I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed reading in the years since Atlas Online was first introduced. Before then, I’d spent a lot of my free time reading stories – mostly fantasy, though other genres could also be found in my virtual library.

Since I was on vacation and there were several worlds’ worth of new stories to discover, I’d decided to return to my old love. Sure, I had to maintain awareness of my surroundings instead of really letting myself get caught up in the stories, but with my added mental stats, that wasn’t a difficult feat.

I was honestly a little surprised when no additional assassins bothered me after I took out the first two. I expected the Sovereignty Sect to be a bit more persistent.

There was a slight sense of guilt at my lack of productivity while I spent my time reading, but relaxing was the whole point of taking a vacation. And since the entire next decade was technically supposed to be a vacation for me, I wasn’t going to beat myself up about spending a measly week doing nothing of real value.

Besides, breaks were important.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually had to end.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Master Kairos asked when I got settled in the fancy flying vehicle he’d rented to take us to the portal hub. I could have just teleported us there, but neither of us was in a rush to get there since our scheduled portal wasn’t for several hours.

“I did,” I replied warmly. “Thank you for coordinating everything.”

“It was my pleasure. I can’t remember the last time I did something like this.”

“Just sit around and do nothing?” I asked with a grin as the vehicle lifted off. Without my Space affinity, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the movement with how smoothly the vehicle moved.

“Pretty much,” he agreed. “I was tempted to knock out some of the never-ending paperwork involved with running a sect, but I decided to follow your lead and take a few days to just unwind once it became clear no more assassins were waiting in the wings.”

“I actually read one of your brother’s series instead,” he said, surprising me a little. I hadn’t taken the old Time Mage for one who enjoyed fantasy fiction. “It was surprisingly good.”

“Yeah? Which one?” I asked, perking up in my seat. I’d also read some of Justin’s work during the break, and I’d been surprisingly entertained by it.

“The one about the Mage who got transmigrated into an alternate reality where Earth wasn’t reintegrated.”

“I’m familiar with that one, but I haven’t read it yet,” I said. “I’ll probably start on it next.”

It was one of the more popular series according to the number of reviews the books had received.

“You haven’t read any of your brother’s work?” Master Kairos asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees like he’d just heard a juicy piece of gossip. I still wasn’t used to seeing him behaving so casually.

Especially not when we were both garbed in our sect robes.

“I didn’t say that,” I replied. “I started with the ‘Earthborn’ series instead. It’s pretty good, though it wasn’t rated as highly as the one you read.”

It still amused me that my tech-focused brother had become a writer. I kinda expected him to lean more heavily into adventuring, especially through the low tiers where there was an abundance of rift slots.

However, it was probably a lot more difficult to manage something like that with a family of his own. It was actually a bit of a surprise that he’d managed to find a contract that allowed him to consistently delve every week.

Given his lower tier, I would have expected it to be harder for him to manage such a feat on Hadier. He hadn’t explained the details of the agreement, but I suspected it was something done through the sect.

Master Kairos had assured me that my family would be well taken care of.

“Well, I hope you are well-rested now,” Master Kairos said leadingly when the vehicle’s elevation started dropping. Within seconds, our rented vehicle had joined the short line to enter the portal hub.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because it’s going to be stressful when we get to the sect,” he replied with a far more serious expression than the one he’d just worn. “There’s a reason I wanted to stop by Aegeas before we rejoin your family.”

His statement and shift in demeanor made me tense. I didn’t like the implications.

“What happened?”

“About what we expected, just a bit sooner than we hoped,” Master Kairos said with a sigh. He didn’t make me wait before continuing, “Word of your existence reached the media, and they are clamoring for an interview. The sect has received dozens of requests in the last few days.”

He looked at me with an expression of resignation. “You’re about to be one of the most famous people in the Alliance. I hope you’re ready.”

----------------------------------------

Holy hell, I was not ready for something like this. Why did I ever think drawing attention to myself would be a good idea?

The sect’s public relations liaison had released a statement after discussing the way forward with me and Master Kairos. It basically provided a summary of my background and added a little blurb about my ongoing issues with the Sovereignty Sect, including their most recent assassination attempt.

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We discussed various approaches we could take now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag, and ultimately decided to go with a short press conference to allow interested parties a chance to use whatever identification spells they had to verify my status.

After repeating the information contained in the press release, I prepared myself to answer a few questions. Thankfully, most were not difficult.

“…I love all kinds of food,” I answered an enthusiastic reporter who’d asked about my inspiration for the MealMaker. “It’s one of my favorite things in life. I designed the MealMaker because I didn’t want my world’s cuisine to be lost during reintegration.”

News that I was the same Enchanter who patented the newest food transmutation device nearly a decade prior only added to the fervor. The MealMaker was insanely popular, given the variety of recipes available and the generous storage capacity.

The device that my creation had effectively replaced was much less user-friendly and only allowed a few recipes to be stored at a time. It also cost more and didn’t allow users to create or record their own recipes.

“What was it like living on Earth? Was it like the stories describe?”

I smiled at the question. I hadn’t discussed publicizing Justin's books with him, but I didn’t think he’d mind me mentioning our connection.

“The stories from pre-integration Earth were… well, they’re like any other stories. I probably haven’t read the ones you’re referencing, though I really should, considering my brother is an author in the genre. He’s written a few popular series, ‘Mundane Isekai’ being one of those. I don’t know if that’s the type of story you’re talking about, though.”

