[Huahh. Well, good night.]

'Are you seriously going to sleep when I'm in who knows what kind of trouble?' I thought at my irresponsible system.

The horses Kael and Ilya had brought were Obsidians. The fastest breed that existed.

Why was that important? Well... Obsidian mares weren't the fastest species because they ran faster than the second-best horses. They were the fastest because they weren't even in the race. They were so far beyond any competition that they weren't allowed in any racing events. Period.

There was no "second best" when there was nothing that could even compare to Obsidian horses.

Only nobles above certain power like earls, dukes, and royal families, were permitted to own them. That's how rare they were.

What would take a normal horse a day and a half to travel, an Obsidian could complete in less than half a day.

[I mean, what's there to worry about? You have your AP card, right?]

'Yes... but.. why would I use that here?'

[Well, you'll need to if you want to survive.]

'Huh?'

[Well, it's past my bedtime. Later, buddy. Also, I'm working on a new feature with Elowen. Look forward to it.]

'What new feature? And what do you mean I'll need to use it to survive?'

.......

'Hello?'

........

'You floating blue shit!'

[I heard that.]

......

"You sure do emote a lot at the air."

Ilya's voice came from beside me as she rode her Obsidian with practiced ease. I was seated behind Kael on her horse, my arms holding onto the saddle to keep from being thrown off.

My katana was currently in Ilya's possession.

"Are you trying something funny behind my back?" Kael asked, turning her head just slightly, just enough to look at me from the corner of her eye.

I lifted my arms in mock surrender. "I like my head, General." I said, shaking my head, left to right.

"Good," she said, turning back to the road ahead.

The night breeze was already chilling, but with the Obsidian's speed, the wind felt like a whip hitting my face over and over. My eyes watered from the constant assault.

The fact that they were using Obsidians meant this was urgent. Something of the utmost importance.

I ran through everything I was associated with that could possibly warrant this kind of response. The only thing that came close was the Prismal Conduits. But I was sure Tugnier had taken them with him to the eastern forests when he left...

Did they find out about them from the SBV? Did they track Merin?

No, that couldn't be it. If that were the case, they would've asked for Merin more than me. Besides, I wasn't totally convinced Cass would send her two best aides just for some interrogation.

There had to be more to this.

"Have we met somewhere before, kid?" Ilya asked suddenly, her eyes observing me carefully from behind her glasses.

We have. Just not in this life.

"I don't think so, ma'am," I replied, making sure my tone was polite and respectful.

"Hmm..." Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying me like I was a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. "You're not freaking out. You're not trying anything funny like your friend did. And you trust us well enough to sit quietly without protest." She paused. "That's not something an eighteen-year-old would normally do."

"Well... let's just say I'm a bit abnor—"

"Not when Kael's aura is continuously pressing down on your mental fortitude," Ilya cut me off, her voice sharp.

Her eyes glinted dangerously from within her glasses, reflecting the moonlight.

My breath caught.

Kael turned her head slightly again, watching me from the corner of her eye. There was something dangerous in that look... something predatory.

Most people, especially someone my age, would've been paralyzed with fear by now. Their thoughts would be scattered, their body trembling, unable to do anything but panic under that kind of pressure.

Kael's grip on the reins tightened slightly. I could feel the shift in her posture, the subtle tension coiling in her muscles. She was ready to move at a moment's notice.

They were testing me.

No. They'd been testing me this entire time.

And I'd just failed by staying too calm.

I'd forgotten about that. Starting from Master-level aura, users could sustain mental pressure on their targets. That's what had made Merin such a renowned inquisitor.

Mental pressure was an advanced version of the aura pressure that users of Intermediate level and above could use, except this one was more directional and target-bound, leaving no physical traces. Invisible. Undetectable unless you knew what to look for.

Kael had been applying that mental pressure using her aura this entire time.

It was designed to make the ill-willed submit and break under the weight. But it wouldn't work on people with high mental fortitude. People like... well, like me. Someone with a century's worth of experience dirtying his hands with blood and death.

And I guess there aren't many other eighteen-year-olds who could sustain themselves under a Master's mental pressure without collapsing.

Shit.

The Obsidians started slowing down as Ilya's eyes narrowed, observing every single twitch and change in my expression with surgical precision. The two horses moved side by side now.

I didn't know what to say. I'd planned to reveal the truth to Cass if absolutely needed, but at this rate, I might not even meet her alive.

"Well... um... you see... I... was having headaches," I blurted out the most irrelevant thing I could possibly say.

Ilya looked bewildered, her eyes going wide with what could only be described as amusement.

"Why do I get the feeling he's not taking us seriously?" Kael said from in front of me, her lips pushing out in a grimace.

"Sometimes we find some oddballs here and there," Ilya replied, still watching me closely, though now there was a hint of entertainment in her expression.

"If not for Cass wanting him alive, I wouldn't even be tolerating this disrespect."

Excuse me? Did I call you a vertically challenged viper even though you're short? When did I disrespect you guys? I didn't even call Ilya "four-eyes vixen." Cut me some slack here!

"Look at his face. He's calling us names in his mind for sure," Kael said, turning more toward me, her eyes sharp and accusing.

"Not at all, General! I wouldn't dare," I said, smiling hesitantly, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Yeah, you just showed four out of seven signs of lying," Ilya said, her tone bored as she sighed. "Eye movement, facial micro-expressions, shoulder tension, verbal hesitation..."

"Well... there's still three signs left to make me a complete liar," I shrugged, trying to salvage whatever dignity I had left.

Kael turned back to watch the road, apparently done with me for now.

Ilya adjusted her glasses, the lenses catching the faint light of early dawn. "Three more hours left," she said, looking toward the horizon beyond the woods.

We must have reached the end of the forest. The trees were thinning out, giving way to open plains in the distance.

Next time I speak, it might be with Cass directly.

For some reason, anxiety was taking over any happiness I have felt about seeing her again. My ingot was missing and Nexar had said I might need to use the AP card.

What the hell did that even mean?

I watched the horizon slowly transform. Fire-red light was eating away at the fading darkness as the sun began its slow climb into the sky.

Oranges and deep purples bled across the clouds, painting the world in colors that were almost too beautiful for the tension I was feeling.

The day was here. The night had been spent without an ounce of sleep, every nerve in my body on edge.

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