As soon as the Spirit Ancestor finished speaking, a looming shadow appeared above them, blocking out the ambient light of the World Tree.
It was a man sporting a sharp goatee. He possessed hollow eyes and an indifferent expression. His right hand resembled an intricate circuit board, with energy blinking and coursing through its metallic veins.
"How did you mortals enter this sacred place?" the man's voice boomed across the sky.
'Not good. That is the Paragon,' the Spirit Ancestor's telepathic warning surged through their minds. 'I will try to keep you all safe. Alan Benson, can you help me out?'
'I can,' Alan replied as he shifted into a defensive stance. This specific clone of his stood at the eighth rank.
"Aren't you the author of the Esper path?" the Paragon spoke with a look of surprise upon noticing Alan.
"I am Shroud Heaven. One of the Paragons," the man introduced himself, his tone laced with arrogance.
