Chapter 247: A Classic Among Classics: Counting Rewards

【Ding!】

【Achievement Unlocked: The System Finally Did Something Useful.】

"..."

【Ding!】

【Achievement Unlocked: Stop Reading Minds.】

"..."

【Ding!】

【Achievement Unlocked: The System Actually Doesn't Have Mind-Reading Capabilities. You're Just That Easy to Read.】

"..."

Even though I know you're alive, you're not even trying to pretend anymore.

Lin Guang shook his head. He didn't rush to pull out all the rewards. Instead, he stood up from the bed, gripped the Soul Gem on his chest, and closed his eyes to assess his condition.

He was very hungry, very thirsty. Magic power severely depleted. He needed energy intake.

But aside from that, there didn't seem to be much difference from before. The scorching magic power still flowed slowly through his body, showing no signs of instability—just heavily consumed.

Unexpected.

Lin Guang could sense that his soul hadn't suffered any particularly severe damage. Nothing had struck at his origin.

A period of rest would be enough to recover.

Having burned like that, he'd really thought there might be some lasting aftereffects.

But... thinking about it more carefully, that made sense.

Back then, he had merely relied on his innate talent to follow the contract connection and project a portion of his magic power and soul. It wasn't as if his entire soul had gone to that world.

Otherwise, Lin Guang should have been able to force another transformation over there.

"Phew..."

The next moment.

He grabbed his phone and checked the date and time—eighty hours had passed since he last entered the dungeon.

He'd slept for over three days straight. No wonder he was thirsty and hungry, his stomach burning like a furnace.

A flood of unread messages popped up as well.

From his homeroom teacher. From the juniors at the kendo dojo. From Officer Gao. From Wu Nuo—saying the thing he needed had been found and would be delivered in a few days.

The most messages came from Xia Yao—nearly twenty of them in total.

73 hours ago: 【Why didn't you come out today?】

72 hours ago: 【I bought a really sexy swimsuit.】

70 hours ago: 【?】

69 hours ago: 【You there?】

68 hours ago: 【Quest: Reply to Miss Xia Yao's message; Quest Reward: 648 Secret State coins】

67 hours ago: 【1】

66 hours ago: 【2】

【......】

30 hours ago: 【I asked Uncle An... he said you've been home the whole time and haven't gone out. Maybe you're busy, so I won't bother you.】

"..."

Lin Guang fell silent for a moment.

Three days' worth of messages piled up like a mountain. Even replying felt like a chore.

Especially messages from a woman.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

He really hadn't expected things to escalate to that point—sleeping for three days and nights just to get his bearings.

—What if I told you I went to save the world? Would you believe me?

............................

Twenty minutes later.

Lin Guang returned home, carrying two large bags. He sat down on the sofa, wolfed down various breakfast items with soy milk, and replied to messages between bites.

Once he was about seventy percent full, feeling the satisfying weight of food digesting in his stomach, his lightning-fast typing had already cleared out most of the messages.

"Phew..."

Anyway.

Although he wasn't fully recovered yet, Lin Guang now had the time and presence of mind to carefully sort through the trial's rewards.

Claim.

First, an egg-sized crimson crystal appeared in his palm.

【Mengmengxiang's Large Magic Crystal (D)】

【A blazing red, flawless complete crystal. Moderately enhances magic power.】

【It bears the imprint of her magic power and will, chronicling the journey of a girl who once feared battle but ultimately chose to burn to the end alongside her own flames.】

This crystal was large and pure, with a gently flickering crimson flame clearly visible at its core. Absolutely miraculous.

Next came a transparent crystal of the same size, streaked with wisps of white light.

【Magic Aptitude (D+)】

【A medium-sized crystal condensed from spirit and soul. Using it slightly enhances Magic Control Ability.】

The next second, those two crystals transformed into pure crimson light, just as they had before, flowing into his body.

A familiar sense of fullness and coolness spread through him. The Soul Gem on his chest emitted a soft red glow, slowly absorbing that scorching heat.

Then came that familiar feeling—the sensation of his soul's limits being pushed wider.

"..."

Lin Guang weathered this sudden surge of power without any visible reaction. The temperature of his breath rose slightly, but by the next exhale, it had settled again.

【Magic Power (D-→D)】

【Magic Aptitude (D-→D+)】

If he had to say something about it.

For someone who had once stood at that realm for a period of time, this was merely recovering a sliver of the power he should have had all along.

Would Sa○a get all worked up over recovering to one percent of his strength?

—This matter is also documented in "My Refrigerator Can't Possibly Be This Cute."

That said... his condition really had improved considerably. The heavily depleted physical and mental states had been replenished.

He'd felt a bit off before, but now it was like chewing a big mouthful of mint—coolness shooting straight to his head, leaving him fully alert.

"Phew."

Continue claiming.

The next moment, under the youth's slightly surprised gaze, several assorted items suddenly materialized out of thin air and tumbled down from midair.

"?"

Lin Guang's hands blurred into phantom afterimages, catching everything with ease before sorting them onto the coffee table.

A delicate pink headset.

A black photo album.

An unremarkable pair of glasses.

A small silver sword that produced layered afterimages when shaken.

A well-maintained frying pan.

A single golden tail feather.

【Pink Headphones Imbued with a Maiden's Feelings (E)】

【An artifact in the shape of headphones, imbued with a maiden's feelings. No charging required—simply place them on the right person's ears, and they will play the tracks within, automatically adjusting to a comfortable volume.】

【Who are you? Please support Magical Girl T&M!】

【Photo Album Imbued with a Maiden's Feelings (E)】

【An artifact in the shape of a photo album, imbued with a maiden's feelings. The photos within will never yellow or fade, no matter how much time passes.】

【Senpai, I love you!】

【...........】

The origins of these items hardly needed explaining.

"So this is what artifacts are."

The youth gazed at these objects, a subtle ripple passing through his eyes.

—It seemed that so-called artifacts were probably the same kind of thing as Containment○, ○imilar Objects, and Aber○tions.

Granted, E-rank artifacts currently didn't seem particularly useful in combat.

But in the game, these were precious easter-egg items meant for collecting and commemorating memories. They didn't need much practicality to begin with.

Lin Guang didn't rush to claim more rewards. He first walked into his room, stored these items in suitable places, and then returned to the living room.

"..."

Next, with a thought, a pure white mask appeared in Lin Guang's hand.

The surface of the pure white mask was smooth, with no holes or contours for facial features. It looked exactly like the one Airwen had once worn—except the colors were completely inverted.

No eyes. Hence, it saw no one.

【True Transformation Element: Pride Mark (B+)】

【The embryonic Domain of an unborn Witch King.】

【She views all things as illusion, herself as the only truth. The world and the Abyss rise and fall with her will, just like the dreams she weaves.】

【Yet ironically, her Domain was usurped, and she never lived to see the true light of day.】

【Upon fusion, consumes existence force to manifest one's own cognition into reality.】