"There's a way to copy that rune art."
Within the dome, Zephyrion's eyes narrowed.
"…what are you talking about?"
In all his years in the order, undergoing countless training sessions and traveling the world, he had never heard of such a thing being possible, especially for a mere vessel rank whose control over the WorldPulse was still subpar.
"Hehe, my protégé! You know how the world works, right? Nothing comes free."
"…what do you want?"
"Heh… nothing much. Just unrestricted access to the outside world."
"No."
"…You do realize what's happening, right? You're going to lose if you don't copy this art—"
"Then I lose. Doesn't matter."
"…what?"
Demorian froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the response.
He had always seen Zephyrion as logical and sharp, someone who would weigh benefits and make the smarter choice.
But there was a faint firmness in Zephyrion's voice. It wasn't empty stubbornness, he truly didn't care if he lost.
