Corvo Bianco Vineyards.
The southernmost region of the City of White Raven bathed in the early evening glow.
The sky, though still bright, displayed various shades of orange and gold.
"Erni, what will you do after you leave Anfang?" Nina inquired, her gaze fixed on Eren. Seated at a garden table, surrounded by vibrant greenery, the two engaged in conversation.
"Hmm, that's an interesting question," responded Eren between bites of his supper—Scotch Eggs paired with White Raven ale. Taking a small bite and washing it down with a sip of ale, he continued, "Missing you will be the first on my agenda," a knowing smile accompanying his words.
"Hehe. You don't have to use your sweet nothings to convince me, Erni," chuckled Nina. "I already approve of you leaving Anfang. I appreciate the gesture though."
"I am not saying it for the sake of saying it," Eren retorted, looking at Nina with a hint of offense. "I'll indeed miss you, you know."
Nina's face brightened at Eren's words, easily pleased or perhaps charmed by his simple gestures. One could say that Nina was easy to please. Or Eren knew how to please her in the right manner with mere words alone.
"Don't worry too much, Nina," reassured Eren, finishing his supper. Raising his glass of ale, he continued.
"Once I find stable footing, I'll call you guys up there. After all, no matter where I go or end up, I can use capable hands as my allies. And who better than the guys I already know from Anfang?
I'll leave an arrangement behind after I leave that you guys can use to follow me whenever you are ready to leave Anfang. Or I can come back here after some time and pick you up myself.
You could focus on perfecting the Nirvana Array and break into the Grandmaster Rank till then. I don't want your Ranking Progress to stagnate after my departure."
Nina couldn't help but reflect on how quickly the dynamics had shifted. It wasn't long ago that Eren, not even a proper Ranker at the time, claimed he would surpass her in Ranking Status. Back then, with her Expert status, the gap was considerable.
However, in just a few years, Eren not only bridged that gap but also surpassed her, attaining the status of a Grandmaster.
It wasn't that Nina had stagnated. She was already considered to be one of the exceptions in her generation by attaining the Expert Rank at her age while staying in the City of Osan. Furthermore, her Ranking Progress had been extra remarkable since joining Eren's guild.
Yet, Eren's achievement was nothing short of extraordinary, practically skipping the Master Rank to become a Grandmaster. Nina's achievements as a Ranker when she compared them against what Eren had achieved.
"My Ranking Progress hasn't stagnated though. It's you who has used some kind of cheat to surpass me," Nina complained while looking at Eren with expressions that said she was looking at a deviant.
"Kekeke," Eren chuckled, looking at Nina's expressions. He nodded before speaking further.
"You are indeed right when you say that your progress has not stagnated. But you still need to do better. And I know you can. That's why I want you to focus on your Ranking Journey with a new perspective.
Forget the standards we have in Anfang. You must think of what you need to do to survive in the otherworlds.
Not just you. Or Levine. Or Agatha. We all need to do this. So that all of us can rise above the goals we had set for ourselves when we knew nothing about the worlds that are out there," Eren spoke with genuine honesty in his voice.
Nina nodded before responding.
"Alright. Who else is going with you?" Nina asked while picking up her glass of ale. Sipping her drink slowly, she paid close attention to Eren's response.
"The Immortal Planes are not easy to explore," Eren said seriously, his expressions turning a bit stern as he spoke.
"With rewards comes risk, Nina. My higher Ranking Status might become a problem for me as I'm trying to leave this world.
In the past, I had planned to leave Anfang when I was just a Master Rank because that was the bare minimum requirement for one to enter the Immortal Planes. It was also said to be the most ideal Ranking Status for one to leave Anfang through the Immortal Planes.
However, things happened, and I ended up becoming a Grandmaster.
They say that the risks you attract in the Immortal Planes are bound to increase the higher your Ranking Status is. So I'll be using some Master Rankers from the guild and our allies to become pathfinders for me. Ivor will be the one leading this group.
Apart from those guys, I'll have Reen and Alephee accompanying me. Depending upon the path to the world the Spatial Gate connects to, I'll be taking Layla or some of my monster underlings as allies. I guess that's about it."
Nina nodded in understanding. She appreciated the fact that Eren was well-prepared for his journey ahead. She also liked that he had considered the risks of traveling through the Immortal Planes.
Asking him not to travel through those Planes because it was risky was stupid. And telling him to be careful was a moot point. Nina was a Ranker herself, and she could understand why Eren wanted to leave Anfang at the cost of taking risks.
Thus, she pondered a bit before speaking further.
"The world of Anfang will be completely open to the otherworlders after a century or two. Stepping outside will become a lot easier when that time comes. Rankers like me can skip having to explore the Immortal Planes if we use the spatial Gates that connect us to the worlds we are traveling directly.
I think I'll probably take a safer route and wait for that time to come. Meanwhile, I'll try to break into the Grandmaster Rank. With the kind of ranking resources we have at the time, it shouldn't be too difficult."
Nina said casually before gulping down the remaining ale in her glass.
