Souta made his way toward the platform, his heart still reeling from the unexpected turn of events.

The Welcoming of the Hero... Those words from Agape had been meant for this very occasion.

Heroes—warriors blessed by Athena herself, recognized for their ingenuity and courage in diverse trials.

Becoming a Hero was an arduous journey, one that required much more than this singular moment. Souta felt he was merely a candidate, a step closer to the ultimate recognition from Athena. There was still a long road ahead before he could stand proudly beside her as a true Hero.

A candidate like Souta would undergo a lengthy filtering process. Observers would scrutinize his actions to assess his worthiness. With numerous warriors vying for a god's blessing and only a limited number of spots available, not everyone would succeed. Hence, a rigorous process of elimination was in place.

Reflecting on his past deeds, particularly his pivotal role in thwarting the No God Emperor and his actions in Selnes Country, Souta realized these events had likely caught the attention of the higher-ups. It seemed they deemed him qualified to be considered as a Hero candidate.

Approaching the platform, Souta knelt down, expressing his gratitude to the goddess.

"Thank you for this opportunity,

" he said earnestly.

Athena observed him before turning to Agape.

Approaching the platform, Souta knelt down, expressing his gratitude to the goddess.

"Thank you for this opportunity,

" he said earnestly.

Athena observed him before turning to Agape.

Agape, understanding his role, addressed Souta.

"Warrior Souta, please stand up. You will receive this badge, signifying that you are one of the chosen ones of our goddess.

"

He placed a badge with the symbol of Athen's Champion into Souta's hand. Atop the symbol was a crown, indicating that he was one of the Hero candidates. The crown, in gold, designated Souta as a Hero candidate, with the potential to turn silver upon achieving the status of a Hero of Athena.

Hero's Badge (Red): A badge crafted for warriors chosen to become the Hero of Athena. (Hero candidate)

Effect: 15% to all stats when participating in missions for Athen's Champion.

This badge marked Souta as a Hero candidate, while a fully pledged Hero possessed a dark-grade artifact. The boost provided by that artifact was 25%, and Souta had acquired it in the past, becoming Athena's foremost warrior who fought for her will.

Turning back to face Athena, Souta kneeled once more, presenting the badge on his palm.

Athena approached him and took the badge from his hand. She spoke slowly,

"Rise, my warrior.

"

"I understand, Sir,

" Souta affirmed respectfully.

"Okay, I'll leave you now,

" Agape said before taking his leave.

Souta bowed to his superior before approaching the device. As he activated it, the door slowly opened, and he entered immediately. With only two days at his disposal, he couldn't afford to waste any time.

As he stepped inside, Souta found himself in a darkened space, the typical appearance of the Chamber of Imaginary. He sensed the room drawing energy from his monster orb. Opening his arms wide, he allowed his energy to flow freely.

Swoosh!!

The Chamber of Imaginary had the ability to transform into any environment imaginable, provided it had enough fuel. It was a beneficial for mortals.

As Souta opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by stars and galaxies in the vast expanse of space. Suddenly, the scenery twisted and shifted, transforming into a space identical to his inner consciousness.

Athena had initially prepared a gift for him, but upon seeing his condition, she changed her mind. Realizing the state of his inner consciousness, she granted him access to the Chamber of Imaginary. This would aid in repairing some of the damage within. While two days might not be sufficient to fully heal, it would certainly expedite the process.

"I'll create an environment and harness the surrounding energy to assist in my current condition,

" Souta resolved.

Focusing intently, he directed his efforts towards repairing his inner consciousness. The chamber's power augmented his efforts, thankfully finding that the damage within wasn't as extensive as feared. Without the aid of the chamber, repairing it would have been an insurmountable task.

He contemplated creating a similar sanctuary for Astros, but the cost was prohibitive. Only a select few warriors within the Athen's Champion had access to this chamber due to its exorbitant expense.

Souta continued his task of repairing his inner consciousness.

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed, and Souta's time in the Chamber of Imaginary had come to an end.

He stood outside the chamber, gazing at it with reluctance. Though he wished to linger, he knew he had no choice but to depart. The chamber's consumption of resources was exorbitant, and he couldn't afford to sustain it without making sacrifices, perhaps even selling some of his equipment.

"This will suffice... The cracks in my inner consciousness have diminished, and I feel a greater capacity for exerting energy than before,

" Souta murmured to himself, assessing the benefits of his time within the chamber. Had his inner consciousness been undamaged, he would have devoted his attention to honing his abilities further.

Resigned to his departure, Souta turned away from the chamber. He knew that greater gifts awaited him once he ascended to the status of Athena's Hero.

He left the Palace Goddess and headed straight for the Athen's Champion building. Despite not leaving the acropolis yet, he decided to spend some time exchanging his merits for a few spellcasting books. While repairing his inner consciousness, Souta felt compelled to delve into the intricacies of spellcasting. He had already imparted the basics to the warriors of Astros, freeing up time for his own studies. Once he felt proficient enough, he planned to revisit the teachings with his people.

After bidding farewell to familiar faces, Souta prepared to depart. He requested the opening of a portal and soon found himself back in Ekatoe City, where he was greeted warmly by the witches stationed at the portal.