[The almighty adepti who safeguard the lands hand-carved by the Geo Archon are not beings prone to requiring sleep or rest; Xiao cannot recall the last time he indulged in such trivial practices, so as he opens his eyes and emerges from an intangible darkness into an unfamiliar space he is immediately on guard. The laws of physics rarely apply to him in normal circumstances, and as a result the strange weightless feeling does nothing but confirm that this is not somewhere he has been before. At most, perhaps this could be some new adeptal abode, but the winds taste stagnant and carry no traces of those who would possess the capability of creating such an expansive area.

Which leaves one last possibility. Somehow, someone had gotten past his airtight defenses, incapacitated him, and transported him here. It was ridiculously unheard for this to have occurred. He -- the sharpest spearpoint under the command of Rex Lapis, the ever vigilant Yaksha -- should not be here. And he needed to return with the utmost haste.

He could not feel the leylines beneath his feet, and thus decided against attempting to dissolve into the winds without their energy to guide him. Were there no other options to be found then he would attempt such a risky maneuver, and if he perished in the attempt? So be it.

For now, he would familiarize himself with the area. Spear drawn and doing his best to avoid any other figures wandering about in the dark -- his karmic debt would no doubt be harmful to the other lost souls within this wasteland -- he began to wander. Dispatching any creatures that attempt to bar his path and searching for any trace of something recognizable.]

[Xiao is... Frankly, unsure of why he stopped in the first place to listen to the masked man's offer. He has been wandering for quite some time now, so perhaps the frustration of the situation he has found himself in had rendered him more agreeable to such exchanges. At a closer glance the garb had struck him as something akin to Fatui military attire, and that was the sole reason why he had remained after their first exchange to hear this Glave out in full.

He has no use for reward, but killing monsters to ensure the safety of mere mortals was something he was more than used to doing given his position. If this was what was needed of him, then this was what he would continue to do.

Xiao's efforts are quick and methodical, leaving behind a trail of discarded cores that grows in length after each successful battle. He doesn't need them, and has no intention of returning any back to Glave, so it seems they're freely up for grabs.]

[It's not particularly unheard of for him to take damage, especially given the amount of fighting he's done in the past... He's not entirely sure how long it's been since he first opened his amber eyes to look upon this world. Time is... strange, and he is without the means to keep track of it by his own means.

During one of the battles prior to the one he just ended, one of the circular shapes had managed to clip him with a rather vicious laceration across the gut. It would heal soon enough, but the wound was becoming a bit of a hindrance in his efforts to keep fighting.

He would have to pause for a moment, then. Just long enough for the glowing seam to close once more, then he would continue. Eyes closed and arms folded, he leans himself up against one of the various geometric structures and lets out a soft sigh. Still aware of his surroundings, though completely immobile and as still as stone as he waits out his own recovery.]

[On the move once more once his body has recovered, he allows himself to only pause a moment to hear the woman's words before he's carrying on once again. He cares little for the way of potions or conventional means of healing, as they would not affect him anyway. What does catch his attention, however, is mention of that great leviathan. He'd seen the shadows in his wanderings, heard its keening, and from what he can tell it's certainly some great threat to the people here.

Which means it's his duty to beat it back again. He wanders about in the vague vicinity of those who have decided to fish, keeping watch while also searching for any traces of his own prey.]