“You sure took your sweet time.”

Wilma looked up from her meditation with a wave of relief, replacing her subtly worried expression.

“I guess.”

Ackster shrugged and went over to his pile of clothes and Mio, whom he gave a gentle pat.

Ackster might have taken a long time and made Wilma worry and wait. But at the same time, the longer Ackster had been down there, the larger the size of his inventory would be as soon as the energy settled within his body.

“So, how’d it go?”

Wilma got up after averting her eyes from Ackster’s impressive nude form.

She had wanted to get a new set of fresh clothes for him, but the encampment around the Habitat wasn’t one with a lot of unnecessary supplies, such as clothes available to all. She could probably get something anyway. But that would mean leaving Ackster alone since he might finish diving while she was gone.

Of course, if Wilma had known Ackster was going to be inside the Habitat as long as he was, she would have found something more pleasant for him than the rags he had now.

Ackster glanced at Wilma before dragging the shirt over his head.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

After eating the flower, which had been a surprisingly taste but uneventful meal, Ackster noticed several things. But, most importantly, he had felt an increased sensitivity to the Habitat’s spatial energy. So, he could sense it beginning to leak away.

He didn’t want to be around the Habitat when it completely faded or disappeared.

Ackster also didn’t want to tell Wilma when there could be others around or outside the tent. He doubted Wilma would let anyone eavesdrop, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

Wilma couldn’t say she was surprised by Ackster’s request, so she obliged without questioning it. And just like that, they were in the hot air balloon again, on their way south.

Ackster couldn’t see a reason not to tell Wilma what had happened in the Habitat when she would find out sooner or later that the Habitat died. Besides, the trust and goodwill Wilma had shown him, even if it was for his potential, wasn’t something Ackster could ignore.

It would also be better for their continued cooperative relationship if he were truthful in moments like this. So, he told Wilma shortly after they left the encampment.

“Woah… That’s something not even I knew about.”

Wilma stared at Ackster, her mouth agape in shock. The Habitats were mysterious but useful. But they were guaranteed to be safe despite the mystery surrounding them. Wilma hadn’t expected Ackter to come back and reveal such a secret when not even stronger higher-ups of the Guild had tried and failed, sometimes at the cost of the Habitat itself.

“Really? I was half expecting it to be information that the Guild knew but had hidden.”

Wilma shook her head.

“No…I mean, it’s possible some at the highest echelons know more about the Habitats. I won’t deny that. But it’s not common enough for me to have even heard about the mysteries of the Habitats being unveiled.”

“I see.”

Ackster wasn’t sure he believed Wilma’s words. But she didn’t have a reason to lie.

“So, how big is it?”

“The energy has yet to settle. But what’s the biggest you have on record, and how deep did that person go?”

“The person with the current record’s identity is classified, but I can tell you that their inventory is about the size of two, maybe three, Guild branch buildings.”

“Don’t they vary in size?”

“Think the one in Ilto.”

Ackster nodded. Including all floors, rooms, and sections, the branch office in Ilto had been large. And someone was walking around with a size akin to double or triple that. Yet, they still hadn’t reached the bottom.

Ackster was really beginning to look forward to how large his inventory was going to be as soon as the spatial energy in his body settled and connected to the Nomi. Hopefully, it won’t take too long.

Based on her expression, Wilma was also looking forward to it. It seemed like Ackster’s guess that his value had skyrocketed and surpassed the Habitat. Eating the flower and most likely dooming the Habitat hadn’t put him in a rough spot with the Guild.

“By the way…”

Ackster spoke. He had had some time to think during his swim back to the surface, and it had let him realize something.

“Yeah?”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Wilma nodded, curious about what Ackster wanted to know.

“How have you been keeping track of me?”

It had bothered Ackster after the Ant Queen of Wisdom stint, but it wasn’t until recently that he could put the pieces together. And the picture created by those pieces told Ackster one thing.

It didn’t make sense for them to have stuck a tail on him from the beginning of his transmigration. It also didn’t make sense for them to observe the original Ackster Phileam’s movements.

Ackster also couldn’t figure out how they had stuck a person to follow him into the ant nest. How could that person have gone unnoticed for that long? Ackster didn’t buy it. There had to be a better use of someone capable of that than simply having them follow him around like a fly.

Why had Wilma come to get him when that supposed tail could have guided him out earlier since he was getting help anyway? Wilma also seemed to have known somewhat what had happened underground but not the details. She had a rough idea and understanding, not the detailed knowledge that would come from a report.

Ackster had deduced that the Guild was keeping tabs on him through some other method that wasn’t physical surveillance. But he hadn’t heard of anything like that in the original story, so he was curious about just what kind of method it was.

It or the guild probably wouldn’t or couldn’t interfere with his end goal. But he would have to do some things before that which might go against the Guild’s wishes.

Wilma’s previously easy-going and leisurely face froze like dipped in ice water.

