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[True Worth]: This is a Relic of the Void, an artifact that ignores the standard laws of spatial magic. Its value is Indeterminable, as a storage device of this magnitude has not appeared on the open market in centuries. The mana crystals alone constitute a ’King’s Ransom,’ providing enough high-purity energy to support an Awakened’s growth all the way to the 9th Circle without bottlenecking due to resource scarcity.

[Potential]: As the user’s Circle increases, the ring can be used to ’Anchor’ a personal territory. It possesses the potential to evolve into a Portable Demi-Plane, allowing the user to enter the ring’s space physically or store living beings within it.

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Soren nearly choked on his own saliva.

’A portable demi-plane?’

That was the stuff of legends, the kind of power only the highest-ranking Awakened, The Apex, were rumored to possess.

Soren secretly clenched his fist, holding the ring so tightly that the metal bit into his palm. It felt as if the artifact might evaporate into mist if he didn’t anchor it to reality with his own strength.

’No, let’s just put it away!’

With a flick of his wrist, he stored it back into his inventory.

’No returns yet? No problem,’ he thought, a satisfied glint entering his eyes. ’With what’s inside that ring, I’ve already received a payout that defies common sense.’

"Supervisor?" Ryan, noticing the subtle shift in Soren’s posture and the faint, almost manic curve of his lips, tilted his head. "You... look different. Is everything okay?"

"Ah? Yes, I’m fine." Soren snapped back to the present, nodding. "I just confirmed that the Emperor was indeed a very generous man. More than I ever imagined."

"He really was," Ryan said, touching the hilt of his starlight blade.

Soren didn’t just take his word for it. As they began to move again, he narrowed his eyes and focused his Investor’s Insight on the boy walking beside him. He wanted to see exactly how much the "Investment" had matured since their time in the trial.

The window that flickered into existence was vastly different from the one he’d seen when Ryan was unconscious and broken.

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Name: Ryan

Age: 16

Rank: 2nd Circle (Peak Stage)

Current Mana Level: 38,750

Core Condition: Overcharged (Sunless Resonance)

Mana Pathways: 100% Functional (Purified)

Abilities:

- [Two-Faced Fortune]

- [Amplification]

Blessings / Traits:

- [Mark of the Sunless Successor]

- [Veil of the Night]

- [Emperor’s Proxy]

Mental State: Calm, Cautious,

Investment Value: SUPREME

Potential: Transcendence (Unknown Path)

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’W-Whoa!’

Soren’s eyes widened as he processed the data. Peak Stage of the 2nd Circle?

The boy had skipped the middle phase entirely. His mana levels had nearly quadrupled from their previous state, and his pathways were now flawlessly purified. Not to mention the additions of those mysterious but undoubtedly powerful traits and blessings.

’Isn’t this too much?’ Soren thought, his mind racing. But then, he quickly checked himself. ’No, it should be expected. After all, he just received a super-powerful legacy from a literal Emperor. Anything less would have been an insult to Senior’s name.’

He compared their stats. Ryan might even be stronger than him in terms of raw elemental output now, especially since he had already surpassed Soren in the total amount of mana. However, Soren noticed something interesting—despite the lower level, his own mana capacity and core density seemed to remain higher than Ryan’s.

’Does that mean I’m technically more talented? Or is it the influence of the returns I’ve received?’

He chuckled inwardly, shaking off the idle thought. ’Well, let’s not indulge ourselves. Talent doesn’t matter if one’s not alive to use it.’

As they moved through the Gate, they encountered another group of Obsidian Drakelings prowling through the bone-white undergrowth. Their yellow eyes scanned the area hungrily, but as planned, Soren signaled for silence. They used the terrain to slip past the monsters without drawing blood, prioritizing their escape over some profit.

Just like that, an hour passed.

They had covered kilometers of territory, traversing through jagged ravines and dense groves, but they were unable to find the exit at all. There was no tell-tale shimmer of blue light, no spatial distortion, nothing. It was as if the exit portal simply didn’t exist.

Soren came to a halt near a massive, petrified tree, his expression grim. Ryan stopped beside him, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. The forest’s silence was beginning to feel less like a reprieve and more like a closing trap.

"Supervisor... we’ve been moving at a steady pace for over an hour," Ryan whispered, his voice tight with concern. "Even if this forest is vast, we should have seen some change in the mana density or a spatial distortion by now. But it feels like we’re just... nowhere."

Soren nodded, his mind connecting the dots of their failed search. He looked at the bone-white trees, then at the horizon that remained stubbornly distant despite their speed.

"This must be an abnormal type of Gate," Soren stated, his voice low.

Ryan shifted his weight, his eyes scanning the dense undergrowth. "Abnormal? You mean where the exit conditions are hidden?"

"Exactly. In a typical rift, the exit portal is a fixed point or appears once you reach a certain depth or defeat the boss," Soren nodded, his gaze sharpening. "But from what I remember, abnormal Gates operate on hidden objectives. Until those conditions are met, be it total elimination of monsters, destroying a core crystal, or a timed survival, the exit simply won’t materialize. No matter how far we run, we’re just traversing a space that won’t let us leave."

Ryan nodded, the realization settling in as he recalled similar theories regarding rift mechanics. He looked around at the unchanging scenery, his brow furrowed. "That makes sense. But... how do we figure out the conditions if we don’t even know where we are?"

Soren gave a wry smile. "No idea," he admitted bluntly. He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "Wait, do you know of any recorded Third Circle abnormal Gates where Drakelings are the primary monster type?"

Ryan immediately caught his drift. If they could identify the rift, they could find the solution. He went quiet for a moment, mentally scanning everything he had studied in the academy, but eventually, he shook his head in disappointment.

"Nothing," Ryan said. "There are Drakeling nests, but none that fit this specific environment or classification. It’s either undocumented or completely new."

Soren clenched his fist and then slowly let go, exhaling a steady breath.

The time for caution had clearly passed.

"Alright, it’s time to change the plan."