Eryndor's eyes gleamed with malice as he turned to the toad. "I want you to curse the advanced Lich Xaren," he said, his voice dripping with venom.
The toad's face paled, and it felt sweat all over its body. "B-but, Boss, I'm not a god," it stammered. "I need something belonging to the person who should be cursed."
Eryndor's expression turned ugly, and he rebuked the toad. "You useless thing, can't even do a simple job. Fine, let's go."
Eryndor walked out of the motel, with the toad floating beside him. Krog was waiting outside. "Are you going somewhere, Master?" he asked.
Eryndor smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, you're awake. Good! Good! Let's go, I gotta take this toad to the place where we fought."
Krog's eyes narrowed. "Who are you talking to, Master?"
Eryndor chuckled. "This smelly Toad."
Krog looked around, confused. "What? Who are you talking about?"
The toad spoke up, its voice barely above a whisper. "Boss, he can't see us. I'm connected to your consciousness. Only you can see us."
Eryndor waved his hand dismissively. "Nevermind, let's go."
The duo walked to the place where they had fought the advanced Lich Xaren. Krog looked at the tree trunk where he had been hit and was bleeding. The blood was dry now, but he remembered Eryndor shielding him. Krog clenched his hands, feeling a pang of guilt for not being able to protect his master.
Eryndor placed a hand on Krog's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Krog. I was too arrogant to confront the enemy without knowing its strength. I've learned my lesson the hard way, and I'll lead you properly next time. Forgive me this time."
Krog's eyes widened, surprised by Eryndor's words. "You mustn't apologize, Master. A leader must not apologize, it shows weakness."
Eryndor smiled, his eyes twinkling. "What weakness? I don't see any weakness in apologizing. One must own their mistakes, learn from them, and move on. That's my way."
Krog was taken aback by Eryndor's words, and he couldn't deny the truth in them.
As they reached the place where they had fought the Lich, Eryndor spotted some broken crystals on the ground. He picked up one of the pieces and turned to the toad. "Use this to curse the scoundrel. The residual energy of the Lich is still on the crystal."
The toad's eyes gleamed with excitement as it took the crystal from Eryndor. It exhaled over the crystal, and a black, eerie gas enveloped the energy of the Lich, like many snakes wrapping around it.
The toad turned to Eryndor, a wicked grin spreading across its face. "I've succeeded in cursing the Lich, Boss."
Eryndor and the toad burst out laughing, their evil laughter echoing through the air. Krog, on the other hand, looked on, confused. "What the hell is going on with Master today?" he wondered to himself.
As the toad and Eryndor continued to laugh, Krog couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What had gotten into his master, and what was the meaning of this strange ritual? He shook his head, deciding to just go along with it for now.
Meanwhile,Advanced Lich Xaren sat cross-legged in his lair, his eyes fixed intently on a top-level crystal. He was drawing a diagram of instant teleportation, carefully converting it into a token. The air was thick with concentration, and the only sound was the soft hum of magical energy.
Suddenly, a small hole in one of the walls of the lair began to stir. A few rats, who had been living in the walls, started to emerge from the hole, scurrying out into the open area of the lair. The rats were dirty, scrappy, and completely unexpected, and they caught the Lich off guard.
"What in the...?" the Lich muttered, his eyes snapping up from the crystal to gaze at the rodents in surprise.
The rats, oblivious to the danger they were causing, continued to scurry around the lair, squeaking and chirping as they went. The Lich, trying to refocus his attention on the crystal, found it difficult to ignore the distracting rodents.
"Get out of here, you filthy creatures!" the Lich shouted, his anger and frustration growing. He raised a hand to cast a spell to get rid of the rats, but it was too late.
The crystal, now fully unstable, erupted in a blast of energy, sending the Lich stumbling backward. The rats, sensing the danger, scurried for cover, their squeaks and chirps filling the air.
"No!" the Lich cried out, his eyes wide with shock and anger. "My token! It's ruined!"
The lair was filled with the sound of squeaking rats, the smell of ozone, and the glow of magical energy. The Lich stumbled backward, his robes singed and his hair disheveled. He glared at the rats, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You will pay for this," the Lich hissed, his voice dripping with malevolence. "You will pay dearly."
The rats, still scurrying around the lair, seemed to sense the Lich's anger. They squeaked and chirped, their beady eyes glinting with fear. But they did not stop, continuing to scurry around the lair as if they were trying to escape the Lich's wrath.
The Lich's anger grew, his face twisted with rage. He raised his hand, and a bolt of dark energy shot out, striking one of the rats and sending it flying across the room. The other rats squeaked and scurried for cover, but the Lich was relentless.
"I will not be defeated by a few insignificant rodents," the Lich snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "I will show you my true power."
The lair was filled with the sound of the Lich's dark magic, the air thick with the smell of ozone and the glow of magical energy. The rats, sensing the danger, scurried for cover, but the Lich was determined to destroy them all.