"Could it be we ended up in another Gate?" Soren voiced his thoughts, his grip tightening slightly on his spear. "Maybe the exit portal didn’t lead back to the entrance, but to another rift entirely."

"Yeah, I think so too..." Ryan agreed, his voice trailing off as he looked at the obsidian-scaled corpses littering the ground. "And if this is another Gate, those Drakelings were just the welcoming party."

"You’re right. If this is a Third Circle one, we can’t afford to linger," Soren said, his voice dropping to a low, cautious tone. "We barely handled that pack. If we run into a high-tier elite or the Boss of this place, our chances of survival drop to near zero."

Ryan stood up, dusting off his gear, his expression mirroring Soren’s urgency. "You’re right. Even with your skills, my ability, and the ’Master’s’ legacy... we aren’t ready for a full-scale raid of this level. We need to find the exit."

They huddled briefly to discuss their next course of action.

The plan was simple: maintain a defensive formation, don’t always fight, conserve mana, and search for the tell-tale shimmer of the exit portal.

Staying was suicide; they both had unfinished business in the real world. Ryan had a new path to walk, and Soren had a web of responsibilities and goals that required him to be alive.

"Alright, let’s head out now."

As they began to move cautiously through the twisted trees, Soren kept his spear leveled, but his mind was busy calculating.

’Still nothing, huh,’ he thought, a slight frown touching his lips.

He had been waiting for the familiar chime of his Authority.

He was hoping that Ryan receiving the Sunless Emperor’s legacy would trigger a massive return. He had even secretly anticipated a boost that might help him cross into a higher stage of the Second Circle or grant him a new skill/ability to navigate this Gate.

’I suppose the evaluation isn’t fully complete,’ he mused. ’Perhaps the Authority won’t calculate the returns until we’ve actually cleared the danger or exited the Gate. Or maybe the "investment" in Ryan’s growth is still in progress.’

Nevertheless, he didn’t let his spirit waver.

He glanced back at Ryan, who was holding his blade with a steady hand, his gaze sharp and alert. As they moved, he focused his Investor’s Insight on the weapon. He hadn’t had a chance to properly examine it during the chaos of the battle, but even a glance told him it was no ordinary blade.

A translucent window materialized in his field of vision, shimmering with a faint, starlight-gold hue.

───────

Star-Fall Edge (Bound)

Rank: D

Type: Growth Type

[Description]: A blade forged from the essence of a dying star and tempered in the shadows of the Sunless Realm. It was once a secondary weapon of the Sunless Emperor, left behind to serve as a guide for his successor.

[Current Effects]:

- Starlight Conductivity: Increases mana resonance by 30%. Allows for the seamless integration of Light, Fire, Darkness, and Shadow elemental mana.

- Emperor’s Weight: Attacks have a chance to apply ’Gravity Pressure’ on the target, slowing their movement by 20% for 3 seconds.

- Successor’s Bond: The blade’s power scales with the user’s Circle. Currently locked at the Second Circle Intermediate Stage.

[True Worth]: As a Growth Type artifact, its true value is immeasurable. It is not merely a weapon but a "Key" to the Sunless Emperor’s hidden techniques. If the user reaches the high Circles, this blade can potentially evolve into an SSS or even higher rank weapon.

[Potential]: If paired with the Sunless Heart cultivation method, the blade will eventually unlock the ’Event Horizon’ — a domain-type technique that can swallow all light and mana within a 100-meter radius.

───────

Soren’s heart skipped a beat as he read the appraisal.

’A Growth Type weapon?’

In the world of Awakened, Growth Type items were rarer than finding a diamond in a coal mine. They were legendary artifacts that grew alongside their masters, never becoming obsolete. While it was currently restricted to match Ryan’s level, its potential was terrifying.

’Master’s gift indeed,’ Soren thought, a dry smile tugging at his lips. ’I wish I had one too...’

However, he quickly shook his head and dispelled the brief flash of envy. Comparing himself to the protagonist of this legacy was a quick way to get distracted, and distraction in a Third Circle Gate meant death.

’Wait,’ he suddenly remembered, his eyes flickering. ’Didn’t I get a gift too?’

He recalled the simple ring Ryan had handed him back in the crumbling hall. At the time, they were in too much of a hurry to escape the collapsing reliquary for him to give it a proper look.

Soren reached into his pocket and pulled out the band of dark, heavy metal. It looked unassuming, almost humble compared to the radiant sword at Ryan’s hip, but Soren knew better than to trust appearances when it came to a powerhouse like Senior.

He focused his Investor’s Insight on the ring.

───────

Ring of the Boundless Void

Rank: ??? (Indeterminable)

Type: Spatial

[Description]: A personal accessory belonging to the Sunless Emperor. It houses a sub-dimension carved out of the void itself. Unlike standard storage artifacts, time remains nearly stagnant within its confines. Currently bound to the user.

[Current Effects]:

- Boundless Reach: A storage capacity that dwarfs any standard S-rank spatial bag.

- Emperor’s Treasury: Contains a portion of the resources the Sunless Emperor deemed "worthy" for his successor’s companion.

- [Locked]

- ...

───────

’T-This is...’

Soren’s breath hitched. He gingerly sent a thread of his mana into the ring to peek at its contents.

The "small space" he expected was more like a vast, silent cathedral of storage.

Rows upon rows of high-purity mana crystals were stacked like common bricks. There were rare, unknown herbs and materials preserved in stasis and refined ores that pulsed with elemental energy. It was a fortune that could likely fund a small city’s military for a decade.

However, one thing sitting atop a pedestal in the center of the void gave Soren a greater surprise than all the riches combined: a weathered, obsidian-bound manual.

Although he was a lot curious, now was not the right time.

’Let’s see its true valu-!’

He quickly scanned the rest of the window to see the evaluation and nearly choked on his own saliva.

’S-so powerful!’