Souta sat in the room prepared by Prince Servon, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the system notification.

You've failed the Quest!

Punishment will be given shortly!

You will temporarily lose your sense of sight!

A heavy punishment will be imposed once you've failed another Quest!

In the next moment, his vision turned blank. He completely lost his sight. This was the consequence of failing the quest.

But this was nothing to him.

With his current state, Souta didn't need his eyes to perceive his surroundings. He could use his energy to sense his environment, forming a mental image in his mind. Additionally, he could detect any presence of blood within his perception range.

The only issue was his eyes, the Galaxy Eyes, which had completely lost their function.

It was temporary, but the duration of his blindness wasn't specified. It could be a month, a year, or even longer. He only knew that eventually, his vision would return.

Souta placed his palm over his eyes and channeled his best feram and Douion, attempting to discern any clues about the system affecting his eyes.

Ultimately, he didn't detect anything unusual.

Souta sighed as he leaned back on the sofa. Once Eilan woke up, they would return to Ekatoe City. He needed to keep a low profile for a while after the unexpected events of the Walpurgis Night.

He finally understood why the Walpurgis Night fell in the game.

...

Somewhere on the continent...

Vashno, Eztein, and Franklin walked through a cave.

"Are you sure it's here?

" Eztein asked.

"Yeah, Souta said it's here,

" Vashno nodded.

Eztein glanced back and remarked,

"Still, the phenomenon just now is similar to what happened a few months ago.

"

"It happened before?

" Vashno raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, it boosted our strength too,

" Franklin replied.

"No, it wasn't just a boost in strength. The laws, concepts, everything seemed to have expanded. It was like the entire world underwent enhancement. Lower-powered beings gained the most from it,

" Vashno explained.

"Is that so? Well, I couldn't care less,

" Eztein shrugged.

"I've been feeling strange lately,

" Franklin interjected.

Eztein glanced at him and asked,

"What do you mean?

"

"I'm getting stronger faster than before, and I feel like there's a technique in my mind that I don't know,

" Franklin remarked.

"Now that you mention it, I'm feeling something similar. It started when I woke up from the slumber after the battle in Selnes Country,

" Vashno added thoughtfully.

"Hmm... Selnes Country. Something must have happened there, but I don't remember a thing,

" Eztein said, pondering.

Soon, the trio reached the end of the cave.

"This is the place. According to Souta, there's a passage to the lower world here. We should investigate and report our findings to the nearby city,

" Vashno declared, looking at Eztein and Franklin.

"Let's descend now.

"

Eztein and Franklin nodded in agreement.

...

Eilan had woken up.

In the room, Souta, Amanda, Alice, and Eilish had gathered around him.

He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling, brother?

" Eilish asked softly, sitting beside him.

Eilan slowly turned to her, furrowing his brows.

"B-Brother? Who are you?

"

"It's me, your sister. Do you remember me?

"

"No, I don't remember anything. Argh...!

" Eilan suddenly clutched his head and screamed in pain.

Souta watched from the side for a moment before speaking up,

"He seems to have lost his memories. Don't worry; memory loss can often be recovered, unless caused by someone with significant power.

"

Eilan likely lost his memories as a side effect of the elemental being being separated from his body. If that's the case, it shouldn't involve any higher beings, so it should be recoverable.

"Take care of your brother. We'll return to Ekatoe City. I'm sure the Athen's Champion is looking for me,

" Souta told Eilish.

Soon, the group bid farewell to the royal family of the Palleo Kingdom and returned to Ekatoe City after a few days of travel.

Only a few people knew that Souta had left the city, so their return didn't cause a commotion. Yuko immediately slammed her large body into him, causing both of them to fall to the ground.

"You're back, master.

"

Yuko stuck out her tongue and licked his face, which was only visible through her thick fur.

Souta simply let her do as she pleased. He relaxed his body and allowed himself to rest.

Ohm!

Suddenly, Souta found himself in a different place. Looking around, he saw towering

buildings and people chatting everywhere.

Glancing down at himself, he noticed he was wearing plain clothes. With a snap of his fingers, his attire transformed.

