ã€ŠDeranged Writer&#x27;s Afterwordã€‹


 Chapter 1 Prolouge

    The woman gritted her teeth, her whole body was shaking. She looked at her baby, sleeping peacefully in her arms.

    The woman walked towards a small building that held a sign that said,'' Evergreen Orphanage'' in bold letters. She was limping slightly as her legs were badly wounded. Looking at her baby sleeping so peacefully, her will wavered.

    ''No, this has to be done.''

    The woman once again steeled her heart as she reached the orphanage. She kissed her baby on the forehead onest time and ced him on the floor near the orphanage door. Before leaving, she removed a ne from her neck and ced it together with her son.

    The woman rang the bell and walked away from the orphanage, as she was walking away she heard the cries of her child and the tears that she had been holding back started to flow down her face.

    '''' Forgive me....''''

    Saying this the woman disappeared into the dark of the night.

    ~~~~

    In our world there are two types of people;

    Winners and losers.

    The winners get to do anything they want with little effort, say for example the son of a minister who''szy as fuck gets a schrship that allows him to attend schoolpletely free rather than a student who needs it like say an orphan who has no money.

    ''Weirdly specific huh''

    Do you want to know why Ivan Isaiah got that stupid schrship instead of a student who needed it...¡­.because he was born a winner while I was born a loser.

    Yeah, you heard me right.

    I''m a fucking loser.

    Right now, I''m drunk so I can proudly admit that I am, in fact, aplete and utter loser.

    After losing that schrship, I still managed to get through high school with the help of some ''generous benefactors''. By ''generous benefactor'', I mean the minister, Ivan''s father. Please don''t misunderstand, it wasn''t out of kindness, it may be because I threatened to reveal the fact that his son was a dumb fuck and that he was corrupt to the core. It may be hard to believe but when you press the correct buttons you can break- I mean threaten anybody.

    After somehow putting myself through high school, I was stumped because I had no clue as to what exactly I should do next, going to college was a pipe dream so I abandoned that idea quickly. This was when I was introduced to the world of web novels, reading them made for some happy pass time, so for fun, I decided to start writing a webnovel and to my surprise, it became a hit.

    It was a pretty clich¨¦ novel with the usual fantasy elements like the ''hero'' and the ''demon king''. With my first novel I raked in lotta money, so after seeing the amount of money I immediately started writing my next novel and after finishing that one, I started writing another, you get the gist of it right...

    After the initial sess of my novels many good things happened, I signed many contracts, I married the girl of my dreams and I was at an all-time high. But after a few years that also went away as another writer came into the spotlight with a better novel. Oh and my wife left me as well, but before leaving she didn''t forget to suck me dry, by which I mean money you little pervert.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After the divorce I was back to square one, penniless and alone,

    Loser.

    So here I was making the most rational decision ever, I was going to kill myself, because why not?

    I look down from the bridge and look at the gloomy water below. It looked cold, but that wasn''t so bad.....

    I stagger towards the railing and stand on it and looking down at the water an emotion enters my heart, an emotion that I was very familiar with, fear. In the end, I couldn''t even kill myself. I''m such a big loser, aren''t I?

    As I turn around, I feel myself slip from the railing.

    Shit.

    The water hits me very suddenly and it was very cold, Imented at the fact that I hadn''t learned how to swim. I struggled aimlessly but after 5 minutes of that I gave in to the unflinching cold of the water.

    '' So this is what death feels like huh''

    ~~~~

    My eyelids felt heavy, I was cold and I felt something poking at my skin. I open my eyes to see the night sky. I try to speak but all that came out were inaudible voices. I try to get up, but I realized that my body had be smaller.

    Too small.

    Huh?

    What''s happening?

    I touch my face and sure enough, my guess had turned out true.

    I had be a baby.

    .........

    ''Fuck this shit, I''m out.''

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 2 Becoming A Cheat Takes Patience ! (1)

    Leslie Marr has been working at the Evergreen Orphanage for the past 3 years. She had joined because she was an orphan and knew how tough it was growing up all alone. She didn''t work full-time as the wage offered by the orphanage was very low. Her real job was being a '' hero'', she was an E - rank right now but she had the potential to be A-rank, because of her potential she was scouted by many guilds. They offered to put her through schools, where they specifically trained her to be stronger.

    After 3 years of continuous hard work in school, she finally graduated and became a hero. She was almost close to a breakthrough to D rank. She had a lot of friends now, she wasn''t alone anymore. That''s exactly why she chose to take up a part-time job in the orphanage because she didn''t want other children who were going through what she went through to be alone.

    Right now she was at the yground beside the orphanage watching over the kids that were ying. Some of the children were ying in the sandpit, while others were ying on the slides, swings, and whatnot. Leslie''s eyes fell on a young boy who was doing none of these. The child had pitch-ck hair and scarlet eyes. His paleplexion made it very clear that he hasn''t been outside much, he was way too skinny for a seven-year-old.

    There were many rumors about him, spreading at the orphanage, one rumor said that the day he was brought to the orphanage, he was covered in blood. Another one said that he was a demon''s spawn from an affair with a human and demon. Leslie would often find children bullying him due to these rumors.

    At first, she couldn''t believe that people would spread such rumors about a 7-year-old child, but the more time she spend observing him, the more she found him peculiar. The child didn''t act like a child, sometimes he acted more adult than Leslie who was an actual adult. But Leslie knew that something had to be done about the bullying so she had informed the caretaker of the orphanage about the situation, but he just rubbed it off as children ''ying ''.

    Another peculiar fact about the boy was that he had no name. When the caretaker tried giving him a name, he t out refused that name just by simply saying, "No."

    The caretaker, Mark Lauder did try to force a name on him but whenever someone used to call him using that name, he would just ignore them. In the end, everyone just gave up, because he had no name he was called ''X'' by the adults. To Leslie, it all felt a little ridiculous but she didn''t say anything as that would have been rude.

    Leslie feels a slight chill on her back as she realized that the boy was staring right at her. His scarlet eyes felt deep like a well that would drown her if she wasn''t careful enough,

    '' You''re an adult, Leslie. Act like one.''

    Chiding herself she moved toward the child that was sitting on the bench.

    ~~~

    It''s been 7 years since I''vee into this stupid world and I''ve learned three things.

    The first is that no matter what happens, it was my eternal destiny to be a fucking orphan. At first, I was happy that I had a second chance at life, but that happiness died down as soon as I found out that I was an orphan. Don''t misunderstand. It isn''t because I crave familial love that I was disappointed. It''s because I had to make money for myself yet again to get some kind of education.

    That shit is hard homie.

    Just think about it, you''ve been an orphan all your life, you kind of kill yourself by ident, and then by some kind of twist of fate you get reincarnated into one of the novels you''ve written, and you''re still an orphan!

    ¡­.

    Oh yes, you heard me right. The world that I reincarnated into was based on one of the novels I had written, its name was '''' Lord Of Destiny''''. It was a clich¨¦ novel filled with clich¨¦ characters. As far as the plot goes, it takes ce in a world where the world goes through something known as the '''' Great Catastrophe'''', The Great Catastrophe is simr to an apocalypse, Portals opened on Earth and angels came down to Earth to warn us of the forting danger, The danger that the angels warned us about were the arrival of the '' demons''.

    With the emergence of portals, the world got introduced to the concept of mana. Mana was a kind of energy that was present inside all beings. Our level was determined by the amount of mana within our bodies. Another new concept that the world was introduced to was the ''status system'', It was a literal estimation of our strength in alphabetical terms visible only to the user. Anyways the angels helped us learn how to use the mana within our bodies to help us in our fight against the demons. After the demons arrived, humanity did have the edge for a little while, but after a while, they understood the true might of the demons.

    In short, the humans lost a lottand and humanity was on the brink of extinction, that was when the angels came down yet again and erected three barriers around where the humans were present most densely and the result of the long war was a stalemate. Right now humans upy 20 % of Earth''snd, the rest of thend was divided between the angels and demons. This is where our protagonistes in, his name was Max and both his parents were S- ss heroes and they both died fighting against the demons. The story begins with Max vowing to destroy all the demons.

    Ok. Listen I know, the story is filled with ndness and is also filled with clich¨¦s. I thought so too when I wrote it, that''s why I added a little twist to make the story more ''spicy''. Now that I think about it, the twist felt a little forced honestly.

    The twist was simple, the truth was that demons hade in peace, their home had been destroyed by the angels and they were looking for a new ce to call ''home''. The '' angels'' were parasitic beings whose strength increased as more people revered them. The more followers they gained, the more their power grew. They had tried to trick the demons into bing their followers but they had failed miserably.

    After their failure, they decided to destroy the demon''s and after learning that they were going to head towards Earth, the angels decided to head to Earth as well, to antagonize the demons by concocting a story of how their home was destroyed by the demons and they were in search of a new home.

    They also made the humans believe that the demons wereing after Earth next. The reason why the angels knew their every move was since they had a lot of spies within the demon ranks. When the demon prince of the devildom came in peace to Earth to negotiate, he was killed ruthlessly, and thus the war ensued in which there were major losses from both sides, while the angels remained unscathed the entire time.

    The protagonist''s parents uncovered the ns of the angels out of sheer luck and the angels disposed of them and made it look like the work of demons.<novelnext></novelnext>

    During the middle part of the novel, the protagonist learns of this and joined hands with the demons to annihte the angels. They seed and then they all lived happily ever after.

    I seemed to be one of the many orphans of the war who had nobody. I don''t remember writing anything about this orphanage, so most of the people here including me were mobs that made no impact on the story whatsoever. That worked for me because being the main character sucks.

    Being the main character meant that the world revolved around you and when you''re the most important person in the world, trouble will always be present beneath your shadow.

    That''s the fancy way of saying that it was just too much work.

    The second thing that I learned since reincarnating was that the main plot of the novel hadn''t started yet. The novel starts with Max entering the no. 1 hero academy called, The Unity.

    There were still at least 8 years for that to happen.

    I''ve decided to ignore the plot and go to another hero school that was far away from the Unity. I''m the author so bing a cheat wasn''t that difficult and if something out of the plotline happens, I would deal with it or not, I mean the protagonist exists for a reason right?

    Right now I was currently at the yground near the orphanage enjoying my ytime. Acting like a kid sucks to the core and the kids and adults here suck. I can''t wait to get out.

    I find our supervisor, Miss Leslie watching me. Honestly, she isn''t that bad, she might be the only person that I might honestly like at this stupid godforsaken orphanage. She starts walking toward me and I smile at her when she reaches me.

    Despite myining, there was something that I did like about this life, I was way too handsome for a side character. Not only me, everyone in this world was unnaturally beautiful.

    " Why aren''t you ying with the rest, X?"

    " Oh, I was just taking a break, Miss Leslie."

    " Okay then"

    She goes away after checking up on me.

    The third thing that I learned was that everyone at the orphanage had a bad naming sense, especially that awful caretaker. I mean what kinda name is, " Joe"

    That just shouted the word ''average''. I want a cool name at least in this life. So I refused the name proposed by the caretaker.

    I wanted a name that made my enemies tremble in fear, something like ''Razorface'' or something.

    As I was contemting my future, sand got thrown at my face, making me close my eyes.

    I rub my eyes and look at the person in front of me with annoyance.

    " Hey, weirdo."

    In front of me was a girl of about 10 years of age with a big frown on her face.

    '' Oh dear''

    ~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 3 Becoming A Cheat Takes Patience ! (2)

    The frowning girl in front of me was someone I knew very well.

    Sighing internally I say,'''' What do you want, Lecia ?''''

    Lecia was someone that came to the orphanage long before I did and she''s an atrocious little brat. She''s kind of like an elder sister to me if your elder sister was a little asshole.

    Pointing a finger at me, shemanded me

    '''' y with me, now.''''

    '''' Alright.'''', I say in a tired voice.

    Arguing with Lecia was like fighting against the tides of an ocean, there was no need to struggle, just give in to the tide.

    Why are my thoughts so suicidal?

    Maybe I should see a shrink.

    Lecia and I y on the seesaw silently.

    '''' What are you thinking about ?", Lecia asks me in a curious voice

    '''' The future.'''', I say nonchntly.

    '''' I want to be an artist.''''

    '''' Huh''''

    '''' I said, I want to be an artist.''''

    A pout appears on her little face.

    ''''That''s cool''''

    She stopped the seesaw and looked at me expectantly.

    After thinking for a while, I say in a low voice.

    '''' I''m gonna be a hero.''''

    ~~~~

    The next day, I pretended to be sick to bunk my sses and stayed behind at the orphanage. I lie on my bed in the dorm room and look at the ceiling nkly. I had been nning for today since ages ago.

    Today was the day I was going to upgrade myself, literally. Usually, a 7-year-old child could never awaken the mana within their own body without external interference, But I know of a method through which one could force the awakening process. This method was not known because humans didn''t use it, the beings that used this method were the angels. The young angels used this method on themselves to awaken their mana forcefully.

    The only reason I''ve been putting it off until now was that this process was supposed to be mind-numbingly painful. But I had no choice, if I wanted to survive in this world, where the strong devoured the weak, I had to be strong myself.

    I get up and get into a meditation pose, I breathe in and out slowly. After regting my breathing to a certain extent, I raise my right hand forward and punch myself in the sr plexus as hard as my 7-year-old body allowed.

    I jerk my body instinctively as I feel the pain, but I don''t stop. I continue to hit my sr plexus as hard as I can, again and again. I hit my sr plexus so much that the area above my abdomen gets a purple hue due to bruising. But I still don''t stop, I continue hitting my sr plexus until--

    '''' Cough... Cough''''

    I cough out blood.

    I stop harming myself and start regting my breathing.

    Yes, finally. I feel a pleasant feeling wash over me.

    No, don''t misunderstand, I''m not a masochist.

    The pleasant feeling was caused by my mana trying to heal me instinctively.

    I feel the presence of a blue ball of energy near my abdominal region. I try to control it, it was a little sloppy but it would do.

    Yes, I know what you''re thinking. The angels are barbarians, they beat the mana into their children. It wasn''t that simple though.

    By continuously beating the sr plexus, where the mana was located, you damage the mana in your body, and your body instinctively tries to repair the damage by moving the mana. You just have to remember the exact feeling at that moment and tada!

    You can control your mana now.

    Suddenly a blue screen appears before me interrupting my thoughts

    -------------------------------------

    Name: X

    Age: 7

    Potential: F- rank

    Strength: G<novelnext></novelnext>

    Agility: G

    Stamina: G

    Intelligence: F-

    Mana Grade : G

    Vitality: G

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    ------------------------------

    I frown upon reading my status screen, it seems that I had already acquired a skill which would be a fact to celebrate if not for the fact that the skill''s description was so grim. I n to live a long and peaceful life in this turn so no way in hell am I using this shady ass skill.

    I put the skill under the future problems section for now. I had more bigger fish to fry.

    The biggest issue right now was my talent. I had expected this body to be talentless but to think that it would be this talentless !

    But it was no issue. I had plenty of time to improve myself. I also knew the location of cheat items which were scattered across the human territory, these would help in my growth exponentially.

    Perks of being an author I suppose.

    But right now, as a 7 year old child I couldn''t get my hands on any of those items, but there was something I could do about my talent. But this method would be even more painful than thest one.

    No pain, No gain I suppose.

    The method that I had in mind was something that was practiced by the royalty of the demons. The demon king decided to not publicize this method because it would distort the power scale of the world. It was through which one could raise their talent by a level, in a literal sense.

    I breathe in and out rhythmically and close my eyes and feel my mana.

    Mana was something that replenished naturally over time, supplements could be taken to make the rate of replenishing faster, so I take out all the mana together and continue to use it without waiting for it to replenish itself. Soon all the mana within my body is gone and I feel exhausted. My body feels heavy and sweat starts forming on my forehead. I still try to use mana even though there was none within me.

    Soon I feel something break inside me, excruciating pain torments me throughout the entire process. The '' something'' that just broke inside me was my mana container. The thing which holds mana in my body. The breaking of the mana container was amon phenomenon as heroes would sometimes use all their mana and naturally overexert themselves breaking their mana container.

    The mana container would heal itself over time so there was no need to worry. It would still hurt like hell though. This process was called, '' Mana Exhaustion''.

    I cough out more blood, but I remain calm and wait for my mana container to heal itself. In about an hour, it was almostpletely healed, just beforepletely healing I force the mana container down, I put pressure on the mana container using the mana within it, and the mana container gets pushed down. Now all I had to do was wait.

    After an hour of waiting, I felt the presence of two mana containers within my body, what happened was after forcefully breaking the mana container. you wait and before it canpletely heal, you can push the mana container by using the mana within our body.

    Usually the mana container wouldn''t go down even if pushed but a healing mana container''s position wasn''t cemented so it was movable, because I moved my mana container down, my body gets fooled into thinking that the mana container got broken yet again and forms another mana container.

    Nowes the painful part.

    Bracing myself, I try to fuse the two mana containers within my body using my mana. The fusion seeds and a bigger mana container gets formed, but due to the fusion a mild mana explosion takes ce within my body.

    A mana explosion takes ce when the mana within your body gets unstable. After a mana explosion urs within your body, you be unable to use your mana properly. A mana explosion meant that the career of a hero was finished but not for me.

    I cough out more blood but now I was more or less used to it.

    I couldn''t feel my mana anymore, but I could feel a huge mana container within me. I calm down my breathing and feel the mana around me. I imagine taking the mana from the atmosphere and putting it in myself. It takes a few times to get it right, but I feel the mana from the atmosphere entering my body and filling up the newly formed mana container.

    Now all I had to do was wait and my ability to feel my mana would return.

    Through this process, I increased my my total mana capacity and also increased my ability to control my mana more smoothly.

    I look down at my clothes and sigh internally as I start wondering what I should tell them about all the blood on my clothes.

    '' Crash''

    Suddenly I hear the sound of the a cup breaking and after turning around, I find Lecia looking at me with a bewildered expression.

    '' I''m fucked, aren''t I ? ''

    ~~~~~~~

 Chapter 4 Tough Love (1)

    '''' You''re gonna be better in no time.''''

    The nurse smiles at me kindly, I also smile saying,

    ''''Thank you, miss.''''

    It seems that Lecia had also taken a sick leave, the reason she wasn''t at the dorm when I was training was that she was eating her breakfast, then she went to take a bath, and finally, when she came back with a ss of hot water for me since she had heard that I had still not eaten, she saw me drenched in blood.

    In short, a hugemotion happened and I was rushed to the hospital, and the doctor upon inspection couldn''t find anything remotely wrong with me other than the fact that I had lost a lot of blood. They did ask me what exactly happened, to which I replied that I had suddenly started coughing blood.

    I was kept under observation for two days, it was funny seeing the doctors observing me like an exotic animal. After two days, they gave up on finding what exactly was wrong with me. During this time, the mana that I absorbed from nature would vanish on its own and I had to again absorb more and more from my surroundings. It would take at least a week for me to get control of my mana back.

    Right now, Lecia, Mark, and I were in his car and going back to the orphanage. Yes, Lecia was '' worried'' about me.

    Stupid Brat.

    Mark Lauder our primary caretaker was a retired E-ss hunter, he retired since he was utterly weak and fucking stupid. I don''t even remember writing about him so he''s probably a mob just like the rest of us at the orphanage. He called himself our '' father'', little dipshit.

    Well, he''s the closest thing to a parent in my life right now.....

    But that doesn''t mean I like him okay. Seriously.

    I''ve seen a lot of old shits like him in my previous life who call, orphans their '' family'', but trust me they all have an ulterior motive inside their minds and call it my writers instinct, but he just feels a little off.

    '''' Child X'''', Mark says breaking my entire train of thoughts,

    Oh, here''s another reason why I hate him.

    He''s the one that started calling me ''X'' in the orphanage. Like seriously how petty can you be to name a child after a literal alphabet just because the child humiliated him by rejecting the name that he chose for the kid.

    '''' Yes, Uncle Mark.'''', I say while my hiding my contempt for him in an innocent smile.

    Mark''s brows furrow when he hears me address him as Uncle, I was the only person in the orphanage who called him that, the rest of the children called him, ''father''.

    '''' The doctors found a bruise near your stomach, now I want you to be honest with me, Is anyone ''troubling'' you at the orphanage?''''

    Both Mark and Lecia, who were both sitting in the front of the car nces my way to hear my response,

    Shit. I hadpletely forgotten about therge bruise that I had inflicted upon myself to awaken my mana forcefully, my mind races as I think of how exactly I should respond to his question.

    Of course, bullying wasmon in the orphanage but nothing too severe, just teasing. If I did say that I was being bullied by the other kids, then Mark would probably investigate a little and then he would find that nobody was physically hurting me, then he would question me yet again. So the most rational answer would be-

    '''' Everyone at the orphanage loves me, Uncle Mark. Why would they trouble me ?''''

    I ask wide-eyed.

    Man, acting as a kid sucks.

    The duo sitting in the front remains silent, I mean, of course, they wouldn''t believe me. They most probably assumed that I was too scared, to tell the truth. Well, that doesn''t matter to me, even if Mark tries to find out who hit me, he wouldn''t find anything because the person who hit me was myself.

    Lol, am I right?

    ~~~~

    Iy on the bed silently looking at my status screen,

    -----------------------------

    Name : X

    Age: 7

    Potential: ???

    Strength: G

    Agility: G

    Stamina: G

    Intelligence: F-

    Mana Grade : ???

    Vitality : G

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    -------------------

    Looking at the changes that had happened to my status sincest time, a smile appears on my face. But I couldn''t celebrate too much. My talent increase wouldn''t be that high even now, at most it would go up to E- rank, but for now that was enough.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It has been 3 days since I went to the hospital and I was currently on bed rest. During my bed rest, I continued to absorb more mana from the my surroundings and refilled my mana container, but it would take at least 3 more days for my potential and mana topletely solidify.

    Lying on the bed, I couldn''t help but smile as I thought about my future.

    ~~~~~

    The next day all the 7 year old''s within the orphanage were told to gather together at the dining hall. I was currently heading to the dining area while whistling slightly.

    In this world, when children reached the age of seven, their potential was measured using a device, this was done so that the talented individuals would get the resources they needed in order to grow properly. The reason I was so hard on my 7- year old body was exactly because of this, now when they measure my potential they would learn that I have the potential to be at least an E rank !

    The measuring device could only give an average estimate of our potential and those who got E rank and above were considered talented individuals. People who were measured E- rank or above could get schrship and what not more easily. This was the reason why I decided to awaken my talent forcefully and raise my talent if it was below E rank.

    Reaching the dining hall, I could see that most of the children around my age had gathered. I could also see Lecia as well, standing in one corner of the dining hall. When she saw me, she came towards me in a jiffy and asked in a low voice,

    '''' Why are youte ?''''

    To which Izily replied, '''' I was sleeping.''''

    A frown appears on Lecia''s face, but she doesn''t say anything, She pushes me forward and I standst in the line that had formed, In front of the line stood an muscr man with gray hair, he looked at the children with an expressionless face. Standing beside him was a youngdy with red hair.

    Mark who was also standing beside them took the roll count and made sure that everyone was present and after confirming that, he gives a thumps up towards The duo standing in front of the children.

    Thedy with the red hair, gives us a bright smile and says in a loud voice,

    '''' Hello, dear children. My name is Amanda Holler and I am part of the Hero association.''''

    The children gasp at her words.

    The Hero association, a global association that deals with everything rted to a hero, if they find talent that was worth growing, they would help nurture it, The hero association monitors all the independent guilds and mercenary groups, they were also the people who created the '' Hero ranking'', they rank all the heroes. Anyways the woman in front of me was someone that I knew, By knew I mean that I literally created her.

    Amanda Holler was one of the characters that appeared in the beginning portions of the novel. She measured Max''s talent and found that he had a SSS rank potential, but instead of telling this fact to the world, she hides it. She marks him as an S rank talent.

    The reason for this was simple, there were no SSS ranks on Earth, meaning that Max was the only person in this world with that level of talent. If the rest of the world knew about his existence then they would drool all over him. He would be embroiled in plots and be exposed to all kinds of situation. But Max was just a 7 year old child then and Amanda knew that Max wasn''t ready to face that kind of pressure. Right now, Max was just a kid with a lotta anger issues.

    S rank might be rare, but there are lot S ranks so she knew that Max wouldn''t receive that much attention and when he was ready he would reveal himself to the world. She would observe Max in school to make sure that he was on the right path, but that was it. She served no other purpose in the novel.

    Looking at her now, it finally started to click that this was my reality, once again strengthening my resolve to bing strong enough to protect myself, I listen to Amanda''s words closely,

    '''' Can anyone guess why we''re here today ?'''', Amanda asks in a yful voice.

    To which some rando replies, '''' To measure our ranks.''''

    She smiles at the answer she received and said,

    '''' Then let''s get right to it shall we ?''''

    ~~~~

    After saying that, she makes the each child touch a stone kind of object, I didn''t really mention that much information about the object in the novel other than the fact that it was circr in shape, I was toozy to include more details.

    Each time a potential was found out, the muscr man would call out their potential in a loud enough voice for everyone in the room to hear,

    '''' F rank''''

    '''' F rank.''''

    '''' F rank''''

    '''' F rank''''

    '''' F rank''''

    Finally it was my turn to touch the stone like thing in Amada''s hands. Before touching the stone, I smile brightly at her and say, '''' Good Morning, Miss.''''

    She smiles at me and asks me,

    '''' Do you also want to be a hero when you grow up ?''''

    '''' Yes ,miss.''''

    It seems that Amanda was asking what the children wanted to be in the future, and not surprisingly most of them wanted to be a hero. Being a sessful hero meant that you were set for life, and who wouldn''t want that.

    I ce my hand on the top of the rock like thing, I feel excited.

    Wasn''t this like one of those scenes from a novel where everyone would be astonished at the protagonist''s talent. I might just be an E rank but that meant something in this shitty orphanage where every single shit was just F rank. I grin as I think about the respect that I would receive after today and how easily I could finish school with the funding from the association.

    I see the muscr man''s eyes scrunch up.

    Yes.

    Be amazed at my talent!

    '''' You have no talent.''''

    ...

    '' What was that again ?''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 5 Tough Love (2)

    '''' You have no talent.''''

    Everyone in the room became silent.

    '''' What ?''''

    I couldn''t help but ask again to make sure that I heard him right.

    Amanda hits the muscr guy in the head and looks at me with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

    '''' I''m sorry, dear. Francis meant to say that you''re an F rank, but he''s a little on the dumb side, so he doesn''t know how to speak properly.''''

    Francis''s brows furrowed at Amanda''s provocation.

    Francis Lamar, Amanda''s assistant, and future husband. I unconsciously smile as I see their squabbling, their love story was one of the fan favorites. So much so that when I killed Francis off, I got death threats in my mail.

    That''s right.

    Francis gets killed while he was protecting Amanda and it scars her for life, so much so that she retires from being a hero. I feel a little sad for them but to each their own, I guess.

    '''' Look.'''', Francis points to the stone-like object, whose name I just couldn''t remember.

    '''' What ar--.'''', Amanda stops speaking a mid-sentence and looks at the stone-like object with a huge frown on her face,

    '''' What''s wrong ?'''', Mark interjects.

    '''' It''s --, uh...''''

    Amanda seemed to be struggling to say something. Mark walks towards us and peeks at the stone. As soon as he saw it, his face also formed a frown just like Amanda''s.

    I can''t take this shit anymore, say something!

    '''' What is it ?'''', I probe them to get an answer because it seemed like they had all turned mute.

    They all turned their attention away from the rock-like thing and looked at me like I was some sort of exotic animal.

    Feeling my blood pressure rising, I ask them as gently as possible.

    '''' What is it ?''''

    Both Amanda and Francis remain silent, but Mark opens his mouth with a slight grin on his face.

    '''' X, it seems like, you have no potential.''''

    '''' What ?'''', I ask in a doubtful voice.

    This shouldn''t be possible.

    Wait...

    Unless I think of my status screen and it appears.

    -------------------------------------

    Name: X

    Age: 7

    Potential: ???

    Strength: G

    Agility: G

    Stamina: G

    Intelligence: F-

    Mana Grade : ???

    Vitality: G

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    ------------------------------

    Shit.

    I should have checked my status screen beforeing here, it seems like my mana and potential had still not solidified. The mana I had absorbed into my body had not left my body for awhile, so I carelessly assumed that the both of them had returned. Now that I think about it I never thought to try to control my mana again.

    Damn you, child brain !<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' We haven''t seen a case like this ever before.'''', Amanda says in a grim voice.

    Francis nods seemingly agreeing with her.

    '''' Well we can''t all be winners can we ?''''

    The smirk on Mark''s face makes me want to kill him but I contain myself.

    Both Amanda and Francis frown at Mark''s words but don''t say anything.

    '''' Sorry, kid.'''', Amanda ruffles my hair and walks past me along with Francis.

    ~~~~

    I sit on the swing, staring at my *onyx gem ne thinking of my future.

    The ne was something that was left behind with me at the orphanage. I assume that it belonged to one of my parents. As something that I had my entire life ( THIS LIFE.), I was quite attached to it.

    Due to the fact that all my ns depended on me getting help from the association, I felt royally fucked. But fortunately it was not toote to change things. This world was of my making and I knew of ways to earn billions overnight. One way would be to invest in stocks, but I''m still too young for that shit. So I decided to focus on things that I can do right now.

    As I was thinking of such profound things, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

    '''' You okay ?''''

    I look back to find Lecia behind me with a concerned look on her face.

    '''' Why wouldn''t I be okay ?'''', her expression hardens slightly for a moment but she doesn''t say anything, she walks to the swing beside me and sits on it and starts slowly going back and forth on the swing.

    After a moment of silence, she speaks in a clear voice,

    '''' Beforeing to the orphanage, I had a family--''''

    Before she could say anything more, I interject.

    '''' We all had family.''''

    She makes an annoyed face, '''' Just listen.''''

    I nod my head silently as she starts speaking again,

    '''' I don''t remember much about my parents, but I remember my younger brother, his name was Adam. He was just 6 years old when it happened.''''

    '''' What happened ?''''

    She looks at me solemnly and says,'''' The war happened.''''

    '''' The demons killed them ?'''', now one might think that I was being an asshole by asking her all these questions but the chances of her family being killed by demons were very unlikely as demons were warriors with the strict belief that one should not kill people who were not involved in the war like the civilians. Don''t think the demons arepassionate because of this, they capture civilians unable to fight and make them ves. But at least they''re still alive I suppose.

    '''' No.'''', As expected I was right, now the only question that remained was that who exactly had ughtered her entire family.

    Seeing my questioning gaze, Lecia looks at the evening sun and says in a low voice, '''' Humans killed them.''''

    '''' Impossible.'''', I never wrote about humans killing each other.

    '''' Why ?'''', I ask her.

    I can see the sadness in her eyes.

    '''' I don''t know, they said it was an ident. B-but they were lughing'''', her voice was slightly shaking.

    '''' You can tell the police--''''

    '''' I''m a 10 year old child, do you think anyone would believe me over veteran soldiers ?''''

    I don''t have an answer for her.

    Guilt surfaces in my heart, in a way it was fault that her family died but I choose to remain silent.

    Lecia smiles and looks at me with tears in her eyes,'''' When you told me that, you wanted to be a hero, you reminded me of my brother. Adam also wanted to be a hero.''''

    I feel a stinging sensation in my heart.

    '''' Why are you telling me this ?''''

    Lecia turns to face me and I see the tears flowing down her face.

    '''' I just wanted to tell you that, no matter what you decide to be in the future. I''ll always be with you, because to me... you''re family.''''

    I feel myself tearing up, Why am I tearing up at the words of a freaking 9 year old ?

    Family was term that I was unfamiliar with in myst life.

    I was always alone.

    It seems that maybe... just maybe,

    I may not be alone anymore.

    ~~~~

    *Onyx Ne - Onyx is kind of like a ck gemstone. Google it.

 Chapter 6 Tough Love (3)

    ? '''' Ah. it''s raining.'''', I say in my most normal voice

    '''' No, it isn''t..''''

    Lecia stops speaking suddenly after seeing my tears.

    '''' What ?'''', I say in an annoyed voice.

    A small smile appears on her face,

    ''''Nothing.'''', saying this she turns her head to the front.

    She takes hold of my hand and we both swing together as if none of what happened just now happened.

    We goof around for a very long time before heading back.

    ~~~~

    8 yearster,

    I sit at the very back of the ssroom, bored out of my mind. Unlike popr belief, our middle school years weren''t the best time of our lives. The usual conception of middle school was that it was a blissful time where innocent children interacted with the real world for the first time.

    But the reality of the situation was that children are little devils that think they can get away with literally anything. They''re all little shits and right now I was a kid as well.

    Damn it all.

    Our homeroom teacher enters the ssroom and the entire ss bes silent, She looks at us with her usual frown and walks towards the podium in the front of the ss. She arranges the files in her hand in some way and clears her throat and starts speaking,

    '''' Good morning, children.''''

    To which the entire ss sings back,'''' Good morning, Miss Herbert.''''

    ''''As you all know, today is a very important day for you all. One month from today you will all graduate from middle school and be high schoolers. But today isn''t about that. Today is about your future, the choice you make today will affect your entire life. So make your decision after very careful consideration.'''', saying this she hands out a piece of paper to all the students.

    Some students looked nervous, some looked excited. I was neither nervous nor excited because I knew exactly what the piece of paper contained. It was to choose a high school that suited the future that we envision for ourselves. After the arrival of the angels and the ''Great Catastrophe'', Themon sense of the world entirely changed as new values were given birth.

    One of the new things that came up was that middle school students had a lot more stuff to study and high schools for different professions came into being. Not exactly different professions, but more like different streams. There was a multitude of different courses to choose from and your education was tailored specifically towards that stream of studies.

    For example, students who choose '' Business'' as their mainstream in high school are only taught things concerning business. The same concept was applied to those that chose the '' Hero'' course. Of course, that doesn''t mean that they were taught anything else. It just meant that the main focus was on the mainstream the student chooses. The student also had the option to choose a secondary and third stream of studies as well.

    I was fifteen years old this year, and the plot of the novel is finally starting. It starts with Max choosing the Hero course, after getting into ''The Unity'', which was the school that was said to offer the best hero course in the entire world. But I don''t n to go an inch near ''The Unity'', I already looked into a high school that I could get into with a schrship that offered a decent hero course.

    I almost thought about going to the Unity, not because I care about Max or anything, but because Lecia got into The Unity. I mean who would have thought that little scrawny little brat would get into The Unity, one of the most prestigious schools in the world. The reason I decided against joining The Unity even though Lecia got in, was because she wouldn''t be in any real danger as the students in the '' Arts'' course did their work in an entirely different building and they rarely met up with students from the hero course.

    I look at the paper that was handed out to me and chose the school I wanted to get into and then specified that I wanted to get into the hero course.

    I get up and walk towards the teacher and hand her the paper and walk out of ss like a fucking chad.

    ~~~~

    Mrs. Herbert and the rest of the students remain silent.

    Mrs. Herbert looks at the paper in her hand, it said that the student''s name was X or something and that he wanted to get into Northside Academy and join the hero course. That was fine and all but-

    Mrs. Herbert looks up and asks the students in a dazed manner,

    '''' He does know that ss hasn''t ended yet right ?''''

    The students remain silent.

    ~~~~

    It seems that the ss hadn''t ended yet.

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

    Well, we all make mistakes.

    I got a lotta shit from Mrs. Herbert for that.

    I''m walking back to the orphanage right now, ever since I started going to middle school, Mark stopped driving me. I''m alone right now because I had to stay back as Mrs. Hubert wanted to ''talk'' to me. She also told me that she would talk about my stupidity to Mark, so that was something to look forward to.

    I feel someone''s hand on my shoulder. I look back to find three children whose appearance yelled out ''low life''.

    '''' Sigh''''

    I don''t have time for this.

    '''' Look at this guy !'''', says bully 1

    '''' He thinks he''s some hot stuff.'''' says bully 2

    '''' Let''s teach him a lesson.'''', says bully 3

    Such clich?? lines.

    At this point, all I feel for them is pity.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' Hold on.'''', I say while raising both my hands in the air.

    If I wanted to I could beat these low lives in the blink of an eye. I mean I wasn''t exactly sitting still all these years. I inadvertently think of my status and the familiar blue screen appears before me,

    -----------------------------

    Name : X

    Age: 15

    Potential: D

    Strength: F+

    Agility: F-

    Stamina: G+

    Intelligence: F+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality : G+

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    -------------------

    Even though it wasn''t E rank like I had hoped , considering my circumstances I''d done pretty well for myself. Everyday I would train my body intensely, and after about 4 years of hellish training, I started to spot differences within my body. I was slowly raising my rank. I was so happy that I hugged Lecia, which terrified her. She said that she thought that I had finally lost it. The reason it took so much time was because of my trash potential, The lower your potential, the more harder it is to increase your rank. Seeing as how I toiled away for so many years and only yielded little, I decided to take a different approach. Let''s think about thatter though, I have some bullies to deal with.

    Seeing their appearance and the way they were talking, they seemed to be used to this kinda stuff. Let me tell you the easiest way to deal with bullies, just stop trying to fight them and give them what they want.

    I take out a ck wallet from my pocket and give it to them.

    '''' I-i don''t w-want a f-fight.''''

    Seeing the wallet, the faces of the three shits light up and they snatch it from me.

    One of them pats my shoulder and says in low voice.

    '''' Good. You respect you seniors. That''s good.''''

    They were high schoolers !

    Wow. Just wow.

    I bow my head and run of in the direction to which the orphanage was located. Using my F- Agility, I reached the orphanage quite quickly even though there was quite a distance to cover.

    ~~~~

    '''' Did you hear his voice, boss. It was shaking so much. Hahahahahah.'''' , Bully 1 says in an annoying manner.

    '''' Yeah, I thought he would piss himself, Hahahahahah'''', says Bully 2 in the same annoying manner.

    Bully no.3 who appeared to be the bossughs with them.

    After their weirdughing session, the boss asks,

    '''' So, how much did that little piss boy have ?''''

    The Bully 1 who appeared to be the boss''s underling takes out the ck wallet and opens it, he pulls out the money from it. He shows the boss the bundle of cash in it and the three of cheer.

    It seemed like they hit jackpot!

    The squat down on the ground and start counting, as soon they start counting the three of them soon say the same thing in the same confused manner,

    '''' Isn''t this monopoly money ?''''

    The three of them look at the bundle of monopoly dors in a dazed manner.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 7 The Messiah (1)

    After returning to the orphanage, both me and Lecia were tasked with finding the monopoly money. It seems that someone had stolen the monopoly dors.

    What kind of psycho would do such a thing?

    Heh.

    Even though Lecia got into The Unity, she still stayed at the orphanage because the amodation fees were exorbitant and were not included in her schrship. Mark drives her to a ''gate'' every day. A ''gate'' is a teleportation device that was essible to all the people living in human territory. It would instantly teleport a person to their desired location. The only downside was that using gates could lead to nausea and you could throw up a lot until you get used to it. The reason I wasn''t using a gate to go to school was simple, it was for training. The distance between my school and the orphanage was at least ten kilometers and I ran the whole way. This improved my agility and smoothened my ability to control my mana as well.

    '''' Geez, why doesn''t the orphanage just install cameras already?'''', I ask in a tired voice.

    '''' You know they don''t have the budget for that.'''', Lecia''s hollow voice reaches my ears.

    '''' But there''s enough money for Mark to buy a ''crystal car''.''''

    Crystals cars were unique cars that were manufactured using crystals from inside the portals. They were incredibly expensive, but somehow dipshit Mark got enough funds to buy it for the ''orphanage''.

    '''' Shhhhhh''''. Lecia puts her finger over her lips to shush me.

    '''' Don''t shush me.''''

    '''' Just look for the money, will you ?''''

    '''' It''s not even real money'''', I grumble as I do as she says.

    Over time I''vee suspect that Lecia might be a witch, I didn''t mention anything about witches in the novel, but I promise you that sometimes it almost feels like she''s controlling me. I can''t go against her wishes and whenever she''s sad I feel sad as well.

    She''s a witch I say, a witch.

    The reason why both of us were tasked to find the monopoly money was that we were always together whenever one of us was given a task. The both of us did it together, because of our closeness we were both ostracized in the orphanage because they thought we were weird.

    On the topic of Lecia, she looks tired these days, as if she''s carrying the entire weight of the world on her shoulders. When I asked her if she was fine, she would smile at me and say everything was fine. But we grew up together, I can tell when she''s lying, But I can wait for her to tell me what''s wrong. It''s probably just school work I suppose.

    We scour through the entire orphanage and don''t find anything. I feel a little guilty for lying to Lecia about the fake money, but she can be a bit of a goody-two-shoes sometimes. It''s maybe out of fear as well, her entire family was killed by people in authority, so it might be her instinct to suck up to those in power.

    After concluding that the monopoly money was lost for good, we both decide to go inform our findings to Mark.

    ~~~~

    The orphanage wasn''t that luxurious, but Mark''s office sure was. It looked way too poshpared to the rest of the orphanage, he had a fish tank for heaven''s sake!

    I heard that he names all the fish in his tank like a fucking weirdo.

    Lecia knocks two times on the door to his office and after quite a while, we both hear him say, '''' Come in.''''

    Lecia opens the door and enters his office and I follow her. Mark Lauder was sitting in his chair and ying some kinda game on his phone. We could hear sounds from the phone asionally like, '''' ding'''' and '''' Tatata''''. He doesn''t look up at us and stays immersed in his stupid game.

    What are you, eleven?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Fucking moron.

    '''' What is it?'''', he asks while tapping away at his phone.

    '''' We couldn''t find the monopoly dors, sir''''

    '''' Aww, that was one of the best games here. But that''s okay.''''

    He finally looks up and smiles at us.

    '''' Why don''t you stay back, Lecia ?''''

    Lecia doesn''t say anything and Mark continues,

    '''' I wanted to discuss, something with you.''''

    She nods her head slowly and looks at me as if she wants me to leave the room.

    I nod my head and go back.

    ~~~~

    It''s dinner time and the smell of the food makes my mouth water.

    I''m hungry.

    I take a lotta food and go to where the boys sat for dinner. Boys and girls were separated during dinner. They both sat at a huge table made out of mahogany. Before I can eat the food on my te, Mark''s voice reaches my ears.

    '''' Everybody let''s pray to Angel Dina for her blessings before we eat.''''

    Ughhhhhhhh.

    Dina was one of the 12 angels that lead the race of angels. She was called the ''angel of learning'' and Mark was her devout follower. He made everyone in the orphanage pray to her as well.

    All the children at both the tables close their eyes and pray or at least act like praying. No one dares to open their eyes as once when a child opened her eyes during prayer and Mark made her skip dinner.

    My eyes are closed shut.

    '' Gurgle''

    Shit. I''m hungry.

    I open my eyes involuntarily and look at my food. It looks delicious, then I look at Mark, surprisingly enough his eyes were also open, But they weren''t on me. They were on Lecia.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 8 The Messiah (2)

    Dinner was kinda weird, but I don''t have much time to think about it as I have things to do tonight.

    '' Today''s the day, I break free from my trash potential.''

    My thoughts get disrupted as the light in the dorm goes out and all the children are left in the darkness. Now all I had to do was wait.

    One hour passes, then two hours, three hours, and finally four hours.

    I look at the digital clock on the wall of the dorm and see that the time was exactly 2:00 p.m.

    I slowly get up from my bed and cloak myself with mana erasing my presence. The only reason why none of the children didn''t wake up was since none of them had awakened to mana yet. Some did but they were not proficient enough in the use of mana to detect my presence.

    Peasants.

    I go outside the dorm and enter the main hallway of the orphanage, the spare key to the front door was kept under a mat. I take it without making a sound and open the door and go outside as gently as possible.

    The cold wind of night hits my face and I shudder slightly, the always crowded streets were empty and dark. A street light that seemed to be malfunctioning kept lighting itself and then would go off yet again. Everything looked eerie.

    Uhhgggg

    I hate the dark.

    I take out the small shlight in my pockets and on it and walk down the streets. The orphanage was located in the capital city of the Human Empire, ''Lycan''. Due to the war between humans and demons, millions lost their lives and many people had to run away from their homes and countries. Humanity was on itsst toes when the angels came and erected the barriers around the ces where humans were most densely popted, humans and angels were allowed to go in and out of the barrier freely. The only beings restricted from entering were the beings belonging to the demonic race. Erecting barriers was not the only thing that the angels did to ''help'' people, they also choose an emperor from among the humans to lead all of humanity. The current emperor was also the no.1 hero as well.

    The Human Empire was given the name, '' Elda'' by the angels, they said that it meant ''wise'' in theirnguage.

    Ironic, isn''t it?

    Anyways, the orphanage was built in Lycan, the capital city of the human empire. Right now I was heading to the outskirts of the city. I kept running even though I was getting quite tired because I was tight on time. After scaling the city wall and crossing the city wall, I finally see it.

    Baryon Mountain, its name was derived from the Earth hero, Baryon who was currently no.3 in the rankings. It was given this name because he had cut the mountain in half. Literally.

    Baryon was fighting against a strong viin and the poor mountain got cut in half as a result of their fight. Before it was sliced in half it was one of the biggest mountains in the human territory, you would think that Baryon would get punished for this kinda shit but instead, he got praised!

    That''s the good thing about the hero business, they don''t care if you''re a battle maniac who causes unnecessary damage to nature, all the people cared about were the results.

    Viins were just people who did stuff that was prohibited by the empire, like murder and stuff.

    I gaze at the Baryon Mountain and feel unease in my mind,

    I''m going to do something incredibly reckless, but if I seed the reward would be something amazing. I walk around the mountain in circles, it should be around here somewhere--

    '''' Aha'''', I yell out as I find what I''m searching for,

    If a normal person looked at the view in front of me, they would say that it was just another part of the mountain, but I''m not a normal person, am I?

    I''m the all-knowing author.

    Let me borate. In my novel, there was a character that I introduced around the middle stages of the novel. The most unique thing about this character was the fact that her name was not specified throughout the entirety of the novel, she was just known as,'' The Messiah.''

    She was what you call a minor boss nowadays, The small evil you face before the bigger evil. Her story starts with her trying to kill herself. Now that I think about it both our stories start the same way. The reason why she tries to kill herself was never mentioned because I wanted to make her even more mysterious. The only thing mentioned in the novel about her appearance was that she had blonde hair.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Anyways, shees here to off herself and identally discovers a portal. A portal was something that started appearing on the Earth with the emergence of mana. As mana became integrated into our ecosystem, the portals were born as side effects or so the studies mentioned.

    Inside the portal, was a ''dungeon'', and the main idea behind it wasplete a specific task, like kill a monster or something. Once youplete your task sessfully, you get rewarded with ''artifacts''.

    Artifacts were items that enhanced the user in some way when he or she used them.

    Pretty standard stuff right?

    Anyways the dungeons in the portals usually give out a physical task, but the one The Messiah found was unique. All it did was show your worst trauma, and you just had to stay sane.

    Simple, right.

    Not exactly, it was a task that was made to fail. The illusion they showed us was created by creatures called,'' Death Wisps''. They don''t attack you directly, instead, they make you see illusions while slowly injecting their secretions into your body.

    It''s not like that, you pervert.

    These secretions called, '' Fearko'' made its victims go slowly insane. The Messiah bes insane due to this andmits lotta atrocitiester on. It reaches to point where our edgy MC kills her even though he practiced a strict ''no kill'' policy. She was just that crazy. After closing this portal and getting her reward, she goes and enacts her revenge on those who wronged her and thus begins her story.

    After getting the reward from this one, she goes on to collect more artifacts and bes stronger and stronger. The surprising thing about her was that she was just an E rank. The reason this was surprising was that she would get into fights with S ranks and came out the victor. The reason why she won was simple, the craziness worked in her favor. Itpletely erased her fear of death while maximizing her blood lust.

    Plus the shit ton of superb artifacts that she owned also kinda helped her.

    I look at the rocky crust of the mountain, specifically the reason why I knew the portal was hidden here. When The Messiah found the portal, she found that a rose was embedded on the wall of the mountain, due to her habit of plucking flowers and smelling them, she naturally does this now, as well as identally activating opening the portal.

    Another reason why this portal was unique was since, unlike usual portals which revealed themselves, this particr one chose to hide itself and the rose was the key that unlocked the portal, and in front of me was that very rose. I pull on it gingerly and the rocky crust of the mountain crumbles and a portal was revealed.

    It was blue like all portals. But before I enter the portal, I take out the water bottle I had bought with me and pour the water inside the bottle into the ground turning the entire area around me into a muddy mess. After making sure that no one was near, I undress and then roll around the mud andpletely cover my entire body in mud. I made sure to rub every inch of my body with mud. This was necessary because the death wisps hated mud and chose not to trap anything with dirt on it. After making sure that I waspletely covered in mud, I take out a knife from the pocket of the pants that I had taken off.

    Readying myself, I take deep breaths to calm my excited heart.

    I think,'' Things are about to get dirty.'', before entering the portal.

    Pun intended.

    As I enter the portal, Iugh slightly at my joke.

    ~~~~

    A young man was alone near Baryon Mountain.

    He waspletely naked and rolling around in the mud.

    Truthfully, he looked like a sexual deviant. But his eyes were the eyes of someone who had a strong purpose.

    After rolling around in the mud for a while, he gets up and takes a knife in hand, andughs like a maniac, before entering a portal.

    The young man didn''t see the spot near his neck where the mud had not touched.

    ~~~~~~~

 Chapter 9 The Messiah (3)

    The reason why The Messiah was called, ''The Messiah'' was because she was an agent of the Angels. She was their favorite hitman. If the angels wanted someone dead, they would employ The Messiah to do it. Of course, themon masses didn''t know this fact. In their eyes, the messiah was just a crazy viin. She didn''t mind working for the angels and to her, the angels were just like everyone else on this hell known as, '' Earth''

    I know that finding the portal instead of her, would change her future, but I prioritize my future over hers and I''d be doing Max a huge favor as well by saving him the trouble of killing her when she''s strong and I''m pretty sure that her death won''t cause that many repercussions, the only change that would ur would be that the angels would hire a new hitman for doing their dirty business. By taking what was supposed to be hers, I was saving thousands of lives, I''m a goddamn hero.

    Heh.

    Feeling good about myself, I enter the portal with a knife in my hand that I had stolen from the orphanage''s kitchen. I knew that the moment that I entered the dungeon, a group of death wisps would pounce on and I won''t even be able to see them as the entire dungeon would be dark.

    Just like I predicted, as soon as I entered the portal darkness engulfed me and I could see the outline of many insect-like thingsing toward me. I hold the knife tightly and close my eyes.

    I can hear the sound of the death wispsing towards me and for the first time in my life ( This life!), I feel the fear of death creep up on me.

    '''' Kiek''''

    ''''''Kiek''''

    ''''Kiek''''

    The death wisps sounded ominous and I finally open my eyes to find thousands of them passing me. They had divided into two lines when they reached me, behind me the portal had disappeared, unless we clear the objective given by the dungeon we can''t return. Therefore none of the death wisps could get outside.

    I sigh internally as I think, '' It worked huh?''''

    Suddenly the scene in front of me changes into one that I''m very familiar with-

    Wait.

    Shit. Shit. Triple Shit.

    The n failed.

    ~~~~

    I curse myself for missing the mud-free part of my body.

    I''m with my mother now.

    My mother from my previous life.

    We were at the city fair.

    '''' Wow, look at all these rides and stalls, John. Don''t they all look wonderful ?''''

    '''' They do, mommy.''''

    I feel my mouth move by itself,

    My mother leads me to the Ferris wheel and buys a ticket for a single child and gives it to me before saying,

    '''' Why don''t you go on that ride, John ?''''

    '''' What about you, mommy ?''''

    Damn, my voice sounds cringy as hell.

    '''' I''ll wait for you with ice cream.''''

    I nod my head excitedly and run towards the Ferris wheel, but before I could get near the Ferris wheel, my mother calls out to me.

    '''' Johnny, I love you.''''

    Her eyes were tearing up as she said this to me.

    '''' I love you too, mommy.''''

    Sigh, just abandon me already, you stupid bitch.

    I enter the Ferris wheel and look down to see '' mommy'' running past the fucking ice cream cart. Seeing this, my body starts involuntarily tearing up and I call out to my mother,

    '''' Mommy don''t leave me...''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    '' This isn''t real, This isn''t real, This isn''t real.''

    Suddenly, I feel a prickly feeling arise from my hand. It soon turned into agonizing pain.

    ~~~~

    I was back in the darkness. I could feel the blood flowing down my hands, I had stabbed myself. But that wasn''t important right now. I reach for my neck, where I could feel a stinging sensation and remove the death wisp with force and crush it but not before saying,

    '''' Fuck you.''''

    I had brought the knife as a precaution. There were two ways to defeat the death wisps. One was to cover yourself with mud and the second one was to hurt yourself. The pain would break you out of the illusion and you just had to crush the insect.

    The entire area lights up and I ignore my pain and walk toward the altar in the middle of the dungeon, where I could see two things, a ring, and a small notebook.

    I grab them both and at that exact moment, the portal reappears and I go back to where I hade from. Before exiting the dungeon, I feel something warm running down my face.

    Was I crying?

    Just forget it, I have more important stuff to do.

    As soon as Ie back outside the portal, my status screen appears before me but instead of its usual blue color. This one was red.

    -----------------------------

    Name : X

    Age: 15

    Potential: D

    Strength: F+

    Agility: F-

    Stamina: G+

    Intelligence: F+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality : G+

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    -------------------

    Warning: Body under abnormal condition. Fearko detected within blood stream.

    ---------

    This status screen also had some extra lines as well.

    Shit.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 10 The Messiah (4)

    Name: X

    Age: 15

    Potential: D

    Strength: F+

    Agility: F-

    Stamina: G+

    Intelligence: F+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality: G+

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

    -------------------

    Warning: Body under abnormal condition. Low amounts ''Fearko'' detected within blood stream.

    ---------

    Shit.

    This wasn''t supposed to happen.

    '' Calm down.'', I calm my beating heart and think.

    If my assumptions where correct this situation wasn''t that bad. Our body has a mind of it''s own, consider this, you fall down and scrape your knee, the wound heals over time. This healing was done by our body instinctively. This phenomenon should be applied in this scenario as well. My body should reject the ''Fearko'', in my body and expel it outside my body in form of sweat or urine.

    So everything will be fine, probably.

    I could only feel a single death wisp on my neck, so the amount of fearko wouldn''t be that prominent. I''m pretty sure that my body, which had already awakened to mana could sessfully fight against the little amount of fearko that was present in my body.

    The color of the status green changes to red whenever there was danger to the user''s life. But it couldn''t measure the exact level of the danger.

    Right now, all I could do was wait for my body to do it''s job.

    For the first time, since I hade out of the portal I take a clear look at myself. I was butt naked and covered in fucking mud. My body shivered due to the cold of the night. But, it was alright as I had already nned for this exact situation.

    Firstly, I take the clothes that I had thrown away before entering the dungeon and walk for about 5 minutes to the north of Baryon mountain. Before long I reach a stream. I ce my clothes on the ground before jumping in the stream. The water was ice cold.

    I felt like Jack in titanic, left alone to die in the cold sea even though there was enough ce for him and Rose on the floating debris.

    Women, I tell you. They''re a weird bunch.

    I don''t have anything against them really. It''s just that all the women that I was close with in my previous life were assholes. First there was my mother, Anna Floyd. I don''t really think about her that much. The only reason I was thinking about her now was due to the illusion. Seeing her once again made me feelplicated. In myst life whenever I told people that I was an orphan they would always assume that both my parents had died in some sort of unfortunate ident . People assume that a parent can never truly hurt their own children, but the fact that they forget is that parents are also humans and humans are capable of some fucked up shit. But my mother wasn''t inherently evil, she was just sick in the mind.

    My father and mother got married young and he died in their first year of marriage. So it was just me and dear old mum after that and she did try the best she could and that was enough for me but it wasn''t enough for her. She was young and had her own dreams and ambitions and I was in the way, so she abandoned me in broad fucking daylight.

    Mother of the year, huh ?

    But I don''t really hate her or anything, she did what she had to do because she thought that was the only way- man who am I kidding ?

    I fucking hate that bitch.

    After growing up, I looked for her and in fact did find her. She had new family, a daughter and all, she looked happy...

    I didn''t confront her then because I didn''t want to destroy her new found happiness.

    But seriously, the audacity of that bitch, am I right ?

    I should have known by then that my luck with women was bad. But I was still a na?ve idiot.

    Then I met my wife.