I could see a few of the journalists’ eyes light up. The original reporter nodded before tilting her head. “Yes. You haven’t read your brother’s work?”

I chuckled at the mild sense of déjà vu. “I started with the ‘Earthborn’ series. I plan to read ‘Mundane Isekai’ next. I’ve been a little busy since leaving the dungeon.”

I motioned toward another reporter.

“The information we received implied you’ll be returning to the dungeon within the next ten years. How flexible are your plans?”

“Not very,” I replied. “I made a system-enforced agreement with someone who has since ascended.” I didn’t elaborate further since the implication would be enough. It was basically impossible to modify a contract without all participants’ consent.

“Do you plan on rushing your ascension, or are you going to remain a Pinnacle once you fulfill your contract? Or was ascension part of the contract?”

I hesitated and glanced toward Master Kairos. His expression remained neutral as he looked out at the crowd.

“Ascension was not part of the contract,” I answered. “As far as my current plans go, I am still undecided.”

My inclination was to remain in this realm for a while, especially since my family was still here. But I didn’t want to go on the record making any such statements. I didn’t want anyone to see my family as an avenue to control me.

“What would it take to convince you to stay?” someone called out.

I forced myself to maintain a neutral expression.

“I’m not sure. There are a lot of factors involved, including the effects of time. I have no idea how I’ll feel in a couple hundred subjective years. I’d rather wait to make such an important decision until the time draws closer.”

Thankfully, the journalists present picked up on my discomfort and didn’t start digging. If they had, I would have likely ended the conference.

“Are you seeing anyone?” the next journalist asked, causing a wave of chuckles among the crowd.

I smiled and tried not to blush. “No. I’m also not interested in getting romantically involved with anyone during my short reprieve from the dungeon,” I said apologetically.

“Do you plan to have children before ascending?”

Really, I had no idea why I thought subjecting myself to something like this was a good idea. Even polite, respectful journalists were still journalists. Why did I ever think they wouldn’t ask uncomfortable questions?

“I haven’t decided on that, either,” I said awkwardly. “I really don’t have answers to questions like that. Even if I had a definite plan now, I can’t guarantee I’ll feel the same way by the time I leave the dungeon again.”

Sensing my decreasing inclination to answer such personal questions, the next journalist shifted the line of questioning. “Were you a Tri-Affinity Mage when the Sovereignty Sect disciple challenged you to a duel?”

I shook my head. “No. I only had two affinities at the time. In fact, it was my Time affinity that the disciple took offense to.”

The journalist nodded and asked a follow-up question. “The details of the challenge were outlined in the release, but I was hoping to hear the story in your own words. Can you tell us what happened during the duel and why members of the deceased disciple’s sect might still be targeting you?”

I knew the question was meant to allow those with a Mind affinity or spells like Detect Lie the opportunity to assess the truthfulness of my claim. Since such abilities only worked in person, it was a legitimate request.

“My first interaction with the disciple was him demanding a duel. I’d neither seen nor interacted with the disciple prior to that incident. When I asked what justification he had for such a demand, he told me that my sect, Epikairos, violated the tenets of his sect, presumably by supporting non-elven Time Mages. He then claimed that my very existence was an affront to every long-lived species.

“As soon as the duel started, he activated a Null Field and a [Haste] talisman. I found his hypocrisy particularly amusing,” I added with a smirk. “Unfortunately for him, my Time affinity is beyond whatever meager effects he could call upon with enchanted items. The duel only lasted a breath from the moment he cast the Null Field until his death.”

I didn’t mention the subsequent bounty since the elves who’d placed it were not directly associated with Sovereignty. There was no reason to muddy the waters further.

“Upon leaving the dungeon, I was surveilled. I was a Tri-Affinity Mage at that point, so I hoped the individuals watching me were doing it for non-malicious purposes. Regrettably, it seems that was not the case.”

Straightening my back and looking at the faces arrayed in front of me, I tried to summarize the rest of the information as succinctly as possible.

“Since then, two assassins attempted to kill me while disguised as Tier Two civilians. Both were Tier Eight,” I paused, letting the implication hang. “Upon capture, both admitted they were Elders of the Sovereignty Sect and implied their fellows would find a way to kill me. There have been no further attempts, but I am not confident the sect has given up.”

I considered mentioning the incident in the mana well but ultimately decided not to bring it up. I had no evidence to support the allegation, and mentioning it might do more harm than good. Besides, it wasn’t like the Sovereignty Sect was going to point out my omission.

There was a little more back and forth before the press conference was finally called to an end, and I was able to escape to my borrowed room in Master Kairos’s mansion.

I had no idea how much the interaction would impact my future going forward, but at least I could disguise myself if it got too bad.

There was a soft knock at the door, followed by a feminine voice. “Elder Momentia?”

I telekinetically opened the door. “Yes?”

“The Patriarch would like to see you in his office.”

That… was probably not good. He’d never summoned me like this before. In fact, I wasn’t even sure where his office was located.

After politely asking, the maid was happy to show me the way. I was almost immediately ushered inside.

“Master Kairos,” I greeted him with a small bow.

The blonde Time Mage nodded and motioned for me to sit. After a moment, he said, “It looks like our trip to Earth is going to be delayed by a few days.” With a look of apology, he added, “We’re being summoned by the Council.”