Chapter 176: Professor Lyra Is Anxious!

Soren’s biggest trump card yet wasn’t his bloodline, nor was it the access to his Eros’ Treasury.

It wasn’t even the abnormal

Critical Hit stat

that let him put forth damage four times the original. But it was this GAP stat that let him evolve his level, class, or skill once.

To be honest, he still didn’t know what the purpose of increasing the level once was, as it seemed redundant.

But random things aside, this stat helped him a lot. So much so that the sole reason why he even reached level 49 so early was because of it.

Unfortunately, it was an invariable stat after all. He couldn’t increase it, nor did he know how to get it again.

But right now...

’Gulp!’

Soren couldn’t help but gulp in surprise.

On one hand, he was glad that he avoided a misfortune and on the other, getting another point of GAP stat meant he could now push his skill to SSS-rank and class to SS.

’SSS-rank...’

That was the pinnacle of the known realm in this world. Only a handful of people like protagonist Evan had such skills.

And now, he...

’Wait a minute...what happens if I get an SS-rank skill later on?’

Soren suddenly had a doubt. Was there a rank above SSS in this world?

In the game Lover’s Labyrinth, up to where he played, Evan’s SSS-rank Sword Saint was the top skill then.

Maybe he wouldn’t be able to stack anymore?

"Chik-Chik!"

Just as Soren was thinking randomly, while slowly standing up from the ground, someone climbed onto his shoulder, letting out a distressed sound.

"Frost?"

Who else could it be but his pet, Albino Lizard? Now that he thought about it, he didn’t see him just now.

’Maybe she just pulled me directly into the domain?’

Soren didn’t know how Lilith’s skill worked nor did he want to know.

In fact, he was still feeling extremely uncomfortable with the Demon Seed lodged in his mind.

If not for the fear of Lilith returning abruptly, he would have refined it using his unique skill already.

Although it seemed inert, who knew what kind of effect it had?

"Don’t worry...we are fine."

Frost might have felt the presence of Red Moon’s gaze just now as he looked extremely panicked and distressed, clutching his shirt tightly.

The poor guy might be scared shitless, as he was urging Soren to leave.

"Okay, let’s contact Professor Lyra and get the hell out of here immediately."

He also didn’t want to stay here anymore. He still had no idea why Lilith had traveled to the 10th floor all of a sudden.

It was better to leave this place while he still could.

"Soren? Are you alright? Nothing happened to you right? Why did you take so long to contact me?"

The moment Soren steadied himself and poured his mana into the communication crystal, it flared to life, a bright glow spilling out as Lyra’s voice came through.

Only...she sounded so anxious.

Almost as if she was scared for his life.

"What happened?"

Soren asked, puzzled.

Did Lyra notice Lilith’s presence?

But with her level, she shouldn’t have such an ability.

"Thank God, you seem fine. You scared me!"

Sure enough, Lyra definitely didn’t notice Lilith. Rather, she seemed anxious about other things.

"Professor, just...why do you seem anxious?"

Soren had no intention of telling anyone about Lilith and his meeting today. Even if he got rid of that Demon Seed later on.

Not even to his girls.

This casualty was too big of a burden to share. He still had a faint suspicion that it was the result of him adding a huge amount of luck points to his stats abruptly.

That was the only variable big enough to affect such an entity after all.

Why would he try his luck again then?

"No...it is nothing. It is just that Ruther..."

Lyra was about to explain, but suddenly paused as if remembering the important things at hand. So, she changed the topic directly.

"Forget it. The situation has gone awry, and we have to close the Demon Gate as soon as possible. Did you deploy all the Void Stones at the location I said?"

She asked, to which Soren replied positively,

"Yeah, all have been deployed, and I can teleport there easily."

"Good...then, let’s start. Once the Void Stones resonate with each other, return to the first location of the Void Stone you activated and I will teleport you out of the Abyss along with others. Get ready."

Lyra advised, before going silent, probably informing other students.

"Okay, Soren...you can start...now!"

The moment Lyra spoke again, Soren took a steady breath and reached into his storage.

