As they walked toward their team, Asher couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. The shard in Herman's grip wasn't just a tracker—it was a Trojan horse. With his Absolute Appraisal, he had seen the intricately engraved teleportation exit rune carved deep within the core fragment. If the Metis opened a portal, its exit would connect to wherever this shard was placed. It was a subtle but brilliant tactic to infiltrate their enemies' stronghold without resistance.
But Asher kept this revelation to himself for now. He needed time to think, to plan. Telling Herman outright would lead to questions—questions he wasn't ready to answer. He also didn't want to alarm the team unnecessarily.
Then they stealthily walked back to the squad, reuniting with the others.
"You two did great, even against that B-rank bastard," Renard said, and Myria also nodded in agreement.
