Chapter 1522: Rest Home

Erend had no other plans for the evening. As soon as night arrived, he intended to return to his home.

He did not want to spend too much time away from his family during this journey, especially when he had no idea how long their search across different worlds would continue.

He already missed his mother and sister, and the thought of being separated from them for too long made him reluctant to waste even more time.

The ability to create portals that allowed him to travel between worlds within seconds had become incredibly valuable. Erend could not imagine how difficult their journey would have been without it.

Traveling between distant worlds through ordinary means could have taken them countless years, assuming such travel was even possible. Compared to that, the ability to open portals had turned an impossible journey into something they could do in moments.

When the time finally came, Erend opened a portal and stepped through it.

He emerged inside his own house. It was almost seven in the evening and the familiar warmth of home immediately made him feel more relaxed.

Arty was already there with their mother, and the two of them were spending the evening in a quiet and ordinary way in the living room.

Erend left his room and walked into the main living area.

Both of them immediately looked toward him.

For a moment, they didn’t seem to understand why he was there.

"Erend?" His mother sounded genuinely surprised.

Arty’s expression changed as well. "You’re back already?"

Erend smiled. "Yeah. I thought I’d come home for the night."

The two of them quickly made room for him on the sofa. They had apparently not expected him to return so soon, but they were clearly happy to see him.

Erend sat down between them and began telling them about his latest journey with Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven.

He told them about the different worlds they had visited, some of the things they had discovered, and some of the strange experiences they had encountered along the way.

He left out details that would have been too complicated to explain but there was still more than enough to keep the conversation going.

Erend simply enjoyed being home. There was something comforting about sitting with his family and talking about ordinary things after spending so much time traveling through dangerous worlds.

No monsters were chasing them. No ancient ruins needed to be explored, and there was no cosmic threat waiting somewhere beyond the horizon. It was simply home. For now at least.

After they finished talking, the three of them had dinner together. The meal gave Erend another chance to enjoy the quiet evening with his mother and sister before his journey continued.

Later that night, Erend returned to his room and went to sleep.

He rested deeply, allowing his body and mind to recover from everything he had experienced during the previous days.

The next morning, Erend woke before sunrise.

He remained in bed for a moment before sitting up and looking toward the window.

The familiar morning atmosphere of his home greeted him, but he knew he could not stay for long. Valthoria was waiting and the search for the ancient Dragonborn trial still had not progressed.

Erend got up, prepared himself, and opened another portal again and he stepped through.

A moment later, he returned to Valthoria and appeared inside the small house they had been given. His clone was still there, maintaining the appearance that Erend had never left.

Erend dismissed it immediately, the clone vanished without resistance.

Aesa was already there. She sat nearby and looked toward Erend when he arrived. Neither of them said anything at first. Erend knew that Aesa enjoys quiet.

Erend took one of the chairs while Aesa remained where she was, and the two Dragonborn simply waited for Eccar and Sylven.

Several minutes passed and eventually two portals opened inside the house. Eccar stepped through first, followed shortly by Sylven.

Erend looked at them. "You ready?"

Eccar and Sylven nodded. The four Dragonborn then moved toward the front door and opened it.

The morning activity of the settlement had already begun.

Despite the harsh conditions of Valthoria, the settlement was slowly coming alive.

They saw people moving through the dusty streets carrying containers and supplies while workers prepared equipment for another day.

Several groups were already gathering near the settlement’s main gate, preparing to leave before the heat became too intense.

Erend noticed several people that looked like scavenging teams checking their weapons and equipment while others loaded empty containers and tools onto crude transport carts.

A few guards were already stationed along the walls and towers, watching the wasteland beyond the settlement.

The four Dragonborn exchanged glances. It seemed they had arrived at exactly the right time.

If they wanted to learn more about Valthoria, following one of these groups was their best opportunity.

"Alright, let’s do what we discussed yesterday," Erend said.

Aesa nodded. "I’ll try to join one of the scavenger groups or any other team that’s heading outside the settlement. Maybe I’ll be able to learn something while traveling with them."

"I’ll go outside as well," Eccar added. "Maybe with my abilities, I can sense something beneath the ground or hear the sounds of the earth like Sylven can. Even though I never did it properly, it wouldn’t be that hard, right?"

"I’ll check the plants," Sylven said. "There might be something unusual among the vegetation that could give us a clue. And Eccar, I think it will not be that easy for you." He added with a grin.

Eccar just grimaced.

Erend nodded at all three of them. "Alright. Let’s do this."

The four Dragonborn then separated and headed toward their respective destinations.

Erend himself was walking toward the biggest building in the settlement. That building really looks like where important things and important meetings were held.

But when Erend got closer he could see that the guards posted there looked different. They were more rigid and looked stronger. He have a hunch that it would not be easy to enter,

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