The first floor of the tavern was filled with a sense of relief. Everyone sat around, finally able to relax. The atmosphere was calm, yet an underlying tension still lingered.
It wasn't because they were afraid—no, it was quite the opposite. With Ben, the overwhelming powerhouse, among them, no one felt any real danger. Even now, many still struggled to grasp the reality of their experience.
It all seemed like a dream.
Ben was simply too strong.
His strength defied all logic, surpassing anything they could have ever imagined.
How could such a monster exist among newcomers? What kind of heaven-defying talent did he possess?
These were the questions on everyone's minds, but no one dared to voice them. Instead, they stole quick glances at Ben before immediately looking away, afraid to make eye contact for too long.
The tavern remained silent—until someone finally broke the stillness.
An Indian Transcendent, as if noticing something unusual, suddenly spoke up.
"Don't you all feel like our minds have been affected ever since the crimson moon appeared outside?"
Everyone turned to look at him, stunned.
He continued, "I've studied certain religious mental cultivation techniques and have some knowledge of the mind. I can tell when something is influencing it."
The group fell silent as they reflected on his words.
Thinking back, it did feel like something had been tampering with their emotions. The eerie blood-red moonlight seemed to amplify their deepest feelings and desires.
One person who felt this effect particularly strongly was Joe Root.
Earlier, when he was locked in a cage, he had completely lost control—crying, begging for mercy, and humiliating himself in front of everyone.
Joe Root wasn't proud of it, but he knew he wasn't usually that weak. His fear of death had been unnaturally magnified.
Others had also experienced varying degrees of emotional turmoil.
Especially Ben.
Just moments ago, he had been consumed by bloodlust, prepared to slaughter every aberration in the city.
That wasn't like him at all.
Now that he thought about it, his intense desire to kill must have been amplified by the red moon.
His brows furrowed.
Even if he knew that the red moon was influencing them, his current strength wasn't enough to do anything about it.
If he were powerful enough, he would fly straight into the sky and shatter that 妖异 red moon…
"I think this is why the Spirit Realm erases our memories," said Leo, his voice calm and thoughtful.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"If we retained our memories, the negative effects of the blood moon might continue to affect us even after we leave. The Spirit Realm erasing our memories and resetting our minds is actually a form of protection."
The group nodded in agreement.
Leo's words made a lot of sense.
It was said that after the tenth level, the Spirit Realm rarely erased memories. Clearly, this precaution was meant for newcomers, ensuring that they weren't permanently influenced by the strange environment.
Even Ben agreed with Leo's theory.
He glanced at the young man sitting beside him and suddenly decided to tease him. Leaning in with a smirk, he whispered,
"Leo, no wonder I think you look particularly beautiful tonight."
Leo's face immediately flushed red.
For a brief moment, a hint of panic flickered in his eyes.
If the blood moon truly amplified desires… then did that mean Ben was about to—
His head snapped up, only to see the teasing glint in Ben's eyes.
He had been played.
Leo shot Ben a sharp glare, regaining his composure. But for some reason, there was also an inexplicable sense of disappointment in his heart.
Ben suddenly asked, "Aren't you curious about how I became this strong?"
"Not really," Leo replied nonchalantly. "We'll forget everything once we leave anyway, so knowing the answer now doesn't really matter."
A soft smile played at his lips as he added, "I just think I'm very lucky."
Leo knew the truth.
Ben's terrifying strength had to come from the Kryptonian bloodline.
Everyone had severely underestimated that talent.
But even knowing this, Leo was still grateful to Ben for trading the Flare-Flare Fruit with him.
After all, just because Ben had discovered the secret of the Kryptonian bloodline didn't mean that he would have.
Ben was momentarily stunned by Leo's response.
Then, he smiled.
This person was intelligent and level-headed.
He liked that.
"How long have we been in the Spirit Realm?" Ben asked aloud.
The entire group could hear the question.
Everyone began to do the math.
"It should be over five hours."
"Probably closer to six."
"So, we still have about half the time left?" Ben frowned. "Are we just going to sit here doing nothing?"
Hales chuckled. "What's wrong with that? After the battle just now, my stamina is completely drained. I need to rest."
The others nodded in agreement.
Joe Root looked at Ben in disbelief. "Brother Ben, you killed that terrifying Earl monster, along with at least a thousand aberrations. Aren't you exhausted?"
Ben paused.
Now that he thought about it…
No.
He didn't feel tired at all.
Not even a little.
In fact, he felt like he could keep fighting at full power for another entire day.
As expected of the Great Superman physique.
It was simply beyond extraordinary.
The realization left everyone in awe.
Even after slaying countless enemies, Ben remained full of energy.
His stamina was monstrous.
But more than that, everyone envied his achievements.
Killing so many aberrations…
Slaying the Earl monster…
His mission completion rate had to be perfect.
That meant Ben and Leo were guaranteed to receive the highest rewards and possibly even bonus rewards.
No one else stood a chance of competing with them.
Just then, Joe Root suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Brother Ben, I want to thank you. If you and Leo hadn't intervened, I would've died here—completely, with no chance of revival."
His voice was sincere.
He continued, "Also… I owe you an apology. I used to think you were useless. I looked down on you. I was blind, and I'm sorry."
Ben smiled. "We're all classmates. Helping each other is natural. There's no need for formalities."
Joe Root's words seemed to set off a chain reaction.
One by one, others stepped forward to express their gratitude to Ben.
Even the Indian Transcendents joined in.
Hales shrugged. "Since we'll forget everything once we leave, this is the only chance we have to thank you properly."
Ben had no choice but to accept their appreciation.
After a while, once everyone had finished, he suddenly grinned and suggested,
"Since we're just waiting around, let's play a game!"
A collective groan filled the room.
Big brother, this is the Spirit Realm, not a vacation resort!
…
Time passed.
Finally, dawn broke.
The blood night slowly dissipated.
A notification appeared in everyone's left eye.[Mission complete. Teleportation will begin in 30 seconds: 29, 28, 27…]Everyone let out a breath of relief.
"We're finally going back!" Joe Root exclaimed.
An Indian Transcendent grinned at the group. "My friends, I hope we fight alongside each other again in the future!"
The words had barely left his mouth when—
They all vanished.
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