Chapter 10: RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, YOU IDIOTS!
Leo’s hand hovered cautiously over the circular stone that floated steadily in the air, its surface glowing faintly with a pale shimmer.
For a moment, nothing happened. Just eerie silence. Then, all of a sudden, the stone began to rotate slowly beneath his palm... its surface whirring gently before it paused with a soft click. A crack formed like a pie slice, and a segment of the stone detached, shifting outward until it lightly touched Leo’s open hand.
Leo flinched with a sharp gasp, instinctively glancing at the others around him. They didn’t seem alarmed. They were still, calm, watching silently as if they’d expected this exact moment.
"Arrgh!" Leo groaned as he abruptly reached up and scratched at his right shoulder. It burned with a strange, deep sensation that made him grit his teeth. "W-What the hell is happening to me?!"
"Relax," Jing muttered in a calm, detached tone, her arms crossed as she observed. "The bond between you and your Champion is simply beginning to reveal itself. Nothing to fear."
Suddenly, from beneath Leo’s palm, a swirl of greenish-white smoke emerged, curling like mist around his fingers before converging into a sharp, distinct form. It shaped itself into the image of a sword with wings—elegant and ancient-looking—and etched itself onto the pie-slice-shaped piece of the stone.
The engraved piece slowly slid back into the main circular stone with a low hum, aligning itself perfectly.
Thud!
A heavy locking sound rang out, echoing across the chamber like a distant gong.
Immediately, the entire stone lit up with dozens of symbols, running around its surface in rapid succession—green, black, white—like code from some alien language spinning wildly, forming patterns all over the disk.
<Sin of Pride: S Rank Spirit!>