Eren looked at the darkness on the ground, which was connected to the prison realm of the Tower Master. If one was swallowed by that realm, escaping was no different than a dream.
Still, he found it somewhat estranged. Did Devourer save him from a place like that when they were running away from the Tower in the past that the memory fragment had revealed? He wasn't certain.
He could only gaze at the fragment of the recording orb in his hand which was more or less useless.
"If only he had fallen for this trick and showed me the recording, it would've been so much better." He kept the recording crystal fragment in his inventory, wondering if it was because his acting was somewhat lacking.
"I knew I should've been more melodramatic." He could only sigh in disappointment.
"There is no point in crying over spilled milk," the author said, bringing Eren out of his daze.
"Huh? You know the sayings from earth?" Eren revealed slight surprise at the author's words. "Then again, it shouldn't surprise me. You were able to bring me from earth, so it makes sense if you can contact that place."
The author didn't answer.
After taking one last glance at the Tower Master, Eren started walking away.
Even the author understood that Eren had no plans to ask his forced question anytime soon. It was also a wise plan.
He followed after Eren, his footsteps appearing to be slow, yet keeping up with the young man's footsteps.
"I had a question for you. It's not about any secrets of this world so I am sure you can answer it without being forced," Eren told the author after the two of them pasaed through a forest.
As the entire world was frozen in time, Eren couldn't even use any beasts to fly back to the Western Continent. Even the Phoenix was going to be frozen in time if summoned.
"Even if your charger was cloned, where would you find a charging socket? After that, where will you find electricity? Did you forget what kind of world this was?" The author rolled his eyes in response.
Eren also realized that the supply chain was an issue. Just a charger wasn't enough to recover his phone and check what was happening on earth.
The two of them kept walking away from the Tower Master, immersed in the conversation about the two worlds.
It was the first time Eren had talked so much with the author. It was also the same for the mysterious existence. The two of them talked as if they had long been friends, which was a strange feeling for Eren.
He didn't understand why he felt so comfortable around the author, who should've been a forbidden existence in this world.
Not just the author, but even the Sword Emperor felt the same. It was as if they had known each other for an eternity.
....
[Weeks later]
Eren had been traveling with the author for a long time. He had increased his speed many times, even flying occasionally as long as he could. Despite that, the author was still able to keep up with him effortlessly.
Soon, the two of them reached the end of the Northern Continent, which was marked by the river of Life and Death, separating it from the Western Continent.
"Are you the strongest existence in this world?" Eren asked the author, feeling the scent of the river that was not far from him.
"I'm not the strongest person in this world," the author answered while momentarily glancing at Eren.
Eren was facing the river so he didn't notice the strange glance of the author.