As the one who essentially dragged the other two into the team with Cain, Mira felt obligated to speak up. She took an uneasy step forward and asked for clarification.

"Boss, we are not really a fan of cryptic messages, especially late at night when some of us would usually be sleeping. Can you just....tell us exactly what you mean?"

Cain's lips twitched at Mira's response. He could tell at a glance that she was worried that he might rescind his offer of sponsorship by speaking out like this to Cain but she had valued her friends over business. Cain didn't think poorly of such behavior, in fact he was appreciative of it.

"The simplest I can put it is you have to put something on the line that you would be willing to trade to betray me with malicious intent. The stronger inherent value you have towards it, the stronger the benefits of the contract are. For example, if I had a mountaineer sign this contract, the contract would be stronger if they put their ability to walk over their ability to taste food."

The girls were shocked. Did a contract like that really exist? Jayden who had been sullen from being told to shut up couldn't help herself and chimed in.

"Yeah...I put my life on the line there and now I can tell where Cain is at all times....and the other way around too I think..."

Cain's silence only strengthened the girl's surprise. That wasn't just any old magic, it could only be ancient magic.

Maris was never much one for thinking. Cain had proven his strength and hadn't done anything untowards her yet so she decided to take a leap and believe in him for now.

Maris crossed her arms, her tail flicking once behind her before she made up her mind.

"Fine. Whatever contract you want, I will sign it," she said, her voice steady even though she could feel the tension in the air.

Cain gave her a long, unreadable look before he slowly raised his hand. A condensed ball of violet magic swirled into existence above his palm, pulsing with a strange, hypnotic beauty. Without warning, the ball shot forward like a streak of light.

Maris barely had time to flinch before it struck her chest. It sank into her body without a sound or even the faintest trace of pain.

She blinked, looking down at herself, but there was nothing to see. Then, just like Jayden had described before, a contract appeared within her mind. It was clear, written in words she somehow understood, yet Maris barely skimmed it before making her choice.

She offered the one thing she had the most pride in: her draconic lineage. If she ever betrayed Cain, the Dragon Blood flowing through her veins would be stripped away, leaving her nothing but a hollow shell of what she was now.

The moment she made her decision, power surged through her body like a crashing tide. Her muscles tightened, then relaxed. All the aches from training, all the bruises she had ignored for days, vanished as if they had never existed. She felt whole again, stronger, sharper, like the world itself had come into focus.

What she did not realize was that the contract had done far more than heal her wounds. Her innate regeneration had been multiplied hundreds of times over, far beyond what was normal even for someone with dragon blood.

Maris tilted her head, staring at her hands in confusion.

"This feels… incredible," she admitted, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. "But I do not see how this makes me stronger."

Cain's mouth curved in a wry smile, his eyes gleaming faintly.

"That was not what I was offering," he said softly.

The other girls frowned, exchanging glances.

Cain's attention shifted away from Maris, his gaze sweeping over the ones who had not yet signed. That was when it happened.

A red aura began to seep from Cain's body, heavy and oppressive, as if the air itself had thickened. It curled around him like smoke, yet it burned with the raw emotion of fury barely contained.

Cain stilled. Even he seemed surprised as the aura detached itself, forming a crimson silhouette that radiated wrath so pure it felt alive.

Maris froze where she stood, her feet rooted as the shadow turned its attention toward her. The aura moved with lethal intent, closing the distance in an instant.

But instead of fear, she felt something else rise within her chest.

Anticipation.

Her instincts, sharp as they were, screamed that this thing could crush her without effort. Yet there was no malice in it, not yet. It was as if Wrath itself had chosen her, testing her, waiting to see if she would break or rise to meet it.

The crimson energy surged forward, a predator circling its prey, and Maris's heart pounded not with terror, but with the thrill of what was coming.

The crimson aura wrapped around her like a storm before plunging straight into her chest. Maris felt her entire body jolt as if lightning had struck her, but there was no pain. Instead, there was a strange burning sensation, like fire settling into her veins.

Then came the voice.

It was rough, grating, almost like metal scraping against stone. It carried a weight of endless fury, yet it was flat and empty, a man filled with rage who had long since stopped feeling anything at all.

[Fragmented Skill: Wrath has taken root]

Three apparent skills followed in quick succession, each one searing itself into her mind like they had been carved in molten iron.

[System Notice: Skill - Furious Blow][System Notice: Skill - Rage][System Notice: Skill - Rampaging Charge]

The moment they settled in, Maris felt a strange heat spreading through her veins. It was not painful, more like a deep pulse of energy that made her muscles feel tighter, denser, ready to snap forward with explosive power.

She flexed her fingers experimentally and felt it instantly. Her offensive strength had skyrocketed. Every swing, every punch, every strike would now carry weight far beyond what her body had been capable of before.

But it was not just raw strength. Something deep inside her had shifted. Her draconic blood, the gift she had been born with but had never understood, was moving. It felt alive in a way it never had before, as if it had been slumbering all this time and the Fragment of Wrath had finally kicked it awake.

Her heart pounded harder. She could sense it now, the primal power of her lineage responding for the first time in her life. Whatever had just bonded to her had not only given her strength but had stirred her very heritage, as though telling her she was meant for more than she had ever realized.

Maris clenched her fists, her lips curving into a faint, almost feral smile. For the first time, she felt like the dragon blood in her veins might actually mean something more than just her pride.

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