Chapter 208: Appraisal They rushed toward the doors and this time, when they reached the threshold, no barrier stopped them. The mechanisms that had rejected their entry before allowed them to pass freely now, as if the pavilion had decided its purpose was complete. "Moon! Do you hear me?!" Selene dropped to her knees beside his unconscious body, her hands immediately moving to check for vital signs of life. Her fingers found his neck, pressing against the pulse point. Thump. Thump. Thump. A strong, steady pulse vibrated against her fingers. His chest rose suddenly as he took a deep breath, and Selene released her own held breath in a rush of relief that made her momentarily lightheaded. "He’s alive," she announced, her voice shaking slightly despite her attempt at composure. "He’s just unconscious." Her hands moved across his body, checking for wounds, broken bones, for any sign of physical injury that might explain his condition. But she found nothing. His body appeared completely intact, unmarked by whatever trial he’d endured inside this place. Which somehow made it more unsettling rather than less. ~WARP!~ The sound erupted without warning, a tearing, rending noise like a fabric being ripped apart. The air beside them began to distort, space folding and expanding simultaneously as something forced its way through the fabric of existence. Selene’s eyes snapped toward the disturbance, her hand instinctively moving to her weapon as she positioned herself protectively between the expanding anomaly and Moon’s defenseless body. Yara stood frozen, her bow half-drawn, staring at the portal with wide eyes as its boundaries solidified into a stable gateway. It was her first time seeing such a phenomenon, it was truly eye-opening. Time slowly passed by, and nothing emerged from the portal. A notification appeared before Selene’s eyes, making lower her guard, understanding it was an exit portal. "It’s okay, Yara. Don’t worry, this is the exit portal...to the outside world." Yara nodded her head, lowering her bow, her eyes still curiously scanning the portal. Meanwhile, notifications once again flashed in Moon’s unconscious mind. His appraisal was being read out. --- [An awakener walked Lunaris Island, where apex predators ruled unchallenged for generations.] [He arrived weak, and vulnerable, expected to become prey. Instead, he became the hunter.] [And when offered the River of ???—a path that should not have opened to one of his standing, a trial reserved for those who had already surpassed—he stepped forward.] [The path crushed his body, shattered his mind and stripped away his consciousness until nothing remained but the faintest ember of existence. And still, he moved forward. He walked a path with no destination. And carved his own ending into it.] [He has walked where he should not have been able to walk. He has endured what he should not have been able to endure. He has achieved what should not have been possible.] [He has proven himself worthy of a legacy that should not exist. The Legacy of ’World’s Flaw’.] --- [You have defeated thousands of creatures.] [You have defeated Crab King (S-Rank, Level 25)] [You have defeated Black Raven (S-Rank, Level 25)] [You have defeated Fire Mountain Spirit (S-Rank Pseudo-Spirit, Level 25)] [You have defeated Druid Spirit (S-Rank Pseudo-Spirit, Level 25)] [You have walked the River of ??? as the first of your order to be granted entry] [You have achieved the impossible. Again. And again. And again.] --- [Final Appraisal: Glorious] [The System acknowledges your existence Forces beyond your understanding now turn their gaze toward you] [You have been noticed by the system. You carry a legacy that defies the natural order] [The world will respond accordingly] [You have gained S-Rank Second-Order Beast Soul: Fire and Nature (Locked)] --- The words that appeared before Selene was of another type. Selene stared at the fading proclamation, her expression a complicated mixture of excitement and awe. She had gained immense benefits from completing the hidden realm, and she could only wonder what Moon might have gotten for his immense contributions to completing it. The more time she spent with Moon, the more she realised he wasn’t just an awakener. ’I really am lucky to be his teammate...’ She thought inwardly, her eyes focused on his body that was in slumber. Yara did not receive any notification like Selene or Moon, but that didn’t matter. She had chosen her path, even if she was at a disadvantage compared to them, she would walk it till the end. Perhaps the path to strength she’d chosen was foolish, but it didn’t matter. It was the only rational choice for someone who refused to remain weak. The portal began to expand, its boundaries growing larger, more stable. "Selene," Yara said quietly, her voice carrying new steel beneath the uncertainty. "When we leave this place... when we enter the world outside... I’m going to become strong like you guys." Yara had made a promise to herself and to the world that would judge her for existing. Selene glanced at the young Savi maiden and saw something she recognized—the same determination that had driven her own pursuit of power, the same refusal to accept weakness as fate. "Then you’d better be ready to work harder than you’ve ever imagined," Selene said quietly. "Because that—" she gestured to Moon’s unconscious form, "—doesn’t come from talent alone. It comes from being willing to break yourself over and over until something stronger emerges from the pieces." Yara’s expression didn’t waver. "I know." The portal fully stabilized, its surface rippling like water disturbed by an unseen current. And Moon, still unconscious, still breathing steadily, began to glow with faint light as the dimensional transfer prepared to activate. They were leaving Lunaris Island. Leaving behind the battlegrounds where Moon had proven himself worthy of a faulty inheritance. Returning to the outside world. Where the consequences of carrying a legacy that defied natural order would begin to manifest. Where Moon would discover whether being marked as a "flaw in the world" made him powerful... Or simply made him a target to neutralize eternally. *** EVENT STARTED: If we can reach top 20 GT ranking within next 5 days , I will mass release 5 Chapters! If we reach higher I will release more! You can do it, prepare to spend ur Golden tickets here! Thank you for supporting <3