Infinite Mana In The Oasis

Elysian City-state of Phoenix. Earth.

Eren opened his eyes.

He could feel that his environment had changed. The light that his eyes immediately started adjusting to seemed different. They held a special warmth that didn't belong to Gilaahan. The warmth one feels when returning home.

It didn't take long for Eren to gain control of all his faculties back again. This was the world he belonged to. Earth. About a week had passed in Gilaahan. However, back on earth, it was only a few hours since his first entrance into the new world.

It was like working a day shift. And like all working-class people, it felt longer than it was.

Before Eren could understand what and why clouds of Rank 1 mana started gathering around him. His natal body was still in the first stage of Meta rank. And now that his soul was back, it prompted the body to proceed with the breakthrough that was due.

Swoosh!

Everyone in the area felt a distinct mana pulse. The mana pulse of someone achieving multi-stage breakthroughs.

Eren had barely gotten up from his lying position when he had achieved his breakthroughs. It surprised him and also made him happy. Happy that there was such a quick way to progress through the ranks.

"You are a fast learner, Eren."

Miranda greeted Eren as soon as he got up and achieved his breakthrough. The breakthrough was seamless since it was a stage breakthrough and he had already passed the hurdles in Gilaahan. It didn't bother or freeze Eren in his tracks.

"Hehe. It's all thanks to you. I have a capable captain."

Eren replied with a smile on his face. Miranda's other team members also formally congratulated him on his breakthrough. Ekay Mayne and Rhea Reavers also had brief talks with him.

Eren had left his synth body in the guild's dorm room. Laying on the same bed he had first found himself onto. The array beneath the bed was meant to look after his body as it was put into a vegetative state.

Eren would be able to use his synth-body like normal when he dives into Gilaahan tomorrow. Eren didn't need to stay in the guild's dorm. It was convenient for him that he could keep his synth body there while keeping the cost of maintenance low.

The world of Gilaahan housed many races from different worlds, using various means to reach the world. Therefore, all residential places and dormitories across almost all kingdoms would allow rankers to protect their synth bodies by offering a variety of facilities.

There were various ways to extend one's stay in Gilaahan or end it abruptly. However, using a secured facility that would keep your synth body safe until your return was something that needed to be observed by everyone.

Eren then proceeded to the storage facility of the guild and booked an isolated chamber for himself. This was the chamber he could use to bring back anything that he had found in Gilaahan. This was also the way he could send whatever he had on Earth sent to Gilaahan.

He found himself in a room that only had a large table, measuring about 7 meters long and 5 meters wide. The table had a spatial array imprinted on it. The table had another small platform with depression for keeping one's hands inside.

Eren kept his right hand over the platform and activated his Identity tattoo. In the next moment, the runes inside the arrays on the table lit up. All the stuff that he had selected to bring back to Earth had been brought back in the next moment as the spatial fabric rippled.

Eren had been already informed that the usage of artifacts, especially weapon artifacts, was banned back on Earth unless it was for defense purposes. Nobody had prevented him from carrying those weapons here.

Apparently, the city government did not trust all rankers to follow its rules. So it allowed rankers to find a loophole for protecting themselves against such people.

Eren took his belongings back to his storage space and left the isolated chamber. These chambers were meant to be used by rankers to have their resources close to them at all times. The chambers allowed rankers to keep their belongings away from prying eyes.

Eren doubted that the guild would have some kind of idea of what their guild members had imported from another world. But for the most part, it wouldn't care unless it's a measure of security concern for the Elysian cities.

'30 Mana Quartz!'

Eren couldn't believe that he'd be able to have 30 Mana Quartz on his first day of diving into Gilaahan. He had risked his life and was paid handsomely for it. No wonder rankers were richer than mortals.

***

A late evening with a bright moon. Neon-lights-like signs. A gyro car speeding across the empty roads of the Elysian city-state.

'Even with my current speed, it'll take several months to pay back my loan to the Stardust guild. I need more money.'

Eren was lost in his own thoughts when he heard some distant voice, which sounded less distant the more he focused on it.

"Eren? Eren? Eren! Are you sleeping with your eyes open?"

Reece was calling him from her driver's seat. She was taking them back to their home. She was trying to talk about various things to Eren. but for the last couple of minutes, he had observed silence. So she yelled his name a couple of times to get his attention.

"Hm? What?"

Eren asked as he stopped all his thoughts and looked at Reece. She was smiling at him as if expecting him to be speechless about his experiences in Gilaahan. She took a seamless 90 degrees turn and processed to zip the gyro car across almost empty streets before asking him.

"How do you see it, Eren? I was trying to ask you how you see Gilaahan and Earth now that you have experienced both worlds. It was a life-changing event for me. I want to know how significant it was for you."

Eren smiled at Reece before nodding at her. He used the door's window ledge to support his arm and felt the wind pressure outside by leaning outside before commenting.

"Reece… it was indeed a life-changing event. I don't know where I belong anymore. I don't have the right words to describe my feelings yet.

But now… I can't wait to break into the Awakened rank."