At that very moment, just as Ethan and his group strolled confidently out of Emerald Castle—
Not far from the castle, atop a desolate, craggy mountain, a towering woman stood. Her body was barely covered, her long hair whipping in the wind, her figure sinuous and dangerously alluring. Her face was striking—seductive, almost inhumanly beautiful—but in her hand, she gripped a massive whip, glowing red-hot like it had been forged from molten lava, its jagged edges radiating menace.
Suddenly, she snapped her head up, eyes narrowing.
Her voice was sharp, commanding. "Skorvex. Vhydrakk. Wake up. Something's happening at Emerald Castle. Someone just left."
"ROOOAAARRR!"
A deafening roar tore through the mountain air.
From the shadows, a monstrous creature rose—its body massive and covered in dark purple scales, its tail bristling with venomous spikes. A Venomspike Manticore, terrifying and primal, stood tall among the rocks.
"Hssssss… hssssss… hssssssss…"
