The King's gaze sharpened like a blade, scanning Leon from head to toe, his eyes studying every inch as if he could peel the boy open. "Tell me. Did the same happen to you?"
Leon leaned back in his chair, pretending to mull it over, though his mind was already racing. 'So his Qi was replaced with mana… but me? I never used Qi in my life. Since the day I was born, mana has been my core. That means… unlike him, I've never been swapped. That alone puts me in a different category.'
He nodded slowly. "In some ways… yes."
The Orc King sighed heavily, relief and frustration mixing in his voice. "Then it seems we share the same curse. Tell me, human—how many years have you been trapped here? How many dungeons have you escaped?"
The generals, chewing again, froze in unison, pretending not to listen but straining their ears.
