Author Note : Trust the Process bro Dont mention it yet
"The being that's watching us is called an Obsidian God," Nox said, processing the system's warning. "The effect of my class warned me about it."
He turned his head toward where Old Hans had been standing just moments before.
"Hey, Old Hans, do you have any information about—"
But there was no one there.
"What the fuck? Henry? Irene?"
They were not there as well. The space where his companions had been standing was completely empty, as if they had never existed at all.
Nox gathered his thoughts, his tentacles writhing with agitation as he scanned the enclosed area. The obsidian walls reflected his distorted image back at him from every angle.
"It looks like we've been separated somehow."
"I'm still here, Ren."
Ren turned his head to the left, and to his surprise, Sarah was still there. The Skin Witch stood in her human form, but her posture was tense and ready for action.
The oppressive presence seemed somewhat lifted. At least Sarah was here, so now on Ren's side there were two S-rank hunters.
"Well, at least you're here, Sarah."
"Do you have a plan on how we should move from now, Ren?" she asked, her eyes scanning the obsidian walls that imprisoned them.
"Hmm, well, I feel something's off about this place, and the most suspicious building is the mansion in the middle."
Ren looked toward the glowing structure at the village's center, its Victorian architecture somehow more menacing now that they were trapped.
"So should we go there, or should we find the others first?"
"I think we should go to the mansion. If we got separated, the others might think of meeting at the mansion too. It's the most obvious landmark."
"Sure, then let's go to the mansion."
Sarah's skin began to change shape, her back skin taking hold. Massive wings made out of human skin sprouted from her back, snow white and leathery, stretching wide enough to cast shadows across the obsidian ground.
"Come here, let me carry you to the mansion."
Ren approached without hesitation. Despite the strange circumstances and the divine entity watching them, having Sarah as an ally gave him confidence. Two S-rank hunters working together could handle most threats, even with his abilities partially suppressed.
Sarah's strong arms wrapped around him, and with a powerful thrust of her wings, they lifted off from the obsidian ground. The village spread out below them, its thirty houses arranged in perfect geometric patterns that hadn't been visible from ground level.