Pythia raised her vine-covered arm.
The magic circle beneath her feet pulsed violently.
**WHOOOM!**
Black vines suddenly erupted from the circle.
They shot outward in every direction.
But before they could reach their targets—
they began splitting.
One vine became two.
Two became four.
Then four became eight.
The branches multiplied rapidly, spreading across the ground and twisting through the air.
The surrounding soldiers raised their rifles.
"FIRE!"
**BANG! BANG! BANG!**
Mana bullets tore through the air.
Several vines were blown apart.
But the remaining vines immediately twisted around the damaged sections.
New branches sprouted from the severed ends.
Then—
**SHRAK!**
The vines lunged forward.
They wrapped around the soldiers' weapons and bodies, violently dragging them off balance.
"AGH!"
"GET THEM OFF!"
Another vine shot toward a soldier.
**SHHK!**
It pierced straight through his armor.
The soldier collapsed.
Ryke glanced over while clashing with another soldier.
**CLANG!**
His dagger collided with the soldier's weapon.
Ryke pushed the blade aside.
"...Good."
He twisted his body.
His dagger struck across the soldier's side.
The soldier staggered.
Ryke immediately followed with another strike.
Meanwhile—
Kaelira moved through the battlefield like a blur.
She slipped between the soldiers with incredible speed.
One fell.
Then another.
Then another.
None of them could keep up with her.
Kaelira suddenly stopped.
Her gaze dropped toward the ground.
The slime had fallen from beneath her cloak again.
"...You."
She bent down and picked it up.
The slime squirmed in her hand.
Kaelira held it firmly.
"You've got to hold on tight."
The slime wiggled.
"...I'm not stopping every five seconds to pick you up."
She tucked it back beneath her cloak.
Around them—
people were running in every direction.
The peaceful atmosphere of the spatial port had completely collapsed.
Civilians screamed as they desperately tried to escape the chaos.
Soldiers shouted orders.
Officers rushed between units, relaying reports through their communication artifacts.
"Multiple casualties!"
"Three attackers!"
"They've breached the security line!"
"Seal the inner entrance!"
"Don't let them reach the transportation chambers!"
Inside the transportation area—
the mages operating the spatial systems had also begun reacting.
Several turned toward the chaos outside.
One of them raised his hand.
Mana rapidly gathered around his body.
"I'll stop them."
A magic circle appeared before him.
**WHOOOM!**
Ice rapidly formed in the air.
A massive spear of ice shot toward Pythia.
**SHHHK!**
But before it could reach her—
the Specter suddenly appeared in its path.
**BOOOOM!**
The ice shattered against its dark body.
Fragments scattered across the floor.
The Specter didn't retreat.
Its purple eyes glowed faintly.
Pythia slowly turned her head toward the mage.
Her expression remained cold.
"...You."
The vines wrapped around her arm suddenly tightened.
Then—
**SHRAAAK!**
Several black vines erupted forward.
As they flew, they multiplied, branching into countless tendrils.
The mage's expression changed.
"Defend!"
But the vines were already upon them.
They crashed into the transportation area.
**BOOM!**
The mages scattered as the vines tore across the floor.
One mage hurriedly raised another barrier.
The vines slammed against it.
**CRAAACK!**
Cracks rapidly spread across the barrier.
Pythia stepped forward.
Her eyes narrowed.
"...You should have stayed out of this."
The vines surged forward again.
---
Back inside the ruins—
Draven's body remained suspended in the air.
His entire body was covered in dense Abyssal mana.
It flowed around him like a violent storm, constantly circling his body before being drawn back inside.
Yet—
Draven himself remained completely still.
His eyes remained closed.
His arms hung loosely at his sides.
Inside his consciousness—
the First Blood continued working.
The enormous mass of mana within Draven's body was being compressed and shaped.
The First Blood's expression remained focused as he guided the mana.
"...Almost."
He continued manipulating the flow.
"...Just a little more."
Suddenly—
his gaze narrowed.
"...What?"
He stopped.
His eyes shifted toward the forming mana pool.
"What do you think you're doing, brat?"
Silence.
The First Blood frowned.
"I'm almost finished."
He waited for a response.
Nothing.
His expression slowly changed.
"...Wait."
He stared at the mana.
Something was wrong.
The mana was still moving.
But—
he wasn't controlling it.
The First Blood's eyes widened slightly.
"...He isn't doing anything."
His gaze shifted toward the place where Draven's consciousness should have been.
"...The brat isn't controlling the mana."
He looked back toward the forming pool.
"...So what's going on?"
The mana continued moving.
Compressing.
Gathering.
Shaping itself.
The First Blood's expression became increasingly confused.
"Wait..."
His eyes widened.
"...Now I see."
He stared at the forming mana pool.
But—
his confusion only deepened.
"How..."
"...How is this even possible?"
For the first time—
the First Blood looked genuinely puzzled.
He slowly examined the flow of mana.
Every movement was precise.
Every strand followed a natural path.
There was no external control.
No conscious manipulation.
Yet the process continued flawlessly.
The First Blood's expression darkened.
"The body..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...It's taking the initiative."
The mana continued converging on its own.
"...It's creating its own mana pool."
He remained silent.
For several moments—
he simply watched.
"This isn't me."
His gaze shifted toward Draven's consciousness.
"...And it isn't the brat."
He looked back toward the forming pool.
"The body itself is doing it."
The First Blood stared at Draven's suspended body.
"...A body creating its own mana pool without either consciousness controlling it?"
He shook his head slowly.
"...That's impossible."
Yet—
the process continued right before his eyes.
The mana continued compressing.
The forming pool grew denser.
More stable.
More refined.
The First Blood's expression became darker.
"I've never seen anything like this."
"...Not even in all my years."
He watched in silence as the mana continued to converge.
Then—
his eyes narrowed.
"...Just what the hell are you?"