Cheat Awakening

"Let me ask again," Belial said, lightly tapping on the small box in his hand. "Do you really want to risk your life in the false hope that you can return to your world?"

A pin-drop silence engulfed the tent after Belial's question hung heavy in the air.

Gal, a mask of calm plastered on her face, watched Myne struggle with his inner turmoil. Her grip on his hand tightened, anxiety gnawing at her despite her best efforts to hide it. She knew too well the near-impossibility of escaping this dimension without Alban's consent. Now, a flicker of regret washed over her for readily agreeing to Myne's request.

If he stubbornly threw himself into the jaws of death, she feared she wouldn't have a place to cry. After all, in her long life, Myne was the first partner she'd truly cherished, especially for his talents in the bed. That alone was enough to make her dote on him to death.

"I...I will give it a try," Myne finally spoke, his voice bitter as he gazed at his feet. "I understand your concern, Boss, and I'm grateful for it. But I have a family waiting outside for me. I've delayed long enough, crippled by my own powerlessness.

Even if it's a false hope, I can't just give up on everything and settle here as if nothing happened." His eyes welled up as the faces of everyone close to him flashed through his mind, momentarily drowning out the sadness and helplessness with a fierce determination to see them again, no matter the cost.

Belial sighed heavily, eyeing Gal, who had closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. He shook his head, a flicker of pity crossing his face. "I see. It seems you have already made up your mind." He paused, then held out a palm-sized red crystal ball towards Myne. "Before I tell you what I shouldn't, I need you to do something.

Place a few drops of your blood on this crystal ball and hold it close until our conversation ends."

Hearing Belial's instruction, Myne nodded his head confusedly and took the palm-sized red crystal ball from him. Although he really wanted to ask what it was, seeing that neither Belial nor Gal, who looked ill and depressed for some reason, had any intention of telling him, he sighed helplessly and did what he was told.

As soon as Myne's blood touched the red crystal ball, to his surprise, the blood was instantly absorbed, and runic symbols flashed across the surface before vanishing, leaving the crystal pulsating with a dim red light.

Enjoy new tales from empire

Belial watched the blinking orb with grim satisfaction. "Good. Now I can speak freely without fear of losing my job." He sat down on the table and leaned forward. "But before I do, tell me, do you have any powerful backers in your world? Someone who is powerful enough to control Laws?"

A giant question mark bloomed over Myne's head. He glanced at Gal, silently pleading for help, hoping she could explain what Belial was talking about in an easy way. Gal, though very disappointed and simmering anger with him, but when their gaze met, she didn't disappoint him.

He is talking about the power of 'World Law', an advanced level of power accessible only to true high-level individuals destined to touch these Laws. In every world, there are always some beings who are special or powerful enough that the 'Will of That World' grants them the opportunity to interact with Laws. This allows them to progress further on their journey to become powerful.

Gal explains patiently, but upon seeing the question mark on Myne's face grow larger, she immediately realizes that the concepts she is discussing are currently beyond Myne's reach, at least for now.

With a sigh, she simplified, "Just consider that Laws are a higher form of magic, and in your little world, the ones who can touch these Laws are like gods or demigods."

"Oh, I see. So you wanted to ask whether I have a powerful backer who is considered a god by the people, and no one dares mess with, right?" Myne eyes lit up finally understood a little bit after Gal optimised the information to the lowest level.

"Yes, you can say that," Belial ponders for a few seconds before nodding and rubbing his forehead in a headache. The look he gives Myne is no different than saying, "Are you an ignorant idiot."

"If that's the case, then I think I have such a backer. In my world, to maintain peace and order, God created powerful guardians called Divine Beasts. They possess unimaginable power and can destroy an entire kingdom with just a wave of their hands. Many years ago, a mad human king attacked the elven kingdom to enslave all their women because elven women were known for their beauty.

But after the attack, he didn't stop there; he wanted to cut down the World Tree, Yggdrasil. However, his luck ran out quickly. The moment his soldiers touched the tree, The Divine Beast Ymir, also known as the walking mountain, erased both kingdoms from the ground within an hour."