    At first, we truly were in love or at least I was, but after we got married that all went away. Two years into our marriage, we were both miserable and constantly fighting about this and that. But the both of us were too scared to ask for a divorce, untill my wife met Andrew, they fell in love with each other and she asked for the divorce, but the problem was that we didn''t sign a prenup when we got married and along with the divorce she took away a lot my money as well. I tried to fight it but they won in the end. The day, the divorce got finalized, I got drunk and tried tomit suicide but got cold feet at the end but still managed to die, leading to my life here.

    Thinking back on my previous life, I finally understood that this was a second chance.

    ''I won''t get close to anymore sus women or people in general''

    I''m going to live afortable and peaceful life and if anyone came in the middle of that then they would pay with their own lives cause I don''t want to stay a fucking loser anymore.

    I''m gonna be a winner in this life.

    I get out of the stream while thinking this and take a towel that I had bought with we to dry myself. After putting on my clothes. I take out the rewards that I had gotten forpleting the dungeon.

    There were two rewards, the first one was a manual like book, that was probably a skill book. A '' skill book'' literally meant a book that contained a skill. They were extremely rare and are usually sold for a lot of money. Skill books weren''t the only way to get a skill but let''s think about that another time.

    I squat down and touch the skill book, as soon as I touch the skill book, a blue screen appears before me.

    --------------------------

    Skill : Mana Disruptor

    Rank: A

    Description: A skill that allows it''s user to break the mana container of a person forcefully. Contact to the subject is required. The skill requires no mana, instead 10 minutes after the activation of the skill, the body goes through immense pain. The pain would be equal to the amount of mana that the subject has. The pain may even cause death in some cases, so caution is required when using the skill.

    Would you like to learn the skill ?

    [YN]

    ---------------------------

    Why does everything in this world have to be so goddamn painful !!!???<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even though I was frustrated, I couldn''t help but admire the skill. With this skill I could essentially defeat people who didn''t have that much mana with a single move. Mana exhaustion in the middle of a fight, basically meant death to heroes, so within that 10 minute time gap, I could defeat my opponent and and run to a safe location for the pain to hit me. But defeating people above E rank would be difficult to handle, as the amount of mana of an A rank to SS rank was ginormous and if the pain would depend on the rank, then I would die if it was above E rank. This skill was a move that should be used if there is no other option. So, even if the side effects were horrible I still decided to learn the skill.

    After pressing the yes option, the book turns to ash and enters my body through my nostrils. I feel different, yet at the same time normal. I don''t check my status screen because I was too excited for the next item.

    This was the item that I had wanted. The skill was just a bonus. I touch the ring and it''s information appears on a screen.

    ------------------

    The Ring of Erasure.

    Rank: ???

    Description : A ring that allows you to makes changes to orpletely erase anyone''s status screen. This item can only be used once.

    Would you like to take ownership of the artifact ?

    [Y/N]

    -------------------

    I press yes instantly and put the ring on my finger. An artifact that was priceless, literally. I don''t know how the messiah used this artifact, but I was pretty sure that she used it wrong. This artifact worked on anyone regardless of their rank, so the thought that firstes into a person''s mind would be to erase the status screen of a very strong individual. Erasing meant permanently destroying the part of a hero that made that individual a ''hero''. Their powers. That was certainly enticing, but there was a hidden side to this artifact.

    With this artifact a person could make changes to ''any'' individual''s status screen. This included the user of the ring as well. The messiah overlooked this fact, but I won''t.

    [ would you like to make change''s to X''s status screen ? [Y/N]]

    I click on yes and my status screen appears before me.

    I erase the entire potential part. Before enacting mymand, the system asks me, [ Are you sure this is your choice, [Y/N]]

    I press yes again.

    I start glowing and when it stops, I finally feel... free, like chains that had tied me down were just taken off.

    Now I had the potential to surpass even the almighty protagonist. I just had to practice a lot.

    I lie down on the grass and startughing.

    After a heartyugh, I try to open my status screen, but before I can a message appears on another blue screen saying,

    [ Blood is cleansed of the element, '' Fearko''. There still remains 0.001 percent of fearko in your blood stream. This negligible amount has merged with your blood and mana to form a new unique skill called, ''Bloodlust'']

    Shocked, I open my status screen. My mouth opens wide due to the various changes that had happened to my status screen.

    -----------------------------

    Name : X

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: E+

    Agility: E-

    Stamina: F+

    Intelligence: E+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality : F+

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    1.Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken.

    2. Mana Disruptor [ A rank]

    A skill that allows it''s user to break the mana container of a person forcefully. Contact to the subject is required.

    3. Bloodlust [ F rank]

    Level:1, 0/1 kills

    A unique skill that allows the user to let go of the fear of death and also gives the user a slight boost in strength. The only downside is that the user goes crazy upon the activation of the skill. The duration of the skill is 2 minutes.

    -------------------------------

    A unique skill was something that was unique to a single person. No one else in the world had the skill, '' Bloodlust'' other than me. They were also upgradeable unlike skills that we learnt from a skill book. I had hit jackpot !

    But I was still a little wary of my new skill, it seemed that the condition for upgrading it was killing monsters or mana beasts hopefully...

    Not only had I gotten a extra skill, my rank had also increased slightly. The blood lust skill looked a little scary but it might be useful down the road. My smile gets bigger as I think about how much I profited today.

    I got up after 5 minutes and started heading back to the orphanage,

    ~~~~

    I can''t believe how fast I had reached the orphanage.

    Before, it took me thirty minutes to reach Baryon mountain, but I had returned in 5 minutes. I had only increased my rank by one and there was a difference of this much !

    I also realized howcking I was earlier, but it was all better now. I open the door to the orphanage. It was still dark out so it wasn''t morning yet. So I had made it in time.

    After I got inside the orphanage, I start heading towards the dorm room, but stop while crossing Mark''s office. There were muffled noisesing from his office. I couldn''t make out what was being said, but I could hear two sets of voices. So there were two people inside.

    I slowly open a bit of the door and peep inside, curious.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 11 First Kill

    Note from author: Trigger warning! Some incredibly violent and disturbing things happen in this chapter.

    R*pe or sexual assault of any kind is NOT a joke. If you or anyone you know have been subjected to anything like that please contact the necessary authorities.

    ----------------------

    I slowly open a bit of the door and see Mark, holding down a girl on his desk. They were both facing the opposite direction to the door so they didn''t see me, he wasn''t wearing his pants and was jamming his....

    What ?!

    Oh Dear God.

    The girl was whimpering and shaking all over.

    I need to call someone NOW!

    Mark is a retired Rank E hero, I wasn''t confident enough to fight him, but Leslie was there at the orphanage today, She''s E rank, I have to call her..

    As I turn around to do just that, I stop dead in my tracks.

    '''' Stop... please.''''

    The girl''s voice rings throughout the office.

    It was a familiar voice.

    It was Lecia''s voice.

    ~~~~

    A chill passes through me as I hear Lecia''s voice.

    Any thought of getting help goes away from my mind, as I open the door and run towards the both of them.

    It was reckless on my part to just barge in the room, Mark may just be an E rank hunter, but he had something far more valuable than his rank, which was experience. As soon as I entered the room, he became aware of my presence and turns around to find me running towards him.

    I try to punch him, but he effortlessly dodges me and backs away into the corner of the room. But I don''t mind him. I look at Lecia, she waspletely naked. She turns around and finds me,

    '''' X ?'''', I could see her lips bleeding and bruises across her entire body, She was shivering, she tries to stand up but her step falters and she begins to fall, but before she can I caught her with my hands and steadied her. I find her clothes near the table and cover her with them. She looks dazed for a second but snaps out of it in another second. She takes a step back and tears start forming in her eyes.

    '''' Don''t, d-don''t l-look at m-me.''''

    Her voice breaks and she continues to back away from me.

    I run towards her and embrace her, I whisper into her ears,'''' I''m sorry.''''

    She stops backing away and starts wailing in my arms.

    This was my fault.

    I should have noticed it sooner, I knew something was wrong with her. She seemed depressed for thest few months and I had noticed. I just rubbed it off as stress from school work. If I had asked her a little more then maybe...

    No. This isn''t the time to be thinking of those kinds of things. I have to protect Lecia now.

    '''' Hahahaha''''

    Laughter erupts from the corner of the room.

    '''' Stay here.'''', I whisper to Lecia before turning my head around and facing Mark.

    I stare at him with coldness in my eyes, but he remained oblivious to this and disgustingly smiles at me.

    '''' We were just ying, X. Go to sleep.''''

    '''' I''m not that young, ''Father'', I know what exactly you''re doing, you fucking animal.''''

    The smile on his face fades and is reced with a frown.

    '''' I see. So what are you going to do ?...¡­. Do you think anyone will believe you ?....

    You''re just a couple of orphans and I''m a retired hero. There is nothing you can do, you little ungrateful ingrates.''''

    While Mark was babbling on and on, I thought about Lecia. She''s just a 17 year old and had gone through so much more suffering than most her age.

    Would she ever be happy again?

    Over time maybe, but seeing her so broken now made something inside me break.

    I remembered all the time I had spent with Lecia, she was my sister and only friend.

    ''How can I help her ?''

    Looking at Mark who was rabbling on and on the answer came to me,

    Eliminating the cause of her sadness, it wouldn''t heal the damage already caused but I was repulsed by Mark''sck of conscience even after getting caught and I wanted to kill him. In all honesty, this wasn''t for Lecia, it was for myself. I can''t let Mark live. I have to kill him. Otherwise, this ufortable feeling in my heart would never go away.

    '''' I could kill you.'''', I say in a grim voice.

    As he heard my words, Mark had a shocked expression on his face which soon turned into one of ridicule.

    '''' You will kill me ?, Hahahahahah

    You''re talentless, son. You can''t do a thing to me.''''

    I say nothing.

    Instead, I rush towards him without warning. He has a nonchnt expression on his face as he dodges my hand yet again.

    '''' I didn''t want to do this but you leave me no choice.'''', Mark says ominously, but I pay his words no mind and try to hit him yet again. Instead of dodging, he catches my hand and pushes me to the ground. I fall with a ''thump''.

    Mark sits on top of me and sps both his hands on my throat with force.

    The pressure on my throat was strong and I felt like I would ck out soon. But this was perfect. I had nned for this. Now all I had to do was activate my '' mana disruptor'' skill, but before I could do anything.

    Lecia screams and runs towards Mark who was currently choking me. She was faintly glowing,

    She was awakening her mana.

    Lecia hadn''t yet awakened her mana, she was constantly teased in the orphanage due to this fact. Most children naturally awaken to mana when they are ten years old, but some may take more time. But cases like Lecia were very rare. She was tested at the age of seven and found out that she was an E rank. She had refused the Hero Association support since she didn''t want to be a hero. Everyone expected her to awaken her talents when she reached 10 years of age but she didn''t, still, we waited and waited but she never awakened. When we went to a doctor, he had said that there were cases like Lecia who had the potential but refused to awaken it, It was their body''s instinct to reject mana. I remember the doctor calling Lecia a ''less evolved human'', but it turns out he was a quack as Lecia had awakened her mana just now and she instinctively knew how to utilize the mana as well. She might just be a genius.

    Mark''s hand rx slightly, seems like he too was surprised with this development.

    Lecia tries to punch him, but Mark swats her away easily. She gets thrown away by his powerful counterattack and hits her head at the leg of the table. I can see her head bleeding.

    Oh no, I have to finish this fast.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I think about activating my skill,'' mana disruptor'' and it activates.

    As soon as I activated the skill, Marks''s body goes limp and he falls on top of me. I push him off and I stare at him. During mana exhaustion, the bodypletely shuts down, even the mouth. So he was unable to talk. The only sign that he was still alive was his eyes. They kept moving around.

    He was panicking, of course, he was. his mana had been drained and the mana container had been broken without him even using an ounce of mana.

    But it wasn''t over yet.

    I look at the timer that appeared on a blue screen as soon I used the skill.

    ------------

    9:59

    ------------

    I had to finish him in this time limit, and somehow hide or dump his body somewhere and also take Lecia to a doctor. My mind was stressing thinking about how to deal with the aftermath of this shit show.

    I calm myself and look at Mark''s limp body.

    I activate the skill, '' Bloodlust''

    As soon as I activate the skill, my mind goespletely nk,

    I can''t feel anything.

    I can''t feel the pain that was earliering from the knife wound in my hand.

    I don''t feel anger towards Mark.

    I don''t feel sorry or sad for Lecia.

    I just feel incredibly bored.

    Looking at Mark''s bodyying so still, a small grin appears on my face.

    '''' This could be fun.'''', I say out loud even though no one was listening

    I take the kitchen knife from my pocket and sit on top of Mark.

    I stab his right leg first.

    Tears start forming at his eyes but he didn''t make a sound. More like he couldn''t due to the mana exhaustion.

    I stab his left leg next.

    Both his legs start bleeding out. But I pay no mind to the blood that was flowing out of his legs.

    I turn around to see his face.

    His eyes were blood shot and saliva was forming at his mouth but he was very much still alive...

    That was good..

    You have to stay alive to feel more pain.

    He looks at me pleadingly, tears flowing down his face. I found his tears pathetic so I gouged a single eye out, and crushed it in my hand. He had lost a lot of blood but he was still alive.

    It might have been because he was E rank and had a lot of vitality, but who cares about all that.

    I raise the knife with both my hands and bring it down, piercing his heart. He died instantly.

    I take his blood , which had formed a pool in my hands and pour it over my face.

    The blood felt familiar,forting.

    A smile breaks out on my face.

    Yes, this feels great--

    What the fuck ?

    I look at my surroundings in surprise. I look at the blue screen in front of me.

    -----------------

    6: 57

    ------------------

    Two minutes had passed. I felt the urge to vomit as I scoured my surroundings. But I don''t have time to waste. I have to act quick. I move to Lecia and check her pulse, she was alright, but she was losing too much blood. I take the towel I had used to dry myself and hold it over head.

    Next I drag Mark''s body and his uh- what appeared to be his balls to the the closet space in his office. I go to the store room and take fresh towels ande back and start rubbing the blood off. But it wasn''t an easy task. I look at the blue screen to find that I had only 5 more seconds before the pain hits me.

    4.

    3.

    2.

    1.

    0.

    Shit.

    I fall down on the ground and feel my entire body engulfed in immense pain. I slowly ck out due to the pain.

    Shit, I have to give some first aid to Lecia as well.

    ~~~~

    Leslie Marr woke up refreshed and ready to start a new day. She woke up at 4: 30 as always. She would usually train till 6:00.

    She usually trained at the park, so today as well she changed into her training gear and started heading towards the entrance to the orphanage. But she stopped near Mark''s office as the door to his office waspletely open. She takes a peek inside and almost falls down of shock.

    A young boy, had fallen in the center of the office, his entire body was covered in ck veins and his eyes were open but not moving. Blood was everywhere. A young woman was bleeding from the head, but the thing that shook Leslie''s heart was the body in the closet. It would have been hidden if not for the fact that the body inside the closet had fell forward and only his head popped out of the closet.

    It was Mark Lauder''s head, he was missing an eye as well.

    Leslie''s scream woke up everyone at the orphanage.

 Chapter 12 A Cute Murderer (1)

    I''m trying to keep a straight face.

    It hurts a lot.

    I look down at my knee which was bleeding and then look at Nurse Mariam, who was patching up my knee.

    Nurse Mariam was a kind and beautifuldy. Ever since I''vee to this orphanage she''s been, my only friend. The others were my friends too, but they stopped talking to me as soon as I said that my mommy would be back for me. Everyone''s all gloomy here, except for Nurse Mariam. She''s always fun and happy.

    After she''s done patching me up, she looks up at me and gives me a kind smile.

    '''' You''re gonna get healed very soon, John.''''

    I nod my head enthusiastically, seeing my response, she lets out a little chuckle and stands up, she sits in the chair inside her office and tucks her brown hair back before saying,

    '''' How was your day ?''''

    '''' It was good, miss.''''

    She stares at me for a moment before asking,

    '''' How did you scrape your knee, John ?''''

    '''' I fell, miss.''''

    She stays silent for a minute before repeating her question,

    '''' How did you scrape your knee, John?''''

    I avoid her eyes and try to lie again but, she warns me,

    '''' Don''t lie to me, John.''''

    '''' They pushed me and I fell.''''

    Sighing, she asks in a serious voice.

    '''' Why did they push you ?''''

    I could see the concern in her eyes, my mother had the same look sometimes. But the day she left she didn''t have that look. She looked relieved when she left me there.

    I wondered if Nurse Mariam would ever look at me like that, relieved to be away from me. I push aside these thoughts and answer her question,

    '''' They said that I deserved it because I was so bad to my mother, she had to abandon me.''''

    Nurse Mariam gets up and walks toward me and sits beside me on the bed at the nurse''s office.

    She hugs me, her warmth feels nice. As she embraced me, she whispers into my ears.

    '''' Your mommy didn''t leave you because you were bad, John. I... don''t know why you''re mother left you. But what I do know is that you are one of the most brightest and talented children I have ever met and never let anyone take that away from you.''''

    Hearing her words, my eyes tear up and I start wailing. She stops hugging me and pats my head with a smile on her face.

    '''' I''ll talk to the father about the bullying. Just make sure to tell me if anything happens okay ?''''

    I nod my head and get up to leave, but before I could, a man enters the nurse''s office. He looked young, he had an angry expression on his face as he barged into the nurse''s office without even asking for permission.

    '''' What the fuck, Mariam?

    Nurse Mariam points her finger toward me and raises her eyebrows. The man looks at me for a second and then decides to ignore my presence and starts talking to Nurse Mariam again,

    '''' Are you ignoring me, you ungrateful bitch ?.''''

    I knew the words he was saying were bad, but I couldn''t understand what they meant.

    Nurse Mariam looks at me with aplicated expression and tells me to go outside. Iply and walk outside the office and act like closing the door, but I don''t forget to leave a gap so that I could hear their conversation.

    '''' I just asked you for a small deposit, so that I can start a business that makes us some real money, instead of the money this crappy orphanage gives you and what do you do ?.... You break up with me over a text! A FUCKING text! Mariam. Is this all our rtionship meant to you, you little cunt!''''

    '''' Please calm down, Mathew. I can''t see you anymore. You''ve wasted my money and time countless times. I know about you and Ang ... I don''t want to see you ever again... So please just leave already.''''

    Mathew remains silent, his face had turned into a tomato, and he looked like he was about to explode.

    He lunges at her and forces her onto the bed in her office.

    '''' You''re a fucking bitch, that''s what you are. Do you think you can get rid of me that easily ?.... I''ll never leave you alone. What are you gonna do about it ?''''

    He caresses her lips with his fingers before adding on,

    '''' Me and Ang, that was just an ident, babe. Your sister came onto me, I was drunk then, otherwise I would have never-''''

    Before he couldplete what he was saying, Mariam spits in his face and adds,

    '''' You''re a fucking asshole, Mathew.''''

    Mathew raises his hands upwards to strike Nurse Mariam, but before he can do anything, I walk in and say in a loud voice,

    '''' Miss Mariam, Father Tim is calling you.''''

    They both get startled by my voice and get up.

    The bad man, Mathew res at Nurse Mariam before leaving. I walk after him slowly.

    The nurse''s office was on the second floor of the orphanage, as the bad man was going down the stairs, I give a little push and he tumbles down hitting his head.

    I hear a gasp from behind me and find that Nurse Mariam was standing behind me. It seems that she had followed me here. I smile at her as to say,<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' You''re going to be fine now, Nurse Mariam.''''

    '''' What- No. What did you do, John?... Oh God...''''

    She puts both of her hands over her head.

    '''' Why are you upset miss, I did this for you.''''

    Nurse Mariam backs away from me, her eyes were filled with fear. She wanted to be away from me just like my mother.

    I look down at the ground and say,

    '''' You''re gonna abandon me too aren''t you ?''''

    Nurse Mariam stops backing away from me. She looks into my eyes and takes a deep breath before saying,'''' I''m not going to abandon you, John''''

    Nurse Mariam kneels to match my height and looks into my eyes.

    '''' What happened here was an ident... an ident, do you understand, John ?''''

    I nod my head and say, '''' Yes, Nurse Mariam.''''

    ~~~~~

    I open my eyes, but immediately close them as the room I was in, was too bright. While I waited for my eyes to adjust to the light, I thought about the dream I had.

    Nurse Mariam was the closest thing to a mother I had in my previous life after my mother threw me away. Even after she had quit working in the orphanage, she still came to visit me. We had a very healthy rtionship if you ignore the fact that she was my aplice in murder.

    That''s right.

    This wasn''t the first time I had killed a human being and it very well wouldn''t be thest. Now don''t assume that I''m some kinda psychopath just because I killed somebody. I might be a sociopath but I''m pretty sure I''m not a psychopath,

    Probably...

    My eyes finally adjust to the light in the room I was currently in, but instead of a ceiling, when I opened my eyes, I saw a blue screen.

    ----------------

    Bloodlust skill has leveled up !

    Skill name : Bloodlust

    Level: E, kills: 0/50

    A unique skill that allows the user to let go of the fear of death and the nerve endings of the user get deactivated with the help of mana topletely erase pain and also gives the user arger boost in strength. The only downside is that the user goes crazy upon the activation of the skill. The duration of the skill is 10 minutes.

    ------------------

    It seems that the ''Bloodlust'' skill had leveled up when I had killed Mark. It was a good thing but the skill seemed even more ominous now. During the time I had activated the skill, it felt as if something fundamental inside me had broken, it all felt like a dream, but it did happen, I cut of Mark''s balls...

    Ouch...

    Mark Lauder deserved it though. I wasn''t feeling guilty for killing him cause why even bother ?

    I also hated him, so killing him actually made me kind of happy.

    Humans are such hypocrites, I mean think about it ,we allmit a form of murder on a daily basis, we smash ants and deprive them of their life, we hunt and kill all kinds of animals just for fun, isn''t this murder too ?

    Then when someone''s kills a human being, they''re all like, '''' Oh God, that''s so horrible.''''.

    So in short, all humans are hypocrites.

    Humans all have a major godplex as well, we think we own the world. The top of the food chain. We destroy the natural habitats of animals and stuff. I too have a godplex, but mine''s justified as I literally created this world.

    I may say all this but I don''t actually give a crap about the environment or animals or anything in general really. The only reason as to why I''m pointing these things out is because of the fact that I wanted to justify my actions.

    It''s a person''s nature to justify anything they do even if it''s something terrible like murder.

    Wait.

    Where the fuck am I ?

    I was inpletely white room with one of those mirrors, you see in police dramas. The ss window through which the police would observe the movements of the criminal.

    I try to get up from the bed I was currently in, but failed as one of my hands where tied with handcuffs to the railing of the bed, I give up on trying to get up and just lie back on the bed.

    '''' Hello, X.''''

    Suddenly a voice reached my ears, startling the hell out of me,

    '''' That''s a weird ass name,''''

    Another voice can also be heard.

    '''' We''re gonnae in now. Are you willing to cooperate with us ?''''

    The first person to speak asks me as if she was requesting me but it was clear as day that it was not a request but an order.

    '''' Yes'''' , I say a bit too loud as I was unsure as to where exactly these people where. Suddenly a door opens, which for the record I didn''t even knew existed and through the doores in two individuals that I was familiar with,

    Amanda Holler and Francis Lamar.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 13 A Cute Murderer (2)

    I was sitting in an interrogation room, sipping the coffee that my ''interrogators'' had bought me. The said investigators included the duo of Amanda Holler and Francis Lamar. They both stared at me silently while I drank the coffee from the paper cup.

    It would be safe to assume that I was currently at the headquarters of the Hero Association, as I killed a retired hero, they were well within their jurisdiction to question me.

    '''' You''ve been sleeping for a week.''''

    I spit out my coffee at Amanda''s words.

    One week!

    It''s a good thing Mark was only an E rank. Who knows what would have happened if he was a higher rank?

    I might have died.

    I have to be more careful while using that skill.

    The coffee that I had spat out, falls on Francis''s face making him frown, but he doesn''t say anything, he takes out a handkerchief and signals his eyes at Amanda to start interrogating me.

    '''' X, can you tell us what happened that day ?''''

    I nod my head.

    I had already thought about a story that would be eptable to them, The story was this, I had gotten up at night to pee and saw Mark hurting Lecia, I try to stop them but fail. Mark tries to kill us but Lecia manages to awaken her mana and pushes him away, but Mark was an experienced hero and was not fazed by her desperate attacks. Just as we were losing hope, a person wearing a maskes in and kills Mark. He also makes me inhale something and I had no choice but toply, after inhaling the smoke I felt intense pain and cked out.

    Pretty solid, right?

    As they listen to my story, I could see that Francis had a skeptical look on his face while Amanda had a sympathetic expression on her face.

    By the time, Ipleted my narration Amanda was almost in tears.

    '''' I''m so sorry that you and Lecia had to go through that.'''', Her voice was slightly shaking.

    Francis looks at her with a surprised look on his face and asks Amanda,

    '''' You believe him ?''''

    '''' Yeah. Don''t you?'''', Amanda asks back in an astonished voice.

    '''' I mean, don''t you think that a masked man appearing at that exact moment was a little too convenient ?''''

    '''' Francis !''''

    I had expected this. I knew Amanda''s character very well, she had a very na?ve mentality, she always wanted to believe that people were telling the truth, and she saw good even in the vilest things. Whereas Francis was a man who believed in the truth and only the truth. He knew that people, even children were capable of lying.

    But Amanda''s words were final to Francis, so everything was good.

    I interrupt their argument and ask,

    '''' Is Lecia ok ?''''

    Hearing my question, both of them avoid my eyes.

    Oh no.

    I have a bad feeling.

    I ask my question again, and this time Francis replies,

    '''' She''s not okay.''''

    ~~~~

    The three of us were walking towards where Lecia was right now.

    Neither Amanda nor Francis had borated on Lecia''s condition, they had just told me the fact that she was not okay. I was feeling anxious. Finally, the both of them stop walking and stand in front of a door, They go inside and I follow right behind.

    As soon as I entered the room, I saw Lecia. She wasying on an inclined bed, her body was connected to all kinds of pipes and tubes. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was regr. I sigh in relief, she was alive...

    But the words Amanda said nextpletely shattered my relief,

    '''' She''s in a manaa.''''

    Mana Coma was the result of awakening mana in an unstable condition. The people who fall into manaa force the mana out of their bodies, it''s kind of like what I did but this only happens when you have an intense desire to protect something. After awakening to mana like this, the user instantly goes into a deep sleep-like state and they never wake up. This was manaa, a dreaded disease with no viable cure.

    The fact that Lecia had gone into a manaa was unexpected, but it was going to be alright because...

    I know how to cure manaa.

    It wasn''t exactly a cure, it was an artifact that would help heal Lecia.

    But the problem was that it was in demon territory. I can''t just waltz in there like walking to a supermarket. I needed to be at least A rank to survive in the demon territory and even that was cutting it close. I was miles behind A rank, so it would take time, a lot of time. It would also help if had some loyal dog- I meanrades.

    It would take, give or take, at least a year for me to reach A rank. This would usually be impossible for a normal person, but I had erased my potential, in other words, my potential was limitless. So I should be able to train my body and rank up faster than most. As I was nning for the future, I didn''t notice the two pairs of eyes on me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' X?''''

    Amanda''s voice pulls me back to reality.

    '''' Yes ?, I ask back.

    They looked a little surprised at my response.

    As Amanda was about to say something, a man of short staturees inside the room. Even though wrinkles were forming around his face, he still seemed to have a youthful glow, his ck hair was tied in a bun and his azure eyes held unknown wisdom in them

    A true dilf, indeed...

    A frown appears on his face as he sees the people in the room. He points his finger at us and says in a low voice,

    '''' Get out now.''''

    Amanda bows her head at the man showing her respect, and Francis does the same.

    '''' Dr. Creed, we''re sorry for intruding on you like this but the boy insisted on seeing the girl.''''

    Ah.

    Dr. Ken Creed, the husband of the chairwoman of the Hero Association and the resident doctor at the association. He was a character that I had enjoyed writing about, he was born in a poor household, but he was satisfied with his life. The problems started when his father fell into a manaa, they didn''t have the money for the treatment and his father unfortunately died. It was then that he decided that he wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to save people who had no hope like his father. He studies hard, bes a doctor, and shortly after meets the chairwoman and falls in love with her. They both marry, h h h.

    Dr. Ken was also the chairwomen''s closest aide and adviser. So people naturally respected him. It was said that the both of them together built the Hero Association from the ground up and in front of me was that same, Dr. Ken. I couldn''t help but be excited even though he had just told me to get out of the room I was currently in.

    '''' This is the boy ?'''', Ken enquires.

    Amanda nods her head.

    Dr. Ken''s gaze on me softens, after a minute he goes near Lecia and starts taking out the tubes in her mouth and filling it with some kind of liquid. The three of us awkwardly stare at him and after seeing that he wasn''t saying anything, Amanda speaks,

    '''' Well then, we''ll be out of your hair, doctor.''''

    I wanted to stay but Francis pulls me away as well.

    But before we could go away, Ken speaks looking directly at me,

    '''' You have the eyes of a killer.''''

    I feel goosebumps rising on my skin.

    ~~~~

    It''s been 2 weeks since I''ve been ''kidnapped'' by the Hero Association.

    Yes, I said kidnapped, cause they''re not letting me go outside.

    I hate it, but I can''t fight against the Hero Association, at least for now.

    I was too weak.

    These past two weeks have been rather uneventful. A lot of questioning happened, by a variety of people. I answered their questions again and again and again and again.....

    Man, this shit is soo boring.

    Even though the conversation with Dr. Creed was a little weird, I didn''t keep it in my mind for too long as there was nothing I could do about it. If I could do nothing about it then why waste time agonizing over it?

    Be productive.

    Anyways, the only good thing about being trapped here was the food. The food here was like the food from a five-star hotel and it was all free!

    I love free things, even if it has no use to me whatsoever.

    Right now I''m lying on my bed, waiting for my food to arrive. Oddly enough nobody questioned me today, but hey. I couldn''t care less.

    ''They''rete'', I think.

    Usually, by this time of the day, I would be eating lunch.

    My stomach starts growling.

    '' I''m hungry.'', just as I think this, a woman dressed in a secretary''s clotheses inside my ''cell''.

    '''' You''ll be eating with the chairwoman today. Please get ready in 5 minutes.''''

    '''' Ok- Wait what ?''''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 14 A Cute Murderer (3)

    I look out the window of the car that I was currently in. After the secretary had told me that I would be having lunch with the chairwoman, I was shocked momentarily as the chairwoman was a very busy person and also because she was one of the strongest humans currently living on Earth.

    Diane Creed, the chairwoman and the hero that was currently 4th in the hero rankings. Based on the fact she was the chairwoman, it might feel pretty self-congrattory for her toe out on 5th in the rankings that were published by the Hero Association, but her strength was the real deal, her hero name was '' Valor'' and right now I was going to meet her.

    After I was informed that I was going to eat lunch with her, I was given a suit to wear and was currently in a car that was driving towards her quarters. After almost 30 minutes the car stopped and the driver opens the car''s door for me. I get out of the car and gasp at the size of the chairwoman''s house... no it would be better to call it a mansion. Due to the windows of the car beingpletely cked out, I had not seen anything. But her house was so huge!

    A butleres to greet me, he was slightly stroking his mustache while talking to me.

    '''' Good day, sir.''''

    I nod my head and give him a slight smile.

    '''' Please follow me.''''

    The butler leads me to a huge ass dining room, He makes me sit on a chair and says,

    '''' Please wait for a moment, the madam and sir will be with you shortly.''''

    ''''Okay.''''

    After the butler leaves, I wait for about ten minutes and soon after that a group of peoplees in and ces a variety of dishes and foods on the table. My mouth waters slightly at the sight of the food but I control myself as the hosts of the meal hadn''t arrived yet.

    The food here looked even better than at the association.

    Suddenly two people, a man, and a woman enter the dining hall through the door. The man was someone that I was familiar with, Dr. Ken. So it was clear that the woman who was beside him was Diane Creed, I gulp involuntarily as I saw her. Even though she was very old, her entire body exuded strength. Her hair had started graying, her red eyes were like a fire that dared you toe close, just so that it could burn you. Her abs were so prominent that it was visible even through her clothes. Together they made a stunning couple.

    As soon as she saw me, a kind smile blooms on her face.

    '''' You must be X.''''

    I nod my head and return the smile,

    '''' Yes, ma''am.''''

    As soon as she hears my reply her eyes disy shock.

    '''' Ma''am !?. Preposterous. I''m just a young maiden!. Isn''t that right, Ken ?''''

    '''' You''re 59 years old, Diane.''''

    Diane makes a tearful face and looks at me.

    '''' Am I that old ?''''

    I wanted to say yes but chose not to.

    '''' No.''''

    Hearing my reply, she starts smiling again and says in an enthusiastic voice,

    '''' Then you can call me Diane.''''

    I nod my head and say,

    '''' Okay, Diane.''''

    '''' Great, then shall we eat ?''''

    ~~~~

    Dinner went okay.

    There was a lotta food but very less time.

    We talked about normal things like the weather, school, and stuff.

    The both of them mentioned nothing about as to why exactly they called me here.

    But I remained patient.

    After we finished eating food, the desserts came, ice cream shakes and all that stuff. I devoured everything like I had not seen food ever before but they didn''t seem to mind. After finishing the dessert, they dragged me to their firece and all of us sat there.

    The warmth radiating from the firece made me feel sleepy, holding the bulge in my stomach from the food I had eaten, I rest my eyes for a second.

    '''' You have a very unusual name.''''

    I open my eyes, Diane was looking at me curiously.

    '''' Is there some kind of story behind it ?''''

    Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity, internally sighed, as I''m often asked this question I tell them the story behind my name.

    '''' Hahahahahah''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Shortly after my narration, Diane''sugh rang out throughout the room. I even managed to make Ken smile a little.

    After that, an ufortable silence descends on the room. None of us speak for a full minute. Then-

    '''' X.''''

    Diane has a serious look on her face as she looks at me. Suddenly she jumps from her sofa and bows her head at me,

    '''' I''M SORRY.''''

    '''' huh ?''''

    Her apology confuses me, looking up and seeing my confusion Diane continues,

    '''' As you know I''m the chairwoman of the Hero Association, Mark Lauder was an employee of the association before he retired. We were the ones who rmended him for the position of caretaker because he appeared to be an exemry hero and employee. We are the ones at fault for your pain.''''

    '''' I wasn''t the one in pain, Diane. Lecia was...still is.''''

    Diane looks a little stunned at my response but I pay her no mind.

    '''' Y-you''re right.''''

    '''' Is that the reason why you called me here today ?''''

    At my question, Diane avoids my eyes and looks at the ground.

    After a short moment of silence, Diane stops staring at the ground and looks at me.

    '''' I''m ashamed to ask this of you..... but we don''t want this ''incident'' to be known to the public... As you know, the people''s belief in heroes plummeted since the previous No. 1 hero became a viin... we can''t let the people''s opinion about heroes go down even further.''''

    Ah.

    There was that. But let''s focus on this conversation for now.

    '''' That isn''t our decision to make, it''s Lecia''s decision, and what about the other people who got abused by Mark?''''

    Diane makes a shocked expression '''' You knew about them ?''''

    '''' I guessed.''''

    Hearing my response, she lets out a sigh and says,

    '''' They''ve been....pensated.''''

    '''' I see.''''

    '''' We''llpensate you as well, plus we''ll also look after Lecia as well.''''

    She looks at me expectantly,

    I think for a moment, what she was offering was good, but-

    '''' I''ll take the money but you don''t have to take care of Lecia. I''ll take her to the public hospital. I don''t think the Hero association is trustworthy...''''

    Diane looks like she''d been punched in the face.

    '''' She won''t get the necessary care there.'''', Dr. Ken finally broke his silence and spoke.

    '''' That''s alright.'''', I say nonchntly.

    If looks could kill, I would be dead by now. Dr. Ken''s res made me a little ufortable, but I choose to ignore him and focus on Diane, who had a sad expression on her face.

    '''' I should lea-''''

    Before I couldplete my sentence, Dr. Ken cuts me off and says,

    '''' What if there was a way, to get the money and to get Lecia the help she needs without the help of the association, would you ept that?''''

    Both me and Diane and I get surprised at his words, I ask Ken

    '''' Sure. But what way would that be ?''''

    Dr. Ken takes in a deep breath and says.

    '''' We could adopt the both of you.''''

    '''' Huh?''''

    '''' Huh?''''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 15 Mother Creed (1)

    Diane Creed loved children, she always dreamed of bing a mother one day. But fate had other ns, her husband was sterile. That didn''t mean that they couldn''t do anything else. There was adoption and insemination. But by the time they had the money and contacts required for all this, the both of them were too busy to look after a child. Ken had his career as a doctor while Diane had the association. Over time they just gave up trying.

    How do I know all this?

    Simple.

    I am the maker of their fate.

    Mhwhahaahahahah.

    Damn. Maybe I should do something about my godplex.

    Anyways in the novel, they have no children or anything of that sort. That was what was supposed to happen. But Dr. Ken''s words just now contradicted everything that I wrote.

    '''' We could adopt the both of you.''''

    Diane was reasonably shocked and jumped out of her cushion at his words. I mean what kind of husband springs this kind of stuff on his wife out of the blue?

    A bad husband.

    They both go into another room to have a discussion ande back thirty minutester. Diane has a huge grin on her face, while Dr. Ken just looked tired.

    He looks at me and asks,

    '''' You''re okay with this right ?''''

    I nod my head.

    I don''t think I''ve ever mentioned this before but I don''t exactly care if the novel''s plot changes, this was a decision that benefitted me and Lecia and that was all that mattered, and also if you knew everything that was going to happen then what exactly was the point of life?

    Life is all about the small joys, If we knew everything that was about to happen, life would just be boring and I hate boring things.

    '''' I''m so excited !!'''', Diane''s voice sent vibrations throughout the room, almost knocking over a vase.

    Geez, this woman is strong as fuck.

    Even my ears hurt, seeing the frown on Dr. Ken''s face he too must be hurting.

    Realizing her mistake, Diane... or should I call her '' mom'' now.

    Nah... too soon.

    She says, '''' sorry'''' in a low voice.

    Dr. Ken gets a phone call, after ending the call, he says that he''s needed at the association''s infirmary and heads out leaving Diane and me all alone.

    Diane''s just staring at me with a dumb smile on her face.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Ok, it''s starting to get a little ufortable.

    Just as I was about to excuse myself, Diane asks me,

    '''' What''s your favorite color ?''''

    '''' Huh ?''''

    '''' What''s your favorite color ?'''', she asks me again with a strange glint in her eyes.

    '''' Violet.''''

    '''' What''s your favorite food ?''''

    '''' Anything with meat on it.''''

    She chuckles a little at my response which makes me smile a little.

    '''' What''s your favorite food ?'''', I ask her.

    '''' Anything with meat on it.''''

    Weugh together.

    We spent the rest of the evening asking each other random questions about ourselves.

    Hey.. this might not be that bad.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    Three days have passed since the Creeds decided to adopt Lecia and me. Even before the adoption happened, all our stuff was taken to their mansion. The both of us were already living at the Creed''s mansion now.

    These past three days have been a st for me, not so much for Lecia though. It seems that being in aa really dampers on your ability to have fun. I stay and talk with her at least for one hour a day. Some studies say that a person in a manaa can hear and feel everything happening around them, I wasn''t too sure about the authenticity of these studies but it was worth a try.

    Another thing that I learned these past three days is that having a butler was very fun. The butler managing the Creed''s mansion, Mr. Geoffrey was like my personalpdog. I would call him for the smallest things and he would do them all with a smile on his face. One day, I called him to ask him to on the fan and he did so without a word of defiance.

    Geoffrey was truly an enigma.

    I haven''t seen much of Dr. Ken sinceing here, but Diane woulde to me every night. We would have dinner together and I have to say... I do enjoy herpany. Dinners were great and all but she insisted on tucking me into bed every night as well, even that was ok to a certain extent but giving a goodnight kiss every night was a bit too much in my opinion. Diane also spent time with Lecia as well and I''m pretty sure she''s giving her a good night kiss every night as well.

    Even if I doin about all the tucking in and kisses, I like it here.

    Right now, I''m brushing my teeth before going to sleep. I look at myself in the mirror and a smile breaks out on my face. I realized that it''d been a long time since I rxed like this. Ever sinceing into this world, I''ve been on guard, it felt nice to rx like this. Now that I''m rxed I''ve realized that I''ve been too obsessed with getting stronger, if I hadn''t been so obsessed with getting stronger I might''ve noticed the things between Mark and Lecia a lot sooner.

    This realization paved the way for another realization, I wasn''t getting stronger just for myself, of course, it was to protect myself as well, but I was getting stronger also because I don''t want the people close to me to get hurt. Never again.

    Thinking about this, I go to bed. The bed is so soft that it almost feels jelly-like.

    Truly, It''s good to be rich.

    In thefort of the bed, I delve into the world of dreams.

    ~~~~

    '''' Get up.''''

    I feel a pair of hands pushing me awake, I open my eyes to find Dr. Ken standing beside my bed with a stack of papers in his hands.

    I sit up on the bed groggily and ask Ken, '''' What is it ?''''

    The digital clock in my room showed that the time was 1:00 am, so this better is something important.

    '''' Your adoption papers were almost finalized but there''s a slight problem.''''

    '''' What is it ?''''

    '''' It''s your name, the court doesn''t recognize it. So you have to pick a new name for yourself.''''

    Yes. Finally,

    This was the moment that I was waiting for my entire life [ THIS LIFE!]. The time has finallye for Razorface to rise.

    '''' I know what name I want. Razorface.''''

    '''' Denied.''''

    As soon as I suggested the name I wanted, Ken shot me down,

    '''' You have two more chances before I select a name for you.''''

    I think hard about a name that would be good.

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-

    I remember Lecia talking to me about her family in the yground when we were young, her brother''s name was Adam, wasn''t it?

    Adam.

    Adam.

    Yes, it would suffice.

    I hope Lecia doesn''t mind.

    '''' What about Adam ?'''', I ask Ken.

    '''' Hmm, Adam Creed. That sounds pretty good.''''

    Ken walks over to the door of the room and turns around to face me,

    '''' Alright then, see you tomorrow. Adam.''''

    I smile at him and say good night.

    I lie down on the bed and repeat my new name in my head over and over again.

    Adam Creed.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 16 Mother Creed (2)

    It''s been a month since Lecia and I got officially adopted to the Creed household. I''ve been having the time of my life here, an ample amount of sleep, and super tasty food. I had it all. I also didn''t forget to train as well, there was a gym in the mansion so I didn''t have to go anywhere else.

    '''' Could you pass the butter, Adam ?'''' Right now, the three of us were having breakfast. Usually, the two of them would be too busy to have breakfast together, I wonder what''s special about today ?...

    '''' Adam ?''''

    I was still not used to my new name.

    I pass the butter to Diane and tell her a quick ''sorry'' for making her ask twice.

    After five minutes, Dr. Ken breaks the silence by saying,

    '''' So... Adam, we think that it''s time you start going to high school.''''

    Shit.

    I hadpletely forgotten about school.

    I mean, too many things happened way too fast and it justpletely slipped my mind.

    Diane continues after Ken, '''' We wanted to give you some space, since... a lot of things happened, but we both think that it''s time you start going to sses, you''re alreadyte by a month.''''

    I nod my head at her words.

    '''' We noticed that you chose Northside Academy as your preferred high school, but we think that you can do better than that ce, so we have a surprise for you.''''

    I get a bad feeling as I see the smile on Diane''s face.

    '''' We enrolled you at the Unity !''''

    '''' It was a little hard to enrollte, but we did it.'''', Kenments.

    '''' Alright.'''', I put on a fake smile and act as if I was excited. I had nned to enter the Northside Academy but decided to change it, the reason being that now that I was being adopted by the Creeds, the plot could change in some way and even though I said that I don''t care about the plot, I still had to make sure that the characters follow the plot now, if not the entire world as we know it could be destroyed and that would be bad. So I had no choice but to go to The Unity.

    '''' You''ll being with me tomorrow to collect your uniform and everything else that you might need.'''', says Diane in an excited voice.

    Perfect. I had some things to do outside as well...

    '''' You''ll be joining the Unity in exactly one week... you''ll be joiningter than everybody less, so make sure to work hard.'''', says Ken.

    I smile brightly at both of them and say in an enthusiastic voice,'''' I''ll try my best.''''

    ~~~~

    The next day, after lunch both Adam and Diane got in a car together and headed towards the shopping district in Lycan, the driver stops the car near the clothing store. They were greeted by an employee who enquired about what they were looking for,

    '''' Two pairs of uniforms from the Unity, we had ordered them yesterday. We came to collect it.'''', hearing Diane''s words a smile appears on the employee''s face and she says in a practiced voice,'''' Pleasee this way, miss.''''

    They follow her and she shows them the clothes, Adam tries them on and they fit perfectly. After they finished up at the clothing store, they get out of the store. As soon as they got out of the store, Adam asks her,

    '''' Can we have some ice cream ?''''

    '''' Sure, honey.''''

    As Diane starts heading back towards the car, Adam asks her in a shy voice,

    '''' Can we walk there ?, I''ve never really gone to the za ever before, so I wanted to see everything properly.''''

    Diane looks surprised at his words and soon a smile breaks out on her face,

    '''' Aww, sure honey we can do whatever you want.''''

    Adam beams at her and walks with her towards the main shopping za in Lycan, the streets were filled with a lot of people. Diane sighs as she sees the huge wave of people in the street.

    She hated crowded ces.

    '''' There''s a good ice cream parlor around here, Adam.'''', Diane says with a smile.

    '''' Adam ?''''

    She looks at her side where Adam was to find that he hadpletely disappeared without a trace.

    ~~~~

    I walk quickly, it was a good thing that the streets were so busy. It made ditching Diane a lot easier. I ask for the directions and five minutester reached my destination, an electronics shop called,'''' Shockwave''''

    I go inside the shop and return within 4 minutes with a small box in my hand. I put the small box inside my pocket. It''s a good thing that Diane gave me some pocket money, otherwise, I would have had to steal money to buy this '' item''.

    I had one more thing to do before finding Diane. I have to ask for directions once again and after walking for about 8 minutes, I reach my next destination.

    The church looked beautiful and holy, it waspletely made from white marble, I enter the church after taking my shoes off, which was necessary as a person couldn''t enter the church with footwear, This wasn''t your usual church though, it was a church dedicated to the twelve angels.

    After the angels erected their barriers around humanity, their followers increased drastically and churches were established in the honor of the angels. Inside the church, I could see many white-robed people, they were the ''priests''. All the people present inside the temple had a crazy glint in their eyes,

    A woman wearing a white robe approaches me with a smile on her face,

    '''' Wee to the church of the twelve. Would you like to join me in prayer''''

    She had the insignia of the angel, '' Dina'' on her robe, which signified that she was a follower of Dina.

    I smile at her.'''' No, maybe next time. I wanted to confess-''''

    Before I couldplete speaking, the priestess says excitedly,

    '''' That''s great, you can do it with me.''''

    '''' No, sorry. Could I do it with Priest Patrick?''''

    As soon as she hears my words, her face goes beet red and she stammers out,

    '''' Ofc-course, I''m sorry. I''ll go call him now.''''

    I wait patiently for her to return with him and a few minutester shees back and along with her came a thin-looking man.

    The man looked so skinny that a strong wind might just blow him away but his eyes had a mysterious fire in them. His brown hair touched his shoulders and his pale skin matched the marble used to make the church.

    '''' This is Priest Patrick, then I''ll leave you to it.'''', saying this the woman leaves.

    Priest Patrick smiles at me and asks me in a friendly voice,

    '''' Shall we go to the confessional ?''''

    ~~~~

    I sit and start speaking in a low voice,

    '''' Patrick, I have sinned a lot.''''

    He nods his head at me, urging me to go on,

    '''' But not as much as you have, what do you think will happen when the people here find out that you''re a spy for the demons ?''''

    Priest Patrick was one of the many spies nted by the demons among humans.

    His smile crumbles and he stares at me in shock, but he snaps out of his shock in a second and tries to attack me with the knife hidden under his robe, but before he can do anything I say in a bored voice,

    '''' Don''t bother, I''m not here to rat you out.''''

    After listening to me, he puts the knife away and asks with a frown on his face,

    '''' How did you know I was a spy ?''''

    '''' Doesn''t matter, all I want is to talk to your boss.''''

    '''' You want to talk to my boss ?.... do you think I''m stupid enough to let a stranger meet my... boss.''''

    I smile at his words,'''' I know you''re not the only spy nted within the human ranks, I could have gone to any one of them but I still chose toe to you, do you know why?''''

    Patrick shakes his head.

    '''' I came to you because I believe that you are intelligent enough to know the difference between a trap and an opportunity.''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    He scoffs at my words and continues,

    '''' Do you think ttery will work, human ?''''

    '''' I have information rted to your princess with me.''''

    As soon as I say this his expression twists in shock. He thinks for a long time before saying,

    '''' Come with me. If you do something suspicious I''ll kill you without a second thought.''''

    I smile at his threat.

    '''' Sure.''''

    ~~~~

    We came to a back alley bar called, '' Looters'', and Patrick said a secret code to the barkeep he took us to a secret elevator and we entered a floor hidden underground,

    The hidden floor was brightly lit by a huge chandelier. There wasn''t a single person in sight except for a receptionist, Patrick tells me to wait for a moment and walks towards the receptionist, he tells the receptionist something and beckons me towards him.

    I walk towards the both of them, the receptionist looks wary of me, nevertheless, he asks me to follow him to a room, the door to the room waspletely ck and the doorknob was in the shape of a skull,

    Before opening the door, he warns me,

    '''' You''re about to meet the Archdemon Bal, show proper respects, human.''''

    I nod my head and follow him into the room.

    ~~~~~

    The room was empty except for a tube-like thing in the middle of the room, it was most probably a digital projector that could showcase a person as a 3D figure. Archdemon Bal was one of the four generals of the demon king and also his brother. A person of his authority could never ''physically''e here. They most probably used this device to contact him.

    The novel was set in the future and a lot of gadgets like this were avable on the market.

    The receptionist goes towards the device and clicks some buttons and soon, a hologram of a man appears on the object. The man was tall with hair as ck as the night sky and his blue eyes were deep just like the ocean. But his most distinct features were the two ck horns on his head.

    His eyes scan the room and a frown appears on his face as I enter the line of his sight,

    '''' Who is this ?''''

    His voice reverberated through the room, even if he wasn''t here I could almost feel the strength present in his voice alone. Goosebumps rise on my skin, it was a human''s instinct to fear things that are stronger than them.

    The receptionist goes on to narrate the events that had happened, After finishing the look on Bal''s face was priceless. He looked way too shocked,

    '''' You have information about the princess ?!''''

    His previous intimidating stance hadpletely changed.

    When the demons first arrived on earth, they sent the demonic prince to negotiate with the humans, the prince was killed, but his wife who was pregnant then survived. The humans took her as their prisoner, After the prince''s wife was taken prisoner, she gives birth and the princess is born.

    In the novel, the princess continues to stay a prisoner until one day, the humans kill her mother making her go berserk.

    The Unity was primarily a school, but it had a secret side to it as well, it also functioned as a prison. Unity could be called the most secure ce on earth. no one whoes in can go out without permission. This was also a reason why the current government under the emperor secretly used it as a prison as well. This was where both the princess and her mother were imprisoned. The demons don''t find out about this fact until she goes berserk since it was only known to the most higher-ups in the government and the staff at the Unity. Even the angels don''t know about the prison''s existence.

    The royalty of the demons was born with immense power, and the princess awakens to this power at the exact moment her mother dies. After escaping from the prison after going berserk she continues to cause damage until Max finally steps up and kills her. Even though Max hated all demons, he couldn''t hate the princess as he could sense the sadness in her eyes. He kills her saying,'''' I''m sorry....''''

    It was a pretty emotional moment.

    '''' TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ?!!'''', Bal''s roar makes my ears heart.

    Even though I was afraid, I put on a poker face and say,'''' Calm down, old man.''''

    He looks furious but relents to my wish and calms down.

    After making sure that he was calm, I say to him in a steady voice.

    '''' I know where your princess is... I won''t just tell you where she is, I''ll also rescue her as well and bring her to you. But I won''t do it for free...''''

    '''' What do you need ?''''

    Hearing his question, a smile appears on my face.

    I had hoped this would happen, the general loved his nephew and was devastated when he died, when he found out that the prince''s wife might still be alive he tried his best to find her and her child .he was one of the few people who still hadn''t stopped looking for the princess, even the demon king gave up but Bal couldn''t stop. Right now he would trust even the shadiest person in the world if it would help him find his grand niece.

    '''' I need two things.....''''

    ~~~~

    Diane ran around the entire za for two hours, she had lost Adam and had not stopped searching for him since then, but he was nowhere to be found!

    In the end, Diane just gave up and decided to go to the ice cream parlor, hoping he might be there. When she went there, he was sitting on the ground near the ice cream parlor.

    She calls out to him, '''' Adam !''''

    Hearing her Adam looks up and after finding her, his eyes tear up a little and he rushes toward her and gives her a strong hug.

    '''' I was so scared !''''

    In his embrace, Diane found his behavior odd but didn''t say anything. She pats his head and says sorry.

    As she''s patting his head, she doesn''t notice the microchip that Adam puts on the nape of her neck...

    ~~~~

    Diane and Adam return to the mansion, Adam goes to his room while Diane heads to her office.

    When she reaches her office, she finds her husband sitting on one of the cushions.

    When he sees her, he asks,'''' Did it go well ?''''

    She nods her head.

    '''' Does he suspect anything ?''''

    Diane shakes her head.

    After a minute, Diane asks,'''' What did Geoffrey''s report say ?''''

    Dr. Ken hands her a file and as she''s reading the file he says,

    '''' He justzes around all day, eating food and sleeping.''''

    After putting the file down, Diane says,

    '''' He''s a quite good actor, isn''t he ?''''

    Diane opens theptop on her desk and a video that was ying when she had closed theptop earlier resumes ying.

    It was a video of Adam killing Mark.

    A smile appears on Diane''s face but her eyes were as cold as ice.

    '''' Let''s see how much longer he can continue to act ?''''

    ~~~~

    A boy was lying down on his bed, he had a pair of earphones on his ear connected to some kind of box.

    While listening to whatever he was listening to, a smile breaks out on the boy''s face.

    A small chuckle escapes his throat and he says in an ecstatic tone of voice,

    '''' As expected from one of the main antagonists of the novel.''''

    His voice echoes in the silence of the night without the knowledge of anyone.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 17 Revelation

    I knew something was amiss from the day I woke up, I had slept for a week and after waking up, they questioned me repeatedly. This was all normal, but the problem was when Dr. Ken told me that I had the eyes of a killer. It was also clear that they weren''t letting me go home even after a week of questioning.

    I''ll tell you a secret.

    Only killers can recognize other killers.

    Another odd thing was that Dr. Ken was personally taking care of Lecia, ok let me be frank, to the Hero association Lecia holds no value, then why the hell is the closest aide and advisor to the chairwoman personally taking care of a nobody like Lecia. A normal person might think that Ken might feel a sense of duty towards Lecia.

    But that man is just pure evil.

    All the talk about him being born in a poor household and losing his father was true. In the beginning, he was a character with a good heart, after bing a doctor, he decides to join the army as an army doctor. It was then that everything changed.

    He sees millions of people die every day during the war and slowly goes insane, his perception of life changespletely.

    A doctor who doesn''t value life could be very dangerous.

    His mind was very unstable at this stage, this was when he met Diane Gruber.

    When the war first broke out, the government issued aw stating that a single person from every family had to enlist in the army. The families that tried to run away were punished severely. Diane was forced to enlist as her family considered her the least ''bright'' within her family. She was born into a moderately rich family, she loved her family which consisted of her father, mother, and elder brother. She bragged about her genius brother to anyone who would listen.

    With the war going on, the entire enlisting process became much easier, all you had to do was give an id of the person wanting to enlist, and boom! Done.

    Her mother pretends to be her and enlists in the army under her name without her knowledge. When she asks them why they didn''t just ask her, they said that she was selfish and self-involved. So with a broken heart and a lot of tethered anger, Diane enters the war where she meets Ken.

    What her family didn''t realize then was that Diane had the potential to be one of the most strongest beings on the.

    Diane and Ken don''t fall in love at first sight, their first meeting happened when Diane got injured and went to Ken for treatment, they talk to each other asionally. But one night, when they were both drunk they tell each other their respective stories and bond over their grief, and slowly fall in a love with each other.

    By the time the war ended in a stalemate, Diane was a celebrated war veteran and Ken was a respected individual in the army. After the war ended, both of them were offered promotions but they refuse them and retire from their positions in the army and marry each other.

