Two dozen Asuras moved like shadows across a landscape of charred trees that had been reduced to charcoal. The scent of blood mingled with falling ash filled their nostrils. Yet, Diru and the other Asuras remained focused. They had already detached themselves from the Hobgoblin forces, whose movements were far slower. From this point forward, they would go into hiding, only emerging when the signal for the ambush was announced.

They had no reason to worry about the enemy’s location or movements, as the entire region was saturated with Druids. These Druids might be disguised as birds soaring through the sky or reptiles slithering along the ground. Diru didn’t know exactly where they were, but he was confident that they weren’t entering this battle blind.

Finally, they reached their concealment point. It appeared the location had just been vacated by another squad before their arrival. There were many Asura ambush squads in the vicinity, not just Diru’s. Whether the previous squad had returned to Progenitor City or moved to another waypoint, Diru didn’t know. However, Kuja, as the squad captain, would certainly have received the update via the Pandava.

"Rest for five minutes. Prepare your Dragon Prana and stay alert. We wait for the Hobgoblin forces to reach their positions," Kuja ordered.

Diru wasted no time and immediately sat cross-legged on the ground. He began to concentrate, feeling the Dragon Prana within his body. Even though they hadn’t used active mantras during their transit, they still had to suppress their energy to avoid detection by enemy mages’ spells. Furthermore, the Inner Eye—which remained constantly active on the battlefield—kept the Dragon Prana in his body from feeling entirely settled.

Though a thirst for blood began to rise toward the crown of his head, Diru knew the fight required a calm mind. He meditated, refocused his thoughts, and before five minutes had passed, Kuja’s command rang out again.

"Everyone, ready. We’re moving out. The situation is critical. Explanation on the way!"

In an instant, every Asura was on their feet, lunging out from the hiding spot. Mid-transit, Kuja’s voice echoed directly within their minds.

"Everyone, listen!"

This was one application of Vivid Dream. By connecting the minds of every Asura in their squad, Kuja could project direct commands into their thoughts. However, if a target Asura was too far away, the voice would sound faint.

As someone on the verge of awakening his own Vivid Dream, Diru studied this phenomenon. Every monster born in Wilwatikta is connected to the Pandava. Therefore, every monster can find their soul’s imprint there. By locating this imprint and linking it to a Vivid Dream, an Asura can connect with other monsters in the blink of an eye. Yet, only the Vivid Dream of Moku—the creator of the Pandava—was capable of linking the minds of every monster in Wilwatikta simultaneously.

"The Hobgoblin forces encountered the enemy and engaged in a brief skirmish. However, the enemy’s numbers and strength exceed the Druids’ estimates. The Hobgoblins have decided to use a scattering strategy to divide the enemy. Currently, several Hobgoblins are approaching the ambush points we prepared. But there are too many enemies to pick off one by one. Therefore, we must split the squad into four groups of six Asuras each. The group leaders are Diru, Mugh, Joly, and myself. Your task is to eliminate the enemies at the ambush points as quickly as possible before returning to hiding. If the enemy is too strong, signal for reinforcements via the Pandava. Stay connected. Do not be reckless!"

"Sir, yes Sir!" Diru and the two other group leaders replied.

"Split up!"

With a single order, the two dozen Asuras divided into four groups. No one questioned whom to follow, as the assignments had been settled from the start. This was not their first time splitting the squad. War is not something that can be predicted like reading a map; every second brings changes that even Nerphyl, with her Eyes of Queen, cannot fully foresee.

Diru and the five other Asuras moved swiftly and silently toward the ambush line. The line lay behind the ruins of a stone cliff that bordered the plains of Bitter Maja. Beneath the shadows of the precipice, Diru and his comrades crouched in a lethal silence. Diru held his breath, neutralizing his heartbeat until it was nearly inaudible. His Inner Eye spread outward like a spiderweb, waiting for the scattered Hobgoblin units to draw near.

The sound of panicked, thundering footsteps approached. Diru’s Inner Eye saw through the trees and the stone cliffs. There, he saw a dozen Hobgoblins running headlong toward the ambush site. There were too many of them for a mere retreating unit; that was the first anomaly Diru noticed.

However, Diru didn’t dwell on it. Although the Hobgoblin forces were bait, they truly lacked the warrior spirit of the Asura. They would retreat the moment a stronger enemy appeared; they possessed no soul for sacrifice or the courage to stand their ground.

But what followed behind those dozen Hobgoblins made the hearts of Diru and the other Asuras hammer in their chests. From behind the clouds of dust, the high-pitched screams of the green creatures shattered the tactical silence, bringing chaos directly to the ambush point. A gravitational anomaly manifested, making the air feel heavy and suffocating. The temperature around the ruins plummeted. The overcast sky above them was suddenly torn open, revealing a sea of unnatural stars in the middle of the day.

A blinding silver light descended from the heavens like a pillar of judgment, striking the Hobgoblins’ rearguard. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

There was no explosion. No sound of fire. Only a high-pitched hum that deafened the ears. In the blink of an eye, a dozen Hobgoblins were erased from existence, leaving only scorched shadows upon the rocky earth.

In the center of that fading pillar of light floated a human figure in white robes, adorned with glowing starlight embroidery.

A Level 5 Constellation Mage.

Diru and the other Asuras were frozen. If it had been a novice Level 5 who hadn’t mastered a Domain, Diru and the others might have been prepared to fight. But this was a veteran with a Domain that was nearly breaking the threshold of Level 6. The presence of such a powerful existence in the outskirts of the New Battlefield was a fatal irregularity.

The Mage looked down at the ruins with silver, glowing eyes, full of arrogance and cold vengeance. He wasn’t just hunting Hobgoblins; he could sense the gathered auras of the hidden Asuras.

"Filthy rats of Wilwatikta," the Mage’s voice boomed, amplified by pure mana that made the earth tremble. "Do you truly think shadows can hide you from the light of the stars?"

"Domain!"