Ken stood in the ruined interrogation chamber for several seconds without speaking, the silence around him feeling heavier than the violence that had just taken place.
Lucas lay on the floor near the shattered wall, barely conscious, breathing in shallow, uneven pulls as blood slowly pooled beneath him. The suppressing ring around his neck still pulsed faintly, keeping his cultivation locked down even as his body fought to recover on instinct alone.
Ken didn't look at the guards.
He didn't look at the interrogator still recovering from being thrown across the room.
His eyes stayed on Lucas.
Not with rage anymore.
With something sharper.
Realization.
Because the report had not just been about Lechia.
It had been confirmation of a pattern.
Lechia had been taken back.
The emperor of Rus had been rescued.
And both operations had been tied to the same infiltration group.
