CHAPTER 275: IT’S TIME TO GO BACK

As the Trial of Morgim came to an end, the world around them gently faded.

"Hey, do you think they finally got their happy ending?" Latifa asked.

"Yes," Alex replied without hesitation. "I’m sure of it."

A faint smile appeared on Latifa’s face, believing the same thing.

Just then, a light cough reached their ears, prompting the two to look in front of them.

"Sooo~ how long do you guys plan to hold hands?" Lumi asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

Alex and Latifa then gazed at their interlocked fingers for a few seconds, then both loosened their grips.

Alex had activated his self-control to the maximum, but letting go voluntarily was just beyond his capability, so Latifa had been the one to pull out first... reluctantly.

As Dim Dim landed on top of Alex’s head, it giggled out of amusement at the current situation.

Finding the air awkward, Alex decided to change the subject. He glanced at Lotte and Lumi, who were nowhere to be found during the trial.

"Were you two not in the trial?" Alex inquired.

Lotte and Lumi glanced at each other before shifting their gaze back at the young man.

"We were there," Lotte replied. "I was Kara."

"And I was Runa," Lumi stated. "Both of us synchronized with Princess Yvraine’s handmaidens at 100% from the start, so all we could do was watch the events unfold."

Latifa finally understood why, no matter how much she called out, she was unable to summon or talk to her Alters inside the trial.

"Well then, where are we now?" Lumi asked as she looked around. "Is this still part of the trial?"

Alex shook his head. "No. This is the place you end up after clearing the trial."

He then glanced at the eight pillars in the distance. The Rune of Morgim shone brightly, confirming that the trial had ended.

Suddenly, another one of the pillars lit up, followed by a flash of light a few meters away from where Alex stood.

A young lady—err, boy, whom everyone knew, materialized after the light faded.

Alex saw the pretty boy facing him, so he was about to call for him. But upon noticing the tears streaming down Vaan’s face, Alex changed his words.

"Are you alright?" Alex asked in concern.

While he didn’t know what kind of trial Vaan faced after separating from them, the pretty boy looked very vulnerable right now, so he made it a priority to comfort the latter.

Vaan soon realized that his trial was over when he saw his club president approach, worry etched in his face.

The teenage boy opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it once again as if he had lost the ability to talk.

He simply took a step forward and rested his head on Alex’s chest.

"Let me stay like this for a while," Vaan said softly.

His body shuddered from time to time, and Alex could feel the wetness spread on his chest.

"Alright," Alex replied as he gave Vaan a hug and patted his back. "Let it all out until you feel better."

Even Dim Dim slid down from Alex’s head and landed on Vaan’s head, giving him a pat as if telling him that everything was going to be fine.

Latifa, who was observing this scene, motioned for her two Alters to move closer.

"Hey, I know that I’ve been sleeping most of the time, but..." Latifa hesitated. "Is Vaan a girl or a boy?"

"Alex said he is a boy," Lotte replied.

"Is he?" Lumi blinked. "I can’t tell if he is. Should I peek at him when he is taking a bath to confirm?"

Latifa was tempted to say yes, but Lumi’s suggestion sounded out of bounds, and she didn’t want to encourage such actions.

"Never mind." Latifa shook her head. "If Alex says he is a boy, then he is a boy."

Another pillar lit up, and a moment later, Lavinia and Mary appeared at the same time.

When Lavinia saw Alex hugging Vaan, with the latter crying in his arms, she didn’t feel anything wrong with it.

In fact, she even thought that Vaan might still be suffering from the synchronization rate that he had experienced in his trial, just like her and Mary.

Truth be told, her eyes were also moist, but as a warrior, she refused to shed tears in public.

Even Mary couldn’t help but wipe her eye with a handkerchief. The events they experienced were just so moving, it was impossible not to feel anything after going through them firsthand.

"Were you guys the first to finish?" Lavinia asked Latifa, who was currently discussing with Lotte and Lumi.

"Yes," Latifa replied. "Vaan finished a minute before you and Mary appeared. Did you both clear your trials?"

