The Masters of the Night-Wind.
Currently, the Abyss monsters haven't adopted wall-climbing tactics, and their variety remains limited.
The Masters of the Night-Wind possess a natural geographical advantage, making their defense line the easiest to hold. By firmly guarding the sole passage through their territory, they can prevent the Abyss from posing any significant threat.
Lumine and Paimon found Citlali and informed her of the anomalies surrounding the Stone Tablet near the Flower-Feather Clan's territory. They also mentioned Ishkab's disappearance.
"What?! Ishkab has gone missing?!"
In Lumine's plan, Ishkab's role was absolutely crucial—a fact Citlali fully understood. Ishkab's disappearance dealt a devastating blow to Lumine's entire strategy.
After learning that Mavuika had already dispatched search parties for Ishkab, Citlali regained her composure.
"Come, Traveler, take me to see this Stone Tablet you mentioned."
Lumine retrieved the Serenitea Pot and explained its unique capabilities to Citlali.
"Incredible! This device can actually do that? It'll save us a great deal of time."
After Citlali entered the Serenitea Pot, Lumine teleported them to the Stone Tablet's location.
-
Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
Kinich and Ajaw were returning to report to the Pyro Archon when they spotted Chuychu looking around anxiously in the Stadium of the Sacred Flame.
Seeing Kinich and Ajaw, Chuychu hurried over with a little jog.
"Why are you in such a rush? What's happened?"
Chuychu: "Kinich, Ishkab has gone missing! The Pyro Archon has ordered you to conduct a search radiating outward from the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, focusing on the direction of the Scions of the Canopy tribe."
Kinich's expression froze instantly. He took a sudden step forward, his voice rising involuntarily with a sharp, incredulous edge. "What?! When did this happen?!"
Ajaw, who was following behind Kinich, gasped at the sudden news and immediately leaned in, his face etched with shock.
Chuychu repeated her message at lightning speed: "Last night, Ishkab was making medicinal ointments with some healers. This morning, I noticed she was gone, but I assumed she was resting and didn't want to disturb her. When she still hadn't reappeared by afternoon, I searched her temporary quarters and the surrounding area, but she was nowhere to be found!"
"Sister, she..."
Kinich's fingers tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white from the strain.
He knew Ishkab would never leave without a word, especially with the threat of the Abyss still looming.
The medicinal ointment she had stayed up all night to make now sounded more like a silent farewell, or preparations for a journey she had to undertake alone. The moment that thought surfaced, Kinich's heart plummeted.
Worry coiled around his heart like a constricting vine.
His sister's unique status as a Pure Soul made her disappearance in this land, constantly watched by the Abyss, utterly unthinkable!
Countless dire possibilities flashed through Kinich's mind, each one stealing his breath.
Forcing down the churning panic, Kinich took a deep breath. His gaze sharpened suddenly, as keen as a hawk's, and he turned to Ajaw, his voice low, urgent, and carrying the unmistakable weight of command:
"Ajaw, summon all members of the Scions of the Canopy squad immediately! Move with utmost speed! Search the area radiating outward from the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, as Chuychu suggested, paying special attention to the places my sister often visited alone. Report any clue, no matter how minute, to me immediately!"
"Alright, leave it to me!" Ajaw didn't argue with Kinich this time. He turned swiftly and darted away like an arrow shot from a bow.
Having given Ajaw his orders, Kinich's gaze returned to Chuychu. His voice was urgent, yet he struggled to maintain a semblance of calm:
"Chuychu, think carefully. Did my sister act strangely at all last night? Did she say anything unusual? Or perhaps she left any of her medicinal balms for me?"
His eyes locked intently on Chuychu, as if trying to extract even the slightest clue from her answer that might point him in the right direction. His deep-seated worry seemed to overflow from his taut frame.
Chuychu shook her head. Without another word, Kinich turned and sprinted toward the Scions of the Canopy camp.
-
It was late at night beside the Flower-Feather Clan, before the abruptly appearing Stone Tablet.
Citlali, Lumine, and Paimon stood beside the Stone Tablet, Lumine and Paimon observing Citlali's manipulations of the stone.
Citlali closed her eyes, attempting to communicate with the tablet, but found her efforts fruitless.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she murmured, "No response at all..." Her voice, almost swallowed by the night wind, continued, "It's not a rejection, more like... complete silence. As if its consciousness has sunk into a dreamless deep sea, completely cut off from any ripple of the outside world."
Paimon hovered nearby, anxiously wringing her tiny hands. "Even Citlali can't do anything? Is it... broken?"
Lumine's gaze remained fixed on Citlali's movements, sensing the focused intensity radiating from her.
Undeterred, Citlali slowly circled the Stone Tablet, her gaze meticulously scanning every inch of its surface—the hideous scars left by the Abyss's corruption, and the remnants of ancient carvings that still glowed faintly with starlight.
From the cloth bag she carried, she retrieved several small tools: a polished crystal lens that resonated faintly with Elemental Energy, and a small jar containing fragrant Spiritual Powder used for purification and visualization.
With meticulous care, she blew the powder across the surface of the Stone Tablet, paying particular attention to the edges where the ancient carvings met the encroaching corruption.
As the powder settled, it revealed no abnormal impurities. Instead, the starlight-etched carvings seemed to flow even more vividly against the powder's backdrop, radiating a weary yet pure rhythm.
Next, she raised the crystal lens and focused it on the luminous carvings.
Through the lens, she didn't see mere flows of energy, but an incredibly intricate, almost Law-level microscopic structure operating with glacial slowness, maintaining the Pure Barrier within this confined space.
"Incredible..." Citlali murmured, her eyes flashing with the thrill of uncovering a profound secret. But that gleam was soon replaced by deeper perplexity.
"The way this energy operates... it's ancient, profound, possessing a quality of encompassing all things in slumber."
She placed her hand above the Stone Tablet once more. This time, she didn't attempt to communicate but instead slowly channeled a trace of her gentle spiritual energy into it, like dropping a tiny pebble into a deep pool to gauge its depth.
The Stone Tablet remained silent.
However, the instant her spiritual energy touched the core of the Tablet, Citlali's body jolted slightly, and she swiftly withdrew her hand.
She finally turned to face Lumine and Paimon, her expression now solemn and certain as never before.
"Traveler, Paimon, your discovery is of paramount importance," she said in a hushed voice, as if fearing to disturb the presence within the Stone Tablet.
"This is no ordinary Stone Tablet. If my senses are correct... the being temporarily dwelling within is the Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night!"
"The Lord of the Night?!" Paimon gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
Lumine's face also registered surprise.
"Yes," Citlali nodded, her gaze returning with awe to the silent Stone Tablet.
"I don't know why she has awakened at this time, but what I do know is... she is not unwilling to respond to us..."
"It's not that she refuses to respond; rather, Her consciousness seems to be fully engaged in maintaining some colossal ritual or contract, far beyond our comprehension. All Her attention and power are poured into this endeavor, leaving Her utterly unable to react to anything external, including us."
"Her current silence is itself a clear indication of her state."
"So it's like... She's using all her strength for something huge, so she doesn't even have the energy to speak?" Paimon ventured, trying to understand.
"You could think of it that way."
Citlali's expression grew grave. "What worries me is that this matter might be directly connected to Ishkab's disappearance. We must report this discovery immediately."