End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues

In the end, Jeremy, Liam, and Ritchie chose to accompany Bonnie all the way to her home.

When they reached the doorstep of Bonnie's house, she turned around, offering a sincere smile to the group.

"I'm really sorry for being so reckless and getting everyone involved in rescuing me. I promise I won't do something like this again. Next time, I'll make sure to consult with all of you before I act," Bonnie said, her tone very earnest.

Everyone believed that Bonnie wouldn't make such a mistake again.

Jeremy, Ritchie, and Liam didn't say much in response. They felt that Bonnie's apology was indeed warranted.

"It's getting late. You should all go and get some rest," Bonnie continued, her voice tinged with regret.

After saying this, she turned her gaze toward Ritchie.

Bonnie was well aware that if it hadn't been for rescuing her, Ritchie and Jeremy would likely have found the appropriate awakening instance for Ritchie today. So, Bonnie felt that Ritchie was the one she owed the most apology.

"I'm so sorry! If it hadn't been for rescuing me, you should have already found your awakening instance by now. I made you miss a day of your awakening."

After saying this, Bonnie gave Ritchie a deep bow.

Ritchie's expression became slightly awkward.

He didn't know what to say. To him, Bonnie was his friend, and rescuing a friend seemed like a perfectly normal thing to do. He didn't understand why she was apologizing and bowing to him.

As Ritchie stood there in embarrassment, Jeremy smiled and spoke up.

"You really don't need to apologize to him. We weren't necessarily going to find an awakening instance for him today, anyway. And even if we had, there's no guarantee he would've cleared it on the first try."

Jeremy's words caused Ritchie to feel a bit irritated.

He turned to Jeremy and said, "Do you really have so little faith in me? I'm the only other person, besides you, who has reached the awakening level. Doesn't that mean my strength is almost on par with yours?"

"Your strength is indeed only slightly weaker than mine. But it's still not much stronger than anyone else's. I think Bonnie and Liam will reach level 50 very soon. They might even awaken before you," Jeremy replied with a grin.

Jeremy and Ritchie immediately began to argue with each other.

Both of them knew that the other didn't mean any harm. They were just trying to keep Bonnie from feeling too much pressure.

As she watched Jeremy and Ritchie bicker, a smile finally appeared on Bonnie's face. This time, her smile was genuine and natural.

"Alright, alright, you two, stop it now. It's getting late, and if there's nothing else, I'll head back to the Special Situations Bureau. There's still a lot I need to take care of there," Bonnie said.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Liam felt that there was no need for him to get involved in the playful exchange between the two.

Since Liam had spoken up, Jeremy and Ritchie naturally stopped their bickering.

"Alright then, we should get going too! We need to prepare for tomorrow's operation!" Jeremy and Ritchie both said their goodbyes.

Bonnie watched them leave. Once they were out of sight, she sighed and walked back into her house.

"I'm really useless. I guess I should listen to Jeremy's advice from now on. Whenever I act rashly, I just end up causing trouble," Bonnie muttered to herself as she entered her bedroom.

Although the incident was caused by her impulsive actions, Bonnie had indeed paid a heavy price during the course of the mission.

Not only had she lost her strongest weapon, but she had also missed the opportunity to level up.

For the next week, Bonnie would have to pass her time in the house, bored and idle.

Meanwhile, Ritchie and Jeremy were discussing tomorrow's operation as they made their way back to their residence.

"Didn't you just get three new clues? I think you should start looking into them," Ritchie asked with mild curiosity.

In Ritchie's mind, his own awakening didn't seem all that important. Jeremy would surely be more focused on the new clues they had obtained.

Jeremy shook his head slowly.

"The three new clues we've got will take a long time to investigate. And during the investigation, we can't afford to be distracted."

"So, I want to help you complete your awakening ritual before I start investigating the three clues," Jeremy said, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Once you've completed your awakening, you'll be able to provide me with much more assistance during the investigation."

He paused, ensuring they were not being overheard.

"We'll discuss the details of the plan once we're back at our place. If we talk about it on the way, someone might overhear, and I don't want our strategy getting exposed," he added, still keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

Ritchie felt that Jeremy was being overly cautious.

In Ritchie's mind, there was no one in the area who could possibly overhear their conversation. But in reality, Ritchie's judgment was wrong.

There were indeed people nearby who were carefully listening to their conversation. Some were members of the Special Situations Bureau, while others were Jeremy's enemies.

Once they arrived at their residence, Jeremy first ensured that there were no enemies in the vicinity.

Only after confirming this did he sit down and begin explaining his detailed plan to Ritchie.

"My plan for the next steps will require your full cooperation. So, I need to make sure you understand the details clearly, and you have to pay close attention," Jeremy said as he unrolled a map and spread it out on the table.

Ritchie nodded seriously.

"We need to confirm your awakening instance within three days," Jeremy continued, pointing to specific locations on the map. "During these three days, we'll investigate several abandoned cities that could potentially have the right instance for you."

He paused, making sure Ritchie was following.

"Once we find the right awakening instance, we'll spend two days devising a strategy to clear it. After that, you'll have two days to complete the awakening instance. As long as you clear it, your awakening will be complete, and you'll be able to level up further. Then I won't have to worry so much."

Ritchie listened intently, his mind running through the details of the plan. According to Jeremy's plan, he would complete his awakening within the next week.

The timing of his awakening would coincide with Bonnie's house arrest being lifted.

This meant that Jeremy's upcoming operations could be supported by both Bonnie and Ritchie at the same time.

Jeremy noticed the look in Ritchie's eyes and smiled slightly.

"It seems you've figured out why I set the plan for you to complete your awakening within a week. Once you've completed it, Bonnie will be able to join us in action," he said.

He leaned forward, the smile fading as he grew serious.

"After your awakening, we'll have to use the three new clues to investigate things related to the Apocalypse Game's creators. Dark Core doesn't provide much information, and it's directly tied to [Fool]. [Fool] is the most powerful of the Apocalypse Game's creators. We shouldn't directly challenge him yet."

Jeremy paused and tapped the map with his finger.

"The crystal octagon requires a region where at least three different powers converge to give us more clues. Such places are incredibly hard to find. So, I think our first investigation should focus on the clue related to the Eternal Ice."

He sighed, his expression serious.

"I've never heard of Eternal Flame before, but I'm sure it's closely tied to [The Sun]. That means we'll need to return to Capital. However, we must go back secretly. There are many enemies of ours in Capital."

He looked up at Ritchie, his gaze hardening.

"Once we're back in Capital, we can investigate the Eternal Ice, but more importantly, we'll also have the opportunity to make our most hated enemy pay."

Jeremy's voice grew colder as he spoke about their most hated enemy—Kean.

When Jeremy mentioned Kean, a look of deep hatred crossed Ritchie's face as well. He too saw Kean as an enemy that they needed to eliminate.

Ritchie believed that if he could defeat Kean, he would strike immediately. However, Ritchie's strength had always been inferior to Kean's. Even if Ritchie completed his awakening, his power wouldn't come close to Kean's.

"You understand my plan now, right?" Jeremy asked, looking at Ritchie. "Do you have any questions about it?"

Ritchie shook his head.

"I don't have any questions about your plan! I think it's perfect! We'll proceed as you've outlined. I'm confident that I can complete my awakening within a week. If I finish early, we'll have a few extra days to strengthen my awakening abilities."

Ritchie understood that their current situation was quite dire. He knew that he had to work even harder in the coming days. He wanted to be a real asset to Jeremy and help him tackle the challenges ahead.