Return

"Everything was finally over..." Looking at the seal, which had resumed functioning only a few days after Antares was destroyed, Falan could not help but sigh.

Was this the handiwork of the gods? If not for the ruins representing the "sky" instinctively rejecting adventurers from entering,

he probably would have wanted to go inside and take a look.

What exactly did the World's End space look like without Antares?

"Little Brother Falan, we should get going."

"Yeah." Turning to Hermes, Falan hesitated slightly.

"Are we the only ones leaving? What about the Artemis Familia?"

"Artemis is taking them to observe the seal's condition. They'll head back a few days later."

"That's good." Falan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, this could be considered his first love in both his lives. It was somewhat embarrassing—he had already transmigrated and lived a second life, yet he had never dated anyone.

At the same time, he thought of every little moment he had spent with a certain goddess, as well as the beautiful body he had accidentally seen.

Falan blushed slightly. Then, remembering that they were about to fly back, he spoke again.

"Then how are we getting back? Let me make this clear: if we have to fly back again, I'd rather stay here."

"Ahem... Little Brother Falan, I deliberately waited for you because we're friends."

"Come on, Artemis is beautiful, right? Next time, I'll take you to the goddess bathhouse..."

"Hermes, why are you still standing around? And... Falan, watch yourself. Don't let Hermes lead you astray."

In the end, Falan was still shoved onto a Wyvern, bidding farewell beneath the waves of a certain goddess.

On the ground, Lanti curiously asked his goddess,

"Lady Artemis, what does being in love feel like?"

"I don't know. It probably feels pretty nice."

"So, can we bring Falan into our Familia?"

"..." Upon hearing that, the goddess was first stunned, then became somewhat embarrassed and angry.

"Don't even think about it. You should know that I am the goddess who represents purity."

"Perhaps I, too, yearn for something like love."

"But let it stay this way. After all, I am a god, and Falan is human. In the end, we cannot be together... probably. This is between him and me, Lanti, so stop asking. As for all of you, whether you want to date someone or not, I will not stop you anymore..."

After putting some distance between herself and her Familia members, Artemis entered the ancient ruins.

After all, the seal used spirit power, which was simply a variation of divine power.

It might keep adventurers like Falan out, but it could not stop Artemis, a goddess.

Walking all the way to the deepest part of the seal and looking at what had been left behind, Artemis spoke blandly.

"The remnants of the Evils Familia. I never expected this to be your handiwork..."

Especially judging from their arrangements, they were the kind who wanted to turn the lower world into an underworld.

"The fortunate thing is that, in order to undo the seal, you 'voluntarily returned' to the upper world and can never come back."

The Evils Familia could be said to be this world's pain. Even Artemis did not like them very much.

Of course, that was not why she had returned. Taking out a recording crystal, she recorded the beautiful sight of the World's End, connected to the starry sky. Falan's curiosity about this place made her, a goddess deeply in love, want to do something for him.

"Also, the Gaia Spear? Was Mother Goddess Gaia also one of the 'spirits' who descended to the lower world back then? Unfortunately, as a Spirit Weapon, it is far too ancient. It shattered after being forcibly used once. Otherwise, perhaps I could have learned more about that past era from it."

As Artemis had said, Spirit Weapons in this era were mostly collectibles. Their value lay in their historical significance, and for gods, Spirit Weapons could provide them with more information.

"It is about time to leave. You, World, are rejecting me because I used divine power?"

"I am sorry about that, but although we are outsiders, I will not simply sit and wait for death."

Putting away the crystal recording the starry sky of the World's End, along with the remaining fragments of the Gaia Spear, Artemis headed outside. With Antares and the Black Scorpion Monsters destroyed, there was really nothing left to investigate within these ancient ruins.

"Lady Artemis."

"Yeah, Lexa, what is it?"

"Nothing really. I just never expected that you would finally come around, Lady Artemis. Are you thinking of falling in love?"

"..." Artemis fell silent. The moment she had been saved, and Falan's indignation on her behalf, even to the point where his body had been torn apart by divine power—those things had deeply moved her. If only she were not the goddess who represented purity...

