The guild hall fell into an uneasy silence as Oren lowered the parchment.
No one breathed.
Even the wind outside seemed to pause, as if listening.
A second dungeon awakening.
A second sigil.
A second vessel.
Lyra stepped forward, gripping the back of a chair to steady herself.
"Oren… what do you mean there's more than one?"
Oren exhaled slowly.
"Friezzar wasn't their only creation."
Arden muttered a curse under his breath.
The messenger swallowed hard.
"We received the report an hour ago. The Eldrook Ruins lit up with mana—bright enough to be seen from the town's watchtower. The dungeon restructured itself and… well…" He hesitated. "Something walked out."
Lyra's blood ran cold.
"Walked… out?"
The messenger nodded shakily.
"Yes. Not a beast. Not a monster. Something humanoid. Something that… glowed."
Arden straightened, fists clenching at his sides.
"Another puppet."
Oren nodded grimly.
"A vessel. Either a replacement… or a retrieval unit."
Lyra's voice trembled.
"A retrieval unit… meaning it's coming for Friezzar?"
Oren did not answer.
He didn't need to.
Lyra's face paled.
"No—no, Friezzar just woke up—he's still injured—he can't—"
Arden stepped toward her firmly.
"Lyra. He's not alone anymore. He has us."
She grabbed his shirt with shaking hands.
"But he can't fight right now! He can't even stand! You saw him—he's barely stable—"
Oren raised a hand.
"Lyra. The Guild will protect him."
Lyra bit her lip, tears welling.
"This isn't a monster."
Her voice cracked.
"This is something created like him. Something that won't hesitate. Something that won't stop. And Friezzar—he—he doesn't want to fight."
Her breath hitched.
"He just wants… to live."
Arden looked away. His fists trembled.
Oren closed his eyes.
"That is why," he said quietly, "we must prepare."
The Second Vessel Awakens
Far from Arnvale, deep in the cavern beneath Eldrook, the air shimmered like heat waves.
A figure stepped from the center of a newly formed dungeon core.
Unlike Friezzar's wooden form, this one was made of:
obsidian-black stone
red glowing cracks
long, sharp limbs
runes carved like scars across its form
a mask-like face with a single burning eye
It breathed out a slow, mechanical pulse—
WHUMMMMM.
And the air around it distorted with pressure.
A low voice echoed across the chamber.
"Designation: Vessel Two."
The creature lifted its head.
Its voice was flat.
Emotionless.
Imprinted with commands.
"Objective: Retrieve Vessel One.
Contain anomaly.
Eliminate interference."
The dungeon walls trembled, as if bowing to its presence.
The creature extended a hand, and obsidian chains materialized, slithering across the floor like serpents.
It walked toward the exit of the dungeon—
each step cracking the stone beneath its feet.
Arnvale — A Dangerous Realization
Lyra hurried back upstairs the moment the conversation ended, nearly tripping on the steps.
She burst into Friezzar's room.
He was awake.
Sitting upright.
Glow faint but steady.
He turned his head toward her slowly.
"…Lyra."
She ran to him.
"We need to talk. Something's coming. Another… another you."
Friezzar blinked.
"…another… Friezzar?"
Lyra knelt beside him, taking his hand.
"No. Not exactly. But another vessel. Another creation."
His glow dimmed.
"…vessel."
Lyra nodded, eyes stinging.
"Yes. And it's coming for you."
Friezzar's fingers tightened around hers.
"…protect."
"No!" Lyra grabbed his shoulders. "Not this time! You're hurt! You can't protect anyone in your state!"
Friezzar tilted his head.
"…but Lyra… safe."
Lyra shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"You can't protect me if you break again…
I don't want you to fight like this. Please."
Friezzar stared at her silently, processing her emotion, her fear, her trembling voice.
He placed his cracked hand over her cheek.
"…Lyra… cry."
She squeezed his hand.
"Yes, because I'm scared for you."
Friezzar lowered his gaze.
"…sorry."
"You don't need to apologize," she whispered. "You just need to stay with me."
Before Friezzar could answer—
A wave of mana trembled through the room.
So subtle the humans didn't feel it.
But Friezzar did.
His core pulsed sharply.
His eyes widened.
"…vessel."
Lyra froze.
"You sensed something?"
Another pulse.
Closer.
Stronger.
Approaching.
Friezzar whispered:
"…coming."
Guild Alarm
Downstairs, the mana sensors embedded in the guild's doorway began to screech.
A piercing, magical alarm rang throughout Arnvale.
Arden crashed through the infirmary door.
"LYRA! FRIEZZAR! WE HAVE A PROBLEM—"
Oren ran in seconds later, armor half-on.
"The mana detectors picked up a massive resonance spike—"
Another alarm blared, louder.
Arden grabbed his sword.
"It's here."
Lyra grabbed Friezzar's hand tightly.
"Stay with me."
Friezzar's glow sharpened.
"…not leave."
The window behind them shook violently.
A shadow cast itself across the guild courtyard.
Arden looked out the window—
—and swore under his breath.
"Oh hell no."
Lyra slowly turned.
Her blood ran cold.
Standing at the gates of Arnvale—
A tall, obsidian puppet with glowing red lines
and a single burning eye
looked directly at Friezzar's window.
Lyra whispered:
"Friezzar…
it's looking for you."
Friezzar clutched her hand,
glow trembling,
voice soft as breath:
"…Lyra…
danger."
The puppet outside raised its arm.
The air screamed.
Mana crackled violently.
Oren shouted from the hall:
"BRACE YOURSELVES!"
And in an instant—
The Second Vessel unleashed its first attack.