The trek down the rugged slopes of the Sierra Madre was a trial of its own. Every vine seemed to reach out with a mind of its own, and the humidity was thick enough to make Elias's silver fur heavy with dew. However, his [Void-Piercing Sight] remained sharp, cutting through the dense tropical fog like twin blue searchlights.
[DIRECTIONAL TRACKER UPDATED]
Lyra's Mana Signature: 12%
Faint Orientation: Southwest (Toward the Lowlands)
Elias paused near a massive Balete tree, its roots draping down like the tangled hair of a giant. This wasn't just a tree; the System flagged it with a pulsing amber warning.
[DANGER: TERRITORIAL DOMAIN]
Inhabitant: Elder Babaylan (Neutral/Observant)
"You're far from the stars, little dragon," a voice creaked. It sounded like old wood snapping.
From the hollow of the tree, an elderly woman stepped out. She wore a skirt woven from abaca fibers and a necklace of boar tusks. Her skin was mapped with batok traditional tattoos that glowed faintly with a mossy green light. This was a Babaylan, a shaman-healer who stood as the bridge between the mortal world and the spirit realm.
The Shaman's Recognition
She didn't reach for a weapon. Instead, she sat on a gnarled root and placed a bowl of coconut water on the ground.
"I haven't seen an Astral Tabby since the great rift opened," she said, her milky-white eyes staring directly into Elias's sapphire ones. "You have the soul of a man who died with iron in his chest, but the fire of a dragon in your spirit."
Elias trotted forward, his tail twitching. He didn't meow; he focused his intent, and the System translated his thought into a low, harmonic vibration that resonated in the shaman's mind.
"Where is the girl?"
The Babaylan smiled, showing teeth stained red from betel nut. "The Chronomancer? She fell toward the 'Concrete Jungle.' The hunters of the Iron Corporation found her first. They have her in a cage of lightning near the ruins of Quezon City."
A Gift from the Earth
She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small charm made of braided rattan and a fragment of obsidian.
"The spirits of this mountain don't like the Iron Men. They smell of oil and death," she whispered, hanging the charm around Elias's neck.
[ITEM ACQUIRED: AMULET OF THE ANITO]
Buff: +20% Stealth in Urban Environments
Passive: [Spiritual Shield] - Blocks one magical tracking attempt.
"Go, Tiger of the Stars," the Babaylan urged. "Follow the river of lights. But be warned: in the city, the predators don't have fur. They have steel hearts."
Elias gave a sharp nod, his blue eyes burning with renewed focus. He turned and leaped into the undergrowth, a silver blur against the green.