Eryke silently observed the people around him. Despite his injuries, they weren't as severe as they appeared, thanks to his regeneration skill.
He was recovering rapidly.
Yet, confusion flickered in his eyes as he studied them. How could they be so weak?
Even if their awakening talents in the other world were subpar, they should have gained at least some benefits.
They shouldn't be this frail—physically or mentally.
Eryke pondered for a long time, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
He understood the peril of the otherworld, and if these individuals became nearly defenseless against the Unordinary beasts, how would they ever hope to survive in the other world?
Those worlds were truly filled with danger, even the lowest ranking one, not to mention the SSS-Rank difficulty in his own gate.
"It's fine," Eryke remarked, observing the bowed head of the woman before him.
Belle's complexion was pale, yet she remained in a submissive position, as if paralyzed by fear...
"Me?"
A wave of doubt washed over him, followed by a chilling realization.
There had always been reports of Awakeners vanishing in the gates they frequented, even when no new dangers surfaced that would warrant such losses.
'Fight to get loot.' Eryke's expression grew weary for a fleeting moment before he managed to mask it once more.
Since time immemorial, humans had perpetually clashed with one another over resources—an act rooted in folly, yet one that never ceased. And now, the stakes were even higher…
Eryke swiftly turned his attention to the fallen orc, looting its tusk, chainmail armor, sword, and a bit of its blood before calmly making his way from the site.
Only moments had slipped by since Eryke had went away when the others finally caught up to him. Luna called out with a cry:
"Belle!"
She rushed forward and enveloped her in a tight embrace, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Belle's heart swelled with warmth at the sight. Having watched this young woman grow from infancy, she felt that it was natural to sacrifice herself but in this moment, a wave of happiness washed over Belle; her lady had not betrayed or abandoned her.
This was the instinct of every living being—an innate desire to survive. No one truly wishes for death, even if that longing is buried deep within.
"Where did that boy go, milady?" one of the burly men asked, his expression serious.
"Eh, why?" Luna frowned, confused.
"Should we…?" He made a slicing gesture across his neck.
"Can you even take him on?"
"It might not be possible under normal circumstances," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "But I don't believe he emerged from that fight unscathed."
"Idiot," Luna snapped: "Did you not see how he fights?"
"Clones?"
The brawny man replied, "It's not uncommon for Awakeners to possess Clone talents, but typically, they're ranked below B-Rank. From the way he fights, it seems unlikely he's stronger than that; he survived in the otherworld, but his strength doesn't match."
"What if he awakened like us?" Luna pressed.
The brawny man's eyes widened in realization, and he lowered his head:
"I am sorry, milady."
"What did you do wrong?" Luna asked coldly, focusing on healing Belle's wound with all her strength.
The brawny man broke out in a cold sweat. "I made the mistake of trying to stir up trouble for you. If he 'artificially' awakened, then his background could be comparable to, or even superior to ours."
"Good," Luna replied, nodding with a sigh.
For a moment, she felt a flicker of desire regarding the treasure, but deep down, Eryke had already established himself as a savior in her eyes, to act like a white-eyed wolf…
***
Eryke stepped out of the gate, moving away with a casual demeanor. To him, this was just another small episode in the grand scheme of his life.
What mattered now was gaining more strength!
"Two of my clones have already perished, unfortunately, but luckily I can summon three more," he thought with a grin.
This talent was incredibly powerful, but he might not be able to explore the gates as easily anymore since they were monopolized by the guild.
Gaining entry wasn't an easy feat.
"Perhaps I should wait until I rank myself as SSS-Rank before attempting the other dungeon. For now, the otherworld will be optimal," he concluded after some thoughts.
Once he reached this point in his thoughts, Eryke's attention shifted to the Destiny Points he had accumulated… and they were utterly pitiful!
—
[Destiny Points: 290,000]
—
"And it takes me a hundred thousand to travel to another world," Eryke sighed. He didn't dare to send another clone into that realm; it was too perilous. The fact that Drayken had survived was sheer luck. Unless Drayken attained a certain status, Eryke wouldn't risk another clone's life.
"Wait…"
He paused, a thought sparking in his mind. Without hesitating, Eryke immediately spent a hundred thousand Destiny Points to send a clone to another world.
The clone vanished before his eyes, and he watched the system intently.
[Travel to Another World: 100,000 (Cooldown: 1 month)]
"Sad," he muttered, disappointment washing over him, though his heart raced with excitement at the same time.
With a swift thought, he cancelled the clone he had just sent.
Immediately, prompts began to materialize before his eyes, prompting him to take a deep breath.
[Congratulations, you are one of the fastest Awakeners to return from another world. You have gained the title: "Fast Finisher"]
[Your Destiny Points have increased by one million points.]
[Hidden Quest completed! You have not acquired a single Destiny Point in your traveled world. You have gained access to a gate leading to the same world.]
[Accomplished the Impossible Task! You have gained a unique title: "World Traveler".]
[Duplicate title detected!]
[Both "Fast Finisher" titles have merged to gain the unique title: <
[Both "World Traveler" titles have merged to gain the unique title: <
Eryke stared at the titles, excitement bubbling within him.
World Traveler! This title granted him the ability to traverse other realms using Destiny Points, and now it had evolved, sending a thrilling tingle down his spine.
"Can I exploit it again?"