    One would assume that after the war ended peace would finally follow but that was a misconception. After the angels taught the humans how to harness mana they just flew off and did their own thing and a bunch of super-powered individuals was left in the dust. It wasplete chaos, it was then that both Diane and Ken realized something, In the end, the ones who would bring about the end of humanity were not the angels or demons, it was humanity itself.

    Humans are their own catalysts of destruction.

    Both Diane and Ken decide to take control of the chaos and start the ''Hero Association'', Over time it bes the most influential association in the world. The Hero association has enough power to even butt heads with the Emperor himself.

    Over the years the powerpletely corrupts them.

    After she bes famous as the chairwoman of the association, her brotheres looking for her. He informs her that both her parents were severely ill and asks her for her help and she does help them. She makes the top doctors look after her parents and after half a year their injuries are healed, they apologize to her and all seems well. After her parents were healed, she tortures her entire family including her brother, but she never kills them not until she was satisfied.

    When they ask why she was torturing them, she replied,'''' You guys are too selfish and self-absorbed, how can you die when I still have all this anger towards you ?!''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    While she was doing all this, her husband was jerking off in the corner. Literally. He''s turned on by torture. Together they make a stunning couple, of psychopaths.

    I wouldn''t be surprised if they knew about Mark''s deeds and just decided to ignore it. In the novel, after learning about the truth of the angels, they both decide to side with the angels and are killed by Max. They''re one of the main antagonists of the novel and you''re telling me that they would adopt Lecia and me because they feel sorry for us?

    No sir.

    Something was wrong.

    When they first started talking about the adoption, I rejected the notionpletely in my mind because of the reasons mentioned above... but after doing some thinking I understood that if you thought about this from another angle then this was an opportunity.....

    From the fact that they wanted to adopt me, it was obvious that they knew something about me that intrigued them, most probably my strength. Mark might have set up a camera in his office that night to film what he was doing...

    I have heard that perverts like to watch themselves fuck.

    It might be something else but that hardly mattered as the truth of the matter was that I had been found out, it didn''t matter how.

    The next thing that I had to confirm my doubts and to do that I had to get adopted by them. I make them think that I trust thempletely so that their guards would bepletely down.

    All I had to do was nt a listening microchip on her,

    As I mentioned earlier, a lot of futuristic gadgets were developed in this world and the listening chip was one of them. It''s something that''s used to eavesdrop on someone. After confirming that they knew about my abilities, I decided to enact the next stage in my n.

    This required the help of the demons, I knew about their spies in Lycan but was a little wary of contacting them as I didn''t want to initiate contact with them just yet as that would change the plot even further. But I realized something else as well, all I had to do was change the plot of the novel to my advantage. If it''s changed and twisted to my advantage won''t the repercussions be bearable?

    It would. Probably...

    This opportunity was too good to pass up so I had no choice but to steer the plot and by doing this I''m probably saving Max a lot of trouble as well. Let''s just hope there isn''t any sort of butterfly effect...

    '' Stop overthinking things.'', I chide myself

    It was currently nighttime, but I wasn''t nning on sleeping anytime soon. I was waiting for a certain someone to bring me some very interesting '' items''. By someone I mean Patrick, Archdemon Bal had said that the items would be delivered today itself.

    I calm my heart which was beating erratically.

    If my n seeds, in a week I would take control of the entire Hero Association.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 18 The Plan (1)

    As I''m lying down on the bed waiting for Patrick to arrive with the items, I think back to the conversation I had with Archdemon Bal earlier today.

    ~~~~

    ''''I need two things.... a pair of high ranked Ascaris and an artifact that''s lo-''''

    Before I canplete speaking, Bal interjects by saying,

    '''' Impossible. Ascaris have gone extinct, I don''t know how you know about their existence but other than a few that already have contractors, none exist.''''

    '''' You seem to have plenty of them for making spies.'''', I look at the receptionist when I say this.

    '''' I told you already they''re contracted and the only way to own them would be to kill their masters.''''

    Ascaris were organisms that existed on the demon''s home, they were parasitic in nature, when they find a suitable host... they enter the host through any viable openings and situate themselves in the host''s brain. From there, theypletely take control of the host and be the host in a sense. The most frightening aspect about them was that when they took over a body, all the memories and powers of the host get transferred to them, this makes them be able to trick people into thinking that they were the same person.

    When the demon folk found out about the existence of the Ascaris, they first ordered a ''kill on sight'' rule for them as they were disgusted by how the Ascaris survived. But this changed when they understood that they could be tamed. Demons started to weaponize the Ascaris. As a result, chaos ensued as enemies made use of Ascaris to fight against each other, seeing the chaos the demon king banned the taming of Ascaris and started hunting every Ascaris insight.

    Finally, after almost a year of hunting Ascaris, the demon king dered them extinct. But the truth was that the demon king had left out some Ascaris and took them in his care and bred them, they were like his pets. He made use of them when the need arose, like for nting spies among enemy ranks. Patrick was an Ascaris, he had originally been a human but an Ascaris was forced into his system effectively killing the ''real'' Patrick. That was the reason why none of the spies had horns because they weren''t demons, but Ascaris.

    The Ascaris only had a single weakness, it was soda. Something inside the soda killed the Ascaris. The demon king didn''t know this when he first nted spies so he lost a considerable amount of Ascaris due to this. When the Ascaris dies, the host dies as well so there were norge issues.

    The only people who knew about the existence of the Ascaris among the demons were the four generals and the demon king. The rest thought that the entire species was extinct.

    '''' What about the ones in the demon king''s collection ?''''

    When he hears my question, Bal appears shocked once again,

    '''' How do you even know about that ?"

    '''' I have my sources. Tell the demon king that if he wants his granddaughter back, he''s going to have to make a dent in his collection.''''

    Bal grits his teeth but doesn''t say anything more.

    '''' Make sure to give me a pair above S rank, the second thing I want is an artifact that''s hidden in the ''Langar'' region. It''s near......''''

    After exining where exactly the artifact was, I also added.

    '''' Make sure to send very strong people after it.''''

    '''' I''ll go myself, I won''t even ask you how you know this since you''re not going to tell me either way.''''

    I smile at his words.

    '''' I don''t have to say this but if the artifact is tampered with in any way then the deal''s off.''''

    '''' Alright.''''

    I turn around to leave but before I can Bal says in a low voice,

    '''' I don''t know who you are, I don''t care... but if you don''t keep your end of the deal, I''ll kill you and everyone you love.''''

    Goosebumps rise on my skin but I ignore my fear and say,

    '''' Be my guest.''''

    ~~~~~

    I feel a ''thud''ing from my window, I get up from the bed and head over to the window to find Patrick standing outside my window, it''s a good thing my room was on the first floor, otherwise smuggling Patrick inside would have been difficult.

    Before opening the window, I make sure to lock the door to my room.

    I slide the window open, a '' creak'' sound follows me as I open the window and Patrick jumps in, in his hands were two jars. After getting inside he takes a look around my room and without saying a word he walks towards the desk in my room and ces the two jars that were covered with a cotton cloth on the desk.

    After doing this, he removes the cloth surrounding the two jars and the contents of the jars are revealed.

    A small round object was suspended in water, it was red and squirming around indicating that the object was a living organism. After unveiling the jars Patrick turns toward me and says,

    '''' They''re both SS ss, the demon king personally chose this for you. They''re the best in his collection.''''

    '''' I''m grateful.'''', I say.

    As expected the demon king relented to my wishes if I don''t fulfill my end of the deal, which was to bring the princess to them then I was as good as dead. I was given the time limit of six months to keep my end of the deal, It would be hard but it wasn''t entirely impossible. I had already started nning on how exactly I would save her.

    Enrolling in the Unity was a good idea, it made the whole breaking out the princess thing much easier.

    Patrick takes out a bunch of papers from his pockets,

    '''' This is their contract, after youplete it you will officially be their master.''''

    He pushes the paper towards me,

    Taking the contract in my hand, I ask him,

    '''' Should I just use a pen to sign the-''''

    But before I can evenplete my sentence, Patrick takes out a pin from his pocket and pokes my thump with it.

    '''' Oww !''''

    I re at him.

    A smile breaks out on his face and he says,

    '''' Stamp it with your blood.''''

    Che. Damn Parasite.

    I use the blood flowing down from my thumb to stamp the contracts, before stamping them, I read the contents of the contract thoroughly. Everything seemed to be in order.

    As soon as I stamp the contract with my blood, the contract turn''s to ashes and enters my nostrils. I almost feel like sneezing but I hold it in. I should have just made them glow or something but I thought this method would be more unique when I was writing the novel.

    I feel a connection to the two Ascaris on my table, it almost felt like they weremunicating with me. But it could just be my imagination as well.

    '''' Do you feel the connection ?''''

    I nod my head at Patrick''s question.

    Patrick stares at me for a full minute before saying quietly,

    '''' Treat them with care... they''re my younger siblings.''''

    I''m not surprised, almost all the Ascaris are rted to each other in some way.

    '''' I see.. these blob- I mean Ascaris are your siblings, I''ll treat them well.''''

    He frowns a little but doesn''t say anything else.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' Where''s the second item ?''''

    '''' The artifact will require a little more time to procure.''''

    '''' That''s alright then.''''

    '''' Remember human, if you don''t keep up your end of the deal within the given period, you along with your entire family will be killed-''''

    I cut him off and say,'''' sure, sure.''''

    I take both the jars and ce them in the drawer on my desk.

    '''' I''ll take my leave-''''

    '' Thud'' ''Thud''

    Both Patrick and I be startled as someone knocks on the door to my room.

    Shit. Shit. Shit. Quadruple Shit

    I needed Patrick out now, but if I open the window then whoever was knocking would hear the window sliding open.

    Damn it. I can''t be found out this soon...

    Unlike me who was panicking, Patrick looked calm.

    He starts unbuttoning his shirt-

    What!

    Why the fuck is he undressing?

    I wanted to shout, '' WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU UNDRESSING ?'', but I can''t can I?

    Instead, I try to ask him with my eyes, seeing the look on my face Patrick smiles and shows a thumbs up.

    What. the. fuck.

    Instead, he continues to undress until the only thing he was wearing was his underwear... wait.... were those panties?

    But I couldn''t even process the shock of him wearing panties as at the next moment, something even more shocking happens.

    He starts transforming.... into a girl.

    His[her ?] breasts start getting bigger and his[ her?] body bes curvier...

    He walks over to me and removes my shirt, while doing so her[his?] breasts slightly graze my skin.

    ....

    ....

    ....

    I feel a bulge growing in my pants...

    he [ she ?] then walks over to the bed and lies down and signals me with his [ her ?] hands.

    Does he want me to open the door?

    I have no clue as to what exactly was happening but I decide to do as he said and opens the door,

    I look at the digital clock in my room to find that it was currently 12:20 am.

    I find Geoffrey at the door,

    '''' Young master, are you alright ?.. I could hear soundsing from your roo-''''

    Geoffrey stops talking as his eyes fall on female Patrick.

    '''' Oh.'''', he meekly whispers.

    Female Patrick winks at Geoffrey.

    Geoffrey blushes slightly.

    '''' As you can see, I''m a little busy now, Geoffrey.''''

    '''' I''m sorry...young master. '''', saying this Geoffrey closes the door.

    I press my ears against the door and hear his hurried footsteps.

    ''Sigh..'', he left.

    I turn around to face female Patrick who had already gotten up and was getting dressed.

    '''' What was that ?'''', I ask him

    '''' It''s a skill called,'' Gender swap''. The only downside is that I can''t change back for twenty-four hours.''''

    Ah.. it was a skill... that makes sense.

    In the novel, Patrick was just a minor character that was mentioned in passing so his abilities and skills weren''t mentioned.

    Who would have thought he had such a skill?

    I didn''t even know a skill like this existed, which was surprising because I had created this world.

    '''' I''ll leave now.''''

    Before turning around, Patrick smirks at the bulge in my pants.

    '''' Wait,'''' I call out to him.

    '''' What is it ?'''', he asks with one leg outside the window.

    '''' Do you still have the skill book of this skill ?''''

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 19 The Plan (2)

    '''' So you''re saying that there was a girl who waspletely naked... in his roomst night.'''', Dr. Ken has a skeptical look on his face.

    '''' I know that it''s hard to believe, sir. But it is the truth.'''', Geoffrey says standing before his masters.

    '''' What did this woman look like ?'''', Diane asks.

    '''' Well, I didn''t get a good look at her face because I was distracted due to her breast- I mean nakedness.''''

    Diane looks disgusted.

    Geoffrey looks down at the floor avoiding her eyes.

    '''' What exactly is he nning ?''''

    Ken says while sping both of his hands together.

    '''' We can ask him about the girl today, at breakfast.''''

    Diane gets up after saying this,

    '''' Wake him up, Geoffrey.''''

    Dr. Ken says in a low voice.

    '''' He''s already woken up, sir. He''s been awake since 4:00 today.''''

    '''' That early! Why ?''''

    '''' He''s been training in the gym.''''

    ~~~~

    Today''s the day.

    The day that I take over the Hero Association.

    I had initially nned to enact my n in a week, but decided to move it up since the opportunity to have breakfast with The Creeds hade much sooner.

    I couldn''t sleep due to my excitement and decided to hit the gym at four in the morning. I was currently lifting weights that were over 50 kg!

    The wonders of mana.

    My body had be chiseled and my muscles had be denser. If the ''me'' from before I died saw me now, he would have killed himself a lot quicker. I looked that good.

    While lifting the weights, I also listened in on the Creeds. It seems like Geoffrey reported them about Female Patrick. Well, I''ll make up some excuse for that. Right now Geoffrey was probablying to inform me that the Creeds would be joining me for breakfast.

    As expected the door to the gym swung open and Geoffrey walks in,

    '''' The Madam and sir will be joining you for breakfast today, young master.''''

    I smile and nod at him.

    ~~~~

    After finishing up at the gym. I go to my room and take a nice rxing bath. After bathing, I wear the suit that had been given to me when I went to meet the chairwoman the first time.

    After that, I head towards the kitchen.

    The kitchen was bustling with people walking and doing various jobs.

    A man wearing a chef''s hat beckons me towards him while saying,

    '''' Young Master, what are you doing here ?''''

    I smile at him and say innocently, '''' I wanted some water, Head Chef Jamie.''''

    During the days that I spend here, I had gotten close with the kitchen staff, especially Head Chef Jamie, he was currently arranging egg sandwiches on three different tes, I try to take the nearest sandwich next to me but Jamie ps my hand away saying,

    '''' That''s for the madam, remember I told you to look for the engravings on the te, This one is yours.'''', he points towards a te at the end.

    '''' If you want, you can take a bite from that.''''

    '''' Nah, I''m not hungry.. but could you get me that water ?''''

    Jamie looks annoyed but agrees to get the water for me because I''m basically his boss.

    While he''s gone, I take out two red blobs from my pocket, they weren''t moving right now because I hadmanded them to stay still, I put one of the Ascaris inside the sandwich on the te with a ''D'' engraved on it and another within the sandwich on the te with a ''K'' engraved on it.

    Jamiees back with a ss of water just at that moment and gives it to me with a frown on his face.

    '''' You should probably go to the dining hall, young master. The madam and sir are waiting for you.'''', He warns me.

    I take the ss of water and drink it in one gulp and give the cup back to Jamie.

    '''' Bye, then.'''', I say before going back to the dining hall.

    ~~~~

    Diane and Ken were waiting for Adam in the dining hall.

    '''' He''ste.'''', Kenments.

    Diane remains silent and closes her eyes.

    ''Creak''<novelnext></novelnext>

    The door to the dining room opens and Adames inside.

    '''' I''m sorry, I took a long bath.'''', his voice was clear and precise, he was wearing the suit that he had worn the day he met the both of them.

    '''' Why are you wearing a suit ?''''

    '''' I wanted to look formal.''''

    Both Diane and Ken make startled expressions when they hear this.

    '''' Why ?''''

    '''' Before I tell you that, could Geoffrey have breakfast with us as well ?''''

    They both raise their eyebrows at my suggestion but relent to it nheless.

    Diane rings a bell and Geoffrey appears in a second,

    '''' You''ll be eating with us today, Geoffrey.''''

    '''' Ye- huh ?''''

    Like that, the huge dining table got one more upant.

    Geoffrey sits next to Adam.

    The three of them look at Adam expectantly. But before he can say a word the door to the dining hall opens once again and several people walk in carrying trays that were covered with one of those fancy lids.

    Each member on the table gets a tray, which was opened for them. Inside was the most delicious-looking egg sandwich in the world.

    When you hear the word egg sandwich, you think about a piece of egg between two slices of bread, that''s because you''re a peasant. To the ultra-rich like the Creeds, a simple egg sandwich tasted like heaven... if heaven had a taste. The bread was grilled just right, the cheese that was put inside the egg had burst from within, pickles and salted french fries were added to the mix as well. The sauce inside the sandwich was made from scratch in the Creed''s kitchen.

    It was the best egg sandwich in the whole fucking world.

    After the waiters finish serving the food, they leave without a word closing the door behind them.

    '''' Let''s eat then.'''', I smile at all three of them and say cheerfully.

    '''' We want to know who was with youst night.'''', Ken says impatiently.

    '''' I''ll tell you after we finish eating.'''', I say with my gaze at the egg sandwich.

    '''' No, you''ll tell u-'''', before Ken can finish speaking Diane puts a hand on his shoulder. She shakes her head and starts eating her sandwich.

    Grunting something Dr. Ken starts eating his egg sandwich as well.

    ~~~~

    Everybody haspletely eaten their sandwiches and was now looking at Adam.

    '''' Adam, tell us what happened yesterday .''''

    Diane asks him tenderly, masking her annoyance at his bratty behavior.

    Adam takes a deep breath and start''s speaking in a monotonous tone,

    '''' I met her at the orphanage... she''s one of the orphans there... we''re in love, we always have been..... She came over to the house because... I called her and...¡­ we had....sex...¡­.I''m really sorry..... that I lied..... to all of you... I understand if you hate me now.

    '''' We don''t hate you, sweetie,'''' Diane says with a smile on her face.

    '''' Why are you speaking so slow ?'''', Ken asks

    '''' Oh, that... to distract you, ya moron.''''

    Adam''s reply shocks everyone sitting at the table.

    '''' Distract us from what ?'''', Diane asks

    Her heart was beating fast... abnormally fast. Something was wrong.

    Instead of answering her question, Adam stands up from his seat and walks toward both of them. While walking, he says,

    '''' I have a confession to make... I killed Mark.''''

    Adam reaches the Creeds and hugs them from behind and whispers into their ears,

    '''' Now, I''m going to kill you both too.''''

    '''' Wha-'''', Diane starts to speak but couldn''t... she couldn''t breathe. It felt like her head would explode.

    The same was happening to Dr. Ken as well.

    Their eyes redden, and the both of them start squirming around but Adam holds them still. They cough out blood, which falls on Adam''s face.

    '''' It was fun while itsted..''''

    With these parting words, Adam lets go of the both of them and their bodies slump back on the chair, seemingly dead.

    Geoffrey was paralyzed due to fear.

    Adam smiles at Geoffrey with blood flowing down from his forehead.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 20 My Loyal Dog[S]

    The expression on Geoffrey''s face bought me pure bliss.

    He couldn''t even move, he just sat there with a petrified expression on his face.

    '''' Pftt'''', as a small chuckle escapes my throat.

    I wipe the blood on my forehead and walk over to Geoffrey.

    As I was edging closer to him, it seems that he finally broke out of his fear as he got out of the chair and started running towards the exit.

    But he didn''t get far.

    Before he could make it to the exit and I run and block his path. Due to my E- Agility, it might have looked as if I teleported to Geoffrey. He starts backing away from me with fear in his eyes.

    '''' You m-monster.'''', Geoffrey''s voice trembles.

    '''' You know Geoffrey, I have no choice but to kill you since you saw me killing those two.'''', I say while pointing my fingers at the seemingly dead Creeds.

    '''' But that o-only happened b-because you made me eat with them !'''', there was an usatory tone in his voice.

    I ignore his words and continue,

    '''' You know... I liked you, Geoffrey, you were like my personalpdog, attending to my every need, however insignificant they were... Do you know how hurt I was when I found out that you were spying on me?''''

    Geoffrey slips to the ground and falls on his butt. I make use of this opportunity to get on top of him. I sp both my hands over his throat and start choking him.

    He gasps for air, but it was no use... he was slowly dying.

    Geoffrey''s eyes widen in fear, but they weren''t directed at me.

    I look back to find the previously dead Creeds standing behind me with a smile on their faces.

    '''' H-how ?'''', saying this the light in Geoffrey''s eyes dims.

    He was dead.

    I feel displeasure rising inside me. I wanted him to look at me when he died.....

    Wait...

    What ?!

    I wasn''t someone who enjoyed murdering people, so why did I just think that?

    Why did I even kill Geoffrey?

    He was just a butler and he wouldn''t have even witnessed their ''deaths'' if I hadn''t insisted he eat with us. Thinking about my behavior so far, something was odd...

    Were my skills changing me?

    So far I had only used the skill, '''' Blood lust'''' once before. Did using that skill just once change me this much?

    Do the skills you own even influence you in the first ce?

    Even though I''m the author, I have no answer to this question as I never borated on the qualities of the skills other than their usage.

    I''m starting to think that they do influence the owner in some way because logically speaking that was the only reason for my sudden personality change, If skills do influence their user then I had to restrict my use of '' Blood Lust'' as much as possible.

    If using the skill once, makes me this different then I don''t even want to think about what happens when I use the skill next time.

    '''' Master ?''''

    Diane''s voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

    It wasn''t exactly Diane but the Ascaris inside her, but why sweat the small details, eh?

    '''' Was the process a sess ?'''', I ask them both.

    They both reply,

    '''' Yes, Master.''''

    '''' Yes, Master.''''

    I smile at the duo in front of me and say,

    '''' Good.''''

    As the Ascaris retain the memories and abilities of the host, there was no need to exin the situation.

    '''' From today onwards, you are Diane Creed, the 6th... no the 5th in the hero rankings and the chairwoman of the hero association.'''', I point towards Diane while saying this.

    '''' Yes, Master.'''', she replies quickly.

    I turn towards Ken and say,'''' You are Dr. Ken Creed, the chairwoman''s closest aide, and adviser... also her husband.''''

    '''' Yes, Master.'''' he also replies quickly.

    '''' Also don''t drink anything with soda in it.''''

    They nod their heads with a smile on their faces.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    '''' Could you both take care of this body ?'''', I ask while pointing my finger at Geoffrey''s body.

    They nod their heads and take the body away.

    Just as they were reaching the exit, I stop them and say,

    '''' I need you to do one more thing...¡­''''

    ~~~~

    2 days have passed since I took over the association,

    Our butler was reported missing and the police were '' vigorously'' looking for him.

    That''s a lie.

    We bribed the police and made sure that the investigation would bear no fruits.

    I did feel a little guilty about killing him but he did kind of spy on me and report his findings back to the Creeds so his death was partially his fault.

    After thinking very deeply, I have made a very important decision,

    I''m going to be more kind.

    After deciding on that, I pondered on an even more important question.<novelnext></novelnext>

    How could I be kind?

    I pondered a lot and concluded that I should do a single good deed every day. It could be anything, from helping the needy to kill- I mean defeating viins.

    I was going to have to use my skills in the future, and if skills do influence their owners then I was going to change drastically, to avoid this I put this iron-d rule on myself so that my personality doesn''t get corrupted more than it already has.

    Of course, I might just be a psychopath who enjoys murdering people, but what can you do, eh?

    '''' Young m-master.''''

    A timid voice breaks my train of thoughts, I smile at the woman and say,

    '''' Hey Agnes, what''s up ?''''

    Agnes was the maid that we had recently hired, she had sleek ck hair and distinct purple eyes that intrigued me. Plus the maid outfit she wore was pretty cute. I didn''t even know that people made their workers wear those these days.

    But hey I''m notining.

    '''' The Madam is calling you to her office, she said the ''dogs'' you wanted, have arrived.'''', she says with her eyes on the ground.

    I get out of the pool and walk towards her, I take her chin and raise her face towards me. Looking into her eyes I say,

    '''' Look at me when you''re speaking...''''

    Agnes blushes and nods her head.

    I''ve read many shoujo mangas in which the love interest says something like this and the FMC falls in love with him, I''ve always wanted to try something like that now that I have, I''m pretty sure that Agnes is in love with me...

    But sadly, I''ve promised myself that I would stay away from women in general in this life.

    Better Luck next time, Agnes!

    I walk past her feeling a little cool.

    ~~~~

    I knock on the door of Diane''s office.

    '''' Come in, M-. Adam.''''

    It seems that Diane had still not befortable with calling me Adam yet.

    I open the door and smile at the crowd that had formed at Diane''s office.

    There was Diane (duh!), Ken.

    Diane was sitting on her sliding chair and Ken was standing behind her. In front of them were two individuals that I seemed to meet very often, though this time I had nned our meeting.

    It was Amanda Holler and Francis Lamar.

    They were sitting on the chairs in front of Diane and Ken. Their heads had turned around when I hade inside the room, and the both of them had bewildered expressions on their faces as if they had just heard something unbelievable.

    ~~~~

    A few hours earlier,

    That day Amanda had woken up refreshed.

    Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

    Everything was the same, she went to work where she had to do a mountain of paperwork, having Francis helped but she was too proud to admit it. Lately, he''s been acting a little strange, whenever he saw her he would turn red as a tomato, maybe he was angry about something she had done?

    Today she was nning on asking him the reason for his strange behavior, she was just waiting for the right time.

    She waited... and waited...and waited.

    Everyone was going home now.

    She had to ask him now!

    '''' Francis are you an-''''

    But before she can utter another word a woman enters their small office without knocking and says abruptly,

    '''' The chairwoman wants to speak to you both.''''

    The woman just leaves after saying this, leaving both Amanda and Francis very confused but her message was heard clearly.

    They were going to meet the chairwoman.

    Were they in trouble?

    Both Amanda and Francis feel nervous as they enter the car sent to drive them to her mansion.

    After thirty minutes, the car stops and they get out of the car.

    A maid greets them at the front door.

    She leads them to the chairwoman''s office.

    They knock on the door.

    '''' Come in.''''

    They get inside her office and sit on the chairs before her table.

    '''' Amanda Holler and Francis Lamar, you''re both exemry employees of the association, after careful consideration, we have decided to give the both of you a promotion.''''

    Her speech sounds a little robotic to Amanda but she decides to ignore it.

    Finally, after all these years of working hard, they were getting promoted.

    The both of them feel happy and excited that their efforts were being recognized by none other than the chairwoman herself!

    '''' What kind of position is it ?'''', Francis asks barely hiding his growing excitement.

    '''' You''ll be my son''s assistants.''''

    Huh?

    Wasn''t this supposed to be a promotion?

    A knock rings throughout the room in an ominous manner.

    '''' Come in, M-Adam.'''', says the chairwoman.

    A boy with pitch-ck hair and red eyes appears opening the door.

    Amanda had a bad feeling about this...

    ~~~~

 Chapter 21 The Unity (1)

    THE RECORDS OF A PECULIAR MAID

    * * *

    My name is Agnes and I work as a maid at the Creed''s mansion....

    It''s a fucking tiring job.

    I put on a different persona when I''m working because men like a timid maid more than a one with a rowdy personality like mine.

    That''s the reason why I act timid in front of my new employers.

    I''ve been doing this at every job I''ve had so far.

    Right now, I''m going to call the young master of this house,

    He was swimming in the pool.

    I walk towards him and say,

    '''' Young M-master.''''

    He turns around and says,

    '''' Hey Agnes, what''s up?''''

    He had weird smile on his face, I look at the ground and say in a shy voice,

    '''' The chairwoman is calling you to her office, she said the ''dogs'' you wanted have arrived.''''

    He gets out of the pool and walks towards me in small steps,

    He raises his hands and reaches for my chin¡­

    What?!

    This is fucking sexual harassment.

    I prepare myself to kick him in the balls but before I can he raises my head and looks me in the eyes and say,

    '''' Look at me when you''re speaking¡­''''

    After saying this he just leaves.

    ''What a cringey line.'', I think to myself.

    Does the young master like me?

    I''m sorry dude, but I like girls¡­

    ~~~~

    Chapter 21

    '''' We don''t want this promotion.'''', Francis''s voice echoes throughout the room.

    It seems that his initial shock had passed.

    '''' Don''t speak for me...but I also don''t want this.'''', says Amanda in a slightly irritated tone.

    '''' Well I-'''',Diane starts to speak but I cut her off and ask the duo in front of me,

    '''' What''s the reason for your refusal ?''''.

    The atmosphere in the room bes tense, both Amanda and Francis seemed shocked.

    The chairwoman was known for her anger in the association and this boy had just interrupted this same chairwomen. They waited for the chairwoman to explode but it never came to pass.

    Seeing their adverse reaction, Diane sighs and tells them,

    '''' Answer his question.''''

    '''' Well... this just doesn''t feel like a promotion.''''

    Their answer was obvious.

    They had worked liked dogs all these years and for their promotion they get to be the chairwomen''s adopted son''s assistants ?

    It just doesn''t make sense.

    If I were in their position I would probably just kill myself...but hey not everyone''s a suicidal maniac like me.

    '''' I see.. that''s reasonable.''''

    An awkward silence envelops the room.

    '''' Diane, could you excuse us for a second.''''

    '''' Sure, honey.''''

    Amanda and Francis are once again shocked by our exchange, I choose to ignore them.

    Them getting shocked at every small thing is getting old.

    After Diane leaves the office, I take her ce in front of the desk and sp my hands together on the table.

    A small smile breaks out on my face,

    '''' Do you remember me ?, I was one of the children whose talent you measured years ago, I was the talentless one..''''

    I chuckle a little.

    '''' Yes, I do remember that... we also talked to you just a week ago.... remember ?'''', Francis says in a mocking tone.

    I cough a little to hide my embarrassment and continue on ignoring Francis.

    '''' Anyways if you don''t work for me, you''ll both be fired and cklisted so that you can''t find anymore work.''''

    '''' Are you threatening us ?''''

    Hearing Amanda''s usatory tone, I frown and say,

    '''' No, I am not ''threatening'' you. I am merely informing you that you have no other choice other than to be my do- I mean assistants.''''

    Amanda stands up and ms her hands onto the table.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' This isn''t fair, you can''t just fire us like that, you need a valid reason... we''re both hardworking people... you can''t do this to us-''''

    I cut her off and say,

    '''' Max Reynolds''''

    After hearing that name, their faces freeze.

    '''' How-'''', Amanda''s shocked voice was pleasing to my ears.

    '''' Now then, why don''t the both of you think long and hard about my offer, I''ll give you... half and hour to make your decision.'''', saying this I leave the office.

    There was a reason why I chose to take in Amanda and Francis as my assistants, their future changed when I killed the real '' Diane''. In the novel, Amanda learns that Diane and Ken had joined up with the angels, but it was to no use as Diane discovers her eavesdropping on her and tries to kill her, Francis dies while trying to protect her and Amanda sessfully escapes to the countryside. But Diane doesn''t stop hunting her and sends assassins after her. When the assassins reach her house, she dies without putting up a fight, mainly due to the fact that she was traumatized due to Francis''s death.

    Stupid, if you ask me but who am I to judge ?

    I literally can''t judge them because I wrote that entire scenario, but the readers loved that scene and trust me when I say that a writer writes in a way that will always appeal to the readers even if they think that it''s a stupid scenario or at least I did.

    I may just be a bad writer but that doesn''t matter now, does it ?

    Now that Diane was dead, the both of them had be variables that I had to deal with.

    ~~~~

    An hourter, I had two assistants.

    They both looked at me with anger but hey... it''s not like they have a choice right ?

    They were also kind of like my bodyguards.

    They were both A rank, so they were both pretty formidable.

    I also didn''t have to worry about them betraying me as they were.. good people.

    '''' So for your first official task... get me a phone.''''

    They nod their heads and leave, I can hear they''re grumbling as they walk but I pay it no mind.

    I still can''t believe that I still hadn''t bought a phone for myself sinceing to this world. With everything that was going on, I just forgot about it.

    ~~~~

    The bed feel''s soft as usual.

    I stare at my ceiling nkly.

    4 days.

    In four days, I ''m going to officially join the Unity as a student.

    Untill now, I was living in the prologue.

    It''s time for the main story to unfold.

    Thinking this I gently close my eyes and delve into the world of dreams.

    ~~~~

    The hall was brightly lit with a huge chandelier.

    At the end of the hall, there was a throne made out of a sturdy ck material.

    Sitting atop the throne was a very tired man, he was as thin as a sheet ,his hair hadpletely grayed, his ck eyes looked like it had seen a lot, but the man''s most distinctive feature were his horns or horn as one of his horns had been sliced in half.

    Three individuals were standing behind the throne, two women and one man respectively.

    A man was kneeling in front of them.

    The man in question was Bal.

    '''' HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM THE DEMON KING, YOUR OWN MASTER ?.''''

    One of the women yells loudly ring at Bal.

    Bal doesn''t shy away from her re and gives her a re right back.

    '''' Why did you steal the best ascaris in our master''s collection, Bal ?'''', the man standing behind the throne asks Bal calmly.

    '''' I made a deal.... with a human.''''

    The three generals standing behind the throne gasp at Bal''s promation.

    '''' What did you get from the deal, Bal ?'''', the demon king finally opens his mouth causing everyone to shut up, his mere voice intimidates everyone in the room including Bal.

    Yet Bal looks his brother and king straight in the eye and says in a voice he thought sounded brave,

    '''' The human has promised to rescue the princess.''''

    Gasps are heard throughout the throne room once again.

    '''' How foolish are you ?... How can you even be sure that the princess exis-''''

    The man standing behind the throne gets cut off before he canplete what he was saying by the women who had remained silent untill now.

    '''' Why would you, the person who hates humans the most among us believe the words of a human blindly ?''''

    Bal stays silent.

    '''' Speak.'''', the demon king''s emotionless voice sends shivers down everyone''s bodies.

    '''' I... he.....he l-''''

    '''' SPIT IT OUT !'''', The woman who yelled earlier yells again.

    Bal sighs and says in a slow voice,

    '''' The human looked...¡­. simr to the prince.''''

    The eyes of everyone in the throne room, including the demon king''s widens at Bal''s words.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 22 The Unity (2)

    Four days went by quickly and the day finally came.

    I woke up early and took a quick bath and started to pack my belongings into a suitcase.

    The students of the hero course in The Unity were forced to stay in dorms, this was made necessary because the staff believed that one should step outside theirfort zone to truly improve oneself and they were right..

    I have been at the Creed''s mansion for more than a month and the only time I seriously trained was the day I enacted my n. I''ve been enjoying my life a little too much, it was time to start training seriously.

    That was why I had no qualms with moving into the dorms at Unity.

    My only concern was Lecia, I don''t know how long Bal would take to procure the artifact, but I hope it''s soon. Leaving her alone in the mansion sounded dangerous but Diane and Ken would be with her most of the time and Diane was one of the most strongest beings on the, so let''s hope that nothing bad happens.

    After finishing my packing, I tear open a packet and take out the uniform that I would be wearing for my first year at the Unity.

    The first years had a red uniform with ck stripes in the sides, while second years had a white uniform with red stripes in the side and finally the third years had a ck uniform with white stripes in the side. They were vertical stripes that covered both the shirt and pants.

    The students in the different years were given different uniforms so that people could easily distinguish between the students in different years.

    I wear the red uniform and look at myself in the mirror, the red uniformplimented my eyes, I looked magnificent if I say so myself.

    I might be slowly bing a narcissist.. but who can me me ?

    I literally look like I fell out of the sky.

    My face had very soft features that would appeal to both men and women and my lower body was toned and lean.

    I''m going to break a lotta hearts when I get older...

    I take onest peek at myself in the mirror and leave my room with my suitcase in hand.

    ~~~~

    I was in Lecia''s room now.

    I hade to say goodbye, as I won''t be seeing her for awhile.

    Seeing her lying on bed with all those tubes stuck in her mouth, I started to feel a stinging sensation in my heart.

    I gently caress her forehead with my hand and whisper into her ears,

    '''' I''ll be back.''''

    ~~~~

    I slide down the window of the car and feel the wind on my face, there was a twenty minute drive from the Cree- no... my mansion to the Unity.

    I could always take a gate to teleport to The Unity but I chose to go in a car as that would be morefortable to me.

    I feel excited at the thought that I was finally entering ''The Unity.'''', the center stage where most of the main plot of the novel happens.

    A smile forms on my face as the wind ruffles my hair.

    After about 23 minutes, the car finally stops.

    I get out and gasp slightly at the magnificence before me.

    It wasn''t even the the school, it was the entrance, a gate to be more exact.

    It was entirely made from some kind of shiny material, in one of the doors, there was an engraving which said,'''' ONLY UNITED SHALL WE WIN !''''. Right now the gates were wide open and students from the other courses were going inside while chatting with their friends.

    The car had been parked a few yards away from the gate and I started walking towards it. As soon as I reach the gate, a bald man rushes towards me with an outstretched hand.

    Man, this school even had it''s own porters.

    I hand him my suitcase with a smile and say my name and course, the man blinks as if he was confused....

    Of course !

    How could I have been so stupid ?

    I take out my wallet and give him a tip for his service.

    He takes the money with his free hand.

    '''' I think there''s a misunderstanding.'''', The bald man smiles awkwardly at me.

    '''' I''m the principal.''''

    Oh.....

    ~~~~

    Of course the first person I offend aftering to the school would be the fucking principal.

    In the novel, I just mentioned him as a bald man who gave long speeches, he was also very strong otherwise he wouldn''t be the principal of one of the best school''s in the world.

    Seeing him in a person was a lot different than writing about him. His blue eyes had some wisdom in them and he was very muscr as well, the sses he wore gave him a very sophisticated look.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After resolving the misunderstanding and apologizing a bazillion times we went inside his office.

    It seems that he had personallye to greet me, that made sense since the chairwoman of the association was my guardian.

    I was currently sipping hot lime tea from a tea cup while listening to his ramblings.

    '''' I was so surprised when I heard that Diane had adopted a child !, but you look very simr to her-''''

    '''' Simr how ?''''

    '''' That-''''

    '''' Our only simrity is our eye color.'''' , I hate being topared to other people, I am one of a kind ,bitch !

    An awkward silence envelops the room.

    Principal Gordan breaks the silence by saying,

    '''' I''m sorry if I offended you in some way just now, I speak without thinking sometimes.''''

    He lets out a smallugh after saying this.

    '''' No sir. I was just stating facts.'''', my voice contains no hint of emotion.

    '''' The request Diane made has been approved but I''m curious.... why exactly do you want to be in that ss so badly ?''''

    I smile, hearing his question.

    Every year, the Unity epts 500 students who applied for the hero course. Of course they had to pass a test of some kind. These five hundred students would then be divided into five sses, each ss with a strength of a hundred students each.

    The sses were named, 5- A, 5-B , 5-C , 5-D and finally 5-E.

    All the main characters were present in the first ss which was 5-A.

    To make sure that I would be in ss 5-A, I had Diane send a request to the principal.

    You can''t refuse a request from the chairwoman of the Hero Association that easily.

    '''' I just like the letter A.''''

    The principal looks at me as if he thought I was dumb but before he can say anything more the door to his office swings open and a beautiful women enters the office.

    I instantly knew who it was, Leslie Vord .

    She was the homeroom teacher of ss 5-A and also the principal, Gordon Vord''s only daughter.

    She had silky ck hair and her hazel eyes radiated warmth. She also had huge br- kuhum... nevermind. She was also part of the main character''s ''harem''. She falls in love with Max in the middle stages of the novel... after he turns 18 and starts following him around everywhere. She was also the youngest teacher at the Unity. I think she was 21 or something.

    '''' So this is my new student..'''', she says with a smile on her face.

    I return her smile and I reply back,

    '''' It''s a great honor to be in the presence of '' The Hammer.''''

    Her face goes red when she hears my words.

    The Hammer.

    This was the nickname she was given by masses, it eventually turned into her hero name as well.. no it would be more better to say that the people forced it on her. The reason why she got the name was due to the fact that she was incredibly strong and precise just like a hammer.

    '''' Well then why don''t you take him to ss, Leslie.''''

    Principle Gordon breaks the awkward atmosphere and instructs her to take me too ss.

    '''' Okay.'''', saying this Leslie signals me to follow her, which I do.

    After walking for awhile, the both of us stop in front of a huge ass door.

    '''' Wee to 5-A.''''

    Leslie smiles and says in a cheerful tone.

    I smile back at her and try to go inside, but before I can Leslie stops me and says,

    '''' Wait, let me introduce you properly..e inside when I give the signal.''''

    I nod my head and Leslie enters the ss.

    After a full minute, I hear her say,''''e inside.''''

    I take in a deep breath and enter the ssroom.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 23 Monster

    As soon as I enter the ssroom, I feel many eyes on me.

    Some were curious.

    It was the first time in the history of the Unity that a student was enrolling a monthter than everybody else, so it was obvious that most of the students would be curious.

    Some disyed envy and animosity.

    While they all worked hard to pass the test and get a seat at the academy, I had gotten in with a rmendation. I didn''t have to go through any kind of test or anything of that sort, so it was only natural that some of them would feel jealous.

    Some had no interest in me at all.

    I scanned the students in the ss one by one untill, my eyes fell on a boy who fell into the third category.

    His white hair was messy and unkempt, his violet eyes were immersed in the notebook in front of him. Even though he appeared a little messy, it couldn''t hide the beauty within him. He looked... even better than me and that meant a loting from me.

    Max Reynolds.

    In other words, the protagonist of this world.

    This world literally revolved around him and we were all just side characters.

    Don''t misunderstand.

    I don''t want to be the main character, nor was I jealous of him. Being the protagonist came with a lotta baggage and I want to lead a peaceful and enjoyable life. I waited a long time to meet him, I imagined our first interaction many times. I was little disappointed in the fact that he wasn''t even looking at me.

    But I can understand why he seems so disconnected with the world around him. In his mind the only thing he can really think about now is revenge against the demons, but as the story progresses he gets friends and he begins to understand that revenge isn''t the most important thing in life.

    '''' Adam ?''''

    Leslie''s voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I ask her in a respectful voice,

    '''' Yes, miss.''''

    '''' W-why don''t you introduce yourself to the ss.''''

    An awkward atmosphere had formed over the entire ssroom.

    Ah... yes.

    What better time to brood than when you''re the center of attention in a ss of hundred students, am I right ?

    '''' My name is Adam Creed, I hope to be friends with you all.'''', I cheerfully address the ssroom.

    '''' Is that all you want to say ?'''', Leslie asks.

    I nod my head with a forced smile on my face.

    '''' Then you may go and find a seat.''''

    The ssroom resembled a lecture hall that are found in colleges than an actual ssroom. It was wide and spacious and could easily hold more than a hundred students.

    I get down from the podium and find a seat for myself, far away from Max and his friends. I wanted to observe them first before talking to them.

    '''' I know that it''s odd for a student to enroll a monthte, as his seniors I hope that you all take care of Adam very well.''''

    After saying this Leslie takes a tablet in her hand and starts taking attendance.

    ~~~~

    The hero course in The Unity was unique, it ranked it''s students on the basis of their potential. This ranking system seeded in making a sort of hierarchy among the students, the reason why the Unity established this system was simple.

    It was to crush the dreams of the students.

    The students enroll dreaming about how famous they would be after graduating or about the riches they would acquire.

    The ranking system was the school''s way of telling them that people without the talent would be nothing. It was the sad truth about the hero profession, to enroll in the school you needed to have the potential to be at least an E- rank.

    Right now the students in ss 5-A were very excited.

    They wanted to know the rank of the new student, most of the students had bet that he would be in the top 10 in the rankings. He even looked strong..

    Their rank was also considered as their roll numbers.

    The students waited for the new guy''s name to be called out.

    '''' Rank 1, Max Reynolds.''''

    '''' Here, miss''''

    '''' Rank 2,..''''

    But breaking all their expectations, Adam wasn''t called out out in the top tens.

    They waited and waited but Adam''s name still wasn''t being called out.

    Finally his name was called out by Leslie,

    '''' Rank 500, Adam Creed.''''

    Almost all the students in the lecture hall gasp in shock as they hear the new student''s rank.

    ~~~~

    I had anticipated this.

    I ignore the looks of shock on the students as they hear my rank.

    Unlike them I wasn''t that shocked. In the association''s records I was still recorded as talentless so my ranking would obviously be low. This would help me inying low for now.

    Leslie leaves shortly after taking attendance, as soon as she leaves the students start to whisper to each other. I tune out their voice and focus on Max,

    He still hadn''t even looked up from his book.

    Sigh..<novelnext></novelnext>

    Let''s leave him for now and observe the other important side characters.

    A tall girl sat next to Max, that would probably be Emilia Brielle.

    She was the person who was currently ranked 2nd in our batch.

    She was the ''energetic girl'' of their group, she came from a modest family of martial artists. From a young age, she''s been trained to the max by her parents, she was one of the strongest members of Max''s party. But her strength wasn''t the most frightening thing about her, it was a skill that she had or would get called, '''' Disguise'''' which allowed her to disguise herself as anyone that truly made her dangerous... or at least should have made her dangerous...

    How can I say this ?....

    She was a little.. dumb.

    She was the type of person some would call, '''' all brawns and no brain.''''

    In the novel, she didn''t use this skill to it''s full potential, if the skill had fallen in the hands of someone cunning and evil, it would have been bad for Max''s party of dimwits.

    A smile forms on my face as I think this.

    My eyes fall on a boy who was sitting at the back of the lecture hall, he had long blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail, his blue eyes were fixed on the ceiling and a frown was always there on his face.

    His name was Eric Grey and he was also part of Max''s party.

    He was someone that I had to..... absolutely avoid.

    He was 3rd in the ranking.

    My eyes scan the rest of the ss for thest individual in Max''s party from this particr ss.

    I find the person I was looking for in the front row of the ss.

    She had long white hair and one of her eyes was green while her other eye was blue in color, she had heterochromia. She was extremely beautiful just like the rest of the members in Max''s party

    Her name was, Katherine Colleen.

    She was the fourth in the ranking.

    She came from a family of rich businessmen and woman, they run many different types of businesses . In terms of money her family had the enough to buy 2/ 4th of this school. This Unity covered almost 50 km innd. It was just that huge, that meant that her family could buy half of the Unity.

    The surprising thing about her family was that none of them had that much talent. Of course they were well versed in the art of business but other than that they had no other special quality.

    In this world where the strong devoured the weak, it didn''t make sense for a family to grow in power just because of their intelligence. Their enemies would often send spies or assassins to kill them but they would always fail.

    Many wondered how the Colleen family survived this long.

    I don''t have to wonder.

    I know exactly why.

    Their family secretly passed down a skill called '' Kill Count''. When the skill was used on someone, it would tell them the overall character of the person as well as the number of people the individual had killed, if he had killed any.

    The most important aspect of managing a business was not a person''s intelligence nor their strength. It was their ability to judge and choose trustworthy people that was really important.

    But her ability was bad news to me as it would show her that I had killed a person.

    She suddenly turns around and meets my eyes.

    Her eyes contain no hints of emotion.

    I smile at her and wave my hand.

    Her expression doesn''t change one bit, but then without warning she abruptly turns around.

    ~~~~

    Kathrine''s heart was currently beating very erratically.

    Sweat started to form at her forehead.

    '' What kind of monster ?!''

    She had just used her skill, '' Kill count'' on the new student.

    It was habit that had been engraved on her by her parents, to use the skill and see what kind of character people had and only if they were trustworthy was she to interact with them.

    At first she thought that the skill had broken somehow.

    It was absurd.

    But after checking once again... she was sure.

    If the information shown by the skill was correct then,

    The new student, Adam wasn''t human because no human is capable of such massive...

    No.... she has to check again... to make sure.

    She turns her head and face him again, he still had a creepy smile on his face.

    She activates her skill and sure enough the information shown by the skill doesn''t change.

    ---------------------------------------

    Name: Adam Creed

    Character: Chaotic Neutral

    Kill Count : 4,125,899,666

    -----------------------------------------

    .....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 24 Talentless

    Katherine was panicking.

    How was this even possible?

    How can more than 4 billion people be killed by the same person?

    Unless.... what if he was the demon king?

    But even the demon king hasn''t killed that many people... just who is he?

    Goosebumps rise up on her skin as this particr thought passes through her mind.

    '' I have to expose him... no, before that I have make sure that he''s a really a bad person.... I''ll observe him for now.''

    The '' Kill count'' skill was unique in the sense that, the kill would only be counted if the the killer kills a being of the same species as them. For example, if a human killed an ant, that wouldn''t be considered as a kill but if he kills a human being then the kill would be counted.

    After a lot of deliberation, Katherine decides to observe him for now, she needs evidence before exposing him for what he was... otherwise people would think she was crazy.

    She turns around and faces him again but she had a determined expression on her face this time. To her surprise, Adam was still staring at her with a weird smile on his face, he waves his hand at her.

    She looks away from him in disgust.

    '' What a creep.''

    ~~~~

    Katherine kept turning towards me and turning away.

    I totally understand why.

    She must be surprised at the fact that I had killed a person, I''ll get closer to her and tell her the reason for the kill when she asks me.

    It would be hard to win her trust but if I turn on my irresistible charm then it should be easy enough.

    The door to the ssroom opens and a muscr man enters the ssroom,

    The man had a clean shaven face and his brown hair was short, his eyes matched the color of his hair.

    Seeing that the man''s right hand was missing, he was probably the training instructor, Liam Wood.

    He''s a veteran from the war, he lost his hand during the war and was forced to retire. Principle Gordon offered him a job as a training instructor and he epted.

    '''' I heard there was a new student in this ss...'''', his voice has a hint of animosity in them.

    The students in the ss all turn and and look at me, Liam follows their eyes and find me in the ssroom.

    I get up and smile.

    '''' So you''re the talentless one...'''', he has a frown on his face while saying this.

    Oh... you wanna get fucked up ?

    '''' Yes, I''m the '' talentless one'' teacher.''''

    We have a small staring contest, which I let him win.

    He clears his throat and tells me,

    '''' I''m the training instructor, Liam Wood.''''

    I nod and sit down.

    '''' Today we''ll be having a sparring lesson, so all of you, change into your training clothes ande to the training hall. I''ll be waiting for you there.''''

    Just like that he left as soon as he arrived.

    ~~~~

    After Liam left, the students also started leaving the lecture hall in groups, I follow a group of boys to the changing room.

    Nobody talked to me, it might be because they were confused with how to interact with me, they couldn''t look down on me as I had connections while I was till very weak. So the entire ss was just avoiding me except a single person.

    Katherine.

    The moment I got out of the ssroom, she did too. I could feel her eyes on me the entire time as I was walking towards the changing room. The only reason she stopped was because I had entered the boy''s changing room.

    I mean... I know I killed a person and all...but wasn''t this a little extreme ?

    But other than following me, she didn''t do anything else so I decided to just ignore it.

    I was in the corner of the changing room now, there was a locker with my name on it, I open it to find the training clothes, which was just a blue shirt and loose pant of the same color. I start undressing and wearing the training clothes,

    I hear amotion rising from the other side of the changing room.

    After wearing the training clothes, I head to where themotion wasing from.

    A boy was down on the floor naked, while next to him stood a muscr student who was waving around, what I think is his uniform. Another student stood next to him waving around the naked boy''s training clothes.

    Laughter erupts in the changing room as most of the boysugh at the naked boy.

    From the crowd that had formed, a boy says,

    '''' Hahahahahah, Good One, Jeremy.''''

    Oh.... it''s Jeremy Dick.

    That''s his actual second name, it also summed up his entire personality.

    He was one of the bullies that the MC crushed in the beginning parts of the novel.

    I felt pity for him,

    He doesn''t know that he exists just so that the MC can go through some character development.

    The boy standing next to him was his underling, I think his name was...¡­

    Stephan something.

    Who has the time to remember the names of characters that appear for a single chapter ?

    The two boys kept waving the clothes around untill a student gets hit in the face with the clothes as he walking past them.

    The student was Max Reynolds.

    Stephan doesn''t notice that it was Max and starts in annoyed voice,

    '''' Which bast-''''

    He doesn''tplete his words as he turn around and find the student behind him was Max.

    '''' Oh Max... I''m sorry I didn''t see you ther-''''

    But Max cuts him off and says in condescending tone,

    '''' You''re a pathetic waste of space, now... move out of my way.''''

    Stephan was about to say something but before he can even utter a word, he''s pulled away by Jeremy. Jeremy wasn''t an idiot, he knew that he wasn''t a match for Max.. at least for now.

    After that the students just changed into their training gear and went to the training hall which was close by.

    ~~~~

    Stephan Keller was very annoyed.

    He''d just been looked down on by that fucking bozo Max.

    But he couldn''t do anything to him, Max was the first in the rankings.

    He wanted to hit someone... anyone.

    He want to vent his anger at someone that was weaker than him.

    Just as he was thinking this, Liam enters the training hall.

    He asks the students to form a vertical line which they do.

    '''' New student,e here!'''', Liam says

    Adam walks over to instructor Liam and says in a cheerful tone,

    '''' My name is Adam, sir.''''

    '''' That doesn''t matter.'''', saying this Liam addresses the students.

    '''' Today, we''re gonna see how well the new student fights, can anybody volunteer to be his sparring partner ?''''

    Before anybody can even think about raising their hands, Stephan''s hand shoots up into the air.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The way he saw it..... They can''t me him for the injuries caused during a spar under the observation of a teacher.

    A devious smile forms on his face.

    ~~~~

    I dislike the new kid.....

    From the moment, I heard that the chairwoman''s adopted child was enrolling into the school and that too a monthte... I knew that he would be just another arrogant brat, who thinks that he''s better than all the others.

    It would have been alright if he had some talent but he didn''t even have the potential to be F rank !

    Enrolling him in was like spitting on the faces of all those students who had talent but didn''t pass the exam this time. I told this to the principal but he ignored me just as usual.

    Stephan Keller raised his hand when I asked the children who would like to spar with the new student.

    I could understand his intentions from the weird smile on his face, but I decide to ignore him. I know... this isn''t fair but Adam needs to learn that this isn''t a joke.

    Stephan and Adam face of against each other in the center of the training hall, while the rest of the students watch them with excitement. But before they can begin the spar, I stop them.

    '''' Stop....''''

    ~~~~~

    Seems like my opponent was gonna be Dick''s sidekick, Stephan.

    The both of us get in our respective fighting stance, but before we can start Liam says,

    '''' Stop, before you start.. choose a weapon.''''

    He goes towards the the wall of the training room and presses a switch.

    The walls slides up and many weaponse into my view.

    Swords, sabers, scimitars and even guns were there.

    '''' Choose one.'''', Liam says looking at me.

    Someone from the crowdes forward and gives Stephan a sword.

    So he was a swordsman.. the same as me.

    I had decided to be a swordsman as well because a job change requires a lot of money but now that I had the wealth of the hero association, it was apletely different story.

    Ok, I''ll be direct.

    I''m a little bit of a coward.

    Fighting with a sword requires a lot of confidence and shit, which I unfortunately did not have. I also had to be in close proximity with the enemies to fight as well.

    I could always use a bow or a gun but I had terrible aim so that was out of the question as well.

    I scan the weapons disyed on the wall untill my eyes fall on a weapon that suited me.

    A spear.

    I tell Liam my choice and Liam takes the spear and gives it to me.

    The weapon''s sharp areas were all covered with a with a soft covering, this was removable and was ced on the weapons to avoid injuries in a spar.

    I take the spear in hand and both Stephan and I once again get into our respective fighting stance, the spear feels ufortable in my hand but I was sure that after I changed my job it would be more easier to wield.

    '''' Begin.'''', Liam says

    Stephan rushes towards me screaming,'''' DIE AHHHHH''''

    Wtf.. why is he so fucking slow and dramatic ?

    Ah..., it''s only been a month since school started for them, while I trained everyday except for thest month.

    I was probably the highest ranked student here, other than the main cast, at the start of school year, almost all of them were close to E rank, so apart from the people in Max''s party I could defeat anyone in my ss.

    Heh.

    I block Stephan''s sword with my spear in a single hand and punch him in the face with my free hand.

    He instantly falls down, I think his nose is broken.

    He doesn''t get up.

    To be defeated with a single punch..... the life of an extra must be hard.

    ~~~~

    I was stunned.

    I thought he would lose for sure...

    Seems like I was wrong.

    ''Maybe he''s a talent worth raising after all'', Liam thinks with a grin creeping up on his face.

    ~~~~

    After our anti-climatic fight, Stephan was taken to the infirmary.

    Liam divides everyone in the ss except me into two pairs and tells them to spar with each other.

