As the candidates emptied the grand arena and returned to their leaders and elders, Adyr beat his wings and rose toward Collossith’s crown at an unhurried pace.

The moment his boots touched the Rank 4 Spark’s hardened hide, Mirela ran to him, worry bright in her colorful eyes as she checked every part of his body for harm. At last her colorful eyes locked on his dark gaze; she framed his head in both hands and searched the depths. "Do you feel well? You did what you had to do, okay? Whatever choice you make, I will always support you, okay?"

Her voice and look carried the fierce, unwavering care of a mother standing beside a child who has gone astray yet remains hers to protect.

"I’m fine. Thank you." Adyr kept his tone even to match her state.

Adyr had expected recoil after they watched him kill so many with a cold, steady face, but now Mirela’s response forced a revision in his calculations.

The steadiness in her colorful eyes and the way she held her ground made it plain that whatever he did from here on would not shake her resolve—or her obsession with him.

Does she have an anxious-preoccupied attachment or something? Can I even frame her psychological state with modern terms from Earth?

Adyr attempted a character analysis, comparing her to people who, after trauma, fixate on a father figure and adopt a caretaker/rescuer role to understand her better; yet the difference was decisive: this was not Earth, and Mirela was not a normal human being. Her mind had been hardened by more than 100 years of lived experience and accumulated wisdom, so it should not have been possible to read her state through any framework from human psychology that Adyr knew.

Hell, she wasn’t even human; by Earth’s terms, she was an alien species with superhuman powers. Yet in Adyr’s eyes, her psychology was, in the end, not so different from that of teenage girls on Earth.

"It was quite a show, and you did well to stake your place among all the races by showing resolve and decisiveness," Liora remarked from the side, her tone smooth and her expression making it a compliment rather than sarcasm.

"Though you drew a great deal of attention, it is not without benefits. At the very least—especially in the Legacy Domain—no one will make unnecessary moves to disrupt your pace," Lucen added.

Where power reigns, the difference between soft and hard is stark. A soft, passive figure is destined to be pressed underfoot, while a hard, active one may draw excess attention yet still raise a natural barrier of hesitation in every potential threat and enemy.

The most immediate effect was clear: Adyr would no longer need to bother with mid and low races, since they would not have the courage to face or threaten him openly inside the Legacy Domain.

Only the Lunari and the Gorathim still posed any realistic chance of becoming a problem; even then, it was just two races, nothing beyond what he could answer in kind if retaliation became necessary.

Adyr saw that they did not mind his killing or his tyrant’s composure in the arena; instead, they approved his actions. Relief eased through him as he nodded at every word addressed to him, accepting each compliment and piece of counsel.

"If we return to the main topic..." Liora stepped closer, lifted her head, and met his eyes. "What is your goal from now on? Are you planning to retrieve the Sanctuary’s Core, or do you intend to focus on looting and sightseeing inside?"

Though it sounded like small talk, her face was composed and intent; she meant the question and wanted a clear answer.

"My first priority will be looting. My Sanctuary is still empty, and I believe there will be many valuable resources inside. I want to spend my time first gathering whatever I can to develop my own Sanctuary, and only when I am satisfied, and if time and conditions allow, will I go after the Core."

Hearing his answer, Liora nodded without the slightest trace of disappointment.

Most Practitioners would likely prioritize the Core to claim the Rank 4 Spark the Wanderer Merchant promised as a reward, intending to present it to their leaders or elders for their race’s benefit.

Adyr had no special expectation or desire for that reward. He had already contributed enough to the Velari by helping Liora subdue Collossith.

What mattered more to him was collecting, for free, the resources he would otherwise need to purchase with vast amounts of energy crystals—then using them to develop his still-empty Sanctuary, establish a stronger ecosystem for the future, move into production, and begin generating a passive income of energy crystals.

Alongside raw resources, there was also the chance to find powerful, rare Sparks and even treasures like the Mother Tree ; those would be bonuses if he could secure them.

Lucen and Mirela received his decision with clear approval as well.

Lucen, already nearing the end of Rank 3, most likely needed only a Rank 4 Spark to complete his Evolution Step and ascend. But he could not expect Adyr to help him obtain one, nor to win a Rank 4 Spark on his behalf; that would be selfish.

"It’s a good plan. The earlier you start developing your Sanctuary, the greater your advantage later. Suppose you can shape it into an ecosystem that actively yields energy crystals, with a focus on production; that is even better. As a poor race, you already know we cannot help much in this matter, so I regret to say you will need to be a bit independent." Liora smiled as she said it, not the least bit ashamed as she emphasized the word "poor."

She turned to the man beside her. "Malrik." He stepped closer, raised his hand, and a large pouch materialized on his palm.

"Brother, there are 4,000 worth of energy crystals here. Not much, but it would be useful inside. Use them well."

Adyr smiled with gratitude, took the pouch, and sent it to his own Sanctuary without ceremony, accepting it without unnecessary words.

It was obvious this was the sum they had gathered over the last few days for him, hunting Sparks or selling their resources just to put it together for Adyr.

"Thank you. I’ll make good use of them," Adyr said, then looked back to Liora, a question forming.

"I’m curious about something. If I decide to rank up to 3 inside the Legacy Domain, is it possible?"

The first condition for entry was that a Practitioner must not exceed Rank 2. Because this Sanctuary belonged to a dead Adept and had stood unclaimed for more than a century, there was a risk the dimension would not withstand the entry of someone above a certain power threshold.

But entering and already being inside were different matters, so Adyr asked on the small chance if he could ascend to Rank 3 inside; it would grant him far more advantage than remaining Rank 2.

Hearing the question, Liora’s eyes widened slightly, then returned to calm as she smiled with a knowing look.

"I don’t think it’s impossible. And you’re not the only one considering a Rank 3 ascent inside." Her gaze drifted to the other two top races, Thalira Luna and Brakhtar Gorat. "As long as not all 200 of you attempt it, a few ascents will not generate enough impact to make the dimension crumble."