The woman leaned toward Neo, as if searching for something inside him.
"You must be tainted if you can tell I'm an Outer God." She smiled. "But your corruption feels weak. You haven't awakened Void?"
"How about I help you?"
A faint, alluring scent drifted toward Neo's nostrils, carrying a hypnotic sweetness that made his head feel light.
Before the tension could escalate, Kane's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Let them go. They are with me."
She pulled back, and the invisible force holding Neo in its tight grip loosened.
The bewitchment that had ensnared Olivia, Percival, and Nicolas also faded, leaving them momentarily disoriented.
They noticed the presence of Void around the woman and almost moved.
"Don't," Kane said before they could react. "She is ◼, the Clan Leader of the Void Dragon Clan, and an Outer God, yes. But she isn't our enemy."
Percival and Neo winced as Kane spoke the woman's name.
A heavy force crashed down on their minds, like an iron hammer striking their skulls.
Olivia and Nicolas fared better.
As Exalted, they could withstand the pressure, but even they couldn't hear her name clearly.
'A Fabled,' Neo thought. 'No, not a Fabled.
'Kane called her a God. So I guess I should say she is a Stage-3 God.'
The others remained tense.
An Outer God being a friend?
That was impossible in their diaries.
"Don't bother," Neo said. "Even if you try to fight her, she can kill us with a snap. The fact that she hasn't means she isn't our enemy."
He spoke before their instincts could overtake reason, and before their hands could reach for their weapons.
"Thank you, dear, for standing up for me."
Her honeyed voice was soothing to hear, and addictive.
Despite her innocent face, her figure and presence resembled that of a succubus.
Having been bewitched once, they now understood how dangerous she truly was.
"Why are you here?" she questioned Kane.
"They are going to participate in the Grand Expedition," Kane replied.
The woman gave them a sweeping glance before her gaze settled on the blue flame hovering near Neo's shoulder.
"Welcome," she said, a smile tugging at her lips. "We appreciate all the help we can get."
She was about to open a warp gate toward the tent when Kane suddenly stopped her.
"We will walk. I want them to adjust to the presences of this level, and it will help them familiarize themselves with other members of the Grand Expedition."
The woman led the way.
Kane, Neo, and the others followed behind her.
The massive crowd before them instinctively parted, creating a clear path.
Neo could feel countless eyes watching him.
Among them, the presence of Exalted beings stood out the most.
He could read their thoughts.
'The Grand Disaster is here! The Grand Disaster!'
'Why does that flame have the presence of an Ancient Dragon?'
'We need to run! The Great Disaster has returned!'
The huge number of people made the Intents entangled.
Their Intents clashed and overlapped, creating a chaotic mess.
Neo could only decipher the most dominant ones, which were the thoughts of the majority.
It didn't take long for him to realize who they meant by 'Great Disaster.'
Everyone was afraid of him.
'If everyone is afraid of Kane, there's a high chance he was Fabled rank before his trait was sealed.'
'He's far stronger than his Gene limit dictates.'
Neo's gaze shifted toward Nicolas and Olivia.
'They should have been born when Earth was still Stage-1. Their Gene Limit should have been Paragon, yet they are Exalted.'
He continued pondering the reason behind it until they reached the tent.
Inside, the space was sparse yet grand.
A massive table stood at the center, surrounded by nine chairs.
Three figures sat in the chairs.
The remaining three seats were occupied by what appeared to be blurry holograms.
A red-haired androgynous man, his flawless face expressionless, leaned forward slightly.
His lean figure gave him an air of both grace and danger.
"Why are you here, Kane Williams?" he asked.
"I'm here to meet my friends," Kane grinned.
Before the man could respond, Kane turned to the group.
"The redhead is… let's call him Vlad, since you can't hear their true names. He is the Clan Leader of the Blood Dragon Clan."
He casually waved toward the man before gesturing toward the woman seated beside him.
"The woman next to him is Celestia, the Clan Leader of the Hope Dragon Clan."
She had long blonde hair and wore a blindfold.
Although she seemed blind, Neo suddenly felt as if he had made eye contact with her, which should have been impossible.
She gave him a curt before ignoring him completely.
"The empty seat next to her should be Zera's. As I've said before, she is the Clan Leader of the Void Dragon Clan."
Kane's gaze shifted to the young boy sitting beside Zera's empty seat.
"The brat next to Zera's seat is… Who are you?" Kane asked, narrowing his eyes. "First time I'm seeing you."
The boy grunted, his arms crossed.
"◼, the Clan Leader of the Weapon Dragon Clan."
Neo tried to ignore it and studied the boy.
He looked barely fifteen.
Despite his age, his aura was overwhelming, like a sword drawn and ready to strike.
"A brat is a Clan Leader?" Kane asked, surprised.
"Shut your damned mouth, Great Disaster," the boy snapped. "You are a mere man. How dare you talk like that to me—"
"Oh, Tyr, no need to be angry about such a simple thing."
A teasing voice interrupted him.
Before the boy could react, Zera, the Void Dragon Clan Leader, appeared behind him.
She casually squished his cheeks between her fingers, stretching them as if he were a child.
"You, woman..! Not this again! Let me go—"
"No, no, call me big sis if you want me to stop."