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Seeing that he was only bloodied by the monsters' blood, the two sighed in relief. They then went back to where the others were - gathered around the body of the Jade Golem.

Coincidentally, Adrian and Aria's gazes landed on each other. They stared for a few seconds until Aria turned away, showing her anger.

'Crap, she knows it, right?' Adrian instantly realized she knew he was injured and didn't fully keep his promise. 'Urgh... Now this is adding more trouble...'

Thankfully, Irithel and Aurelius were there to distract them.

"So, how do we divide the loot?" Lila was the one who asked.

"Hmm... Since Adrian was already fighting with them, he should keep the ones he killed," Aurelius replied, referring to the cores of the Red Kobolds.

"Right, he should also get the highest share of the golem's loot," Irithel added.

The others clearly didn't show any dissatisfaction with their words.

"Let's leave the Ruin now," Aurelia suggested, inwardly worrying if something happened to her brother.

At the same time, Adrian went over, picking up his sword and breaking off a large piece of the golem's body. Then he retrieved a palm-sized core - an orb that radiated with an otherworldly glow. This was the artifact they were looking for.

Adrian pocketed the orb carefully, feeling its weight and the faint pulsation of its power. Obviously, he chose this as his loot, and let the jades to others.

He then joined the others, who had already started to gather their loot and prepare for the journey back.

After a moment, a portal appeared in front of every student inside the Ruin, knowing the Ruin had been conquered, they had no choice but to leave.

___ __ _

By the evening, they had already returned to the Academy. After a few minutes of speech about their performance and mistakes, Professor Maunt dismissed them.

Many of the students went directly to their rooms to change and take a shower after their tedious ruin exploration. Adrian was the same, eager to wash off the grime and blood from the day.

Feeling the cold water cascade over him, Adrian took a moment to reflect. The past week had been intense, filled with rigorous training and the recent challenge of the Jade Mine Ruin. As he lathered up, his eyes fell on his arms and torso, inspecting the scars that mapped his body.

To his surprise, he noticed that the injuries from two months ago had fully healed, leaving no trace. The deep stab cuts from the assassins and the bruises from the intense training sessions were gone, his skin smooth where once there had been wounds.

However, the injuries from the more recent events were still visible. The scars on his left hand were the most prominent—three long, jagged lines that ran from his wrist to his knuckles. He traced them with his fingers, the rough texture a stark reminder of the battles he had fought and the mistakes he had made.

Sighing, Adrian accepted these scars as a part of him now, physical proof of his journey and growth. Each mark told a story of survival and determination, a testament to his resilience. He knew that these experiences, painful as they were, had made him stronger.

Finishing his shower, Adrian stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He wiped the steam off the mirror and stared at his reflection, noting the intensity in his own eyes. Despite the fatigue, there was a trace of satisfaction. Well, he had achieved what he wanted after all.

He got dressed and returned to his sleeping room, the cool evening air a welcome change from the stifling heat of the shower. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out the orb he had retrieved from the Jade Golem, its faint glow illuminating the room. He turned it over in his hands, feeling the power it contained.

"Although it is quite useful when one knows how to use it, it will be useless at the upcoming event." He muttered thoughtfully. "Should I exchange it for something else? Maybe there are other things that might be useful than this."

"Not to mention I haven't been to the Exchange Hall before, so this is kind of a tour as well." making up his mind, he decided to visit the Exchange Hall tomorrow. Thankfully, it worked even on the weekends.

Then he put the orb away in his storage ring.

"I should cook something..." He muttered as he felt his stomach asking for food.

"Sigh, living alone is truly amazing but kind of lonely and boring as well..." He muttered as prepared a light meal for himself. "I am realizing this once again..."

The memories of his past life as Alex resurfaced in his mind, and a melancholic smile formed on his lips.

'Can I go back-'

"Knock-!"

"Knock-!"

Just as he was immersed in his memories, the door was knocked. Putting away the tools in his hand, he went to open the door.

It was none other than Aria, carrying a few things in her hand.

"Oh, come in." Although she was as beautiful as before, Adrian was somehow used to it, so he wasn't as weak-willed as before.

Aria took a seat at the dining table.

"Were you cooking?" She asked. "Then, I should-"

"No, I was just about to finish," Adrian replied. "You are lucky, I cooked another meal unique to my hometown."

"Oh, in that case, I won't refuse." Aria nodded, already growing fond of his cooking after a few meals they shared together.

Adrian quickly finished preparing the meal, setting two plates on the table. The aroma of the food filled the room, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. Cooking was one of the few things that could help him relax and clear his mind. Now it was going to help to ease his relationship with Aria.

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(A/N: What do you think about the new Cover?

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