The goblins dragged Sara out of the cage and bound her hands even tighter.
A low commotion rose among them, yet Noa sat motionless on the cold stone at the very edge of the village. Though he was blind, the faint mana currents around him served as eyes—reaching exactly five meters.
Noa's inner voice—calm, yet calculating:
"How much benefit will this cave really bring me this time?
If the pain becomes as unbearable as the first time, I won't be able to absorb a large amount at once.
If I take it in small doses, the agony will be reduced… but the result will come slowly as well…"
He continued inside his mind:
"Rion definitely wants to follow me. That much is obvious.
I cannot take him with me—he will only get in the way."
Then X's voice rang out, quiet, as if rising from beneath the water:
"This is a good decision. We also need to find a way to send Rion back to the empire.
On the path we have chosen, he could become a massive obstacle.
