Chapter 192: Snatched

Several minutes before Cassian, Nyxara, and the other Lords entered the Orion Rift, a different scene was unfolding deep within the territory of the Arachnid Civilization.

?Hidden beneath layers of spatial concealment and heavy defensive formations was an enormous underground facility.

It served as one of the Arachnids’ most critical operational hubs, established specifically to monitor and manipulate the Orion Rift.

?Contrary to what the Lords of the Astral Dominion believed, the Orion Rift wasn’t a one-way dimensional passage.

?It possessed two entrances.

?One was located within the territory of the Astral Dominion, while the other existed deep within Arachnid space.

For years, the Arachnids had maintained absolute control over their portal, using it to study the rift and exploit its peculiar properties.

?However, they hadn’t accomplished this feat alone.

?With the backing of their mysterious patrons, they had constructed an elaborate trap within the rift, a trap designed specifically to ensnare the Lords of the Astral Dominion.

?Inside the facility’s central command hub, countless Arachnids moved between colossal consoles, monitoring screens, and research stations.

Some operated sophisticated machinery, while others analyzed streams of data projected across the bulkheads.

?The atmosphere was tense, yet meticulously organized.

?At the center of it all stood a particularly imposing Arachnid.

?Standing nearly seven feet tall, the creature possessed a far larger frame than the average member of its race.

Its dark, polished exoskeleton was reinforced with metallic armor plates, and a pair of crimson eyes surveyed the command room with cold authority.

?He was the commander responsible for overseeing the entire operation.

?Their backers had assigned them a critical mission, and the entire facility had been mobilized to ensure its absolute success.

?Suddenly, an Arachnid researcher hurried toward the commander, clutching a digital pad.

?"Commander! We’ve detected an anomaly!"

?The commander cast a glance at the approaching subordinate. "What is it?"

?"One of the pods containing a Lord has developed an error. The readouts are fluctuating, and the system is struggling to maintain its connection to the subject."

?The commander frowned and held out an armored claw. "Hand me the report."

?The researcher immediately presented the pad.

?The commander scanned its contents, his crimson eyes tracking the displayed telemetry.

However, when he reached the section identifying the affected Lord’s profile, his movements abruptly halted.

?[Target Designation: Tier II Lord]

?He stared at the readout.

?Then, he slowly raised his head and locked his gaze on the researcher.

?The smaller Arachnid shifted uncomfortably under his commander’s stare. "Commander, I believe the error might be related to—"

?BANG!

?The commander slammed the heavy digital pad across the researcher’s head.

?The smaller Arachnid stumbled backward, crashing onto the metal floor.

?"Are you an absolute idiot?"

?The commander’s barked voice echoed across the central hub, drawing the eyes of nearby operators.

?He looked down at the researcher with undisguised contempt. "You dared interrupt my command duties over a Tier II Lord?"

?The researcher hurriedly scrambled to his feet. "Commander, I thought the anomaly might—"

?"Silence!"

?The commander took a menacing step forward, his massive frame casting a suffocating shadow over the subordinate.

?"This is precisely why low-born garbage like you never advance through the ranks. You encounter the slightest systemic glitch and immediately assume you’ve unearthed something monumental."

?He pointed a jagged claw at the pad lying on the floor.

?"Do you think bringing me such useless garbage will earn you a promotion? Do you believe High Command is so desperate for incompetent researchers that they’ll reward you for reporting every insignificant mana fluctuation?"

?The researcher bowed his head, his mandibles trembling. "I apologize, Commander."

?"Get out of my sight before I recycle your biomass."

?The researcher hurriedly snatched up the pad and scurried away, his posture pitifully submissive.

?The commander watched him flee with a sneer before turning back toward the primary holographic grid.

?A far larger harvest was underway.

?He had zero intention of wasting a single second on a nameless Tier II Lord.

....

The researcher Arachnid walked through the facility’s metallic corridors, clutching the digital file tightly against its chest.

?Its expression was anything but pleasant.

?It had been thoroughly humiliated in front of the entire research department, and the worst part was that it couldn’t even defend itself.

The commander was simply too powerful and influential.

’?Damn muscle-headed bastard.’

?The researcher clenched its mandibles in suppressed rage.

?Did that fool think holding the title of commander made him intelligent? His position certainly hadn’t been earned through intellectual acumen.

If not for his high-level political connections, he’d probably still be standing guard at some insignificant border outpost.

?It continued down the passage, its irritation growing with every step.

?The commander was nothing more than a arrogant brute who relied on physical violence and family leverage to maintain his authority.

Yet somehow, everyone was expected to tolerate his condescension.

?’One day, I’ll—’

?The researcher suddenly stopped dead in its tracks.

?Something felt deeply wrong.

?It glanced around the corridor, its mandibles twitching as it scanned the surrounding bulkheads.

?The hallway was completely deserted.

?That wasn’t entirely unheard of, but the absolute absence of a single passing technician struck it as deeply unnatural.

This section of the facility was usually bustling with activity, especially with the active rift operation underway.

’?Why is no one—’

?Its shadow moved.

?Before the researcher could even register the threat, the pitch-black silhouette beneath its boots suddenly came alive.

It surged upward like a pool of rising liquid, engulfing its lower limbs before rapidly climbing over its carapace.

?The researcher opened its mandibles to shriek in terror.

?But zero sound escaped its throat.

?A fraction of a second later, the living shadow swallowed the Arachnid whole.

?The corridor returned to absolute silence.

?There was no struggle, no spilled blood, and no evidence of the researcher’s existence.

?Only an empty, quiet hallway remained.

....

The researcher Arachnid opened its eyes to pitch darkness.

?For a moment, it remained completely motionless, struggling to comprehend its surroundings.

The last thing it remembered was walking down the facility’s corridor. Then something had gone wrong with its own shadow, and everything had plunged into blackness.

?It attempted to move.

?CLANK!

?A sharp metallic ring echoed through the silent chamber.

?The researcher looked down, discovering that its limbs were bound by several thick, dark violet chains.

They wrapped tightly around its chitinous frame, extending from the floor like massive, coiled serpents.

No matter how violently it thrushed, the restraints refused to yield an inch.

’?What is this?!’

?Its mandibles twitched in panic as it scanned the unfamiliar chamber. "Where am I?!"

?The researcher snapped its head around, its multi-faceted eyes eventually locking onto a figure seated several meters away.

?A human.

?The Arachnid froze.

?The man was seated comfortably on an elaborate chair formed entirely from dark violet shadows.

One leg rested casually over the other, his back leaning against the seat as though he were enjoying an afternoon break.