Everyone looked toward Gabriel with confused expressions after he spoke.
ChaosCleric blinked twice as if he thought he heard wrong, while several Martial Palace members also turned their attention toward the masked man. Even Liang frowned slightly because the timing made little sense when they were already this close to the core chamber.
Gabriel remained calm under their gazes.
The shard inside his coat had been reacting more strongly the deeper they entered the tomb, and after crossing the bridge, the reaction had become impossible to ignore. The thing almost felt warm against his chest now, and although Gabriel did not fully understand what it contained, he knew this was not the time to ignore it.
"I need some time," Gabriel said. "You can proceed without me."
Silence followed those words for a moment.
