CHAPTER 353: A WAY BACK?

[What’s next, Master? Do you plan to head back now?]

Orion chuckled softly to himself, a warm and amused sound, his gaze still fixed thoughtfully on the horizon. "It’s been about ten days since I was separated from my friends," he said softly, a slight nostalgia coloring his voice. "It’s definitely about time I headed back. They must be getting restless."

He paused briefly, looking around at the lush, vibrant surroundings. The grass swayed gently under the cool breeze, and the air seemed to shimmer with abundant mana, freshly revitalized and stable.

"At least this world is truly stabilized now," Orion continued with quiet satisfaction, nodding to himself. "No more spatial fissures or random portals will appear. These people will have their peace."

Inside Orion’s Sea of Consciousness, Lumi chuckled softly, her voice laced with humor and relief.

[Then it’s a good thing we received that from the Ascended Gacha Draw. Otherwise, we’d have quite the long journey back, wouldn’t we?]

Orion smiled broadly, amused by Lumi’s teasing remark. He nodded slightly in agreement before reaching slowly into his spatial inventory.

From it, he withdrew a delicate object, a luminous, crystalline sphere, shimmering softly with iridescent hues of blue and white. It glowed gently in his palm, radiating a strange energy and a sense of boundless space.

[Ah, a one-time-use Spatial Treasure,] Lumi said softly, admiration evident in her voice. [Such perfect timing, Master.]

Orion smiled gently, the delicate glow of the treasure illuminating his calm expression. "Indeed. Looks like this treasure wasn’t for me to run away but to head back home."

He took a deep breath, steadying himself and gazing deeply into the crystalline sphere. With a swift motion, he applied pressure, causing the delicate treasure to fracture softly, cracks spreading rapidly along its surface until it shattered in a dazzling display of brilliant, sparkling motes of light.

As the treasure broke, Orion’s mind instantly visualized the precise location from which he had been transported to this distant, once-dying world—the clearing inside that forest where the portal was situated.

The sparkling motes of luminous energy swirled gently around him, glowing softly like stardust, their light intensifying gradually until Orion’s entire figure was enveloped in a radiant cocoon of brilliant azure and white brilliance.

"Time to return," he whispered quietly, feeling both anticipation and relief surge within him at the thought of reuniting with his friends once more.

As he stood still, enveloped by the radiant azure and white brilliance of the Spatial Treasure, he felt a profound sensation ripple through him.

The fabric of reality itself gently folded and twisted around him, shifting and reshaping like the currents of an ethereal river.

He closed his eyes and allowed his senses to expand, relishing the indescribable feeling of spatial energy flowing smoothly and harmoniously around him.

Within this seamless passage, the sensations of the restored world slowly faded, replaced gradually by something deeply familiar.

It was as though Orion was being pulled across countless distances in mere heartbeats, yet gently enough that he felt no discomfort or strain. Space whispered around him, welcoming him back to the familiar Prime Realm he called home.

A moment later, the vibrant glow around him slowly faded away, replaced by the subtle warmth of golden sunlight filtering through tall, leafy trees.

Orion’s eyes slowly opened, the serene smile on his face widening as he gazed around. He was once again standing in the peaceful forest clearing where his incredible journey had begun.

Immediately, Orion took a deep, refreshing breath. The air here felt incomparably rich and pure, saturated with dense mana that instantly rushed into his body, invigorating his senses and replenishing him completely.

He stretched gently, letting the familiar currents of energy flow freely through his channels, his body instantly adapting and harmonizing with the potent ambient mana.

A sense of relief washed over him, making Orion exhale softly, a broad smile stretching naturally across his face.

"Finally," he murmured softly, feeling genuine contentment. "It feels like I can breathe again."

Just then, rustling sounds echoed faintly from beyond the tree line. Orion’s head immediately turned, his eyes softening with a warmth and anticipation he hadn’t fully realized he’d been holding within.

Figures emerged swiftly from the foliage, their footsteps hurried, their gazes bright with a mixture of relief, astonishment, and joy.

"Brother Orion!" came a familiar, urgent voice, filled with unrestrained relief.

At the forefront, Arya rushed forward, her face radiant with delight and her eyes shimmering with unshed tears of relief.

Right behind her was Emilia, her normally composed demeanor momentarily forgotten as a soft, genuine smile bloomed openly on her face. Felira and Sylvia quickly followed, their eyes wide with astonishment and happiness.

Nyss came at the back, away from the others, while looking at Orion with a genuine smile on her face.

Edgar appeared next, his distraught expression breaking into an earnest, relieved grin upon seeing Orion unharmed and healthy. Even Lucan exhaled a sigh of relief after seeing Orion safe and sound in front of him as he nodded his head toward him.

Arya stopped just a short distance from Orion, looking at him worriedly and quickly asking, "Are you alright, Brother Orion? Did that vampire do something to you?"

Orion gently raised his hand, signaling Arya to calm down. He offered her a warm, reassuring smile, his gaze soothing and confident. "Arya, relax. I’m fine, truly," he assured her softly, his voice filled with warmth. "The vampire couldn’t harm me in the end."

Arya let out a relieved sigh, her shoulders visibly relaxing as tension seeped away from her expression.

Emilia stepped closer, her sharp, thoughtful gaze scanning Orion’s appearance closely before nodding slowly in approval, clearly satisfied by what she saw.

Orion’s expression turned thoughtful as a slight frown crossed his face. "First things first, can anyone tell me how long I’ve actually been gone? Something doesn’t seem to add up," he asked quietly, eyes narrowing in slight confusion.

Edgar took a step forward and calmly explained to Orion, "Time flows differently in different worlds, Young Master. The time ratio between a Prime Realm like ours and a Small World is roughly one to ten."

Orion’s eyes widened slightly as understanding dawned upon him. "Oh, no wonder it felt odd," he murmured thoughtfully, nodding to himself. "I spent around ten days within that Small World after being separated from you all. That means only a single day passed here?"

Edgar inclined his head respectfully, confirming Orion’s deduction. "Precisely, Young Master."

Behind Edgar, Elias stepped forward, his eyes wide with open curiosity and lingering concern. "But what exactly happened after the portal was destroyed by that vampire?" he asked urgently, his voice filled with worry.

"The spatial turbulence was horrifying. We honestly thought you might have perished within that chaos. Yet Sir Edgar and the others remained adamant you’d be alright."

Orion chuckled lightly, touched by their genuine worry. He felt warmth spreading in his chest, feeling good for having friends who cared so deeply about his well-being.

"I understand your worry," Orion said, his voice gentle yet firm. "When the portal collapsed, I was forcibly teleported back to the same world. At that point, I was already injured, but I managed to use one of my treasures to conceal myself from their detection."

As he spoke, everyone fell silent, listening closely with rapt attention. Orion’s club members—Arya, Emilia, Felira, Sylvia, Nyss, and others—all stared at him in quiet amazement.