We returned to the guest residence after roaming the island for half a day. The others dispersed to their rooms, the earlier energy finally settling into something calmer.
I sat alone in my room and pulled up the merit panel, my attention drawn to the numbers that had accumulated after closing two rifts back to back.
[Merit Points: 45130]
[Rank: XXXX69 → XXX07]
That was more than acceptable.
Closing rifts clearly carried far more weight than ordinary combat, which explained the sharp rise in rank. From the System's perspective, stabilizing reality itself mattered more than how many enemies fell along the way.
Steve and North had benefited as well. Both of them had earned close to 5000 merit points, enough to push them onto the ranking board for the first time. Not high yet, but visible. A starting mark.
Interestingly, my summons had received nothing.