    After making sure the rest of the students weren''t cking off, hees near me and says,

    '''' I thought you were talentless.''''

    There''s an odd look on his face.

    '''' When I was seven, the machine malfunctioned when my turn came''''

    Liam raises his eyebrows at my words.

    '''' I''ve never heard of a mana machine malfunctioning before.... but couldn''t you easily change it, since you''re ''her'' son ?''''

    Well he was right... I could easily change it.

    I tell the truth,

    '''' I just couldn''t be bothered.''''

    A smile forms on his face as hears my words.

    '''' What''s your real potential ?''''

    '''' A- rank.'''', I lie.

    '''' I see, you did a good job for your first spar.'' ''saying this he leaves to observe the other students.

    ~~~~

    After about thirty minutes, that ss finished and we went back to ss.

    The next period was Dungeon and portal study, which was extremely boring. I slept through most of that and after a few more periods, ss ends.

    ss ends earlier for students in the hero course.

    The ss begins at 7:00 am and ends at 1:00 pm. This was done so that students could have time to do their personal training.

    I head towards the room, I would stay in for three years. All the students had the same living conditions. In a single room, two students would live together as roommates. If the students were given luxurious rooms then living out of thefort zone had no fucking meaning.

    I was told that I would be staying at room 69.

    ¡­.

    I had to ask for the directions to the dorm house and after reaching the ce, I had to look for room 69.

    It took me thirty minutes to find the room.

    I knock twice on the door of room ''69''

    The door opens after a few seconds and I see the very person I swore to avoid.

    Eric Grey.

    Shit.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 25 Eric Grey Is...

    '''' Hey roomie..'''', my voice feels forced even to me.

    Eric still has that frown on his face, he leaves the door open and goes back into our room, ignoring mepletely.

    I get inside the room.

    It''s pretty spacious, there''s two beds at the opposite sides of the room, there were two tables as well for the both of us. There''s a window that was shut in the edge of the room, There''s also a bathroom inside the room, that too waspletely normal.

    After finishing my exploration of the room, I go and sit at my bed where my luggage had already been delivered. I lift my suitcase and put it on the bed , I open it and start casually throwing my clothes into my closet.

    Seeing me casually throwing my clothes in, the frown on Eric''s face bes even more prominent.

    He gets up from his bed and walks towards me, as he walks his long blonde hair starts bobbing up and down. He takes the clothes in my hand andmands me,

    '''' Move.''''

    As expected.

    Eric was an extreme neat freak, even seeing other people being messy aggravates him. I purposefully acted messy so that he would help me.

    If I was going to interact with him anyway, why not use him too. I thought about asking the principal to change my room butter decided against that idea as that would put me in Eric''s list of enemies and believe me when I say, I don''t want that.

    '''' I''m Adam Creed, what''s your name ?'''', I ask while he took all the clothes that I had thrown in and start folding them one by one.

    He stays silent for a second, his eyes focused on the clothes.

    '''' Eric Grey.'''', he says in a voice that sounded a bit sad.

    We don''t say anything else and after 15 minutes, hepletes the work and goes back to his bed after nodding his head in my direction.

    The room also had two personal training rooms, so till dinner I train using the spear I had been given. I didn''t really know how to use the spear, so training just consisted of me just waving the spear around.

    Then dinner came, the food was given in the school cafeteria. I go with Eric since I didn''t really know anybody else here. I won''t be too close to Eric since he''s going to....

    The food was not as good as the food I got home, but it was alright. They served a lot of meat and vegetables with a very small amount of rice. None of us spoke a word to each other.

    After dinner we go back to our rooms and sleep, at least Eric does because I can hear his snores at this very moment. I couldn''t sleep, not because of his snores, sleep just didn''te to me. I wonder why ?

    I look at Eric who was sleeping peacefully.

    Eric Grey.

    He was a member of Max''s party.

    His grandfather was the CEO of '' Grey Tech'', they mainly manufactured weapons from the materials found in the portals.

    When he was younger, he was a very innocent boy thatughed at the smallest jokes and he looked a lot happier than he does now.

    Another interesting fact about Eric was that, he was gay.

    Well that alone isn''t that interesting. But his backstory begins with him realizing that he''s gay.

    Eric didn''t know that he was gay untill he was in middle school, he probably didn''t even know what being ''gay'' meant before as he had led a life with not much exposure to the real world. Everything he did was monitored and reported back to his grandfather.

    He gets a girlfriend in middle school, since all his friends had one too. But the moment they kissed, he knew that there was something different about him.

    In his second year in middle school, he meets a boy named Aaron, they be close friends and without him even realizing it...he falls in love with Aaron.

    One day, after school they go to a deserted park and some things happen and they kiss. Eric felt happy but he knew that if his grandfather or father found out about his secret then he would get in trouble . So he makes his rtionship with Aaron a secret.

    But it doesn''t matter as his grandfather finds out about his rtionship either way. It''s hard to keep a secret when you''re monitored 24/7.

    Eric''s grandfather, Alexander Grey was a... conservative man. He detested change and thought that being gay or anything of that sort was ''unnatural''. Of course he wouldn''t say something like that in public though, that would be bad for business.

    Eric''s mother had died after giving birth to his younger sister, he only had his father and grandfather to call '' family'', his father was just a younger version of his grandfather.

    After the both of them found out, as expected their reactions where adverse. Eric was immediately transferred to another school, he was forbid from meeting Aaron again, he was hit by the both of them, But that wasn''t the end of his suffering,

    Eric''s grandfather tied him to a bed with a rope and hired a prostitute to force herself on him, this was done to make him ''normal''. Before trapping him, his grandfather makes him take some pills for ''helping him'' as well.

    What his grandfather hadn''t considered was that, a mere rope couldn''t trap the hands of an awakened person like Eric, even though he was just an F- rank at the time, he was far more stronger than boys his age. So with a little bit of struggling Eric breaks free from the rope and pushes the women off him.

    But the prostitute had been a normal human, like Lecia she was deemed a less evolved human. So when Eric pushes her away with all his strength, she flies of and hits her head at the edge of a table in the room. She instantly dies.

    Eric still remembers the expression on her face when he pushed her off him.

    After finding the women dead, his grandfather instantly '' handles'' the situation and covers up her death.

    He also tells Eric that it was his ''unnaturalistic condition'' that killed her.

    Hate, disgust, anger at himself and his ''family'' bloom in his heart.

    Originally I nned for his character to go through a some character development and finally he finds it in him to forgive himself and embrace his true self. But I had to change it as the readers hated his character...

    A majority of the readers said that they wanted the ''faggot'' out of the story.

    Those were their words, not mine.

    I ignored theirments at first, but then the sales of the novel dropped and the novel started to be unpopr.

    There were some people who didn''t mind ,but they were a small majority,

    So I changed his fate from what I had intended...<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the novel, he gets corrupted by angels and kills his entire family including his sister. He was manipted by one of the angels to see that his family were monsters, literal monsters, it''s kind of like a brainwash thing.

    He''s killed by Max and he say''s his usual, '''' Sorry..'''' as well.

    Now I''m not a person who''s ashamed of himself, but when I changed his story I truly did feel ashamed. I felt like a ve who does anything to appease his readers.

    It might have also been because of the fact that I had just learned the fact that my wife was cheating on me with Richard as well.

    I actually based Eric''s story from a true story, I heard from a friend of mine in juvie, his name was Larry and he had the exact same backstory as well. He killed his father in anger. Yearster when I heard that he died of a drug overdose I felt the need to honor him and decided to add in a character based on him into the story.

    I wanted to give him a happy ending in my novel at least... but that didn''t happen so...

    Sorry, Larry and yes...¡­ I was in juvie for some time, but that''s a story for another time.

    Is it surprising that something like this can happen in real life ?

    It was the 90''s then and a lot of things were different than the present day.

    People find it hard to ept that other people can be different than them, the ''norm'' must be followed always. I''m a person who kills people without a second thought but even I can ept that people can be different.

    Being different than the rest in anyway was not a bad thing.

    It just meant that you''re unique.

    One of a kind.

    I wish I could tell this to Eric, but sadly I cannot...

    If he was someone that wasn''t that important to the plot, I would have at least tried to save him, but he''s an integral part of the story and his death motivates the rest of the team, it makes them see who exactly their enemies were.

    So, nothing will change...

    This was one of the reasons why I wanted to avoid him, I feel bad.

    Another reason was that getting close to him bore no benefits for me, if I became friends with him than my resolve to let him die would waver.

    My eyelids be heavy and I finally sleep.

    ~~~~

    '''' Wake up.'''', I feel someone pping me in the face.

    I wake up with a frown on my face, I cup my cheeks with my right hand while ring at Eric.

    '''' What is it ?'''', I ask in an annoyed voice.

    '''' You''rete.''''

    I notice that he''s already wearing his uniform, I take a look at the digital clock in our room, it showed that the time was currently 6:50 am .

    Shit.

    I waste.

    I jump out of bed almost bumping into Eric and go to the bathroom to quickly wash up.

    I brush my teeth, shit and change into my uniform in record time.

    I open the door to our room and get out, to my surprise Eric was still waiting for me.

    '''' You waited ?'''', I ask him in a confused manner.

    '''' I figured that you won''t know where the ss is, since you arrived just yesterday.'''', Eric says in monotonous voice.

    He was right... everything that happened yesterday felt like a blur and I might not remember where the ss exactly was but,

    '''' You don''t have to wait for me, it''s not like we''re friends or anything.''''

    I wasn''t joking when I said that I wasn''t going to be friends with Eric.

    He remains silent for minute and says in his usual monotonous voice,

    '''' Okay.''''

    I couldn''t see any sort expression on his face.

    He starts walking and I follow him stealthily.

    We reach ss and the day begins.

    We had the same exact lessons as yesterday.

    This is so boring, knowing everything that happens sucks. But I can''t change anything since it also gives me an edge as well. But these sses are so boring...¡­.

    Other than me saving the princess, which I think won''t cause that much of a difference , I don''t really think the plot will change that much.

    -------

    I didn''t really know then how wrong I would be...

    ~~~~

 Chapter 26 Life And Death (1)

    '''' With the emergence of mana, many changes took ce within Earth, I''m sure all of you know the first three changes, portals started appearing, humans became superpowered, the arrival of the great angels and the devious devils... the fourth change is not known by any of you because of how rare it is, when mana first emerged all humans were affected by it, but not only humans... animals too were affected by mana, not all of them could survive the change though and some species went extinct but the ones that did survive learned how to utilize mana and became much stronger than before, not only did they grow physically but they also grew mentally, they became self-conscious. they learned how to mimic humannguage and some have even helped us in our fight against the demons.''''

    '' Tringgggg''

    Miss Gina stops speaking just before the bell rings,

    Miss Gina was our history teacher.

    '''' Well, for today that will be all then, goodbye students.'''', saying this she leaves the ssroom.

    Finally......

    It''s been a month since the my high school started and I have to say it went exactly as I predicted, boring. Today was Thursday and tomorrow it would finally be Friday, the students at Unity could go home every week. There were some that did go every week but I wasn''t included in that list.

    But theing weekend was special, Patrick had arranged a meeting with me at Looters, this could mean only one thing.

    The artifact to awaken Lecia had been found. I was too excited to concentrate on ss because of this.

    I also had to meet Diane and Ken as well, there was something I had to discuss with them.

    Lecia''s going to be so surprised, a lot has changed hasn''t it ?

    I got a name, took control of the hero association and in a way, killed my adoptive parents.

    Of course, I wouldn''t say all of this to Lecia.

    But still I''m allowed to feel nostalgic right ?

    I have a lot to tell her.... I can''t wait.

    ~~~~

    It was currently lunch break.

    The cafeteria was far busier at lunch break than at dinner due to the fact that students from the other courses also were present. I take my food, but can''t find a seat as the cafeteria was it was way too crowded.

    Hmmm.

    Where should I go?

    If I''m remembering correctly then the students who didn''t get space in the cafeteria usually eat at the rooftop which was very spacious.

    I start walking towards the rooftop.

    ~~~~

    This school should really install some elevators or something.

    I had to climb seven flights of stairs.

    The only reason, I wasn''t sweating buckets was because of my rank.

    This wasn''t even the actual school !

    They had entire building dedicated for food, multiple kitchens, the huge cafeteria and then on top of this the wide and spacious rooftop.

    I finally reach the door to the rooftop.

    I open it and sure enough there were some students as well, but unlike the cafeteria, there was still some space left. I walk into the rooftop and find a nice little spot for myself near the edge of the rooftop.

    Seeing the railing on the rooftop reminded me of my death a little, some might think that I would be afraid and angry, but I look at my death quite fondly.

    I mean, it gave me this second chance, didn''t it?

    Just as I was thinking this, amotion begins on the other side of the rooftop.

    A crowd had gathered, so I had to force myself through them to actually see what themotion was about.

    A girl was ring at two boys who stood in front of her, and behind her stood a group of students who I knew was her friends.

    The frown on Emilia Brielle''s face seemed to have infected her friends as well since Max, Katherine, and Eric also had a simr frown stered over their faces

    Or Eric might have infected them since him frowning at everything in existence wasn''t something new.

    '''' Stop bullying students, we came here to be heroes not bullies.''''

    Emilia''s voice rings throughout the entire rooftop and all the students were focused on the fight happening before them.

    '''' We just sent him to get us our lunch, what''s the big deal ?''''

    Jeremy''s voice sounds annoyed.

    Standing beside him, Stephan was ring at the people in front of him.

    Behind them was the boy they made fun of in the changing room,st time. he seemed scared.

    '''' You hit just now as well, didn''t you ?'''', says Emilia, her face was slowly turning red from anger.

    '''' Well that''s because he got us the wrong food.'''', a smirk appears on Jeremy''s face as he says this.

    '''' You bas-'''', Emilia couldn''t finish what she was saying as Max stops her.

    '''' These fuckers aren''t worth it, Emilia, let''s just go.'''', Max says in an annoyed tone.

    '''' But the-'''', Emilia stops speaking when she sees the look on Max''s face.

    They had be close over two months and she knew his personality quite well, right now, his eyes were the eyes of someone with a n.

    She lets out a sigh and nods her head, the four of them go back to their spot where they were having lunch.

    But while they were walking back, Stephan shouts at them,

    '''' You little fucker, do you think we''re a joke ?, Jeremy is within the top ten as well-''''

    But before he canplete what he was saying, Max turns around and releases the pressure of his rank, making everybody other than his friends to kneel down.

    '''' E R-rank'''', Stephan seems shocked.

    I pretend to kneel down as well.

    Man, seeing the scenes that you wrote be real was exciting.

    What happened now, was taken right out from the novel. The first arc had just started. You could call it the first major event inside the novel.

    Conflicts arise between, the justice loving Emilia and Jeremy leading to an all out war between the first years. Not all the first years, just the one''s in the top 10''s in the rankings in our ss.

    Max crushes them all. Obviously.

    ~~~~

    After themotion was over, the students on the rooftop went back to eating their lunch.

    I too started eating my lunch.

    It was fried chicken with a side of fries today.

    As I was concentrating on my food, I didn''t notice Emilia approaching me.

    '''' Excuse me ?''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    I raise my head up and see her standing in front of me.

    I feel confused, what does she want from me?

    '''' I saw that you were eating alone, would you like to join us ?''''

    Hmmmm.

    Interesting.

    '''' Okay, thank you for including me as well !'''', I say in an overly enthusiastic tone.

    She smiles brightly at me.

    Emilia is... too good for this messed up world.

    She''s so trusting and kind that even I was baffled a little at her behavior and I created her.

    The both of us walk over to the ce they were eating at.

    Max had smile on his face while talking with Katherine.

    He''s changed a lot hasn''t he ?

    He''s realized that if he bes obsessed with revenge than he would never be happy and his parents wouldn''t want that. Revenge was a secondary goal to him now.

    I mean, that''s way too much character development in a single month but what can I do about it now ?

    Katherine spits the juice she was drinking from a juicebox on Max''s face as she sees meing with Emilia and I swear that I saw Eric''s frown deepen.

    '''' What''s he doing here ?''''

    As always, her reaction was way too extreme, but I ignore it.

    '''' I saw him eating alone and thought it would be nice to ask him to sit with us.''''

    '''' Oh g-great.'''', she stutters back.

    Max wipes the juice on his face and res at Katherine, after which he stands up and extends his hand towards me with a smile on his face,

    '''' I''m Max Reynolds, nice to meet you.''''

    I take his hand and say my name as well, seeing that Katherine and Eric weren''t saying anything Max says,

    '''' This is Katherine Colleen.'''', he points toward Katherine while saying this.

    Kathrine forces out a smile and shakes my hand.

    '''' This is Eric Grey.'''', he says while pointing at Eric who had gone back to eating his food.

    '''' I know, we''re roommates.'''', I say.

    '''' You''re roommates !'''', all three of them looked shocked.

    '''' It''s not like we''re friends or anything though.'''', Eric says with his mouth filled with food.

    Ouch.

    I deserve that.

    An awkward silencees next, but that''s broken when I ask Max,

    '''' By any chance were your parents, Rolling Thunder and Blood Queen ?''''

    Max looks shocked., '''' You know my parents ?!''''

    '''' Know them ?, they''re the reason I decided to be a hero.. they were so brave and cool, it was such a shame they di-'''' I suddenly stop myself and bow my head towards Max.

    '''' What am I even saying ?, I''m sorry... I can be thoughtless sometimes.''''

    '''' That''s alright.'''', Max has a proud expression on his face.

    Well he likes me, so that''s that.

    I felt proud that my years of kissing my editor''s ass had finally been put to use.

    We spend the rest of time talking about various stuff, Max also tells Emilia that they wouldin to the management about Jeremy.

    It was fun, except for the res I got from Eric.

    ~~~~

    The next day, I woke up refreshed at 4:00 am and started training.

    This had almost be a habit since I''ve been doing this for a month now.

    I could hear, Eric training in his training room as well.

    I train till 5:30 and then decide to go take a suspiciously long bath...

    I finish the bath at 6:30 and change into my uniform and spend the next half hour reading my history textbook.

    There was a quiz today.

    I may be the author, but history had a lot of stuff I don''t know as well.

    But the worst thing about history ss is the fact that you have to learn the date of everything and anything.

    I study the part for the quiz thoroughly and leave for ss when it bes 7:00 am.

    ~~~~

    The ss was crowded when I arrived.... way too crowded. I could see second years and third years mixed in the crowd as well.

    I became confused as the second years and third years don''t really interact with the students in first year, at least not now.

    I push past the crowd and see what exactly they all were looking at.

    It was Jeremy.

    I could see multiple stab wounds on his body.

    Yup.

    He was a hundred percent dead.

    I''m shocked....not because he''s dead but because of the fact that this doesn''t happen in the novel.

    The plot was changing... and I''m pretty sure there''s a killer among us.

    I''m fucked aren''t I ?

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 27 Life And Death (2)

    Okay.

    It''s going to be fine.

    Jeremy Dick [lol] was dead.

    Jeremy who was supposed to rally the students from the 5th rank to 10th rank to fight against Max''s party was dead before he could do shit.

    This wasn''t supposed to happen.

    Is it because of me ?

    But the changes that I caused have little to no rtion with Jeremy, so why did he die?

    I''m not sure, but there''s one thing I am sure of.... whoever did this was still in Unity.

    Once somebody enters the Unity, they don''t... can''t leave without permission.

    It could be anyone...a teacher, a student, heck even the janitor was a suspect.

    The crowd near Jeremy''s dead body did not disperse, some where even taking photos..

    I mean, what better way to get likes on social media than showcasing a dead body, sometimes I think I''m more normal that these freaks.

    I ask a student next to me,

    '''' Did anyone go to call a teacher ?''''

    She nods her head.

    At least someone did that..

    I walk more closer to the body to observe it,

    The body is a mess, whoever killed this guy doesn''t have much experience in the killing area. His body was kept on the teacher''s desk like a sacrificial offering, puddles of blood had formed beneath the table. His hands were sped together, there was something in his hands...

    Is that a fucking knife ?

    What kind murderer just leaves the murder weapon on the victim ?

    Either this person wants to get caught or is just in stupid.

    I take out my handkerchief and cover my hands with it before unsping his hands, the knife falls down with a ''thud'' on the ground.

    '''' Hey.. what are you doi-'''', a guy starts but he goes silent as soon as he sees the knife.

    Whew, the killer wasn''t ying around while killing Jeremy, he had more than twenty stab wounds in his body.

    Everybody was looking at the knife on the floor in silent shock, except a single person, Katherine Colleen''s eyes were fixed on me.

    Katherine averts her eyes when she sees that I had caught her looking at me.

    ~~~~

    ss was cancelled for Friday and students were advised to stay in their respective rooms untill further notice.

    That was a problem for me.

    I messaged Diane about the situation and told her to ask Principle Gordon to let me go home.

    He epts right away, in his eyes I''m a weak talentless student so I was obviously not a suspect.

    I had reached my mansion just now, I get out of the car and give all luggage I had to Agnes and walk into the mansion.

    Ah....

    I missed this ce so much.

    I can understand why some students go home every weekend, everything just felt better when you''re home.

    Of course, I couldn''tpletely forget everything as the number of things I had to do had doubled in a month.

    I had to rescue the princess.

    I had to wake up Lecia from hera.

    Now ,I also have to find a fucking murderer on top of all this.

    But the killer could be found by the school as well since the killer just left the murder weapon. The killer''s fingerprints would surely be found and it would only take a matter of time till all the students and teachers are checked and they find the killer.

    But something feel''s odd here, call it my writer''s intuition, but I felt like something bigger was at y here.

    Something that I wasn''t prepared for.

    Let''s not think about this now, I have bigger fish to fry right now.

    I hear a knock on my door.

    '''' Come in.'''', I say

    Diane and Kenes in and close the door behind them.

    Ken was holding a box in his hands.

    '''' Good Morning, Master.''''

    I nod my head and take the box out of Ken''s hands.

    '''' It''s exactly as you asked for.''''

    I open the box and find a paper inside, the edges of the paper had started to crumble indicating that it was old.

    Using this I could finally change my job, who would believe that this small piece of paper cost almost 1 million serja, which was the new currency of the entire Elda empire.

    '''' Is the job, spear rted ?'''', I ask them

    To which they reply in unison, '''' Yes.''''

    '''' Good job ,you two.''''

    I take the paper out and tear it immediately, as soon as I tear it, it crumbles into dust and enters my nostrils. I feel something change within me, but before I check my status screen I ask Diane,

    '''' Did the angels contact you ?''''

    '''' No, master.''''

    Since the plot was bing unpredictable, I couldn''t take any chances.

    The day Jeremy Dick was murdered, I had called them both and informed that an envoy of the angels might contact them. I couldn''t say the exact time, since the plot was changing I was currently unsure of everything.<novelnext></novelnext>

    All I told them was that if the someone from the angel''s side contacted them, they were to decline any offer offered to them.

    '''' Then I''ll be heading out now.'''', I say walking past them

    '''' May we ask why ?''''

    I turn back at their question and smile at them both.

    '''' I''m gonna wake up, Lecia.''''

    '''' Really ?!'''', The both of them had cheerful tone to their voice.

    It seems that they were bing close to Lecia.

    That''s good, I suppose.

    '''' Well not right now, but after I go get something.''''

    '''' Oh.'''', their disappointment was clearly visible.

    ~~~~

    I was currently sitting in bar stool at Looters, which was the back alley bar where I first initiated contact with the demons. I was currently waiting for Patrick.

    My excitement couldn''t help but show on my face.

    I''m gonna wake Lecia up soon.

    She''s going to be so happy.

    I hear the ring at the door ring as a person enters the bar, it was Patrick.

    I wave my hand at him, he sits on the stool next to me.

    '''' Two beers.'''', Patrick says to the bartender.

    '''' I''m underage...'''', I say

    '''' What do you want then ?'''', say''s the bartender

    '''' Strawberry shake if you have it ?''''

    After the bartender leaves to get our drinks,

    Patrick turns towards me and says in a low voice,

    '''' I''ve got the artifact with me.''''

    He takes a vial wrapped in an cloth and ces it in my hand,

    '''' I don''t know why you want this.... but be careful while using it.''''

    I nod and smile at Patrick,

    '''' How did you get it here ?''''

    '''' We opened a gate to the demon realm below the bar....''''

    He also passes a skill book to me,

    '''' I don''t know why you want this as well.... but here are two copies we made of the, '' Gender swap'' skill.

    '''' Thanks.'''', I say taking the skill book from him.

    Making a copy needed a machine called, '''' skill copier'''' which cost much more than 1 million serja. The demons making a copy of this skill for me showed the trust they ced in me.

    '''' I''ll be leaving then.''''

    But before I can leave, Patrick stops me and says in an even lower voice,

    '''' The demon king wants to meet you.''''

    .....

    '''' Thank you for the invitation, but tell him I have school.''''

    I get up from my stool and walk towards the exit.

    Patrick just sat there stupefied at my response.

    Before I leave, I turn around and say,

    '''' I''ll deliver the the frog before the given time ends.''''

    The ''frog'' was the code word for princess.

    ~~~~

    The bartender brings the drinks they ordered to their table,

    '''' Where''s the kid ?'''', he enquires.

    Patrick stares at him with pity in his eyes.

    ~~~~

    I''m in the car, on my way back to the mansion.

    I unwrap the cloth on the vial, the contents inside the vial were red in color.

    As soon as my handes in contact with the vial, information about it appeared before me,

    ____________________________________________________________________

    Cursed Potion Of Eternity

    Rank :???

    Description: ???

    ____________________________________________________________________

    It''s time to wake up Lecia.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 28 Blood Red

    Long ago, some might even say....an eternity ago, there was a kingdom called, Mentha. Everyone in the kingdom led a satisfying life. Like all kingdoms, this one too had a king, who was kind and just. But sadly, an uncurable disease befalls the king, he was bedridden and the best doctors in the world told him that the king would die in a year.

    This made the prince, the new king, the people mourned for the king but they also rejoiced at the fact that they had a new king, who was said to be more intelligent and efficient than the previous king.

    The prince was all those things, but he was just a 15-year-old, he wanted his father to be alright again since he loved his father, so he didn''t give up on finding a cure.

    The prince gave out an order that whoever could save his father would be given half the kingdom to rule.

    People from all walks of life came to treat the king, but none seeded, the prince almost gave up.

    Untill a women who called herself a ''goddess'' came along.

    The women was wearing a cloak that hid her entire body and face.

    At first the prince was skeptical of her treatment, but the king started getting better after he drinks the potion she brings him. The fire of hope in his heart was burning more brighter than ever.

    But after a week, he starts getting weaker again, his sickness returns in full swing.

    He asked the goddess, why his father was getting worse, it was then that she told him the secret to her potion.

    To make the potion, the goddess needs the souls of humans.

    At first, the prince was horrified, but seeing his father sumb to the disease he decides to ask the goddess for a more ''permanent'' solution. She tells him that to make a potion that has a more permanent effect, she would need to sacrifice the life''s of everyone in the kingdom.

    The prince epts with a heavy heart.

    The Goddess asks the prince to go away from the kingdom for a few days, he relents to her wishes and goes away, when he came back three dayster he saw that everyone in the kingdom was dead.

    The prince rushes to his father''s chambers, hoping to find him healthy once again, but when his arrives... he finds his father dead.

    The goddess appears before him with a vial in her hands, saying that the potion wasplete. The prince gets angry at her, asking her why his beloved father was dead.

    To which the goddess says,

    '''' I had already told you that, to make the potion... everyone in the kingdom would need to be sacrificed. It was your decision to not take your father with you.''''

    But the prince wasn''t even listening to what she was saying, he felt used.

    The goddess asks the prince to give her the reward she was promised and in his anger he refuses to give her the reward.

    That was the wrong decision.

    The goddess opens a portal with her omnipotent powers, and throws the prince and the vial down the portal.

    The dungeon inside the portal waspletely empty, there was no ''objective'' toplete the dungeon. The prince was trapped.

    He waited and waited.... for someone to save him but the world doesn''t work like that.

    The prince dies holding the vial in his hands out of hunger and thirst.

    The prince could have drank the potion and hoped something miraculous would happen, but he doesn''t do that. In a sense, the prince killed himself.

    This was one of the many legends surrounding this ''cursed'' artifact.

    The Cursed Potion Of Eternity.

    Nobody knows the real story behind the artifact, not even me.

    The car stops at the mansion and I go inside.

    While walking towards Lecia''s room, I open my status to see if the job change had been sessful.

    The blue screen appears as soon as I think about it,

    -----------------------------

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: E+

    Agility: E-

    Stamina: E-

    Intelligence: E+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality : F+

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spearman lvl: 0

    You have a innate understanding and talent for using the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    1.Author''s Authority [ SSS rank]

    Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken.

    2. Mana Disruptor [ A rank]

    A skill that allows it''s user to break the mana container of a person forcefully. Contact to the subject is required.

    3. Bloodlust

    Level: E, kills: 0/50

    A unique skill that allows the user to let go of the fear of death and the nerve endings of the user get deactivated with the help of mana topletely erase pain and also gives the user arger boost in strength. The only downside is that the user goes crazy upon the activation of the skill. The duration of the skill is 10 minutes.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    A month of continuous hardcore training had only increased my stamina by one measly rank.

    Sighing internally, I enter Lecia''s room.

    To my surprise, everybody was waiting for me in her room.

    Diane, Ken, Amanda, Francis and even Agnes.

    Seeing the confusion on my face,

    Diane says,

    '''' We wanted to be there when she woke up.''''

    The fuck...

    Are these guys morons ?

    Why the fuck would they tell everyone in the mansion that I was going to wake her up ?

    Oh ,wait.

    They''re going to interact with Lecia after she wakes up anyway.

    Of course, they''re going to ask how a person suffering from the supposedly incurable manaa woke up but,

    Agnes can be convinced with money.

    Amanda and Francis can be tricked with a few words.

    They look at me with high expectations... but more than that they all seemed to want to help Lecia in some way as well.

    It seems that her charms were still strong even if she was asleep.

    I get closer to her and take the vial out of my pocket.

    Both Amanda and Francis seems skeptical about the whole thing,

    '''' Are you sure this is safe for her ?'''', she asks in a doubtful manner.

    I answer her question, while opening the lid of the vial,

    '''' Well it''s going to be risky for me, but it''s going to be safe for her.''''

    After I say this, I gulp down the red liquid inside.

    All the people inside the room is surprised at my action except for Diane and Ken.

    Do they know the use of this artifact ?

    That shouldn''t be possible.

    Eh, who cares ?

    Thinking this I ck out.

    ~~~~

    I open my eyes to find myself in an ocean of sorts, this was probably my soul.

    In the novel, the person who uses this artifact was one of the twelve angels, after using it the angel gets transported to the angel''s ''soul space'', it''s basically the physical form of a being''s soul.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '' pop''

    A sound enters my ears from the left.

    I turn my head around and see a little kid.

    ''pop'' ,''pop'' ,''pop'' ,''pop'' ,pop'' ,pop''

    Soon enough, more people appear in my soul space, a lot more.

    I stopped counting as the number had be toorge to count.

    There were probably millions of people in my soul space, right now.

    People who should be dead.

    Another peculiar fact about them was that none of them had eyes, they''re eye sockets were empty. But I could sense them looking at me.

    The child that had first appearedes towards and hangs on my legs, it would have been cute if he had eyes, I felt like I was living in a cheap horror flick.

    As the child swung around using my legs for bnce, he startsughing or at least I think he is, once he opened his mouth all that came out was a shrill scream.

    As the boy started screaming, the rest of the people also start screaming as well.

    Uhhgggg, I''m getting an headache.

    I kick the kid away, from the force of my kick he disintegrates. This wouldn''t happen in the real world but in my soul space. I was the strongest.

    They all start running towards me, in an attempt to take over my soul.

    *AN HOUR LATER*

    I think, I understand the prince a little now.

    I understand how he could sacrifice the entire kingdom.

    These people were annoying as hell, If I had been their prince I would have killed them all a lot sooner and not even for making the potion, but just because of how annoying these little shits were.

    '''' The dead should stay dead.'''', I say after smashing thest women into dust with my bare hands.

    Whew.

    After I destroyed the whole lot of them, the dust or ash, [ I don''t really know] that had gathered umte together and form a huge sphere of ash.

    It raises up in the air and then abruptly goes down into the depths of my soul.

    Well now, I should be transported back soon,

    The next second, unlike my expectations I did not get teleported back, instead my view changes once again.

    Instead of an ocean, what I saw now was a battlefield.

    I could see, millions of demons dead on the battlefield. There were also many dead angels as well, not the angels exactly but their soldiers, the humans were told that they were angels who had not yet ascended to greatness but the truth was....

    But before I canplete my thought, I feel an intense pressure near me.

    I look in the direction of the pressure and see a person shrouded in darkness.

    Impossible.

    No one should be able to overpower me in my soul space.

    The hair on my skin stands up as the pressure exuded by the man increases more, causing me to literally fall down face first,

    '''' Pathetic.''''

    The mysterious man''s voice sends chills throughout my entire body.

    I feel myself cking out, but before I do, I force my head up and meet the man''s eyes before teleporting back.

    They were blood red.

    ~~~~

    I wake up and look at the ceiling nkly.

    Who was that ?

    Was there someone that strong in the Mentha kingdom ?

    No. I would know if there was something that I had to watch out for, the angel who used the artifact didn''t meet that guy.

    So just who was he ?

    A blue screenes into my view breaking me from my thoughts.

    --------------------------------------

    Vitality increasing in a rapid rate !

    Blood being tempered with...

    ------------------------------------

    It worked huh ?

    Let''s think about the man after I wake up Lecia.

    The Cursed Potion of Eternity, isn''t cursed.

    It just tests a person''s morality on an universal level, if you fail that test.. then you die. So, I guess it is a little cursed.

    A normal person wouldn''t pass the test, and even if they pass the test, killing that many people will break them mentally. There were children, aged people in the mix of people, even if the person wasn''t killing them literally, the act of killing them would definitely break a person like Emilia or Eric.

    Taking the potion, increased my vitality by a lot. When I say a lot... I mean a lottttt.

    I was literally immortal, well not immortal but I''ll live for a very long time, much longer than a normal human.

    This opened a lot of opportunities for me, I could finally use that morbid skill called,'''' Author''s Authority'''', I mean in theory I could actually wake up Lecia using that skill but I won''t be doing that, since I already have another solution ready. There were also some doubts that I had about the whole skill in general,

    The skill stated that the more significant the change, the more vitality would be taken but how is the significance determined...

    Significant to the plot ?

    Or significant to me ?

    I''ll conduct some experiments and find out.

    Another thing that improved was my healing rate, If I broke my hand now, it would probably heal by itself in three or four days.

    How was any of this going to help Lecia wake up ?

    Simple.

    The answer was my blood.

    After the potionpletely assimted with me, the healing properties of the potion became one with my blood. So, I could heal people but there was a catch.

    I could only heal uncurable diseases.

    Something like a manaa for example.

    I get up from the floor, surprising Amanda, Francis and Agnes. But Ken and Diane don''t appear surprised.

    '''' Take out those pipes.''''

    I point towards the tubes that were fitted into Lecia''s mouth

    Ken moves forward to do as Imanded but Amanda stops him and looks at me,

    '''' Are you sure about this ?... once those are removed, there''s no going back.'''', she warns me in a grave tone.

    '''' Just do it.'''' , I say in a tired voice because I am tired.

    Ken pushes aside Amanda and proceeds to take them out.

    I walk over to Lecia.

    '''' You might need this.'''', Diane walks towards me with a knife in her hands.

    Huh ?

    How did she know ?

    I take the knife.

    I''ll ask themter.

    I was nning on biting myself untill I bled, but a knife felt more elegant.

    Ken opens Lecia''s mouth wide open as he already knew what I was nning to do.

    There''s definitely something going on, but waking Leciaes first now.

    I make a small cut on my hand and pour a single drop of my blood into Lecia''s mouth.

    After a full minute of waiting, Lecia finally opens her eyes.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 29 Trauma

    Lecia opens her eyes.

    They''re just like I remember them.

    Kind.... and sometimes annoying.

    Her eyes finally fall on me,

    '''' X ?''''

    '''' Lecia.'''', I answer back with a smile.

    She struggles to get up, I help her up and asks Amanda, who appeared shocked to bring me a ss of water.

    After shepletely drinks the water, I ask her,

    '''' Do you remember anything ?''''

    '''' I-'''', she tries to answer but couldn''t.

    Had she forgotten ?

    But I understand that she still remembers, as her expression strains and her eyes are filled with tears,

    She tells me with tears falling down her face,

    '''' I''m sorry ,X.... because of me... you suffered so much.''''

    How selfless.

    '''' I didn''t suffer... Mark''s dead, Lecia.''''

    '''' ¡­.how ?''''

    '''' A mysterious man saved us..... so you can be happy now.. we can be a family again...''''

    '''' What ?''''

    Instead of smiling as I had expected, Lecia looks...sad.

    '''' Don''t be sad, Lecia... Mark''s dead, so you can be happy again.'''', I say again.

    Her brows furrow and she starts screaming at me,

    '''' DO YOU THINK EVERYTHING JUST GOES AWAY--'''', I can''t understand anything she says after that as she starts sobbing as well.

    '''' I''m sorr-'''', I begin to speak but Amanda interrupts me by saying,

    '''' I think you should leave for a while.''''

    What?

    Why ?

    Did I do something wrong ?

    I just wanted her to be happy again.

    I wanted to stay and apologize but before I can, Ken drags me away.

    ~~~~

    We were sitting in a bench near the garden beside the mansion.

    I''m confused.

    Ken is sitting beside me, staring at the patch of roses in front of us.

    '''' There''s something wrong with you, master.''''

    Huh ?

    '''' What ?'''', I ask slightly confused.

    '''' You seem tock something.... something that makes a human....a human, it might because of how troubling yourst life was-''''

    '''' What ?!''''

    Ken stops speaking and a smile appears on his face,

    '''' We know everything, we know that you created this world, we know how you killed Mark and we also know how you got that artifact.''''

    '''' H-how ?'''', I manage to mumble back.

    '''' We''re the highest ranked ascaris in the demon king''s collection, once we get contracted, we get full ess to our master''s memories.''''

    Impossible.

    I never mentioned anything of this sort in the novel.

    In the novel, I briefly mentioned about the existence of the ascaris once or twice, they were never really that important to the plot.

    '''' Can every ascaris ess their master''s memories ?''''

    Ken shakes his head,

    '''' Only high ranked ones can.''''

    How fascinating.....

    To think there was something that even, I, the author didn''t know..

    Of course, I wouldn''t know something like this since I just mentioned the ascaris as, spies in the novel, their abilities weren''t specified.... is there anything else that I''m not aware of ?

    That aside, this situation was truly convenient,

    I don''t have to worry about them betraying me since I was their master.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They maybe the only two people in this world who ever knows, the '' real me''

    '''' Do you hate me ?'''', I ask him silently.

    '''' Why would I hate you, master ?''''

    '''' I made it so that you''re entire race almost went extinct-''''

    He cuts me off and says in a solemn tone,

    '''' I don''t hate you for any of those things... if anything the only reason I exist is because of you. So, I''m grateful to you.''''

    I''m slightly embarrassed at his words.

    Wait.

    This isn''t what''s important right now... I need to find a way to make Lecia happy again.

    '''' How do I make her happy again ?'''', I ask Ken.

    '''' There''s nothing you can do, give her some time to heal.''''

    '''' But Lecia is a special case isn''t she ?... not many go through what she went through..''''

    Ken lets out a deep sigh and turns his head towards the roses yet again.

    '''' For a person who''s mentally more than 40 years old, you can be quite ignorant master.''''

    '''' What?..''''

    '''' Lecia isn''t a special case... incidents like this happen in a massive scale all over the world.. the statistics would shock you, but do you want to know something even more shocking?''''

    I nod my head at his question.

    '''' In some cases, the victims are med... it could be something as ridiculous as the way the victim stared at the assant, or what the victim wore... instead of helping the victims, some even shame them.... In some cases the person who should be punished, doesn''t even get punished.''''

    Ken looks directly at me and says in a serious voice,

    '''' The best thing you can do for Lecia right now, is give her some space ,time and be there for her when she asks for your help.''''

    A petal on one of the roses slowly falls down along with his words.

    '''' I understand.'''', I say, my eyes fixed on the fallen petal.

    How could I ever be so stupid ?

    Due to my excitement, I forgot all that Lecia had to go through. Just because Mark was dead... didn''t mean that she would return to normal.

    The process of healing does not end when the wounds are no longer visible...¡­ it ends when the wounds no longer ache.

    I stand up from the bench and go towards the patch of roses.

    Lecia loved flowers..

    I pluck one of the roses and head back inside the mansion.

    A smile forms on Ken''s face as he sees me going back inside.

    ~~~~

    Lecia wakes up from her sleep.

    She was sweating tremendously as she just had a nightmare...

    Her body felt weak.

    Every time she closed her eyes to sleep, she saw his face.

    He would always be smiling.... he was smiling when he called her into his office.... he was smiling when he pushed her down...

    No matter how much she screamed, no one heard her.

    She was all alone.

    A sadness that couldn''t be put into words blooms in Lecia''s heart.

    She sees a strange glint in the dark room, she gets up and walks over to the table where she finds a knife kept along with some fruits.

    That maid must have left it there, after Lecia went to sleep.

    She takes the knife in her hand and nkly stares at it.

    She uses both of her hands to steady the knife and turns it towards her.

    It was then that she noticed a piece of paper and a single roseying at the edge of the table.

    She puts the knife down and takes the paper and rose.

    Before reading it, she switches on the light in the room.

    She takes both the rose and paper, to her bed and reads the words written in it,

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    I''m sorry, sis.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    Her hands were shaking, tears were falling down from her eyes...

    That''s right, she wasn''t alone.

    Nobody is truly alone.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 30 Im Super Kind

    It''s Sunday.

    I didn''t wake up till 12:00 pm.

    Don''t judge me.

    Beingzy is a privilege that only children get to have and I am technically still a child.

    Also I couldn''t really sleep, because all that happened yesterday.

    After taking a quick bath and brushing my teeth, I go to the dining hall to have lunch.

    Lecia ate her lunch in her room, She didn''t specifically ask for this but I was taking Ken''s advice seriously and giving her space. There was a ton of things that I wanted to ask her but it had to wait.

    After lunch, I head over to my room and start writing another letter to Lecia, I know it''s silly but confronting her head on after my behavior yesterday has been hard. I don''t know what she thought about the note I had sent over yesterday. I hope she doesn''t hate me...

    I write about all that happened to the both of us after she fell to the manaa. I wrote about how we were adopted by the Creeds, about how I had enrolled at the Unity and more.

    Of course, I didn''t include all the killing that had happened.

    I don''t think she can handle all that right now,

    Let''s hope that she never finds out.

    ~~~~

    I''m in front of her door now.

    I kneel down on one leg and slide the note through the space below the door.

    Just as I did this, the door swung open and I can see Lecia''s legs.

    I look up and see her face.

    There''s a small smile on her face.

    That''s good, right ?

    She gets down on her knees and take the note which I had slid through the gap below the door. She reads it without saying a word and puts the paper down after reading it.

    She gets up and extends her hand towards me.

    '''' You know that, you can just talk to me right ?''''

    ~~~~

    We were sitting in the same bench that, Ken and I had sat on just yesterday.

    It seems that Amanda and Agnes had already told her everything that had transpired while she was in thea. So that''s a good fifteen minutes wasted on a useless letter, but I don''t mind.

    There''s eye bags under her eyes, she probably didn''t sleep much. But she looks betterpared to yesterday.

    '''' I''m sorry, that I yelled at you yesterday, X.'''', her eyes were focused on the patch of roses in front of her.

    '''' You don''t have to apologize..... it was my fault.''''

    We stay silent for awhile after that.

    '''' Oh, I got a real name as well.''''

    It seems that they had forgotten to tell her that.

    Lecia''s brows shoot up and she asks,

    '''' What is it ?''''

    '''' Adam. Adam Creed.''''

    She''s silent for some time before saying,

    '''' Did you think, I would feel better after hearing my dead brother''s name ?''''

    Oh shit.

    '''' Uh.. I''m sorry.. I''ll change i-''''

    I try to apologize but she startsughing.

    Huh ?

    Did I miss something ?

    '''' I''m joking..... it suits you.''''

    What a twisted sense of humor.

    Internally sighing, a smile breaks out on my face.

    Lecia gets up from the bench and walks towards the patch of roses.

    She smells one of the roses, and plucks one and turns towards me.

    A slight breeze passes over the garden and some strands of Lecia''s blonde hair flips to the opposite side, she uses her hand to reposition her hair and smiles at me.

    She gives the rose to me and says,

    '''' This is for yesterday.''''

    Normally, I would have been touched, but there was an ominous feeling in my heart.

    ~~~~

    '''' No bodies have been found near the Baryon Mountain.''''

    '''' Are you sure ?''''

    '''' Yes, sir.''''

    Amanda looked tired of answering the same question over and over again.

    But, I still ask her once again, to which I get the same answer.

    I sp my hands together on the table.

    This is.... unexpected.

    If my guess is correct...

    There was a very high chance that, Lecia was the Messiah.

    ~~~~

    Is it possible ?

    Could Lecia actually be the Messiah ?

    Let''s get the facts straight first.

    The Messiah was a women, with blonde hair, She had a habit of picking flowers.

    She tries to kill herself for some unknown reason.

    Lecia was a young women with blonde hair, she does pick flowers...

    I had noticed all this ages ago, yet why couldn''t I recognize it ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    She was right in front of me all this time.

    She was always happy and cheerful, even when things were hard. But what happened with Mark must have led her to kill herself.

    It''s a good thing I wasn''t a hard-ass about changing the plot because I had changed it without even realizing. Of course, I took the artifact, but I had expected the Messiah to kill herself. Since I intervened even further, she''s still alive.

    That''s good.

    '''' Sir ?''''

    Amanda''s voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I look up at her,

    '''' Yes ?''''

    '''' I was wondering..... can''t you cure manaa now ?.... so why don''t you use it for helping people who are in the same condition as Lecia was.''''

    She looks expectantly at me.

    I knew this wasing.

    '''' No.''''

    '''' What ?''''

    '''' I said... no. Now, get out.''''

    Yikes.

    The frown on her face looks scary.

    '''' Your kindness could save millions.''''

    Hey, that''s a great idea. But,

    '''' NO.''''

    She gets out of the office, grumbling something under her breath.

    ~~~~

    It''s night time.

    I went to Lecia''s room and found that she was sleeping.

    She had a frown on her face, must be having a nightmare.

    I sit on the edge of the bed and hold her hand.

    It doesn''t matter if she was the Messiah or not..

    I''ve known her only as Lecia and,

    Lecia is someone that I will always always love.

    Messiah or not.

    That''s how siblings are, no matter how much you fight, they''ll always have your back.

    I had told everyone at the mansion to not tell her about the murder at school. She needs rest now, telling her about that would only stress her.

    Before shees back to school, I have to find that killer.

    So that it''spletely safe for her.

    ~~~~

    I get out of her room and head to my room.

    Instead of changing into my pajamas like usual, I change into outdoor clothes.

    I get outside the mansion and start running.

    After ten minutes of continuous running, I finally reach my destination.

    Creed Hospital.

    A hospital that was run by the Creed household, meaning me.

    Remember the time I promised to do good deeds, so that I could be more kind ?

    ....

    Yeah, me neither.

    It''s been a month since than and I haven''t done a single good deed.

    But talking with Amanda gave me an idea.

    Why not just cure people with manaa ?

    Topensate for thest month, I have decided to cure all the patients suffering from manaa in this hospital.

    My decision has nothing to do with fact that, my hospital would get famous and earn more money due to this. Kuhum.

    I enter the hospital,pletely undetected.

    ~~~~

    The next day, I woke uppletely refreshed.

    It felt good to help people in need.

    I had to return to the Unity today.

    So, I packed my suitcase once again and said my farewell to everyone in the mansion including Lecia..

    I returned to the Unity,

    ~~~~

    I was in ss right now.

    It seems that Leslie was runningte.

    I feel a little sleepy, but I decide against it.

    '''' What did you say to me, you dumb fuck ?''''

    I turn my head and find that Stephan was fighting with the kid from that day.

    No more like... one-sidedly beating him.

    It seems that Jeremy''s death had made him unhinged.

    The boy on the floor has a pathetic expression.

    Seeing his condition, a single thought passes through my mind,

    '''' I haven''t done my good deed for the day yet, have I ?''''

    A smile that some might call, devious appears on my face.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 31 To Kill A Bullybird.

    '''' He''s such an asshole..'''', Amanda''s grumbling rang throughout the room.

    Even though Francis and Agnes were in the room with her, they didn''t respond to her as she had been speaking non-stop from the moment she had returned from Adam''s office yesterday.

    '''' Why''s he the boss and all ?.... shouldn''t it be the chairwoman who gives us orders..''''

    '''' You''re right about that.. they always seem to agree with whatever he decides, it''s a little weird.'''', Agnes interjects.

    '''' I''m rig-'''', Amanda starts to speak but Francis stops her and says,

    '''' Hey guys, look at this !!''''

    Francis pushes the newspaper he was reading to them. Once they read a particr news article, the both of them gasp.

    The news article said that all the patients suffering from mana sleep in the Creed Hospital had woken up.

    This could only mean one thing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Their master had saved them, but-

    '''' Why didn''t he tell us ?'''', Amanda''s voice contains a bit of guilt.

    '''' He probably didn''t want the credit.... yeah... like the dark protector from the anime ''Dark protector''..... the dark protector always saves people from the shadows, he never reveals himself...'''', Francis continues to ramble on about his favourite anime while the other two just continue to stare at him in disgust.

    ~~~~

    None of them realized that Lecia was listening in on them from the other end of the door.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 32 Misfortune

    Jacob Asher...

    Nope, no idea who he is..

    I don''t remember making a character like him, so he should just be an extra.

    But his name.... it sounded familiar.

    Thinking this, I exit the ssroom.

    But Max and his group ambushes me as soon as I leave the ssroom.

    '''' Dude, are you okay ?'''', Max asks with his hand on my shoulder.

    I smile and nod my head,

    '''' I''m fine.''''

    '''' That''s good then.''''

    All of us walk to our rooms together, as we''re walking Emilia walks closer to me and asks,

    '''' Did you have to take it that far ?''''

    '''' What ?''''

    She''s obviously asking about my fight with Stephan, but I choose to ask anyway.

    '''' I know that, Stephan''s a dick but you didn''t have humiliate him like that...'''', she says.

    Everyone in the group stops all their chatter and eavesdrop on our conversation.

    I take in a deep breath and stop walking resulting in the entire group stopping as well.

    I turn towards Emilia and say,

    '''' Emilia... you''re beautiful and kind-''''

    '''' Eh what-'''', she interrupts me but stops when I raise my hand to let her know that I wasn''t finished.

    '''' You''re beautiful and kind.... but you''re na?¡¥ve. Let''s say that I didn''t escte that situation that much and stop it without violence. That''ll make him think that he''s stronger than me and the thought of revenge would pass over his mind making things even moreplicated. By squashing him like a bug in the ssroom, he''ll never think like that. When he thinks about me, he''ll feel fear. You should never let an enemy think even for a second that they have a chance to win over you, you either kill them or destroy their will to fight.''''

    I stop talking.

    '''' I-'''', Emilia opens her mouth and closes it again.

    This was something they all had to hear.

    She does this a few times more, getting impatient I say,

    '''' I''ll see you guys ,tomorrow.''''

    Waving them goodbye, I walk away.

    Katherine has a really weird expression on her face, but like always I decide to ignore her as I have too much shit going on.

    ~~~~

    After dinner with Max and the rest, I go to the the teacher''s quarters and meet with Liam.

    I wanted a white board and some sticky notes.

    Liam provides them both with a frown on his face, It seems that I had interrupted him while he was sleeping.

    Peasant.

    Sleep is for the weak.

    I take both the whiteboard and sticky notes and go back to my room.

    Eric gives me a weird look as I take the whiteboard and the sticky notes to my personal training room.

    I close the door to my training room and fix the whiteboard with the stand that came with it,

    I take out a pen, and start drawing on the sticky notes.

    After a while, I start sticking the sticky notes one by one.

    One of them had the drawing of Jeremy''s dead body, which looked like a rooster if you turned the note upside down.

    Another note, had a drawing of a knife, which looked like a pen.

    Instead of a drawing in thest note, there was just one word,

    '' WHY ?''

    I stand up and take a look at the board.

    Finally, realization dawns on me....

    I finally understood... what a huge waste of time this was.

    In the movies, the detective always put up a board with all the important information and clues. Doing this did help me understand a single thing,

    I don''t know shit.

    The only important information that I currently had was already disyed on the board and they were of no real use.

    As I''m contemting on my next n, I hear the door to my training room open.

    I look back in surprise and find Eric staring at the board behind me.

    This rude, piece of shit.

    Hasn''t he ever heard of knocking ?

    He walks towards to the board and asks in slightly amused tone,

    '''' You''re trying to solve the murder ?''''

    '''' What if I am ?''''

    '''' Why ?''''

    '''' I like mystery.''''

    It''s good that I''m proficient at making random excuses.

    A small smile breaks out on Eric''s face as he says,

    '''' I like mystery as well.''''

    *30 minutester*

    It seems that Eric has be my sidekick.<novelnext></novelnext>

    We''re like Shymock and Vatson.

    During the past, thirty minutes.. we exchanged our thoughts on the murder and any possible clues. But something still baffled us,

    '''' Why would the killer just leave the murder weapon on the victim''s body ?''''

    Silence follows Eric''s question.

    '''' Maybe the killer wanted to challenge the police or something, like the killer can''t be found even with the murder weapon.... a show of the killer''s confidence .'''', I say after thinking for awhile.

    '''' But isn''t that just stupid ?... I mean they''re gonna find his prints on the weapon.'''', Eric refutes my thoughts.

    Silence once again descends upon the smelly training room.

    After a while the same thoughtes to the both of us and we speak at the same time.

    '''' What if he has a concealment-type skill ?''''

    The both of us high five each other.

    Finally... some progress.

    I have to say, having Eric did help-

    '''' Hey, Adam.''''

    '''' Yeah.''''

    '''' Couldn''t you have just stuck the sticky notes on the wall, why did you bring the whiteboard ?''''

    ...

    I walk away from the training room silently.

    '''' Adam ?'''', He calls out.

    But I ignore him andy down on my bed.

    So now that, I found out that the killer was possibly concealing himself using a skill, there was only one thing to do... I have to ask Katherine for help. I''m pretty sure that the killer''s skill might be good but I doubt that it can hide from the great, '' Kill Count''.

    I close my eyes and sleep.

    ~~~~

    The next day, I''m sitting in ss waiting for Katherine.

    Shees inte but something''s off.

    She''s not wearing her uniform, instead she''s wearing a dress that looked like a literal rainbow. In the novel, I did mention that her fashion sense was trash, but this was too much.

    Everyone in the ss was probably having the same thought as me, it was evident from their facial expressions. Even Max, who hade in early had a disturbed look on his face.

    I also feel a little disgruntled by her dress but I also slightly admire her.

    It''s not easy to express yourself in a society, where people judge you for the smallest things and yet there wasn''t an ounce of embarrassment on her face.

    You go girl !

    But please tone it down a little.

    '''' It''s Katherine''s birthday and she wanted to share some sweets with you all---''''

    Leslie goes on and on but I tune her voice out and think.

    There was something suspicious about this.

    Katherine wasn''t someone who celebrated her birthdays this extravagantly.

    She takes out a packet of sweets and bring them to each student personally, her eyes were always above the head of the student whom she was giving chocte too.

    Ahh...

    I see what''s going on.

    She had the same idea as me.

    Every time she gave a chocte, she would look at a student''s head subtly and then let out a small sigh of relief.

    She''s pretty easy to read when she''s concentrating.

    The only time she frowned was when she gave.. no it would be more urate to say that she threw it at me.

    Why''s everyone so rude to me ?

    I''m a nice guy, aren''t I ?

    This meant that the killer most probably isn''t a student in our ss.

    ~~~~

    Eric and I have hit a dead end in our investigation.

    We''ve be somewhat closer, more closer than I would have liked but there''s no helping it since he''s actually pretty skillful in identifying clues and what not.

    It''s been almost a month since Jeremy died, no other murders have sprung up.

    The killer might have just stopped after killing Jeremy, it might have been a one time thing...

    But my gut told me that this wasn''t the end yet.

    During the past month, I did go to the mansion a few times.

    Lecia is recuperating well and she''s gotten closer to the staff as well.

    I get up from my bed and wake up Eric, who was still asleep.

    He must be tired since we were up all night, brainstorming on how to find the killer.

