Time had passed. Deep within the cavern where Mondrik resided, Gumble had already arrived. From the first glance, his sharp eyes suggested he grasped everything at once. His appearance was humble—long black hair tied back, brown penetrating eyes, a towering frame built with raw strength, and the aura of earth surrounding him.
Upon entering, he dropped to his knees before Mondrik. Cable, Harris, and Noel stood nearby, ready to accompany him.
"You seem in good health, my lord," Gumble said in a low voice. "I hope I'm not late."
He kept his head bowed, not daring to meet Mondrik's eyes.
Mondrik's reply came flat and emotionless, a voice stripped of warmth:
"Did you bring what I asked for?"
Gumble lifted his head and rose to his feet.
"Yes, my lord. I've brought everything you requested."
Mondrik studied him for a moment, then asked again, his gaze unyielding:
"How many?"
"Two hundred wind beast cores," Gumble answered firmly, "and eight hundred of various other elements. I also brought enough food to last you until my next visit."
Mondrik's stare lingered, heavy as stone, before he gave the faintest hint of praise:
"Well done… just as I expected."
Then his eyes shifted to the three standing behind.
"These three."
Gumble turned to them, his gaze sharp, dissecting, as if weighing their worth. Mondrik continued:
"Take them with you. I've already given them their assignments. The rest… you will explain."
Gumble cast them a brief glance before moving toward the pile of beast cores, where Mondrik was already consuming them with terrifying speed.
For a long moment, Gumble said nothing—then a crooked, sinister smile formed on his lips.
"Welcome," he said smoothly. "I am Gumble."
A chill ran down their spines beneath his stare. Harris forced a confident reply:
"I'm Harris. This is my sister, Noel. And that boy is Cable."
But his voice faltered when he caught the glimmer of cold disapproval in Gumble's eyes. Without a word, Gumble motioned for them to follow.
At the cave's mouth, a strange carriage awaited. Pointing toward it, Gumble said:
"You'll bring it down the mountain."
Their earlier smiles—born of the breathtaking view—vanished instantly, replaced by grimaces. Gumble added, tone sharp:
"You two, alone."
He gestured at Harris and Cable.
Harris scowled. "And why should we be the only ones?"
His anger was plain, while Cable silently shared his protest.
A thin smile tugged at Gumble's lips.
"Because you're young men. You wouldn't let the lady do your work for you, would you? Do it now… or I'll have you drag it the entire way."
Fury burned in Harris's eyes, but Cable placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"Let's just get it done."
An hour of strain later, the carriage was lowered successfully. From above, Noel asked, her brow furrowed:
"And how are we supposed to get down?"
Gumble's smile widened.
"That's easy."
He raised his hand. The mountain trembled. With a ripple of earth magic, stone shifted, reshaping into a staircase—an effortless descent.
From below, Cable and Harris could only grit their teeth, curses burning in their throats, their anger swallowed by the echo of Gumble's power.
The group now sat inside the carriage, its wheels creaking as a single horse pulled them westward. The silence was heavy, broken only by the rhythm of hooves striking earth.
Gumble didn't speak; he found no reason to waste words on them. Cable and Harris sat rigid, their anger simmering from his earlier command.
It was Noel who finally pierced the quiet.
"Uncle Gumble… how strong is Lord Mondrik?"
Her voice was calm, yet her eyes betrayed curiosity. Both Cable and Harris leaned in slightly, equally eager for the answer.
Gumble's gaze flicked to her, then to the others. When he spoke, his voice was steady, heavy with memory.
"The lord is strong… stronger than you can imagine. Ten years ago, I saw him fight. He was injured, exhausted—yet with a single swing, he annihilated a pack of powerful beasts. That day, I swore my service to him. And now…" A faint gleam of awe lit his eyes. "…compared to that time, I believe he could erase humanity itself. Or perhaps… not. Who can say?"
The weight of his words settled over them. Even Harris, who had bristled at Gumble before, now felt the spark of excitement at serving someone with such monstrous strength.
Cable's expression tightened—he had already suspected Mondrik's power, from rumors whispered like ghost stories. Seeing them confirmed only deepened the chill that clung to him.
Noel lowered her gaze slightly, her voice quiet yet firm.
"Neither I nor Cable have spoken to the lord alone. But even during training, or simply standing in his presence… I feel an overwhelming dread in my chest."
Cable turned sharply toward her, surprise flashing across his face. He hadn't expected her to admit it so openly.
Gumble raised an eyebrow, intrigued. His eyes shifted to Harris.
"So… it seems you are the only one who's spoken with him privately."
Harris scoffed, disdain pulling at his lips.
"Not only me. That dog—the man-eater—spoke with him as well."
Gumble's brow furrowed. "Dog? Man-eater?"
Cable answered for him, his voice low but edged with contempt.
"He means Julian. Mondrik allowed him to leave before us, to hunt beasts. And… Julian ate a man once. A boy named Mick. That's what Harris means."
Noel added, almost thoughtfully:
"I think the lord favors him because he's the only one besides himself who commands wind magic."
For a moment, silence hung. Then Gumble chuckled darkly.
"Perhaps. But let me tell you this, Noel: the lord doesn't favor anyone. Not you, not me, not even Julian. In his eyes, only strength earns respect. Nothing else."
His words lingered in the carriage, a quiet verdict. Slowly, one by one, weariness claimed them, and their eyes closed to uneasy sleep as the carriage rattled into the night.