All the mana surrounding Draven suddenly began moving.
It rushed toward his body from every direction.
**WHOOOM!**
In an instant—
all of it was absorbed into him.
The immense pressure that had been filling the ruins vanished.
Aldric's eyes widened.
Even the black cat stared at Draven.
Draven remained suspended in the air.
For several moments—
nothing happened.
Then—
his body slowly began descending.
His feet eventually touched the ground.
A faint laugh escaped his lips.
"...Hahaha."
Aldric stared at him.
*...He did it.*
*The brat actually managed to create a mana pool.*
Draven lowered his gaze.
The whites of his eyes remained pitch black.
Thin cracks had appeared around the corners of his eyes, spreading across his face like delicate fractures.
Draven stared down at his own body.
"...So the body created a mana pool on its own."
He could feel it.
Something inside him had fundamentally changed.
He focused his awareness inward and examined the newly formed mana pool.
"...But what kind of mana pool is this?"
His eyes narrowed.
"...It's almost as if it already existed from the very beginning."
He paused.
"...Like it was created specifically for this body."
Before he could examine it further—
Aldric spoke.
"Brat."
Draven slowly raised his head.
"You did it, right?"
Aldric stepped forward.
"You managed to create a mana pool."
He gestured toward the surrounding ruins.
"So let's get going."
"If you're done mumbling to yourself."
Draven stared at him.
Then—
his gaze shifted.
He slowly raised one arm.
Aldric's expression changed.
"What the—"
Draven lowered a single finger.
**BOOOOOOM!**
An invisible force slammed Aldric into the ground.
The earth shattered beneath him.
Dust exploded outward.
Aldric's body was driven deep into the stone.
Draven calmly lowered his hand.
"...Know your place."
He stared down at him.
"How dare a mere High Blood speak to me in such a manner?"
His eyes narrowed.
"I should kill you."
The black cat suddenly hissed.
"SSSSHHH—!"
Its body lowered as it growled at Draven.
Draven glanced toward it.
"...Hm?"
The cat continued growling.
Draven's expression remained indifferent.
"You."
"...Keep quiet."
He then looked toward the Rift Breakers.
"I have no intention of killing you."
"You're useful."
His gaze shifted toward the creatures.
"Release your hold on them."
The cat stared at him.
For a moment—
nothing happened.
Then—
the Rift Breakers suddenly moved.
Their enormous bodies jerked.
Their crimson eyes flickered.
The invisible restraint holding them in place disappeared.
They were free once again.
Draven lowered his arm.
Aldric slowly pushed himself out of the shattered ground.
He stared at Draven.
His expression was completely different now.
"...You."
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Who the hell are you?"
Draven glanced at him.
His expression became colder.
"You really don't know your place."
"I have no time for you."
He paused.
"...But I'll indulge you."
"There is no more."
The black cat hissed again.
"SSSSHHH!"
Draven's eyes shifted toward it.
"Shut up."
The cat froze.
Draven continued.
"He's still alive."
"He's simply taking a nap."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...And he's giving me the opportunity to finally do something useful after such a long time."
Then—
he disappeared.
**SHHK!**
A splash of blood echoed through the ruins.
Then another.
**SHHK!**
And another.
**SHHK!**
Aldric's eyes widened.
The black cat turned sharply.
Blood rained through the air.
All around the ruins—
the Rift Breakers stood frozen.
Each one had a massive hole through its chest.
Then—
they collapsed one after another.
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
Aldric stared.
"...What?"
On the other side of the chamber—
Draven stood near the enormous crack.
Seven mana cores floated before him.
He slowly raised one hand.
Mana gathered around his arm.
The seven cores immediately began to break apart.
Cracks spread across their surfaces.
Draven began absorbing the mana contained within them.
One after another—
the cores shattered.
**CRACK!**
**CRACK!**
**CRACK!**
Their remaining energy was swallowed into Draven's body.
After a moment—
nothing remained.
Draven looked down at his hand.
"...This..."
He slowly clenched his fingers.
"...Is far beyond what I expected."
His gaze shifted inward.
"This mana pool..."
He paused.
His expression changed slightly.
"...It's—"
His gaze suddenly lifted.
Across the chamber—
Aldric was staring directly at him.
Aldric's expression was grim.
*...Who the hell is that?*
*That's not the brat.*
His body felt heavy.
The pressure coming from Draven was suffocating.
*...This pressure is even greater than before.*
Aldric's fingers tightened.
*He restrained me with a single move.*
His eyes narrowed.
