A quiet silence ruled in the infirmary room. A silence that had beco even heavier after Professor Aldric Voss left.
The door closed, and the sound of the professor’s footsteps in the hallway grew farther and farther away.
Lian stared at the white ceiling for a few monts. On the surface, everything was over. The interrogation was over. The questions were over.
But he knew very well that Aldric Voss was not convinced. That man was one of the most powerful professors of the Academy.
Soone who had gone through three evolutions and had fought in ruined realms for years. Such a person is not easily fooled.
Lian was sure the professor had realized parts of his story were missing, but as long as there was no evidence, there was nothing he could do.
"Why does it even matter? Isn’t it good that I ca back alive? Why should they care how I ca back?" He sighed and whispered with mockery.
He could not understand this part. They practically have classes in high school about how to return if they get trapped in a ruined realm.
And yet, when one of the 25,000 sacrifices manages to return alive, they beco a test subject and are questioned endlessly.
He also could not say many things. For example, his class. His class was an anomaly that should not exist.
If news of his class spread, he would beco the center of all attention. Governnts and organizations would do anything to find out how he got that class.
Until he becos powerful enough, he does not want to tell anyone about this class.
At that mont, the door opened again. Kain and Seraphina entered. Both had been waiting. It was clear they had been behind the door the whole ti, waiting for the conversation to end.
Kain was the first to co forward.
"Well?" He sat on the chair next to the bed and said.
"You survived?"
"Luckily, yes." Lian laughed.
Kain nodded.
"Good. At least I don’t have to go to your grave."
"Is this really the ti for those jokes?" Seraphina frowned and gave him a hard slap on the back of the head. It was clear she did not like even that kind of joke.
Kain shrugged.
"Why are you hitting ? It was just a joke. Besides, he is alive now."
Then his gaze fixed on Lian.
"What did Professor Aldric want?"
Lian was quiet for a mont, then repeated the sa story he had told the professor.
About the valley, about the wolf, about the second awakening, about the village, about the golden mountain, and about the exit key. Naturally, he made no ntion of the Dreadmaw Sovereign.
Of course, he also said nothing about Seris. This was more to protect that girl. If news spread that a Vonhelm and a Pendragon had worked together, it would inevitably cause trouble and anger for both families.
The more he thought about those events, the more sure he beca that no one would believe his story.
If he told everything that had happened to him in the past week in detail, would anyone believe it? Of course not. It is insane.
If soone else told him such things, he would not believe them either.
When he finished speaking, Kain was silent for a few seconds.
"It really was hell." He then said quietly.
Lian said nothing.
"I am glad you are back." Seraphina suddenly said, then added.
"I have to go now. After all, I am the Vice President of the Student Council. Half the Academy is probably looking for by now."
Kain laughed.
"You also like to remind yourself of that every five minutes."
Seraphina ignored him and looked at Lian again.
"By the way, now that you have beco an Awakened, you need to go to the National Awakened Center. To register your new status. Your information needs to be recorded."
"Your level, your awakening class, initial status, and then your academic file will be updated."
She paused for a mont and then smiled.
"Finally, you can attend the Awakened classes. You no longer have to be known as a normal Analyzer."
Lian quietly nodded.
"Sure."
Seraphina walked toward the door, but just before leaving, she stopped. For a few seconds, she said nothing.
Then she turned back, her gaze fixed on Lian.
"Next ti... don’t disappear without saying goodbye."
Then before he could respond, she quickly left the room.
The door closed.
"..."
It was not that Lian did not want to say goodbye, but completely against his will, he had been summoned to that realm.
Kain stared at the door for a few seconds.
"I think she was really worried." He then said quietly.
Lian just smiled but said nothing. A few monts later, he turned to Kain.
"Did anything special happen while I was gone?"
Kain leaned back in his chair.
"Not really. You were only gone for a week. But the world has beco very busy. New cracks appear almost every day. Monsters have appeared and attacked cities."
"Governnts are on full alert. The price of Awakened equipnt has doubled."
"The price of keys to enter the ruined realms has also reached a ridiculous number."
Lian listened. He had forgotten about this part of the world. Naturally, the problem with the ruined realm and the sacrifices was exactly this.
For every human killed in the ruined realm, monsters could enter this world.
Kain continued.
"Many guilds and large families have sent forces inside the tenth realm. They are building bases, building fortresses, making maps, and looking for new resources."
Then he sighed.
"I wish we could go too, but we are still first-years. The upperclassn have priority."
"So when will they allow entry?" Lian asked.
Kain shrugged.
"Probably in a week or two. They are gathering information. After that, students will probably be allowed to enter too."
"I can’t wait." He then added with excitent.
Lian fell silent. He could understand his friend’s excitent. The only way to beco stronger is to go to the ruined realm. Exploring and hunting monsters there is the best way to get stronger.
Kain continued.
"Of course, the Enlightened Ones are already opening limited portals. Right now, only the governnt and major guilds have access to them."
"But I heard one will be built for the Academy soon. Then we can co and go easily."
Enlightened Ones are Awakened who have gone through three evolutions and are at least level 60. They are also beings that have the minimum level required to enter the "Heaven."
In terms of power, they are practically monsters, and wherever they are in the world, they are respected.
And one of their most important abilities is that they can travel to and from the ruined realm without needing a key.
Just as a key is needed to leave the ruined realm, it is also needed to enter. But there is another way. A way that Enlightened Ones and those above them have access to.
They can directly create a spatial crack to the ruined realm and turn it into a portal that others can use.
"I guess you don’t need that, of course. You can enter whenever you want... Ah man, I’m jealous of you." Kain laughed and said mockingly.
The 25,000 sacrifices who are summoned to the ruined realm on the first day, each one who manages to return alive gains a special privilege.
After that, whenever they want, they can go to and return from the ruined realm without needing a key or portal.
"I’ve been stuck at level three for a long ti. It’s ti to finally level up." Kain sighed. He had been stuck at level 3 for two full years because there was no way to get stronger.
The previous ruined realm, before this new one appeared, had been completely cleared, and no monsters remained there to hunt.
Suddenly, as if he rembered sothing.
"Oh, right. Roderick and Elena are inside the tenth realm right now."
"How? Were they also summoned as sacrifices?" Lian raised an eyebrow.
Kain smirked.
"That bastard joined a guild. The Red Sky Guild. And they let him enter the tenth realm through a portal they created."
"He’s really lucky. He took a month off with Elena. They are probably getting stronger and stronger by hunting monsters. By the ti they co back, they will probably be at least level 10."
But unlike the past, Lian felt nothing. No jealousy, no anger, no competition. With his current power, Roderick no longer seed that important.
There might be a small conflict between them, but he no longer cared about that.
At that mont, Kain seed to rember sothing else. He reached his hand toward the space next to him. A short light appeared in the air.
And a mont later, an envelope ca out of his storage space.
Kain handed it to Lian.
"By the way... your family sent this."
Lian took the envelope. It was a letter. His gaze fixed on it.
Why would his family send him a letter?
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