Lavinia nodded. "Yes. And a blue projection popped up in front of us, listing the rewards we acquired after finishing our trial."

Latifa didn’t ask what kind of reward her club member had received, thinking that doing so would be inappropriate.

She had also gained a reward she never expected to receive.

———

[You Have Completed An Arcana Quest!]

[Quest Name: The War-Forged Past Completed!]

— First part of 3 Chain Quests Complete!

Rewards: You have acquired the first half of the Verdant Throne.

Verdant Throne

— Increases your regeneration rate by 300%

— You gained the ability to regenerate any severed part of your body, excluding the head.

— Passively promotes a healthy immune system and overall health.

— You learned the skill Verdant Heal [Ex]

— You are now able to call forth the power of nature, summoning vines to bind your enemies and aid you in battle.

Verdant Heal [EX]

— Gives you the power to heal almost any kind of injury, except for regenerating the body parts of others.

— This skill will get an upgrade once the second half of the Verdant Throne merges with your ability, allowing you to heal even destroyed limbs.

———

The Morgim Trial hadn’t been easy to clear, but she frankly didn’t expect the reward to be so great. After all, it was the power of the Verdant Throne.

She didn’t even need to be a genius to guess who had the second half of the Verdant Throne.

’He must have it as well,’ Latifa thought as she gazed at Alex, who was still patting Vaan’s back to help him calm down.

Half an hour later, the members of Endless Horizon appeared one by one.

The last to finish their quest was Chuck, who was bawling his eyes out when he materialized in front of them.

But no one laughed or made fun of him because they understood what he had been through.

Their trials and experiences might be different, but the format of their trials was surely the same. Even if their heart was made of ice, it was impossible not to feel moved.

Once all eight pillars lit up, they all unleashed a beam of light that merged, forming a portal at the center of the room.

"Let’s go, guys," Alex said. "It’s time to go back."

He was the first to enter the portal, and when he appeared on the other side, he was greeted by a view he had never seen even in the game.

The other members of Endless Horizon were also mesmerized by the scene that welcomed them after crossing the portal.

A sea of clouds lay under them, and over the horizon, the sun peeked from the sea and spread its first rays of light into the world.

It was the start of a brand new day. Viewing it from their vantage made them all feel like the sun had personally come to greet them and tell them they had done a great job.

While everyone was gazing at this scene, Alex spoke, catching everyone’s attention.

"As you may already know, the trial earlier is just the first part of a Chain Quest," Alex said. "After finishing two more quests, we will gain access to one of the most mysterious places on the continent. I’m sure you guys already know where to go next, right?"

Everyone nodded because it was true.

They already had an idea about where to go next—a trip that would take them to the West, where the ancient kingdom of the Elves, Faelarun, stood proudly.

"We can’t go there right now. At this time of the year, the Elves close their borders in preparation for their World Tree Festival," Alex stated. "Let’s go there after our midterm exams end."

Alex then looked at the two Fourth Years and smiled faintly.

"Also, Mr. Mark and Mr. Spencer, I would like to formally invite the two of you to Endless Horizon," Alex said. "I hope you accept my invitation."

"If we don’t join, will you blackmail us?" Mark asked.

"No," Alex replied. "I won’t force you guys if you don’t want to join."

Spencer scratched the back of his head before looking at his friend.

The two nodded to each other before giving their answer.

"Well, as long as you promise that we will be able to graduate, then I don’t mind joining your club." Mark grinned.

"Same here." Spencer sighed. "We’re already in our last year, so we don’t want any trouble. Also, being part of the Blackmail King’s Club will ensure that no one will dare to mess with us."

Alex smirked. Looks like the title of Blackmail King would not go away, no matter how hard he tried.

He preferred to be the Singing King, but since no one wanted to call him that, he had no choice but to just go with the flow.

With renewed determination, the members of Endless Horizon trekked down the mountain, only to be told by Princess Xenia’s retainers that they had been missing for a week, which took everyone by surprise.