Everyone froze.
Slowly—very slowly—they turned around.
There he was.
Kyle.
Sitting cross-legged, casually munching on the melon seeds Cassian had left nearby—the very same Kyle who had dived into the lake and swum to its center without a care.
Ares pointed a finger at him, then at the sky where they had all just watched him vanish.
His lips parted and closed repeatedly, but in the end, he could only stammer two words.
"Two bodies?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Cassian broke the silence with a low chuckle as he studied Kyle intently.
"So that’s what felt off... Talkative, unpredictable—so unlike you. I guess managing two bodies is harder than it looks, especially for a first-timer."
Kyle blinked, then rubbed his nose—lying with the straightest face he could muster.
"No, I’m not him. He’s not me. Only a bit similar faces—total coincidence. Really."
Ares suddenly grabbed his arm, his eyes scanning his body with solemn intensity.
After a moment, he hummed in relief.
"No full soul. Just a tiny fragment of it. At least you are not insane enough to split it evenly into seven parts like that man."
Kyle’s smile wavered. Realizing there was no point in keeping up the act, he sighed.
Well, it was only natural for someone like Ares to see through the deception. After all, this body of his was only at the peak of the 5th stage, while his main body had reached the peak of the 6th. Moreover, everyone had just seen his original body. They would have to be brain-dead to believe his nonsense.
"Forget it. Let’s just go into the Gate. I’m going—whether you guys come or not."
He turned to leave, but a firm grip yanked him back by the collar, holding him in place.
Ares’s low voice immediately followed.
"I recall you borrowed quite a few natural crystals from my clan. Now that you are stronger... how about returning them?"
Kyle blinked innocently.
"When did I?"
Ares raised a fist with an evil smile.
"How about I help you remember?"
Kyle’s deep, glowing eyes widened. His entire attitude shifted in an instant.
"No need. I remember!"
He quickly rummaged through his shared mind-space—the one linked to his original body—and pulled out a storage ring. With both hands, he respectfully handed it over.
"What I borrowed. With interest."
Ares squinted but accepted the ring. Upon checking, he found it packed with natural crystals. Pleased, he released Kyle’s collar and patted his back like an old friend.
"Well, I didn’t ask for interest—but since you’re so eager, I’ll graciously accept it."
Everyone nearby visibly twitched.
Some even turned away, secondhand embarrassment prickling their skin.
How petty. Two whole years had passed and Ares still held a grudge over crystals?
Cassian stood and quickly brushed off his clothes, striding toward the floating gate.
"Let’s enter the Layer of three Ancients before the Rulers return here."
His crimson eyes flickered with something unreadable. Nathaniel was inside—he was sure of it. And he... he needed to catch up.
He had to stop him from growing even stronger and make him die a death far worse than anything he could imagine.
Silently, the rest followed after him.
One by one, they leapt into the Gate.
There was no need to open it. After pulling in the obsidian-eyed Celestial, the Gate had become intangible—allowing them to pass straight through its once-solid surface. Yet, just as they all entered the Gate, they were hit by a downpour and winds so fierce that even though they were Celestials, they had to grit their teeth to avoid being blown back.
The space around them was vast—like an endless, misty abyss crackling with thunder—making it feel as though they had stepped into the depths of some ancient domain.
Visibility was nonexistent, forcing them to push forward blindly through the relentless rain and wind. Perhaps this was a trial they had to pass to reach the Layer of Ancients.
The first to emerge on the other side was Ares, followed closely by Guardian Zami, who frowned at her soaked clothes. Silver, Cassian, and the rest soon arrived as well, dripping wet, their hair a complete mess.
They were just about to dry themselves when a confused voice sounded nearby.
"Why are you all wet?"
All eyes turned toward Kyle. The familiar silver-haired man stood there, completely dry—not even a strand of hair out of place.
It was as if Kyle was sent straight inside without encountering a single obstacle on the way—like he had passed through a path that was calm and untouched by the rain.
Gvette’s expression went blank.
"Is this the power of your luck? You look like you didn’t go through what we did."
Kyle raised a brow.
What were they talking about?
He had jumped into the Gate just like they did, and when he opened his eyes, he was here. But seeing no one, he simply waited.
Noticing the clueless expression on his face, a few of them—including Clan Leader Ares—actually felt the urge to strangle him. But they took deep breaths and restrained themselves. Beating someone over his luck and cluelessness wasn’t exactly justified.
Although they weren’t sure if he was really clueless or just trying to get on their nerves.
Still, fortunately, no one caught the tiny smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. If they had, there was a good chance Ares would’ve actually buried him underground.
Cassian stepped forward to take the lead.
"Let’s move together for now. This place can be dangerous. We’ll split up after a—"
He had barely finished speaking and taken a step onto the mist-filled, dry terrain they had arrived in when a thick, vein-like tendril shot out from the ground, wrapped around his leg, and then yanked him underground.
It all happened so fast that the others only reacted after Cassian’s figure had vanished into the hole. Kyle squinted his eyes to spot the man, but when he couldn’t, he shrugged.
"He’s strong. Don’t worry—he’ll manage. Let’s move on and check out the area."