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With a disc-shaped yet featureless head with a pair of antennas and a body way smaller than the size of its head, the Mind Flaying Puppeteer hid by burying its body, not including its huge head, to the ground steeped in corruption.
Its frisbee-shaped head changed color and blended with the soil; it also released a thin veil of mystical energy that shrouded its entire existence, making its presence even more muted than it already was. This is the reason why it's difficult to sense it.
The pair of antennas on its head seemingly sway with the foul wind. But in truth, the movement of these things is what's making its slaves move as well. The antennas are, of course, invisible to the naked eye and senses, along with the rest of its body.
Despite its small size, the Mind Flaying Puppeteer was one of the more sinister demons out here in the Black Lands.
Since the moment it discovered the group of humans, it has already developed an obsession. It wanted these humans to be its new toys. And if it weren't for the fact that it was trying to remain hidden, it would've already emitted sharp squeals of excitement.
For this one in particular, it was the first time it saw humans, and it really wanted them. It wanted to know how their minds worked, how their power coursed through their veins, what made them tick, and, more importantly, how much pain and suffering they could endure before they completely broke.
It's for this reason that this mind-flaying puppeteer didn't mind sacrificing all of its remaining toys just to get its hands on these humans.
The puppeteer was obviously intelligent. It has been observed all this time. The humans it found were tough and strong. They were tearing into its toys with great ardor. They used different kinds of attacks to deal with their foes, and it fascinated the puppeteer immensely. But more than that, it's getting impatient.
The itch—the desire to explore everything that humans could offer—was too tempting. It truly wanted to get them as soon as it could, but the attacks these humans used were strong. The puppeteer knows its weakness. It knew that if a stray skill or spell landed in the general area where it was hiding, it would hurt a lot. And that's why it couldn't rush.
It's such a dilemma. Fortunately, though, the puppeteer was not out of options.
There's that one human in the back. He's doing something weird, something that the puppeteer could not understand. It could see the black rocks changing colors with a single touch of that guy. The demon also saw him making things of weird shapes and sizes.
It's not as fascinating as the skills and spells that his fellow humans were using, but the saving grace is that the other humans seem to be protecting this one.
And it just so happened that this one guy in particular was hanging out on the back. The other humans are busy dealing with the toys of the puppeteer and cannot spare attention to him. Isn't this just the perfect opportunity, then?
The demon then decided to take this guy first. Therefore, it began inching closer and closer to him, being careful not to expose itself accidentally or be in places where the skills of other humans could hurt it.
With the death of the puppeteer, nothing was slowing down his work anymore. The team kept guarding him just in case. Fortunately, no attacks happened after that, even though they made a lot of noise.
After an hour since their arrival at this site, Cedric finished rebuilding the walls of the base. 15 minutes later, the formation was installed, and it started working right away. Five minutes after it was activated, the misdirection mist had already obscured their location.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and the monitoring tablets, tents, bathrooms, holding chambers, isolation rooms, etc. Were made. Cedric started cooking while the rest of the team rested while cleaning themselves.
Cedric ate with the team and took a momentary rest. An hour later, he began making weapons that could defend the base even while they're away. He also built a program that would allow only humans into the base. He also made the manuals that would instruct the next users on how to use the facilities at the base to prevent them from accidentally breaking things.
He spent the next 30 minutes making sure that everything was in place and in working order. And once he's satisfied with it, he goes to his tent and isolates himself to once again analyze the aspect of the stars.
Meanwhile, the team was having it easy. Even those who were delegated to keep watch were relaxed. This kind of behavior and atmosphere were only possible since Cedric was around. If he wasn't here, they wouldn't be this carefree.
Of course, the team knew that Cedric's skills weren't omnipotent. It won't protect them from everything. This formation only works with stray demons and low-tiered demons. Any demon lord could easily locate them if they tried hard enough.
It's only fortunate that the Demon Lords are seemingly occupied by something and couldn't roam free for some reason—that's if the instructions of the HQ were to be believed.
But that's enough of a guarantee, isn't it? The formation of the base doesn't have to be hidden from Demon Lords either, at least for now, since humanity's operations within the Black Lands are yet to improve.
Besides, demon lords are arrogant. Their presence could be felt from miles away, even by those with dull senses. Their arrogance will prevent them from resorting to petty tricks and stealth to deal with their enemies.
They will march around these lands like it's their backyard, because in their eyes, this is their backyard, and they wouldn't think it was necessary for them to minimize their presence in their territory.
Since it was said that the Demon Lords wouldn't be roaming for quite some time, what's there to worry about? Besides, the team only needs to escort Cedric to the last two bases, and they'll be done with this mission.
Once they're back home, this isn't one of their concerns anymore, technically. It's debatable if they'd really have a 'vacation' once they return, but it's definitely way better than being out here.
The team spent enough time at this base to rest and recover their energy. Once they're refreshed, they leave after Cedric seals the entrance to the base.
Two more bases to go, and they'd be done here.