Cain didn't entertain the thought for even a moment that the group had stayed behind out of concern for him. The Flow allowed him to read their emotions and reveal the truth—their hearts were brimming with greed. Their lingering presence wasn't motivated by camaraderie but by a desire to claim whatever treasure he might have retrieved.
"What made you return to the hall?" Elrick's voice was sharp, cold, and authoritative. Though the rest of the group stayed silent, their formation behind the Godslayer Human made their stance unmistakably clear. Their gazes carried the weight of expectation, and their auras subtly flared in warning, pressuring Cain to answer the question or face the consequences.
"You save their lives, guide them through the challenges while Elrick repeatedly puts them at risk," Apex's disdainful voice echoed in Cain's mind. "And yet they stand with him, hoping to pressure you into handing over what you've earned. If I were you, I'd kill them all here and now."
