"Huh?"
After the light disappeared, Charlie was stunned to see their condition.
Except for Fadiah Nadia, the owner of the Tsukuyomi Tsukasa template, the other eight people had suffered various injuries.
Even Saviors like Wang Jian, the owner of the Gojo Satoru template, and Miguel Antonio, the owner of the Cid Kagenou template, both blessed with powerful templates, were not spared from severe injuries.
This showed just how dangerous the Quest they had undertaken was, even though they had cooperated, and its difficulty was lower than Charlie's Quest.
*SHUA!*
A green light filled with vitality enveloped the injured Saviors after Gaia waved her hand.
In the blink of an eye, all the wounds healed without leaving a trace. Even lost limbs regenerated.
"Excellent, not a single Savior died. This is an outstanding achievement compared to before."
"I told you before, we should prioritize quality over quantity."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know, Alaya."
"..."
Gaia's praise was met with an eerie silence. No one showed any joy at receiving praise from the supreme being of the tenth dimension.
Finally, someone broke the silence. The owner of the Kirigaya Kazuto template, Thomas Taylor, vented his long-suppressed emotions.
"Gaia! Don't you think the Quest Apocalypse gave us was too dangerous? This is only the first Quest, but I almost died multiple times! If it weren't for my luck, I'm afraid I would have been killed by the Abyssal Devourer."
The other Saviors simply watched silently as Thomas threw a tantrum. However, it also represented what most of them were thinking.
"It's because you're weak. That's why you almost died. If you had strength, none of that would have happened."
The tenth-dimensional entity who responded wasn't the friendly Gaia, but the apathetic Alaya.
"It's because you gave me a useless template like Kirito! If it were Saitama or Goku, the Abyssal Devourer would be nothing."
"Stop whining, Thomas Taylor. It was explained before that the templates are given based on the ideal embodiment in one's heart. Blame yourself for idolizing a useless trash like Kirito."
"Fuck you!"
Unable to refute Alaya, Thomas cursed loudly.
He could only blame himself for imagining being Kirito if he could go to an anime world. In a VRMMO, Kirito was a hero, but in the real world, he was just an ordinary high school student, his combat skills even worse than a delinquent student.
"Alright, I know you're all tired after being constantly tense during the Quest. So, let's announce the top three Saviors who have shown outstanding performance. They will receive a reward in the form of a wish that will be granted."
Ignoring Thomas's anger, Gaia began the moment the Saviors had been waiting for.
Sure enough, except for Charlie, who already knew he was nominated, the other nine Saviors waited with bated breath, hoping they would be selected as one of the top three.
"First is Charlie Avalon!"
At the same time, Gaia sent the footage of Charlie's actions during the Planar World: Gotoubun no Hanayome to the Saviors' minds.
Thanks to Gaia's miracle, they were able to digest all the footage in just a few seconds.
Unsurprisingly, the Saviors looked at Charlie differently than before.
"I thought Gaia's claim that you were the strongest among us right now was an exaggeration, but I couldn't help but believe it after seeing your struggle."
The owner of the Qin Shi Huang template, Oscar Leung, couldn't help but praise Charlie.
"If this were on Earth, your unscientific power would already be on par with the deterrence brought by nuclear bombs."
The owner of the Ishigami Senku template, Frank Günther, looked at Charlie as if he were staring at an experimental subject.
"Tch, it's because you have an OP template. If it were me, I could do better." Thomas clicked his tongue in frustration. Clearly, he was jealous of Charlie, who already possessed the power he longed for.
"Good job, Charlie Avalon. You didn't disgrace Southeast Asia." Farah seemed to be giving praise from a higher position.
'Is she doing it on purpose?'
Charlie frowned, Farah's attitude towards him made him uncomfortable.
He knew the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia wasn't very harmonious. Honestly, he also didn't like Malaysians who often claimed Indonesian culture as their own. However, all those feelings disappeared after his death. After all, they were already dead, there was no point in holding onto hatred because of national differences.
But Farah didn't think so. It's hard to change someone's mindset. To her, Malaysia was superior to Indonesia in every aspect. The proof was that many Indonesians migrated to Malaysia to become domestic helpers. So, she didn't consider Charlie an equal even though the other party was stronger than her.
"The next Saviors are Oscar Leung and Frank Günther. Your strength may not be as great as Charlie Avalon's, but you used wisdom to make up for your lack of power. Facing the Abyssal Devourer, you bravely protected the protagonist and heroine."
After Gaia mentioned two more names, the remaining Saviors sighed in resignation. Even after risking their lives, it still wasn't enough to be the best. After all, others also risked their lives in the Quest, not just them.
"Thank you for the praise, I will continue to improve." Oscar said with dignity.
"This is a bit unexpected. I didn't anticipate being among the top three Saviors. Not bad." Frank said casually.
Then, Gaia explained the rules of the wish, stating that offensive and defensive abilities and items couldn't be granted, only support types.
Frank and Oscar had no objections. On the contrary, the other Saviors protested that it was unfair. Unfortunately, Gaia and Alaya ignored their words. Only the top three Saviors were worthy of their attention.
"Let's begin the reward distribution. Charlie Avalon, what is your wish?" Alaya asked coldly as usual.
"The mermaid flesh eaten by Shishido Jinbe."
Charlie's wish made the nine Saviors look at him in surprise, not understanding his intention.
"Oh, you want immortality."
"...!!!"
Hearing Gaia mention immortality, they now understood the implication behind Charlie's strange wish.
Immortality is something that rulers have coveted since ancient times to the modern era. They didn't expect Charlie's appetite to be so greedy, desiring eternal life.
"Why do you want immortality? Let me warn you, eternal life is not as beautiful as humans imagine. Eternal life only feels enjoyable at the beginning, as long as you feel there are still many things you want to do and experience while alive in the world. But once you no longer know what to do and everything starts to feel empty or monotonous, then eternal life becomes an endless torture, no longer enjoyable."
"The first 100 years might not be so noticeable, but what about 200 years later? 1000 years? 10000 years? 1000000 years? Or until the infinite years? You might grow weary seeing the cycles of different eras repeating over and over."
"Eternal life is better experienced if you become an inanimate object that can't feel or remember anything. For example, becoming fire or water, or if become a living being, it's better to be a passive one like plants. Death is the greatest gift for all living beings. Death is also what makes life worth living, as a marker of limited time, as the final line on the horizon, making you realize how precious life is."
Not wanting Charlie to regret the decision he made today, Gaia sincerely conveyed the pain of eternal life.