    The both of us get ready quickly and head off to ss.

    But on the way to ss, we see a huge crowd at one of the bathrooms that were built separately. As the ss and dorms had quite the distance between them they were built, so that students didn''t have to walk all the way to their dorms to use the bathroom.

    A bad feeling rises up in my chest as I see the crowd, which wasrger than the one at our ss the day Jeremy died. Both Eric and I look at each other with worry and run past the crowd, pushing our way through.

    We enter the women''s bathroom and a slight gasp involuntarilyes out of my mouth as I see the sight before me.

    The door to one of the stalls was swung wide open.

    Inside, slumping on the toilet''s seat was Leslie''s dead body.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 33 Chaos

    Leslie Vord or at least what was left of her was giving off a disgusting odor.

    Both Eric and I take out our respective handkerchiefs and continue staring at her lifeless body in a dazed manner.

    Unlike Jeremy whose importance to the plot was insignificant, Leslie was actually a very important part of the plot. She was part of the MC''s harem and most definitely doesn''t die in the novel.

    When Jeremy died, I didn''t really think much of this killer since Jeremy was just a side character and also just a student, but the killer, killing Leslie meant that he was actually stronger than her, and trust me when I say that Leslie was far stronger than most teachers here, this person isn''t here to y around.

    Also rather than calling whoever it was a killer.... it would be more apt to call heshe a serial killer since I''m ny- nine percent sure that they''ll kill again.

    I have to catch this killer before that.

    If something happens to Max or anyone in his group, then this world is pretty much finished. I could always kill the angels alone but that was ast case scenario. If the plot indeed gets twisted even further, then I have no choice but do it all alone.

    To make sure, that doesn''t happen... I''m going to find this killer and bring him to justice.

    Lol, I never thought I would get to be the good guy...

    I notice something weird about Leslie''s body, the veins on her face have popped up and they''re purple. It almost looks as if she''s been poisone-

    Impossible.

    I move closer to her body causing Eric to move as well, even though he had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

    My hunch was correct, she was poisoned.

    This shouldn''t be possible...

    I''m not talking about her being poisoned, that was actually very possible.

    I use the handkerchief to raise her hands and sure enough, her nails had turned ck.

    I''ve seen this poison before, it makes the nails of the victim turn ck as a side effect.

    Rather than calling it a poison, it would be more urate to call it a skill.

    A skill that the dead , Jeremy Dick used.

    ~~~~

    ss was cancelled indefinitely.

    The police were searching the whole school, the cameras in the school were all being checked thoroughly and everybody present on campus was being questioned.

    Both, Eric and I just spent our time studying.

    Teachers get killed everyday, but those tests aren''t going anywhere.

    I was trying to concentrate, but my mind was inplete disarray.

    There were so many questions that needed to answered...

    Like, how did the killer get control of Jeremy''s skill ?

    Yeah, I ''m pretty sure that the skill used to kill Leslie was one that Jeremy owned but it still didn''t make sense.

    Does the killer carry around a ''skill copier'' ?

    That thing was huge so people would have noticed, also skill copiers can only copy skills that are in a skill book. Once a skill is learned, there''s no way of copying it.

    The name of the skill was, '''' Toxic Night'''' and it was B rank.

    Leslie was an A- rank and she could have easily fought against the skill, I mean she would have suffered some damage...but she wouldn''t have died.

    Leslie was also insanely strong, so to defeat her the killer would have to be stronger than her. Unless.. the killer was someone that she trusted...

    We let our guards down in front of the people we trust.

    That''s why I don''t trust people that easily.

    Who would Leslie trust ?

    She was a teacher who trusted her students, but none of the students in my ss have the power to kill her.. so that rules out the students.

    She trusts her father, but that idea wasn''t even worth exploring. Why would a father kill his own daughter ?

    She could have a secret lover who she trusts... it''s a possibility, just because I created her didn''t mean I knew her entire life story.

    Uhhgggg. I''m getting a headache.

    I close my history textbook and jump onto my bed and sleep for awhile.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ~~~~

    It''s been four days since Leslie was murdered in cold blood.

    Both Eric and I have been questioned multiple times by both the police and the management of the school, most of the students have been questioned more than once.

    It seems the school was still struggling to find the killer.

    So... this killer somehow managed to escape undetected after killing a teacher. The cameras showed nothing out of ordinary and nobody saw anything remotely suspicious.

    Apparently, the forensics team didn''t find any fingerprints on the knife either.

    The case of the serial killer at the Unity remains open.

    The whole world or what was left of it was criticizing the Unity for theirck of security. Parents were protesting outside the school to let their children out because they thought that their children wasn''t safe at this cursed school.

    Usually when such an incident happens, the principal usually calls a press conference and issues an apology but none of this was done.

    Nobody could really me Principal Gordon, his only daughter had been killed,

    He wasn''t in the correct state of mind.

    None of us had even seen him these past few days.

    ~~~~

    It''s Saturday and most of the students were getting ready to leave.

    I finished packing my bags and bid Eric goodbye.

    I reach the mansion in 25 minutes, I really should use a ''gate'' one of these days.

    I wanted to stay at school and investigate the murders but I had already made ns with Lecia.

    We were going to watch a movie.

    A romantic flick starring Ryan Jostling, I could already predict that the movie was going to be boring but Lecia liked this sort of thing, not that she asked to go, She hasn''t stepped out of the mansion even once and I''m a little worried.

    ? I thought for sure that she wouldn''t want to go, but when I asked her... she agreed readily. The movie was in the evening so there was plenty of time left.

    I go inside the mansion and find that Lecia was eating breakfast,

    '''' Hey, I wanted to wait for you... but I was hungry.'''', Lecia says her mouth filled with egg sandwich.

    The egg sandwich reminded me of certain incidents but I cast that thought aside as I sit next to Lecia and ask her with a smile on my face,

    '''' You ready for the movie ?''''

    ~~~~

    We were in our car right now, heading towards the theatre.

    Lecia and I talk about random stuff until the car stops and we both get out.

    We had already bought the tickets online, so we just had to go inside.

    But when watching a movie, however boring it may be, having popcorn was a must. So we wait in queue for the popcorn. I buy two extrarge caramel popcorn and tworge PepsO as well.

    Why?

    Cause I''m rich as fuck.

    Today is all about, rxing. I''m gonna forget all about the school, the murders and the stupid fucking plot. Everything. Just rxation.

    Thinking this, the both of us try to get inside the theatre, but someone calls out my name before we can.

    '''' Adam ?''''

    A familiar voice.

    I turn around to find Eric and a young girl with curious eyes standing next to him.

    Well... shit.

    I may have spoken too soon.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 34 The End Arrives Without Warning (1)

    '''' What the hell are you doing here ?'''', I ask Eric.

    The little girl next to him must be his sister, she was short in stature and had Eric''s blonde hair, but instead of blue, her eyes were bright green. Her hair was cut in a mushroom cut, which was considered cute these days. Her cheeks were chubby and her eyes were droopy.

    I instantly disliked her.

    I know that I created her and everything but I''ve always disliked children, running around with their little droopy eyes and snotty noses. Che.

    But Eric''s sister was someone that I didn''t want to mess with, she''s immensely talented, and it''s a shame that Eric''s going to kill her.

    Oh, well.

    '''' Are you my brother''s friend ?'''', the young girl asks me.

    I stare at Eric before saying,

    '''' No.''''

    I take Lecia''s hand and walk into the theatre, leaving the two behind.

    '''' Who were they ?", Lecia asks

    '''' ssmate.'''', I reply while searching for our seats.

    '''' We should have asked them to sit with u-''''

    I interject and say,

    '''' Trust me, they don''t want to sit with us.''''

    I finally find our seats, the both of us sit and start munching on our popcorn before the movie even starts.

    After a minute, Eric and his sister, Anges and sits in the seats right next to us.

    '''' Look, it''s my brother''s friend !!.'''', the young girl shouts as soon as she sees me.

    ''Sigh''

    Of course, their seats are right next to us.

    ~~~~

    The movie is surprisingly engaging, only ten minutes have passed and I''m invested in it. I eat the popcorn slowly to avoid finishing it before the movie.

    I feel movement in my popcorn tub and as I look down, I see a small hand stealing my popcorn. Ang wasn''t even looking at me, she was just simply taking it...

    Was it a mistake?

    I move the popcorn tub away from her and focus on the movie again.

    But yet again, her tiny hands manage to steal my popcorn...

    This bitch.

    I move the popcorn bag further away from her, she once again tries to steal them, but this time I swat her hand away.

    She looks at me in surprise.

    What?!

    Are those tears, I see?

    Good.

    Cry all you like, you little brat....

    '''' Oww''''

    I feel someone pinching me from the other side, I look at Lecia who had a frown on her face.

    What''s her problem now?

    She forcefully takes the popcorn tub out of my hands and gives it to Ang, who epts the popcorn greedily.

    Eric has a smirk on his face.

    Looking at the 11-year-old gori eating my extrarge caramel popcorn, I remember why I hate children.

    They get away with literally everything.

    I''m a living example of this.

    In my past life, I literally got away with murder because I was minor when it happened...

    Or did I ?

    The details of my past life were getting unclear to me now, it''s like I''m slowly forgetting my own life. But I can still clearly remember the plot of the novel.

    In the future, would I forget my past lifepletely ?

    I don''t know why.... but this thought saddens me a little..

    I try to concentrate on the movie, but my mind keeps straying further away..

    Maybe it''s because, I didn''t have my popcorn...

    Damn that pesky brat.

    I take my phone out of my pocket and browse through it.

    Seeing this Lecia takes the phone out of my hands and says,

    '''' No phones.''''

    I sigh as I see Lecia putting my phone on silent.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    * At The Same Time, Somewhere not that far away*

    '''' I refuse.''''

    Diane''s firm voice travels throughout the room.

    Just as her master had predicted an envoy sent by the angels hade to her with an offer.

    Diane once again observes the odd envoy.

    The envoy waspletely dressed in white and was wearing a mask with the insignia of the angel Dina on it. He was quite tall and his blond hair was tied into a bun.

    The angels had put forth an offer to the Hero Association... to Diane just like her master predicted. She immediately refused the offer.

    The envoy currently appeared speechless, after a minute he regains his bearings and ask Diane why she had refused the mighty angels!

    She thinks for a minute and answers back,

    '''' I''m just not interested.''''

    Even though the envoy was wearing a mask, she could feel him ring at her.

    '''' You''ll regret this.'''', saying this the envoy leaves her office.

    Diane had a bad feeling,

    '' I should inform master about this.'', thinking this she takes out her phone and dials his number.

    But unfortunately.... he wasn''t picking up.

    ~~~~

    The envoy walks into the church and gives a quick bow to pay his respects.

    He then goes to the hidden floor underground and entered a room with a projector simr to the one in the demon''s hideout.

    He presses a switch and bows immediately as the figure of a woman appears.

    '''' Diane Creed refused, O bright light...''''

    ~~~~

    12 beings shrouded in darkness sat facing each other at a roundtable.

    One of the beings shout in anger,

    '''' How dare that whore decline our gracious offer ?!''''

    None of the others react to his shouting until another being speaks up,

    '''' It is highly unusual indeed.... our data showed that Diane was someone that we could bring to our side.''''

    Some of the beings nod their heads, showing that they agreed with the being that had just spoken.

    '''' WE SHOULD JUST KILL HER!!!''''

    The being who had shouted first, shouts yet again.

    A being that hadn''t spoken until now, speaks

    '''' Not yet... she maybe a human, but she''s a strong one. We don''t have the necessary troops in human territory to kill her..''''

    '''' WE CAN USE A GATE- I DON''T CARE HO-'''', the being that kept on shouting gets interrupted by another being,

    '''' We can''t use a gate... that wretched woman is still keeping an eye on us..''''

    Hearing the being''s words, the atmosphere of the room bes worser than it already was....

    '''' Didn''t Diane Creed adopt two children recently ?...''''

    A smirk appears on the face of the being that had just spoken,

    '''' Why don''t we...kill one of them and ask her to reconsider ?''''

    Silence descends upon the room....

    '''' Are the children strong ?'''', one of them asks

    '''' No... the youngest one is rank 500 at the Unity.''''

    Silence once again descends upon the room, while the beings contemted on what to do..

    '''' Why don''t you send that ''toy'' of yours, Dina ?'''',

    At this question, all the beings in the room turn towards Dina.

    '''' It''s notplete yet.'''', her voice was soft and tender.

    '''' That doesn''t matter, for those orphans, that ''thing'' is enough.''''

    All the beings in the room nod their heads and look expectantly at Dina.

    Dina sighs and says in a defeated voice,

    '''' I''ll send ''it'' after them now.''''

    Some of the beings cheer at her words.

    The man who had yelled earlier yells once again,

    '''' LET''S SHOW THEM THE MIGHT OF THE TWELVE ANGELS !.''''

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 35 The End Arrives Without Warning (2)

    The movie felt boring to me.. but Lecia seemed to like it, she was almost in tears at the end, and so was Ang.

    Well, they didn''t actually cry like Eric...

    He tried to hide his tears, but I saw it.

    Maybe he''s trying to hide them since the idea that, '' men don''t cry'' has been hammered into him.

    I take a look at my watch and see that three hours had passed since the start of the movie.

    Three hours!

    What a huge waste of time...

    But I can''t reallyin as I''m the one that suggested we watch it.

    All four of us get out of the theatre together.

    I turn towards Eric,

    '''' Well this has been great... I''ll see you on Monday the-'''', I get interrupted by Lecia who grabs hold of my shoulder and says,

    '''' Why don''t you join us for dinner ?''''

    Eric thinks for a moment before nodding his head.

    What ?

    Don''t I have a say in any of this ?

    I don''t even have the strength left to argue, so I just let out a deep sigh and give up.

    After the movie, we had nned to eat outside.

    The sky was slowly taking a dark shade, indicating that night wasn''t that far away.

    We reach the restaurant where I had reserved for two, but I had to pay extra now to include Eric and his pet gori.

    We ordered dishes that I didn''t even know existed, it was all very posh and fancy.

    During dinner, I introduce Lecia as my elder sister to Eric.

    Lecia interrogates Eric about my school life and talks to Ang in the manner that adults talk to little children, you know like.. their voice gets all high pitched and they have this weird smile on their face.

    If I have a child one day and someone talks to it like that then I''ll be calling the cops.

    All in all, dinner went surprisingly well.

    ~~~~

    The four people sitting in one of the tables at the restaurant were holding their bellies as they had eaten way too much.

    They get out of the restaurant.

    '''' Well, goodbye then.'''', Adam says

    '''' What about dessert ?'''', a small voice enquires

    All three of them turn towards Ang.

    Lecia startsughing...

    '''' We can''t forget dessert, can we ?", Lecia pats Ang''s head while saying this.

    Adam looks like he wants to kill himself.

    '''' I know a ce.'''', Eric says quietly.

    Just like that, their parting was dyed yet again.

    ~~~~

    It was almost 9:00 pm and the streets were almost empty.

    The four of them reached the ice cream parlor, just before it closed.

    Adam had to pay extra so that the shop owner wouldn''t close the parlor.

    Adam got strawberry ice cream

    Lecia got chocte.

    Eric got cotton candy-vored ice cream.

    Ang got all of these in a cone, there were three scoops of ice cream stacked on top of each other, It was funny seeing her try to devour it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Suddenly Adam gets up, surprising everyone.

    He has a nk expression on his face...

    '''' I''lle back in a bit..'''', saying this he leaves the shop confusing everyone inside.

    ~~~~

    Adam walks on a deserted street and finally enters a back alley. He reaches the end of the back alley and turns around and says in the lowest voice possible.

    '''' I know you''re there....e out now or die.''''

    At his words, a person appears out of thin air and smiles at him.

    A re forms on Adam''s face as he sees a vaguely familiar face.

    ~~~~

    Something felt wrong from the moment, I got out of the move theatre....

    It felt as if someone was watching me..

    At first, I rubbed it of as my imagination, but as more time passed...the more I was convinced that someone was following us.

    I stare at the ice cream, which was starting to melt.

    ''I have to know for sure.''

    Thinking this, I make up a lousy excuse and head out of the ice cream parlor and start walking down the almost empty streets, lit by streetlights. I head towards a back alley and turn around and say in a low voice,

    '''' I know you''re there....e out or die.''''

    God, I hope someone is there... or else this would just be embarrassing.

    For a minute, nothing happens.

    Then, a person just appears out of thin air.

    The boy had a smirk on his face.

    He looked vaguely familiar....

    Do I know him ?

    '''' I''m sorry in advance for this, but I have no choic-'''', the guy just starts yapping all of a sudden as if he hadn''t just appeared out of thin air.

    '''' Who the hell are you ?''''

    He looks a little hurt at my words.

    '''' You don''t remember me ?''''

    '''' I don''t.''''

    '''' Well, I suppose it''s better that way... my name is Joe, Joe Hopkins and I''m th-''''

    Wait... isn''t he that guy ?

    '''' I know you!'''', I say while pping my hands once.

    '''' You''re that naked kid, aren''t you ?'''', I ask him.

    He''s that kid that was being bullied by Stephan and Jeremy, his name was Joe, huh?

    A frown bes stered on Joe''s face as he hears my words.

    Oops, that must be a spore spot for him.

    '''' I''m sorry, what were you saying again ?''''

    Joe once again has that smug grin on his face.

    '''' I''m the one that killed both Leslie and Jeremy..... now I''m going to kill you as well.''''

    I see.

    What ?!

    That''s not possible.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 36 Monologue Time

    This shouldn''t be possible.

    Joe.... whatever his second name was someone that had little to no importance to the plot, yet here he was with a fucking annoying smile on his face dering himself to be the mastermind behind the killings at the Unity.

    As far as I''m aware, Joe isn''t supposed to be that strong....so how the fuck could he kill a student in the top ten in the rankings and a teacher ?

    It just doesn''t make sense.

    '''' It doesn''t make sense, does it ?'''', Joe says seeing the expression on my face.

    I nod my head.

    '''' Well, I suppose I should tell you my story.... I owe you that much.'''', His eyes held respect for me in them.

    '''' It all started that day...''''

    Ooo, I love a nice monologue.

    ~~~~

    In an empty ssroom, a boyy on the floor panting heavily...

    There were bruises covering various parts of his body, his lips were bleeding and fat tears were flowing down from his eyes.

    The ssroom was silent except for the boy''s whimpers...

    Out of nowhere, the entire ss was filled with a bright light.

    This startled the boy, but what happened next surprised him even more..

    In front of him, there was a golden screen...<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was simr to a status screen, but at the same time.... it was more different....more unique.

    Words started to appear on the screen,

    --------------------------------------------

    You have been chosen.

    Greatness is within your grasp....

    Do you ept, '' The Angel System'' ?

    Y/N

    -------------------------------------------

    The boy reads the words disyed before him multiple times.

    He reads them again and again.... untill he epts.

    This could be a trick or an borate prank to make him suffer more...

    But what more has he got to lose ?

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 37 My Angel System (1)

    Note from author: This chapter is told from Joe''s POV.

    ------------------------------------

    I''ve always thought that I was lucky.

    I felt lucky when the people from the hero association told me that I had the potential to be E-rank.

    I remember everyone in my family being excited for me.

    My mom cooked all my favorite food and my dad gave me his watch, which was passed down to him from his father.

    I was happy.

    Just when I thought that I used up all the luck I had in my life, I got epted into Unity.

    It felt as if the whole world wanted me to seed.

    So, with much excitement and vigor I started my education at Unity to be a top hero.

    I was na?¡¥ve then.

    The truth is that.... the real world isn''t fair and nobody could give a damn if you seed or not.

    Still... that was okay. I just had to work hard and be good right ?

    When I first entered my ss, 5-A. I was honestly looking forward to my school life.. I thought that I would make a ton of friends and graduate as a hero, even though it would be difficult.

    I didn''t know then how wrong I was going to be....

    ~~~~

    I still remember the first day of school clearly.

    I reached my ss earlier than the others and took a seat in the middle of the lecture hall.

    The next student to arrive was, Jeremy Dick.

    Our first meeting was actually not that bad, we shook hands , exchanged our names and talked for a while. He seemed like a decent guy.

    After ten minutes, most of the students had entered the ss and our homeroom teacher also arrived.

    Our homeroom teacher''s name was Leslie Vord, But I knew her more as the Hammer. I''m her biggest fan, whenever she was mentioned in the news, I would cut out the newspaper clippings and collect them in a book. I filled almost two books like this !

    She was one of the heroes who inspired me to choose the hero course.

    She looks so beautiful too....

    Leslie introduces herself and starts taking our attendance.

    This was it..

    I already knew that my rank wouldn''t be that high. I might be E rank, but most of the students here probably have way more potential than me.

    ...

    It was just as I expected.

    My rank was 487, I should take sce in the fact that I''m at least not 500... 487 wasn''t that bad right ?

    At 1:00 pm, ss ends for the day and the students start heading to the cafeteria for lunch. As I''m leaving the ssroom, I notice Jeremy walking in front of me...

    Jeremey turned out to be a big shot. He was within the top ten, I felt lucky that I had gotten the chance to talk to someone way up in the rankings than me. Maybe I should talk to him.... If we be friends, then school would be easier wouldn''t it ?

    I catch up with him and say in a cheerful voice,

    '''' Hey, do you remembe-''''

    Before I can evenplete what I was going to say, he takes a look at me and says,

    '''' Trash.''''

    ~~~~

    I hold the ice bag close to my cheeks to numb the pain.

    Almost two weeks have passed since I started high school.

    It''s been hell so far...

    I don''t know how I offended him... but Jeremy has it out for me.

    Everyday he would make me follow him around like a dog tending to his every need. If he''s bored in ss I have to entertain him....

    After ss ends for the day, I''m dragged to his personal training room, where I''ve been designated as his personal punching bag. It isn''t just him either... his friends also throw a few punches at me.

    Untill now... I''ve never really been bullied nor have I bullied anyone...

    So why is this happening to me?...

    I''m a good person, I don''t deserve to be tortured like this...

    The phone rings, breaking me from my depressing thoughts.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I look at the caller id and see that it''s my mother.

    I answer the call and hold the phone towards my ears,

    '''' Hi, mom..''''

    '''' Joe, you finally picked up... I know that you''re busy but answer my calls once in a while, kay ?'''', her voice is as sweet as I remember them to be.

    With all that was going on, I had forgotten that warmth....

    Feeling the warmth in my mother''s voice, I burst into tears.

    I want to see her.... but I have to stay strong, so that I can make her and dad proud.

    '''' Joe ?''''

    '''' I''m busy now, mom. I''ll call youter.''''

    I cut the call saying this and start wailing in my room.

    My roommate ignores me and I don''t me him.... helping me meant that you would fall victim to Jeremy''s rage.

    For the first time in my life, I waspletely alone.

    ~~~~

    ''Thud''

    I fall down on the floor of the ssroom.

    Jeremy and his pals start kicking me.

    I had just pleaded with them to leave me alone and the result was this.

    I try to shield myself from their kicks, but it was futile.

    They were giggling like excited children, while hitting me.

    How can they be so cruel ?

    Aren''t we supposed to be future heroes ?

    They continue to hurt me untill they''re bored.

    They just leave me on the floor.

    Lying there, with bruises all over my body... tears start falling down from my eyes. It wasn''t because it hurt, I was crying in shame...

    I''m ashamed at my own powerlessness.

    Suddenly a bright light engulfs the ssroom and I raise my hands to shield myself from the brightness. After opening my eyes, I''m shocked to see a golden screen in front of me, words start appearing on it.

    ------------------------------------------

    You have been chosen.

    Greatness is within your grasp....

    Do you ept, '' The Angel System'' ?

    Y/N

    --------------------------------------------

    What is this ?

    Chosen one ?

    Greatness ?

    This must be some kind of sick joke.

    But what if....

    ? With much apprehension, I click on '' yes''.

    The screen once again changes...

    [ Integrating into host body, progress- 20%]

    The number steadily increased.

    What would happen, once it reaches 100% ?

    I don''t really know, but as long as I get power....

    I don''t really care.... because all that matters in this godforsaken world is power.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 38 My Angel System (2)

    [ Integrating into host body, progress- 99%]

    My initial excitement had died down.

    I had managed to get up and somehow reach my room, I''m lying down on my bed staring at the golden screen now.

    Am I hallucinating or something?

    I wasn''t really thinking straight when I epted whatever this ''Angel System'' was...

    It can''t be something dangerous right?

    I mean, everybody knows that the angels are the good guys right... so anything with their name on it, no matter how suspicious couldn''t be that dangerous...right?

    I can''t do anything but hope for the best now...

    [Integrating into host body, progress-100%]

    As soon as it became 100%, I feel myself ck out.

    ~~~~

    I open my eyes, a spitting headache torments me.

    I get up from the bed and go to the bathroom to wash my face,

    While on the way to the bathroom, I nce at the digital clock that was built into the wall, it showed that the time was 9:00 am.

    Shit.

    I''mte... nope more thante.

    I decide to bunk ss for today, I''ll tell them that I have a fever or something... it''s not like anyone is going to notice that I''m even absent.

    I wash my face with water and look at myself in the mirror,

    I looked different...

    My features had be more sharp and my muscles felt more denser, heck I think I''m more handsome than I was yesterday...

    What''s going on ?

    Is it because of that angel sys-

    As soon as I think this, a golden screen appears before me, startling the hell out of me.

    ----------------------------------

    Name: Joe Hopkins

    Age:16

    Blessings: Health+ Beauty+ Strength

    -------------

    Strength: G

    Agility: G

    Stamina: G

    Intelligence: G

    Mana Grade : G

    Vitality: G

    -------------

    Job: The ''Chosen'' One.

    Skill List:

    Total Concealment [ EX Rank]

    ??? - [ Unlock at Level 2]

    ??? - [Unlock at Level 3]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 4]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 5]

    Technique: None.

    Level : 1

    Level up requirement : Kill 1000 ants.

    Good Luck !

    --------------------------------

    What the fuck ?

    The golden screen looked like an updated version of the status system.

    I felt overwhelmed.... I felt like I was a part of something that I couldn''t reallyprehend.

    Several questions popped into my mind,

    What are blessings ?

    Why doesn''t any of the skills have descriptions ?

    Why has my status screen reset ?

    Leveling up ?

    Even the leveling up requirement was weird...

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    This is unbelievable...

    I just walked out of the Unity.... without permission.

    How did I do it ?

    Simple.

    I just walked out.

    Nobody really paid any attention to me... it was as if I was actually invisible.

    Maybe it''s because of my, ''Total Concealment'' skill.

    Now that I was out, I started searching for some ants to smash.

    I had to look for almost two hours, untill I found a huge colony.

    I use my legs to squish every single one of them.

    After awhile, the golden screen appears yet again,

    [ Congrattions! You havepleted the level up requirement]

    [ You have levelled up !]

    [ You are level 2 now]

    [ All stats have been increased]

    [ You have unlocked the skill.... [ Duplication] !]

    I stare at the barrage of notifications that had appeared.

    A small smile breaks out on my face...

    ~~~~

    It''s been a few days since I unlocked the Angel System.

    I''ve experimented with the [Duplication] skill, it''s a really good skill.

    I can make duplicates of any inanimate object as long as I''ve touched it once.

    I could be rich, with just this skill !

    If just this skill was this good, what about the skills that I haven''t unlocked yet ?

    But sadly, I''m not going to level up anymore...

    After I became level 2, I immediately checked what the next level up requirement was....

    I open the golden screen yet again, to look at it once again,

    ----------------------------------

    Name: Joe Hopkins

    Age:16

    Blessings: Health+ Beauty+ Strength

    -------------

    Strength: F

    Agility: F

    Stamina: F

    Intelligence: F

    Mana Grade : F

    Vitality: F

    -------------

    Job: The ''Chosen'' One.

    Skill List:

    Total Concealment [ EX Rank]

    Duplication [ SSS Rank]

    ??? - [Unlock at Level 3]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 4]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 5]

    Technique: None.

    Level : 2

    Level up requirement : Kill the human, '' Jeremy Dick''

    Good Luck !

    --------------------------------

    The idea of killing Jeremy was quite tempting...

    But I''m not a monster...

    I''ll never kill another human being.

    That isn''t who I am.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 39 My Angel System (3)

    It would be a lie if I said that I wasn''t disappointed.

    But I''m not a killer.

    Even if Jeremy was a fucking dick [ pun intended] there''s a line that I won''t cross.

    Plus, killing Jeremy isn''t all that possible, he''s way stronger than me....

    I mean we''re the same rank now... so it wasn''t entirely impossible, but still...

    No. Stop it.

    I haven''t been going to sses for more than week now....

    It''s so weird, I know that the rank of the skill is the highest there is.... but isn''t this a little too effective and moreover it seems to be passive skill. So I can''t turn it off.

    I was scared that Jeremy woulde looking for me but he did no such thing.

    I''m d that I have [Total Concealment]...

    I could just stay here forever, hidden from the outside world... away from all the pain.

    I''m lying on the bed, with my nket over my face.

    I seem to be lying down a lot now, I knew I was beingzy... but I feltfortable and safe.

    I haven''t felt like that in a while.

    Just as I was falling asleep, a knock resounds throughout my room, surprising me.

    Who is it ?

    Another knock is heard as I''m thinking if I should answer the door or not.

    I get up from my bed and open the door slightly.

    '''' Joe Hopkins ?''''

    I''m more than surprised to see Leslie on the other side.

    '''' M-miss ?'''', my voice sounds pathetic even to me..

    She pushes the door open and takes a look around my room.

    She has a slight frown on her face as she sees the mess in my room.

    Letting out a sigh, she asks me,

    '''' Why haven''t you been attending your sses ?''''

    ...

    '''' Y-you can see me ?''''

    I''m shocked.

    During the past week, I had learned many things about my skills.

    A particr fact that I had learned was that I was invisible to most people, people wouldn''t notice me untill I call out to them. But Leslie remembers me...

    '''' Why wouldn''t I be able to see you ?'''', she asks confused.

    She puts her hand on my shoulder and asks in a worried manner,

    '''' You don''t look well... are you doing ok ?''''

    ....

    She''s worried about me ?

    Her touch makes me feel excited.

    I tell her that I was sick and she asks me some other stuff before leaving.

    ~~~~

    I''m back in ss today.

    I have to face my fears not run away from them..

    I enter the ssroom nervously and find a seat for myself.

    Let''s hope that nobody notices me...

    After about ten minutes or so, Leslie enters the ss.

    '''' Good morning all, as you all might have heard... there''s a new student transferring to our ss. Now, I know that this is unusual but please treat him well.''''

    After saying this, Leslie turns her head towards the door and says in a slightly raised voice,

    '''' Come in.''''

    What''s happening ?

    A new student... thiste ?

    Other than me, none of the other students looked surprised.

    Of course, they were obviously excited. But it seems like they already knew about the new student. They must have been told earlier, since I wasn''t in the ss for a week. It wasn''t really surprising that I didn''t know.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A boy enters the ssroom at Leslie''s call.

    His hair was ck in color and he quietly observed us with his eyes that were ruby-like, he looked... powerful.

    I wonder what his rank is?

    ~~~~

    The new kid, Adam Creed is ranked 500.

    He must have connections to enroll in Unity with such trash potential.

    I felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him, we''re both extremely weak yet here we are... trying to do our best.

    I''m in the changing room.

    I remove my clothes to put on my training gear, but Stephanes in and grabs my training gear.

    I try to take it back but he keeps moving.

    '''' Pleas-'''', I try to plead with him but I feel movement behind me.

    I turn back to find that my uniform, which I had just taken off had also been taken by Jeremy.

    '''' Where did you disappear off to ?'''', he asks with a smirk on his face.

    I try to take my uniform back, but that just results in even more chaos.

    Jeremy takes off the towel that I was wearing and pushes me down, as I was trying to cover myself I fall down on the ground.

    Everyone isughing at me...

    Humiliating me is fun for them?

    My eyes don''t leave Jeremy, he has a smile on his face.

    Let''s see how long you can keep that smile...

    ~~~~

    After that day, Jeremy doesn''t stop bullying me.

    He continues to torment me with that stupid smirk still stered all over his face.

    I''m going to kill him.

    Why shouldn''t I ?

    Why does trash like him get to be better than people like me who deserve better ?

    He can''t be considered human, so this doesn''t go against my values...

    '''' Hello ?''''

    Jeremy''s voice reverberates throughout the ssroom.

    I had left a note under his door, pretending to be a girl. He was probably expecting some sort of confession..

    Does this bastard really think that anyone can ever truly like trash like him ?

    I walk up towards him, he doesn''t notice me, even though I''m right in front of him.

    I make a knife, through duplication and imbue mana into the knife.

    The mana has a unique golden hue.

    Jeremy finally notices me.

    '''' Jo-'''', but before he can say anything more, I run towards him..

    Jeremy doesn''t get any time to react.

    Under usual circumstances, there was no way I would be able to overpower him but during the past few days.. I''ve learned that even though I was F rank.... I had the strength of an E rank.

    Must be because of that blessing.

    I push him down with force, just like he pushed me down countless times.

    I get on top of him.

    He''s shouting something... but I can''t hear him.

    I choose not to.

    I raise the knife high in the air and stab him in his shoulder.

    The feeling of cutting through his flesh.... surprisingly felt good.

    I continue to stab him....again and again and again.

    Seeing the light dim from his eyes gave me a different type of pleasure that I had never experienced before.

    This feeling....

    I want more of it.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 40 My Angel System (4)

    [ You have leveled up !]

    [ You are now level 3]

    [ You have unlocked the skill, [ Skill Devour]]

    [ All stats increased to E-]

    As expected, a barrage of notifications appears before me after Jeremy dies.

    Even though, I had aplished my objective... I kept on stabbing him with the knife.

    I couldn''t stop, not because of anger... but because of this feeling of pleasure that I felt every time the knife went into his body.

    I could feel the knife going into his body, past his body fat, past his bones and finally reaching something soft that I assume are his internal organs. The ''squish'' sound that apanied the stabbing felt like music to my ears...

    I finally stop to catch my breath and I''m astonished to see what I did...

    It''s not like I felt guilty, I knew what I had done was not necessarily a ''good'' thing but why did it feel so good?

    I was covered in his blood, which gave off a peculiar smell. I lick some of the blood on my hand...

    Salty..

    I can''t stay here for long.

    I get up and drag his body to the teacher''s desk in our ss and leave the knife in his hands.

    Let''s see just how effective [ Total Concealment] really is...

    I turn around to leave the ssroom, but stop and head back to where I hadid Jeremy''s body. I cup his cheeks tenderly with my hands and bend down to whisper into his ears,

    '''' Thank you, Jer-''''

    A golden notification appears interrupting me,

    [ Would you like to use [ Skill Devour]? Y/N]

    What''s this?

    I press on ''Yes'' and a golden ball of lightes out of Jeremy''s lifeless body and enters my nostrils. I feel something change within me.

    I open my status screen and find that I had a new skill !!

    ----------------------------------

    Name: Joe Hopkins

    Age:16

    Blessings: Health+ Beauty+ Strength

    -------------

    Strength: E-

    Agility: E-

    Stamina: E-

    Intelligence: E-

    Mana Grade : E-

    Vitality: E-

    -------------

    Job: The ''Chosen'' One.

    Skill List:

    Total Concealment [ EX Rank]

    Duplication [ SSS Rank]

    Skill Devour [ EX Rank]

    1. Toxic Night [ B Rank + Strength blessing] [ A Rank]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 4]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 5]

    Technique: None.

    Level : 3

    Level up requirement : ???

    Good Luck !

    --------------------------------

    Toxic Night ?

    It sounds like a poison based skill... was it Jeremy''s ?

    The new skill that I had unlocked was called, [ Skill Devour].... I can steal skills now !

    Depending on how I use it, can''t I be the strongest in the world ?

    I mean having many skills meant that you had more weapons in your arsenal.. and the more skills you have.. the more stronger you be.

    A grin breaks out on my face at this thought.

    I exit the ssroom and head back to my room in a carefree manner.

    Why should I be careful when I have the Angel System ?

    ~~~~

    '''' You''re cooking is as good as I remember, mom.'''', I say with my mouth filled with food.

    My mum smiles at my words and puts more food on my te.

    My father sat at the opposite end of the table and observed us with a small smile on his face.

    My parents conceived me after trying for a long time and I was their only child, so I grew up very pampered. Sometimes I would get annoyed at their nagging... but I knew that the two people sitting at this table are the people who love me the most in this world.

    '''' So, how''s school ?'''', my father asks sipping his tea.

    '''' It''s good.'''', I say absentmindedly.

    Hearing my answer, both my parents nce at each other with a suspicious look on their faces.

    Hmm?

    Seeing that I was confused, my mother smiles apologetically and says,

    '''' It''s just that.. whenever we talked to you before, you sounded gloomy and we were just worried you kno-''''

    I take her hands into mine and tell the both of them with a smile on my face.

    '''' It was difficult at first... but I''m the happiest I''ve ever been now.''''<novelnext></novelnext>

    They both looked stunned at first, but after a while a smile simr to mine blooms on their faces.

    '''' If you say so..'''', my mom says in a pleased voice.

    '''' When did you mature so much... you got a girlfriend or something ?'''' , my dad asks while winking at me.

    We allugh and have a good time.... but my father''s words intrigue me.

    A girlfriend.... why not ?

    ~~~~

    I''m back in ss.

    I''m experimenting [ Skill Devour] today.

    I choose Stephan as my guinea pig.

    I walk up to him and pat him on the shoulder,

    '''' You okay, pal ?''''

    '''' What ?'''', his astonished voicees out.

    Even though I was making direct contact with Stephan, no notifications wereing up...

    Just as I suspected, I can only steal the skills of the people I kill and the skills are probably chosen at random.

    ''Wham''

    While I was thinking all this, Stephan pushes me to the ground and starts punching me. I could easily overpower him... but that would draw unnecessary attention.

    Just as I was getting impatient with Stephan''s pathetic punches, I hear a boy''s voice,

    '''' Could you stop that, please ?''''

    ~~~~

    I respect Adam Creed.

    He stood up for me when no one did.

    People like that are rare... it''s sad that he has such weak potential.

    But even without any special abilities, his martial prowess is impressive.

    I''m lying on the bed staring at my next level up requirement,

    ----------------------------------

    Name: Joe Hopkins

    Age:16

    Blessings: Health+ Beauty+ Strength

    -------------

    Strength: E-

    Agility: E-

    Stamina: E-

    Intelligence: E-

    Mana Grade : E-

    Vitality: E-

    -------------

    Job: The ''Chosen'' One.

    Skill List:

    Total Concealment [ EX Rank]

    Duplication [ SSS Rank]

    Skill Devour [ EX Rank]

    1. Toxic Night [ B Rank+ Strength Blessing]= [ A Rank]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 4]

    ???- [ Unlock at level 5]

    Technique: None.

    Level : 3

    Level up requirement : Do not get caught...

    Good Luck !

    --------------------------------

    There wasn''t a time limit or anything....

    So, do I justy low now ?

    How boring ?..

    ~~~~

    3 weeks have passed and I haven''t been caught. Obviously.

    I''m sitting in ss.

    Leslie was taking attendance like usual.

    I couldn''t take my eyes off her..

    She''s so beautiful...

    It wasn''t just about her body, she had a good personality too.

    She''s the perfect match for me...

    There''s a chance that she likes me as well, since she personally came to my room that day.

    '' Gulp''

    I swallow the saliva that had umted in my mouth.

    Maybe... it''s time to get a girlfriend like my dad said.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 41 My Angel System (5)

    I''m going to confess my feelings to Miss Leslie today...

    I''m very nervous.

    The ss had finished for the day and I was heading to the staffroom to meet with Leslie.

    Did I mention that I was nervous?

    Ok, let''s do this.

    I open the door to the staffroom and enter.

    There are many teachers still inside the staffroom.

    That won''t do.

    It''s a good thing that none of them can really see me.

    I stand in front of Leslie, who was knee deep in paperwork. I thought that she would see me but it seems that I''m invisible to her as well.

    I make sure to make no unnecessary noise as that could alert her of my presence.

    I watch her with a smile on my face, untill she was the only one left in the room.

    We were all alone.

    Now would be the perfect time to confess, but... I can''t.

    Let''s wait for her to finish her work.

    After an hour or so, Leslie stands up stretching her hands. She looks tired.

    She starts packing her things and once she had done all she needed to do, she leaves the staffroom and I follow her.

    She''s probably walking back to the teacher''s dorms.

    I follow her untill she takes a diversion and enters the bathroom...

    Should I follow her in... ?

    After thinking for a minute, I open the door to the bathroom and enter.

    She''s already inside one of the stalls... I wait for her toe out silently.

    ? When shees back, she gasps when she sees me... ?

    What ?

    She can see me now ?

    Shit.

    '''' What are you doing here ?'''', she asks in a cautious manner.

    This wasn''t how it was supposed to happen, but I''m going to do it now.

    Cause no time better than the present right ?

    '''' I like you, Leslie... will you go out with me ?'''', I ask with my head down.

    '''' What ?''''

    I look up to find that Leslie had a repulsed expression on her face. I knew it. I shouldn''t have done this.

    '''' I''m sorry..'''', I say in a low voice, tears start falling down from my eyes in shame.

    What was I even thinking ?

    Seeing me crying, Leslie''s expression softens and she walks closer to me and says in a gentle tone,

    '''' Look, I''m your teacher.... this is highly inappropriate, so please go back.. Jacob.''''

    Jacob ?

    .....

    Does she not know my name ?

    I thought...she cared about me....

    But she''s just like everyone else.

    '''' Is that clear ?'''', she asks me ignorant to the pain she had just caused me...

    This bitch.

    I walk closer to her and hug her tightly.

    '''' Wha-'''', she starts saying something but I cut her off and say,

    '''' I loved you.... but you''re just a whore aren''t you ?''''

    Leslie seems shocked upon hearing my words.

    She struggles slightly, but the more she struggled the tighter my grasp on her became.

    ''''I''ll break both your hands if you don''t let go right now, young man.'''', her voice was serious. She meant what she said.

    So, this is all I meant to her, huh ?

    I use the skill, [ Toxic Night] and a purple vapores out of my mouth.

    Leslie sees it, but before she can do anything significant, the purple vapor enters her.

    '''' Wha-'''' she tries to struggle...

    But it''s useless.

    I had tested this skill a while back on some animals and found that once the vapor enters someone... then it''s game over for them.

    Leslie''s body starts shaking violently, but I hold onto her body tightly in my embrace.

    '''' Leslie..'''', I moan

    Struggle more. Try to fight it.. it''s more enjoyable that way.

    ck veins start appearing all over her body.

    '''' Leslie..'''', I moan once more.

    Her hair smells like strawberry. So sweet.

    I raise my head and meet her gaze.

    It was a gaze filled with pain..

    More... I want more..

    I raise her head and bring her lips closer to mine...

    I kiss her.

    It was my first kiss and it was perfect untill Leslie vomits blood into my mouth.

    I push her down and spit the blood in my mouth out in disgust.

    The blood mixed with my salivands on her face.

    '''' This stupid bitch.'''', I mutter under my breath.

    Leslie falls down slowly and hits the floor with a ''wham!''

    The light had faded from her eyes... she was dead..

    I look at her lifeless body.

    Even dead...she was beautiful.

    '''' Gulp.''''

    ~~~~

    Three minutester, I walk out of the bathroom with a smile on my face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' Whew... I''m tired.'''', I say wiping the sweat of my face.

    I walk back to my room under the watchful gaze of the moon.

    ~~~~

    I''m famous now.

    It was funny seeing the police trying so hard.

    Almost everybody in the world was talking about me.

    Can you believe it ?

    Everybody in the world is talking about me... a weak talentless student.

    It felt good to be finally recognized.

    ~~~~

    I''m home right now, enjoying my weekend with my beautiful family.

    My level hasn''t increased. I don''t know how much longer it''ll take but I hope I level up soon.

    I''m bored, I have nothing to do at home.

    Just as I was thinking of going somewhere,

    A golden screen appears in front of me.

    At this point, I was used to it so I wasn''t that surprised.

    But after reading the contents inside, I couldn''t help but be surprised.

    [ Quest : Kill ''Adam Creed'']

    [ Reward: Level 5]

    Why Adam Creed ?

    I feel bad, but it seems that he''s shit out of luck.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    --------

    '''' and that''s how I reached here.'''', Joe Hopkins finally shuts the fuck up.

    What the hell ,bro ?

    That monologue had like five chapter''s worth of stuff in it !

    It''s a ssic rookie mistake.

    Nobody likes long monologues.

    My mind was currently racing..

    So this is what I think happened,

    Since the messiah was not created in this timeline... the angels were short a hitman.

    Well the most usible choice would be to just hire another one.

    But what if instead of hiring a hitman..... they created one.

    Their own little monster.

    This seemed like one of the crazy ideas that '' bitch'' woulde up with.

    I don''t exactly know, how they did it... but this was the only reasonable exnation.

    This guy must have been chosen because of how gullible and fragile his mentality was.

    '''' So what are you going to do now ?'''', I ask him.

    Instead of answering me, he just starts running towards me and and balls up his fist to punch me. I can see the punching from a mile away.

    I block his fist with my right hand.

    Joe still had that smug grin on his face.

    Something was wrong.

    Suddenly, a golden ball of lightes out of me and enters his nostrils.

    I felt like, I had lost something important just now...

    Impossible.

    I try to pull away from him, but his grip on me tightens.

    Another ball of lightes out of my body and enters him.

    I continue to struggle, but his grip on me was too strong.

    Another ball of lightes out of me and enters him.

    I was using all the strength that I had to pull away from him, but it was all in vain.

    '''' You only have three skills, huh ?'''',saying this he pushes me on the ground with force and gets on top of me.

    Seeing the confusion on my face, he says,

    '''' Did you really think I would just tell you all about my skill''s strengths and weakness?.'''',

    Well, I just thought you were dumb ,but it seems like I''m the dumb one.

    Wait.. what if he''s bluffing about his skill. Maybe it just copies the skills.

    I open my status screen,

    -----------------------------

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: E+

    Agility: E-

    Stamina: E-

    Intelligence: E+

    Mana Grade : D

    Vitality : Unable to determine.

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spearman lvl: 0

    You have a innate understanding and talent for using the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills: None.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    This motherfucker.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 42 The Death Of Adam Creed (1)

    '''' You lied ?'''', I ask.. even though I knew the answer already.

    '''' Oh, is wittle Adam hurt.'''', he replies back in an annoyingly high-pitched voice.

    All that hard work... just taken away from me.

    Granted, I didn''t really work that hard for any of the skills that I had.

    [ Author''s Authority] was a skill I had from the start. I didn''t even get to use it, not even once. I had nned to experiment with the skill but I didn''t get the time since I was buried in schoolwork. I was already behind everyone by a month, so there was no other choice than to work hard.

    [ Mana Disruptor] was just something that I got when I was looking for the ring of erasure.

    [ Bloodlust] was a skill that came in as an added bonus.

    But that didn''t matter, because these skills were like mypanions. They were with me from the start, plus they''re also super useful.

    I feel anger rising within me.

    All may not be lost, there might be some way through which I can get my skills back but,

    This bastard is going to pay.

    From everything that he said in his long and boring monologue, two things were clear.

    The first being that, he feels that all his murders are justified.

    This was only reasonable, everybody''s the protagonist in their own story and everything the protagonist does is justified, isn''t it ?

    The second thing that I understood was that.... he was batshit crazy.

    Were the angels manipting him in some way?

    Like giving him small doses of fearko or something. I mean, how can someone''s personality change so abruptly?

    Of course, he could have been lying.. just like he was lying about his skills. He could have been an evil dude from the beginning and just got lucky when the angels ''chose'' him.

    A hard p breaks me from my thoughts.

    '''' Are you ignoring me ?'''', Joe asks with a frown on his face.

    Shit, I really should do something about my overthinking.

    '''' Look.. Joe, why don''t we make a deal ?'''', his eyebrows raise up and his annoying smirk reappears on his face when he hears me.

    '''' Interesting... what kind of deal ?'''', he asks

    '''' Do you really trust , this '' Angel System'' ?.. I''m almostpletely sure that whoever made it is using you.''''

    I was trying to distract him so that his grip on me would loosen. I mean there was no other use in trying to convince him that he''s being tricked. He probably wouldn''t even believe me. He''s already addicted to the power it gives him.

    '''' So, what if it is...how can you help me ?''''

    '''' Trust me, I have connections all over the ce. If you give me enough time... I will find out more about it.'''', I say in my most believable tone of voice.

    What''s this ?

    Joe really seems to be considering my proposition. Will this miraculously work ?

    I could also feel his grip on me loosening slightly.

    '''' You know how you can help me ?''''

    I nod my head eagerly at his question.

    Just when I was going to break free, he sps both his hands over my throat and says in a dumb voice,

    '''' You can help me by dying.''''

    Oh, this isn''t looking good for me.. but just how cringe can you possibly be bruh ?

    The pressure exerted by his hands increase slowly, but steadily.

    Shit, I don''t feel so good.

    '''' Don''t worry. I''m giving you a painless death since you stood up for me.'''', he whispers into my ears.

    Painless death ?

    This fucker thinks that strangtion is painless ?

    Strangtion is a standard killing method, that for the record isn''t painless. It has been used by a lot of people to kill others. But from the 20th Century it slowly started to be more famous as a kink. This was an insult to all the people who genuinely liked strangling people to death.

    Something even more ironic was that almost fifty percent of the deaths that happened because of strangtion was because of sex games gone wrong.

    Hehe that''s funny.

    I could feel myself cking out.

    Great. Thest thought I have before dying is to lecture myself on the history of strangtion.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I try to fight him, but it wasn''t working.

    After sitting in that stupid theater for more than three hours, my body was too stiff and tired. I tried my best but it wasn''t enough.

    It was a good life...at least better than myst one, I''ll miss Lecia but she''ll do okay. She has Diane and Ken. Just because I died didn''t mean that they would just abandon Lecia. They care about her... I could see it in their eyes that day.

    In a way... this is good I suppose. With my death the plot won''t get distorted anymore than it already has. But I still want to live..

    This is something I don''t usually do.. but let''s pray to god. I mean who knows ?

    Maybe I''ll be saved if not, it''s not like I''m losing anything. Just as I was about to pray,

    '' Screech''

    I hear the sound of somethinging towards my direction.

    Joe lets go of my neck and I open my eyes and take deep breaths.

    Fuck yes !

    I win, there is no god except me in this world.

    Also fuck the plot.

    Mhwhahaahahahah.

    I notice a shining arrow lodged in Joe''s shoulder. Wasn''t this h-

    I turn around and see Eric standing a few feet away from us, a glowing bow in his right hand. Lecia was also there beside him... wait why''s she running towards me ?

    '''' Ora Ora Ora Ora'''', she screams while throwing her fists in the air randomly as she ran towards me.

    Was that a fucking Jo-

    I notice that Ang was also standing behind Eric.

    Joe staggers back with the shining arrow still lodged in his shoulder. Lecia drags me back towards where the three of them were standing, away from Joe.

    While doing so, she asks worriedly

    '''' Are you okay ?''''

    I simply nod my head as my throat hurt, probably because Mr. Loverboy there squeezed it so hard.

    They probably followed me here somehow.. well I''m notining. The only reason I''m alive right now is because of them.

    I get up and run along with Lecia to stand behind Eric and Ang.

    '''' Heal him.'''', Eric says to Ang with his eyes focused on Joe, who was trying to take the arrow out of his shoulder with a pained expression on his face.

    Ang nods her head and walks over to me and puts her hand over my throat, soon her hands start to glow and I feel the pain on my throat lessen.

    The reason, that I mentioned that Ang was a talented individual was because of this. She had a rare job, called ''healer'' that was true to it''s name.

    I stare at the green light that wasing out of her hands gratefully.

    After almost five minutes of doing this with a tired expression on her face, she takes her hand away and says with a smile on her face,

    '''' You''re all healed.''''

    '''' Thank you.'''', I reply back.

    I go stand beside Eric and Lecia.

    '''' Who are you ?'''', Eric asks in a loud voice.

    Joe who had finally managed to remove the arrow from his shoulder gives a pained smile and answers back in a voice that failed to mask the pain that he was feeling,

    '''' I''m Joe Hopkins and I''m go-''''

    Eric turns towards me and asks in a loud voice interrupting Joe,

    '''' Who''s Joe ?''''

    Lecia and Ang also turn their heads towards me to hear my answer,

    I think for a minute and answer back,

    '''' Joe Mama.''''

    What ?

    .....

    I saw an opportunity and I took it.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 43 The Death Of Adam Creed (2)

    Silence follows my promation.

    I''ve seen so many videos in my past life with people shouting out the words, '' Joe Mama''. It''s supposed to be very funny. But it seems like this wasn''t the time nor ce to try my hand at practical jokes or insults.

    The back alley felt a little cramped with all the people inside it. They were all staring at me as if I was a madman, which isn''t that far-fetched.

    ''''Ahem'''', I let out a little cough and say,

    '''' He''s the serial killer.''''

    Lecia looks confused.

    Oops, I didn''t tell her about the murders did I ?

    Well, I''ll deal with thatter.

    I exin briefly about all that had transpired a few minutes ago. As my narration ends, all three of people standing next to me had a huge frown on their faces.

    It was obvious that they had a lot of questions, but I''m pretty sure that they know that now isn''t the time for that.

    I also warn them about Joe''s skill stealing tendencies.

    '''' What do we do ?'''', Ang asks in an anxious voice while staring at Joe who was holding his shoulder with a pained expression on his face.

    '''' I''ll fi-'''' , Eric starts to speak but I cut him off and say,

    '''' Don''t even think about fighting him alone.... he''s stronger than us, but if we fight together we should have a chance.''''

    Eric had a disapproving look on his face, but I ignore him and stare at the bow in his hands.

    Eric Grey''s job was ''archer'', it wasn''t a rare ss like ''healer'' but it wasn''t all that bad either. The weapon in his hand right now was probably the '' Bow Of Artemis'', an A Rank artifact that his grandfather gave him. It probably cost millions, but to the CEO of Grey tech that was just cheap change.

    It was given to him, so that it could be used in situations exactly like this. '' Bow of Artemis'' was not your average bow. It was special in a sense that it didn''t have a physical form. The artifact came in the form of a ring and the user has to use mana to form the arrow. The amount of mana that the user had determined how many times it could be used. The arrows also received a blessing from the goddess ''Artemis'', it would always hit it''s mark.

    The ''Bow of Artemis'' was one of the most OP weapons in the beginning parts of the story. So the fact that we could use it against Joe was a good thing.

    '''' How many more arrows can you shoot ?'''', I ask Eric.

    He looks surprised at the fact that I knew what the weapon he was using was, but I don''t have time to care about what he thinks. Every second counts.

    '''' I can shoot two more.'''', he replies.

    '''' Great. Use those two shots to immobilize him, when you see an opening.''''

    He nods his head and asks me,

    '''' What will you be doing ?''''

    I look at Lecia, who didn''t seem understand anything that was going on and say in slow voice,

    '''' We''ll make an opening for you to shoot.''''

    ~~~~

    The n had been made, now it was time for execution.

    Ang was on standby, so that she could heal us if anyone got hurt. I had thought about sending her away to get help but decided against that since it was dangerous for her.

    Joe was probably in an unstable condition right now, if he saw that one of us was running away, he would immediately go after that person. If anything happened to Eric''s sister it would be bad. Plus, by the time she runs to get help with her short ten year old legs, it would probably be way toote either way. So it was better for her stay near us, at least this way she could heal us.

    I nod at Lecia and the both of us run towards Joe.

    The n was simple really, both Lecia and I would fight him head on while Eric would wait for an opportunity to to shoot his arrows. Lecia would only support me since she wasn''t that well versed inbat.

    Well, I wasn''t that well versed in hand to handbat either, but guess what ?

    Joe wasn''t that good of a fighter either.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While writing one of my novels, I had researched about many fighting styles and even tried learning a few of them. So in terms of experience, I was probably the best among us.

    I try to throw a punch at Joe, but he dodges my fist, barely. He was moving sluggishly. Some might wonder how he would be this affected by a single arrow.

    It was simple really.

    All this time, he got stronger without feeling any pain. So when he''s suddenly subjected to the pain caused by the arrow, it was only obvious that he would be weakened.

    Lecia throws a punch at him from beside me, it actually hits him this time, though it probably didn''t do much damage.

    Joe opens his mouth wide open and a small haze of purple vapores outside, I drag Lecia by the cor and move the both of us back from the range of [Toxic Night].

    The smug grin that dominated Joe''s face earlier couldn''t be seen anymore. He opens his palms and a dagger materializes, this was probably his [Duplication] skill.

