Beyond the visible urban zones, I saw containment fields. Vast fields of abominations were arranged in controlled enclosures, grotesque forms stitched together and cultivated like livestock. Phantoms supervised the operations, moving through the deathmist with practiced familiarity.
These were not random monsters. They were used as reserved soldiers.
I extended my perception further.
Traitors from our universe stood among them, coordinating with them. Some handled logistics, others oversaw transport networks. Their auras carried both Essence and traces of deathmist, their loyalties clearly divided but deliberately aligned with Hollow Star.
Then I saw the portals.
Hundreds of them.
Some were embedded near the breeding grounds, concealed beneath reinforced structures. Others were hidden inside the cities themselves. Each portal pulsed faintly, linked to distant coordinates beyond this planet.
