Ruger had yet to shake off the previous battle. He carefully considered the man who might be Barry Danton, whom the others had also cursed by that name. Perhaps things had not been as easy for him as he had made them seem. Every time he was struck down or obliterated in one way or another, he came back to life, doing his best to maintain a consistency that left his attackers feeling helpless. Yet there had still been subtle differences. Those earlier scenes flashed through Ruger's mind again.
Barry seemed to have avoided the effects of his Origin Power this way. But thinking back over the entire encounter, every time the Stench of Malice struck him, that seemingly immortal figure had taken a little longer to reappear than he had after the other attacks. And as time passed, that tiny gap had gradually widened.
So it had not been a matter of simply ending their conversation at all.
"He seemed very certain that we couldn't leave this place," Mona said thoughtfully.
Unlike Ruger, who had been focused on fighting, the two women behind him had heard more of Barry Danton's remarks, especially details such as his tone. Ruger's ears had been filled with the Mushroom Men's shrieks.
Ruger came back to himself. At her words, he smiled and glanced at Varin beside him.
"My deeply troubled Lady Varin, I wonder whether you have the good habit of carrying materials for the Ascension Ritual with you."
His teasing tone caught Varin off guard. First she hesitated, then she nodded solemnly.
Seeing how intensely serious Varin looked, Ruger thought she might have misunderstood. He had not meant to hurry her along. But then he remembered what Zorn had said when they watched Mahama running along the shore: everyone had their own