Julian felt it move through him and let out a startled laugh. He looked down at his own hands like they belonged to someone stronger. "Tell me that wasn't just me. Tell me everyone felt that."
"Everyone felt it," Almond said. "It's the quest. We cleared a Hell-Mode in the warfare event, and the reward raised the whole kingdom to Tier-20. The second you walked through that door, the system counted you as ours, and it caught you up to the rest of us."
"Just like that." Julian flexed his fingers, half disbelieving. "I've been grinding toward this line for a long time, and you're telling me I crossed it standing still, eating Ainen's cooking."
"Welcome home," Lily said, and meant it.
