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"Who are you?" she asked weakly, glancing warily around her, searching for the Howling Spire Lord. When her gaze fell upon the headless corpse beside her, her eyes widened in shock before quickly morphing into a frown. Moments later, the corpse dissolved into bright digital particles.

When the final glow vanished, it left behind three radiant orbs resting on the ground—one glowed with an ethereal green hue, while the other two pulsated softly in shades of azure. The enigmatic sight momentarily entranced her, but her focus snapped back to Vincent, the figure standing silently before her.

"Did you kill it?" she asked, still in shock. The figure before her radiated the aura of a Tier 1 Origin Warrior, yet the Howling Spire Lord was a formidable Tier 3 Primal—a boss of a Tier 2 Labyrinth.

A whole realm above him.

Vincent gave a simple nod. There was no reason to hide it; in fact, it saved him the trouble of a lengthy explanation.

Maggie's frown deepened. She wanted to doubt him, to dismiss his claim, but the proof was undeniable. The Howling Spire Lord was dead, and its body had vanished.

Her frown gradually eased as a realization struck her. She glanced down at her body and was stunned to find not only her injuries healed but also part of her lifespan restored.

For a Tier 1 Origin Warrior, the standard lifespan was 120 years. Tier 2 extended to 150 years, and Tier 3 reached 200. Yet, for someone like Maggie, born with 'ominous energy'—known as 'primal energy'—her lifespan had always been halved. Each time she used it or when it acted aggressively on its own, it drained her life further.

She had been certain she would die after wielding the primal energy against the Howling Spire Lord. But now, upon closer inspection, she realized 50 years of her lifespan had been restored.

Tears welled up in her eyes, unbidden and overwhelming.

Vincent, observing her silently, couldn't help but find amusement in the cascade of emotions crossing her face.

Quickly brushing away her tears, Maggie fixed her gaze on Vincent. Though her eyes were still slightly red, they now held a steely determination. She recalled that Vincent was one of the individuals she had requested for reinforcement. For a moment, she wondered where the others were but pushed the thought aside. More pressing matters demanded her attention.

"Who are you?"

"Shroud," Vincent replied curtly.

"Why did you save me?" Her voice was serious and laced with wariness.

Maggie didn't press him for details about how he defeated the Howling Spire Lord. There was no hostility in her voice, only a cautious curiosity. To Maggie, nothing in this world came without a price. Saving her from certain death, defeating an enemy as overwhelming as the Howling Spire Lord—acts of this magnitude surely carried a purpose.

Vincent didn't shy away from the truth. "I want to know why you have 'primal energy' and how you're able to wield it without losing your self-awareness."

"Primal energy?" she echoed, confusion evident in her voice.

Vincent frowned slightly beneath his mask. Was she genuinely unaware, or was this an act? He decided to clarify.

"The dark energy you used against the Spire Lord," he explained, watching her closely for any sign of deceit.

To his surprise, her reaction seemed genuine. Her wide-eyed expression suggested she truly didn't know what he was referring to.

"So, that's what it's called? Primal energy?" she mused. "Do you know more about it? Can you tell me?"

Vincent ignored her questions, focusing on her demeanor. Despite her curiosity, there wasn't a trace of falsehood in her eyes or actions.

She honestly didn't know.

Disappointment flickered in his gaze, though he masked it quickly. The possibility of her having knowledge or control over the primal energy had been dashed.

"You still haven't answered my question," Maggie pressed.

Realizing her eagerness had betrayed her, she tempered her tone and straightened her posture. Just as she was about to respond, her thoughts shifted to her original purpose for being there. Her gaze darted to the Howling Spire Labyrinth's portal entrance, which had returned to its normal state after Vincent killed the Spire Lord.

Her attention shifted to her team—Orian and the others—and the Origin Warriors she had sent to stop the breakout. Though she had faith in them, she knew her responsibilities were far from over.

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Addressing Vincent, she said, "I'm grateful for your help, but can we discuss this later? I need to check on the others."

Vincent nodded, deciding not to press her further for now. Before they left, he asked, "You wouldn't mind if I took the loot, would you?"

Maggie gave him a puzzled look, as if questioning why he was asking for permission when he was the one who killed the Howling Spire Lord.

"Go ahead—it's yours," she replied.

Without hesitation, Vincent swept the orbs into his storage ring without even checking them.

Once they confirmed no Primals remained in the town, they set off. Along the way, they couldn't catch up to Orian's group but instead encountered the reinforcements Vincent had called for.

However, there was no sign of Lizno—the Lyard man Vincent had tasked with leading the reinforcement team and guarding Garmus and the Hyena Gang members.

Before Vincent could voice his concerns, a cautious voice broke the silence. "Sir, Lizno didn't come with us, but he left a message for you."

The speaker handed Vincent a scroll, his hands trembling slightly.

"This map will lead you to him. You'll find him there, along with the goods," the man said weakly.

The goods, Vincent surmised, referred to Garmus and the others.

Although curious about Lizno's intentions, Vincent decided to set it aside for the moment. As they continued their journey, Maggie received good news through her prismstone: the other groups had successfully stopped the breakout.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Relieved, they made their way back to the Novice Sanctuary.

And when they got back to Novice Center, Maggie left after they both added each other in their own prismtones.