The flames had gone quiet. My mana reservoir was lighter than before, not empty, but clearly taxed. Crown in Incarnate mode used mana, then. I wasn't just pressurizing air anymore. I was conjuring flame.
Different rules.
I looked down at my leg. The Arachnoid Husk was split at the shin, layered carapace peeled back like cracked shell, its inner filaments twitching, struggling to reknit. Beneath it, the muscle was torn but responsive. Still functional, but it would limit mobility.
The armor was still dormant. No surprise. I still didn't know what triggered its evolution. Could be accumulated damage. Could be something else entirely. No idea yet.
I could've let it regenerate in my soulbind inventory, but I needed it active, in case the Burrower decided to move again.
I tried wrapping the exposed leg and visible bone in Crown. It didn't take. No reinforcement. Just flare with no structure.
Tsk.
Then I turned toward the ridge.
