Volume 4 Chapter 41: Return

Grant showed his Iron Cross First Class in the Team Channel. To Qin Lun’s great surprise, this top-tier Dark Gold item also had the Second Honor Aura and Iron Will, but the two sealed skills were absent.

Despite Qin Lun’s usual calm, he felt irritated. The joy of getting a Sub-legendary Item vanished. He knew the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross would show its true quality after being unsealed, but the feeling of seeing something he couldn’t have was hard to accept.

Clearly, Shattered Starry Sky had tricked him. It gave him an apple on a branch, forcing him to keep leaping to reach this Sub-legendary treasure.

His mood worsened, and Qin Lun refused Grant’s request to inspect the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. He didn’t want Grant to know its specific quality, and he especially didn’t want to be secretly mocked by the Joker.

The day after getting the medal, the five temporary apostles made excuses to leave the Munich villa and disappeared into the wild. Though the second main branch quest added ten days, little time remained. It was time to return to Shattered Starry Sky.

Their disappearance caused chaos in German intelligence. Skorzeny believed it was retaliation by the Justice League and Grimm Academy against the empire. The replenished Gentlemen Alliance and Hydra Corps launched a massive search in occupied Europe and found some traces of Grimm Academy and Justice League.

Due to the temporary apostle team’s involvement, World War II in this world changed significantly.

Nazi Germany obtained the Allied Forces’ Super Soldier Program. Although the Manhattan Project was theoretically complete, the deaths of the fathers of the atomic and hydrogen bombs delayed the big bomb’s emergence beyond mid-1945.

In the original history, the Allies’ Manhattan Project never leaked during the war. But this time, after attacking Casablanca and the armored train, the Gentlemen Alliance got fragmented intelligence. Using this, German intelligence gradually uncovered parts of the Manhattan Project.

Whether the Third Reich could catch up, develop the atomic bomb early, and change the war’s outcome no longer concerned the temporary team.

The superpowered beings on both sides fought several major battles on the European front. This superhuman war, started by the Gentlemen Alliance, continued for decades after the war.

…

“Apostle 70053, your Apostle Soul Mark has returned to the Boundary Dimension. Calculating rewards for this Otherworld Mission and assigning task evaluation…”

“For Apostle 70053’s affiliated temporary apostle team 753, the Otherworld team mission ‘Heracles’ completed two main branch quests: ‘Heracles’ Golden Apple’ and ‘Heracles’ Hydra.’ Completion rates: 78% for ‘Heracles’ Golden Apple,’ 72.2% for ‘Heracles’ Hydra.’”

“Apostle 70053’s contribution in the two team quests was 31% and 42.2%, respectively. Total base rewards: 35,000 Shattered Crystal, 1,000 Exchange Voucher, one Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal, 12 Contribution Points. Total now 95 Contribution Points. Soul Lifespan restored to 100 points, Soul Life Limit increased by 5 points, now 100/105.”

“Apostle 70053 triggered personal hidden side plots: ‘Grimm Foe’ and ‘Traitor Elimination.’ Base reward for ‘Traitor Elimination’: 5,000 Shattered Crystal, 3 Contribution Points, Random Technique Scroll (Low Grade). ‘Grimm Foe’ killed Grimm Academy associate professor Kathleen and vice president David, meeting cross-world conditions for the chain quest.”

“Hint: Chain quests can accumulate rewards across worlds. Each accumulation doubles the next reward. You can reacquire this quest in parallel worlds, inheriting relationship and hostility levels. If you claim the reward now, you cannot get this quest in other parallel worlds.”

“Hint: Apostle 70053, do you claim the ‘Grimm Foe’ chain quest reward now?”

Qin Lun sighed. High-Rank Apostles would likely choose to accumulate the reward without hesitation. For them, single mission rewards had little impact, but accumulated rewards might get them coveted high-level Legendary Items.

But for a low-rank apostle like him, he couldn’t give up any present reward. Even small gains directly boosted his strength and affected future mission success.

He mentally selected to claim the Grimm Foe reward. Three small light spheres appeared before his soul avatar in the Otherworld Dimension and merged into his Apostle Soul Mark. Besides these, he gained 5 more Contribution Points, finally reaching three digits—100 points total.

