The Abyssal Overlord's ocular-suns pulsed with a rhythmic, dying light. The pressure on the plaza didn't vanish, but it shifted from a crushing weight to a predatory gaze.
"Asylum is granted," the Overlord's thought-transmission echoed like grinding stones. "But the Abyss does not trust the word of a Void-drifter. You claim these husks are weapons? Prove it through their service. Until then, you are guests of the Obsidian Spire."
The Overlord gestured with a clawed hand. From the ranks of the Rank 2: Demon Weavers, a single figure stepped forward. This demon was leaner than the others, his armor made of translucent volcanic glass that allowed glimpses of the dark, coursing mana beneath. His eyes were not red, but a pale, sickly yellow.
"This is Xarax," the Overlord declared. "He will be your... guide. He will ensure your 'Void-Sentinels' are integrated into our legions. And he will ensure your threads do not stray from the laws of this world."
Xarax approached Fang Yuan, his presence a constant, irritating vibration in the Space-Time fabric. He was a Rank 2 Space-Time Stalker—a specialist in tracking and detecting anomalies.
"Pilgrim," Xarax hissed, his voice like dry leaves. "Your mana smells of the Void, but there is a... sweetness... beneath it. A scent I haven't tasted before. I look forward to unraveling your secrets."
Fang Yuan kept his expression like a mask of cold stone. Inside, his mind was spinning at light-speed. Xarax was a counter-type to his own abilities. Every time Fang Yuan tried to weave an Indigo Thread to communicate with Lia or stabilize Kaelen, Xarax would feel the ripple.
"Lia, take the Sentinels," Fang Yuan commanded, his voice distorted to match the demonic frequency. "We follow our guide."
As they moved toward the black towers of the city, Fang Yuan felt Xarax's yellow eyes burning into his back. He was a prisoner in a golden (or rather, obsidian) cage. To survive, he couldn't just hide his power anymore—he had to corrupt it. He had to turn his Rank 2 Weaving into something so demonic that even Xarax would be fooled.