(A few days ago, the real universe, Planet Radiance)
Karl was living his undercover life as a simple Universal Government Clerk on Planet Radiance, when suddenly one day, he received a sealed package from the cult— sent personally by the Eleventh Elder.
He immediately locked his doors, activated his privacy seals, and turned off the surveillance nodes scattered around his unit, before unwrapping the obsidian-threaded parchment with trembling hands.
Inside was a single note.
"Infiltrate the Black Serpents as an external help, enter the time-stilled world and retrieve what Dupravel seeks."
Attached beneath it was a secondary fold, bearing a full mission briefing: forged identity papers, a purchase bill for an aura suppressing tool, and a fabricated combat record labeling him as a Master-tier culinary support specialist with mild healing capabilities.
His new name?
Karl Maxtern. Age 31, Master-tier, Field chef.
