A brief silence enveloped the two of them, broken only by the eerie insect chirping from deep within the Forest.
The Eye Grass was the first to shatter the silence, its massive eye atop swiveling towards Karija, its pupil sparkling with calculating intent: "So, back to the matter at hand... do you think that 'Decay Trial' orchestrated by that old Rotten Wood can 'refine' these seeds into the form we need?"
"Or... will they be 'over-refined' and just crumble? After all, although that old fellow was 'convinced' by the Tower to return and oversee this 'harvest', his focus... may not align entirely with the Tower's plans. His obsession with 'Decay' might be even stronger than 'Order'."
The shadow beneath Karija's hood seemed to deepen, his voice remaining steady but carrying an undeniable iciness: "Rotten Wood's 'trial' is part of the plan. This 'Decaying Domain' fragment inheritance is both bait and Catalyst."
