"Eren, why don't you let them win already?" Rhys stepped in, seeing that the bowing would never end unless one side finally gave up.

Meanwhile, a small red signal with a low chime started to beep on the screen of his exoskeleton.

Rhys's attention snapped to the alert. His brows knit, and his voice turned firm. "Eren, we have a meeting. Let's go."

Eren also heard the beeping and saw the red indicator flashing on his arm, knowing too well what it meant.

He immediately rose to his feet and gave his final words to the Velari still kneeling on the ground. "Sorry, King Vale, I have urgent business now. We can continue when I return." Then, with a single leap, he went through the open door of the hoverjet, which was hovering low above their heads.

Rhys turned to the researchers and to the two soldiers in exoskeletons at the back, giant rifles in hand, standing ready for orders on full guard. "We will be back in at most 30 minutes. Can you manage in our absence?"

"Yes, don't worry about us," Dr. Veyla said, adjusting her glasses.

She had already gone through many things in these few days, and her mindset seemed to have already adapted to the dangers that might appear at any time. She even seemed amused and excited, despite having just survived a kidnapping and an almost fatal adventure.

"Stay on watch," Rhys said, giving his last order to the two soldiers. After receiving a sharp military salute in reply, he turned and climbed the thick rope still hanging from the hoverjet's door and went inside.

Inside, the cabin was very spacious. There were ten more soldiers, most of them in exoskeletons with giant rifles in their hands, waiting ready.

There was also a massive bed in one corner that looked comfortable, and beside it stood Eren.

"Are you ready?" he asked while watching Rhys approach.

"I don't think I will ever get used to this feeling," Rhys said with a breath. "Yes, do it."

Then Eren raised his hand, and Rhys's body disappeared that moment into his Sanctuary.

After that, Eren lay down on the massive bed and, before closing his eyes, said, "30 minutes."

At his command, the hoverjet's door closed shut, and the 10 soldiers in the cabin, weapons in hand, set their faces into hard focus as their 30-minute mission began, the mission to protect with full attention.

At the same time, under the watch of all Velari eyes, the hoverjet's massive metal body began to rise toward the sky until it disappeared inside the clouds, hiding from any eyes, friend or foe.

—

When Eren opened his eyes again, he eased open the lid of the game capsule he was in, pushed himself upright, and stepped out.

The room was different from when he first came to the Player Headquarters and the Playroom.

It was much bigger and no longer resembled the sterility of a laboratory.

With its design, the carpets adorning the floor, the family photos on the walls, the couch set in one corner, the wall-mounted television, and even a kitchen visible in the other corner, everything suggested it was a normal home where a young man could live comfortably for life.

After Eren upgraded his status, he requested to change his room, and the administrators gave him a bigger room entirely his own inside the Player Headquarters.

They also specially built a new, massive game pod for him so that his body, now three meters tall, could fit comfortably inside.

There were also no doctors or nurses constantly monitoring his vital signs while he was in the capsule, yet the room was not empty either.

As Eren stepped out of his game capsule, a small figure with a bright, wide smile approached. "Brother, are you out for dinner? It's almost ready."

When he heard the most beautiful, melodic voice in the world, a big smile spread across Eren's face as he looked at his sister.

Her once-pale green eyes were now open and bright, like spring grass filled with light and hope. Her brown hair, which had lost its color and health after so long confined to bed, now looked full of life.

And most importantly, she was standing there with an apron on and a ladle in her hand, saying dinner was almost ready.

As Eren looked at the scene he had long dreamed of and had even started to think was impossible, his eyes filled with tears and his body trembled slightly.

Seeing his emotional state, Mira pouted. "Don't do it again, brother. I thought we already got past this."

It had not been long since she recovered from the disease that had kept her bedridden for years, following the genetic mutation surgery.

She was not yet completely healed, since her new genes needed time to continue developing and to make her body fully adapt.

However, the fact that she could now walk around without help, and especially that she could speak once again, was enough for Eren to become emotional every time he saw her like this and to bring tears to his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm just…" Eren's voice cracked for a moment as he wiped away the tears that were about to fall with the back of his hand.

Then his face brightened again as he spoke with excitement. "Do you know I found a new place? A kingdom, actually, with so many short people. They all look like dwarves from those fantasy webnovels, very similar to humans in appearance, but they are strangely warm, and all seem like good people."

"Oh, really?" Mira's eyes brightened when she heard it.

Every time her brother came back from the game, now called the Beyond, he told her lots of exciting stories, far from the boring ones he experienced during school life, and she truly enjoyed how this fantastic world came alive in her mind thanks to her brother's words.

"Yes. It's far different from the place I told you about before, the Pacthold. I'm sure you would love to see it. Once we are done and have secured the place, I will make sure to bring you there." Eren continued speaking excitedly, then suddenly paused, as if something had just come to mind.

"Ah, crap, sorry, I almost forgot. I have an emergency meeting."

Seeing his absent-minded self, Mira first laughed, then her face grew serious as she scolded him in a half-joking tone. "Brother, you can't be so careless. Go, hurry, don't make people wait for you."

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. I will try to make it back in time for dinner," Eren said hurriedly as he headed toward the door.

Although it was already quite late for dinner, he knew his sister would not eat until he came, so he quickened his steps, only to stop when her gentle voice reached him once again.

"Ah, by the way, in this meeting, will he be there?" Mira asked, her eyes shining.

Eren turned and looked at her, fully aware of whom she was asking about. "Maybe. I'm not sure."

When she heard that, her face fell a little, then brightened again. "If you see him, don't forget to say my thanks."

Eren smiled warmly at that. "Don't worry. I will be sure to make him understand how grateful we are." He then turned and left the room in a hurry.

For his new life, his biggest dream, and his sister's restored health, Eren knew that no words and no thanks could measure his gratitude, so he chose to prove it in deeds, now and for a lifetime, for as long as he kept breathing.

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