SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 495: Departure—3

Leon thought, an imaginary shiver running through him while his outward expression stayed perfectly composed.

Right after Bunbun’s declaration, Sylphia’s voice came in, almost like a protest.

"Please, L—" She caught herself mid-syllable, swallowing hard. The intense, almost murderous look Bunbun was now directing at her felt like a countless number of knives pressed against her throat. She’d been about to call him by his name directly, but corrected herself instantly, certain that if she actually said it, Bunbun’s glare alone might tear her apart.

Sylphia cursed internally, though she kept it entirely off her face. Her own childhood friend had somehow become one of them — and not just any level of lunatic, but apparently competing with Pope James himself for the title. She’d heard whispers that Bunbun was already planning to challenge him in the next election, insisting she was the most devoted candidate available.

Sylphia felt like the last sane person surrounded by an asylum, and her best friend had become one of its most enthusiastic residents. Most of these people didn’t look unhinged on the surface — that was the trap. She’d learned that the hard way, having tried earlier to find other "normal" people to help talk Bunbun out of staying here permanently, only to discover that every single person she approached turned out to be just as devoted, just as glassy-eyed with reverence. A few had even reported her conversations back, treating her persuasion attempts as something close to heresy. She’d spent the past several days living on a constant edge, watching her back.

"Please, Dear God," she said carefully, "Bunbun has a family outside. Her parents must miss her terribly. She needs to see them. She can’t live here forever."

Leon nodded almost instantly to her words.

He did not need another James. Bunbun was perhaps a cuter, slightly less unhinged version of the same phenomenon, but the trajectory was identical — the shining eyes, the breathless awe, the intensity that made his skin crawl in small, manageable doses but which he had zero interest in cultivating further.

"Yes," he said. "She needs to visit her family. There are people waiting for her outside."

He felt, almost instantly, the mood of the gathered crowd drop in unison — every face except Sylphia’s falling with quiet disappointment.

Leon thought, No matter how intense she seemed, her devotion to this place appeared genuine rather than performative. She just had to actually ask. If she didn’t — well, once he stepped through to the outside world, his path was leading toward the higher domains regardless. If fate wanted her here, she’d find her way back.

Bunbun didn’t look sad at his words. Instead, there was only a flicker of something close to pity in her eyes as she replied.

"If that is what my god wishes, Bunbun will happily follow his command, even if it means death."

Leon immediately began reconsidering every choice that had led to this moment.

He simply nodded, having absolutely no idea how to respond to something that cringeworthy. He’d told her to go visit her family, which had been reinterpreted as a command worth dying for.

he thought, wanting to curse out loud but maintaining his composure through sheer willpower.

Sylphia, meanwhile, was practically glowing with relief. Her lunatic friend was finally leaving to see her family, and she made a private mental note to ensure the two of them never crossed paths with anyone here again — not unless she wanted Bunbun’s particular brand of devotion to explode into something even less manageable.

After that, Leon teleported the group — himself, Seraphine, Ira, Bunbun, and Sylphia — arriving in an open grass field where, beside the original tents, a considerable number of houses now stood freshly constructed.

They looked genuinely modern. Roughly forty of them, and it hadn’t even been a full day. The construction wasn’t makeshift — these were properly built structures, not temporary shelters thrown together in haste. They’d need furniture and finishing touches, certainly, but the bones of it were complete and solid.

Leon thought,

He spotted Archon Vyra near his clone, the two of them overseeing the operation with the relaxed efficiency of people who didn’t need to lift a single physical object themselves — a table set up nearby, tea steaming gently between them while an army of laborers worked in the background.

Instead of teleporting the whole group, Leon teleported himself alone, appearing directly in front of her.

Her voice carried its usual warmth. "You’re here."

He understood immediately why she wasn’t startled — he’d already told her himself, through the clone, which was simply him operating from a split consciousness. Same mind, same memories, same intent.

He didn’t bother explaining further. "Let’s go."

Vyra nodded, and they teleported back together to rejoin the rest of the group.

He’d already discussed everything thoroughly with her through the clone beforehand. She’d expressed interest in joining the outside journey as well, and had asked detailed questions about the nature of the clone — how durable it was, how it functioned. Trusting her, Leon had explained it plainly: a mind split, operating an identical body with full continuity of thought and memory.

Once she understood, her hesitation dissolved completely, and she’d agreed to come along. He hadn’t wanted to leave the world without proper leadership in his absence, but knowing the clone remained behind, fully capable and connected to him at all times, he let her step away without worry. No matter how curious she was to finally see the outside world she’d been locked away from for centuries, responsibility came first for her — that much was simply who she was.

Since arriving in his world, something in her had settled in a way Leon could feel even without trying. She depended on him now in a way she didn’t bother dressing up with formal courtesy anymore — she’d already, in her own mind, dedicated her life and loyalty to him and to this world completely, and she no longer performed gratitude for things she genuinely felt.

When they rejoined the others, Seraphine’s eyes narrowed slightly at the new addition. Ira, by contrast, broke into a bright smile the moment she realized her Aunt Vyra would be joining them.

Leon opened the silver portal in front of the group with a single thought, mana gathering and folding space in less than a millisecond. All five of them stepped through together.

"Follow me," Leon said, taking the first step through himself.