The Truth Revealed

Arlon knew he had already been caught.

But Zephyrion only smiled and said, "So, it is like that..." before continuing as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual.

He wore his glasses, and the oppressive pressure that had seemed to crush everyone's spirits lifted.

Of course, there had been no real pressure to begin with—it was all in their imagination. Fear alone had created the weight they felt.

Zephyrion was fully aware of this. He had merely wanted to test them. Among the group, only Arlon seemed relatively composed.

As Zephyrion's expression softened with the addition of his glasses, the imagined pressure dissipated completely.

If he had exerted real pressure, they wouldn't have even made it to the floor—they'd have been obliterated.

Relief washed over the players. Carmen clung to Evan's arm for support, while Evan himself was struggling to stay on his feet.

After giving them a moment to recover, Zephyrion spoke again.