"This must be a dreamscape... It seems I've fallen asleep,

" Souta muttered.

His physical body remained in reality; he was only dreaming. It was different from when he visited Walpurgis Night, where he physically entered the Dream Realm.

Using his Douion, characterized by Dream Power, he remained conscious in his dream and exerted great control over the manifested dreamscape.

Souta strolled through the streets, observing the people chatting around him.

"These people are constructs of my dream, different from dream creatures. They'll vanish

once I wake up. I'll train my Douion here for a while.

"

In reality, Alice could only see Souta's face, visible because Yuko lay on top of him.

"He's fallen asleep,

" she murmured.

Alice then noticed a small figure flash by and disappear into Yuko's thick fur.

"Kessa? She must be waiting for Souta too.

"

Suddenly, a knock echoed from the door. Alice opened it and found a witch standing there.

"Is Lord Souta here? A warrior from Athen's Champion has arrived,

" the witch announced. Alice turned to glance at Souta, sighed, and replied,

"I'll go meet the warrior.

" Leaving the room, Alice followed the witch to the guest quarters. Entering, she found the warrior was none other than Chief Captain Vandal.

Alice stood at attention and saluted.

Vandal returned the salute and motioned for Alice to take a seat opposite him.

"How is Grain Leader Souta?

" Vandal inquired immediately.

"He's currently resting, Captain Vandal,

" Alice answered.

"Then, I won't disturb his rest. Please inform him to report to headquarters once he's awake. The higher-ups are eager to hear about what transpired in Walpurgis Night. Additionally, his movements are restricted for now. Grain Leader Souta should remain within Hall Plains,

"

Vandal instructed.

Alice nodded in acknowledgment. She understood the seriousness of the situation, especially with the appearance of a deity during Walpurgis Night, particularly the Commandment of Purity. It was clear that Souta needed to keep a low profile for the time being.

"Understood. I'll notify him as soon as he wakes up. I'll inform him that Vandal wishes to speak with him,

" Alice affirmed as Vandal prepared to leave.

"That will be all for now. I had hoped to speak with Grain Leader Souta personally, but it seems I'll have to wait. Please notify me when he awakens,

" Vandal concluded before

standing up.

After bidding farewell to Chief Captain Vandal, Alice noted that his aura had noticeably strengthened compared to before he would soon reach the Eight Shackle Realm. Several hours later, Souta woke up from his dream, still buried in Yuko's fur with Kessa curled around his wrist. Alice promptly informed him of Vandal's visit, prompting Souta to prepare

to meet him.

...

"How was your trip to Walpurgis Night?

" Vandal inquired.

"Challenging. A lot happened, and even the Commandment of Purity appeared,

" Souta

replied.

In the end, Walpurgis Night was still destroyed. Even if he hadn't intervened, it would have

met the same fate as in the game. Thankfully, he managed to rescue Eilan, which was his

primary objective.

"Let me get straight to the point. The higher-ups also want you to prepare yourself,

" Vandal

stated.

"I see... So, is the situation worsening?

" Souta asked.

"Not exactly, but after the recent strange phenomena, the higher-ups have become cautious.

"They're warning everyone to be ready,

" Vandal explained.

Souta nodded thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he reflected on events from the game.

"Additionally, a deity has fallen near the three theaters. The battlefield has expanded significantly, and I'll be heading there in a few days. As you're under my Third Set, I advise you to remain in the Champion's Den for a week or two once I'm deployed.

"

"Why is that?

" Souta inquired.

"You're a Hero Candidate. It's important for you to demonstrate your strength to the other

candidates there. If that's not sufficient, visit the Acropolis and seek an audience with the Guardian Beast of our Goddess. After that, you'll need to refrain from participating in the war for a while.

" Souta remained silent, allowing Vandal to proceed.

"Do as I've instructed if you wish to become a Hero. After completing these tasks, you'll likely

be deployed to the battlefield, where it will be your opportunity to demonstrate your abilities. Failing to do so would hinder your progress, as other higher-ups may not recognize your potential. Building a favorable impression could expedite your path to becoming a

Hero.

"