It was an instinctual fear born from the disparity in their Life Tiers.
"Se... Senior."
Lumina stopped a hundred meters before Ian, bowing in mid-air. Her voice was dry and hoarse from extreme nervousness.
"I am Lumina, the current Guardian of Deep Rock City. I was unaware of your arrival, Senior. Do you have any... instructions?"
She cautiously observed Ian.
He lacked the corrupting aura of this world, nor did he possess the maddening Chaos of those powerful Mutant Beasts. Instead, he had an out-of-place sense of "purity."
Ian sized up the middle-aged woman before him. She wore a well-worn Star Patterned Robe, and her resolute expression couldn't conceal her exhaustion.
Deep within her eyes lay the vigilance and world-weariness left by long years of struggling to survive.
"My name is Ian. I come from outside this world," Ian said, getting straight to the point. His voice was calm and rippleless.
