Thomas looked down, sobering up. "Then… they'll be okay?"

"I stabilised them. But they'll need time.

He stood up, looking at the group of battered talents.

"These aren't ordinary geniuses. They survived exposure to something most gods wouldn't dare approach. They might become valuable allies… or enemies. But I'll give them the choice."

Thomas blinked. "You're planning to recruit them?"

"If they're smart."

Apollo turned away and crossed his arms.

If they're smart."

Apollo turned away and crossed his arms.

"If not… well, I did save their lives. That debt will need to be paid, whether they like it or not."

He saved the five that he selected before, and the rest can be called lucky. Slowly the geniuses started to regain their consciousness. He already carefully looked through them and didn't find any mysterious power, but still he needed to be careful, as who knows what that monstrous entity did with them?

And then—

First among them seemed to regain consciousness.

A young woman with long silver hair groaned and opened her eyes slowly. Her gaze was unfocused at first, then widened in alarm as she tried to sit up. Apollo calmly raised a hand, releasing a calming wave of divine energy to ease her panicked breathing.

"You remembered what happened, do you?"

The silver-haired girl stared at him for a long second.

Then—

She exhaled, slowly sitting up with his support.

Her voice was hoarse but steady. "I… I remember… the ceremony. The basin. That old statue…" Her brows furrowed deeply, then her expression darkened as if the memory struck harder now that her soul was calm. "And something—something—touched my mind."

She clutched her chest. "It wasn't like divine energy. It was deeper. Like… something ancient trying to look through me."

Apollo nodded slowly. "You weren't imagining it. You all were caught in a ritual—one that had nothing to do with Titan blessings."

Her hands trembled slightly. "Then… what happened to the others?"

Apollo turned his gaze to the other unconscious geniuses. "You're the first to wake. Some may need more time. A few might take hours or days."

And looked carefully at her, as she was the first to awaken, meaning her mind was the strongest, and even facing power beyond her level, she still quickly regained her mind.

Thomas, standing beside, quickly told him her identity.

"Master… that's Irene Valtara."

Apollo's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze settling once more on the silver-haired woman who was now slowly steadying her breath, still visibly shaken but far from broken.

Thomas continued, keeping his voice low, "She's the second daughter of the Valtara Clan—one of the oldest lineages in the eastern northern continent. Her family's known for their mental powers and mysterious soul-forging techniques.

Apollo nodded silently.

That aligned with what he observed.

To awaken first, even after having one's soul grazed by an ancient being—that was no accident. It spoke of either a powerful soul or exceptional will.

Or both.

Irene looked around again, this time more sharply, her silver eyes finally locking onto Apollo. She tilted her head slightly. "…Who are you?"

Apollo met her gaze calmly. "Apollo."

He didn't elaborate.

Something in his presence made her hesitate from asking more. Instead, she frowned and sat up fully, brushing her hair back, still pale but composed.

"You saved us, didn't you?" She asked, her voice more certain this time.

Apollo's reply was quiet but firm. "I pulled you out before it was too late. That's all."

Irene lowered her head for a moment, then exhaled deeply. "Then… thank you. Truly. I don't know what that thing was, but if even half of what I felt was real—none of us would've left alive."

She turned her gaze toward the others, who were still unconscious. Then she looked towards Apollo with interest, as he appeared to be young just like her, yet he seemed to have a powerful and mysterious aura around him that made it difficult to approach him like an ordinary person.

"I once again thank you for saving me… and the Valtara Clan will not forget this." She bowed her head lightly.

"We are willing to give proper reward for it."

Apollo remained still, his eyes unreadable.

"There's no need," he said calmly. "I didn't save you for rewards, but let's just say your Valtara clan owes me."

His tone was calm, almost casual, but the meaning beneath it was clear—and sharp.

Irene straightened slightly, silver eyes narrowing in thought.

She wasn't offended.

In fact, it amused her slightly.

It was a reminder.

A quiet declaration, 'I gave you life. Do not forget it.'

She gave a small smile. "That's fair."

Apollo didn't press further. He knew the Valtara Clan would be like any ancient noble clan—they were likely to be proud, secretive, and ancient. Forcing someone like her to join him outright wouldn't just fail—it might create unnecessary conflict. Better to let the debt simmer… let it grow with time.

And perhaps, one day, she would come to him on her own.

She didn't immediately leave; instead, she waited for others to awaken just like her. After some minutes, some who had strong minds and wills started to awaken.

Some blinked rapidly, others jolted up in panic, but the moment they tried to recall the last memories of the ritual, a heavy silence descended upon them. Faces turned pale. Breaths grew shallow.

Especially the ones who were from strong forces or clans; they all made up their minds to quickly report back and ask the Titanbone clan to pay the price.

"Titanbone Clan dares…!"

"My clan will never let this go."

"They'll pay. I swear it."

Among the awakened ones are the five he previously selected. They were equally talented and have strong minds, so they wake quickly.

Seeing them awake, he finally offered them to join him to establish a new organisation.

Apollo took a step forward.

His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of command. The five of them were surprised, while the others also looked forward to seeing what he was going to do.

"I intend to build something new. An organisation not bound by ancient bloodlines or corrupt traditions. A place where strength, vision, and survival earn respect—not heritage."

"I saved you. But I won't beg you to join. I'm offering you a choice: walk your paths alone… Or walk with me, and rise to the peak of this broken world."