"Here we found you, The Keeper," said the leader of the cloaked trio, stepping out from the black portal. Orion felt a surge of surprise and worry. These mysterious figures had not only found him in the depths of the dungeon but also knew something about him that he didn't understand.
"Now, you have two choices," the leader continued in a cold, menacing tone. "Submit to us and sign a slave contract, or die. You have three seconds to decide."
As the words hung in the air, an inexplicable occurrence unfolded. Everything around Orion stopped. Auf, the trio, even time itself seemed to freeze. In this suspended reality, a Mysterious Old Man wearing a mask appeared out of nowhere.
The trio tried to react, to move, but they were frozen, unable to even twitch. A palpable fear engulfed them, a feeling they hadn't experienced in thousands of years. Orion, however, felt no fear. Instead, a sense of unexplainable relief washed over him. Auf, calm and unperturbed, recognized the old man. He remembered him as the one who had once helped both him and Orion.
The Old Man approached the trio slowly, his presence commanding and enigmatic. He fixed his gaze on the leader, who felt his soul tremble under the weight of that stare. The Old Man spoke just one sentence, "I will not give you three any choice, just die." With a snap of his fingers, the trio was engulfed in the whitest fire imaginable. In a second, all that remained of them was pure black ash. Orion, unaware of the full extent of what had just transpired, didn't realize that even their souls had been annihilated at that moment.
After the Mysterious Old Man vanquished the cloaked trio, he mused quietly to himself, contemplating the remnants of their existence. With a graceful motion of his hand, the scattered ashes transformed, converging into a shimmering black crystal that radiated an enigmatic energy. He then addressed Orion, his tone imbued with an authoritative calm, "There is no need for fear. These insignificant beings and their superiors will not trouble you for some time now. This event must remain undisclosed; you must tell no one of what transpired here.Keep a safe distance from that crystal; it's perilous. However, this place is now an ideal spot for you to cultivate."
Finishing his guidance, the Old Man dissolved into the shadows as enigmatically as he had appeared, leaving Orion and Auf in the stillness of the chamber. Time, which had been eerily suspended, resumed its natural flow, allowing them to move once again.
Orion was left bewildered, trying to piece together the identity of the Old Man. There was a fleeting sense of familiarity, leading him to briefly wonder if the man could be his grandfather, Alexander. However, this notion was quickly dismissed; the figure was taller than Alexander, and his power was beyond anything Orion believed his grandfather capable of. The ability to freeze time and effortlessly dispatch those unknown enemies indicated a level of strength Orion had never encountered.
The trio's ability to enter the same dungeon instance as him was a revelation in itself, suggesting a level of power and knowledge that was formidable. Their recognition of him as the Keeper implied they were not just powerful but also well-informed. However, the ease with which the Old Man dispatched them suggested he was on another level entirely, a power to be reckoned with.
Despite the myriad of questions swirling in his mind and the overwhelming power he had just witnessed, Orion felt an intrinsic trust towards the Old Man. This stranger, shrouded in mystery, had not only saved him but also provided advice which resonated with a sense of truth. Deciding to follow the Old Man's counsel, Orion chose a spot within the chamber to sit and begin his cultivation. The spiritual energy in the air, now magnified by the presence of the black crystal, was dense, vibrant, and pulsating with a potency he had never before encountered.
Auf, too, seemed to understand the gravity of the moment. The wolf found a comfortable spot, closed his eyes, and began his unique method of cultivation. As Orion settled into his cultivation stance, he allowed the rich, dense spiritual energy to envelop him.
**********
In the dimly lit command room of the cloaked figures' leader, a sense of foreboding hung in the air. The room, usually a hub of quiet, strategic planning, was disrupted by the sudden entrance of a subordinate, a report in hand that bore grave news.
The subordinate approached the leader with a measured step, the weight of his message apparent in his demeanor. "My lord," he began, his voice steady yet tinged with unease, "I bring troubling news. The three investigators we dispatched to planet 234313 to apprehend the local Keeper have perished."
The leader, a figure of imposing authority, looked up sharply, his shock evident. "Are you certain of this?" he asked, the gravity of the situation dawning upon him.
The reporter nodded solemnly, confirming the worst. "Yes, my lord. It is certain. Not only are they dead, but their soul spheres have been shattered as well. And most disturbingly, all three perished at the exact same moment."
A heavy silence fell over the room as the leader absorbed this information. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke with a decisive tone, "We must rethink our strategy. Cease all planned operations on planet 234313 immediately. The loss of two Heavenly Warriors and one Heavenly Knight of our organization so effortlessly indicates that this planet is under the protection of a force we cannot currently contend with. We cannot risk further exposure or confrontation until we have gathered more information about this unforeseen protector."
The subordinate bowed, acknowledging the command, and quietly left the room to carry out the orders. The leader sat back, his mind racing with possibilities and concerns. This unexpected turn of events suggested a powerful entity was at play, one that could challenge even their formidable resources. Caution and strategy were now paramount as they navigated this new and uncertain landscape.