Southwest of Blackstone Fortress, west of Ximu Town, deep within an old mine.

The abandoned tunnels were damp and cold, the air thick with the earthy smell of water seeping from the rock.

The flame of a torch flickered erratically, barely illuminating a small, relatively flat area deep within the tunnel.

A figure stood there, clad in a dark green traveling cloak designed for ease of movement. The hood was pulled low, completely shrouding his face in shadow, revealing only a neatly trimmed beard on his chin.

His back was to the tunnel entrance. With his head slightly bowed, his gaze fell upon a rough, natural stone platform before him, about half a man’s height.

Spread out on the stone platform was a topographical map of the region, drawn with dark red lines.

Under the torchlight, the lines seemed to shimmer faintly, emitting the subtle scent of blood.

The map covered the area around Blackstone Fortress and the paths leading to several valleys behind it. The location of Ximu Town was marked by a pulsing, dark red point of light.

"It’s about time," a low, slightly hoarse voice said from beneath the cloak.

"The second wave of ’lures’ should have been in position ten minutes ago. The outer defenses of Ximu Town... are even weaker than expected. The Peric Clan’s forces are too pinned down on the main front. Even reinforcements for a key location like this are arriving so slowly."

He extended his right hand. Wisps of gray mist swirled around his index fingertip as he lightly tapped the point of light representing Ximu Town.

The point of light flashed brightly, its luminescence seeming to intensify.

"The feedback from the first wave of ’probes’ indicates that the defensive force there consists mainly of poorly trained militia, a few Knight’s Attendants, and a single Official Knight. Relying on crude fortifications, they can at best withstand scattered assaults from small Scorching Beasts and juvenile Earth Rock Worms. Against medium-sized Scorching Beasts, their will and ability to resist will quickly collapse."

Just then, the faint, almost imperceptible smell of sulfur and rusted metal at the tunnel entrance suddenly grew stronger.

A figure appeared silently at the border between the torchlight and the darkness of the entrance.

The newcomer was not human.

He—or rather, "it"—had a roughly humanoid silhouette, stood about two meters tall, and had a powerful build.

Its skin was the dark red of cooling lava, covered in fine, crack-like patterns resembling a parched landscape.

It had no hair; its head was covered with several irregularly placed, keratinous protrusions that resembled Obsidian.

Its facial features were vaguely discernible but hard-lined and angular. Its eyes were two clusters of flickering, Dark Gold flames burning slowly within their sockets.

It wore crude yet clearly structured armor, seemingly crafted from the tanned leather of some creature mixed with metal fragments. It fit snugly against its body, with rough articulations at the joints.

The armor’s surface bore many scratches and scorch marks from past battles.

The Wizard under the cloak did not turn around, seemingly unsurprised by its arrival.

"Observer, you’re late," the Wizard said flatly.

The humanoid creature called the "Observer" took a step forward. Its heavy footfalls made a soft grinding sound on the gravel-strewn floor of the tunnel.

Its Dark Gold, flame-like eyes swept over the map on the stone platform, its gaze lingering for a moment on the point of light representing Ximu Town.

A somewhat stiff voice echoed directly in the Wizard’s mind: "The flow of time is different. How effective is your ’bait’?"

"The first stage is proceeding as expected," the Wizard replied, finally turning slowly to face the Observer.

Beneath the shadow of his hood, the faint hint of a cold smile could be seen playing on his lips.

"The resistance in Ximu Town is crumbling, and panic has spread. By my calculations, a signal for aid will reach Blackstone Fortress in ten minutes at most."

"Merely a call for aid?" The Observer’s telepathic message carried a hint of dissatisfaction. "You expended resources to guide these Low-tier ’dregs’ to infiltrate past the main front lines, all just to force that stone fortress to dispatch a small team?"

"Of course not." The Wizard chuckled deeply. "Ximu Town itself is insignificant. It’s merely a stone tossed into the water. What I want are the ripples it creates. Or, to be more precise, the forces that are bound to come and quell those ripples."

He pointed to the map again, his fingertip tracing a dotted line from Blackstone Fortress to Ximu Town.

"Blackstone Fortress is currently stretched thin when it comes to high-level combat power. The pool of individuals who can react the fastest and are capable of swiftly resolving this kind of sudden trouble is very small. According to the last message from my ’eyes’ inside the fortress, and considering the optimal choice the Ironspine Duke and the others will inevitably make... our target is likely already on his way."

The flames burning in the Observer’s eyes flickered as if in thought.

"The target is... that Mortal Governor named Melfield? Your ’eyes’ mentioned that he only arrived today and has displayed unusual martial prowess."

"The very same," the Wizard confirmed the Observer’s guess. "An unplanned variable, but one with sufficient weight. His appearance at Silent Pass to rescue the Royal Family’s Little Princess speaks volumes on its own."

"More importantly, the Ironspine Duke and those two injured titans from the Church Court need a sharp blade like him to handle their problems. They’ll be more than happy to use him for testing, to wear him down, or even... to have someone else do their dirty work."

"The analysis is sound." The Observer seemed to accept this judgment. "Then, what is the second phase of the plan?"

"The chaos in Ximu Town and the pressure of sustained resistance will tie him down there for a while. The number of medium-sized Scorching Beasts is enough to cause sufficient trouble and drain his Essence and strength. At the same time..."