Max stood still, the silence stretching between them. Then, slowly, he turned to Blob, his voice calm but serious.
"Can you tell me," he asked, "at what point do I really need to start worrying about this soul problem I've got?"
Blob floated closer, his usually expressive face uncharacteristically grave.
"You need to worry about it right now, kid," he said bluntly. "Every time your strength increases, the pressure on your soul increases too. I've already told you—you're living on borrowed time. One wrong step, one sudden breakthrough… and you could collapse. Permanently."
Max frowned but didn't argue. He understood the risks. He just didn't have any options inside the Mourning Depths.
"I get that," he said after a pause. "But I can't go searching for a solution while I'm still trapped in this cursed place. Not until I get out. So… until then, can you tell me what rank I'll probably be okay up to? Just so I have a general idea."
