After half a day's preparation, the members of the caravan bade farewell to Jeremy.
Under Heber's leadership, the group proceeded along a barely discernible path into the distance. Jeremy watched as the caravan slowly disappeared from his line of sight.
Once the figures of the caravan were completely out of view, he promptly decided to utilize his doppelgänger, Puppet, to transport himself directly to the presence of the class change goddess, Janna.
At this moment, the eyes of the class change goddess Janna had turned a bright sky blue.
The staff she held in her hand was now imbued with formidable magical power. In front of her, an ethereal Portal was gradually taking shape.
"Is this the Portal that leads to the real world?"
Jeremy asked, his gaze fixed on the spectral gate as he addressed the class change goddess Janna.
"This is not the Portal itself, it is merely a projection of what the Portal will be." Janna replied. "If you wish to return to the real world, you must depend on the connection between the Portal within this instance and the Portal in the real world."
Class change goddess Janna provided a brief answer to Jeremy's question.
After all, she needed to concentrate the majority of her attention on constructing the Portal.
"You mean to say that I need to return to the Land of Eternal Night and pass through the Portal there in order to get back to the real world?"Jeremy inquired for clarification.
Class change goddess Janna affirmed his understanding.
"Yes, that is precisely what you must do. This is why I previously advised you that the moment the Portal opens, the Sun will immediately become aware of your presence.
If you have any regrets now, I can halt the construction of the Portal. However, if I do so, I will be unable to reopen it for the next fortnight."
This was the final opportunity Janna afforded Jeremy to reconsider his decision.
Jeremy shook his head resolutely.
"There is nothing for me to regret. I have already ensured that all my companions have left. This way, I can face the Sun alone."
He declared with a tone of unwavering confidence.
It seemed as though he was genuinely prepared for the impending confrontation with the Sun. However, deep within, Jeremy harbored a slight sense of apprehension.
He estimated that his chances of prevailing against a deity-like entity were, in reality, less than thirty percent.
As Jeremy contemplated these matters, the voice of class change goddess Janna resonated once more.
"You may return to the Land of Eternal Night now, the Portal will manifest there shortly."
Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment and prepared to depart.
However, just as he was about to leave, Janna's voice echoed again: "Rest assured, I will not let you face such a formidable adversary alone. I will do everything in my power to delay the Sun's actions."
Janna's words brought a faint smile to Jeremy's face.
"But do not celebrate too soon, even with my utmost efforts, defeating the Sun single-handedly is beyond my capability. You must brace yourself for a grueling battle."
Jeremy was now extremely close to the Portal, just a few more steps would allow him to cross through. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage to take another step forward.
The Sun's power was not limited to its radiant form, it also possessed the ability to set rules.
The Sun had effectively partitioned the space between Jeremy and the Portal. No matter what he did, Jeremy found himself unable to move any closer to the Portal.
Moreover, Jeremy suddenly sensed the rapid approach of formidable Sun Knights surrounding him. Among them, the closest was none other than Vice-Captain Betak, a former adversary.
Under the intense sunlight, Vice-Captain Betak's armor gleamed brilliantly. Bathed in the powerful rays, he seemed to possess an inexhaustible reservoir of strength.
"Enemy of the deity, I told you before that we would meet again. This time, I will make sure you do not escape!"
Betak declared, raising his Sunblade and striking towards Jeremy with formidable force.
Jeremy had no choice but to counter with his own skeletal sword.
Yet, he was acutely aware that under the searing sunlight, he was no match for Vice-Captain Betak. As he fought, he simultaneously pondered how to break free from this predicament.
"There is no need for you to struggle any longer. No matter how severe my injuries, under the sacred sunlight, I can swiftly recover to full health.
Any damage you sustain will only be amplified by the holy rays. Ultimately, with the aid of the sacred sun, I will obliterate you, the enemy of our deity."
Betak proclaimed with unwavering confidence.
After all, this time he was fighting alongside the deity he worshipped.
Other Sun Knights gradually arrived at the battlefield, yet they refrained from joining the assault on Jeremy.
To them, their involvement would only limit Vice-Captain Betak's space to maneuver.
For Jeremy, this was undoubtedly a piece of exceedingly good news.
Facing solely Vice-Captain Betak at least granted Jeremy some mental space to devise his next move. However, time was quickly slipping away.
He could see the Portal in the distance starting to waver and become increasingly ethereal. This indicated that the Portal was nearing imminent collapse.
If Jeremy couldn't pass through before it disintegrated entirely, his mission would be a complete failure.
Moreover, the class change goddess Janna had already been discovered by the Sun.
Failure in this endeavor would mean both he and Janna would face an inescapable doom.
"I refuse to be defeated by you! I will show you that no matter how overwhelming your power is, I can still find a way to turn the tide!"
Jeremy shouted furiously in the direction of Vice-Captain Betak.
In truth, these words were not meant for Betak, they were directed at the Sun looming in the sky. Jeremy wanted to convey that, despite the Sun's seemingly boundless power, he would never surrender.
It seemed the Sun truly perceived Jeremy's defiant thoughts. After his declaration, Jeremy felt the sunlight above him grow even more scorching.
The Sun appeared intent on demonstrating its inexhaustible divine power to Jeremy through the intensifying heat.