Myne laughed nervously with a hit of proud expression. "By some incredible luck, I once saved a Divine Beast's child from kidnappers who tricked them when she wasn't around. We became best friends, and although she is a bit strict but she is super kind and treats me as her younger brother. If I am not wrong, she might have definitely turned the forest where I disappeared upside down in anger.

I hope she won't beat me to death after I return, hahaha..."

While Myne awkwardly laughs, Gal and Belial exchange stunned glances, disbelief evident on their faces. Belial used telepathy to whisper to Gal, "Is it just me, or do you also think that Myne's world is a bit...unique?"

"I think so too. According to what he said, although there are Gods and their pets maintaining order in the world, it doesn't seem like there is any interference from the outside. It's as if the entire world is tightly closed. Also, I learned from him that demons in his world are pathetically weak, and there is no such thing as angels or Hellguards," Gal replied thoughtfully.

"It seems like Myne's world is just a small, low-level world—more like a playground or small farm for his so-called God's amusement. It doesn't appear independent. Otherwise, there is no way a low-level world could produce a world tree, or stop the invasion of void monsters, or those dimension-peeping toms.

I think he had a chance to return to his world if luck didn't abandon him halfw..." Belial paused midway, realizing what he was saying. He quickly looked at Gal but seeing that she was still calm, breathed a sigh of relief.

"We haven't left our original location for months," Gal confirmed, gritting her teeth. It was evident she misunderstood Fenrir as Myne's woman. "Meaning the tower is still linked to Myne's world. If he can breach the core array, he could briefly rip a hole between dimensions for a few minutes.

This should be enough for his elder sister-like friend to notice him if she is really searching for him." She said, jealousy evident in her voice.

Belial hesitated. "Then should I tell him everything? You know, no matter if he succeeds or not, once he gets out of our floor, you probably can't see him again without paying a huge price, right?" He asked with concern. He and Gal had known each other for years, going through many life-and-death situations together.

Despite her overprotectiveness and being a bit of a sex addict, she was definitely good wife material. But sadly he has no intention of settling down, there are millions of beautiful ladies waiting for him outside, so how can he be satisfied with a single one? This is also the reason why he broke her contract, she never let anyone come near him.

"Sigh, just tell him everything. Although he looks happy and calm on the outside, I have read his mind, and know inside, he is dying to meet his family. Death itself wouldn't deter him. He has long ago made up his mind. If today we don't tell him, he'll find his own way. So it's better to send him on the right path than let him go unknown just for my selfish desire."

"And since fate brought him to me, and if we're truly meant to meet again, nothing can sever that bond," Gal calmly replied with a sigh. Her selfless act of love brought moisture to Belial's eyes. He really wanted to give Gal a bear hug, assuring her that everything would be fine. However, remembering there is a beside them and he had to maintain a serious image forced him to hold back his emotions.

Myne, perched expectantly, noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. "Hey, what's with the silence? And Boss, why are you crying?" He watched, bewildered, as Gal and Belial, who previously were sitting like statues, changed their facial expressions every second.

Finally, Belial, tears shimmering on his lashes, broke into a smile, like a father receiving news of well well-being of his first child and his wife.

"Mere tears of joy," Belial explained, wiping his eyes. "I just received news that my salary increase application, after 6 years of relentless effort, has finally been approved! I'm just carried away in emotion. But enough about me, back to your situation. If you really want to get out of this place, there are only two options.

First, meet the owner of this place and ask him to open a portal for you to your world. But I strongly recommend that you better never meet him. Otherwise, let's forget about talking—you won't even realize when you get imprisoned and become his experimental material. Believe me, you never wanted to experience this ending."

His voice dipped to a cautious level. "Second, ascend to the pinnacle of this tower. There, you'll find a colossal golden array, the tower's beating heart. That array is the core of this entire tower. Even minor damage will tear a rift in the sky, a temporary bridge between your world and this one.

If your divine beast best friend is really looking for you, then it shouldn't be a problem for her to notice your presence and rescue you, if only she has the power to do so..."