Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 574: Homecoming

The moment she finally loosened her grip, she did not step away completely. Instead, she kept holding onto Ethan's arm while looking up at him closely, and her eyes moved across his face again and again as if she was trying to make sure he was truly standing in front of her.

Her fingers trembled slightly as they touched his cheek, and her touch was gentle but restless. There was clear worry in her eyes, and even after seeing him return safely, she still looked afraid that he might disappear again.

"You look thinner," she said softly, and her voice carried obvious concern.

Before Ethan could reply, she moved even closer, and her gaze sharpened while she carefully examined him from head to toe. Her hands moved over his shoulders and arms before stopping near his chest as if she was searching for hidden wounds beneath his clothes.

"Did you get hurt?" she asked quickly.

"Where are your injuries?"

"Why does your face look so pale?"

Her questions came one after another without pause, and her brows stayed tightly furrowed while concern filled her eyes. Her breathing had become uneven again, and she looked like she was trying hard to stay calm.

Ethan let out a small breath and gently caught her wrist to stop her from checking him further.

"I am fine," he said calmly.

She immediately shook her head, and her grip on his sleeve tightened slightly.

"You don't look fine," she replied at once, and her voice rose a little while her eyes turned slightly red again. She pressed her lips together as if trying to hold back her emotions.

Behind her, the others had already gathered, and the room slowly filled with their presence.

Rina stepped forward quietly, and although she did not rush over like before, her gaze was just as sharp while she carefully observed Ethan's condition.

"Let me see," she said softly.

Sophia crossed her arms tightly, but her eyes never left Ethan even for a second, and her usual bold expression had softened slightly with worry.

"You better not be hiding anything," she muttered.

Lia and Diana stood close together, and both of them looked at Ethan with visible concern while silently waiting for him to speak.

Claire's eyes became moist when she saw Ethan's pale condition, and she lowered her gaze for a moment while trying to steady herself.

Claire slowly stepped closer after hearing Rina's words, and her eyes stayed fixed on Ethan's pale face while worry slowly filled her expression again. She looked like she wanted to say something for a long time but could not find the right words.

"…You really scared us," Claire said quietly, and her voice trembled slightly near the end.

Her fingers tightened together in front of her while she lowered her gaze for a brief moment before looking at Ethan again.

"When they said you still hadn't returned… I thought…" she stopped halfway and pressed her lips together without finishing the sentence.

Ethan looked at her calmly before giving a small reassuring smile.

"I'm here now," he said softly.

Claire nodded lightly, but the worry in her eyes still did not disappear completely.

Kassandra stood a short distance away with her arms crossed while silently observing Ethan from head to toe. Her expression remained calm on the surface, but the slight furrow in her brows revealed the concern she was trying to hide.

"You look terrible," Kassandra finally said bluntly.

Sophia glanced at her for a second while Ethan let out a faint breath.

"That bad?" Ethan asked.

Kassandra narrowed her eyes slightly before answering.

"You can barely stand properly and your face is pale. So yes, that's bad."

Her gaze lingered on the faint injuries visible near his neck before she quietly added,

"You should have retreated earlier instead of pushing yourself this far."

Although her tone remained calm, there was clear frustration and worry hidden underneath it.

Selena had remained quiet near the back of the room for most of the time, but after hearing everyone speak, she slowly stepped forward as well. Her eyes carefully examined Ethan's condition, and relief mixed with lingering fear could be seen on her face.

"Idiot," she muttered softly while looking away for a second.

Ethan blinked once before giving a faint helpless smile.

"That's harsh."

Selena folded her arms tightly and frowned at him.

"You disappeared without a trace for days and came back looking half-dead. What did you expect us to feel?"

Her voice became quieter near the end, and she avoided directly looking into his eyes for a moment.

"Girls calm down..In fact,I am feeling better than ever.This entire thing is due to a potion I took to deceive others."

".."

".."

A deadly silence prevailed for a moment after which things were thrown at Ethan brutally who dodged it with a chuckle.

"Okay..Okay..My bad..I shouldn't have deceived you."

"BASTARDDD!"Sophia roared and jumping ahead tried to bite Ethan but she was only able to reach his chest making her frozen.

She remembered how she was clearly taller than him when they married but this bastard had grown so much taller.

She snorted and bit his hands before retreating.

Amber walked in as well, and she paused near the entrance before letting out a quiet breath as relief slowly appeared on her face.

"You really came back so quickly.I thought you would return only after the war is over " she said.

Ethan looked at all of them one by one, and for a brief moment he remained silent. Then a faint smile slowly appeared on his face.

"I am just of the war.Its fucking sickening," he said.

"There is not a shred of morality nor any shred of mercy.Its just fucking stupidity.''Ethan cursed aloud not holding back.

But his words still did not calm them completely.

Rina stepped closer and reached for his wrist, and just like Rodrick had done before, she carefully checked his condition. Her expression slowly changed as she sensed the state of his body, and her fingers tightened slightly around his wrist.

"You" she murmured quietly.

Sophia noticed her reaction immediately and stepped forward with a frown.

"What is it?" she asked.

Rina stayed silent for a moment before lifting her gaze and looking directly at Ethan with a serious expression.

"You pushed yourself too far," she said.