CHAPTER 215: THE STEWARD'S TETHER

Caius reached into his coat and produced a sleek, jet-black band etched with shimmering silver runes. It was a specialized spatial ring, a design he had personally drafted alongside Master Orven, the dark elves’ foremost spatial grandmaster, and forged by the master Arachne weaversmiths using high-density spatial steel and woven silk.

Raising his hand, Caius spun a filament of black mana from his fingertips, anchoring one end directly into the ring’s central rune. With a sharp flick, the single line split into two razor-thin, bladed mana threads. Caius thrust his palm forward, driving the glowing threads through the air until they pierced straight into the crown points of the two Vel'xul Stalkers. The artificial essence beads inside their heads flared violet, humming softly as their core tethers hardwired directly into the ring’s internal spatial nexus.

Caius turned his eyes toward the old dark elf. "Approach, Old Bones."

Old Bones hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping forward, standing rigid in front of his former pupil.

"It might hurt a bit," Caius warned casually.

Before Old Bones could ask what he meant, a black thread shot outward from the ring, striking with needle-like precision directly into Old Bones’ crown point. The old dark elf winced, gasping as a sharp, cold shock rippled through his mind, mapping his neural energy straight into the ring's array.

"Drop a bead of your blood onto the band," Caius commanded. "Complete the ownership bond."

Old Bones bit his finger, pressing a single crimson drop against the black metal. The runes flared violently before settling into a deep, steady violet pulse. Beside them, the two Vel'xul Stalkers shifted in unison. Their four vertical eye slits burned warmly as both constructs turned, sinking to one knee and bowing their heads in absolute submission to Old Bones.

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"This isn't just a simple puppet vessel," Caius said, watching the old master stare at the bowed constructs in disbelief. "It doubles as high-capacity spatial storage. Visualize the interior and project your consciousness inside."

Old Bones closed his eyes, focusing his newly expanded mana pool into the ring. In an instant, his consciousness slipped past the spatial barrier, opening his vision to a breathtaking pocket dimension.

He found himself standing on a floating stone island suspended within a sea of quiet mist. At the center rested a circular stone court, and hovering directly above it burned a brilliant orb of radiant energy that looked like a miniature internal sun. Below that miniature sun, the spiritual forms of the two Vel'xul Stalkers sat crossed-legged upon the court, silently meditating as streams of ambient energy poured into their frames.

A dark shadow condensed beside Old Bones as Caius’s mental projection materialized within the realm.

"This central array absorbs and converts ambient mana from the outside world, acting as a continuous charging cradle for their cores," Caius explained, gesturing to the burning orb above. "As your own mental cultivation progresses, this island will expand, allowing the Vel'xul to sustain longer, more intense deployments in battle. Use them as your emergency trump card."

Caius looked out over the quiet stone court. "Furthermore, you can enter this realm anytime to spar with them. Train as brutally as you like, wounds sustained inside this mental domain will not affect your physical body."

Caius raised his hand, condensing a glowing scroll forged of pure intent, and handed it to the stunned dark elf.

"This is a specialized mind cultivation manual, Mental Thread Arts," Caius said, his tone softening with genuine respect. "Train hard with it. You earned this, Old Bones. Not just for your unwavering loyalty, but because you were the one who beat discipline into me when I had nothing."

Old Bones gripped the glowing scroll tightly against his chest. Looking at the two terrifying abyssal stalkers now under his command, he bowed deeply before his lord, his voice rough with emotion.

"Thank you, my lord. I will not fail you."