's real."
Kaelen crossed his arms. "And if someone else is searching for it?"
Leon met his gaze. "Then we find it first."
---
The Next Step
Rhun studied the inscriptions for a long moment before exhaling. "There's only one place that still holds records of the First Fang."
Leon's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Rhun's expression darkened.
"The Beastman Emperor's Vault."
A heavy silence followed his words.
Kaelen let out a low whistle. "That's… not going to be easy."
Jarek laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Oh sure, let's just walk into one of the most heavily guarded places in the entire southern continent. Great plan."
Leon didn't waver.
They needed answers.
And if the Beastman Emperor's Vault held them, then that's where they would go.
He tightened his grip on the stone tablet.
"Then we're heading south."
The search for the First Fang had begun.
---