Universal Sign-in: Ascending to Godhood With My 10x Rewards!-Chapter 27: Jerry, the Ruler of Elusia and Effulgence

A soft wind blew against my face, causing me to squint my eyes as my bangs fluttered against my forehead, subtly filtering my vision as I stared ahead with squinted eyes pulsing with pure, unadulterated joy.

My lips stretched into a sweet smile.

It was a familiar place.

My heart recognized this place. And so it pulsed softly, distributing a warm feeling around my body.

The pleasant and familiar jasmine scent that trickled into my nose, the ever-present warmth that always reminded me that I was loved, the green grasses that I stood on barefoot, the surrounding fields, and the fresh air that soothed my skin.

I recognized them all.

I was..

—’The last one to get back home is a rotten egg~!’

A familiar figure finally came into view, emerging from the mist that curled at the far end of the fields.

My squinted eyes widened.

She was bathed by the golden glow of the sunset.

Margie.

She looked younger. The same age she was the year dad died.

She playfully ran toward me, giggling with a small toy in her hands.

Behind her, a tall, brown-haired male figure followed. And beside him, a blonde female ran, with wide, beautiful smiles present on their face as they giggled along with Margie.

Mom. Dad.

—’Come on, big bro~!’

Margie beckoned to me with her soft words, inviting me to run with them.

—’Yeah, come on, Dustin. Run faster!’

Mom supported.

With the smile still present on my lips, I moved my legs to walk forward and run with them.

Suddenly, I froze. And my smile faded instantly as they ran past me.

Huh?

What just happened?

I turned my neck, staring at their backs as they ran farther away.

Hey, I’m right here!

I tried to yell. I couldn’t.

I faced forward.

My eyes widened immediately as I spotted another figure emerging from the mist.

I recognized the figure very well.

The figure... was myself. My younger self.

Ah.

I see.

The world around me began to blur.

A bitter smile surfaced on my lips.

This is a dream.

Tears tugged in my eyes.

Of course it is.

—’Come on, Dustin. Faster."

They aren’t referring to me.

They can’t see me.

—’Dustin...’

Even if it was a dream, seeing dad just one more time...

I gazed at Dad.

He’d run past me, along with Mom and Margie, toward our former mansion.

The younger me ran sluggishly. Obviously cringed out by the occurring events.

That was so me.

But... you’ll regret it when they’re no longer here, kiddo.

Very soon, they’ll be gone forever.

All of a sudden, Dad turned his neck. And his eyes focused on me, peering directly into mine.

I flinched.

What?

Is he staring at me right now?

—’Go, omnia. Take it all.’ He said.

My brows furrowed.

Dad’s eyes gleamed strangely. A radiant golden glow shimmered in his pupils. It made my spine tingle.

I can’t move.

—’Dustin?’

Margie kept calling out to the younger me.

I tried to reply, even though I knew it wasn’t me. But I couldn’t speak.

—’Dustin?’

She kept calling.

My heartbeat tracked off rhythm, pounding against my chest as my breathing lost its stability.

I tried to hold my forehead, but I couldn’t.

Dad still stared straight at me. And as he noticed my frantic expression, his lips widened into a... warm smile. A strange, bittersweet smile. Then he faced forward and continued giggling with Mom.

My head felt woozy, and my vision blurred even more as the world around me spun.

—’Dustin?’

I struggled to breathe.

—’Dustin?’

"Dustin!" A loud voice erupted, dragging my consciousness from the sea of dreams.

I jolted awake, immediately sitting up as I gasped for air.

Huff– Huff–

Buckets of sweat slid from my forehead down my shirtless body. The sweat stung my groggy eyes.

I blinked, scratching my eyes as my chest rose and fell along with the rhythm of my breath.

The various, unending stream of murmurs raging from the crowd trickled into my ears as my senses finally woke up. And my senses waking up meant... the heat and the smell began to attack me too.

I scrunched my nose.

"Dustin?" Jericho called out, his voice barely above the distant noise. "Are you okay?"

As he asked, he tapped my shoulder and my forehead.

I didn’t look up at him.

I let out a quick exhale, removing his hands. "Yes, I’m fine, Jerry. Good morning."

"You’re fine?" Marcus interjected. "You don’t look fine to me. You were quite literally quivering in your sleep."

They both stood in front of me. Although Jericho crouched to get a good look at me.

They both woke up before me?

"I said I’m fine," I said, looking up at their faces as I spotted thin traces of excitement in their bright expressions. I narrowed my eyes. "What’s up with you guys anyway?"

As I asked, Jericho smiled dryly and turned to look at Marcus. Marcus also smiled and nodded.

Jericho looked at me, his blue eyes twinkling with unfiltered excitement.

"You won’t believe this," Jericho said.

I furrowed my brows. "Believe what?"

Jericho sighed. "Let me tell you."

I nodded. "Go on."

He nodded. "You see, while I slept at night, my body felt weird. It felt like something... moved or stirred up within me. It was a slithering feeling.. like a snake made of liquid crawled through my veins toward my heart. I dismissed it as it might’ve been a.."

I raised a brow.

"Tiredness-induced hallucination." Jericho’s smile widened, and he shrugged.

"Right~" Marcus said sarcastically as he chuckled.

"So..." Jericho grunted a little as he sat beside me.

I looked straight at him.

"I had a dream. A really, really weird dream." Jerry said in a lower voice. "In that dream, I was in a.. dark space. All alone, I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t even move. I was just suspended in space."

And so?

"Then a loud voice echoed in that dark space. The voice felt eerily ancient. Like an old British man speaking aloud. But then again, I don’t think the voice of any normal old man could make me shiver as much as I did when I heard it. It shook me to the core of my bones. That voice.. it wasn’t human. It called out my name. And then it told me, ’Elusia chooses you. Shine forth your light, phos.’"