Tales of the Endless Empire
Chapter 216: New Visitors

“God, Jack, I really don’t want to ask him if he’ll take us as his disciples,” Josh muttered, clearly annoyed.

Ever since the war, Jack had become almost obsessed with preaching the supposed ‘benefits’ of becoming Thalion’s disciple. The worst part was how the others would burst into laughter every time Josh tried to list reasons against the idea. The thought of pledging himself to someone just felt wrong.

“No, no,” Chloe chimed in, her lips curling into a playful grin. “I think after all your wise lessons, you should absolutely become the disciple of that madman. I’m dying to see what tasks he’ll give you two.”

Eddie joined in on her laughter, both of them clearly enjoying themselves at Josh and Jack’s expense. Jack, on the other hand, remained as serious as ever—or at least as serious as someone like him could be.

A little further off, Evelyn and Kargul were both lost in thought, their minds still circling the events of the past hours. Neither had forgotten the blood witch nor the red orc who had slipped through their fingers. Their hunger for revenge simmered just beneath the surface. Vorlok, meanwhile, remained blissfully focused on the feast spread out before him, shoveling food into his mouth with the kind of single-mindedness only he could manage.

“What do you think Thalion’s going to make them do first?” Eddie asked, still grinning. “Maybe he’ll throw them right into the front lines against the Black Fortress.”

Jack cracked a grin of his own. “If that’s the case, I’d gladly stand at the front and cleave through the undead myself. Did you see how I handled that wyvern?”

“No, we didn’t,” Chloe said dryly. “Because while you were off playing hero, we were stuck defending this base. It wasn’t exactly a picnic here, either.” She turned toward Josh, her voice light but laced with teasing. “Oh, and by the way—Maike sent me a message. Thalion’s back at his tower.”

Eddie let out a small giggle at Josh’s grimace.

Josh rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, “I wonder what the hell kept that guy trapped inside that flower for so long.”

Before anyone else could chime in, Evelyn’s voice cut through the room, sharp and clear.

“Kaldrek sent word. He wants everyone at the front gate—immediately. Something’s happened.”

That got their attention. Everyone stood, chairs scraping against the floor, except for Vorlok, who remained where he was, continuing to gorge himself as if the world outside didn’t exist.

The group had been lounging in a small shop owned by one of Chloe’s new friends, and from there it was only a short walk to the main gate. Chloe and Eddie decided to stay behind with Vorlok, while Kargul, Evelyn, Josh, and Jack set out to meet Kaldrek.

The mood among them was heavy, each lost in their own frustrations. Josh still chewed on his recent failures, while Kargul’s hands twitched with the urge to crush the red orc’s skull. Evelyn’s thoughts were darker still, her mind replaying the blood witch’s escape and imagining the things she’d do once they crossed paths again. Only Jack seemed in good spirits, still riding the high of almost slaying the red wyvern twice over.

When they’d first returned from clearing out the undead beasts, the base had looked like a graveyard. Streets littered with corpses, half the buildings reduced to rubble. Now, it was almost surreal how clean everything looked. The undead had been carted away—according to Maike, far easier than anyone expected. Apparently, all it had taken was loading the corpses into spatial rings and dumping them beyond the city walls.

As they neared the main gate, the atmosphere grew taut. The walls were crowded with guards, more than usual, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a blade. Something big had happened.

The group leapt up to the battlements, and the sight that awaited them left no room for doubt. Standing at the gates were roughly a hundred elves, their posture rigid, their expressions unreadable. Each one wore finely crafted armor, every plate tailored specifically to its wearer, adorned with ornate decorations and subtle engravings that spoke of masterwork craftsmanship.

“What’s with the pointy ears?” Kargul grunted, scratching the back of his head as his gaze swept over the elven assembly.

Kaldrek turned at the sound of their arrival, his smile wide and untroubled.

“Ah, you’re here. Saves me the trouble of sending someone after you.” He gestured toward the elves. “To make it short: they’ve come to join the fight against the undead. Though, of course, they’d like us to take the frontline.”

Josh’s brow furrowed, his voice laced with disbelief. “Wait, they want us to be the sacrificial lambs in this fight?”

