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BANG!
The heavy impact of a palm striking wood reverberated through the dimly lit chamber.
No one flinched.
It had become a recurring scene over the past month— rage, frustration, and a table bearing the brunt of it.
Ariel Bracken had failed.
He had been tasked with recovering the Unknown Element, yet not only had he failed spectacularly, but he had also kidnapped Cheska in broad daylight and created chaos in the process.
Worse, he had exposed the existence of dark magic by releasing a Rank 2 dark creature —an Amalgamation— a grotesque mass of fused malevolence that reeked of the Demon King's presence.
Utterly useless.
"It was a blunder to let that troublemaker gain power." The boss growled, voice thick with contempt. Shadows curled around the edges of his cloak, his presence smothering the dim candlelight.