*I couldn't even resist.*
A cold realization settled over him.
*...Who is this?*
Draven simply stared back.
The black cat remained silent beside him.
And for the first time—
Aldric genuinely had no idea what he was looking at.
Draven stared at Aldric for a moment.
Then—
he turned away.
"...It's time to close this thing."
His gaze shifted toward the enormous rift.
"Before something even more annoying crawls out."
He faced the crack.
Aldric remained where he was.
*...What did he say?*
*Can he really close it?*
Draven's eyes flickered.
He carefully examined the enormous tear in space.
"...This thing has been ripped way too wide."
His gaze lowered toward his own body.
"...And this body..."
He looked down at his small frame.
"...is a bit too tiny for my liking."
He flexed his fingers.
"But..."
A faint smile appeared.
"...I'll make do."
Draven let out a slow breath.
Then—
he moved.
He approached the edge of the rift and reached out.
His fingers grasped the torn edge of space.
His jaw immediately clenched.
"...Hngh."
He pulled.
**RUMBLE—!!**
Space trembled.
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
**CRACK!**
Yet—
Draven didn't move.
His feet remained planted in midair.
He continued pulling.
The edges of the rift slowly began moving toward each other.
Aldric's eyes widened.
*...He's actually pulling space itself.*
Draven's arm trembled slightly.
He pulled harder.
The rift resisted.
The space around him distorted violently.
But he didn't stop.
Slowly—
his arm stretched farther.
Then farther.
Until finally—
his hand reached the opposite edge.
Draven grabbed it.
"...What a pain."
He tightened his grip.
Then—
he pulled both sides together.
The enormous rift began closing.
**RUMBLE!**
Aldric stared in disbelief.
*...He's closing it.*
But suddenly—
something moved inside the narrowing gap.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"...Hm?"
A massive tentacle burst through.
Bone-like spikes covered its surface.
It wrapped around the edges of the closing rift.
**SHRAK!**
One of the spikes pierced through Draven's side.
Blood barely had time to appear.
The wound immediately closed.
Draven glanced down.
"...Too bad you came a bit too late."
His expression remained calm.
"You won't be getting through."
His grip tightened.
The tentacle pulled against him.
Draven pulled back.
Space trembled violently between them.
The rift continued shrinking.
The tentacle desperately tried to force its way through.
But—
the opening became smaller.
Smaller.
Until—
**SHHK!**
The narrowing space severed the tentacle.
The severed limb fell into the ruins.
Draven continued pulling.
"...Just get lost already."
The rift finally closed completely.
The enormous crack vanished.
The pressure filling the ruins disappeared with it.
Draven remained suspended in the air for a moment.
Then—
he exhaled.
"...How annoying."
He glanced at the empty space where the rift had been.
"To think just closing a damn crack in space would be this vexing."
He turned.
His gaze landed on Aldric.
Then—
the black cat.
"...We're done here."
He pointed toward the cat.
"Grab the cat."
"...And follow."
Aldric stared at him.
Before he could say anything—
**SHRAAAK!**
Pitch-black wings suddenly burst from Draven's back.
The enormous bat-like wings spread wide.
A powerful gust swept through the ruins.
Dust and loose rocks were thrown into the air.
Draven didn't say another word.
His wings swung.
**WHOOOM!**
His body shot upward.
He disappeared through the hole in the ceiling.
Aldric stared after him.
"..."
He slowly turned toward the black cat.
"...What the hell is going on?"
He pointed upward.
"Who was that?"
His expression became increasingly confused.
"And he was talking to you earlier."
"What the hell is that about?"
The cat simply stared at him.
Aldric frowned.
"...And you keep ignoring me."
He crouched slightly.
"How about you start talking?"
Silence.
The cat continued staring.
Aldric's eye twitched.
"...Right."
He sighed.
"You really are a weird creature."
The cat suddenly leapt onto his shoulder.
Aldric glanced sideways at it.
"...What?"
Before he could say anything else—
**BOOOOM!**
Something crashed through the hole above.
A massive body fell into the ruins.
Aldric's expression changed.
He looked up.
Another Rift Breaker—
the creature that had been climbing toward the surface—
came crashing down.
Its body was covered in wounds.
A massive hole remained through its chest.
Yet—
it was still moving.
Aldric clicked his tongue.
"...Damn it."
He looked toward the ceiling.
Then—
his black wings spread from his back.
With a powerful flap—
**WHOOOM!**
Aldric shot upward after Draven.
The black cat remained firmly perched on his shoulder.