Suddenly, nightfall came over the desert, a bright full moon rising on the horizon. At that moment, a group of twelve Chromaraics moved silently toward what looked like just another sand dune.
They stopped there and spent a few minutes scanning the surroundings with extreme caution. Only when one of them sighed, confirming nothing was tailing them, did they relax. He was absolutely confident — no one could possibly escape their senses.
The Chromaraics approached the dune and pulled out some glowing ores. As they did, a small entrance opened up in the ground. Quickly, they all jumped in, and the passage sealed shut.
Thirty minutes later, a sharp gust of wind swept across the desert, halting nearly half a kilometer away.
For ordinary people, it really was impossible to sense anyone from that far. But Darian could, by easily feeling their karmic connection. He always kept almost ten kilometers of distance, making it impossible for them to realize they were being followed.
The wind's power vanished completely. Awel closed her eyes, exhausted and drained.
With a quick move, Darian caught her and gently set her on his back, crossing her arms around his neck.
"Rest a little, you worked hard," Darian murmured softly. "We'll wait until they let their guard down...?"
Suddenly, he noticed Eleri, her face glowing with excitement and anticipation.
"G...!" She tried to roar, but Tir reacted even faster, clamping her mouth shut with his hand.
Awel opened her eyes and snorted dryly: "Sis, control yourself..."
"Big bro's gonna get pissed!" Tir whispered quickly to Eleri, who was struggling. "You can't do this..."
She stopped, nodded seriously. Tir let out a sigh of relief and released her, but...
Eleri suddenly pulled away from him and turned to Darian, determined. The other two almost jumped, but she spoke straight to him:
"Big brother, we're gonna wipe them all out, right?"
Tir and Awel roared in unison: "Eleri, don't say it!"
Darian was confused by the sudden outburst. He looked into Eleri's eyes and slowly nodded.
She then turned to Awel and Tir. The exchange of glances between the three felt like a silent argument.
Two minutes passed until Eleri lost patience. She stomped her foot and said firmly:
"Big brother won't be afraid! He's already saved us twice, and I feel in my very core that I can trust him. You feel the same, don't you?"
The two snorted. It was true — ever since they met Darian, they felt something strange drawing them to him, making them want to stay close. Not even Darian knew why yet.
Eleri locked eyes with him: "I... I can absorb all their lives?"
She spoke with a strange gleam in her eyes, like she could barely wait... like a child staring at something delicious she desperately wanted to reach.
"Absorb?" Darian asked, puzzled.
Awel murmured on Darian's shoulder: "Big brother Eldu told us... that he felt us easily when we were born, because we weren't normal at all."
Eldu was the name of the one who had become the saber.
Tir sighed: "I was born in the Death Field, at the far south of the desert."
"I was born on the border of the inner region, at the end of a river that touches the desert. That place is known as the Cursed Oasis!" Eleri said proudly with a smile.
"I was born in the biggest dune in the desert, called the Dune of Heavenly Winds..." Awel finished, sighing heavily. "The three of us were born in forbidden places, considered 100% lethal to anyone who even tried to approach. Big brother Eldu pulled us out of there, risking his life... then, he realized our nature was a little... scary..."
Darian listened in surprise and reflected. Natural elements flowed through the universes, born from ordinary Yin and Yang. Naturally, the Heavenly Elemental Spirits born from them followed a clear pattern.
But in this world, everything was at a primordial level — something that should only have existed briefly at the very start of everything.
So the natural elements here surely had unique peculiarities thanks to their elevated power. Those three, born of primordial Yin and Yang, were definitely special compared to the rest of their race.
"What exactly can you guys do?" He asked calmly, his tone steady, giving the youngsters confidence to speak.
"That... big brother Eldu asked us not to tell anyone, because people might fear us and feel uneasy." Tir muttered, lowering his gaze.
Eleri turned to him: "We have to tell! Big brother Darian isn't normal either. He's like us, he'll understand."
Tir sighed and nodded. Eleri then looked at Awel, who only gave a weak nod, not knowing how to argue back.
With her eyes shining, Eleri turned to Darian:
"In the place where I was born, any living thing that dares touch or even approach the waters has all its life energy sucked out and devoured. Hehehe, that's why they call it the Cursed Oasis. I have that ability too. I devour the life inside bodies, and... damn, it feels so good... please, let me have them!"
Her face looked just like a starving child begging for her favorite candy.
Darian was a little confused. But it did make sense: water was vital to almost every race across the universes. It was tied to life itself everywhere. So at its primordial level, of course it would hold the power to control life force.
Maybe Eleri was too young and only knew how to "devour," but there was definitely a massive hidden potential in her.
"On the dune of heavenly winds, the power of the winds is so strong that if anyone tries to climb or fly near it, they lose consciousness and fall into a coma," Awel murmured. "As for me... I like going back to my true form and fusing with the winds... it's relaxing and fun... when I do that, I feel like the whole Yin Desert is connected to me, I can see everything happening. And also... I can absorb some of the desert's energies."
Darian swallowed hard. She could merge with the air and atmosphere itself?
On every normal planet and place, Earth and Air were the most abundant elements. If she could actually fuse with the air, her potential was off the charts. Nothing could escape her eyes; and since most energies flowed through the air, she could absorb part of them too.
Tir was the last to speak, though he still looked a little uneasy. His two sisters stared him straight in the eyes, softly urging him on.
Darian watched them in silence. Each one had a totally different personality, but they knew each other deeply and truly felt like siblings, always wanting to protect one another.
"The Death Field where I was born looks normal, a place anyone can walk into without knowing. But once you step in and touch the ground... the sand traps you... and you never get out. Everyone ends up sinking forever and vanishes..." Tir explained, taking a deep breath.
"... my sister likes to devour their life force, but me... I take their bodies. Everything from the physical body is easily absorbed by me and disappears..."
Darian nodded thoughtfully. Earth was where everyone was born, but also where they returned when they died. It absorbed death to create life in its most primordial essence. So by consuming bodies, Tir surely had the power to create life. Maybe he just didn't know it yet, but his potential was as high as his sisters'.
In short, all three of them had an unusual way of feeding and growing stronger. It could also bring them extra benefits, though they didn't fully know what those were yet.
And it wasn't like there was any shortage of people who deserved to become food, or places overflowing with energy... which meant the three of them had insane potential... but one that would also terrify the weak.
Who wouldn't be scared being around someone who could see everything you did, thought it was delicious to devour your life, or could absorb your whole body without leaving a trace?
"Why didn't you guys use that in the battle against the Aberrants?" Darian asked curiously.
"!?" Eleri and Tir were shocked, as if the thought had never even crossed their minds.
But Awel murmured: "They're super vulnerable while feeding... they didn't realize it, but I wasn't going to allow it. They could only do that as a last resort, to not die. Either because it's a secret, or because it's too risky in that kind of place."
Basically, it required a safe spot and time. Doing that in the middle of a battle, or right after with little time, wasn't worth it. Not to mention the fear of the Fiendgods finding out, which could make them uneasy living around them. After all, that city was their only home.
Darian thought for a moment, then turned to Eleri and Tir.
They were watching him with a slightly worried look. Darian smiled faintly — these kids were easy to read and didn't hide anything. He couldn't deny them or feel anything negative toward them.
"Alright, you two can take everything. It's even better this way, we won't leave behind traces or create shadows." Darian said softly. And instantly, he felt joy overflowing from all three of them.
"Just call me Darian. No need to be afraid of asking me anything or speaking your mind. Let's work on this together... I think it's about time." He finished and turned back ahead.