The hunt for the staff

It had been a few weeks since Shu’s battle with Mosiac. The villagers had finished repairing their homes, and the official explanation circulating was that the destruction came from a government experiment gone wrong. It was easier for people to accept that than the truth.

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of the capital, a meeting was underway in the administrative estate—a sprawling compound where the richest and most powerful gathered to discuss anything, or anyone, that might threaten their position.

The estate was lined with elegant row houses on both sides, but all eyes were on the towering white building at the center, where today’s meeting was being held.

“**HOW!!!**” roared the general, slamming his fist onto the table so hard that the sound echoed through the chamber. He was a towering man with dark skin, a dense afro, and a hardened expression that brooked no nonsense. His muscles rippled even beneath his uniform, a symbol of both rank and raw strength.

Across the table, a younger man lounged with his feet on the polished wood. Clad in rich crimson robes, he bore the insignia of one of the noble clans. Lean and smug, he smirked as he spoke.

“Relax. We’ve evolved far beyond needing that old relic. With our mastery of life force energy, we can beat anyone—staff or not.”

His words ignited a storm of debate in the room. The elite began to argue, some dismissing the staff as irrelevant, others warning of its potential threat. The general’s fists clenched tighter as the noise rose.

“**How are we even debating this?!**” he barked. “That staff—placed in the hands of someone who *can’t even manipulate life force*—still made him powerful enough to rival a Dragon Sage. Hell, if he keeps evolving, he could challenge the **Dragon King** himself!”

That silenced some. But others scoffed, igniting another round of arguments—until a **booming voice** filled the chamber.

“**SILENCE!**”

Every head turned toward the end of the table, where a **massive man** now stood. Brown-skinned and crowned, his beard thick and his eyes blazing with command, he radiated an aura that crushed dissent. His presence alone quieted the room.

He spoke with thunder in his voice.

“**We will recover the staff.**”

His eyes narrowed.

“As for its wielder... he shall be executed.”

No one dared question him.

Silently, and efficiently, every official stood and exited the room. Plans were already forming. Orders would be dispatched. Assassins prepared.

The hunt for Shu had begun.