"I'm using a Shadow Robe right now.
"But the holy elemental Spirit in the sky will burn my Shadow Robe as soon as I step out.
"I will become naked."
He removed Jack's hand from his shoulder and gave him his long coat.
The coat's buttons were closed tightly, and his legs below the knees were out in the open.
The long coat looked normal on Neo since he wore more clothes underneath, but Jack, wearing only it and being naked underneath, looked funny, to put it nicely.
The Darkness surrounding them disappeared.
Both of them appeared in the air above the sea.
Neo used his Water affinity and hardened the water surface enough for them to walk.
The two, Jack walking with Neo's support, stepped towards the beach.
"Am I seeing things?" Apollo muttered.
"No," Athena answered. "I can sense the same thing as you. The Darkness is disappearing. But it's not just that."
She stared at the giant orb of Darkness floating in the sky.
The vile presence of Darkness was weakening.
'It's almost as if the Necromancer is dead. And yet, I can sense the Necromancer,' she thought.
"The monster is no more," Emma spoke up. "But the Necromancer is alive."
Her words made no sense.
Only the three, who could sense what was happening, knew what Emma was talking about.
A few minutes later, the orb of Darkness opened.
Neo and another person appeared from inside it.
Apollo and the others' faces hardened.
Shock, disbelief, hope, and displeasure appeared within their gaze.
'This just made things go from bad to worse,' Emma thought.
'Neo can heal all humanized monsters, or can he do that with only those corrupted by Darkness?'
'A monster, who had been massacring as he had lost his reason, is now sane again.'
'He has become a human.'
'The public won't forgive such a person, but we can't kill him either because we lack justification.'
Neo and Jack appeared before them.
The two stood a bit far from Apollo and the others.
Silence hung between them.
Kane broke the stillness as he opened his mouth.
"The Necromancer we were fighting a few minutes ago."
Kane closed his mouth.
The situation was too confusing for him to understand.
Kane could feel the tension in the air.
One wrong move, and a battle would break out.
"Since we are done here, get some rest before we return to the Association," Emma said.
Her words diffused the tension.
She looked at Jack and Neo.
"We can't make a decision about what to do with him since he is a human.
"He will have to return to the Association with us."
When Neo remained silent, Emma added,
"I'm being lenient since I know about the corruption of Darkness.
"But if you two try to escape, I won't think twice before burying you two seven feet deep."
She turned around and left.
Athena followed behind her.
Apollo looked at Emma and Neo with alternating gazes and spoke before he left,
"Sunshine's presence will only grow stronger with each passing moment.
"You two should rest and recover so that we can leave this place before Sunshine does permanent damage to you."
After Apollo left, Neo turned to Kane.
"Can you get me my backpack? I need the elixirs."
Kane left, and Neo shifted his gaze to Jack.
"How are you feeling…"
He stopped speaking when he noticed Jack's dazed expression.
Following his gaze, he found Jack was staring at Emma's departing back.
"Why are you asking that?" Neo frowned.
"No, it's… she is beautiful."
Jack didn't mince his words and made it clear what he meant.
Neo looked at Jack, then at Emma.
"Give up," he told Jack. "She isn't someone you would want to go after."
Jack's expression made it clear that Neo's words were going in one ear and coming out of the other without having any effect.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Neo clicked his tongue and removed his support, letting Jack fall.
"It's fine. You are healed plenty if you have time to have a crush."
While the two were bickering, Kane returned.
"I'll go meditate and recover. There are only two hours left before Anomaly #79 returns."
Jack and Kane understood the underlying message behind his words.
Neo left Jack and Kane together and sat in a secluded area.
He opened the bag and looked inside.
"Only 5 elixirs are left."
He had overpacked elixirs before coming to this world.
The supply should've lasted him over three months.
It was enough time to complete the trial of Shadow Sovereign.
Or so Neo had thought.
"Come out. Take the elixir."
The caterpillar peeked out of his pocket.
It stared at the elixir with a salivating gaze and crawled toward it.
"Good job today. I would've had a hard time without you."
Neo rubbed its head with his finger.
Just as the caterpillar was about to eat the elixir, it stopped.
Then, it looked back at the elixir.
The caterpillar had a regrettable look in its eyes.
It shook its head and started to crawl back to Neo's pocket.
"…?" Neo was surprised. "You aren't going to eat that?"
"What? You're worried about me?"
A smile appeared on Neo's lips.
He picked the caterpillar and placed it next to the elixir.
"You can take it. You don't need to hold yourself back because of me."
The caterpillar shook its head.
"I told you. It's fine. There are only five elixirs left."
"It doesn't matter if the elixirs disappear today or tomorrow at this stage."
Neo had long crossed the line of no return.
If he was going to run out of Divine Energy within a few days, he might as well splurge a bit.
"You deserve this. Just take it."
After giving the elixir to the caterpillar, Neo popped open another and drank it.
Divine Energy surged within his body.
He closed his eyes and meditated, making sure he absorbed all the Divine Energy from the elixir.
Hours later, Neo opened his eyes when he sensed Jack.
"I heard about Anomaly #79."
"I didn't even say anything."
"I can guess what you are going to say and my answer is no. I don't need your help."