The ex-mortal himself didn't know what to expect, but the moment Riley let his barriers slip, a suffocating wave of noise flooded his mind.
One out of ten, won't do again.
It was almost as though he could hear everything around him with impossible clarity, from everyone's labored breathing to the wind brushing against anything in its path.
But more bizarrely, he could even hear—yes, hear, the raw movement of mana stirring within every chest around him.
Unfortunately, that newfound awareness came with something far more unpleasant.
Thoughts.
So many unwanted thoughts crashed over him at once that the sheer volume of them was almost sickening.
'We were only looking out for our own people! The MBE asked for too much. Anyone in our position would've done the same thing! He can't blame us for being cautious!'
'He was an outsider up until some time ago, so how could he understand? If he were in our position, wouldn't he have hesitated too? Of course he would've!'
