The mechanical hiss of the Aegis-V suit faded entirely as the heavy plating slid open, releasing a cloud of stagnant, pressurized air into the hollow clearing. Elara’s eyes cracked open, her pupils dilating rapidly as they adjusted to the oppressive, crimson hue bathing the ancient cavern. She didn’t panic, nor did she scream. Her realization of where she was was instantaneous; the heavy, toxic gravity of planet Kraken was unmistakable to anyone who had crossed its threshold.
The only reason she had been unconscious in the first place was because she had stayed on this planet for a duration far exceeding the natural safety limits for a baseline human. The exposure had taken a catastrophic toll on her internal mana reserves, entirely draining her spiritual core to the point of near-collapse.
Yet, the moment her feet touched the root-choked soil, her raw survival instincts overrode her deep exhaustion. In a flash of fluid, practiced movement, she rolled backward, putting a considerable distance between herself and Kyle. Her breath came in short, measured gasps, her hands instinctively forming low, defensive mudras hidden beneath her tattered cloak. Her guard was entirely up, her eyes sharp, calculated, and predatory. Kyle watched her closely, remembering the vivid blackout vision he had experienced previously—a vision that had unmasked her true nature not as a helpless civilian, but as a formidable witch and a practitioner of the dark arts.
[Host, her spiritual readings are fluctuating wildly,] Snow’s voice cut sharply into his mind, accompanied by a flickering holographic display visible only to him. [The system is picking up micro-bursts of kinetic mana around her lower limbs. She is actively calculating escape vectors based on the localized terrain data. She’s planning to flee.]
Kyle gave a microscopic nod, his muscles instantly tightening as he went on full guard. He wasn’t about to let his only active lead slip away after everything he had sacrificed to keep her breathing on this godforsaken rock.
*’A fierce one, isn’t she?’* The Rootcrystal Deer’s telepathic voice suddenly echoed inside Kyle’s head, completely unbothered by the escalating tension. *’Tell me, young demon... do you and this little witch share a romantic interest? The dramatic resonance between your souls is quite exquisite.’*
Kyle’s composure nearly cracked. *’Shut up,’* he retorted internally, a faint, sudden flush of embarrassment crossing his features before he forcefully suppressed it. *’This isn’t the time or place for your commentary.’*
*’Fascinating...’* the deer murmured, its voice trailing off into a deep, melodic tone that made Kyle’s intuition prickle. There were definitely hidden motives buried within that beast’s words, layers of calculation he couldn’t yet unravel. But he had absolutely no time to parse the psychological games of a parasitic soul-bound companion right now.
Shifting his focus entirely back to Elara, Kyle stepped forward, the crimson glow of his demon eyes cutting through the dimness of the grove. He didn’t hesitate, abandoning all pleasantries.
"Where is Yua?" he demanded directly. "Tell me her whereabouts right now."
Elara didn’t answer. Her gaze darted past Kyle, scanning the colossal 32-meter-wide trunk of the ancient tree, mapping the glowing runic barrier, and measuring the distance to the outer forest line. Her silence stretched, thick and defiant, a stubborn refusal to cooperate that slowly ticked Kyle off. He had format-shifted past the point of patience, and every passing second on this planet was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
"I asked you a question, witch," Kyle stated, his voice dropping into a commanding, terrifyingly low register.
Suddenly, he stopped holding back. His demonic aura burst outward with the explosive force of a detonating gravity well. The sheer atmospheric pressure of his raw power slammed into the clearing, making the red leaves above hiss violently. Elara’s eyes widened in sudden, absolute terror as the invisible weight crashed onto her shoulders. Her knees buckled under the immense spiritual gravity, and with a muffled gasp, she was forcefully brought down to her knees, her hands pressing hard into the dark dirt to keep herself from being flattened entirely.
*This much power...* Elara’s mind raced in a frantic, chaotic spiral as she struggled to pull oxygen into her lungs under the crushing weight of his presence. *How is this possible? Could he perhaps be among the Top 100 High-Rank Demons in the hierarchy?* Her energy was still critically low, her strength barely recovering from her comatose state. Escaping by force was no longer a viable equation in her head.
"Don’t even think about it," Kyle warned, his voice cutting through her internal panic like a razor blade. He had perfectly predicted her trajectory of thought based on the subtle shift in her stance and the micro-expressions on her face.