“That’s classified.”

‘Not surprising.’

The way Wilma said it also made sure that no matter how much Ackster pried, he wouldn’t get an answer. So, he just remained silent.

‘Guess I have another thing to do now.’

The conversation between Ackster and Wilma died down after her cold answer to his question. But they kept sailing through the sky south. With a beautiful view and an awareness that they would separate soon, both of them were reluctant to let things sit like this and fester.

Ackster still had things to ask, and Wilma had a relationship to solidify so that Ackster would bring about prosperity to her and the Guild.

Ackster asked Wilma about Karandiel. He worded it so Karandiel’s identity wouldn’t be obvious, but considering the method they used to keep track of him, it was likely they already knew.

Wilma’s eyes flashed with a subtle light at the mention of what Ackster had entered the Cloven Grasslands for. Ackster noticed it and stared at Wilma until she buckled.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t give Ackster any conclusive details, only that a person had started rising and fighting back against the Blood Moon Avatars. However, they were adept at hiding their identity and espacing the Blood Moon Avatars’ pursuit.

It also seemed like the Blood Moon Avatars were insistent on capturing that person, but that could be because they were repeatedly causing trouble and trimming the number of Blood Slaves. It wasn’t enough to determine whether it was Karandiel or just someone else fighting for a just cause.

Ackster doubted Karandiel would die, so he just hoped she was doing alright and getting stronger. He also hoped the other potential recruits to his anti The Hero squad were doing their best and becoming the absolute strongest they could.

Ackster felt like there was so much to do. Now, he was on his way to the Sea God Temple, which shouldn’t take too long, including what he had to do there. But after that, he had to train his mana and find someone to help him get better at fighting and developing his skills, and he had to start building that squad of people that could help him take down The Hero.

If The Hero were getting involved with the Blood Moon Avatars and became stronger thanks to it, Ackster would have to put in even more effort in becoming stronger and creating a team strong enough to defeat The Hero.

Ackster also had to go back to the Alchemaze and loot it for all its worth.

He looked at his stump. Ackster also had an arm to regrow.

He didn’t know how he would manage it all.

Upon seeing Ackster sink into deep thought while looking at the horizon, Wilma didn’t disturb him at first. But since it became clear that the cogs in his brain were just grinding against each other, she decided to speak and let him know that she had planned to get him help with training and limb regeneration.

Wilma had already mentioned the training she had planned to help him with. But she had rambled, and Ackster hadn’t been in a picture-perfect state of mind. It was only natural it slipped away.

Ackster was a little surprised at Wilma’s offer since she had said that until he reached S-rank, he was basically on his own. But that wasn’t really true. He had already gotten a lot of help, so he might as well capitalize on it. Besides, he wasn’t that far from the S-rank.

It was an insurmountable wall to other adventurers, even for those who had reached the A-rank mostly without trouble.

However, Ackster had shown off his potential more than enough for Wilma and the Guild to know that he would sooner or later reach the S-rank. And it was up to them to make sure it was sooner rather than later. Naturally, Wilma wouldn’t have any trouble convincing the Guild to arrange a proper training regiment to help him develop all of his potential as well as provide a way for him to recover his lost limb.

And that was before he reached the bottom of the Habitat. Now, the Guild would want Ackster to accept their training and become further indebted to them.

The Guild’s training would certainly be better than what Ackster could do or find on his own, so he happily accepted it, even if he wouldn’t be able to control the when or where. He would have to modify the rest of his plans around the training instead of molding his training to the other things he needed to do.

The training and arm regeneration being handled by the Guild and Wilma left Ackster with two fewer things he needed to be concerned about. He could focus on the upcoming Sea God Temple, avoiding The Hero, and looking for recruits to use against The Hero in ten years.

There was still a lot to do since he had to identify, locate, persuade, and eventually raise the potential recruits. But not having to think about what to do for his training was a relief for Ackster.

However, it also let him focus on his immediate concern, which was his leaking vitality and his need to dive into the ocean in search of the Temple.

Since he should have an affinity for water, he would probably find it relatively easy to swim around under the ocean, even without an arm. But he was still human. He couldn’t breathe underwater.

Ackster had also already experienced on multiple occasions how his overflowing life force attracted trouble. If he didn’t find a solution, the underwater denizens in the area around the Sea God Temple would swarm him, looking for delicious food.

Ackster did have an idea for a temporary solution based on something The Hero dealt with in the future. But he wasn’t sure it was viable. He also wasn’t sure if he would manage to learn it before they arrived.

Thankfully, he could ask Wilma and hope that she knew the answer. Having a high-ranking member of the Guild next to him was awfully convenient.

And so, Ackster and Wilma headed straight to the southern coast, only stopping once to fill up Ackster’s inventory once it had settled. Well, they couldn’t fill it up, but they stuffed a bunch of things Ackster might or might need inside it.

Just like that, they arrived at the light blue ocean south of Tenger.