The wind had stopped.
The grass no longer rustled, and even the clamor of the distant city seemed cut off by an invisible barrier.
All eyes were fixed on Sandora.
Elysia had been marked—meaning they were now directly exposed to the gaze of the "Hilling Will."
"That eye?" Elysia recalled the strange eye she had seen in Wanda's spiritual world.
"No need to worry about it." Sandora spoke calmly. "It would be easy for Abyssal Hilling to monitor you. You merely made it notice you sooner. I expected this."
Neos's voice broke the silence. "Your Majesty Sandora, what should our deployment be from here...?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his teammates. "We will follow your command."
He said it slowly, every word carrying weight.
Handing command over to someone whose identity could not be verified was undoubtedly a huge risk.
But they had no choice.
Sandora did not seem surprised.
She gave a slight nod, her movements carrying the calm composure of someone long accustomed to authority.
"I have made some preparations," she said. "You may find the next arrangement difficult to accept."
Her gaze slowly passed over every face before finally settling on Neos.
"This time, our enemies will no longer be the Abyss gods. On the contrary—they will become our allies, at least for this battle."
The area around the stone table fell instantly silent.
Even the wind seemed frozen.
"What did you say?" Gorda was the first to roar. He slammed a fist onto the stone table, sending chips of stone flying. "Cooperate with Abyss gods?!"
Veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire face reddened with fury. "Have you lost your mind?!"
Shalish's smile turned strange, her gaze icy. "Interesting... very interesting. That reminds me of the past. That name is one I remember quite