Eren carefully received the card and took a look at it.
The photo taken moments ago was printed on the left side, while the right side contained several identification codes.
Without wasting a moment, he went to another counter where a few people were already standing in line.
As he peeked ahead, he saw a massive stone slab attached to the wall.
When it was finally his turn, he was able to clearly observe the complicated magic circles and rune formations engraved across the surface.
In the center was a display panel formed by layered runes, and at the upper left corner was a narrow slot for card insertion.
Eren inserted his newly obtained Awakener ID into the slot.
Text immediately appeared on the glowing display:
Eren paused for a moment, staring in amazement.
"It's really similar to an ATM…"
First, he chose the option
Since his phone number was linked to the account, he immediately received a temporary PIN to set up his password.
He quickly set his own password.
If he didn't create one, he would have to rely on temporary passwords sent to his phone every time he accessed his account.
Now, he could access it directly without unnecessary steps.
But this also meant that if he lost his card and his password was leaked, whoever possessed it could take all his savings.
Once he finished setting up the password, the screen returned to the main menu.
This time, Eren selected
With a soft clinking sound, the compartment below the display slid open.
Inside was a blue orb embedded within what looked like an appraisal stone.
Eren nervously placed his hand on it.
[Please transfer the item into your account…]
He poured all the lesser spirit stones from his inventory into the blue orb.
The orb absorbed everything instantly without missing a single piece.
Once the absorption was complete, a message appeared on the screen:
[You have currently transferred 2,112,067 lesser spirit stones into your account.]
A receipt for the transaction was printed shortly after.
Only then did Eren let out a long sigh of relief.
He had been extremely nervous the entire time, countless thoughts running through his mind.
'What if such a high volume of spirit stones couldn't be processed in a day?'
'What if someone questioned the source?'
'What if someone became greedy and tried to snatch them from me?'
The human mind was a fickle thing.
The more desperate the situation, the more negative thoughts crept in.
Eren took a nearby seat and relaxed for a moment before pulling out his phone.
An Awakener account was completely different from a normal bank account.
It was linked to spatial storage that allowed him to store valuable items such as dungeon rewards, monster drops, and spirit stones.
However, monster corpses and food-type drops were not allowed inside the storage space, as they would decay over time.
The Radiant Solstice Empire was highly advanced in such technologies, far ahead of the other three human empires.
The Awakener Association, which operated under the Empire's government, not only helped awakeners secure their valuable items and provided a certain level of protection, it also indirectly monitored all awakeners and regulated rules among them.
Eren downloaded the exclusive app used for item exchanges and trading between combat and support type awakeners.
Other than the app Eren had downloaded, there was also another app specifically designed for lifestyle professions.
It took him half an hour to input all the required information.
The process even required fingerprint verification for authentication.
The home page of the app was divided into three sections.
The first was for trading, the second for chatting and exchanging information, and the third for news regularly released by the Awakener Association.
The default page displayed the Awakener Association's announcements.
These announcements were not only related to updates about the current frontline situation, but also included market demand for items and spirit stones.
The Awakener Association acted as the responsible third party that determined the standard value of drops, potions, and other items.
However, that didn't mean they had total control over all exchanges.
Eren could see in the chat section that many people were selling their drops at prices either higher or lower than the official market rate, directly to other parties.
Eren navigated to the current price of lesser spirit stones.
The rate was 47 Alliance Coins per stone, with a tax of only 2 Alliance Coins per stone.
He entered the total amount of spirit stones he currently possessed and pressed the button to sell them directly to the Association, since they were the primary buyers.
He didn't allow himself to think about the possibility of someone tracking his transaction and asking about the source.
He simply hoped that with so many people selling spirit stones daily, his exchange would go unnoticed.
Right now, all that mattered to Eren was getting the money for his father's treatment.
Ding!
Within a minute, his 'awakener account' balance increased by 95 million Alliance Coins from 0.
Without hesitation, he transferred 85 million to his mother's account before immediately calling her.
"Eren, where are you now?"
It was his sister who answered instead of his mother.
"Give the phone to Mom…"
Eren said without explanation.
His little sister silently did as he asked.
"Eren…"
His mother's voice came through, the same as before, monotone and devoid of life.
"Mom, I've transferred 85 million into your account. Pay the treatment fee and ask them to start the treatment immediately…"
The call fell silent as his mother checked her account.
A moment later, her aggrieved voice rang through the phone.
"Eren! What have you done?! Where did you get so much money?! Where are you right now?!"
A small smile formed on Eren's lips as he realized she had indeed received the money.
Her voice was now filled with shock and distress, clearly thinking he had done something reckless, like borrowing from loan sharks or engaging in something illegal.
That was how many promising youngsters fell to the bottom of society.
From the moment Eren left the Healing Hall until now, barely an hour had passed.
There was no legal way his mother could imagine her son obtaining such a huge amount of money in that time.
Her voice trembled as she screamed from the bottom of her heart,
"Your father is already like this! I don't know what to do anymore! If you also end up doing something stupid, I swear to God, I will take my life before you two—"
"MOM, stop!"
Eren immediately cut her off.
He couldn't bear to hear another word.
"Just look at the money transfer details, Mom… It was directly transferred from an Association account to yours. It's legal money… not a loan either…"
Her voice fell silent again as she checked the transaction details.
Eren silently praised his own cleverness.
He had transferred the money directly from his Awakener account instead of his personal bank account.
Since everyone believed he was only Level 2, no one would suspect he owned such an account anytime soon, not even his family.
"Who gave us this money?" his mother asked seriously.
"Someone wants to recruit me into their guild. That person took a strong interest in my transformation skill, so they readily paid this amount when I asked."
Without hesitation, he told the lie he had already prepared.
But his mother didn't seem convinced.
"Who is that person? What is the name of their guild?"
"…Sorry, Mom. I can't reveal their identity. I signed a non-disclosure agreement. It's a subcontracted guild that takes orders directly from higher officials of the Empire. Even this information is barely within the limit of what I'm allowed to say…"
Another lie flowed smoothly from his mouth.
Even he was slightly amazed at how naturally he could fabricate such stories.
In truth, within the Radiant Solstice Empire, there were indeed hidden guilds that operated in secrecy.
They were responsible not only for eliminating dangerous criminals but also for regulating complex dungeons and hidden realms within human territory.
Joining one of those guilds meant putting one's life on the line.
A few famous combat professionals had publicly revealed that they had once worked in such guilds.
It was rare but not unheard of.
"Are you telling the truth?" his mother asked again.
"I am telling the truth, Mom. Trust me…"
"Swear to God that you didn't obtain this money through any illegal or harmful means."
Eren repeated firmly,
"I swear to God that I did not obtain this money through any illegal or harmful means."
Only after repeated reassurance did his mother finally relax a little.
"When will you return?"
"I'll be there within an hour…"
After the call ended, Eren let out a long breath and slumped into the chair, looking exhausted.
"How untrustworthy am I to deserve that many questions?" he muttered to himself, a faint smile appearing on his face.