    With the dagger in his hand he runs towards us and once he reaches us, he shes at us trying to do us in. I push Lecia out of the way and dodge every attack thates my way, barely.

    Joe was slowly pushing me back, I was being forced into the defensive. Just as I was getting tired of dodging his shes, I hear the sound of two arrows whooshing past me,

    In the next moment, Joe falls down butt first on the ground. Two arrows were lodged into his respective knees.

    Yikes, that looked painful.

    Joe''s screams ring throughout the cramped back alley.

    The only reason we won this fight was because of luck and the fact that Joe wasn''t used to fighting more than one opponents. This is uneptable... I have to get stronger.

    First, let''s get back the skills that this bastard stole.

    I walk to Eric and say with a smile on my face,

    '''' Good Job.''''

    He nods his head at my praise.

    Eric seems tired, this was probably too much for him but he''s not dead yet so everything''s cool.

    Next I walk up to Lecia, she looks like she had a lot of questions to ask me but thankfully she didn''t ask me anything... for now. After making sure that she was alright, I decide to check up on Ang.

    While I was walking towards her, Joe screams out,

    '''' IT''S NOT OVER YET ! DAMN IT.''''

    Scream away all you want pal, but either way,

    you''re done.

    I look at him sprawled on the ground..... wait what''s he doing with that dagger ?

    He''s throw-

    Shit.

    In ast ditch effort to harm us, Joe had just thrown the dagger in his hand, he didn''t even properly aim or anything. He just threw it. Coincidently the direction in which he had thrown the dagger was where Ang was standing at.

    A dagger thrown by an E rank had enough power to pierce her skin. This was bad.

    I run towards Ang and throw myself between her and the knife.

    A secondter. I feel a zing pain in my abdomen.

    Shit.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 44 Who Are You ? (1)

    ? The Angel ''Dina'' was sitting on her throne made of silver.

    She was currently observing the screen in front of her with an incredulous expression on her face. She was the one who pushed the idea of creating the ''Angel System'' forward.

    The main idea behind it was simple, to create a weapon that would always bend to their will. All the angels had to spend a considerable amount of energy to make the angel system. In Dina''s eyes, the experiment was a huge sess.

    The only problem was with the weapon itself, Dina couldn''t stand that thing called ''Joe'', to Dina he was everything that was wrong with humanity. Dina had kept her eye on him all this time since he had gotten the system and like all humans, the power had corrupted him.... no. it would be more appropriate to say that he was already evil... long before he got the system.

    That was the reason why she wasn''t all that sad to see him defeated.

    But what confused her wasn''t his defeat... rather it was the person who defeated him.

    Why does he look so simr to that ''monster'' ?

    Goosebumps rise up on her skin just thinking about the demonic prince.

    She once again looks at the boy who was gracefully dodging every attack the ''weapon'' threw at him...

    That pitch-ck hair.... those eyes that resembled blood... there was no mistaking it.

    Was his name... Adam ?

    A smile breaks out on Dina''s face.

    It seems that the weakest student at the Unity is quite peculiar....

    ~~~~

    So this is how I was going to die...

    I close my eyes and wait for my imminent death but-

    '''' You''re not dead... it''s just a scrape.''''

    I look up and find Lecia looking at me from above.

    Well now that I think about it I was E Rank as well.... so I should be fine as well.

    I look down and just like Lecia had just said, there was just a little scratch.

    Well.... this is embarrassing.

    I mean it really did hurt though.

    Lecia holds her hand out towards me and I gracefully ept.

    Let''s just act like this never happened.

    ~~~~

    I walk towards Joe, who was desperately trying to get up.

    Eric and Lecia also walk behind me.

    I kick his face with all my strength and he actually flies away a small distance.

    '''' Arghhhhhh'''', he screams.

    Oof, look at this drama queen.

    '''' Give me back my skills, dipshit.'''',

    Joe finally stops struggling and stares at me with a stunned expression on his... after awhile, he startsughing like a fucking maniac.

    '''' HahaHahahhHhahhaahAHahHAH''''

    What''s so fucking funny ?

    I kick him in the stomach this time, he coughs out blood.

    '''' Why don''t we ca-'''', Lecia starts to say something but is interrupted by Joe.

    '''' You want your skills back ?''''

    I nod my head at his question and wait for him to continue.

    '''' Guess what ? You''re not getting them back..... Hahahahahah''''

    Is he telling me there is no way for me to get my skills back ?

    If so then I don''t really see the need to keep him alive.

    '''' But I have to say, you have interesting skills.... should I use them I wonder ?'''', Joe says

    Oh shit.

    Now that I think about, couldn''t Joe use [Author''s Authority] to change the present. This was bad. What-

    Wait.

    Joe was looking at me with a knowing smile on his face. He''s ying with me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '''' Go ahead then.... use it.'''', I say.

    This was a dangerous gamble. but when I really think about it why would he tell me before using the skill. Unless he was lying about the skill...

    There must be some kind of catch.

    The expression on his face was priceless.

    '''' How did y-''''

    '''' I didn''t know.. but now I do.'''', I say with the same knowing smile he had on his face just before.

    I can hear him gritting his teeth.

    '''' I HAVE THE BACKING OF THE ANGELS.....IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO ME YOU''RE INSULTING THEM.''''

    I get what he''s trying to say... but why the fuck is he shouting ?

    '''' Have you ever met these so called ''angels'' ?''''

    '''' No bu-'''', I cut him off and continue

    '''' Let me in you on a little secret : the angels aren''t that good as people make them out to be.''''

    I knew that Lecia, Ang and Eric were listening in on my conversation with Joe but it doesn''t matter.

    No matter what I do, the plot is going to get changed so I''ll just bend it to my will. Having Eric and his sister as myrades would solve a lot of problems for me. If I''ve learned anything from this entire ordeal... it''s that I can''t win alone. I need loyal do-rades who will obey me.

    Joe bbering something, but I''m don''t care enough to listen to him.

    I see the dagger that had scratched me lying a few feet away from me,

    I get up and grab it.

    I walk towards Joe, once he sees the dagger in my hands a frown starts forming on his face.

    '''' Wha-''''

    Before he canplete what he was going to say I slice his throat with the dagger, blood starts flowing down from his throat. He starts coughing out blood as well... he was slowly dying.

    '''' What did you do ?...'''', Eric asks with a shaky expression on his face.

    '''' I did what had to be done.''''

    I didn''t even look at Lecia, it''s more like I can''t. But I''m pretty sure that in the future I''m going to have to kill more people so it''s better to not act like an innocent shit in front of the people I''m close with.

    The Angels probably installed some kind of surveince device into this idiot, they knew about my existence now. There''s no more time to y around.

    I can see the light dim in his eyes,

    '''' I''m sorry, mom'''', he whispers into the air.

    I bend down and look into his eyes,

    '''' You''re next.''''

    This wasn''t me speaking to Joe... it was a warning to the angels, which probably isn''t going to work.

    ~~~~

    '''' Who killed it ?''''

    This question was directed towards Dina, who had just informed the rest about the death of their ''weapon''.

    '''' It was a man... I couldn''t see his face because he was wearing a cloak.''''

    At her words, most of the angels fell into thought.

    Who could this mysterious man be ?

    '''' That''s such a waste. All that energy that we spent... totally wasted.'''', one of the twelve says

    None of them even think of doubting Dina.

    She feels a little sad that she had to lie to herrades but--

    At the same time she didn''t know why she had lied to them...

    It was just a feeling, but his mannerisms... even his gait all felt familiar to her.

    It was as if she actually knew him.

    Before telling the others, she wants to investigate him a little more.

    A smile forms on her face...

    '' Will you teach me something new... I wonder ?''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 45 Who Are You ? (2)

    Four people that didn''t look very old were currently digging a pit together.

    '''' This is wrong.'''', one of them says with a troubled expression on his face.

    '''' What should we have done ?... go to the police so that we can be arrested for murder and assault... hmm ?'''', another one replies to his statement.

    '''' We should hand him over to the police... he''s a murderer isn''t he ?'''', a girl asks with uncertainty.

    '''' We don''t have any proof of that.''''

    A girl that looked younger than the rest, held onto one of the boy''s shirts and said in a shaking voice,

    '''' I''m s-scared brother.''''

    ~~~~

    We''re currently burying Joe''s dead body.

    No... scratch that, I''m burying him on my own while these shits are too busy asking me questions.

    '' I have to be considerate.'', I remind myself.

    I had to be especially careful with Eric, he maybe physically strong but mentally a baby might be stronger than him. I can''t me him much either since he''s been through some shit.

    I look at Ang who appeared to be glued to Eric and sighed.

    This isn''t going to work.

    '''' Why don''t the two of you go inside the house ?....we''lle inside afterpleting this.''''

    We had decided to bury the body, in my mansion''s backyard. The backyard was spacious and had a lot of stuff like a fountain, a resting area and even a garden.

    It''s funny thinking that Joe was going to be manure for my vegetables.

    '''' Okay.'''', saying this Eric leaves along with Ang.

    Lecia and I continue to dig silently for awhile.

    I knew she was going to ask me questions about tonight at any moment now, so before she can shoot me any questions, I start to exin to her things from my point of view,

    '''' Lecia.... let me expl-'''', just as I started to exin myself Lecia cuts me off and says,

    '''' You don''t have to exin now, Adam..... I know that you''re a good person and what happened today doesn''t change that... at least for me.''''

    Oh, I was not expecting that.

    How mature of her.... something felt a little odd here but I don''t have time to dwell on every word she says, at least not right now.

    '''' Thank you... I was stuck on how to exin myse-'''', I say but get cut off my Lecia yet again.

    '''' Oh.. you still have to exin yourself, but not when we''re burying a fucking dead body !''''

    There was some panic in her voice.

    '''' Of course, I will.'''', I assure her while cursing in my mind.

    I mean... this was going to happen either way, since I was already nning on telling her about everything that was going on.

    I won''t tell her nor anyone about me being the author of this world though. That would just make things weird.

    After 15 minutes of digging, we finally make a pit big enough for Joe''s body. Before throwing him in it, I remove his watch and clothes. I also wash his body with a pipe that was lying around the garden. Then with a little push, the body fell into the pit with a ''thud''.

    Whew.. that was a lot more harder than I thought it would be.

    The both of us silently walk inside the mansion.

    I''m trying to think how I''ll exin the whole situation to them.

    We enter the dining hall, where Eric and Ang were currently making themselvesfortable. They were even eating biscuits.... where did they even get that ?

    Che. fucking freeloaders.

    The both of them get up, when they see us. Ang can''t seem to look me in the eye... she''s hiding behind Eric like a scared little girl... which she is, so I can''t really me her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lecia takes a seat at the dining table, opposite to Eric and looks at me expectantly.

    Seeing her looking at me the duo opposite to her also does the same. Oof I''m getting the heebie-jeebies.

    '' Calm down.'', I reassure myself.

    '''' The truth is that---''''

    Just like that I began to exin the true history of this world, the truth of the angels and demons.

    They''re all shocked and ask me a ton of questions, except Lecia.... she was strangely quiet.

    After that I also tell them about Diane and Ken.. I mean why not right ?

    This time even Lecia asks a lot of questions.. it seems that she''s bonded with them during my absence. I tell her that even though they were not who she thought they were... they still care about her.

    Of course, they ask me how I know all this shit.

    I tell them that the demons contacted me and gave me concrete proof on the matter, I found out that Diane was going to side with the angels so I asked them for help.

    The story felt very weak to me but they seemed to eat it up.

    Lecia seemed angry but still strangely enough she still remained silent.

    I also tell them about the demon princess, and how I had to save her.... I ask for their help in this matter. I could do it alone, but have subordinates would make things easier.

    They needed some convincing to join me, but after making up some story of how a child was suffering without even knowing what her crime was... Eric epted.

    The princess must remind him of himself.

    Did I say all that with this in my mind ?

    No, of course not.

    That would be a bad and petty thing to do.

    Heh.

    After Eric agrees, the rest follows suit.

    So, after an hour long discussion on my n, we finally decide to part way-

    Untill Lecia suggests that they stay at our house since it was already thiste.

    They ept and get up to go to their rooms but before they do, Lecia says,

    '''' Since we''re telling all our secrets right now.... mind if I tell mine ?''''

    She has a secret ?

    She looks intently at me untill I nod my head.

    She has a guilty expression on her face. This secret must be pretty bad huh ?

    But I''m not that worried... I mean it''s Lecia... what does she have to hide ?

    She lets out a huge sigh and says,

    '''' I know your mother''s identity.''''

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­

    What ???

    ~~~~

 Chapter 46 Untangling Lies (1)

    16 YEARS AGO

    --------------

    Lecia''s Pov

    --------------

    I wake up panting and heaving, my entire body is covered in sweat.

    ''It''s that same dream again'', I think while silently getting up from the bed so as to not wake the others.

    Every night since I came to this orphanage, I''ve been having the same recurring nightmare.

    In the dream, I jump off a mountain and kill myself.

    I know that it''s silly to be so afraid of what happens in a dream but it just felt.... so real.

    I walk to the kitchen and find myself a ss of water.

    I miss my family, sometimes I like to pretend that they''re still with me, but in the end that''s all that is, pretend. They''re dead and won''t being back anytime soon.

    I wonder if the me in the dream who jumps off meets our family in the afterlife.

    I silently watch the silver glint of knife in the kitchen. I start heading towards it in a trance but stop myself as I hear the someone ringing the doorbell.

    How odd.

    Why would someonee to the orphanage at midnight ?

    I head to the door and peer through the hole and find a woman walking with her back turned around the orphanage.

    Just as I was wondering, who she was... I hear the cries of a baby close to me.

    I open the door, using the key under the mat and gasp at the sight before me.

    A babyy on outside our door. on our carpet crying. There was some blood on him as well.

    I take him and the ne lying near him in my arms and start running towards the retreating figure of thedy.

    Thedy was limping slightly as if she was wounded.

    I gulp down the saliva in my mouth, I was afraid... but this isn''t right. A baby shouldn''t grow up in that stupid ce.

    I reach thedy and say,

    '''' You forgot your baby, miss.''''

    The woman finally turns around.

    I could see the tears flowing down from her face, she was crying.

    If she''s sad.... then why''d she abandon her baby ?

    She starts walking towards me in short steps.

    I take a few steps back in fear.

    The woman looked dangerous, she looked fit but not too muscr. There was something about her that just made me feel afraid.

    Maybe I shouldn''t have done this.

    The women had short ck hair and eyes of the same color.

    She bends down and I ready myself to punch her.... but instead of doing anything to me, she kisses the baby on the forehead and take a few steps back.

    '''' Please take care of him.'''', saying this she just walks away.

    I want to shout, '' WHY CAN''T YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM ?'' but I couldn''t.

    I look at her figure in the distance and let out a little sigh.

    I then look at the baby in my arms, he''s sleeping.

    How did he sleep so fast ?

    Babies sure are weird.

    I felt pity as I saw him sleeping so peacefully in my arms.

    '''' Don''t worry, I''ll take care of you.'''', saying this I bump my forehead with his.

    I don''t take him inside the orphanage and leave him on the carpet once again and ring the door bell multiple times. If caretaker Mark finds out that I was awake during the night, he''d probably scold me.

    After ringing the door bell enough times, I go inside and lock the door and hide near the stairs.

    After two minutes theye and find the baby and take him inside.

    I go back to bed after making sure of this.

    Lying on bed I think about how that baby will never receive love from his family ever again and would have live with the fact that they abandoned him every single day.

    ...

    I was loved by my family and when they were killed... I was.. no still am heartbroken. So what would this baby feel...

    .....

    '' It''s decided then.'', I think as I raise my hands and make a fist.<novelnext></novelnext>

    If he doesn''t have family to love and care for him.... then I''ll be his family.

    We can help and take care of each other.... just like sibling-

    I remember Adam then and feel sadness once again... My family wouldn''t want me to abandon a baby just because I couldn''t get over their deaths.

    I don''t think I ever will be over their deaths and that''s the point.... they will always remain inside my heart.

    Excited about the future, I slowly fall asleep.

    ~~~~

    '''' That''s it. ?'''', Adam asks

    I was angry and surprised at all the secrets that he kept from me... but I don''t have the right to be angry at him... since I''ve been keeping this secret for more then a decade.

    I nod my head and wait for him to react in some manner.

    I wanted to tell him about this a long time ago.... but I just couldn''t make myself to say it to him.

    What if he goes searching for his mother and finds her only to be disappointed.

    I knew that... hiding this wasn''t right but deep down I think I was afraid that what if he finds his family and doesn''t need me anymore...

    I''m ashamed of even thinking such a thought.

    '''' I see.'''', Adam says and gets up and heads back to his room.

    He''s angry. I can feel it.

    I look down at the floor and feel shame creeping inside my heart.

    '''' Ummm- could you show us where the rooms are ?'''', I look up at Eric and say in voice that I think is normal.

    '''' Sure, follow me.''''

    ~~~~

    Two days have passed since Lecia dropped that nuke on me.

    I''m not angry... it''s just a lot to process.

    I don''t really care about my mother or her whereabouts. I was upset at the fact that Lecia had lied to me all these years.

    I mean... I haven''t told her that I''m the author of this world.. but that''s a different matter okay ?

    I haven''t had the chance to talk to her since then... I''m not avoiding her... I just had some stuff to do on Sunday.

    I''m in ss right now... so I can probably talk to Lecia next Friday or something.

    ss finishes up at 1:00 pm like always and I start heading to the cafeteria.

    But as soon as I got out of the ssroom, I''m ambushed by Emilia.

    '''' Adam, could youe with me for sec ?'''', she asks

    I raise my eyebrows and ask, '''' What''s up ?''''

    '''' I don''t know... they said to bring you as well.''''

    I wanted to ask her who this, '' they'' was but it''s probably Max and the rest.

    Why do they want to meet up with me ?

    I nod my head and walk beside Emilia to Liam''s quarters.

    '''' Why are we here ?'''', I ask perplexed.

    Emilia has the same confused look on her face.

    '''' I don''t know.'''', she answers back.

    We knock on Liam''s door and it opens.

    The whole gang''s inside.

    Max, Eric, Katherine and even Liam Wood, our training instructor.

    They all have puzzled expressions on their faces, except a single person.

    Katherine. She had a determined look in her eyes,

    As soon we close the door behind us.

    She points her finger at me and says,

    '''' He''s responsible for the murders.''''

    ....

    .....

    Why does this always happen to me ?.....

    I''m fucked.... yet again.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 47 Untangling Lies (2)

    The Records Of a Peculiar Maid [2]

    -------------

    Yesterday, we got some guests at the mansion at midnight.. no less !

    -----

    I woke up to the sounds of people entering the mansion and at first thought that we were being robbed. I almost hit one of them with a bat but they introduce themselves as the young masters friends.

    Their names were Eric and Ang.

    The child looked so cute!

    I wanted to pinch her cheeks but I have to maintain myposure. I''m a maid that works at the Creed''s mansion. There''s a certain standard that I have to uphold.

    I bring out some biscuits for them and go back to get the milk.

    As I came back with the milk, I could hear the young master''s voice.

    I press my ears close to the kitchen''s doors and listen in on them.

    ...

    ...

    ....

    ...

    ....

    Oh God.

    Is he saying the truth ?

    The angels were lying to us..... My masters weren''t really my masters ?

    I felt scared at the fact that I had just heard something that I wasn''t supposed to hear.

    What would the young master do, once he finds out that I listened in on his conversation ?

    ''Gulp''

    I have to tell Francis and Amanda about this.... they''ll know what to do.

    ~~~~

    Untangling Lies (2)

    Now that I had killed Joe, Katherine would see that I''ve killed two people.

    ¡­

    Why didn''t I think of this earlier ?

    It''s only reasonable that she thinks that I''m the killer and it''s not like I can tell her that I''m the one who killed the killer.

    ¡­

    This all feels soplicated.

    The atmosphere in the room wasn''t that Adam- friendly right now. When she had first proimed that I was killer, everyone was confused.

    But Katherine exins about her skill.

    This was a huge step for her. Under normal circumstances , her family had instructed her to never reveal their family''s hereditary skill, '' Kill count'' to anyone.

    The fact that she revealed the skill, even if it was only to the people she trusted the most showed her resolve.... to end me.

    This doesn''t happen in the novel, but that isn''t something new is it ?

    I let out a sigh and raise my hands in the air,

    '''' Let me exin mysel-'''', I take a step forward but Liam aims his sword at me and says in cautious voice,

    '''' Stay back.''''

    Seriously.

    Uhhgggg.. this whole ordeal just feels tedious.

    Even though it was tiresome, what I say next is deteremental for my survival... so I better not mess this up.

    '''' I-'''', Max cuts me off and says,

    '''' Why don''t we listen to him first ?'''', he uses his hand to calm Liam down.

    Truly a student bes the teacher moment.

    '''' I-'''', I try to start again but I''m cut off yet again.

    '''' He''s not the killer. I was with him all day yesterday.... are you calling me a killer too ?'''', Eric says with voice that sounded a little angry.

    Well he''s at least standing up for me now.

    I suppose that''s a big step for him.

    '''' No, o-of course not.'''', Katherine stutters back.

    He must know that she knows about the fact that he killed someone and that''s like his most deepest darkest secret. Katherine must be startled because she''s probably never seen Eric be so expressive before.

    '''' What''s his kill count ?'''', Emilia who was still standing next to me asks while keeping her eyes fixed on me.

    At her question, Katherine goes silent.

    '''' What is it ?''''. Max asks her with his hand on her shoulder.

    How the fuck is his shoulder so fast ?

    It''s this kind of behavior that make all the women love him, he''s such a gentleman.

    I felt like a proud papa, seeing him working his charm... but what Katherine says next...pletely stop all the thoughts that were going through my mind.

    '''' His kill count is... more than four billion.''''

    Adam.exe has stopped working.

    ....

    ....

    ....

    Everyone gasps, but not like a surprise gasp.... more like a confused gasp because what Katherine just said right now couldn''t be possible. Not even the demon king''s killed that many people.

    Katherine''s not one to lie... so why''s she lying now ?

    I mean... think about it, if I have the power to kill more than four billion people.. I would be an existence akin to a go-

    Wait.

    I think I know what''s going on here.

    I am simr to a god here.... aren''t I ?

    Is the four billion thing, because I killed off so many people in the novel and now that the novel had turned into reality.. they''re deaths were in my hands.

    I have to say if that''s true.... that''s pretty fucked up, even for me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But isn''t this the perfect opportunity for me ?

    I mean... Katherine just looked stupid now.

    Eric had vouched for me, also given me an alibi as well.

    The four billion kill count was not just realistically possible... unless if they knew about the fact that I was their creator.

    I could feel the tides of fortune wash over me.... Is this what they call plot armor ?

    I don''t know... but it felt good.

    Heh.

    But I can''t have Katherine be humiliated... from what I''ve seen so far even the smallest changes affect the plot of the novel adversely.

    I need some kind of lie that feels convincing...

    Yes, that''s perfect.

    I clear my throat and the eyes of everyone in the room falls on me,

    '''' I think there''s been a mistake... and I think I know why.''''

    Once I was sure that I had attention of everyone in the room, I continue,

    '''' Firstly, I''m not a killer. Secondly the reason why her skill is saying that I killed more than four billion people, which isn''t even realistically possible must be probably because of one of my skills. It''s called ''Impostor'' and I''m notfortable with sharing more about my skills.''''

    With that I finished speaking and observed their reactions.

    I know the whole, '' Impostor'' thing was a little shaky.. but that''s all I coulde up with on such short notice.

    Let''s hope that they believe me.

    ~~~~

    They did believe me.

    But Katherine still didn''t seem to be fully convinced.

    Still, she still apologizes to me and all of us go with our day.

    ss ends for that day and I''m currently in my personal training room. Eric seems hell bent on ignoring my very existence. He must still be shaken with the fact that Katherine probably knew that he had killed a person.

    He must be worried about her spreading rumors or something. They should probably have a talk or something. Considering their respective personalities it was likely that a conversation would happen.

    I''m practicing with my spear right now.

    The only thing I regret about adding into the novel was how hard it was to learn techniques. I''ve been struggling with the training manual for the spear for more than two months now, but my job''s level was still not increasing.

    Jobs in this world had 5 basic levels.

    The Rookie level also known as level one.

    The Veteran Rookie level also known as level two.

    The Master level also know as level three.

    The Veteran Master level also known as level four.

    The Diamond Master level also known as level five.

    I was currently a level o, spearman. Yes I''m in a level that''s not officially recognized by the world. It''s probably because of my job change.

    Before mastering a weapon, there''s a set of basic that have to be ingrained into a person''s body. Only after mastering the basics can people really get into theplexities of the weapon. Usually a person is designated a job at birth and the basics of that particr job is automatically ingrained into their bodies.

    Since I had changed the job that was given to me at birth, I had to learn the basics of how to use a spear.

    During each level up, our job also evolves . Like my spearman could change into something likencer. They could also evolve into unique jobs.

    Two months ago, I had gotten this manual which contained the basic techniques of the spear and I''ve been at it for two months now.

    ...

    ...

    Two months with no visible progress will drain you.

    But I could feel that I was nearing a breakthrough.

    Just as this thought passes through my mind a notification appears before me.

    [ Job has levelled up !]

    [Your job is now: Spear Warrior]

    Finally.

    I let out a sigh and fall down on the ground exhausted. I can taste the ground. That''s a whole new level of low.

    Now that this was done. There was only one thing in my to do list that I had toplete.

    Save the demonic princess.

    I was extremely nervous because I have no idea what to expect since the princess was a character that I didn''t really know that much about. The only role she had was to die by Max''s hand.

    But I was going to change that. This change could change the whole course of the plot. I know it but as I always say,

    Fuck the plot.

    I press my ears against the ground of the training room and try to listen carefully, maybe I can hear the demon princess.

    ....

    ....

    That''s right.

    The prison inside the Unity was not above the ground. It was below, an underground prison.

    ~~~~

    Author''s Note,

    That''s a wrap on Volume 2 !!

    I can''t believe that I''ve written over 50 chapters even though some of them are very short.

    Writing on this tform has been amazing so far. All yourments and reviews really encourage me to write more. The critisism I have recieved so far has also helped me improve myself a lot. So thank you for that as well.

    Currently I''m nning on writing close to 10 volumes. The number of chapters in each volume will differ ording to my preferences. Now that Vol.2 is finished, I have decided to take a month long break to stack up on chapters.

    Releasing a chapter a day isn''t that hard but the problem is the quality will drop if I''m forcing myself to write the chapter. I love writing but I have to be in a certain mood to write good stuff. So that''s why after careful consideration I''ve decided to take this small break. I''ll probably mass release the chapters I''ve written after a month.

    Now, I know that some of you may not like this and may want to remove the book from your library. To all those people I say, Go for it.

    I know how tiring it can be not read something for a month and then suddenly start reading again. You may feel disconnected from the plot, may forget the characters etc..

    But I hope you all stay for the whole ride. ( considering that I don''t drop it midway.. which I probably won''t )

    There''s also going to be an epilogue for volume 2 that''s going to set up more lovely misunderstandings.

    I''ll publish it after checking for any grammatical errors.

    From,

    A veryzy carrot

 Chapter 48 Epilogue: Closer

    '''' WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ?! '''', A middle-aged man shouted at Katherine, who was intently gazing at the floor.

    Katherine was in a dining room right now, she was standing in front of her family because she had screwed up,

    She had revealed the truth about the Coleen family to her friends, she knew that they wouldn''t bber about it to anyone but she still felt that it was necessary to inform her family about what she had done.

    She was surprised that her father was the one who was scolding her. She had excepted her grandfather to be the angriest but surprisingly enough her grandfather had not uttered a single word.

    He just stared at her silently, which made her even more nervous.

    Katherine''s mother had a disappointed expression on her face, while her father continued to yap away until a man walked into the dining room and handed her grandfather a file.

    '''' What''s that father ?'''', Katherine''s father asks her grandfather in a tired voice.

    '''' It''s a file on that boy.''''

    Katherine''s grandfather''s words shock everyone in the room. When had he even issued the order for this?

    As always Katherine''s grandfather, Eustace was an enigma that couldn''t beprehended by normal people.

    Eustace Colleen opens the file casually and reads the content within it. A frown can be seen on Katherine''s face.

    '' Gulp.''

    '''' What''s wrong, grandpa ?'''', she asks carefully

    '''' Nothing.''''

    '''' What ?''''

    '''' There''s nothing on that boy here.... no useful information at least.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Nobody says anything for a while.

    Eustace says, '''' It''s probably the work of that corrupt woman..... you''re right Kathy... there is something fishy about that boy.... but the way you tried to uncover it was not the way to do it.''''

    Katherine couldn''t believe her own ears.

    Did her grandfather just agree with her...

    Seeing the look on her parent''s faces, they too seem shocked.

    '''' W-what should have I done, grandpa ?'''', Katherine asks in a shaky voice.

    All she ever wanted to do in her life was to make her grandpa proud... and maybe one day be the head of the family just like him.

    '''' Forget everything that''s happened till now... For now... I think you should get closer to him..... a lot closer''''

    .....

    .....

    .....

    Huh ?

    Katherine suddenly gets an ominous feeling.

    ~~~~

    END OF VOLUME 2.

 Chapter 49 What Is The Truth ? (1)

    Thrust

    sh

    Pierce

    These were the three basic moves that were included in the basic manual for the spear which was titled " Learning how to use a spear, for dummies".

    I''m not making this up.. nobody can make this shit up. All the moves stayed true to their name.

    Thrust was basically me just thrusting the spear.

    sh was just thrust from a different position.

    Pierce was just a very quick thrust.

    ... It really is spearsmanship for dummies..

    For the past two months I''ve been doing all the three of them consecutively till I couldn''t move.

    Seeing all my hard work paying off felt good.

    Okay.

    ''That''s enough feeling good for one day.'', thinking this I force myself to get up.

    It''s time for a prison break... or is it a heist... or a rescue mission.

    Well whatever it was... it''s time to change the plot... again.

    Last Sunday, after burying a body in our backyard, I discussed my n to break out the princess.

    The n is toe up with a n.

    That''s right. We have no n.

    But I''m not worried... I mean what are the demons going to do, kill me or something ?

    ...

    ...

    I better think of a n soon.

    I mean, I do have a basic n on how it''s was going to work.. I just had to iron out the details.

    Yeah everything''s going to be fine... probably.

    ~~~~

    I''m in my room, standing in front of Eric and Lecia.

    Lecia''s starteding back to school by the way.

    .... and I''m not ignoring her, I just have a lot of things on my te.

    " So, you still have no n ?", Eric asks with a tone that sounded tired.

    Oh I want to see this mf make a n in 5 months... now that I think about it, that sounded very possible.

    Why couldn''t I think of a n yet ?

    Am I dumb ?

    I shake my head to get all these negative thoughts away from my head and say to the crowd in my room.

    " I have a n, I just need a little more time."

    Hearing my answer Eric scoffs a little and goes to his bed and lies down.. like a little bitch if I say so myself.

    Lecia doesn''t move from my bed and continues to stare at me. I try to ignore her gaze and go into my training room but she stops me and says,

    " When will you stop ignoring me ?"

    I look at her innocently and say,

    " I''m not ignoring you."

    A frown starts forming in her face as she asks me,

    " Is that why you''ve been ignoring all my calls ?"

    " I was just busy...y off me okay ?"

    Lecia seems to be hesitating but she manages to say,

    " Look.. I know you''re angry.. I- "

    I cut her off and say,

    " I already told you that I wasn''t angry, so just l-"

    This time she cuts me off and shouts,

    " STOP LYING!"

    Is she yelling at me ?

    Oh really... I''m the person who should stop lying..huh ?

    I feel anger rising within me.

    I''m probably going to regret this but I start to shout at Lecia,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " YOU KNOW WHAT ?... I AM ANGRY.... YOU DON''T HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION ME!''''

    I haven''t raised my voice against Lecia ever before..... but I''m just too... I don''t know.

    '''' I''m sorr-'''', she tries to apologize again but I cut her off and continue my rant.

    '''' I don''t care about who my mother is or where she is... I''ve always thought of you as family... now you''re telling me that the reason you ''took care'' of me was because some random woman told you to.. Without her telling you, would you have even noticed me in that stupid orphanage.... Oh and that big speech on the park that day about ''family'' and shit, I can''t believe I fell for that shit.... it was so obvious all this time... I should have notic-''''

    I stop speaking as I see tears falling down from Lecia''s face.

    Oh she''s crying... so what ?

    I''m not the bad guy here.

    I''m not some stupid simp who forgives a woman just because she cries a little.

    I am an advocate of true gender equality.

    '''' Don''t cry, Lecia. I''m sorry.'''', I say with my hand on her shoulder.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    Let''s just not talk about it.

    '''' I''m sowwy... I didn''t mean to lie to you... everything thawt I said to you on that park was the truth..''''. she says while sobbing.

    I can feel Eric''s judgmental gaze on my back.

    This has gotten awkward and I suppose that it''s kind of my fault.

    I let out a sigh and sit beside Lecia.

    " Look I''m sorry... I shouldn''t have said that to you.... I was just a little angry... I''m sorry."

    I shouldn''t have shouted at Lecia, her mental state isn''t that great right now. With all that''s happened I should have known better than to shout at her.

    ''Sigh''

    This is a mess, but it''s my mess so I''m going to have to clean it up.

    " Why don''t we go for a walk ?", I ask her

    She nods her head and wipes away her tears quickly to stand up.

    ~~~~

    We''re sitting on the bench.

    The park was strangely empty, must be because it was almost night time.

    We sit silently for about ten minutes untill I start speaking,

    " I know that you didn''t lie that day on the park.... I was just caught off guard by your lie.... I known you since forever you know ?.... maybe that''s why it hurts a little more....But I also lied to you... a lot so... let''s forgive each other just this once ?"

    She clears her thought and says,

    " Okay and I''m so-", she stops speaking once she sees the re on my face, a small smile blooms on her face.

    " So, how''s school been ?"

    We talk about everything that''s changed over thest few months and then some more as well.

    I think I needed that...just as much as Lecia.

    After an hour of talking, I walk her to her dorm room and bid her goodnight and return to my room.

    ~~~~

    Eric was still up reading some book.

    He acknowledges my presence with a nod and goes back to reading his book.

    I get on my bed and pull my nket up to my face, I stare nkly at the ceiling with several thoughts running around my mind.

    " Is she okay ?", Eric asks from the other side.

    I snap out of my trance and ask,

    " Huh ?"

    " I asked if she was okay ?", Eric asks yet again with a solemn expression on his face.

    Well, would you look at this !

    The monster cares about somebody else...

    " She''s fine.", I reply back.

    There''s silence for a minute untill Eric says,

    " Well, no thanks to you."

    ...

    This little shit.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 50 What Is The Truth ? (2)

    Darkness had engulfed the sun and it was currently night time.

    Silence presided over the gigantic Creed mansion.

    At this time when nobody was watching nor paying attention, amotion started in Creed''s backyard.

    A ball of pure white light rises from the ground, leaving no trace of its departure. It rises to an appropriate amount and then travels at a speed unimaginable to mere mortals.

    The ball of light travels far and wide until it reaches a pce made of white marble.

    It slows down now and enters the pce.

    The ball of light floats around the pce passively until it reaches the throne room where a woman with an angelic appearance was dozing off.

    As the light gets closer to her, her eyes slowly open.

    " Finally here, huh ?", she says in a drowsy voice.

    ~~~~

    Dina was in an extremely good mood.

    Why wouldn''t she be in a good mood?

    She was going to get a major boost in power in a few minutes.

    That''s right, the shining orb of light was all the skills that Joe had gotten so far. The four skills that were given to him by the angels weren''t EX Rank, at most, it was SS Rank. It was Joe''s luck that helped him not get caught.

    Imagine Dina''s surprise when she learned that he managed to steal an SSS- Rank skill !. Moreover, it was from that mysterious boy as well.

    Even the name of the skill was peculiar, [ The Author''s Authority]

    It was a skill that allowed the user to change the present to their whim, of course like all skills this one too had its drawbacks as well. It could only be used once a day and every time it was used, a little life force would be taken.

    Still, in Dina''s eyes, the skill had great value.

    None of the other angels knew that Dina had the skills in her possession, they were lead to believe that everything regarding the ''weapon'' was lost. The architect of the system was the only person who knew that this wasn''t the case.

    The architect mentioned above is obviously Dina.

    From the outside, the angels might look like a tight-knit group but the reality of the situation was that like any group, a lot of hidden politics and power ys were going on under the scenes.

    That was why it was detrimental for Dina to be more powerful.

    Dina slowly gets up from her throne and walks into herb, the light followed her like a chick would follow its mother.

    Inside herb, in the middle, there was a long tube.

    She gestures her hand at the orb and it obediently floats in. Upon going inside the tube, Dina presses a switch, and noise of many sortses to life in the previously quietb.

    After a minute, a single skill bookes out through the other end of the tube.

    Dina takes the skill book to the ground and reads the skill on it,

    [Toxic Night].

    A smile blooms on her face, she throws the skill book on the ground where the other skill books were also falling down.

    She steps back and watches as more skill books fall and join the bundle.

    After 5 minutes, 4 skill books had fallen down and the 5th one also fell down.... but something was wrong. Unlike the other skill books, this one was burning... literally.

    Dina runs towards the fire and tries to put it out but the more she tried to extinguish the fire, the wilder it got.

    The fire spread in her entire office and after some time it engulfed her entire pce. Dina watched her pce crumble down from a safe distance. Her mind was in turmoil.... she had seen it... the skill that burned down her entire pce was none other than [ The Author''s Authority].

    Normally she would have been angry....but strangely she wasn''t.

    Instead of being angry...she was fascinated.

    Why would that skill be on fire?

    Why couldn''t she, an angel, put out the said fire?

    Several questions gued her mind.

    She knew that no matter how much she thought about it she couldn''t find an answer.

    There was a person who could give her the answer though...

    A certain boy studying at Unity...

    A smirk appears on Dina''s face...

    As they say, everything happens for a reason.

    ~~~~

    I woke up early today for a change.

    Ever sinceing into this world, it''s quiet.... the silence was like music to my ears after what I went through on earth.

    I was in the shower right now, usually, since I wake up at thest minute I don''t get enough time to enjoy a proper shower. But today was different,

    The feel of the cold water erased all the drowsiness I felt and refreshed me.

    I get out of the bathroom after a long and rxing shower and get dressed for school. I would train... but since I just achieved a milestone in my spear training, I decided to give myself a well-deserved break. This didn''t mean that I was justzing around. The n waspletely formted... but I kept reassessing it to see if there were any holes in it since if we''re caught,

    We''re as good as dead.

    Apart from the n, I also had to think about how to continue with my spear. I needed a spear technique that had immense growth potential. I did always have the option to use money from Diane to buy a technique from the market or something but I already had my eyes set on a technique.

    Max had inherited his parent''s techniques, he not only inherited them but fused both those techniques to make his original version of it, this one was better in all aspectspared to its previous form. I felt a little envious of Max.

    I wish my mother had left me a technique of some form instead of this stupid ne.

    I look down at the * Onyx ne hanging on my neck, I never took it off even during bathing. But I''ve learned that I can''t take a good shit with it dangling around on my neck, so that was the only time when I took it off.

    If basics were the cement, then the technique would be the bricks. Techniques had five levels and the level 1 technique was the strongest of them. Breakthroughs in technique also slowly increase our job level as well. It''s best to be careful when choosing a technique as a technique could also determine what kind of evolution your job goes through.

    I already had a technique in my mind but the owner would need some convincing to impart his knowledge. But that''s for another time... now I''m putting all my focus on a single thing.... namely,

    To break out the princess out of her prison.

    The n in my mind had solidified and I was ready to discuss it with myrades.

    We had decided to meet up in my room today, after ss.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After changing into my uniform, Eric and I quiz each other for the history quiz that was scheduled for today. I got almost all of my answers correct. I was proud of answering all these questions without the help of ''it''.

    Heh.

    Seems like my hard work was paying off.

    As it was time for ss to start, both of us get up and start to leave for ss. On our way, Eric makes me wait for him as he had to go to the toilet.

    Looking at the public bathroom bought back some bad memories, but I was calm since the cause of those bad memories was currently being used as manure.

    As I was reminiscing about past events, I didn''t notice a middle-aged woman running toward me, she bumps into me and falls to the ground with a ''thump''. I would have fallen as well if not for my strength.

    " Watch where you''re goingdy.", I said raising her.

    " I''m s-sorry.", the woman said timidly.

    I observe the woman, she didn''t seem to be a teacher, her eyes were sunken and she smelled... like not good, her hair was all messed up as well.

    Beggars weren''t allowed on campus grounds but she might be one since she looks the part.

    My eyes were drawn to the stack of paper in her hands, it was a missing person''s poster. Seeing the man on the poster I gasp and say,

    " Joe ?", hearing me the woman widens her eyes.

    " You know my son ?!", the woman asks.

    Shit.

    That bastard did say something about his mother...

    Was this her?

    " Well not really... what happened to him ?", I said taking one of the posters in her hand.

    Tears start falling from her eyes at the mention of her son and she starts to sob and starts speaking, but all I heard was gibberish. But I got the gist of it nheless, she was looking for her missing son....who I had killed.

    Well.. this is awkward, to say the least.

    I do feel sorry for her, she seems like a delightful woman but her son wasn''t near as delightful.

    I pat her on the shoulder, trying to calm her even though I knew deep down that I had no right to do such a thing.

    " I''m sorry for... your loss but I''m runningte so uh-", I said wanting to get away from her as fast as possible. I felt ufortable standing next to her... I''m the reason her son is dead.

    ...

    Eh, forget about it. Feeling guilty doesn''t fit my aesthetic.

    By now, the woman had managed to stop crying.. and she was ring at me?

    " How are you so sure ?..", the woman asks, her re still on me.

    " Excuse me ?", I ask back confused.

    " How are you so sure that my son is dead..."

    Well...

    That is a reasonable question.

    " I''m sorry, I just-", I start to exin but stop as I see Eric walking towards us.

    This was bad.

    Eric can''t meet with Joe''s mother... a softie like him would probably tell her the truth.

    " I''m sorry, I''mte so I''ll be going now..", I excuse myself before she can say anything else.

    I run towards Eric and drag him away to ss.

    " Who was that ?", Eric asked

    " Nobody.", I reply.

    Some things don''t have to be said.

    ~~~~

    Helen Hopkins, Joe''s mother had lost count of the days.

    At first, they didn''t think that this was something serious... they thought Joe would be back soon... but he never came back.

    The police had opened an investigation but it didn''t lead anywhere. They hired private investigators and did everything imaginable to learn something about their son''s abrupt disappearance.

    All their effort yielded no results... it was as if her son had vanished from the surface of the earth.

    All their finances were exhausted and they were inching closer to bankruptcy every single day.

    It was when Helen was grasping at straws that she met him.

    That boy... who seemed sure that her son was dead.

    She felt that he was hiding something...

    She knew that she was being delusional but she was desperate.

    If that boy is hiding something... then she''ll get it out of him even if she has to take drastic measures...

    ~~~~

    Liam Wood was walking toward the principal''s office to meet with Principal Gordon.

    He was worried about him, he knew that the past few weeks were tough on him. His daughter''s death, the pressure from management...

    Liam knocks on the door of the principal''s office, but he received no reply.

    Liam knocks yet again and again.....and again.

    Feeling that something was amiss, Liam opens the door and gasps at the sight before him.

    Liam could see Principal Gordon... but he wasn''t alive.

    Principal Gordon had hanged himself.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 51 One More Thing To Do

    Principal Gordon hasmitted suicide..... and yes, this doesn''t happen in the original plot but I don''t feel the need to care about that anymore.

    But surprisingly enough, Gordon''s death was a blessing in disguise for me since it made the process of breaking out of the demon princess much easier.

    The news of his death was publicized yesterday and a funeral would take ce tomorrow, the funeral was going to take ce in Unity and important dignitaries from all over the world would arrive for it. During this time the security would increase at the entry point, and the prison''s security would probably be a littlex.

    A prison that doesn''t officially exist doesn''t need that much security, right?

    This made my n a little more solid, so I was in a good mood today.

    ....

    I''m not saying that I''m happy that Gordon is dead, I''m pretty bummed out about that.. he was a good man, an honest, kin- who am I kidding I don''t give a rat''s ass about him, I barely knew the guy aside from creating him and writing his past...

    Oh...

    It seems that I did know a lot about him.

    I love all my creations... so I do feel a little sad.. truly, but it''s not like this is the first time something I loved died because of me.

    .....

    .....

    " Hey, are you nning on telling us your n anytime soon ?"

    Eric''s voice breaks me away from my thoughts.

    We had met up in my room today to discuss the ''n''.

    " Well, the principal''s death has benefitted us... I know that sounds terrible but it''s the unfortunate truth."

    Lecia and Adam nod their heads along as I continue to speak.

    " Now before getting into the juicy details of the n, I''m sure you''re all curious as to where exactly the prison is located.... well let me satiate your curios-",

    " Just say it already !!", Eric interjects.

    ....

    I hate him.

    I like giving speeches... I''m just trying to make things entertaining, what''s so wrong with that?

    I re at him to show him what exactly I thought about his interruption.

    " Kuhum", I Iet out a cough and continued.

    " Well, the entry to the prison is in the library.", I relish the look of surprise on their faces.

    " I know that it isn''t conventional but that''s exactly why they built it there... Now before we get into it, do you have any questions for me ?", I ask, cause I''m all about answering questions.

    Misunderstandings are a drag...

    I''m kind of proud of myself for not involving myself in any kind of misunderstandings or anything like that.

    Well, there was that thing with Katherine, but I''m sure that''s resolved.

    " How do you know the entrance is in the library ?", Eric asks with suspicion etched on his face.

    " The demons informed me.", I answer back as quickly as the question was asked.

    If I had taken my time to answer the question then he would obviously be suspicious leading to many misunderstandings. But I have avoided all that just by answering his question without any hesitation.

    Am I a pro or what?

    "Still can''t believe that they''re on our side...", Lecia still didn''t seem to have digested the idea of demons being innocent.

    I can''t me her, all her life she''s been told that the demons were the bad guys, and she won''t be able to adjust to the truth that quickly. It must be worse for Lecia because her parents died in the war that she just learned was a pointless farce.

    " How many guards are guarding the entrance ?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Hearing Eric''s question, a small smile appears on my face as I said,

    " Just one."

    ~~~~

    ".... so that''s the n, any questions ?", I ask after exining the n thoroughly.

    " It sounds way too risky... but doable", Eric said uncertainly, was he trying to reassure himself?

    " Are you sure that you know the code ?", Lecia asked.

    I nod my head and said, " I''m sure."

    To open the entrance, we had to use a code which I knew because..... well, I''m the author remember?

    In the middle stages of the novel, a criminal organization breaks into the prison and sessfully breaks out someone from the prison using the code. During their escape, they run into Max and the rest and they fight. This was Max''s second interaction with the said ''organization'', the first time he met them was at the...

    ''Knock''

    The knocking at our room''s door breaks me away from my thoughts.

    I walk to the door and open it.

    " Why are you guys here ?", I ask surprised.

    Outside the door, the trio that should have been home was standing before me.

    Agnes, Francis, and Amanda.

    Judging from their facial expressions, something seems to have gone wrong.

    At my question, Amanda steps forward and said,

    " Your parents...have been murdered, sir."

    ~~~~

    " The world is in a frenzy right now due to the deaths of so many great heroes happening all at once. First, it was Principal Gordon of Unity, may God rest his soul.... and now it is the power duo of Diane and Ken Creed that have been brutally assassinated by an unknown entity... The incident took ce in the public square no less...---"

    I turn my attention away from the tv that was positioned high up in the air in one corner of the waiting room of the hospital.

    I wasn''t surprised, I knew that this would happen sooner orter.

    I had already informed them about their deaths even before they even happened because I knew..... I knew that the angels wouldn''t leave them alone. Diane and Ken both knew the truth, so leaving them alone was dangerous and the angels were a cautious group.

    The reason they came after me first must be because of the fact that they didn''t have the necessary manpower to kill Diane, she was the 5th-- nope 4th strongest person in the human realm.

    She was actually the fifth but since the strongest human went rouge the whole ranking changed making the emperor who was the second strongest the first.

    Am I disappointed that Diane is dead?

    Yes, of course.

    But it was necessary as I didn''t want to arouse the angel''s suspicions.

    But even if Diane and Ken were dead, the ascaris inside them weren''tpletely dead.

    I know, because I can feel our connection... it''s faint but still intact.

    I''m gonna bring them back.

    I look around the hospital filled with people and wonder,

    '' Who here will be suitable hosts ?...''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 52 Revival

    " You want me to do what ?!", Agnes asked in an astonished voice.

    " I don''t like repeating myself, Agnes.", I said while shing my veryrge wallet.

    Understanding the meaning of my gesture, Agnes runs of toplete the odd job I had given her.

    I let out a sigh and lean back on my chair, my mind was in a mess..... there was too many things going on at once. Let''s just hope that everything goes okay.

    I was a little worried that the angels would stille after me, but I figure that if they haven''te after me in two weeks than the chance of that happening would be very less.

    I continue to sit there and wait till, a nurse walked up to me and asked me to follow her.

    ~~~~

    I nod my head at the nurse and she pushes down the white sheet covering their lifeless bodies.

    Tears (fake) slowly rolled down my eyes and I asked the nurse who had a sympathetic expression on her face to give me a minute alone with them.

    In the hours after we die, certain cells in the human brain are still active. Some cells even increase their activity.... as the ascaris was situated in the apex of the brain or something it''s only reasonable to assume that they can survive even if the host is head.... it''d be bad if they''re brain was injured but thankfully it seems that the both of them were shot in the heart.

    All I had to do now was take them out of Diane and Ken Creed''s bodies.

    I focus on the faint connection that I still felt and tried to make theme out on their own and sure enough after a few minutes I can see a small round blob emerging out of their mouths.

    I take both of the sticky balls using the towel in my hands, it smelled disgusting but I suppose that''s to be expected.

    Human brains don''t smell like strawberries do they ?

    After making sure to properly hide the blobs, I walk out of the morgue without giving the bodies lying on the table another nce.

    Ascaris could only survive for about an hour without a host so I hope to god that Agnes manages toplete her job by then.

    ~~~~

    After thirty minutes, I''m sitting in an empty room that I rented near the hospital.

    My heart was beating faster by the second, I was running out of time if she doesn''te soon..-

    Before I canplete that thought, a knock resounds throughout the room. I practically fly across the room and open it to find Agnes waiting for me with two strangers standing beside her.

    One was an old man who looked to be in his sixties and the woman was in her fifties.

    The old man''s hair hadpletely grayed and his hazel eyes held a warmth to it. The woman had blonde hair with cold blue eyes.

    The two of them made an unusual pair.

    I ask Agnes to wait outside and gesture the other two inside,

    " Now I''m sure that you''re curious as to why you''re here ?.... I''m looking for volunteers.... I''m just making sure that the both of you understand this but once you do this.... the ''you'' that exists now won''t be alive.... in exchange as Agnes must have mentioned I''ll give you a ton of money."

    " I''m S-". the woman starts to speak but I cut her off and continue,

    " Also, I don''t want to know your names or what your disease is.... just tell me if you want to leave."

    The two look at each other and nod their head.

    These people were recements for Diane and Ken, except they were willingly surrendering their body. I told Agnes to get two people that were suffering from some sort of incurable disease... and she seemed to have done pretty good.

    " Do you two know each other or something ?", I ask seeing how familiar they were with each other.

    They nod their heads at my question and the old man said,

    " We''re husband and wife, sir."

    ....

    ....

    It seems that Agnes needs a raise, this was even better.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " You''re both suffering from some sort of uncurable disease ?"

    The nod their in unison.

    " Good.", I said with a smile on my face.

    ~~~~

    After signing the contract that I had prepared that included all details of our deal, the both of them were given five minutes to prepare themselves and call their families.... I make sure to tell them to not to mention anything about our deal to their family.

    After exactly five minutes, theye back and I''ve already prepared everything for them. Two sses filled with my blood and the blobs were suspended within it. It looked kind of appealing to the human eye but the smell was horrible, I could see that they thought as well from the expression on their faces.

    My blood would cure them of their disease but I shouldn''t tell them that ?

    With a heavy heart, I push the cups towards them and just before drinking it, the old man smiles at me and said,

    " There''s no need to feel guilty, young man..... we''ve been a burden to our family till now.... at least now we can be of some use.", the old man''s wife nods her head.

    They start coughing out blood, of which some unfortunately fall on me and soon pass out.

    I take out a towel and move forward while wiping the blood on my face.

    As I hear the sounds of them getting back, I say in a loud voice,

    " Wee back."

    I didn''t see theplicated expression on their faces.

    ~~~~

    The old man''s name was supposedly Martin

    The old woman was ra.

    This was all that I asked the two of them... I didn''t want to know anything more.

    They were being strangely quiet.... oh well, it should be nothing.

    After saying all that needed to be said, I sent them back to the hospital.

    The doctors are going to be surprised when they find that the both of them were cured, after which they''ll probably be send home and then I''ll give them a job so that they have a reason to be around me.

    It''s a foolproof n.

    ~~~~

    Martin and ra was lying in their respective beds in their hospital room.

    " Should we tell him ?", Martin asked

    " No.... he''ll fell guilty and we know how fragile his mind is right ?", ra answers back in a clear voice.

    They speak about this and that until the door to their hospital room opens and a young woman walks in.

    " I''m here to win today... grandpa and granny.", the girl said while waving a deck of cards in the air.

    " You''re here again, Emilia..."

    From their memories, they knew that this young little girl was their granddaughter.

    She was also one of the main leads in their master''s novel.

    Emilia Brie.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 53 Brutal (1)

    " Wear these.", I said while handing over a ck robe which had white half- moon engraved on the chest area to Eric.

    Right now were in blind spot, an area devoid of any kind of surveince, it was also the closest one to the library,

    The camera''s should be down if Lecia did her job properly, we had bought something called a ''security dampener'' from a trusted source of the Creed household.

    Talking about the Creeds, all their assets have been frozen until Lecia turns 18, that means that everything that they owned except for the Hero association would officially belong to her.

    Of course, this all happened because I willed it so. I did want to make it all in my name but that would draw unnecessary attention to me and I''m not a fan of attention.

    The Hero Association was swallowed up by the Emperor.... I could have pushed against it but trying to get in the emperor''s way wouldn''t be good since I was so pathetically weak....at least for now.

    This all happened in the span of just a day, that''s how influential the great emperor was.... now that he had the backing of the hero association behind him, he was an even greater threat.

    I needed to grow stronger quickly, I''ve already increased the intensity of my training, my physical strength wasn''t all that bad, it was slowly but steadily improving.... the problem is that I have no skills right now.....

    They were all stolen away by that pest, Joe...Hammock I think ? [ I don''t care enough to remember]

    But I already have the solution to the skills issue.... it''s simple, I-

    " Let''s go...", Eric whispers breaking me away from my thoughts.

    We had adorned the robes, the robe could be considered as the uniform of the secret organization.... that went by the name '' Half-Moon''. This was the very same organization that broke into the prison to break out one of their members in the middle parts of the novel.

    The n was simple really.

    We were going to disguise ourselves as members of this organization and break out both the princess and her mother.

    The only obstacle between us and our goal was a single man.

    Lucius Calli, a.k.a the librarian.

    Lecia would enter the library first and distract him, it was good that she was familiar with him since Lecia often visited the library.

    Lucius wasn''t a very strong man..... in fact he was a cripple, his legs were paralyzed from an ident and he could only move around in a wheelchair.

    Why would a person like him be guarding the entrance to the prison ?

    The truth was that he wasn''t there to guard but to alert. On the right handrest of his wheelchair, a switch was built in that alerted the entire school if something happened to him....by the whole school I mean all that needs to know.

    This was done so as to not arise any suspicion and their n worked... for awhile at least.

    We slowly turn and enter the deserted corridor which lead to the library, all the other people except us were probably attending Principal Gordon''s funeral right about now.

    Lecia had left the door to the library open for us.

    I could hear her voice....it sounded a little panicked, we better hurry.

    Eric takes out his glowing bow out from his sub-space and nods his head at me. Eric''s bow was not a weapon that was officially registered so the chance of it being traced to him was very little.

    He enters first and I wait until, I hear the muffled screams of a man.

    I enter the room now and find Eric holding his hands over the man who I assume is Lucius''s mouth. I could see an arrow lodged in the poor man''s hand. Even though he was in pain he still seemed to be trying to press the switch to alert the others... but it was toote.

    Lucius had crimson hair and eyes of a green hue.

    Lecia was lying down on the floor, I''m pretty sure that Eric knocked her out.

