A chilling wind howled through the prison, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and rusted iron. The dim torchlight flickered against the ancient stone walls, casting long shadows over two bound figures. The heavy chains that shackled them pulsed faintly with an unnatural glow, forged with enchantments designed to suppress movement and energy.
The transmigrator, David, and Xenos sat slumped against the cold prison floor, their bodies battered and worn from whatever cruel fate had led them here. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional gust of wind seeping through the cracks in the walls.
Then, a presence disturbed the stillness.
A young woman emerged from the shadows, her delicate frame outlined by the dim light. She wore a simple robe of woven silk, adorned with intricate tribal patterns. Her dark eyes, filled with a flickering mixture of worry and determination, swept over the two prisoners.
"Oh god…" she whispered, kneeling before them. "My tribe doesn't even bother treating your wounds."
Her voice trembled—too much. Xenos' gaze flickered, already noting the slight pause before she spoke, the way her expression didn't quite match the softness of her tone. There was grief, yes—but it felt practiced. Like someone trying to sound kind.
She reached out, her fingers glowing with golden light. As warmth spread through their wounds, a strange calmness settled in. Wounds that had festered moments ago now sealed with faint scars. David stirred first, groaning as pain left him. But Xenos didn't flinch. He wasn't paying attention to the magic—he was watching her.
David's voice cracked. "Why are you helping us? Aren't you with the tribe?"
The girl smiled, almost too quickly. "I'm not helping you. I'm just healing you." She leaned back, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But I will help you escape… when the time is right. So don't worry."
Wrong.
Xenos narrowed his eyes. She was over-explaining, giving more than she had to. People with pure motives didn't talk like that—they didn't try to convince you. They simply acted.
David, still naive, asked, "But what if they catch you helping us? Aren't you afraid?"
She chuckled lightly—too breezy for someone supposedly betraying her tribe. "Nope." A mischievous smirk danced on her lips. "Because I'm coming with you."
It was too smooth. Too rehearsed.
David smiled. "That's great! I'm glad to have you on our side. What's your name?"
She hesitated.
Just a heartbeat too long.
"I'm Xing Lee," she finally said, and Xenos' eyes locked onto her. He'd seen that pause before—from liars choosing which name to give.
David nodded. "I'm David." He turned to the warrior beside him.
Xenos didn't break eye contact with her. "Ding," he said flatly.
The conversation moved forward, but Xenos wasn't listening to her words anymore. He was measuring her—the way her eyes scanned the cell like she already knew the layout. The subtle shift of her feet, angled slightly toward the exit. Like she had planned her exit in advance.
Then came the final piece. "I have a transport prepared for the journey."
Too perfect. That wasn't something a random tribe girl should have access to. And when she spoke of five Diviners stationed here, each with Metal-type Divine Power, her voice dipped just slightly—as though it were a threat hidden behind soft words.
"Diviners?" David blinked. "Are they monsters?"
Xenos turned to him, voice calm and grounded. "Since you're from another world, you wouldn't know…" He exhaled. "Diviners are humans who have awakened nature's power. They don't need mana. They can bend elements—fire, water, wind—at will. The process starts at fifteen. Every Diviner's power is unique, classified into seven types." He looked directly at David. "And you… you were transmigrated here for a reason."
David stiffened. "What reason?"
Xenos' tone turned cold. "Because you are destined to wield the Supreme Divine Power."
David blinked, overwhelmed. "So I'm going to have some kind of overpowered ability? Like magic?" He chuckled, excitement creeping into his voice. "That's insane!"
Xenos scoffed. "It's do or die."
Still riding the high of his newfound purpose, David asked, "What about you guys? Do you have divine powers?"
Xenos' expression didn't shift. "No."
Xing Lee's head turned fast. "That's impossible! I saw you fight! You controlled water—just like a Diviner!"
Xenos' voice was steady. "That was mana manipulation. Not Divine Power."
Xing Lee frowned. "Even so… it looked exactly like a Diviner's ability." Her eyes narrowed. "How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
A silence settled, tense and telling.
David muttered, "Bro, you're ridiculously strong."
Xing Lee seemed visibly unsettled, but she shook it off. "I have to go," she said, rising to her feet. She hesitated. "I'll return when the time is right." Then softer: "Don't lose hope."
She vanished into the shadows.
Minutes passed.
Xenos' face remained unreadable. Then he smirked.
"She played her role well."
David stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Xenos leaned back, chains rattling faintly. "That girl isn't our ally."
David's breath caught. "That's not possible. She healed us."
Xenos laughed under his breath. "Exactly why you trusted her." His tone sharpened. "Listen—the moment you arrived in this world, you awakened the Supreme Divine Power. And she knows it."
David's voice dropped to a whisper. "Then… Xing Lee is our enemy?"
"She's working with Diviners. I sensed two of them tailing her when she entered. Now they're gone. I pretended not to notice."
David stared, shaken. "So what do we do now?"
Xenos' smile turned cold.
"Don't worry," he said, eyes gleaming.
His grin widened into something feral.
"I already made my move."
David blinked.
"...And my name," he said quietly, "is Xenos