"So, why isn't it burrowing itself deeper into the ground again... isn't that what it does when someone is close to discovering it?" Gradier Xanatus asked as he inspected the shell-like area.

"The Vindruella probably used up its energy for the ritual," Gustav answered with a contemplative look.

​​

Gradier Xanatus stretched out his hand towards the podium, and a blue glow surrounded it, "Looks like you're right… I can hardly sense any energy left," He said while retracting his arms.

Gustav smiled internally on hearing that as he stared at the system notification in his line of sight.

[System Upgrade Completed]

Even though the crystal still had a lot of energy left after Gustav and the system absorbed from it, at the moment, everything had almost been absorbed completely. The sentience that the crystal awoke due to its massive energy had also been absorbed. This was why it couldn't burrow itself into the ground anymore, even after sensing Gustav and Gradier Xanatus's presence along with the others.

The reason this was so was that, several minutes ago, after Gustav regained his essence back, the system notified him of some things.

***************

__________________

[Quest Completed: Defeat The Vindruella]

[Side Quest Completed: Survive]

Rewards>>

__________________

__________________

[Goal Completed: Possess up to a total of thirty bloodlines]

Reward>>

__________________

While Gustav was talking to Gradier Xanatus, he was also checking out the system, and he was very much delighted by what he saw, but it didn't show on his face. He disguised well.

__________________

[System Is Ready To Upgrade]

__________________

'Will this take another two or three days?' Gustav asked.

("If I make use of the Crystal Energy, I can speed up the Upgrade and even store up more energy for the next)

'Alright, make use of the energy crystal. Who knows when next we'll get an opportunity like this,' Gustav agreed to the system's decision.

************

Currently, Gradier Xanatus thought the Vindruella was responsible, but he had no idea that the system was actually the culprit.

Although he was now aware of Gustav being able to use several abilities, just like Miss Aimee, he didn't know about the system.

Gradier Xanatus asked Gustav to keep what had happened here a secret in the meantime, and he would explain to the higher-ups what transpired.

"I'm sure you will be rewarded for this act of heroism," Gradier Xanatus said to Gustav.

"Pfft, what act of heroism? I didn't do this for anyone. I did it for myself. The Vindruella was gonna come after me, so I went after it first," Gustav stated after laughing slightly.

"Oh, but still, you saved your fellow participants by winning the battle here," Gradier Xanatus added.

"Even if I failed, you have been watching the whole time so I'm sure you'd have swooped in to save the day. My acts don't count," Gustav waved it off.

"Hmm, true, but it was still your actions as well as that of your group that saved the day so that can't be brushed off," Gradier Xanatus voiced out with a smile.

"If that's the case, then make sure the reward is good enough. Do I get to choose what I want?" Gustav asked.

Gustav's sudden change shocked Gradier Xanatus. He stared at Gustav, wondering when he became so shameless.

"Cough cough, I don't know yet. I guess we shall see after I give them the report," Gradier Xanatus replied.

("I have regained some of my memories... I have visuals of some stars I passed through before arriving here,")

Gustav's eyes widened slightly as he heard this.

Yes, this time, it wasn't a message, instead, it was a smooth feminine voice.

'Hey, you have a voice now?' Gustav asked internally.

-----------

Gustav and the rest were later brought out of the hole by Gradier Xanatus.

He decided to bring them out himself to make it faster since it would take more time for them to get to the top by themselves.

Gradier Xanatus went on to keep pretending to be a prisoner. They moved to other parts of the ruins to continue his observation.

As for Gustav, Angy, Maltida, E.E, and Falco, they moved together to a safe part of the ruins to recuperate.

They met Glade along the way, who had also regained her senses.

Glade was feeling embarrassed as she apologized to Gustav and Angy.

Angy dismissed her apology saying it wasn't her fault.

Just like that, twelve hours went by, and the day was coming to an end.

It was already evening time, and Gustav and the others were in a settlement of prisoners who didn't participate in disturbing or obstructing the participants in any way.

This part of the ruins was peaceful, and most of the participants that knew about it came over here to sleep for the night.

Gustav was in a makeshift tent at the moment alone.

He had asked the rest for some time alone, hiding under the guise of wanting to recuperate, but the truth was he had been conversing with the system for the past hour.

Angy and the rest still wanted to gather more grandstones before the day came to an end, so they set out after enough rest.

The next morning would be when every participant that survived would be brought out of the ruins.

It would also mark the end of the test phase, and everyone will be graded. Tomorrow was when they would figure out whether they would be enlisted in the MBO camp or not.

"Who knew you'd have a feminine voice... That of a kid for that matter," Gustav mocked the system.

("The sound of my voice is just a representation of what the host desires...")

"What? Why would I desire to hear the voice of a little girl?" Gustav asked with a weird look on his face.

("Your inner pervertedness has been exposed,")

It was now the system's turn to mock Gustav.

"Shut it, I have no such desires," Gustav said with a look of certainty.

"Anyways... Show me the footages you mentioned earlier," Gustav requested.

("Alright, but you can't see them all because, from my calculations, I must have been drifting through space for at least five hundred years, so I will only display some parts to you,") The system responded.

Gustav had a surprised look on his face as he heard that.

"Five hundred years?"