I'm quite confident we'll find something valuable that can compensate you for your… sacrifice. Perhaps even something better than the talents you lost."
He gestured toward the now-open doorway. "And you're still welcome to join us inside, of course. You've already paid the entrance fee, so to speak. Might as well see if there's anything in there that can restore your cultivation or grant new abilities."
"Hmph! I certainly hope so," Vogue spat bitterly, playing the role of the defeated, betrayed victim perfectly.
He snorted with apparent resignation and began following the group as they prepared to enter the ruin. Madam Violet moved to the front of the formation, her senses extending forward to detect the trap systems that were undoubtedly waiting inside.
But as Vogue walked, trailing slightly behind the main group, his eyes flashed with cold, calculated light that none of them could see.