"Perhaps." Artemis said, "Lexa, inform everyone. Prepare to return." As soon as she spoke, the thought that she would soon see Falan made the goddess hurriedly slam on the brakes. She had not yet decided how to handle their relationship from now on.

"Wait, we won't ride Wyverns back. Let's walk."

"Huh? Walk? Lady Artemis, isn't that too far?"

"Uh... it is indeed quite a distance, but I'll have to trouble you." Because I need some time to think as well...

"All right. After all, this Familia belongs to you, Lady Artemis. Whatever you say goes, right?"

"Don't be like that~ You clearly want to fall in love yourself, yet you specifically came to ask me."

"Hehe, who told you to be so indirect, Lady Goddess?"

"..." You have never had a boyfriend either, have you?

After the goddess and her captain playfully bickered for a while, the Artemis Familia prepared to walk back to Orario.

After returning to Orario, Falan's first stop was the Golden Ring. Forgetting last time had made him feel extremely guilty.

After that, he returned to the Soma Familia. As for this incident, he had only acted as outside support. Hermes and Artemis were responsible for reporting the mission, so he did not need to report anything.

"Thinking about her... feels a little embarrassing..." After all, this was his first love in two lifetimes. To be honest, Falan truly had no idea how to handle the relationship between them. Even a so-called goddess was not all that different from a girl, but that was only if he had experience first!

"Forget it. I should report to Lord Soma first."

When he entered the Soma Familia's gates, he found the atmosphere inside somewhat tense.

"Lord Falan, you're back."

"Yeah, Yunika, what happened?"

"Uh... how should I put this, Lord Falan..."

After the Half-Elf girl explained things, Falan learned that during the roughly month he had been gone, many things had happened. For instance, the three little ones had formed a team and reached the deep floors, earning some fame in Orario.

However, perhaps because too many members of the Soma Familia had leveled up at once, they had caught the attention of certain gods.

For example, Apollo had deliberately come looking for trouble this time.

"Apollo?" Falan was dumbfounded after hearing this. He had just developed an ambiguous relationship with Artemis, and now he was going to fight her younger brother? He only felt that, no matter which side he stood on this time, it would be awkward.

"All right, I understand. Yunika, is Lord Soma here?"

Although he knew Soma spent most of his time shut in his room brewing alcohol, Falan still asked politely.

"Lord Soma is brewing alcohol in his room. Lord Falan, are you...?"

"The usual. I just need my status updated after an adventure."

"Oh..." The Half-Elf girl nodded in understanding. Updating one's Blessing was indeed extremely important.

When Falan reached a certain god's room, Soma said nothing and simply nodded. Seeing Falan voluntarily lie down on the nearby bed, he silently injected divine power and updated Falan's status.

After some time,

"Falan, you are going to defy the heavens..."

"???"

[Name]: Falan

[Level]: lv.3

[Abilities]

Strength: i0 → ss1221

Endurance: i0 → sss1317

Dexterity: i0 → ss1296

Agility: i0 → sss1319

Magic: i0 → sss1404

[Development Abilities]: Mage e, Darkness i → f

[Magic]: Life Magic

[Skills]: Child of the Dark Elf [See Chapter 25] (Darkness: *1.4)

Witness of History [See Chapter 25]

One-Man Caravan [See Chapter 30]

Blessing of Artemis new

Description: This is a blessing obtained by a boy after winning a girl's heart.

● All attributes *50%

● Magic recovery speed *50%

● Combat power *50%

At first, Falan had not thought much of it, but when he looked at his status,

he discovered that he had once again met the requirements to level up, leaving Falan completely dumbfounded.

Especially because a new skill, Blessing of Artemis, had appeared.

Looking at the bonus that increased all his attributes by half, along with the boosts to magic recovery speed and combat power,

he had to say that it was no wonder even Soma, a shut-in god, was stunned. It could only be called heaven-defying.

"Um... Lord Soma, could you let me explain?"

"...There is nothing much to explain. I am simply surprised that you can level up again. Honestly, you are the fastest-leveling adventurer I have ever seen since coming to Orario. As for you and Artemis? That is your private relationship."

"???" You were not shocked about me and...

"I find it surprising only because I have seen too much. It is not the first time gods in Orario have fallen in love with adventurers."