"~Greetings, my child. My name is Sabdo Palon. I have been waiting for you for a long time~"
Sabdo Palon waited for an answer, but all he got was Moku frozen in place, his mouth and eyes wide open.
Moku wanted desperately to respond to the greeting, but his body felt rigid. A powerful urge within him demanded he kneel before this being.
In fact, if his concentration wavered even slightly, he feared he might collapse at Sabdo Palon's feet—or worse, grovel.
But Moku held onto a principle his master had instilled in him: one should bow their head only to their elders or the divine.
So rather than resist the overwhelming compulsion, Moku chose silence, lowering his head in a quiet act of defiance that kept his dignity intact.
Fortunately, Sabdo Palon didn't seem offended. Instead, he lightly tapped his forehead, as if realizing a silly mistake.
