It was the fact that he was working under Caius.

How had Caius managed to make someone like this an ally? 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

That was the part that didn’t add up.

How Caius managed to make someone like him an ally—that was what I was more curious about.

"Caius is dead... That means he’s lost his innate skill, doesn’t it?"

Raghul’s voice cut in, quieter than the others, but far more intent. The way he said it wasn’t out of shock or grief—it was calculating, like he was already looking past what had happened and thinking about what he could gain from it.

"Don’t get any ideas, Brood," the female snapped, her tone sharp, trying to shut him down before he could say more.

It didn’t work.

Raghul’s lips curled into a slow smile, the kind that didn’t hide anything. Whatever he was thinking, it wasn’t good.

I didn’t bother entertaining it.

Instead, I pushed myself up, rising to my feet despite the lingering fatigue, steadying my stance as I did.

That alone was enough to shift their attention.

Everyone tensed, their bodies tightening as if responding to an unspoken signal, weapons coming up in guarded readiness as every gaze locked onto me at once.

"I got what I came for," I said, brushing off the last of the stiffness in my shoulders. "Caius is dead. That was the goal."

I glanced at them briefly.

"So I’ll be leaving."

"Leaving?" the female repeated, her voice tightening.

"You’re not going anywhere."

Drel stepped forward as he spoke, his foot slamming into the ground with force, and in response, the terrain around me reacted. Vines burst out from beneath the surface, thick and fast, shooting upward and outward as they rushed toward me from multiple angles.

But I didn’t react to it.

If I still had mana to spare, if I wasn’t this drained—physically, mentally—I would’ve stayed and fought. There were too many opportunities standing in front of me, too many abilities I could have taken, too much to gain.

But...I was done for the day.

Pushing further now wouldn’t be smart.

It would be reckless.

So instead of engaging, I triggered [Leap], the activation coming with barely any conscious effort as I let instinct handle the rest. The moment the vines closed in, my body shifted, space folding around me, and in the next instant, I was gone.

I reappeared somewhere else entirely.

I had expected to land within the clan, maybe on one of the watchtowers or near the inner grounds where I could recover without drawing attention, but the environment that greeted me was different.

Dark and enclosed.

The air was damp, thick, and still, carrying a faint scent of earth and something older.

I didn’t need long to recognize it.

The cave where the clan’s graveyard was.

My eyes adjusted quickly, catching the faint blue glow ahead, and that was when I saw him.

Narg.

He was kneeling in front of an altar, its surface carved with runic symbols, bones arranged around it in deliberate patterns. The candles placed around it burned with steady blue flames, their light casting uneven shadows along the walls and giving the entire place a quiet, almost ritualistic atmosphere.

"Narg?"

I called out, my voice lower than usual, and he turned sharply at the sound, shock flashing across his face. But the moment his eyes settled on me—really taking in the state I was in—that shock shifted into something else entirely.

Urgency.

He got to his feet immediately and moved toward me.

I tried to meet him halfway, taking a step forward, but the moment I did, whatever little strength I had left gave out. The movement alone was enough to drain what remained, and my balance slipped before I could correct it.

I fell—Straight into him.

Narg caught me without hesitation, his grip firm enough to hold me steady before I hit the ground.

"Chief!"

"I’ll be fine..." I muttered, forcing the words out as I steadied my breathing. "I just need to... rest."

Even speaking felt heavier than it should.

"Take me to my base."

Warping there wasn’t an option.

I was certain my mana had already dropped to zero.

On the way there, I blacked out, and when I came to, it was already nighttime.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting my mind catch up with my body. I didn’t know how long I had been out, but it had to have been hours. My body felt lighter than before, the strain dulled, though not completely gone.

Then I noticed her.

Zarah was seated beside me, holding my hand firmly, her grip steady like she hadn’t let go for a while.

That made me smile.

"She must have been worried."

I said it quietly, more to myself than anything, as I reached out and brushed a strand of her hair aside. Then, slowly, I pushed myself up, rising to my feet and stretching, testing my body as I did.

The stiffness was still there.

Lingering.

It seemed like draining my mana down to almost nothing hadn’t been the best idea.

But...

I had achieved what I set out to do.

So, in the end, it wasn’t a loss.

My attention shifted, and I decided to check the new class skill I had awakened.

[You have awakened a new class skill]

[Skill: Sovereign Flow (Passive) – SSS]

Effect:

Allows the user to execute skills via intent rather than system activation, bypassing suppression effects that target skill triggers. Reduces environmental interference and enables natural expression of abilities within hostile domains.

Cost:

Slightly increased mana consumption for all skills used under this effect

Continuous mental fatigue during use

Reduced precision and stability if focus declines

I read through it carefully, letting each line settle.

It was a great skill to have.

Born not from evolution but from adaptation.

And I had already felt its effect during the fight with Caius. The way I had adapted, the way my abilities had started responding without needing direct activation—it all made sense now.