Kaldrek gave a lazy nod. “That’s their generous offer, yes. But there’s more. Given the... state of our defenses, they’ve kindly proposed to take command of the base, you know—for our safety. As a token of goodwill, they’ve also offered to demonstrate their ‘superiority’ in a duel against our strongest.”

A grin stretched across his face, mirrored by several of the other fighters along the wall.

“Are they insane?” Evelyn burst out, staring at the elves in open amusement. “Thalion’s going to murder them. I don’t even understand why you called us, not him.”

Kaldrek chuckled softly, folding his arms. “Well, I heard a little rumor. Apparently, Jack and Josh were eager to become Thalion’s disciples. I thought this might be the perfect chance to test how strong you really are.”

His smile widened. “And don’t worry—I’ll inform Thalion soon enough. He’s... occupied at the moment, dealing with the vampires in the basement.”

“This is perfect,” Jack exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement. “Go on, Josh—this is your chance! I’m no expert in one-on-one duels, but you? You’ll crush that elf and prove yourself to Thalion.” He clapped Josh on the back with so much enthusiasm that his friend staggered forward a step, barely regaining his footing.

Josh straightened up, glancing at Jack with uncertainty etched deep into his features. “Are you sure about that? What if something goes wrong and they kill me? I’ve followed your advice so far and, yeah, it worked out... but this feels different. Riskier.” His gaze drifted toward the elven formation, sharp unease tightening in his chest. The elves stood too calmly, too poised, and if Josh had learned anything in his time on the battlefield, it was that real power rarely announced itself. Their auras were concealed, almost unnaturally so.

“No, no—don’t worry. Everything’s under control,” Kaldrek cut in, his voice light, almost playful, and a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “We’re all here for you. The second one of those pointy-eared bastards tries anything sneaky, we’ll descend on them like a pack of wolves. I’ve got the ballistae from four towers trained on them, skyships hovering close enough for support, and over twenty healers standing by, ready to stitch you back together if things get ugly.”

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Kargul let out a booming laugh, stepping forward and giving Josh a hearty clap on the back—this one nearly sent him to the ground. “Yeah, do it!” Kargul grinned, showing far too many teeth for Josh’s liking.

It wasn’t just Kargul. One by one, the other guards and seasoned fighters began adding their voices, encouraging him—some earnestly, others simply entertained by the spectacle. The friendship between Jack and Josh had long been an endless source of complaints for Chloe and Eddie, but at moments like these, their bond became the centerpiece of the entire camp.

“Alright, alright! Fine, I’ll do it.” Josh raised his hands in surrender, glancing between the gathering crowd and the expectant elves. Their stillness said everything—their pride demanded this fight, and there was no backing out now. “So, which of them am I supposed to fight?”

“One moment,” Kaldrek replied, that mischievous gleam never leaving his eyes. He turned to face the elves, his voice suddenly booming across the open square, dripping with mock formality and sharpened sarcasm.

“Well then, noble elves! We accept your terms. Should your champion defeat our strongest warrior, command of this base will be yours. So, go on—choose your fighter. I, for one, am looking forward to watching the great Josh put him in his place.”

The elven line remained motionless, save for an older warrior who stepped forward. His voice, laced with mana, echoed through the air with calm, aristocratic venom.

“It’s good to see you’ve come to your senses, human. We shall end this quickly. Be joyful—for it is a rare honor for a human to earn the right to serve the elven kind as a servant... or a slave.”

The final words hung in the air, sharp and deliberate, betraying the bruised pride festering beneath their polished discipline. The guards had already spent the last hour mocking them openly, and the elves' patience had clearly worn thin.

Josh inhaled slowly, exhaling through clenched teeth, and leapt gracefully down from the wall. His boots crunched softly against the packed earth as he strode toward the waiting elves. From their ranks, a tall, slender figure broke away—a warrior, adorned with the most elaborate decorations of them all. His polished armor gleamed coldly under the fading light, and the wicked smile spreading beneath his helmet made it abundantly clear: the elf had every intention of making an example out of him.