Elara’s brow furrowed into a deep, frustrated frown. *He can read my thoughts too?* she pondered, a cold sweat breaking out across her collarbone. *High telekinesis, immense spiritual suppression... he must be a high-tier Demon Lord possessing advanced cognitive abilities.* The realization made her chances of escaping dwindle to absolute zero. She was entirely at his mercy, trapped under an invisible thumb.
Sensing the utter futility of her resistance, she lifted her fierce gaze to meet his burning crimson eyes. "How do you know that name?" she asked, her voice tight but remarkably steady despite the pressure. "What is Yua to you?"
Maintaining a perfectly calm, unreadable expression, Kyle decided it was time to let the cat out of the bag and shatter her defenses completely. He stood tall, the runic tattoo on his hand pulsing a dull red.
"She’s my wife," Kyle boldly declared.
An immediate, profoundly awkward silence blanketed the entire clearing. The crushing weight of the aura seemed to freeze in place, suspended by the sheer absurdity of the statement in this dark, violent environment.
Inside Kyle’s mind, a low, rumbling vibration echoed. *’I always knew demons were sinful, filthy creatures... but you truly are exceptional, boy,’* the deer inwardly chuckled, its telepathic voice dripping with absolute amusement at the revelation.
Kyle let out a low, irritated grumble in his thoughts, firmly ignoring the parasite’s commentary.
Meanwhile, Elara was shocked to the core. Her jaw tightened as the revelation completely shattered her expectations. *Married? She’s married?* Elara’s mind reeled as she tried to connect the dots. *Yua never mentioned a husband. She never even mentioned a fiancé, a relationship, or an engagement. Who the hell is this guy?*
Before she could voice her disbelief, Kyle took another step closer, the shadow beneath his feet twisting like a nest of vipers as he maintained his absolute hold over her. "My patience is running thin, witch. You know exactly where she is. Tell me. Now."
The command was reinforced by a direct spike of mental pressure. Elara clicked her tongue, her teeth grinding together as her psychological defenses began to splinter under his overwhelming will. *Shit... such a high mental link,* she deduced frantically, her mind straining against the invisible chains. *His psychological stats and willpower must be astronomical.* At this rate, with her mana depleted, she was literally powerless against him.
Just when her mental defense finally cracked and she opened her mouth to speak, a low, cataclysmic rumbling erupted from deep underneath the earth.
The sound grew louder at a terrifying velocity, transitioning from a dull vibration into a deafening, metallic roar that shook the very foundations of the hidden forest. The giant 24-meter crystal embedded in the ancient tree’s center flared a violent, blinding shade of red. The upper canopy of the massive 50-meter-tall tree began to shake uncontrollably, twisting as if caught in a localized, violent hurricane.
*BOOM!*
With a series of deafening fractures, pieces of ancient tree branches the size of skyscrapers snapped off, crashing down into the clearing like falling meteors, crushing the smaller pale trees below and kicking up a massive storm of dust and splinters.
"What’s happening?!" Kyle grunted, widening his stance and shifting his center of gravity to maintain his balance as the ground rolled violently beneath his boots.
[Host, I’ve run an immediate tactical scan of the perimeter!] Snow’s voice rang out, all trace of humor entirely gone, replaced by a dead-serious urgency that echoed in his mind. [The seismic signatures are off the charts and rising by the millisecond. It’s the Nabuyak! The apex beast those slime-like creatures warned us about earlier. It has tracked the life crystal’s energy spike, and it is breaching the lower layers right now!]
Kyle could sense the absolute gravity of the situation. The air grew heavy with an ancient, predatory malice that made his skin crawl. They had to leave, immediately.
Keeping Elara firmly under his spiritual influence so she couldn’t try any foolish maneuvers in the chaos, Kyle lunged forward. He swept her up in one swift movement, tossing her over his right shoulder. He braced himself for a struggle, but as she landed, he blinked in surprise. She was incredibly light, her weight barely registering against his enhanced demonic physiology.
"Let me down!" she hissed, but her voice was instantly drowned out by another massive structural collapse near the center of the grove.
Kyle glanced toward the path they had used to enter the clearing, but his eyes narrowed. A massive, skyscraper-sized limb had plunged directly into the trench, shattering into thousands of jagged wooden shards and completely sealing the ground exit with tons of solid debris. The ground route was entirely cut off.
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