Chapter 31: An Interlude on Returning Home

In the blink of an eye, two weeks had already passed.

As for Rukeke’s assessment, with the help of the two Chosen Ones, Du Lin and Su Yue, there was no need to return to town to submit it—it had already been handed in.

The assessment was complete, but the formal title still required her to visit the town to receive it.

That wasn’t urgent; she could go whenever she had time.

At this moment, the group was only half a day’s journey away from the manor.

The carriage rolled forward slowly.

In the rear half of the carriage sat one wolf and one person.

Ino was already awake, but for some reason she hadn’t reverted to human form. Instead, she remained in her upright werewolf state.

Her fluffy tail swayed gently as she stared blankly behind the carriage.

Rukeke leaned against her, holding the small booklet Lucia had written, studying her new skills with full concentration.

Behind them, two Starflame Falcons, whose feather buds had just grown in, followed unhurriedly, swaying back and forth.

Su Yue and Du Lin rode on their backs, waving tree branches they’d picked up from the roadside, playing around like children.

“Give up, you can’t beat me!”

“Damn it! Take this!”

Ever since obtaining their contract partners, the two had been inseparable from them, wishing they could stick together all day.

In truth, they were accelerating the fusion of their contract marks.

Boss-level contract partners! Countless players dreamed of such a thing—let alone flying-type ones.

The recording of that night’s battle had already spread wildly throughout the player community.

Du Lin and Su Yue’s unbelievable luck made countless jealous onlookers turn sour.

Two regional overlords in the middle of molting—the boss-level monsters—had been taken so easily?

And voluntarily, no less?

In the game, even successfully contracting an elite-rank monster was enough for players to look down on others.

Of course, that only applied to players. For NPCs, making monsters submit wasn’t quite as harsh.

The reason lay in the players’ bug-like privileges.

Once contracted, monsters could leave their habitat and escape regional level restrictions. This applied to both NPCs and players.

But the difference lay elsewhere.

For example, monsters contracted by players could revive after death within a certain time.

The higher their level and rank, the longer the wait—but it was still outrageously unfair.

Data analysts had calculated the probabilities:

• Ordinary-rank monsters: 5% contract chance
• Elite-rank monsters: 0.5%
• Boss-rank monsters: only a few hundred players had ever succeeded; estimated probability around 0.03%

Above that:

• Lord-rank: only four players since launch
• King-rank: only one lucky player
• Saint-rank, the peak of the continent: across ten thousand years of Astra’s history, fewer than one hundred had ever existed—and most were long dead.

As for NPC probabilities?

From Lord-rank upward, they were similar to players—but NPCs had a mysterious “faith bonus.”

Maybe players did too. But players rarely possessed true faith.

“Keke, can you teach me magic?”

Ino suddenly turned and asked.

“Me?”

Rukeke froze, scratching her head awkwardly.

“I only know one Light spell—[Sacred Healing].”

“Can I learn it?”

Ino’s wolf eyes sparkled.

“That skill can’t be learned directly. But as long as you become a Saintess, you’ll naturally comprehend it. It’s very useful—works at range, close up, and even in groups.”

Ino fell silent again.

“I see…”

“Don’t worry, Mom will teach you!”

Rukeke gently nudged Ino’s arm with her head, her voice soft.

“She’s been writing and drawing in books lately—she’s preparing magic for us.”

“Really? That’s wonderful…”

Ino’s ears perked up.

She leaned slightly and nudged Rukeke back affectionately.

“Oh right, Mom said she wants me to go to the Imperial Academy in ten years,” Rukeke blinked.

“Do you want to go, Sister Ino?”

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Ino said softly, gazing at the clouds with a hint of longing.

“I just want to live a peaceful life, like Grandma.”

“Mm… that sounds nice.”

Rukeke rubbed gently against her fur.

“Don’t you want that, Keke?”

Ino tilted her head, ears twitching.

“I…”

Rukeke tapped her chin with the booklet, warmth in her eyes.

“I’m not sure yet.”

“When I grow up, I want to travel everywhere. Maybe somewhere out there, I’ll find the treasure I’m looking for.”

“Keke, why do you talk like a little adult?”

Ino laughed, her tail brushing Rukeke’s cheek.

“That’s because…”

Rukeke lowered her voice mysteriously and beckoned her closer.

“What is it?”

Ino leaned in eagerly.

“Actually… every night in my dreams, there’s a white-bearded old grandpa…”

“Hahaha! Keke reads the Chosen Ones’ storybooks too? Hahaha!”

Ino burst into laughter.

“What are you talking about? What’s so funny?”

Su Yue flew closer on her Starflame Falcon.

“Face me, enemy! Take this!”

Du Lin chased after her.

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

Su Yue protested, swinging her branch in retaliation.

The two resumed their playful fighting.

Ino rested her chin on her hand, watching with interest.

Rukeke leaned back against Ino and continued reading her booklet.

The carriage grew quiet again, carrying them slowly toward the distant manor.

Official Forum Section: [Astra Intelligence Station]

Post: Latest Progress on Echo Territory Water Quality

“Hello everyone, I’m back.

You thought I was dead?

Nope!

Let me explain everything.

While investigating Echo Territory’s water problem, I made a major discovery.

Everything traces back to a certain divine being.

In villages near lakes, residents began worshipping a new god.

This god’s appearance… how to describe it?

A white mist, deep-sea-like eyes, and semi-transparent tentacles.

Sounds creepy, right?

But honestly… it’s not scary at all.

It’s actually kind of…

Oh right, the voice.

Like a child’s.

Soft and cute.

It has only ever spoken one word: ‘Jin.’

So villagers call him the [God Jin].

If you make him say that word, you’ll definitely receive a reward.

His powers seem to involve four domains:

Harvest, Dreams, Purification, and Treasure Chests.

Harvest: Crops grow several times larger and more abundant.

The effect is tied to water sources.

Dreams: You can train skills in dreams—and it increases proficiency!

Purification: Restores health and calms the mind.

But creates uncontrollable admiration.

Treasure Chests: Earned through farming or impressing him in dreams.

I’ve applied to remain in Echo Territory permanently.

Because… I am now one of His believers.”

Forum replies flooded in:

“This guy’s definitely gone insane.”

“But treasure chests and dream training sound amazing…”

“I’m a church priest. She shows no signs of corruption—in fact, she’s unusually pure.”

“The church withdrew all investigators.”

“The Archbishop personally ordered barriers around Echo Territory’s rivers.”

“New players crossing the river dropped from hundreds to fewer than sixty.”

“Monsters beyond the river are ridiculously strong.”

“Su Yue and Du Lin were the strongest among them.”

Eventually, someone suggested: Why not train new players outside the river region first?

It was safer—and would produce stronger players capable of exploring deeper later.

The idea gained widespread support.

Soon, guilds began sending new players to train near Echo Territory’s river boundary.