'What is this creature?!'
Rey's mind raced through possibilities as he stared at the impossibly dark entity standing before Seraphine's half-kneeling form.
'Is this the Emperor of Death?' he wondered, his enhanced perception analyzing the creature's mystical signature. 'The Tier 3 entity that rules this corrupted nexus?'
But something didn't align.
The Church intelligence had suggested the Emperor resided in the cathedral at the dungeon's center—deep within the fifth boundary layer, protected by millions of undead and environmental hazards that made approach effectively impossible without massive coordinated assault.
This was only the second boundary layer.
It was far too early for confrontation with the ultimate threat.
The entity seemed to sense his thoughts—or perhaps it simply enjoyed explaining itself to doomed prey. When it spoke again, its voice carried mockery that transcended mere condescension.