Just as the tension reached its peak, Jack’s voice exploded across the battlefield, amplified by a wooden staff engraved with dozens of runes that pulsed faintly with power.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LORDS AND LADIES, GATHER ROUND!” Jack’s voice soared above the crowd as he floated over four meters in the air, projecting his words for all to hear. “TONIGHT, FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT WE PRESENT THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!”

The human side responded immediately, breaking into laughter and cheers, their voices crashing against the walls like a wave. The elves, by contrast, stood as rigid as statues, their faces darkening with every second. They hadn’t come here to be part of a circus.

“IN THE BLUE CORNER,” Jack continued, his voice adopting the cadence of a seasoned announcer, “WE HAVE AN ELF! BODYWEIGHT: ROUGHLY EIGHTY KILOS. A BIT FAT THAT GUY. PROFESSIONAL RECORD: UNKNOWN. REPRESENTING THE PROUD ORDER OF HOMELESS VAGABONDS CURRENTLY LOITERING OUTSIDE OUR GATE. LETS GIVE A LUKEWARM ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE CHALLENGER, THE... MYSTERIOUS ELF!"

Laughter erupted from the walls, one guard laughing so hard he lost his footing and toppled over. Luckily, he was a seasoned E-grade and shook it off as if it were nothing.

“IN THE CRIMSON RED CORNER, REPRESENTING THE UNSTOPPABLE MIGHT OF HUMAN RESILIENCE”, Jack pressed on, “WEIGHING IN AT AN EQUALLY GENEROUS EIGHTY KILOS, ALL LEAN MUSCLE, UNDEFEATED IN BATTLE EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME HE GOT SWALLOWED BY A SALAMANDER AND, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, A FORCE OF NATURE! THE SLAYER OF LEVIATHANS, THE BUTCHER OF VAMPIRES, MY DEAREST FRIEND JOOSSHHH!"

Jack roared the name with all the strength his lungs could muster, and the entire base answered, the cheering rising into a wild, unrelenting crescendo. By now, nearly everyone had gathered—lining the walls, perched atop flying vessels, or floating overhead, all eager to witness the duel unfold.

Standing back from the crowd, Evelyn wiped a tear from her cheek, glancing over at Kaldrek, who looked positively gleeful.

“Tell me you’ve informed Thalion,” she asked, half-laughing. “You know he’d never forgive us if he missed this.”

“Oh—right. Almost forgot.” Kaldrek’s grin lingered as he wiped the last tears of laughter from his eyes. “Send him a message. And Evelyn—head down with Kargul, just to make sure nothing happens to Josh.”

Without waiting for another word, Evelyn vaulted over the battlements, landing gracefully on the ground below. Kargul followed a moment later, his heavy boots hitting the earth with a solid thud before the two of them hurried after Josh, closing the distance with long, purposeful strides.

Out on the field, the tension grew thick enough to taste. Josh and the elven warrior moved closer, step by step, until they stood facing each other, separated only by the stretch of fifty meters. Neither spoke, neither blinked, both perfectly still — two statues poised for the storm to break. Their auras remained carefully sealed, masking the weight of their true strength. Both were level eighty, but in this moment, neither could afford assumptions.

A glint of steel caught the fading light. A silver sword materialized in the elf’s hand, summoned without flourish, its polished edge gleaming like a sliver of moonlight. The warrior shifted his stance slightly, lowering his center of gravity, waiting for the signal. His expression was hidden beneath the helmet, but his posture spoke volumes: calm, merciless confidence.

High above the field, Jack hovered midair, fully basking in the moment, his voice booming over the walls like a royal herald declaring war.

“BOTH FIGHTERS READY? I’LL TAKE THAT AS A YES!” His voice crackled with excitement, carried by the runes woven into the amplification staff in his hands. “THE FIGHT WILL BEGIN IN—FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO—JOSH, I BELIEVE IN YOU—ONE! COMMENCE! FIGHT UNTIL ONE YIELDS OR CAN NO LONGER STAND!”

The instant the last word left Jack’s mouth, both figures vanished from sight — the stillness of the moment shattered in a blink as the two combatants blurred into motion, clashing with the speed and force of colliding storms.