Kael halted, his back to them, the crimson mark pulsing faintly, its rhythm quickening. "I don't need coin or cores," he said, his voice low, carrying the weight of a cultivator who walked a solitary path. "Just don't follow me."
The glaive user hesitated, his spiritual senses probing the fog as if weighing the danger of Kael's words. "This swamp… you're alone?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
Kael didn't answer, letting the silence speak for him, its weight heavier than any reply. The fog thickened, cloaking his form as he prepared to vanish.
One of the sword users muttered, his voice low but audible, his qi trembling under the marsh's pressure. "He's walking deeper into the Heart Marsh… is he mad?"
