ShadowBound: The Need For Power

Karnag's body shifted.

No signal, no windup, no flashy glow—just raw, primal movement. One second he was staring Galen down, and the next, his foot tore through the earth, sending chunks of soil and dust spiraling backward as his massive frame blitzed forward. The ground trembled beneath his step, cracks webbing out from his pressure.

But Galen didn't move nor even blink as his red eyes, bored and half-lidded, locked onto Karnag with all the urgency of a man watching grass grow.

And then—BOOM!

Karnag's fist came crashing down, like a meteor. His knuckles split the air with a sound like a thunderclap, aimed to reduce Galen to a smear in the dirt. But—

Whoosh.

Galen stepped sideways. Just one casual step. The punch missed him by a hair, the force of it creating a concave dent in the ground that hissed with heat from the sheer friction.

"You're slow," Galen muttered, his tone dry like he was commenting on the weather.

Karnag snarled and swung again, this time aiming a spinning backhand, claws slicing in a wide arc. Galen ducked low, slipping beneath the swing and landing a quick jab into Karnag's side. It wasn't flashy—just a clean, crisp strike.

Crack.

The impact resounded louder than it should have. Karnag staggered. His bark-like hide chipped at the contact point, and a strange, greenish-black ichor began to seep out.

"What…?" Karnag muttered, glancing down at the wound with confusion. "A human with that kind of strength? Don't make me laugh."

"Then keep laughing, tree-trunk," Galen said, stepping in again.

This time, he moved like a whisper riding a blade of wind. His fists danced—one to the ribs, one to the neck, one uppercut that snapped Karnag's chin back. The demon stumbled, not out of pain, but confusion. Every strike from Galen had weight behind it—real weight.

"You're toying with me," Karnag growled, swinging his arm in a wide, desperate arc.

Galen leaned back, matrix-style, letting the blow graze overhead. "Nah," he said, rolling his shoulders. "If I was toying with you, you wouldn't be bleeding already."

Magnus, still munching on a snack while seated on his rock, let out a low chuckle. "Told ya he was a menace. And that's not even him trying."

Karnag lunged again, this time with both arms extended like spears. Galen allowed one to barely touch his shoulder—just a scrape—and spun with the motion, turning his body into a weapon. His leg shot up in a roundhouse, colliding with Karnag's temple with enough force to twist the demon's entire upper body to the side.

THWAM!

A geyser of that greenish-black blood sprayed out, splattering the ground. Karnag hit the dirt hard, skidding back several meters.

He rose slowly, steam hissing from his wounds. The gnarled mask on his face cracked slightly, a jagged fracture running from the brow down to the jaw.

Karnag spat, the air around his mouth crackling with dark aura. "You… bastard."

Galen tilted his head lazily, crimson eyes still bored. "That all it takes to rattle you? You're soft for a right-hand demon."

Karnag roared, his body suddenly glowing with earth magic. The very terrain responded to his fury—roots burst from the ground, twisting toward Galen like serpents, trees around them bent and cracked as if worshipping his wrath.

The ground beneath Galen shattered open. Roots lashed up from the earth, wrapping around his legs, his arms, even his torso.

But Galen didn't even flinch. Instead, his eyes briefly sharpened—just a flicker.

"Alright," he whispered, exhaling. "Let's try a little more."

4%.

The shift was microscopic. The air around Galen shimmered faintly, like heat waves rising from burning stone. His presence grew—not wildly or dramatically—just enough for Karnag to feel a sharp chill crawl up his spine.

The roots restraining him exploded outward in an instant—splinters and ash flying in every direction. Galen was already moving.

He closed the distance between them in less than a blink.

"Let me show you what I do to trees that talk too much," he muttered.

BOOM!

His fist buried itself in Karnag's gut.

It wasn't a punch—it was a detonation. The force behind it sent a massive shockwave outward, ripping the ground apart. Dust exploded into the air. Trees cracked in half. Rocks shattered.

And Karnag?

Karnag flew.

The nine-foot demon was launched hundreds of feet back, his body bouncing and tumbling like a ragdoll before he finally crashed through a cliff face, the stone crumbling beneath his impact. Blood poured from his mouth now. His ribs were dented. His entire midsection felt like it was melting from the inside.

From within the rubble, his voice echoed.

"…Impossible…"

Galen dusted off his knuckles. "Took that hit head-on, huh?" he muttered. "Gotta admit, that was kind of satisfying."

Karnag emerged slowly, dragging himself from the collapsed wall. His glowing eyes were no longer arrogant—they were confused, rattled, even a little fearful.

"You—what are you…?" he asked.

Galen shrugged. "Just a guy with a short fuse. Especially when tall things look down on me."

Magnus stood up and stretched. "Yikes, and that was just the appetizer. You good over there, Barkboy?"

Karnag coughed more blood. "No… no… This isn't right. You should not be this strong… Not a human."

Galen began walking toward him, slow and steady.

"Four percent," he said, voice soft.

Karnag blinked. "…What?"

"I've only been using four percent of my actual strength this whole time."

The silence that followed was thick and suffocating.

Karnag's breath caught.

And then—he screamed—lunging forward in one last desperate attack, claws glowing with raw elemental fury, wind and stone combining in a furious spiral of destruction.

Galen sighed, annoyed. "Fine. You want a real taste?"

He brought his hand back, palm open.

Myst flared around him like fire. Runes etched into his skin lit up in bright crimson, spinning slowly around his arm.

"Crimson Reaper: Burst Fang."

He released the spell like a cannon.

A massive, concentrated beam of red myst launched forward from his palm—condensed, spiraling with explosive energy. It collided with Karnag mid-charge.

KA-BOOM!!!

The explosion swallowed the area. Trees vaporized. The earth split open. A crater formed, wide and deep, smoke billowing from its center like a volcano had awakened.

And at the heart of it… Karnag lay broken. His body was scorched, the gnarled mask shattered, his face revealed—gaunt, monstrous, and now laced with pain and blood. He wheezed.

"This… This is power of… just a fraction?" he whispered, disbelief choking his words.

Galen stood over him, hands back in his pockets. "You asked for it, and I let you in on your fate. Now, be a good treetrank and tell me where's Sylvathar?"

Karnag stared up, lips trembling. "You… you're a monster."

"No," Galen replied. "I kill monsters."

And his eyes burned brighter than the flames he'd just unleashed.