One by one, six Void Stones slid into his palm.

They were small, each no larger than a thumb, yet impossibly dense with mana. Their surfaces shimmered like fractured glass, deep violet veins running through them as if something alive pulsed within.

At their core, a faint swirl of darkness rotated slowly, swallowing light instead of reflecting it.

Just holding them made the air around his fingers feel thin and distorted. No doubt each one of them was an extremely precious treasure.

Soren didn’t waste time and crouched, placing the first stone at his feet. Then he poured a trickle of his mana, activating it.

*Swoosh!*

The instant it touched the ground, instead of sitting there like a stone, it sank half an inch into space itself, as if reality around it softened to accept it.

To be honest, it looked quite magical.

But Soren didn’t care, and without hesitation, he vanished from his position with Teleportation.

*Swoosh!*

Soren reappeared several meters away, where he did the same thing, activating yet another Void Stone.

Then he teleported again.

At every point, he dropped another stone, embedding it into the fabric of space just like the first.

Six locations. Six anchors.

By the time he placed the last one, a faint, invisible pattern had already begun to form between them.

So, he quickly returned to the first.

*Boom!*

The moment he did so, the air twisted.

Each Void Stone trembled violently, releasing low, vibrating hums that echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Lines of warped space stretched between them, faint at first, like threads only visible at the edge of vision.

Then they thickened, pulling taut as if something was drawing them together.

At the center, space caved inward completely, collapsing in on itself as the dark corruption was crushed out of existence.

The writhing darkness that once choked the surroundings was pulled in and erased, leaving behind a clear, open expanse.

For the first time since entering the Abyss, Soren could finally see far and wide.

Finally, a circular dome began to form around the rift, translucent yet heavy, like a bubble made of compressed reality.

Then, the edges of the dome drew inward, tightening as they wrapped around the massive rift suspended before him.

From both outside and within, the distorted space began to fold inward in tiny, precise motions.

It was as if invisible hands were sewing reality itself, threading the gaps shut with delicate, controlled force.

The chaotic ripples gradually synchronized, the vibrations aligning into a steady rhythm.

To be honest, it looked... unreal.

After all, Lyra was practically stitching that rift shut right now.

Soren’s eyes lingered on the formation, unable to look away. There was a strange elegance to it, a level of control that bordered on perfection.

Even he couldn’t help but marvel.

"Okay...Soren, get ready to be teleported outside."

The moment the rift slowly began to close after Lyra’s precise maneuver, Soren once again heard her voice, followed by a strange pull from the space.

Then, once he relaxed, his surroundings shifted abruptly, and in the next moment, he found himself back in the Bleachwood Forest.

"Soren...thank god you are fine."

Of course, unlike the other students, his welcome was a bit different as Sylvia and Aria ran straight toward him in relief, while Aurelia followed behind at a slower pace.

Well, this time, Elise was there too with her sister.

Just... she seemed a bit angry?

"I told you all that he is alright. You don’t believe me."

Elise gave a pout while glaring at Sylvia and Aria, her arms crossed.

Unlike them, she shared a solid bond with Soren and could feel his existence after all. But they didn’t believe her at all.

Even now, they didn’t give her a proper look.

To be honest, she didn’t know why they were so anxious for Soren when the one who should be anxious was silently standing behind them.

Elise thought so while looking sneakily at Aurelia.

She wondered whether Aurelia would directly throw a fireball at her if she knew about her relationship with Soren.

She did have a fierce reputation after all.

"Soren... come here for a bit. I have something to ask you."

Just as Soren was about to reply to the girls, he was interrupted by Lyra, whose face looked tired and extremely solemn.

In fact, not only Lyra, but everyone, including Professor Lysandra and Kael, wore grim expressions, with none of the relief or excitement one would expect after successfully closing a demon gate.

To be honest, considering the name Lyra mentioned before and Lilith’s anger, Soren already had a faint guess in mind.

"...Alright."

But he still acted oblivious, leaving the girls behind as he followed Lyra, ready to see just what had happened here while he was inside, almost being enslaved by Demon Lord Lilith.