Chapter 257: Advantage Of Pioneers Over Ascendants
Eventually, Alex turned toward Ava. She was still crying, so he gently patted her head once more before speaking.
"I’ll take my leave now. The Hell Difficulty has some problems going on, and we might soon encounter a species above Mid rank, so I have to return."
Ava didn’t respond, while his father looked directly at him. There was worry in the man’s eyes, and even though Andrew looked as though he was barely holding himself together, he was still worrying about Alex.
"Stay safe. You don’t have to put your life on the line for other people. Just stay safe, Alex. Please," his father said quietly.
Alex looked at him for several seconds before giving a small nod. "Got it."
He turned around and began walking toward the door. He could feel someone rushing after him and following closely behind, but the effect of his Advanced Battle Instinct Spell was currently so strong that he ignored every harmless presence around him and continued walking toward the room where he had woken up earlier.
Just as he was about to close the door, someone suddenly grabbed his hand tightly. The strength behind the grip was enough to register as a threat, which finally made Alex stop and focus on the person standing in front of him.
"Alex! Why are you doing this?"
It was Sophia, and she was crying as she continued holding his hand.
"What do you mean?"
"I-It’s okay to cry, Alex, so please stop using whatever spells you are using right now. This isn’t the correct way to handle something like this."
"..."
"Alex, please don’t do this. It will—"
"I have something important to do, Sophia. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for this right now," Alex said.
His gut twisted even more violently as he spoke, and he felt as though he was going to vomit. Even so, his expression remained calm as he continued pouring more mana into his soul and mind, using the increased focus to keep his emotions under control.
Sophia didn’t let go of his hand and continued staring at him. "Alex, you need to accept that—"
"Mom isn’t dead."
Alex interrupted her before she could finish. Sophia froze and stared at him in confusion.
"...What?"
"There have been theories on Dwitter that even if one of the bodies dies, the other body can continue living. The Pioneer would simply become unable to travel between the two worlds anymore," Alex explained calmly.
Sophia continued staring at him, so Alex kept explaining. "After seeing what happened to my teammates in Hell Difficulty, I’ve confirmed that the phenomenon where a Pioneer can’t return to the other world can happen. Their inability to return must be because their other body has already died."
Alex paused briefly before continuing, his voice remaining steady despite the twisting sensation in his chest. "That means the two bodies given to Pioneers are two lives. It’s an advantage, not a punishment."
Sophia’s eyes trembled as she listened. She looked shocked and worried, and Alex could already guess what she was thinking.
She probably thought that Alex was simply trying to deny what had happened because he couldn’t accept his mother’s death. From her perspective, it probably looked like he was desperately searching for any possibility that would allow him to avoid facing reality.
But that wasn’t what was happening. Alex was thinking rationally, and he could guarantee that because the Advanced Battle Instinct Spell was still active.
Every word he had spoken was based on logic rather than emotion. He couldn’t guarantee that his mother was alive, but he could guarantee that her death had not been completely confirmed.
"Dad said Mom was also a Pioneer. While her body here was fatally injured, she might still be alive in the Land of Origin. Their difficulties were chosen randomly, so we don’t know where she is, but that doesn’t change the possibility. I will search for her," Alex said.
Sophia opened and closed her mouth several times, but she seemed unable to come up with an answer. In the end, Alex gently moved her outside the room, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him.
He walked over to the desk and sat down before pulling out his phone. Dwitter was still working, and the internet connection seemed to have become somewhat strangely stable considering, allowing Alex to quickly search for information about Pioneers.
He found several posts discussing the same phenomenon he had already heard about. Some Pioneers claimed that they had died in the Land of Origin and awakened on Earth, only to discover that they could no longer return to the Land of Origin, while others said that they met people, who had died on Earth, in the Land of Origin.
When combined with what Alex had heard about his teammates being unable to return, the evidence was enough to confirm his theory. The two bodies given to Pioneers were an advantage, but the moment one body was lost, that advantage would disappear.
’The two bodies given to Pioneers are an asset. It’s the reward for being chosen as a Pioneer. The fact that hunger, energy, stamina regeneration, and sleep differ for each body means we can continue fighting for much longer than ordinary Ascendants.’
’But we can’t treat either body lightly. The moment one of the bodies dies, we lose the advantage of having two bodies.’
Alex then remembered what Leik had told him about the [Merchants]. He searched Dwitter for information about them and quickly found numerous posts from Ascendants who had encountered the strange creatures.
Apparently, these Merchants had begun appearing in various places throughout Earth and were selling all kinds of items. The currency they accepted ranged from elemental stones and soul stones to monster parts and even Origin Coins, with Origin Coins apparently being the most valuable currency among the items they accepted.
The Merchants didn’t stay in one location for long. They would appear without warning, sell their items for some time, and then disappear just as suddenly, leaving behind numerous Ascendants who had managed to interact with them.
..
Author’s Note: If you’re enjoying the novel, consider leaving a vote. It helps the novel a lot. Thank you!