As Thoren walked into the town, news of his return spread like wildfire.
Within minutes, people began pouring out of taverns, tea houses, and inns.
Curious awakeners crowded along the muddy streets, whispering among themselves while staring at him openly.
Their faces carried a mixture of shock, fear, admiration, and curiosity.
"So... that’s the Grim Reaper..."
"Wow! Look at his silver hair... it’s grown even longer."
"Why do I feel like he’s different from before?"
"His presence feels stronger..."
As Thoren walked along the muddy road, he could hear every piece of gossip floating through the crowd.
His enhanced senses captured every whisper.
Every murmur.
Every breath.
He could also feel the weight of countless burning gazes pressed against his skin.
So people looked at him with admiration.
Others stared at him with lingering fear.
Many simply watched him with fascination.
Thoren frowned slightly.
"When did I turn into a celebrity?" he muttered to himself.
He shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.
That was not the reason he had returned.
He had co to say goodbye to the few friends he had made in the Abyss before returning to the surface world.
After all, no one knew if they would ever et again.
As he continued walking through the town, he gradually headed toward the quieter district where the small inn he once stayed at was located.
While walking, he noticed sothing else.
Several people were following him from a distance.
Their footsteps were careful, hesitant.
Clearly, they wanted to get closer but were also afraid of approaching him directly.
However, Thoren simply ignored them.
If they wanted to follow him, they could.
Eventually, the small old inn appeared in the distance.
Seeing the familiar wooden building stirred mories in his mind.
He couldn’t help but recall the first day he had arrived in the Abyss.
At that ti, he had been weak.
Unknown.
Just another ordinary awakener struggling to survive.
Yet now...
Things had changed drastically.
He walked up to the entrance and pushed open the wooden door.
The door creaked softly as it swung open.
Inside the lobby, Ophelia was standing behind the counter as usual, organizing several small ledgers.
When she heard the door open, she instinctively raised her head.
Her eyes landed on the figure entering the inn.
For a mont—
She froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"I-Is... Y-You’re back?" she stuttered, her voice trembling.
Thoren smiled warmly.
"Yes," he replied calmly. "I’m back."
The mont the words left his mouth, Ophelia rushed out from behind the counter without hesitation.
Before Thoren could react, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"You’re really back!" she exclaid excitedly, as if confirming that he was truly standing before her.
Thoren blinked in surprise at her sudden reaction before chuckling softly.
When they finally separated, Ophelia stepped back and began examining him from head to toe.
Her eyes widened again.
Then she suddenly shouted toward the rest of the inn.
"Everyone! He’s back!"
Her voice was filled with pure excitent.
Joy radiated from her face as she continued smiling brightly.
anwhile, from the kitchen, Fidelia walked out after hearing the commotion.
The mont her gaze landed on Thoren, she stopped in her tracks.
For a brief mont, she simply stared.
Then a gentle smile slowly appeared on her face.
"T-Thoren..." she called softly as she walked forward.
Unlike Ophelia’s explosive excitent, Fidelia’s reaction was much calr.
She stopped a few feet in front of him.
Her eyes shone with emotion.
There were many unspoken feelings hidden within that gaze.
Thoren could sense them clearly.
"How have you been?" he asked with a small smile.
Before Fidelia could respond, several other girls hurried down the stairs from the upper floor.
The mont they saw Thoren, their faces lit up with happiness.
"You’re alive!"
"We thought sothing happened to you!"
"You disappeared for days!"
Soon the lobby beca lively with excited chatter.
Everyone began asking questions about his adventures.
They had clearly been worried.
After Thoren’s disappearance, nurous rumors had begun circulating among the awakeners in the town.
Many believed he had died.
So said he had been killed during the Beast Tide.
Others claid he had been assassinated by powerful high-level awakeners.
A few even believed he had been secretly captured by the Federation Police Chief.
With so many rumors spreading, Fidelia and the others had grown increasingly worried.
Each day that passed without his return only strengthened their fears.
Listening to their explanations, Thoren looked genuinely surprised.
He had only been gone for three days.
Yet so much had happened during his absence.
"Do you know who spread the rumor?" he asked curiously.
Fidelia shook her head.
"No one knows," she replied. "Arin and the mbers of his guild tried to track down the source, but they couldn’t find anything."
"What about the Federation Police?" Thoren asked.
"They also denied it," Fidelia explained.
Just as they were discussing the matter, the door of the inn suddenly opened again.
A group of people walked inside.
Arin imdiately noticed the silver-haired young man sitting among the girls.
For a mont he stared.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I knew it!"
He walked toward Thoren with a wide grin.
"No one can kill the Grim Reaper!"
Thoren stood up and laughed as well.
"I do the killing," he said casually, "not the other way around."
Hearing that, Arin and the others burst into laughter.
This was the Thoren they knew.
Confident.
Unshaken.
The atmosphere inside the inn quickly turned joyful.
Everyone gathered around, smiling and talking excitedly.
Soon a large table was arranged in the center of the lobby.
Chairs were pulled together as the group settled down.
"Today," Arin declared proudly, "I’m not leaving until I get you drunk."
He reached into his inventory and pulled out several large jars of Ghost Scream Wine.
The strong alcohol emitted a faint ghostly aroma.
"Count in," Ophelia added imdiately with a mischievous smile.
"Hahaha!"
Laughter filled the room.
Soon cups were filled and the group began drinking happily.
Thoren looked around the table at the smiling faces surrounding him.
A warm feeling rose in his chest.
The Abyss was a cruel world.
Danger lurked everywhere.
Death was always close.
But even in such a harsh place, having a few genuine friends made the journey far less lonely.
Just as they were enjoying their drinks, the inn’s door opened once again.
Another group entered.
At the front were Seris, Minerva, and Rowena.
Behind them stood several officers from the Federation Police.
The lively chatter inside the inn grew quieter.
Minerva stepped forward slowly.
When her eyes t Thoren’s, a complicated expression appeared on her face.
She bit her lower lip nervously before lowering her head.
"Thoren... I’m sorry for everything," she said with a deep bow.
Thoren simply shook his head.
"It’s all in the past," he replied calmly.
He had already settled matters with the Federation and the Slave Trade Guild.
As for Minerva, he simply didn’t care enough to hold a grudge.
His gaze shifted toward Seris.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"I’m good," Seris replied firmly.
"That’s good," Thoren said with a small smile. "If you don’t mind, take a seat and have a drink with us."
He knew this gathering might be the last ti they would all et.
So, he wanted to share one final drink with everyone.
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