“Evaluation Hint: ‘Grimm Foe’ and ‘Traitor Elimination’ both raised the evaluation. But due to low completion of the main branch quests, final evaluation for Apostle 70053 is Bronze Level!”

“Hint: Apostle 70053’s main branch quests had World Exploration Degree rewards removed, so no further World Exploration Degree and World Origin are calculated. Additional Bronze Level evaluation rewards are listed below. Please choose two options within 30 seconds, or they will be assigned randomly.”

One: Overall strengthening of Law Body (mandatory fixed reward);

Two: Random Skill Scroll (second-tier item);

Three: Random Apostle Equipment (purple or red equipment);

Four: One Bronze Level Evaluation Card for a Low Magic World.

With World Exploration Degree rewards omitted, options were fewer, and choices limited. The first was mandatory. Feeling a lack of skills, Qin Lun skipped equipment and the useful Bronze Evaluation Card, choosing the Random Skill Scroll instead.

After choosing, Qin Lun’s soul avatar underwent body strengthening again. Unlike prior focused enhancements, this was comprehensive. He felt significant changes in all aspects of his Law Body.

“Apostle 70053, you have 100 Shattered Starry Sky Contribution Points, meeting title promotion requirements. Now second-tier, first-level apostle. Self-named Qin state military title: ‘Dafu.’”

“Major Hint: Apostle 70053, you have reached the second-tier apostle level, moving beyond trial apostle status to become a Professional Apostle. Please quickly establish or join an apostle team to better handle Otherworld Missions for second-tier apostles.”

“Major Hint: Apostle 70053, please quickly improve your skill system. When you have five related Apostle Skills, a corresponding combat profession will unlock.”

[Otherworld Mission settlement complete. Current apostle holdings: 36,500 Shattered Crystal, 1,000 Exchange Voucher, 100/105 Soul Lifespan, 100 Contribution Points]

[Cost Settlement: Plot Identity modification 3,500 Shattered Crystal, no body repair costs]

[Remaining recovery items: Phantom Demon Tenderloin, two concentrated Silvermycin, low-concentration Holy Water, WHB special agent]

[Storage Space remainder: Maiar Crystal Ball, one Fusion Crystal, unknown light spheres (three), Random Technique Scroll (Low Grade), Random Skill Scroll]

[Equipment items: Dagger of Sin, FN-500, Shahbakh Ring, Leather Army Boots, Combat Gauge, Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross]

[Missions completed: Heracles’ Golden Apple, Heracles’ Hydra, Grimm Foe, Traitor Elimination]

Name: Qin Lun; Apostle ID: 70053.

Bloodline: Low-Grade Moonlit Elf

Title: Second-tier, First Level (custom Qin military rank: Dafu)

Soul Lifespan: 100/105

HP 350, Stamina 475, Explosive Power 20, Agility 26, Constitution 17, Perception 31

Bloodline abilities: Elf Whispers, Moonlit Summoning, Wind Element Affinity, Wood Element Affinity

Skill slots: Firearms Expertise (Intermediate), Basic Swordplay (Beginner), Magic Network Core (Elementary)

Ability slots: Mazer Summoning Art (C+ grade, two summon slots), Crystal Mirror Magic Array (C- grade), Wind Drift Art (D+)

“Hint: Apostle 70053, returning to Shattered Starry Sky in 10 seconds. Countdown begins…”

Exiting the teleportation room at Devil’s Horn, Qin Lun found the temporary apostle team disbanded. Grant, Little Lian, and others had already scattered.

Qin Lun smiled bitterly. Leaving aside Clown Grant, Little Lian and Lin Feng didn’t wait for him, likely due to Joey’s influence. After Joey’s actions, they probably wouldn’t trust him like before.

Besides the mental fatigue from the Otherworld Mission, their distance didn’t stir any unusual feelings in him.

He stood still, looking ahead with a detached expression. Besides the weariness from the mission, their pulling away didn’t cause regret or guilt.

After a while, Qin Lun lowered his head, clenched his fist, and felt something strange. As the thrill and novelty of the Otherworld Mission faded, he felt for the first time… emptiness. As if a deep, dark hole had appeared inside him, and the mission rewards couldn’t fill it.

“What’s wrong with me?” Qin Lun looked up blankly. The bustling Teleportation Hall felt unusually cold, making him shiver.