Leaving the Emperor Bone Sea was a far easier task than entering it. Whether it was due to their apparent familiarity with the environment or the Sea God's lingering aura on their bodies, they didn't run into any trouble at all in their exit.
Within a few hours, Damien and Zara were at the precipice of a cliff, overlooking the scenery they spent the last month exploring.
"It's finally time to return…" Zara said, a bit of melancholy in her voice.
"Mm, at least for now, we should leave the Emperor Bone Sea alone. When the time comes, we're sure to return." Damien commented.
"Are you sad we have to leave?" He asked.
"Hmm, a little?" Zara said, feeling a little unsure. "I had a lot of fun on this trip. It's just sad that it has to end."
Damien smiled lightly. "Ah, if it's just that then it's fine. After all, won't we have many more trips following this one? This is only our first mission, and the first bit of Death Emperor Star that we've seen. In time, we'll explore every single piece of it that exists."
"Mm!" Zara nodded happily.
Her hesitation to leave came mainly from the fact that during this trip, the relationship she had with Damien improved drastically. Well, rather than improved, it was better to say it returned to normalcy.
The closeness of their interactions was far different from the distance they had when traveling to Death Emperor Star, and even if Damien was only treating her as a companion, that was perfectly fine to her.
Even discounting their relationship, this bit of practical experience was also something she enjoyed incredibly. During her time with Tang Lingzi, while she was constantly traversing Forbidden Zones, she was doing so alone.
The atmosphere of brutal training that surrounded those explorations made them difficult to enjoy, and the loneliness made it easy to get bored or go insane.
Now, traveling with someone else and experiencing life and death together, Zara felt a new thrill unlike what she'd felt back then.
She thoroughly loved the feeling of gaining strength and adventuring. A budding adventurer's spirit bloomed in her heart, making her anticipate the adventures that would come.
While they spoke, Damien and Zara made their way back to the little cabin on the cliff. They smiled at the old lady's surprised face as they asked her to transport them back to the academy.
And with one final push, they arrived back in Hidden Death Valley.
***
"You've mapped 5,000 kilometers in both depth and distance. The reward of 1,000 contribution points will be deposited in your accounts. How would you like to split it?"
"Half and half."
"Alright, I'll send 500 points to Mister Damien Void and 500 points to Miss Zara. In addition to these points, the discovery of an aquatic civilization with intelligent life and detailed information about said society has granted you an additional 1,000 points. I will split this reward the same way. Is that okay?"
"Perfect."
Damien smiled at the receptionist in the Mystic Tower who verified his quest completion. Now that both he and Zara had 1,000 contribution points, they had more than enough to fuel their training for the next few months.
In order to cope with the fact that they never reached the 10,000-kilometer mark, Damien was forced to instead use information about Aquazyl to make up those points.
Still, he was careful about what he chose to share.
Any information about the Prominence War or the Sea God was completely hidden. The only information he gave was a general overview of the 5 clans and their structures, as well as their appearances. He did include information about an ongoing war, but claimed that he knew nothing of it.
As for the location of the realm, how would he know? He was furiously escaping a Sea Dragon when he was suddenly pulled into a mystical vortex that appeared out of thin air. Even if he wanted to go back to Aquazyl, he didn't have the means or understanding to locate it.
At least, that's what Hidden Death Valley's report said.
Even if Damien needed contribution points, there was no reason for him to share a cake that was exclusively prepared for him. He wasn't that generous.
Nevertheless, the required processes concerning the Emperor Bone Sea mission were all completed swiftly. While his adventure in Aquazyl wasn't over yet, Damien had the patience to wait until the time was right before returning.
Until then, there was only one thing on his mind:
Train, train, train.
It was time for his ranking in Heaven's List to skyrocket.
***
Bang!
A vase shattered on the floor in a castle deep within Hidden Death Valley. It wasn't the first of its kind nor would it be the last.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless treasures made of invaluable materials were thrown about like waste, all due to the tantrum of a single man.
"How, how, how?! How did he survive?!" Reavus Bloodlock snarled with bloodshot eyes. He couldn't believe that even with all the manpower he wasted taking care of Damien, he still failed.
His enmity with Damien was only a byproduct of his enmity with Atticus Flamesworth, but somehow, it had become a far more prominent issue.
Damien was just a dog…a mere dog of the Fallen Star Holy Land dared to make him lose face like this?!
"What a cowardly move! Using the Emperor Bone Sea's environment to kill instead of fighting with his own power, how weak!" Reavus scoffed.
He'd seen the mission report. Damien reported his encounter with the assassins, and he also reported the method he used to deal with them.
Aside from that, Reavus still remembered the scenes he saw on the assassins' memory beads after their deaths.
Every assassin connected to the Bloodlock Clan had a memory bead in their body to transmit images of what occurred during their death. In this way, the Bloodlock Clan could assess their enemies' strength and plan accordingly.
What Reavus saw was incredibly confusing. It was a tree with branches like human arms, surrounded by a dark red stream of blood.
After cross-referencing Damien's report, Reavus learned of the Unrestrained Death Tree's existence. He also learned about how the assassins he sent foolishly revealed themselves at the prospect of treasure.
Though nobody other than he knew of his involvement with the assassins, Reavus still felt like his reputation was tainted! Both by the low quality of his men and Damien's craftiness, he was embarrassed!
"Kill them all!" He roared. "Any family members of the assassins, kill them all! If you find any good women, bring them to me! Hmph, how dare they die so insolently?!"
His hands gleamed with the same red light as his irises.
He never lost to anyone other than those with higher status than him. For those people, he could quietly accept defeat and train until he could surpass them.
But for a mere commoner scum who was brought in as the Fallen Star Holy Land's slave boy…?
Reavus clenched his teeth until they cracked. This insult…he sure as hell wouldn't take it lying down.