    Eric pushes Lucius out of his wheelchair and said in a fake voice,

    " Open the entrance quickly !", he sounded ridiculous but he was right the sooner I opened the entrance the faster we could leave.

    From a third person''s viewpoint, we must look like bastards huh ?, pushing a person off a wheelchair and all... but desperate times call for desperate measures .

    Even now the guy was trying to reach for the damn switch !

    That''s some dedication right there.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I scan the library quickly and find a bookshelf that fixed to the wall, I walk up to it and pull out a book with a red binding. The bookshelf shifts to the other side and a door is revealed, the door could only be opened with a four digit pin, which I knew of course.

    I type in the pin quickly and press the ''enter'' key but-

    '' Rrng''

    That wasn''t the passcode....

    Impossible.... I''m sure that this was it...

    I type it again very carefully but-

    '' Rrng''

    It still didn''t work.

    If someone used the wrong password three times than the security would be alerted automatically.

    ...

    I only had one more chance left....

    " What''s wrong ?...", Eric asked worriedly.

    I didn''t respond.... more like I couldn''t.

    Everything in my mind felt like it was in a mess and I could feel myself unravelling.

    ''Calm down.....Calm down.....Calm down.''

    *******

    " Wahhhhh, daddy.... they hurt me....", a young boy ran up to his father and jumped up to hisp.

    The boy''s father put down the strawberry shake he was drinking and looked at the little boy with concern,

    " What happened, John ?"

    At his father''s question the boy starts bawling out and speaking at the same making his father a little flustered.

    But the boy''s father understands the gist of the situation.

    " Listen to me, John...", the father speaks slowly with a smile on his face,

    " It''s going to be alright son..... you let those boys bully you today because you were too scared.... you''re mind was in a frenzy... you couldn''t think, the next time those boyse after you tell yourself to remain calm.... and then you''ll win."

    " Really?....but how can you be so sure ?....", the little boy asks his father.

    " Well that''s because you''re my [son].... now wipe your tears and finish this strawberry shake for me.. strawberries are great don''t you think ?.... they''re so sweet and yet bitter at the same time.----"

    The boyughs out loud as his father continues to talk about how great strawberries are...

    ******

    '' I am calm.'', I think before turning around walking towards the struggling Lucius.

    " What are you doing ?", Eric asks me but I ignore him.

    A yful smile spreads across my face as I stare at Lucius.

    As I said before,

    Desperate times call for desperate measures.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 54 Brutal (2)

    " What''s the code ?", I ask Lucius again.

    Torture isn''t really my cup of tea and I''m not even that good at it so it''s no surprise that Lucius didn''t talk even after I ''tortured'' him.

    Punching someone in the face repeatedly doesn''t really ssify as torture does it ?

    I kick him in the face, while restraining my strength of course to avoid killing him and ask again in a deep voice,

    " What''s the code ?!"

    Eric did try to stop me at first butter just stood back and watched as I tried to get the code out of Lucius, he must understand that we''re in pretty deep shit....

    What I still don''t understand is.... how could I not know the code..... I''m pretty sure that in the novel during their break in, the organization used the same code.... why wasn''t it working now ?

    It didn''t make any sense.... why would anyone change the code ?..... change the code?

    ''Shit.'', I think as realization seeps in.

    The demon princess went berserk when Max was in his second year....she destroyed half of the prison during her rampage.... the organization broke into the prison when Max was in his third and final year.

    The prison had been rebuilt by then, did they change the code then as well ?

    If so then the code that I did know was the one..... that was going to be used in the future.

    .....

    I stop kicking Lucius and stop to think.

    This was clearly not going anywhere..... maybe a change in my approach might help ?....

    " Hey.... Is Lydia and Veer attending the funeral today ?..", I ask in a fake voice.

    Lucius''s eyes widen at my question.

    A smirk appears on my face and I''m pretty sure that even though my face is covered the man in front of me can sense it.

    Seeing that I was getting some sort of reaction out of him, I continue on,

    " I admit I''m a little envious of you.... you''ve got such a lovely wife and child you know ?.... how old is your daughter again ?.....13 ?..... 16 ?.... well anyway maybe I should give them a little visit.... hmmm what do you think about that ?"

    Lucius was ring at me with intense hatred in his eyes, yet he didn''t open his mouth.

    " I know where the safehouse is.... Lucius Calli.", I spoke in a very low voice.

    Even though Lucius was covered in blood, I could his face crumbling at my words... Due to the nature of his job the Unity sheltered his family in some kind of safehouse unknown to the world.

    Of course, I have no clue as to where exactly it is....but he doesn''t need to know that does he ?

    ~~~~

    Five minutester, I got the code and the keys to open the prison. Lucius was also kind enough to point us towards where our friends were.

    After his usefulness expired, I knocked him out.

    I typed in the password quickly and the door swiftly slid open. Eric and I started walking down the stairs silently until he says,

    " That wasn''t part of the n.... Adam."

    " I was kidding about his family and I just punched him a few times.... what''s the harm in that ?", I try to reassure him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The frown on his face doesn''t go away and Eric continues on ignoring me,

    " I''m not like Lecia...who''ll believe everything you say blindly... I know you''re lying about something.... I can''t trust someone who''s as secretive as you.... I have people I need to take care of... so until you decide to tell me the truth....don''t involve me or anybody I care about in your bullshit anymore."

    Just as he finishes speaking, the stairs leading downwards end and the prisones into view.

    The air was damp and cold, the smell of mold hung in the air, in front of us were two paths.

    ording to Lucius, the princess would be found on thest cell on the right path, the mother was on thest cell of the left path.

    Eric moves toward the left path without waiting for an answer from me and I let out a sigh and proceed walking on the right path.

    I suppose Eric does have the right to be angry and I am actually hiding some information from them... but it''s not like I can just say something like,

    Hey, I created you bitch!.

    That wouldn''t work.

    But Eric isn''t going anywhere, I''ve already selected him and now sadly there''s no going back,

    You''re mine.

    I walk slowly and leisurely to the princess''s cell with a single thought in my mind,

    " You''re going to be mine too, little princess."

    ~~~~

    Eric was terrified of Adam Creed.

    At first, he didn''t think much of him but the more he got to know him... the more he understood how dangerous he was.

    Adam didn''t have to kill Joe.... but he still did it without even blinking.

    Now he threatened a person with his family, that wasn''t an issue because Eric knew that he was just bluffing but what surprised him was how easily he could threaten someone....

    It''s like he''s done this many times before ?

    Adam always seemed to know everything.... this irritated Eric to no extent.

    Now that Eric thought about it.... he didn''t know anything about Adam other that the fact that he was adopted by the Creeds and he was initially an orphan.

    Eric meant what he said, he wanted Adam to be more open with him...so that Eric could find it in him to trust him more.

    From the time they''ve spend together till now Eric knew that he wasn''t exactly a bad person....

    ''Sigh''

    Eric had too many things going on his mind, he tells himself to stay focused and uses the key he received from Adam to open the door to the mother''s cell.

    ''Gasp''

    Eric falls down on the cold floor seeing the horrifying sight before him.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 55 Crowcolt

    I use the key to unlock the door to the princess''s cell but hesitate to open it.

    This was it.

    I was extremely nervous.

    If this went wrong, I''m pretty much dead.... so I have to make sure that I rescue her.

    If my calctions are correct, she should be around my age now. But she''s never seen or been exposed to the outside world. All she''s ever know is this little cell so I can''t predict how the princess is going to react...

    Readying myself, I push open the door.

    Inside the cell, there''s a straw bed, a bucket that I assume is used a toilet.

    I could see some rats scurrying here and there.

    In the bed, a little kid that looked around eight or ten years old was sleeping.

    ....

    Am I in the wrong cell ?

    This is just some kid.... she couldn''t possibly be the princess. The princess was supposed to our age.

    But the two horns protruding out of the child''s small head made it all the more clear that she was... a demon.

    What the hell''s going on here ?

    I walk inside the cell and try to wake the little girl up, but she was never asleep.

    Before I could even touch her, she jumps on me, startling me. I fall down on the ground and I can see that the child has a shiv in her hand.

    '' She''s going to stab me.'', I realize.

    But this girl''s movement was ridiculously slow, this was also a testament to her strength, I stop her from stabbing me and push her away with ease.

    I was a little surprised because of how sudden her attack was.

    The girl lets out a groan as she falls to the ground, I quick stand up and re at her.

    " Stand down, I''m not here to hurt you."

    But the child ignores me and gets back up and rushes towards with her little shiv in her hands.

    I stop her with an hand and once again try to tell her that I''m here to break her free, but the girl just screams,

    " You''re all liars !"

    Whew ! This is bing tiring.

    She must hate humans by now, so how can I convince her that I''m different...

    I don''t know where this came from, but I suddenly say to her,

    " Your father sent me here."

    ~~~~

    " My father ?!"

    The little girl had finally calmed down.

    We sat on her bed as I continue to exin myself,

    " Yeah, the prince sent me here to save you and your mother."

    The little girl frowns and says,

    " But mother said that father is dead...."

    Oho, so she is the princess then.

    " He told me to save you before he died."

    " Why did youe only now then ?", she asks with suspicion etched on every corner of her face.

    I pat her head and say,

    " I''m sorry for beingte... I didn''t know where you were till now, but I''m here now aren''t I ?"

    Oh god...

    Children are exhausting.

    The little girl shifts her gaze to the ground and asks in a shy voice,

    " My father.... what was he like ?"

    " I don''t k-- I mean your father....he..."

    I think about what I knew about the prince....in the book he only appears in the prologue and that too it''s just a shback,

    The only thing that came to my mind when thought about him was-

    " You''re father was a very strong man...."

    She seemed somewhat frustrated with my answer by decided to leave it alone.

    She jumps out of her bed and says,

    " We need to go save my mother... I''m noting without her."

    I nod my head and say,

    " My friend is already on it, I''m pretty sure he''s already taken your mother out of this damned ce."<novelnext></novelnext>

    A small smile briefly appears on the child''s face, but her guard was still up. It would take her some more time to trust people again.

    " Are you ready to leave ?", I ask her.

    She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before nodding.

    ~~~~

    Eric slowly gets up from the cold floor and gets inside the cell.

    The cell was empty except for the women whose hands were bound by chains. Both her horns had been cut off, her body was filled with signs of torture here and there but the one that terrified Eric the most were her eyes.

    They had been burned.

    Right now she wasn''t bleeding from anywhere so these wounds were probably caused a long time ago. Eric was pretty sure that the women in front of him was blind but when he steps into the room, she speaks, stunning Eric,

    " You''re not the usual one ?"

    " What ?", Eric asks confused.

    It takes him some time to remember that he was here to free her.

    " I''m here to save you, s-"

    But the women cuts him off and asks,

    " What is this ?... Some new form of tortu-"

    But the women stops talking as she feels her chains being broken.

    " I really am here to save you....the demons sent us."

    Eric helps the woman up and lets her lean on his shoulder.

    The woman remains silent for some time before saying,

    " My daughter is-"

    Eric cuts her off again and says,

    " Already on it."

    The both of them silently walk up the stairs.

    Eric observes the woman silently.

    She was thin....too thin, he could also see some scars on her body.

    '' Sigh''

    " My name is Victoria, may I ask for yours ?", the woman asks,

    " Eric."

    Eric wasn''t surprised seeing all the pain the Victoria had to go through because he knew well....very well what humans were capable of.

    ~~~~

    " So what''s your name, human ?", the girl asks wide-eyed.

    We were walking back to the library.

    " Adam.... what about you princess ?"

    The child''s face brightens when she hears the word ''princess''.

    " My name is Tiana Crowcolt !"

    Crowcolt was the name of royal family.

    ~~~~

    As we step into the library, I can see Lecia standing waiting for us with Eric.

    Beside Eric, a woman who I assume is the princess''s mother stands.

    I was expecting her to be in a bad state but this was beyond that....

    " MAMA !", Tiana runs into the embrace of her mother.

    Seeing the mother daughter duo, my heart feels strangely empty.

    Lecia and Eric walk over to me and ask with concern,

    " Are you okay ?"

    " I''m fine.", I answer back.

    " Why are you crying then ?", Eric asks confused.

    " What ?!"

    I touch my cheeks and it seems that they were right.

    I was crying.

    How strange....

    My eyes refuse to move away from the princess''s mother.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 56 Half-Moon

    I wipe away the tears flowing down my face confused.

    I don''t cry a lot..... and if I feel the need to cry I do it when I''m alone. Crying in front of people just feels embarrassing, it''s like jerking off in front of people emotionally.

    That''s a weird thought.

    ''''Sigh''''

    I seem to be sighing a lottely, but whatever this is... it can wait. I have more pressing matters to deal with.

    I force my eyes away from the princess''s mother and say,

    " Eric... take them both to our room. Be careful on the way, make sure that no one notices them."

    Eric nods his head and starts walking over to them.

    Before he could reach them, Tiana gets out of her mother''s embrace and runs towards us, surprising all of us.

    I get ready to defend Lecia just in case she was going to attack us again but she ignores us and moves past us.

    She looks down at Lucius who was still knocked out with a certain coldness in her eyes.

    Out of nowhere, she starts kicking him with all her strength, in response to her kicks Lucius grunts in pain.

    Shit.

    If he woke up now then, he would see Lecia with us.

    " I''m sorry.", I say.

    " Wha- "

    I knock Lecia out again and quickly rush over to Tiana and hold her back from kicking him any further.

    She struggles with all her might but fails to break free from my grasp, understanding that resistance was futile she stops struggling and goes silent but I don''t miss the tears flowing down her small round face.

    " It''s his fault..... h-he hurt mama...", she screams at no one in particr.

    " It''s going to be alright.... but if you hurt him... you''ll be no better than him so calm down, Princess Tiana."

    This does the trick and she finally calms down.

    I pass her to Eric, who looked shocked

    I silently watched as they retreated back to our room.

    Is it that surprising that Lucius was the one who tortured them, I mean the man maybe paralyzed but his hands work just fine.

    Eric should think better of me now right ?

    Instead of going back to my room, I head back into the prison and start walking towards a cell that contained a certain man from an organization.

    That''s right, the member that ''Half- Moon'' breaks out of the prison is here now, during the princess''s rampage, he miraculously survived against all odds and still had to wait another year to be rescued.

    The man''s name was Walter Ivon and he''s one of the executive members of ''Half-Moon''. There were mainly ten executive members behind ''Half-Moon'' with their boss being the ex- hero who was ranked first in the hero rankings, The Enchantress.

    The Enchantress might be one of the mostplex characters I''ve ever written. She was also one of my favourites as well. Having her owe me wasn''t such a bad idea was it ?

    I''m going to break that guy out of prison.

    I mean he''s going to be broken out in the future, so doing it a few years early doesn''t matter all that much, does it ?

    I use the key that I had gotten from Lucius to open the door of the cell,

    Inside the cell, a man was chained to the wall. The wounds on his body looked fresh. His crimson eyes silently observed me and his pitch ck hair blended with the darkness of the cell.

    " What took you bastards so long ?", the man asks in an annoyed voice.

    ~~~~

    " So you''re not part of Half- Moon ? ", Walt asked walking beside me.

    We were heading back up to the library.

    I shake my head and answer back,

    " Don''t worry, I''m a friend."

    Walt looked unconvinced and starts to speak but I cut him off and say,

    " Think Walt, think. If I wanted to harm you, you''d already be dead."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Walt lets out a chuckle and says,

    " Good point."

    ~~~~

    " So, what''s your name ?", Walt asked curiously.

    " You don''t need to know.", I answer back.

    I''m not ready to reveal my identity to Half-Moon just yet. I''m unbearably weak right now so if I reveal my identity now, I be to vulnerable.

    " So, how am I supposed to get out of here ?", he asks.

    " I''m sure you''ll manage by yourself."

    I wanted to part ways with Walt soon since-

    " Oh, I almost forgot.", he walks back to where Lucius was lying down.

    Walt takes one of the wooden chairs present in the library and I watch as he smashes Lucius''s head in with the said chair.

    After making sure that Lucius was dead, he walks back to me with a gentle smile on his face. Lucius''s blood had sttered on his face giving him a very eerie look.

    That''s right.

    I wanted to part ways with Walt as soon as possible because he was a.....fucking psychopath.

    ~~~~

    I knock on the door to my room.

    Walt and I had parted ways much to my pleasure, I had removed my disguise on the way here.

    The door opens and Eric greets me with his signature frown,

    " What took you so long ?"

    I enter inside the room and close the door behind me,

    " I was making sure that we didn''t leave any traces behind."

    I look inside the room to find that Eric still hadn''tpleted the job I had given him, seeing the puzzled look on my face Eric says,

    " We have a problem, the princess hasn''t awakened yet..."

    Now that we had broken these two out, the next step was too get them the hell out of the Unity.

    For that, I had make a whole other n.

    I had given Eric, the two skill books that I received from Patrick that contained a single skill called '' Gender Swap.''

    I''m nning to change their genders, the guards would be looking for a very hurt woman and girl but they won''t find them.

    " What are we going to do ?", Ang who had been standing in one corner of the room.

    She''s the most important part of the n, as she''s a healer she could heal all physical wounds on their body to a certain degree, it took a lot to convince Eric that she wouldn''t be under any sort of danger and she herself wanted to take part, so Eric had no choice but to cave in.

    I had expected the possibility of the princess not being awakened and there was a simple solution.

    The corners of my mouth rise up as I say.

    " It''s going to be fine."

    Anyways why do I feel like I''m forgetting something....

    Meh, if I forgot, it probably isn''t all that important.

    ~~~~

    Lecia wakes up with a start,

    her head was aching and she looks around the library confused.

    '' Where is everybody ?'', she thought before lying down again as she felt dizzy.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 57 Weird Talk

    " So that was our n to get the both of you out of here.... we didn''t think that the princess would be so... young."

    Victoria remains silent.

    " How is the princess so young ?.... Miss Victoria.", I decide to directly ask her since beating around the bush didn''t seem to be working.

    Instead of answering my question, she asks me a question,

    " What is your name, if you don''t mind me asking ?"

    " My name is Adam Creed, mydy."

    " I see..", saying this she gets up from the bed and slowly walks towards me.

    As she walks towards me, she speaks in an monotonous voice,

    " When I was first captured by the humans, I was eight months pregnant.... I knew that the humans had some sort of n for my child... I couldn''t let them harm my child could I ?.....so I held on.... and on and on. They even started torturing me in hopes to induce mybor, but I still held on....until I couldn''t."

    I try to maintain myposure..... but my heart strangely breaks for her. I can''t even imagine the pain she must have gone through.... If she was telling the truth that meant that she forced herself to stay inbor for more than a year.

    That wasn''t humanely possible....then again she wasn''t a human was she ?

    She caresses my face with her hand and feels my face,

    " Your heart is beating abnormally fast.... are you alright ?", she asked me with an expressionless face.

    " You can hear my heartbeat ?!", I ask surprised.

    " After they took away my sight, I was in the darkness for awhile and still am in that cold darkness.... but my other senses have been heightened to an unnatural degree....are you alright ?"

    This woman was just full of surprises wasn''t she ?

    Another surprising fact was that I felt strangely attracted to her, now it''s a fact that I made the main cast of the novel exceptionally beautiful... but when I saw them I wasn''t this ''excited''....but this woman who I''ve known for about five minutes is making me feel very....strange.

    Everything in my brain felt fuzzy and I felt like I couldn''t think straight.

    It was an ufortable feeling.

    In the first ce, it felt like I was experiencing someone else''s emotions.

    When this thought first entered my mind, I panicked a little because I thought that ''they'' might have returned but this was something else.

    " I''m fine.", I take her hand away from my face and move a little away from her.

    I look back to find that the others in the room looked a little weirded out,

    I shake my head and say,

    " As I was saying, we didn''t know that the princess hadn''t gone through her awakening yet but this isn''t a setback since I know how awaken a person forcefully.... but it''s going to hurt...a lot."

    I smile at Tiana who looked a little nervous and asked her,

    " Do you think you can handle it, princess ?"

    ~~~~

    It took some time to exin the basics of the whole method.

    Victoria didn''t want her daughter to be in pain, but since the said daughter herself wanted to go through with it... there wasn''t much she could do.

    " Are you ready ?", I ask her.

    Tian nods and makes herselffortable on the ground of my training room.

    ~~~~

    Screams and whimpers slipped out of Adam''s training room.

    Normally this wouldn''t have happened since the training rooms were soundproofed, but Victoria wasn''tfortable with leaving her daughter alone with a stranger.

    They had left the door slightly ajar.

    Everybody in the room looked ufortable and waited silently.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Fifteen minutester, a very bloodied Tiana came out of the door with Adam beside her.

    Ang rushes forward to heal Tiana, after healing her everybody in the room turned towards Adam to hear the next step in their n, which was of course to make the mother- daughter duo learn the skill ''Gender Swap''.

    They both learn the skill fairly quickly.

    " Well, let''s get you both out of this hellhole.", Adam said in a cheerful voice.

    ~~~~

    I felt a little guilty for hitting Tiana but there was no choice but too and I''m sure that she''s aware of that as well.

    But it won''t hurt to apologize to her, would it ?

    I make Victoria and the others go ahead and ask Tiana to stay behind with me for a moment.

    She sat on the bed clearly avoiding my gaze,

    I sit beside and pat her head surprising both her and me.

    I didn''t n for that.... my body has been acting a little weird since earlier.

    " I''m sorry for hitting you, princess.", I say in my most sincere voice.

    " It''s alright.", she answers back, casually still avoiding my eyes.

    I let out a little sigh and say,

    " It was necessary... but that doesn''t mean that you have to forgive me, princess."

    She looks a little surprised to hear this and asks back,

    " I don''t ?"

    " Mhmm, you can do whatever you want.... you can be whatever you want.... there are no chains on you..... you are free."

    Tiana''s eyes widen at my promation.

    Man....that felt embarrassing.

    " Then... I choose to forgive you.", Tiana answers back with a smile.

    She was looking directly at me now.

    " Thank you, Tiana.", I say.

    A frown appears on her face when she hears me and she says,

    " Call me princess."

    ~~~~

    Well that was certainly a weird talk.

    I had initially nned on roping the princess into my team, but I don''t want that now.

    I have no use of a kid.

    " Well, let''s get going then.... ''princess'' ", I say and the two of us walk side by side towards the door.

    She lets out a little giggle at my emphasis on the word ''princess''.

    I open the door and start to move but stop when... I see Katherine on the other side.

    She looked at me and then at Tiana [ male form] clearly confused.

    Well....shit.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 58 Goodbye

    Katherine was strangely nervous.

    She was going to meet that ''guy'' per her grandfather''s wishes.

    Eustace Colleen, her grandfather had told her to invite him to their annual auction as a guest along with all her other friends.

    She disliked her grandfather''s n... but was too afraid to defy him.

    '' Why should I get close to that bastard ?!'', she thought in anger as she walked towards Adam''s room.

    Katherine strangely hadn''t seen Adam or Eric for that matter during the funeral service for Principal Gordon. The service was beautiful.

    She wonders why Eric and Adam were absent for it ?

    She had also heard that Adam''s parents, the Creeds had been assassinated....

    '' Is he alright ?'', she thinks.

    The thought surprises her, why would she be worried for him ?

    Adam was her enemy, that was it. They weren''t friends and they never would be friends.

    She was going to trick him into thinking they were friends, because she wanted to find what exactly he was hiding....

    The truth was that she did feel a little bad for wanting to trick him, she wasn''t a maniptive person but her grandfather''s words were absolute.

    She paused at Adam''s door and took in a deep breath,

    Just as she was going to knock, the door swings open and she sees Adam and beside him was.... a little boy ?

    " What are you doing here ?", Adam asked

    Adam looked nervous.

    Katherine observed the child beside him, he looked very simr to Adam. They had the same pitch ck hair and red eyes. The child looked like a cute miniature version of Adam himself..

    Seeing Katherine''s gaze on the child, Adam says,

    " Oh yeah, this is Gab...he''s a distant rtive of mine."

    " He looks like your son.", Katherine speaks without thinking.

    " Oh..."

    An awkward silence envelops the atmosphere.

    " Well, we''re off then.", Adam takes the child''s hand in his and the two of them walk away in a hurry.

    Katherine watched them move away in a daze.

    '' Oh.....The Invitation !!'', she thinks atst but by then the both of them were long gone.

    ~~~~

    That was a close call.

    Why was she even there ?

    Katherine and I aren''t that close so she might have been there to talk with Eric or something.

    Who knows [ or cares ?] ?

    Now that she mentioned it, Tiana does look very simr to me when she''s in her male form huh ?

    Must be a coincidence...

    ~~~~

    I enter the back alley bar, '' Looters'' with Tiana just behind me.

    She looked nervous at the prospect of returning back to her home.

    At the bar, we met up with Victoria and the others who were waiting for us.

    I could see Patrick standing beside Victoria, he had tears in his eyes as he talked with her....

    Geez, was he trying to stand out ?

    I walk over to them.

    Patrick''s eyes began to shake when he saw Tiana.

    " Oh.... princess....", he manages to whimper out.

    Tiana looked ufortable, seeing a strange man crying while whimpering out your name is surely not considered as ''normal'' and Patrick was just an ascaris... goosebumps rise up on my skin thinking about how the demon king was going to react after reuniting with his long lost granddaughter.

    " We''re short on time, Patrick...so can you hurry it up ?.", I say trying to move things along.

    Patrick quiets down at my words, he walks towards me inrge and swift steps and for a minute I think he''s going to punch me... but he hugs me, which just feels weird.

    " Thank you, Adam."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Oho... he''s calling me by my name now... usually it would just be human this and human that... I prefer that.

    This is just too.... embarrassing.

    ~~~~

    I stare at the *''gate'' in front us.

    Patrick had given us five minutes to bid them farewell,

    " So.....I suppose this is it huh ?", Eric says with an unusual cheerfulness.

    " It seems so, Sir Eric.", Victoria said with a smile on her face.

    " I h-have something t-to say."

    We all turn around to look at Tiana who had just spoken, her face was beet red and she seemed to be struggling to speak.

    She bows her head and says in a squeaky voice,

    " Thank You !!!"

    ....

    How troublesomely wholesome....

    I feel like that stupid carrot stick is trying to change the genre into fluffy shit ...well not on my watch... No sir.

    After embarrassing herself in front of everybody, Tiana runs of into the portal.

    Patrick starts leading Victoria towards the portal.... I forgot that she was blind now.... it''s sad that Ang couldn''t heal her eyes but it can''t be helped since it''s uncurable.....

    Shit.

    " Wait !", I shout just in time.

    Patrick and Amanda turn around, I run towards them.

    " Give me something sharp ?", I say urgently to Patrick.

    " What ?!"

    " Just do it."

    Patrick hands me a dagger hidden in his shoes and I cut myself with it without hesitation. Blood slithers around my skin like a snake and I cover Victoria''s eyes with my blood covered palm.

    I can hear gaspsing from everywhere.

    God, I hope this works or else I might just have insulted Demon royalty for nothing.

    I know that the screen said that my blood could only heal uncurable diseases but....that''s it.... it''s just a screen. Some say that these things have a mind of their own..

    I take out my palm from her face and there it is.

    Those cold blue eyes, eyes that seemed too familiar.....

    " Y-you.....w-why...how ?", Victoria stared at me and no one else.

    Uh-oh, I can feel that something embarrassing ising my way, so I push both Patrick and Victoria inside the gate.

    " I''ll see you again...Victoria.", I say with a small smirk on my face.

    ~~~~

    " He looked so simr to Araceous.....", Victoria repeated the same words she had been saying ever since she''d gotten back home two weeks ago.

    " Ha !, see I told you all.", Archdemon Bal said with a satisfied expression on his face.

    The other three generals smiled back at their superior''s words.

    " It matters not... if he looks simr to my son. It changes nothing of the fact that he has helped us tremendously. All that I and everyone should care about is that Victoria and my little Tia have returned to their rightful ce.", The Demon King spoke while gently patting his granddaughter, who had made herselffortable on hisp.

    The Demon King looked much more alive and happier now that his family was back with him.

    " Adam can''t be father, Uncle.", Tiana said firmly to Bal.

    " How are you so sure, little one ?", Bal asks thinking nothing of her words.

    " Well... because he''s father''s friend, he said it himself. Father asked him to free us.'''', the little girl said casually.

    " WHAT ?!", the eyes of everyone in the throne room widen at Tiana''s innocent words.

    ~~~~

    * Gate - it''s basically a teleportation device that I mentioned in the earlier chapters

    _____________________________

 Chapter 59 I Love You (1)

    " Hmmmmm.... I don''t what to choose.....", I say truly bamboozled.

    " Just pick strawberry like you always do.", Eric says sounding a little irritated.

    Even the waiter looks like he''s had enough.

    It''s only been fifteen minutes and why are they acting as if it''s all my fault ?!. If anything it''s the restaurant''s fault for giving too many options to choose from !

    " I''ll take the strawberry smoothie.", I say relenting to my inner instincts.

    " Every single time....", Eric says in his usual annoyed voice or that might just be his normal voice.

    I can''t tell the difference anymore.

    It''s been two weeks since we freed Tiana and Victoria.

    It turns out that I did actually forget something that day...well not something but someone.

    After the authorities in the Unity found the mess inside the library they questioned Lecia who was the only witness. She imed that she saw two men d in ck cloaks.

    I don''t know if they believed her or not but they let her go after a week.

    Just in case they were suspicious of her and decided to keep watch of her movements, I asked Lecia to not interact with us.

    Of course I could speak with her since she''s my sister and all but still I don''t want to take my chances.

    The whole incident was swiped under the rug, nobody knew about the break in and no one would never know about it in the future either.

    " So....what do we do now ?", Eric asks in a low voice.

    The corners of my mouth raise up as I say,

    " Now....we rest."

    ~~~~

    Aftering back to Unity, we studied for a bit and then went to train.

    Beads of sweat continue to flow down my face.

    '' Salty'', I think as I feel the taste of my sweat.

    I continue to train for two more hours and finally fall down to the ground when I couldn''t go on anymore. I might have to tone down my training regimen a little, every inch of my body hurts way too much and it''s not like the training is the only hard part, I have to maintain a strict diet throughout this whole thing.

    It''s all way too exhausting. Maybe I should just sto-

    All thoughts of decreasing my training go away from my mind as my status screen appears before me.

    -----------------------------

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: E+

    Agility: E+

    Stamina: E+

    Intelligence: E+

    Mana Grade : D-

    Vitality : Unable to determine.

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spear Warrior lvl: 1

    You are a warrior of the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills: None.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    I could feel it.

    I was close to a breakthrough.

    '' A few more minutes wouldn''t hurt.'', I think while forcing myself to stand up.

    ~~~~

    Max Reynolds swings his sword repeatedly in different patterns. It was evident that he had been training for an extraordinary amount of time as blood was slowly falling down his palms.

    Yet he does not let go of the sword, he continues to practice until the sword slips out of his hand, along with the sword he falls as well.

    " Damn it..... it''s not enough.", he whimpers feeling powerless.

    ~~~~

    First period just ended.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was Portal and Dungeon study. A subject that I as the author naturally excels in.

    I put away my textbook and ready myself for the next ss which was unfortunately history.

    People should stay focused on present... why trouble yourselves with the past ?

    As I waited for our teacher to arrive, I observe the others in the ss.

    Emilia was talking with some rando, while Max who usually sits beside her was absent today.

    I wonder what happened to him ?

    I continue with my observation.

    I stare at Katherine....who was also openly staring at me.

    God, that girl gives me the creeps.

    I look over at Eric who was shamelessly sleeping in ss.

    Che. He has no discipline.

    Suddenly my eyes are drawn to a girl who was walking towards Eric.

    If I had to describe the girl in a word : shy.... really shy.

    She had ck hair and viridescent eyes, she wore these really huge earrings while her fingernails disyed a vibrant gold color. She looked a little.... glittery.

    Was she a ''named character'' ?

    I honestly couldn''t remember most of the minor characters from the novel now, she must be one since she seems somewhat familiar to me.

    I watch as the girl walks upto Eric and wakes him up.

    " Hey.... I love you. Go out with me."

    ....

    What ?!!

    I can look past that a girl professed her love for Eric, I mean I''m sure he already has a fan club or something. But this girl... she sure has some guts.

    She just asked Eric out in front of like a hundred people and it didn''t necessarily sound like she was asking him.... it sounded more like an order.

    Eric rubs his eyes while letting out a yawn.

    " Who the fuck are you ?", he asks back confused.

    ~~~~

    Eric opens his eyes to find a strange girl before him, he hadn''t even heard what she had said to him.

    Eric felt annoyed at the girl for waking him up so he asks her,

    " Who the fuck are you ?"

    ~~~~

    Abigail Robinson made up the ''n'' when she was eight years old.

    From then on the most important thing in her life was... the n.

    She revered the n as her god and kept it close to her heart.

    She''s lived her life till now ording to that very n.

    She''s aplished most of the things in her n except two things,

    Be a Hero.

    She was on the path to bing a hero so she had no need to worry.

    The second one was to find a suitable mate, preferably one of her ssmates.

    Ever since she enrolled in the Unity, she''s been observing her ssmates and today she finally came to a decision,

    Eric Grey.

    He was verypatible with her, he had the looks, the talent and most importantly he had strong familial backing. They were made for each other in her eyes.

    She was sure that a simple boy like him would fall into her palms with just a few words but she was proved wrong just now.

    She felt her face going red under Eric''s gaze.

    '' How dare you !'', she thinks while tears slowly flow down her face.

    " You''ll regret this.", she mutters out before running out of the ssroom.

    She runs inside the bathroom and starts sobbing, but calms herself down in a minute.

    Eric ruined her n....it wasn''t supposed to be like this.

    ''NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.... it''s all gone wrong.'', she thinks feeling lost.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 60 I Love You (2)

    " Was I that rude ?", Eric asked while rubbing his head.

    I nod my head as mouth was filled with food.

    " I mean the way she asked was a little weird but I also thought that you were a little too harsh.", Emilia dropped her thought on the matter.

    " Why don''t you just apologize to her ?", Katherine asks

    Eric murmurs something and goes back to eating his food.

    " On that thought.... I would like to make an apology as well.", Katherine continues on.

    " I''m sorry for using you without any proof, Adam."

    Oho, what''s this now ?

    An apology.... a little toote isn''t it ?

    " It''s all good, you don''t have to apologize over and over again", I say smiling at her.

    Katherine nods her head, but instead of changing the topic and continuing with her lunch she says,

    " Still, that was a shitty thing to do so... I want to give you something. I know it won''t make up for what I did but at least it''s a start right ?"

    I watch as Katherine takes out three envelopes and I instantly know what it is.

    An invitation to the Colleen family''s annual auction.

    ....

    Fuck Yeah !!

    I already had a n to get inside the auction but Katherine made this whole thing a lot easier.

    The Colleen Annual Auction or the TCAA for short was in a word : a treasure trove. It was an auction hosted by the Colleen family [duh ] that disyed a variety of extravagant things. The most important people in the world gathered together for this auction and bid on things.

    As this was an world renowned auction, it''s only natural that it has an impregnatable defense second to none. Nobody could force their way in without an invitation.... well this year would be different though.

    Half Moon was going be there and they''ll steal...a lot. Max and the group tries to fight against this unknow organization but they fail to do anything as the person they had to face was the Enchantress.

    This was the actual first time Max faced the organization but it was only when they broke into Unity''s prison, that he knew that this organization was in fact the infamous Half - Moon.

    Since they''re going steal all the good stuff either way, it wouldn''t matter if I leech of them a little right ?

    Heh.

    " Oh....you shouldn''t have.", I say as I take the envelope from her hand.

    Katherine gives Eric and Emilia one as well, she gets up from her seat and says,

    " I''ll go find Max and give him his as well."

    She leaves the cafeteria and I keep the invitation safely in my pocket.

    Emilia and Eric open up the envelope and read it''s contents. Emilia excitedly speaks about how....excited she was and Eric added in some words here and there. I tune out their conversation but stop when I hear Emilia say,

    " Today''s the 30th so the auction''s in a week, I''ll have to clear up my schedule."

    I pause eating and ask her,

    " What did you say ?"

    The both of them look at me as if I was a weirdo but I don''t care.

    " That I have to chec-", She begins to answer but I cut her off and ask again.

    " No....not that... just tell me today''s date.", I ask feeling a little stupid.

    " October 30.... why ?", Emilia asks confused.

    ....

    Shit.

    I did mark it on my calendar but with everything that was going on, I forgot.

    Today was the death anniversary of Max''s parents.

    In the novel, he pushes himself too hard and then gets a fever. Eric was the one who took care of him in the novel, but I had a feeling that the plot my change because it always does.

    " I have....huh a thing to do.", I say while getting up and running towards Max''s room.

    ~~~~

    " I''m a really sorry about...you know ?. I was uhhh... drowsy and didn''t kno-", Eric continues with his shabby apology until Abigail cuts him off.

    " It''s fine... really. I totally understand.", Abigail says with a gentle smile on her face.

    " Okay then.", Eric says before leaving.

    The smile on Abigail''s face never once wavered as she watched Eric move away from her but it wasn''t that gentle anymore.

    ~~~~

    I see Katherine waiting in front Max''s door, I slow my pace.

    " Hey....Katherine.", I say making her flinch.

    " Oh...hey, what are you doing here ?", she answers back.

    " I wanted to talk with Max."

    That''s ame excuse.

    Maybe I shouldn''t havee, Katherine could have done Eric''s part...

    " Well, I don''t think he''s in there.", Katherine says after letting out a sigh.

    " There''s only one way to find out.", saying this I kick open the door cause you know.... that''s what I do. I''m a kicker of doors.

    " Wha-", Katherine starts but follows me inside once she saw that I was moving inside.

    " We can''t do this, we have to go back !!", Katherine whispers with urgency.

    " It''ll be fine.", I say heading to the training room that was closed.

    I open the door to find Maxying on the floor, I could see some blood here and there. Katherine lets out a gasp and I say,

    " Is he dead ?"

    I mean obviously he wouldn''t be dead, I mean he''s the protagonist. I may have been a littlete but I''ve never heard of a protagonist dying from training so it''s going to be fine....probably.

    ~~~~

    Spoiler Alert: he didn''t die.

    Katherine and I took him to his bed and cleaned him up, I look around his room.

    Where the fuck was his roommate ?

    " How''d you know ?", Katherine asks while bandaging his body.

    " Well... I knew that today was the death anniversary of his parents, because I''m a huge fan... so I just wanted to check up on him."

    " Mhmm", she hums back as an answer.

    Now that I''m really looking at her, Katherine looks... beautiful. Of course she was in the main cast, so she was obviously going to be beautiful cause people like everything to be beautiful when in actuality this world is just in ugly.

    I mean she''s beautiful but I''m not attracted to her...really, cause I''m not a freaking pedophile. I like older women either way. MILFS for life !.

    But I can''t help myself but look at her, her white hair was tied in tight pony tail, her eyes were focused on the task before her...<novelnext></novelnext>

    I shake my head and say,

    " So.... will he live ?"

    She lets out a chuckle and says,

    " He''ll live... I think, I have no idea what I''m doing."

    Hearing this Iugh a little but I stop when Max grunts something.

    " Well, it seems like he''ll live.", Katherine says sighing in relief.

    ~~~~

    Max made a full recovery in two hours.

    That''s right, he healed in two hours.

    That''s not possible for a normal human, but he''s the protagonist so...

    Katherine and I watched as Max took small sips from the soup that we had made for him... well she made it. I watched.

    " Are you okay now ?", Katherine asks Max with concern.

    " I''m fine, thank you for breaking down my door.... and the soup."

    .....

    Oh God.

    Was that sarcasm just now ?

    It seems that my son has be an ungrateful bitch.

    " That was him...but it''s good that he did or else we wouldn''t have found you.", Katherine answers back with a smile on her face.

    Max nods his head and continues to eat his soup.

    After a minute of silence, I ask him

    " So...are you going to tell us why you were hurt ?"

    Hearing my question he puts down the spoon and covers his face with his hand,

    " I just...want to be stronger."

    Hmmm, well I knew that.

    " Is it for your revenge ?", Max appears shocked to hear me call him out.

    Seeing him so shocked, I scoff and say,

    " It''s kind of obvious.... I mean your parents were killed today and you just happened to almost train yourself to death."

    Max says nothing and goes back to eating his soup.

    " Max.... it''s good that your parents are dead, they don''t have see this pathetic mess they call their ''son'',"

    " WHAT DID Y-", Max begins to shout but I cut him of and continue,

    " Did I say something wrong..... look at yourself, you were on the brink of death an hour ago... you''re all alone with nobody beside you.... you''re a pathetic mess. Your parents were great heroes, Max. They sacrificed themselves because they wanted a better world for their son....but you''re just...uhhh forget it.", I say getting up from my spot.

    I might have exaggerated a little.

    He wasn''t on the brink of death nor was he alone. I sometimes talk too much don''t I ?

    I walk out of the room , leaving behind a dazed Max.

    Katherine followed me for some reason.

    As we were walking back she asks,

    " Did you have to say all that ?"

    Instead of saying anything, I wink at her and say,

    " Have a good night, Katherine."

    ~~~~

    I wake up the next morning and get myself ready for ss quickly,

    On the way out with Eric, I hit my leg on the edge of the table.

    " Ow.", I groan out in pain while jumping around.

    My entire day is ruined.

    " Don''t be a baby.", Eric mocks me opening the door to our room.

    I''m not a baby.... hmph.

    I''m surprised to see Max waiting behind the door, he steps inside the room pushing Eric aside and walks towards me in long strides. I try to back away but it was toote, the bastard punches me in the fucking face.

    If my day wasn''t ruined before.... it sure is ruined now.

    Eric runs towards my side and raises me up and asks panicked,

    " What the fuck just happened ?"

    I touch my lips gently and see that I''m bleeding. A small smile forms on my face as I say,

    " Character development."

    " What ?!" Eric asks back confused.

    ~~~~

    " I deserved that...but did you have to punch me that hard ?", I ask as the three of us walked to our ss.

    " You did, but you were right....so thank you.", Eric had a small smirk on his face as he spoke.

    " Wait...I''m still confused, what the fuck happened between you two ?"

    Max and I stare at each other with a small smile on our faces and I say.

    " Ehh, it''s too hard to exin."

    ~~~~

    As we enter the ssroom, the entire ss goes quiet and everyone stares at...me ?

    " Hey..", Max says while pointing towards the huge ass ckboard in the ss,

    " Oh."

    That''s all I can manage to say as I see the contents of the ckboard.

    It said,

    ERIC GREY AND ADAM CREED ARE FUCK BUDDIES.

    There were also a lot of very badly edited photos of me and Eric doing some....very obscene stuff.

    I look at Eric and he''s frozen, I could see his hands shaking and his eyes tearing up.

    Well.... this isn''t good.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 61 I Hate Drama

    I hate drama, but here''s what I hate more than drama.

    Sloppiness.

    I mean the handwriting is good but the photos, even a toddler...scratch that, even a blind toddler could tell that these photos were obviously edited and it was pretty obvious as to who did this...

    I turn around to find Abigail sitting in her seat with an satisfied expression on her face. I mean... why would she make it so obvious ?

    Now I''m going to have to beat the crap out of her and I can almost feel how exhausting that''s going to be..

    " Hey...are you okay ?", I ask while patting Eric on the shoulder.

    Eric snap out of his trance and I wish he hadn''t because he pushes the next moment making me fall on my butt.

    " Don''t t-touch me !"

    I can see the regret in his eyes after he pushes me but this motherf-

    Nope...I can''t get angry. Bad things happen when I''m angry...

    Eric runs out of the ssroom.

    I stand up from the ground and walk towards the ckboard and start rubbing out the words Abigail had written. Max also starts helping me,

    " Is he going to be okay ?", he asks me worried.

    " Give me some time alone.", I say my eyes focused on the task at hand.

    " Are you okay ?!", I hear Emilia''s voice behind me.

    " I''m fine.", I say tired of answering questions.

    The next person toe out and help was Katherine, fortunately she doesn''t ask me anything. The rest of the ss shamelessly watches until two people that I''ve never met in my life started helping us as well.

    The boy waved at me as if we were friends and I give him a forced smile, both the boy and girl looked way too simr, they must be twins. They both had crimson hair that made it seem as if their head was on fire and emerald eyes.

    The boy feels a little familiar but right now I just want to be done with this shit.

    ~~~~

    Eric Grey ran as far as he could...but he knew that no matter how far he ran the truth of the matter would never change.

    Eric hoped that the world would end, so that he wouldn''t have to deal with anything. But he knew that it wasn''t the world''s fault, it was his. There was something wrong with him...

    His grandfather''s words echo in his mind,

    " You should never have been born."

    Eric runs inside his room and lock the door behind him, the tears that he was holding back burst from within.

    The tears don''t stop flowing down for a very long time.

    ~~~~

    " I''m worried about Eric.", Katherine says sitting beside me.

    Why the fuck is she sitting beside me ?

    Also, I''m the victim here !

    .....

    Geez, I sound like a Karen and that''s never good.

    I let out a sigh and say,

    " He''ll be fine, just give him some time."

    We listen to the teacher for awhile until Katherine asks me,

    " Are you alright ?"

    My eyes stay fixed on Abigail''s back as I say,

    " I will be."

    ~~~~

    It''s lunch break.

    I''m trying to find where Abigail is... I''ve searched everywhere but it seems that she''s just vanished into thin air.

    The only ce left is the girl''s toilet.

    ....

    I''m gonna do it.

    I''m not doing this because I want to, it''s to help Eric.

    Yeah, that''s it.... totally.

    I take in a deep breath and start walking towards the girl''s toilet.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Stop !"

    " Stop !"

    " Stop !"

    That''s a lot of stops.

    I turn around to find Max, Emilia and Katherine looking at me in disappointment.

    " Were you guys following me ?!", I ask offended

    " Well, since you were ring at Abigail the entire day... we worried that you would do something you might regret.", Emilia exins trying calm me down.

    I feel vited.

    Max sighs and says,

    " Wow... it''s good that you''re an orphan, I''m d your parents don''t have to see their little pathetic son. Look at you man, you were about to enter the women''s restroom.... that''s just like a whole new low. I mean... forget it."

    I don''t miss the smirk on his face.

    This fucking bastard....

    I can see Katherine trying her best to hold in herughter, while Emilia just looked confused.

    I explicitly show Max and Katherine my middle finger and start walking back to our ss with them.

    " We should find Eric..", Emilia suggests.

    " Nah, he wouldn''t want to see us now.", I answer back.

    I swing the door to our ssroom, but stop when I see Abigail inside the ssroom.

    But it seems that I was toote.

    Somebody had already beaten the hell out of her and I think I know who.

    That girl twin stood near Abigail with her foot on top of poor Abigail.

    The twin girl gives us a wide smile.

    Oh God..

    I think I''m in love.

    ~~~~

    The girl''s name was Jennifer Asher and her brother''s name was Jacob Asher,

    I finally remembered from where I knew the boy as well, he was that weirdo that came up to me that day I beat up Stephan.

    " You really did a number on her, huh ?", I ask Jennifer with a small smile on my face.

    She lets out a little chuckle and says,

    " Well, she deserved it."

    The both of usugh some more while Max and the rest looked at us with horror.

    " That wasn''t alright... what if something happened to he-", Katherine starts to rant but Jennifer cuts her off and says,

    " But nothing happened."

    ....

    Wow, I''m liking her more now.

    Before the situation could escte further, our sub teacher asks her to go meet the vice principal.

    Before going out of the ssroom, she whispers into my ears,

    " I''ll see you around, Adam Creed."

    ...

    God, that''s hot.

    I watch as she walks away without a care in the world.

    ~~~~

    Katherine didn''t like this Jennifer at all.

    She was acting all cozy with Adam, but she was sure that Adam hadn''t know her, so she was basically a stranger. Katherine had stalk- no had observed Adam a lot so she should know best.

    She felt anger seeing the stupid smile on Adam''s face.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 62 Reality

    " You should really learn some kind of martial art or technique, just swinging around a spear doesn''t count as training.", Emilia says with a grim expression on her face.

    " I''m working on it... now remind me again why you all are following me ?"

    Instead of training in my personal training room, like I usually do today I trained with Max and the rest in themon training hall and I''ve learned something new about myself.

    It seems that I have performance anxiety, having to train while everybody stared at you is not the ideal environment.

    ....

    Also, training is the only area where I have performance issues...

    Anyways, we lost track of time as we trained and it''s getting dark out and Mr. push and run still hasn''t graced us with his presence.

    " We just want to check up on Eric....", Max says while limping a little.

    He trained hard today as well, but not as extreme as yesterday.

    I try to open the door to my room, but find that it''s locked. I knock on the door a few times before opening it using my key.

    As soon as we enter, we see Eric lying on the bed pretending to be asleep, I mean I did hear sounds when I was opening the door.

    " I know you''re awake...", I say while pushing him out of the bed.

    Now I''m not petty like Abigail, I''m just pushing him to wake him up, that''s it.

    Eric grunts something and then, stands up on his own.

    ~~~~

    Everybody leaves after checking up on Eric, in like fifteen minutes. After they leave I go to freshen up and take a very long bath...to relieve myself.

    After that I go to bed directly.

    Just as I was falling asleep, Eric''s voice wakes me up,

    " I''m sorry...."

    " it''s fine, go to sleep.", I answer back yawning.

    " I felt humiliated... and scared."

    Of course, he wasn''t gonna stop now.

    I sigh and get up from my bed to properly face him,

    " Why ?", I ask casually.

    Eric struggles to find an answer for awhile, I wait patiently for his answer.

    " Well... because I am gay..."

    ....

    No, this wasn''t it.

    Eric looks as if he''s describing a fatal disease he had, he''s not even able look me in the eye. I don''t like the direction in which this is going, if Eric bes too vulnerable and unstable, he naturally bes easy prey for the angels and I can''t have that.

    " Why''re you saying it like it''s something bad ?", I ask gently.. I think.

    " Because it is...-----", Eric continues to tell me what happened to him, all the prostitute shenanigans, I listen silently.

    This was good, Eric trusted me enough to tell me a little more about himself. That''s what I call progress.

    " For me, being my true self is a sin...because I''m a monster.... I killed that woman...she had a child.... I don''t deserve to live. "

    Eric wasn''t making much sense now but as I already knew everything it was fine.

    He doesn''t say anything more and I think on what to say.

    ...<novelnext></novelnext>

    ...

    ...

    ...

    " I killed my mother.", I say silently.

    Seeing the shock on Eric''s face I smile a little and continued on,

    " I didn''t mean too, it was an ident....but the truth of the matter is that I did kill the woman who gave birth to me. I thought like you too, Eric..... I thought I didn''t deserve to live but I realized that you..... have to deal with the cards you''re dealt with, they maybe nice or shitty but there''s nothing else you can do but face them."

    I stare at Eric who still seemed shocked,

    " I can''t change the past...no matter how much I want to, nor can you... so all we can do right now...is try to be better."

    Iy back on the bed and throw my nket over my face,

    " Good night.", I leave a still dazed Eric with those two words and drift off into the world of dreams.

    ~~~~

    I don''t want to wake up.

    What the fuck is wrong with me ?

    Why would I say all that to Eric yesterday....

    I find a hand patting me, trying to wake me up and I open my eyes to find Eric before me.

    Of course, who else would it fucking be ?

    " You''re going to bete...", Eric mutters while packing his bag.

    I get up, yawing and get ready in a jiffy and the both of us start walking towards our ssroom.

    On the way, Eric says,

    " I''ll try..."

    " What ?", I ask back confused.

    " I''ll try to be better."

    ~~~~

    It seems that our conversationst night did fortunately have some kind of effect as Eric ignores all the gazes on him as we enter the ss together.

    I don''t why but ever since the ckboard incident Katherine has been sitting next to me. Is she concerned.... or does she have sort of hidden agenda ?

    In the novel, Katherine was a cold and calctive character so it was entirely possible... but the Katherine in front of me hasn''t developed into that version just yet.... should I mold her to my liking.... Nah, that''s not a good idea.

    The ss went about as normal for the first fifteen minutes, but then got interrupted by a man that looked like one of those clich?? bodyguards from movies.

    " I''m here for Eric Grey.", the man says while handing a piece of paper to the teacher.

    The teacher reads the paper thoroughly and ask Eric to go with the man, he gets and starts to do just that. Our eyes meet for a split second and I don''t miss the fear in his eyes.

    ~~~~

    That day after ss finished for the day, all of us head towards my room to see what was up with Eric. He hadn''t returned the whole day.

    I open the door, but Eric wasn''t inside the room.

    We search every nook and corner of the room, but everything that belonged to him had vanished along with him.

    It was as if the person, ''Eric Grey'' had not existed from the beginning, as if he was just a figment of our very vivid imagination.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 63 Old Is Gold...Or Is It ?

    Eric''s gone.

    This obviously doesn''t happen in the novel, nor does the proposal.

    I''m worried, if somehow the angels manage to trick him, I mean the chance is low as Eric hasn''t really done anything to be noticed but still the question remains,

    What If ?

    " Just where did he go ?", Jennifer asked strangely worried.

    Yup, Jennifer and her twin brother, Jacob also joined us in our search for Eric. It''s kind of strange isn''t it ?

    " Why are you helping us ?", I ask not wanting to think too much.

    " What ?!", she asks back confused.

    Everybody else in the room quiets down to listen in on our conversation.

    Real subtle, guys..

    " I mean, I didn''t even know you till yesterday...so it''s strange is all I''m saying.."

    Do I sound like an asshole ?, well forgive me but I kind of am one.

    I smile in response to Jennifer''s re,

    " My brother idolizes you, because you beat up Stephan.... Stephan bullied him a lot and I beat up Abigail because she was an irritating bitch, I didn''t do it for you and don''t think I''m doing this because I''m interested in you, you self centered shit."

    Wow. For some reason she feels even more beautiful now....

    " C''mon Jacob, we''ll look for him on our own.", saying this the duo leaves my room.

    As soon as they Max startsughing at me,

    " Wow...just wow.", he said while pping.

    I''m starting to dislike Max a bit.

    " Forget them, where the hell is Eric.... what if he was kidnapped ?", Emilia says horrified.

    " You''re right.", I answer back.

    " Who would do such a thing ?", Katherine asks worried.

    " Well, his family."

    Everyone inside the room bes shocked as they hear my words.

    ~~~~

    Eric waited for his grandfather in the dining hall.

    He had hoped that his grandfather wouldn''t have heard about the ''incident'' but it seems that it was already toote.

    " Calm down, bro.", Ang reassured him but they both clearly knew what was going to happen.

    Eric was going to be punished like usual, usually he was either beaten with a whip or a stick but his grandfather was an unpredictable man.

    Eric gulped feeling nervous, crazily enough the first thought he had was to think on how Adam would react in his situation. On that note, yesterday''s conversation came to his mind.

    Eric had no idea if Adam was lying or not, but somehow..maybe it was the way he said it... it felt as if he was telling the truth. Eric realized that he didn''t know anything about Adam....

    Killing a stranger and killing your own mother was two very different things, Eric couldn''t help but think how much pain Adam had to go through to reach where he was now...

    Even though he still hated Adam, he had a strange newfound respect for him.

    The door opens while Eric thought this and an muscr old man enters the dining hall, he was wearing a branded suit and all the hair on his body had grayed but strangely enough his body was brimming with life, his cold blue eyes stayed focused on Eric who couldn''t even look the man in the eye.

    Seeing the cowardice of his grandson, a small smirk ys around the old man''s lips and he says,

    " You''ve been busy."

    " Yes, grand-", Eric starts

    " Who said I was talking to you ?"

    Eric goes silent as his grandfather continues on,

    " Your teachers told me that you increased your rank, good job honeypie. But if you be too busy and can''t even make time to talk with grandfather.. then this old man will be heartbroken.", heughs as he says this.

    " Y-yes, Grandfather.", Ang says looking nervous and hesitant.

    They continue on their conversation as if Eric didn''t exist while he sat beside them biting his lips to stop himself from crying.

    Eric didn''t even know why he was so emotional anymore, it''s always been like this. When he was young Eric thought his grandfather would acknowledge him if he was strong enough and he trained and trained, one day while training he hurt himself.

    He had to be admitted to a hospital for a week, on thest day his grandfather visited him. At first he was excited... he thought maybe, just maybe his grandfather would acknowledge him...and he did, just not the way Eric thought he would.

    " Don''t be such a nuisance."<novelnext></novelnext>

    That was all he said and that was all that needed to be said.

    The next week, Eric watched as his grandfather pamper Ang on her birthday, when their eyes met he had the same smirk he did now...to Eric the message his grandfather was trying to put across was pretty clear.

    No matter what he did, he would never be good enough.

    All his life he''s hated his grandfather''s stupid smirk....it was like a remainder just for him. Soon enough it changed to everybody, he didn''t like seeing anyone smiling, smirking or anything of that sort. It became so worse that he began to hate smiling as well.

    Eric''s grandfather wasn''t always like this, he used to cherish Eric as well but it all changed that day... that day which Eric couldn''t forget no matter how hard he tried too.

    Eric grew up hating Ang, he would bully, hurt her when no one was looking.... he knew it wasn''t her fault but he did it anyway. But she never onceined to anybody. Eric knew that he''s wronged a lot of people... and he was d that he could at least start to make amends.. especially with his sister.

    '' I have to try to be better.'', Eric reminds himself.

    Servants holding trays of food arrive and ce them before Ang and Grandfather..

    Eric waited for his food to arrive but it never did.

    Ang tried to pass him some but seeing her grandfather''s re she changes her mind.

    Eric waits for his grandfather to finish his meal.

    ~~~~

    After about an hour,

    Eric''s grandfather and Ang finish their lunch and start dessert. Eric''s stomach was letting out small growls like a little kitten now and then which embarrassed him unbearably.

    After another fifteen minutes the both of them finish up and wash up.

    Eric''s grandfather throws an envelope on the dining table.

    Eric opens it and stutter out,

    " W-what''s this ?"

    His grandfather shes that smirk of his and says,

    " You''ve been expelled."

    Eric couldn''t say anything...he kept his mouth shut and eyes closed, he wasn''t afraid... he was angry but he knew that anger wouldn''t help him, the only option left was to plead.

    Just as he was about to do just that, a knock resound throughout the expansive dining room.

    " Come in.", grandfather says loudly.

    A butler came in and proims,

    " You have a visitor, sir."

    " Who is it ?"

    " He didn''t say, but he did say to bring the young master as well."

    Eric''s Grandfather frowns at the arrival of an unannounced guest, moreover the guest was ordering him around !

    But everybody in the room was curious as to who exactly this mysterious guest was, so all of them including Ang head to the where the guest was.

    ~~~~

    Eric''s mouth hung open and refused to close, Ang had a simr reaction as well.

    Eric''s Grandfather stared at the strange youth in front of him,

    He was sitting rxed with one leg on top of the other, his pitch ck hair and red eyes seemed ominous.

    Eric''s grandfather observes the people standing behind the boy, a man and a woman. They looked like assistants.

    " Who are and what do you want ?", as Eric''s grandfather couldn''t recognize him, it convinced him that the child in front of him was a nobody, so he wanted to quickly get this over with.

    The boy appears disappointed hearing the old man''s words and says,

    " I''m disappointed that my own father inw doesn''t recognize me, I''m Eric''s ''lover'' and I''m here to bring my ''lover'' back."

    " WHAT ?!"

    Seeing the old man''s adverse reaction, Adam Creed ironically has a smirk on his face.

    He raises both his hands and rests them on the side of his cushion and says in a mocking tone,

    " You shouldn''t get so agitated father, think of your health."

    While saying this...the smirk remains on his face, it didn''t seem like it was going anywhere anytime soon.

    But strangely enough, Eric didn''t mind this smirk all too much.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 64 Love God

    " GET OUT OF-------------"

    I zone out of the old man''s conversation because it was getting boring now.

    Locating this shithole was a little hard, but having two trusty dogs to do all your work make it a whole lot easier.

    Eric''s grandfather, Albert Grey kept on yapping on and on, his head resembled a tomato that was going to explode, I could see veins bulging on his forehead.

    It was an amusing sight.

    Albert Grey was killed by his own grandson in the novel, in his final moments he regrets being an asshole and apologizes to Eric and then Eric puts an arrow in his head.

    It was a ''meh'' ending for a unpleasant old man.

    " Look, calm down. All I want is to be reunited with my honeypie."

    Now did I just do that purposefully knowing that he calls Ang by thatme ass name ?

    ...

    I guess we''ll never know.

    Seems like the old man''s had enough, why else would he try to punch me ?

    I dodge the punch by a hair''s breadth and push Albert to where I sat previously while taking his ce. Now that we were once again facing each other, I say with a more serious voice,

    " PROJECT SOLDIER."

    That''s all I say, but that''s plenty enough for him to be shocked.

    " H-how ?...", he asks confused.

    " Well, let''s forget the ''how''.... why don''t we make a deal ?"

    Albert Grey sits up straight and calms himself down.

    " What do you want ?"

    As hateful as he was, I was amazed by this man''s foresight.

    " Hmm... as I said earlier all I want is Eric... and he''ll be moving to my house."

    Albert frowns at this and says,

    " That is not eptable !, he is my grandson."

    I act hurt and say,

    " But father, he''s the love of my life, haven''t you heard that love is more important than anything...?"

    I can almost hear Albert gritting his teeth,

    " Fine, but how can I trust you ?"

    " Trust me ?.... well you''re taking my money, isn''t that the biggest form of trust ?"

    The old man''s eyes widen and he asks,

    " You''re an investor ?"

    I smile and say,

    " You might know me as ''The Witch''."

    He appears even more shocked now.

    PROJECT SOLDIER was a top secret [ illegal] experiment. They''re basically trying to make humans stronger without the need to use mana. An artificially created superhuman.

    As the project was top secret and all, the investors used pseudonyms and the name I just gave Albert was the one used by the Enchantress. These superhumans actually proved helpful in thest fight against the angels so I''ve let them be till now.

    Albert looked conflicted but in the end he caved and agreed to the deal with the infamous Grey frown stered all over his wrinkled face.

    I get up from the cushion and say,

    " Pack up, Eric...you''reing home."

    " This is his home...", Albert mumbles.

    " I think it stopped being his home a long time ago."

    Albert doesn''t make any sort ofeback, which was a little surprising.

    Eric moves in a dazed manner and as he was exiting from the room, I p his ass causing him to jump a little. I turn around and look straight into Albert''s eyes before saying,

    " Your grandson''s great in bed."

    Then I run the fuck out of there because my survival depended on it. Amanda and Francis also runs along with me.

    ~~~~

    " Don''t ever do that again.", Eric proimed while packing his bags.

    I raise my hands to show my surrender and say,

    " I won''t."

    Iy down on his bed and browse around my phone.

    " Why did youe ?". Eric asked his gaze fixed on the task before him.

    " hmmmm, well you can''t try to be better if you''re not given the chance..."

    A small smile appears on Eric''s tired face as he says,

    " You''re right."

    ~~~~

    Eric and Ang kept pestering me to tell them what PROJECT SOLDIER was but I don''t cause by now they should know that I''m very secretive...

    " Take care of my brother or else I''ll....", Ang left the rest upto my imagination. She waved us goodbye and then the car took us to the Creed mansion.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ~~~~

    As the car reaches the mansion, I''m surprised to see Patrick waiting for me in front of the mansion. I thought I was done with him.

    I get out of the car, Eric behind me and wave at Patrick who does the same back. He runs towards us with a big smile on his face and says,

    " Greetings Sir Adam and Sir Eric, It''s great to see you again."

    I scoff at his politeness and ask,

    " What brings you here ?"

    Patrick clears his throat and says with a wide smile on his face,

    " I was sent here to officially invite you to the banquet we are holding to celebrate the return of the princess and her mother."

    He hands us an envelope and continues on,

    " This is the official invitation signed by the demon king himself, you may bring Sir Eric and Miss Lecia as well."

    After conveying the message that was entrusted to him, Patrick bid us goodbye and went away.

    I open the envelope and let out a sigh before saying,

    " it''s tomorrow."

    This all felt a little sudden but it''ll be good to see Tiana and... Victoria again.

    " It''ll be good to see those two again... I can''t believe we''re going to demon territory.....---", Eric continued speaking, he seemed excited.

    Well, good for him.

    The doors open and I''m d to see Martin and ra [ ascaris].

    " You''re back.", I say with a smile.

    Now that they''re back, things around the mansion would go a lot smoother. I hired Martin as the butler and ra, his wife as the head maid.

    " Yes, master."

    " Yes, master."

    The both of them speak simultaneously creeping me out a little.

    ~~~~

    Lecia was watching tv and having ice cream when we arrived, it was Friday so she had returned home after ss.

    I walk up to her and kneel down and open my mouth, she puts a scoop of strawberry ice cream into my mouth. I nce at the movie but turn around instantly when I understand that it was an horror film.

    Nope.

    Seeing the bags Eric carried, she asks curious,

    " Are you having a sleepover ?"

    ....

    What ? A sleepover ?

    Does she think we''re fucking 15 year olds.... oh wait we are fifteen years old.

    My bad.

    " No, he''s going to be staying here from now on."

    " Okay.", saying this she goes back to her movie.

    I patiently wait and soon enough she turns around and asks,

    " What ?!"

    ~~~~~

    After exining the situation to Lecia, she nods her head and says,

    " You did the right thing."

    After that, Lecia helps Eric settle in while I took my bath.

    We had a satisfying dinner where we all eat plenty, we talked about this and that and time passed quickly.

    After that we all went to our respective bedrooms.

    Iy down on my bed and nkly stared at the ceiling.

    I''ve realized something,

    A lot of things have happened, good and bad. But right now, in this exact moment I was happy.

    It''s a strange feeling isn''t it ?

    ~~~~

    Night had fallen and the world had fallen asleep.

    In a some part of the world, a red portal opens up.

    A being which covered it''s body with a ragged cloak enters into this world from the red portal.

    The red portal closes behind the being.

    The being falls down on the ground as if this world was rejecting his entire being but manages to stand up after a minute.

    " Something is different with this one.... there''s an anomaly here.", saying this the being vanishes into the darkness of the night

    Happiness neversts for long.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 65 Demons Party Hard.... [ 18+]

    I look at myself in the mirror and smile.

    I didn''t really know what people wear to banquets so I just wore a suit.

    I look dashing, If I say so myself.

    I go outside my room, and see Lecia and Eric had already changed.

    Eric wore a suit simr to mine and Lecia looked like Cindere except in red. The gown she wore had intricate designs of a roses on it, she had decided to put her hair in ponytail.

    " You look beautiful today, youngdy.", I say while bowing.

    Smiling at me she says,

    " You don''t look that bad yourself."

    ~~~~

    Patrick led us to a gate.

    I knew that I wouldn''t be able to avoid using one forever, but still I felt a little nervous. I close my eyes and run inside the gate.

    I felt as if thousand needles were pricking my skin and open my eyes to find that I was in a strange room. I vomit due to the unease I felt,

    " It''s you first time using a gate ?"

    I look up to find Archdemon Bal standing before me.

    Shit, I back away due to my surprise and Bal chuckles seeing me squirm around.

    ~~~~

    Eric and Lecia arrive through the portal a minuteter, unlike me they werepletely fine. They must be uses to travelling through a gate by now.

    Seeing Bal beside me, they looked a little afraid.

    Noticing their fear, Bal smiles and reassures them,

    " Don''t be afraid dear humans, I have personally appointed a general as your bodyguard for the evening."

    Oho... I wonder which one it is ?

    Bal take us out of the strange room and I''m amazed to see the view outside. It was just a desert but still there was something beautiful to it, as night was approaching the air was slowly starting to turn cold and watching the setting sun while walking behind Bal was certainly a sight to behold.

    The moment I step into the dessert, sand finds its way inside my shoe.

    ....

    Fuck this ce.

    " Where are we going ?", Lecia asked nervously.

    Bal doesn''t say anything but smiles mischievously.

    I don''t remember him being this friendly before.... but I''ll take it.

    We walk through the desert for ten minutes before abruptly stopping, we couldn''t move forward even if we wanted to as there was a huge hole in the desert.

    I prepare myself for what''s toe while Lecia and Eric nervously asked,

    " What''s thi-", only they couldn''tplete speaking as Bal pushed all three of us and jumped into the never ending hole.

    All of us scream, except Bal. I knew that I would have to jump but I wasn''t prepared for the push. I turn around my body midair and see that the hole wasn''t there anymore.

    I close my eyes and brace for impact.

    ~~~~

    All of us fell on these fluffy cloud like things.

    I get up slowly and help Lecia and Eric up while I don''t forget to re at Bal.

    Feeling my re, he chuckles and says,

    " It''s a demonic tradition to push our guests in, to measure their courage."

    I know from that smug grin on his face that he''s making this shit up.

    It takes me a minute to realize that Eric and Lecia were strangely quiet, I look towards them to find them mesmerized before the view in front of them.

    " Wee to our capital, Lazarus.", Bal says while admiring the view himself.

    We hadnded on the clouds which were weirdly solid and from above we could see aplete view of Lazarus.

    Lights of different colors lightened up the city, people could be seen dancing around....they must be holding a festival. Bal snaps his fingers and the cloud breaks apart into four and gently brings us to the ground.

    Looking at children running aroundughing, men and woman dancing around and shopkeepers who kept shouting this and that from their little stalls; the realization that the demons weren''t all that different from humans hit me.

    Of course, I should know that by now...but still seeing and experiencing their culture is something else entirely.

    " Follow me.", Bal says

    On the way, demon folk point at me specifically and whisper a lot. That''s a little rude.

    Following Bal''s lead, we reach a thergest building the eye could observe, it was of course, the pce.

    To enter the grounds we had to go through a pretty thorough search and after about half an hour we were allowed to enter. As soon as we opened the pce door, loud rock music rang out surprising all of us.

    I suppose....demon''s party hard.

    Bal excuses himself and goes somewhere else, a pale woman d in blue armor walked towards us inrge steps. The woman had cold blue eyes and long white hair that was tied together in a tight pony tail. She gave us a slight bow with an expressionless face and says,

    " I will guard you during your stay here."

    ? Ooo...it''s her.

    The Ice General, Kirsi.<novelnext></novelnext>

    An orphan who was taken in by the demon king during his prime, he raised her and made her a warrior feared by many. Despite her cold exterior, she was like a marshmallow on the inside. A peace loving general.

    I bow to show her respect and the others follow my lead.

    " Thank you for taking care of us."

    She nods her head and leads us to the origin of the loud music.

    The ball room strangely had a disco and a DJ as well, all the people were vibing to the music.

    Kirsi turns to face us and says,

    " You''ve been permitted to enjoy the banquet until further notice."

    Kirsi leaves after saying this leaving us to enjoy the party alone, we dance around awkwardly for the first five minutes but get into it after that. The waiters ran around offering drinks and I helped myself to a few.

    Feeling a little tipsy, I decide to rest for a minute.

    Now that I think about it, did I [ minor] just drink alcohol ?...

    Well, who cares ?

    " Sir Adam !", I hear a voice call me out.

    I turn to find Patrick walking towards me with a stupid grin on his face.

    Oh, it''s him again...

    " I''m d to see you again.", he says obviously drunk.

    We chat for some time until Patrick says,

    " Hey, do you want to go to a real party ?...", he asks smiling weirdly.

    " What are you talking about ?", I ask confused.

    He winks at me and leads me to another room,

    I''m not feeling too good about this.

    " Are you ready ?", Patrick asks me.

    I nod my head and he opens the door revealing.....a lot of women wearing very...suggestive clothes.

    My mouth hangs open as I see various men taking these woman to different rooms... Is this what I think this is ?..

    I look at Patrick and say,

    " Dude...I''m fifteen."

    Patrickughs and says,

    " So what ?"

    ...

    Oh, right.

    Fifteen years of age is considered as adult in demon culture.

    So, it wouldn''t technically be wrong would it ?....

    No...No I can''t.

    I shake my head and say that I wasn''t interested to Patrick, to my refusal Patrick says,

    " There are men, too."

    I sigh and say,

    " It''s not that...it just doesn''t feel right."

    Hearing me Patrick sighs and says,

    " You haven''t received ap dance from a demon, have you ?.... I''ve heard that it''s enlightening.."

    Well if it''s enlightening then I have no choice but to do it....for training purposes.

    ~~~~

    I have been enlightened.

    ...

    Look, if we take into consideration my age from my previous life. I''m forty something...so my age technically isn''t an issue and it wasn''t like I even did anything that bad. It was just ap dance....half ap dance considering that Lecia walked into the room I was in and dragged me away.

    " How irresponsible can you be----"

    I look down at the ground as Lecia continued to lecture me with Eric beside her looking at me with disapproval.

    " It''s all his fault.", I say pointing at Patrick who sat beside me.

    Then the both of them began lecturing the both of us, until Kirsi walks up to us and says,

    " The Demon King requests your presence."

    It seems that the demon king is my savior.

    ~~~~

    Author''s note: there were no 18+ scenes....you''ve been punked.

    _____________________________

 Chapter 66 Erics Wish..

    Eric''s Wish.

    ------------------------

    2 Years Ago

    ------------------------

    Eric''s POV

    ______________

    I shift and turn around in my car nervous....

    I''m always nervous when Ie here... this ce was a testament to my sin.

    I get out of the car as it hade to a halt and observe the building in front of me, it didn''t look that luxurious but wasn''t half bad either. A sign that said, ''EVERGREEN ORPHANAGE'' was hung above the small building.

    ~~~~

    " It''s always a pleasure to have you here, Mr.Grey.", Mark.. the caretaker of the orphanage said while pouring tea into a ss.

    Mark strangely reminds me of a snake. I don''t like the man all that much but he''s kept my visits here a secret till now.. so there were no problems for now at least.

    I pass him an envelope which contained most of pocket money and he greedily snatches it up.

    " Please visit us again so-",

    I cut him off since I wasn''t here to hear his ttery,

    " Where''s the child ?..." , I ask

    " Oh..yes, the child !", Mark exims out and leads me out of his office.

    ~~~~~

    " Bwother Eric !"

    The child, Merika runs and attaches herself to me in a tight hug.

    I smile gently and pat her head.

    " I''ve missed you, Merika."

    " I''ve missed yow too, Bwother Eric."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing the child smile so innocently,pletely unaware of the fact that I was the one that killed her mother broke my heart.

    ....

    After the ''incident'', I first wanted to move on as quickly as possible... it was byplete luck that I learned of Merika.

    She was just 5 years old...

    " Brwther ?", Merika asks seeing Eric''s smile falter.

    " It''s nothing...."

    I take her out for the day and let her do everything she wants. I know that doing this doesn''t change anything that I''ve done...but I''m allowed to be a little selfish aren''t I ?

    Merika is a very bright child for her age, I''ve actually tested her and the test showed that she was.... brilliant, abnormally so. I had decided to pay for her education even before learning of this so I was d I could help.

    ~~~~

    " Will you viwsit again swoon ?", Merika asked wide- eyed.

    I nod my head and say,

    " I''ll be back as soon as I can."

    She vigorously nods her head and I try to pat her but stop myself because...do I deserve to ?

    I walk out after making sure that Merika was safe.

    ~~~~

    I''m in my car, riding away from the orphanage.

    I roll down the window and look at the orphanage.

    My eyes are drawn to a yground beside the orphanage, namely two children around my age ying.

    The boy had pitch ck hair and red eyes that reminded me of blood, he was vigorously taking pushups while a girl with blond hair sat on top of him. They were talking and the girl suddenly takes sand from the ground and throws it in the boy''s eyes, making him fall while taking his pushup.

    I watch the boy chase the girl around and think,

    '' It must be nice to have friends.."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 67 Know Your Place (1)

    " Well, I should probably get going...", I say with a smile on my face.

    " This is not over.", Lecia whispered and then took Eric away with her too continue on with their dance.

    Whew...

    " Follow me.", Kirsi says while already on the move.

    I follow her through the pce''s hallways until we reach the biggest door I have ever seen in my life.

    Without giving me time to prepare myself Kirsi opens the door with her bare hands, impressing me. I''m pretty sure that this was the throne room.

    As soon as the doors were opened, my eyes focus on the demon king. The demon king looked at me, his focus on me was absolute. Even as I walked closer to him, his eyes never leave me.

    The demon king looked like a popsicle stick, he was so thin I swear I could see his heart beating. The Demon King had ck eyes that reminded of an unending well, but the thing that got my attention the most were his horns...or horn, I suppose.

    One of them had been cut off during battle all those years ago.

    A demon''s horn being sliced of was the biggest dishonor a demon could receive, who had the nerve to cut of a horn from the mighty demon king ?

    It was the Enchantress.

    After all they first met as enemies on the battlefield.

    " Cease your insolence at once, human !", a man standing behind the throne says while ring at me.

    Seeing as how he stood beside the demon king, he must be one of the generals, looking at his features it was easy to understand which one of the generals he was,

    The General Of Wrath, Helmer.

    A cold-blooded warrior that would kill himself without even giving it a second thought if that was what his master wanted.

    Did I do something to offend him ?

    As I think, I realize that I was still standing....not bowing would be considered as insolence I suppose ?

    I start to bow since I couldn''t afford to offend anyone in this room, but before I can the demon king, Belial Crowcolt says,

    " There is no need for you to bow, child."

    I look up to see a faint smile on Belial''s face.

    I try to say my thanks but before I can, the huge door opens again. I turn around to find Bal and a woman d in red armor beside him.

    The woman must be a general as well, seeing the enamoring red armor she must be the,

    The General of Dawn, Aurora.

    Aurora was a unique demon in the sense that she wasn''t fully demon, she was half human. Intermixing of species was considered a taboo in the demon''s culture so the fact that she was general was a testament to how powerful she was.

    People born of mixed blood like Aurora go through a second ''awakening'', this was when thetent power inside them would awaken. Intermixing between species wasn''t considered taboo because people were disgusted by it....it was considered taboo because their offspring''s were monsters of unimaginable degrees.

    Now that all the four generals of the demon king had all gathered here, they took their rightful ce next to the demon king. Bal winked at me from behind the throne and I ignored himpletely.

    " It''s nice to finally meet you, Adam Creed.", Belial says with that faint smile still on his face.

    " It''s an honor to finally meet you as well, your majesty.", I say in response.

    " Firstly, I thank you for rescuing my daughter and granddaughter."

    I shake my head and say,

    " It was my honor to be able to help you, your majesty."

    Helmer nods his head in approval hearing how I spoke.

    " You really do look like him....", Belial says, his eyes filled with a strange sadness.

    I tilt my head to the side in confusion, but don''t question him...mostly because I was afraid but let''s not get hung up on small details.

    " Do you trust me ?", Belial asks yet again.

    " I do, your majesty.", I say dutifully.

    Now, I don''t know about trust... but I knew that he was person who kept his word no matter what.

    Belial looks at Kirsi, who still stood beside me and says,

    " Show it to him."

    At her king''s behest, Kirsi takes out a piece of paper...no a photo of someone. She hands it to me and I''m surprised to see that it''s me.

    ....

    No, it''s not me..

    An older version of me ?

    Confused, I look up at the demon king and he says,

    " That''s my son."

    ....

    Okay.

    What''s happening here ?...

    Why does an human orphan with an obscure past look way too simr to Araceous Crowcolt, the prince of the demonic kingdom ?

    I''m pretty sure that I didn''t make a character like that, but by now I''m already aware of the fact that the plot is as reliable as a sinking ship and I''m the captain. I still refuse to ept it but I know and I have nobody else to me but myself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But this was not something I had anything to do with at all.

    " Seeing your reaction, I assume that you didn''t know ?"

    I nod my head.

    " He''s lying...all humans are liars.", Aurora silently added in.

    .....

    Well... thank you for that.

    Helmer nods his head agreeing with Aurora''s words.

    By now, I''m pretty sure that the only thing he can actually do is nod.

    " Please don''t mind her, but her words aren''tpletely false, looking at the history between our two races.", Bal tries to help me but ultimately just makes it worse.

    Now, I should be extremely careful... this topic of conversation was akin tondmine. If I get trapped in one...I''m done for.

    " Seeing that you have human roots....there''s a chance you''re lying about me being a liar."

    ...

    Well...shit.

    A very awkward silence falls over us untill-

    " HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH---", Belial, the demon king, the one said to have singlehandedly held his own against the twelve angelsughed.

    Bal also started tough, soon everyone in the throne room wereughing except for Aurora of course..

    She had frown on her face, but kept her silence. I was d for that.

    The Demon King stops to catch his breath and says,

    " It seems that you''re simr to my son in more ways than one..."

    " Errr, thank you.", I say rubbing my head not knowing how to react.

    ~~~~

    After making sure that everyone calmed down, Belial said,

    " We want to have a friendly rtionship with you, but for that we need to be able topletely trust you."

    I think for a moment before saying,

    " What can I do to make you trust me ?, your majesty."

    Hearing me, Belial smiles and says,

    " You don''t have to do anything.. we already have an idea."

    ~~~~

    Kirsi stood in front of me, staring into my eyes.

    " Are you ready ?", she asks

    I nod my head, she gently touches the center of my forehead with one of her fingers. I watch as her eyes lose focus and thenpletely turn white.

    The solution Belial came up with was simple, Kirsi apparently had an skill that would help her look into the ''inner eye'' of a person. As to what exactly this inner mind was... I had no idea.

    All I knew was that it had to do something with the soul of a person, I epted his request since it sounded simple enough and the whole process would apparently end in a single minute as time ran faster inside this ''inner eye''.

    Everybody in the room looked tense and waited for Kirsi to awaken.

    After exactly a minute, Kirsi does open her eyes but instead of speaking she screamed-

    " AHHHHHHHHHHHHH--"

    She fell to the ground and started backing away from me.

    Before passing out she says a single word that echoes throughout the throne room,

    " Monster."

    ....

    What the fuck was that ?

    I step forward to check on her but before I can even take a single step, Helmer and Aurora vanish before me and appear in front and back of me. Their weapons, an axe and an spear respectively over my neck.

    I don''t even have the time to blink.

    " What did you do to h-", Aurora begins to speak but another person''s voice drowns out her voicepletely.

    " STOP !"

    The voice was high pitched, it sounded like a kid....

    I turn my head sideways and the door was once again swung open and outside stood Victoria and in her hands was Tiana who looked red from all the screaming.

    '' Oh, thank god,'', I think thanking the god of fortune.

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 68 Know Your Place (2)

    A few minutes ago.

    ____________________

    Kirsi''s POV

    ______________________

    I use my skill, [Soul Search] on the boy.

    [ Soul Search] was a skill that let me see a glimpse of the ''inner eye'' of his soul, the inner- eye was considered the crux of the soul, the center and the part that makes the person who they are.

    Adam Creed looked nervous as I gently touch his forehead, I was a little skeptical when I first heard that the boy looked simr to the prince but looking at him now...the resemnce is uncanny. Looking at him made me feel excited, what if he was the seconding of the prince....

    For the past week, everybody in the war council was trying toe up with believable reasons and this was the one that resonated with me the most.

    If Prince Araceous returned in some way, then that would mean the end of this long and drawn out war. That was how strong he was... I still remember seeing him in action all those years back.

    I remember feeling d....d that I wasn''t the one fighting him.

    If this young boy was truly the prince or at least rted to him in some way...then he was the Demon Kingdom''s hope.... an hope to end this senseless war and enter an age of peace.

    With this thought, my mind goes nk.

    ~~~~

    When I open my eyes again, I''m in a bedroom. From the looks of it, this room should belong to a human child. As I search around the room-

    " You shouldn''t be here."

    A voice startles me, I turn around to find a little boy staring at me curiously.

    " Hello there.", I say cheerfully trying to mask my surprise.

    This young child must be the ''guide''.

    A guide was a.... guide who led you on the ''right path'' in the inner eye. The soul of any being was vast and to get lost in another''s soul meant definite death. The guide won''t hurt or more like couldn''t..

    But still I was surprised to see this young boy, he had brown hair and eyes of the same color. He did not look like Adam Creed... usually the person to appear as the guide was the person on whom I cast the skill on...but I suppose there can be exceptions.

    " You can''t be here.", the boy said yet again confusing me.

    " Why not ?", I ask

    The boy sighs and says,

    " He might notice you.."

    Now I felt even more confused, guides don''t initiate conversations like this one. They usually just answer any questions the users had and then lead them wherever they wanted. I decide to ignore the irregrities and focus on the task at hand.

    " Take me to th-...where are you going ?", I ask seeing the boy run out of the room without listening to me.

    I run after him, outside the room...there was darkness.....never ending darkness.

    " Hehehe--"

    I hear the child''sughter echoing throughout the darkness. This wasn''t right... a guide wasn''t supposed to behave like this.

    But I decide to ignore the obvious red gs and decide to brave my way through the darkness. As I walked, my feet get covered in water and slows me down, the further I walked the more the amount of water increased. It was like walking into an ocean.

    Soon, the water had swallowed up my stomach and I was struggling to walk. Just as the thought of giving up entered my mind...I see a small light a few feet away from me.

    I increase my pace but stop as I get closer to the light.

    I could see the boy who now satfortably in a small row boat. The light was emitted from the small torch in his tiny hands. The boy smiled at me weingly.

    " Come on in.", he says but I don''t move...I can''t move because I realized that I wasn''t waddling through water....it was blood.. a sea of blood.

    I walk dazed to the rowboat and get on it with the help of the boy. I look down at my body and it was drenched in blood.

    Why couldn''t I smell the blood ?..

    Blood had a special scent, so the fact that I didn''t notice this was ridiculous.

    " Where are we ?", I ask leaving behind my fear.

    I need to find an answer for my king.

    The boy smiles but doesn''t say anything.... I wait for him to speak and he does...but-

    " I did warn you didn''t I ?"

    What ?.....what''s happening ?

    I hear soundsing from the sea of blood... even though I was panicking the boy remained calm.

    " You should know your ce..", the boy said...that smile still on his face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Suddenly a hand emerges from the sea and grabs on the edge of the boat, I watch in horror as a blood soaked humanoid being got on the boat. Soon another one that looked exactly the same got on and then another and another and another....

    The ones that couldn''t get on the boat were drowning in the blood, I reach for my longsword but find that everything I had on me had disappeared...even my clothes.

    " I did warn you..", the boy says and for a minute none of made a move. The blood soaked humans pounce on me, I try to fight them off but as I thought I couldn''t use my strength in another''s soul.

    I feel pain all over my body and I realize that these things were....eating me. I don''t realize that I was screaming for sometime as I feel myself dying.

    " S-stop it-t p-please.", I whimper out.

    I felt like I was back in the streets of the demon kingdom, scared and praying to live another day...

    "HahhhahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahhahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH---"

    My pleas for help were drowned out by the maniacalughter of the boy.

    I felt my individuality slowly crumbling.

    It was then-

    All the monsters and boy cease all their movement. As one of my eyes had been gouged out and the other one had been scratched so my eyesight was terrible but I was pretty sure that all of them looked afraid.

    I don''t know what exactly they were afraid of but I was d for the leeway. Before I could even move a finger, an intense pressure falls on me, it was such an intense pressure that I could feel my body tearing apart slowly. I notice that the others on the boat were on a simr condition as me.

    I watch as the boy and the monsters disintegrate.

    "!@*^$", I hear a strange sound before cking out.

    ~~~~

    " So that''s what happened huh ?", Helmer says while patting me on the shoulder.

    " What more did you want to happen ?", I ask ring at him.

    He raises his hands in the air and says,

    " I didn''t mean it like that.... you didn''t see anything rted to the prince right ?...that means he''s in the clear...right ?"

    " He''s right.", Bal interjects.

    I re at the both of them and say,

    " There are literal monsters inside his soul....he isn''t al-"

    Before I can evenplete what I was going to say, Victoria says,

    " In these changing times...a monster might be exactly what we need."

    Everybody else other than me nodded their heads. I hadn''t even noticed Victoria''s and Lady Tania''s arrival. I try to argue but stop when the king raised his hands to make silence.

    " This has gone on long enough....leave me alone with Adam."

    " But your maje-", I stop talking once I feel the king''s re on me.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ______________

    Well this certainly was a weird experience.

    After Kirsi fainted, I thought that I was going to lose my head. But Tiana''s arrival helped me avoid that. After that Victoria convinced everybody to wait for Kirsi to exin what she saw herself.

    So, we waited for Kirsi to wake up. She wakes up quickly and starts recounting her story which sounds a little made up...I mean I''m not into cannibalism at all..

    That is so not cool.

    But the most surprising thing was that everybody is in my favor so everything worked out well right ?

    The demon king asked everybody except me to wait outside and they do just that except for Tiana who refused to let go of me. Belial''s gaze softens when itnds on his granddaughter.

    " I''m sorry for all this.", Belial says sighing.

    I smile and say,

    " It''s alright, your majesty."

    " No....it isn''t, is there anything you want ?", he asks

    I think for a moment and ask,

    " Anything ?"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 69 Going Insane... Slowly

    After Adam left to meet the demon king, Eric and Lecia were left alone.

    They danced for awhile, but Lecia''s mind wasn''t in it, she was still angry with Adam. Understanding that, Eric decided that it would be better to stop and rest until Adam came back.

    They made themselvesfortable in one of the corners of the ball room and waited. Lecia kept on talking about this and that, while Eric listened patiently.

    " Just because I lied once-------"

    During their conversation Eric stiffens up when Lecia mentioned something about lying to Adam. Eric had forgotten about that, if he remembered correct then Lecia lied about Adam''s....mother.

    ...

    '' That motherfucker.'', Eric thought after realization strikes him.

    ~~~~

    I don''t remember the exact volume, but in the novel Max and the gang raids the Demon King''s castle. They obviously get beaten and get caught, they were third years then I think...

    Anyway, everyone gets caught except for Emilia Brie.

    She somehow finds herself in the treasury and proceeds to steal a skill called,

    [Disguise]

    Using that skill, she breaks her friends out and they manage to get away sessfully. They even manage to seriously wound Helmer who was supposed to be the best fighter within the generals.

    I wrote this arc when my marriage was deteriorating, so it was reasonable that the story was also falling down in quality. I mean, how the fuck did Emilia end up in a treasury that was well guarded..... don''t ask me, because I don''t have a clue. I simply wrote-

    Emilia somehow managed to reach the treasury unharmed.

    As I walked along with Belial to the treasury, I silently stared at the rows of guards who kept watch over the treasury. I felt a little ashamed to bepletely honest.

    " How did you know about the treasury''s existence ?", Belial asks as he motioned for a guard to open the huge safe.

    " I guessed.", I reply slyly

    Belial wanted to give me something as an apology for what happened earlier at the throne room, who am I to refuse ?

    I asked him to let me choose something from his treasury, of course only a single thing. He epted without much thought. It was a fact that all the things inside the treasury were costly but Belial was someone that believed that you have to treat others the way you wanted to be treated, I''m sure he didn''t like how his subordinates dealt with me so...here we are.

    I gasp as I see the inside of the huge safe, it was filled with all kinds of priceless things. Jewels, gems, weapons...everything was present inside. I couldn''t even see the end of the safe.

    ~~~~

    Demon King, Belial was curious.

    After the fiasco inside the throne room, it was true that he was dissatisfied with the whole situation. But more than that he wanted to see what Adam Creed desired.

    Belial expected Adam to surprise him with an unexpected request. But his request wasn''t unique or surprising. He just wanted to take a single thing of his choice from the treasury.

    Belial watched as Adam gasped as the inside of the treasury was opened. Tiana who the demon king carried also seemed enchanted by the treasure trove in front of them.

    Belial couldn''t help but smile at their innocence.

    ~~~~

    We walked inside the treasury with Belial leading me.

    The regalness that Belial disyed earlier had disappeared, watching him now with Tiana in his arms...he just looked like a normal grandfather. But all the treasure inside this room reminded me that he was anything but a normal person.

    Belial stops in front of me and turns around, I find a faint smile on his face as he says,

    " Well...take your pick."

    ~~~~

    Belial watches as the boy scours the throne room, he seemed to be looking for something specific but that should be impossible because even Belial couldn''t name everything inside the treasury.

    After thirty minutes of searching, the boy finally stops. Belial sees that he had a skill book in his hands. Belial has a frown on his face as he was confused.

    Why a skill ?

    If Adam had chosen a precious gem from the demon''s home, he would have be insanely rich overnight as none of the gems from the demon''s existed in the human world essentially making them priceless. But instead of choosing that... the boy chose a skill book !

    Belial walked towards the boy and peeked at the contents of the skill book, it was named [ Disguise].

    ...

    Belial had forgotten about this thing.....

    '' well....it certainly is a unique choice.'', Belial thought smiling.

    But he still asked Adam on why he chose a skill, to which Adam curtly replied,

    " I want to be stronger."

    " Why ?", Belial asks wanting to know why such a young boy had such a determined expression on his face.

    The boy thinks for some time before saying,

    " Well....to kill all the angels, I guess."

    Belial is shocked as he heard the boy proim his goal so loudly as if it was something simple.

    '' It seems that you aren''t that simple after all...'', Belial thought wanting to learn more about the boy.

    ~~~~

    I was tempted to change my choice as I watched the door to the treasury close.

    But I had already made my choice and the disguise wasn''t just a simple skill.

    I decided to learn the skill then and there before Belial changed his mind.

    -----------------------------------------

    Skill: Disguise

    Information: Able to change your appearance to those you have seen and touched. Power of the person cannot be replicated.

    -------------------------------

    I infuse my mana into the skill book and a notification pops up.

    __________________________________________________

    Do you want to learn the skill, [Disguise] ?

    Y/N

    _________________________________________________

    I click on ''Yes'' and the skill book crumbles up into vapor and enters my nostrils.

    Soon after learning the skill, I open my status screen with anticipation.

    -----------------------------

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: E+

    Agility: E+

    Stamina: E+

    Intelligence: E+

    Mana Grade : D-

    Vitality : Unable to determine.

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spear Warrior lvl: 1

    You are a warrior of the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    1. [ Disguise]- able to transform into anyone you''ve seen and touched once. Level:1/3<novelnext></novelnext>

    -----------------------------------------------------

    That''s right.

    [Disguise] was not just a simple skill, like a unique skill it also evolved but it only had three levels. In the novel, Emilia doesn''t unlock any of them as I forgot about the existence of the skillpletely till the end. But I was going to change that now.

    I don''t know what exactly the conditions for the level up were but I''m sure I''ll find out soon enough.

    I find Belial looking at me strangely....well I could have done this after I bid him goodbye but I was too excited. I smile and say,

    " Thank you for the skill, you majesty."

    Belial nods his head and says,

    " You''re wee."

    The smile on his face was a good sign right ?

    But, I still couldn''t shake off the feeling that he was thinking of something weird.

    ~~~~

    After my business with the demon king concluded, I went back to the party.

    Taniaes with me as well.

    She tells me how she had started her training to be as strong as her father and about this and that. I listen patiently and walk towards Eric and Lecia who were conversing with Victoria.

    Once they see me, a frown appears over both Lecia and Eric''s faces....but Eric looked a little too angry. Victoria smiled at the both of us and says,

    " Greetings Sir Adam, I''ve heard a lot of your adventures within the demon pce."

    ...

    Did they tell her about thep dance situation...

    Damn you, both.

    I re at Eric and Lecia, I don''t know why I was so angry at the fact that they had told her.

    We talk for awhile and then Victoria invites us to dinner and we happily oblige.

    Thankfully, Victoria doesn''t ask me anything about the healing I did to her before she left...

    After an entertaining meal, we start to head back to home.

    Patrick drops us off at the mansion, on the way I apologize for my behavior cause I didn''t want to drag this on anymore. Lecia epts the apology after warning me to think twice before doing anything. But Eric doesn''t say anything but I could sense that he was angry...

    What''s he so angry about ?.

    Why does he care if I get.....unless he''s fallen in love with me...

    ''Sigh''

    I let out a sigh and look at him with pity.

    I was afraid of this, sometimes I think I can be a little too charming.

    I try to talk to him but he rushes off to his bedroom without saying a word.

    ~~~~

    We spent Sundayzing around the house.

    I did train for two hours but that was it.

    Eric did start talking to me again but he''s very stiff. Well, I''ll give him some time, it must be hard to get over someone like me...

    Hehe.

    ~~~~

    It was Monday again.

    Ughhhh...

    Both Eric and I returned to our dorm room and start getting ready for school.

    After getting ready for school, we start to head out.

    Surprisingly we found Max and Jennifer waiting for us outside. I wave at the both of them and they do the same.

    I had patched things up with Jennifer beforeing to meet Albert Grey.

    " It''s good to see you again.", Max says while smiling at Eric.

    Eric nods his head, we start walking towards ss while chatting about this and that. On the way we meet Katherine and Emilia as well.

    I look at our little group and feel a little weird.

    A few months ago, I wasn''t close with any of them and now....I strangely care about these people, except for Jennifer and Jacob...because I just met them like three days ago.

    Thinking this I enter my ssroom.

    Fifteen minutester our substitute teacher, Miss Lopez came in and started taking attendance or would have if she hadn''t forgotten to bring the attendance register.

    " Katherine, could you go to the staffroom and bring it please ?", Miss Lopez asks Katherine who had once again sat next to me.

    She nods her head and goes out of the ss.

    Miss Lopez was also our history teacher, so she started going about the ss until a man interrupts the ss by calling her outside. She returns after a minute and says, facing the students,

    " As you all know, sadly your homeroom teacher Miss Leslie passed away a few weeks ago....I came in as her substitute till now but the school has hired a new homeroom teacher for your ss."

    Miss Lopez turns towards the door and says,

    " Please wee, Miss Domino."

    I turn my head sideways to get a good look at our new homeroom teacher.

    ~~~~

    Eric was angry.

    Adam lied to him.

    Who even lies about killing your own mother ?!

    Eric hadn''t confronted Adam yet because he wanted to see how far Adam would take his lie. He already had this whole n ready to make him confess.

    Eric was so engrossed in thought that he didn''t even hear or care about what was going on in ss. He turns around to look at Adam but he gets confused.

    In all the time Eric had know Adam [ which wasn''t that long] he had never seen such an emotion on his face.

    It was fear...Eric knew because he was all too familiar with the feeling himself.

    ~~~~

    NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO

    Please God....anything but her.

    I run towards the bathroom, on the way I bump into someone but I don''t stop and just get back up and start running again. I get inside the bathroom and swing open one of the stalls and....puke a lot..

    I felt like I was falling in an never ending abyss...I couldn''t think...I couldn''t breathe.....I can''t do anything.

    " DAMN IT ALL !", I scream punching the mirror in the bathroom.

    It instantly cracks and breaks into a million pieces, some of the mirror get lodged in my skin but I don''t care and continue to punch and punch until I couldn''t.

    I copse down on the floor,pletely defeated and just start sobbing like a fucking loser.

    " Shit...", I whimper out.

    Our new homeroom teacher was my mother... or looked like my mother from myst life.

    I based a character off of her in the novel.

    That meant that right now, a few meters away from me was one of twelve angels...Dina.

    I feel like I''m going insane.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 70 Get Out

    Katherine was returning from the staff room, she clutched the register tightly around her chest. She didn''t want miss her ss too much so she started to jog but slows down when she saw Adam...he was running in her direction with tears in his eyes.

    Stunned by the sight of him crying, Katherine halts movement and stands still. She thought that Adam would stop once he saw her but he didn''t.

    He ran right into her, making her fall down.

    Even then, he doesn''t spare her a nce and continues to run. The papers that were inside the register fell all around the ground and Katherine started picking them. After that she stands up to go...but she couldn''t. She had seen Adam run into the bathroom.

    She didn''t care for him all too much, but Katherine couldn''t just leave a person like that...especially now that she could hear him screaming and the sound of ss breaking.

    ~~~~

    _____________

    Katherine''s POV

    _____________

    I slowly open the door to the bathroom.

    By the time I reached the bathroom, the screaming had died down. After opening the bathroom I see broken ss everywhere.

    In the middle of it all, Adam sat on the floor sobbing his eyes out.

    From what I observed of him till now, he was supposed to be an arrogant, obnoxious and quite possibly a mass murderer. But right now, he just looked like a scared little boy looking for a helping hand.

    I take a step forward, stepping on some ss.

    Noticing the sound, Adam turns around surprised to see me, but the surprise soon leaves his face to be reced by a re.

    " Get Out.", he rasped out.

    I flinch, he looked like a feral beast who had been let loose.

    Did I make a mistakeing here....?

    I turn around to leave but I find myself unable to leave the bathroom. My father told me that when people are angry, they say the opposite of whatever they were feeling.

    ...

    So, technically he just said that I shouldn''t go outside and stay with him....right ?

    Seeing that I was slowly edging closer to him, he grunts something and turns away to face the opposite side.

    How petty...

    I avoid the fallen ss and finally reach Adam, I pat him on the head gently and ask,

    " Are you alright ?"

    He clears his throat and says in a gruff voice,

    " I''m fine."

    ....

    I look around the bathroom which looked like it survived an earthquake and say,

    " It doesn''t look like it."

    I clear away the broken pieces of the mirror next to him and carefully ce my towel on the floor.

    I mean....it''s the bathroom.

    After making the necessary preparations, I sit next to him and look into his eyes and ask him once again,

    " Are you sure you''re fine ?"

    Adam stares at the ground nkly for a minute and as rity returns to his eyes he says,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I''m not fine."

    Then he starts sobbing uncontrobly.

    I console him by keeping him under by embrace but seeing that he wasn''t stopping any time soon I couldn''t help but wonder what happened to make him so devastated.

    But he wasn''t exactly in a mood for talking now.

    We sit there like that for what felt like ages, until Adam falls asleep on myp.

    How the fuck did he get there ?

    I try to wake him but stop when I notice that his body was covered in wounds. Pieces of ss had lodged into his skin and he was bleeding a little.

    '' It must hurt a lot.'', I think trying to take some of them out.

    Just as I was taking out the second piece, the door opens and it''s Eric.

    He looks at the state of the bathroom in shock and asks,

    " What happened ?"

    I tell him everything I knew and he tells me what happened in ss, Adam had apparently just ran out of the ss suddenly without any warning at all...

    ~~~~

    Eric and Katherine both agree that they had to move Adam to his room.

    Since he showed no signs of waking up, they both carry him using all their strength to his room. They thought that he would wake up at least now but he still didn''t.

    Upon reaching the room, theyy him down on his bed.

    " We should probably head back to ss.", Eric said after making sure that Adam wasfortable.

    Katherine looked at the still fresh wounds on his body and said,

    " You go first, I''ll catch up with you after patching him up."

    Eric offers to help, but Katherine declines as the wounds weren''t that bad. After Eric left, she runs to her to room andes back with her first aid kit.

    She starts patching up his wounds gently to avoid waking him up.

    ~~~~

    I put some of the ointment on my finger and then apply it gently on his face in an effort to not wake him up. If he woke up while I was in the middle of this then it would be a little awkward.

    But it seems that my efforts were wasted as his eyebrows scrunch up in a frown.

    ''Please don''t wake up.'', I think while holding my breath.

    " Don''t leave...."

    I stare in shock as Adam tells me to not leave, well if he wants me to stay that bad I suppose-

    " Don''t leave...mom."

    Oh....he was sleep talking....that makes much more sense.

    I continue doing first aid while listening to him, after talking about his mom. he starts apologizing as well.

    I knew that he was an orphan, so I suppose it makes sense.

    ......

    I suppose we all have our stories.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 71 Everything Is Fine.

    I open my eyes slowly and steadily.

    I feel fresh...but the pain I feel makes me frown.

    I look over to my side to see Katherine, sleeping on a chair with her head down.

    '' What''s she doing here ?'', I think confused.

    That''s when it all came back to me, honestly I wished that I hadn''t remembered anything cause this whole situation...was fucked up and to add fuel to the already burning fire....I cried in front of Katherine like a fucking new born...

    What the fuck is wrong with me ?

    This is so embarrassing...

    I look down at my body to find that the wounds that I had inflicted on myself had been patched up...by her I assume.

    I shake my head, this wasn''t important.....what''s important is the fact that there''s an angel amongst us.

    Dina.

    I knew that I would have to face her one day, but I didn''t think it would be so soon. That was partly the reason why I freaked, I am in no way ready to face my mother or at least a woman who looks like my mother.....at least not yet.

    The biggest question that has to be addressed was...Dina''s purpose here.

    Dina was the Angel of Learning so is she hear to learn ?....

    No, that''s stupid.

    Did I cause this ?....But ho-

    Joe....it''s Joe.

    I was pretty sure that Dina had something to do with the birth of his ''system'', so what if she''s here for revenge.... if it really is that....then she probably knows that I''m the one that killed him...

    I''m so fucked...

    But something feels off....if she knows I''m the one that killed Joe...why was she the only one here ?

    Where are the other angels ?

    I mean, all of them gathering together might be an overkill but still...why only her ?

    That''s not the right question.

    Why was an angel here in the first ce ?

    Even if they did find about my existence....there wasn''t any reason to be personally involved. The angels could just enforce one of their teams to assassinate me.

    There was something more going on.

    Dina''s arrival here might have nothing to do with me.

    ~~~~

    Dina...no Domino was sitting in the staffroom, deep in thought.

    She was obviously thinking about Adam Creed.

    It seems that she''s been thinking about him a lot recently.

    She came to Unity at the first opportunity because she couldn''t contain her curiosity about the boy, but there was something more.

    Every time Dina looked at the boy, she felt this strange feeling envelope her chest. It was sickening...at first she thought that she was actually sick, it was onlyter that she realized it was all because of the boy.

    It''s always the boy.

    Domino was really excited to finally meet the boy, she didn''t n on harming the boy. She just wanted to find out more about him. She didn''t n revealing anything about herself but the moment their eyes met, she saw the fear in his eyes.

    '' He knows.'', Domino thought restless.

    ~~~~

    " Adam ?...", Katherine asked rubbing her eyes.

    I smile at her awkwardly and say,

    " Hey..."

    " Are you alright now ?", she asks still groggy from her sleep.

    " uh...yup."

    An unbearable silence fills the room until Katherine asks,

    " What happened ?"

    Well, that is the question isn''t it....

    " Nothing much....It''s a routine of mine to cry sometimes."

    Katherine sighs and gets up, as she goes to the door she says,

    " If you keep all your problems balled up inside you...it might burst out all at once and by then it''ll be toote."

    I like watching things explode.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As she leaves I say,

    " Thank you for patching me up."

    ~~~~

    That afternoon after ss finished, Eric returned with Lecia, who was worried sick.

    It seems that Eric told Lecia about my... little episode. She shook my head right and left trying to get anything out of me. They both stare at me expectantly.

    Usually, I would just hide something like this but....this isn''t something that should be kept hidden.

    I may think of myself as a god, but the sad truth is that I''m not all that mighty. I can''t be there to protect them always.

    " Our homeroom teacher is...one of the twelve angels."

    Lecia and Eric seemed shocked at this new development.

    ~~~~

    We came up with a set of rules.

    The first rule was to always be on high alert.

    The second rule was to watch each other''s back.

    The third and final rule was to never leave any of our friends alone with Domino, which now that I think about is a ridiculous name.

    What''s next ?

    Burger Hut ?

    Eric proposed that we tell Max and the rest about the truth about angels, but I refused instantly. Max can''t know now....not yet.

    Lecia listened silently while I nned the future with Eric.

    The only thing Lecia had to do was stay put, I mean what else could she really do ?

    " I''m going to be a hero."

    Eric and I turn around in surprise at Lecia''s sudden deration.

    " What ?...", I ask puzzled.

    " I want to be a hero."

    " I don''t think so.", I say still puzzled.

    " C''mon, think about it. With my help, we can keep watch on all your friends."

    Well, that would be a big help but-

    " It''s not possible now...the schoo-"

    Lecia cuts me off and says,

    " The school has already agreed to my enrollment...I''ve been thinking about this for awhile now and I want to do it."

    " How did the schoo-", I stop talking once I see the smile on Lecia''s face.

    .....

    This bitch bribed the school !!

    That''s just low....it''s something I would do.

    It seems that Lecia''s growing along with the rest of us.

    But I still didn''t want her to join the hero course...it was too dangerous. But looking at her determined expression I realize that this wasn''t just about helping us...she was doing this for her own good.

    Who am I to stand in the way of that ?

    " Ok.", I agree a little stiffly.

    Anyway, I hope Dina....no Domino is ready cause we''re about to kick her ass...well defeating her wasn''t possible so.... we''re about to gently kick her ass.

    ~~~~

    A Day Later,

    A boy stood in front of his teacher, his face was red and he appeared to be nervous.

    The boy closes his eyes and bends his head before saying,

    " I love you !"

    Adam looked up at his stunned homeroom teacher, Domino and thought to himself,

    ''How the fuck....did I end up here ?''

    ~~~~

    _____________________________

 Chapter 72 Domestic Teacher

    8 Hours Ago

    -------------------

    " Please introduce yourself.", Domino said while gently smiling at the new student.

    The new student who had transferred from the art course nervously nods and turns to face the ss in front of her.

    All the students, especially the boys stared at the new student curiously. She had beautiful blonde hair that seemed to shine under sunlight and eyes that were of a hazel hue.

    The students were mesmerized by the beautiful new transfer student, some of them had already started making to marry her,

    " My name is Lecia Creed and I transferred to the hero course from the art course."

    Hearing the name of the new student, everyone gets surprised to hear herst name.

    Creed.

    There was another student in their ss with the same name.

    Adam Creed looked down at his sister with a frown on his face from his seat, ignoring the gazes of his ssmates.

    But a certain student doesn''t turn around to look at Adam as he was still awe-struck by the new student.

    " How beautiful...", Max Reynolds thought, his eyes fixed on Lecia Creed.

    ~~~~

    I take a seat on the ground of the terrace and sigh before saying,

    " We should really find a new spot to eat."

    " But I like it here...", Jacob Asher says in a timid voice.

    I''ve gotten to know the chap a little bit and I''ve discovered that he''s the exact opposite of Jennifer. He was a coward....and I respect that. We''re all different.

    " It takes too much work, all our food''s gone cold."

    " You don''t like ''too much'' work do you ?", Katherine interjects.

    An awkward silence descends upon the group as Katherine and I stare at each other.

    What was that supposed to mean ?

    I''m getting the feel that she''s angry at me....is it because I didn''t tell her about the reason for my little outburst ?....

    She did take care of me, so I suppose she deserves to know but it''s not like I can really tell her anything or can I ?

    .....

    No, I can''t.

    Ughh...it''s all tooplicated.

    Thankfully, the stiff atmosphere gets broken by Max as he says,

    " Adam...introduce us.", he smiles nervously at Lecia.

    I get a bad feeling seeing his goofy smile, but introduce Lecia to the group nheless.

    We talk about this and that for awhile until Katherine says,

    " Is everybody all set for the auction ?"

    " What auction ?", Emilia asks confused.

    I watched as Katherine got angry at everybody for forgetting about the auction.

    " I didn''t forget..", I say in an attempt to appeal to her.

    I know it worked because I could see that she was d that somebody remembered.

    I felt a little bad because I was going to be stealing from her family, but the notion of getting stronger blew away all those feelings of guilt.

    The auction was tomorrow and I couldn''t wait.

    It''s time to get overpowered.

    ~~~~

    I finish my lunch first and start heading back.

    On the way, I see Domino.

    She was simply walking, with a huge stack of papers in her hands.

    Looking at her brings back a lot of bad memories, I keep reminding myself that this wasn''t my mother...she just looked like her because whenever I looked at her I seem to forget that.

    I follow her for awhile without her noticing me and think to myself,

    " Why am I still following her ?"

    She''d already put down the papers inside the staffroom and was now inside the woman''s washroom.

    Was it toote too turn back now ?

    I mean, I could always leave but I''m curious what she''s here for...maybe if I continue to follow her then I''ll learn her sec-

    " Why are you following me ?"

    I jump in surprise as I hear the voice of a woman next me. I look and not surprisingly find Domino ring at me.

    Did I seriously think that an angel wouldn''t notice me following her ?

    " There''s a perfectly rational exnation for this, Miss....Domino.", I say thinking for a perfectly rational exnation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Let''s hear it then.", Domino says...her hands reaching for her side pockets.

    Is she going to kill me ?

    Shit...Shit.

    In a state of panic, I say the first thing that came to my mind,

    " I love you !!"

    ~~~~

    That was a fucking disaster.

    She politely declined my confession because it was inappropriate and sent me off.

    She looked a little weirded out by apology, but that''s normal I suppose.

    I go back to my room, I didn''t disturb Eric as he was training and went into my own training room.

    ~~~~

    Dina''s POV

    _______________

    The boy has been following me for awhile now.

    Initially, I had decided to leave him be but it was getting strangely annoying now.

    I teleport behind him and catch him in the act of spying on me.

    Seeing him flustered strangely made me feel fuzzy.

    " Why are you following me ?", I ask

    " There''s a perfectly reasonable exnation for this, Miss..Domino.", he says nervously.

    Seeing that he was nervous, I try to give him the gum in my pocket.

    I read it in a book titled. '' Teaching For Dummies''. It''s a method to make the students rxed around you. But before I can offer the gum the boy blurts out,

    " I love you !!!"

    I look at the boy stunned.

    Was this a joke ?

    Was he trying to trick me ?

    A headache suddenly hits me, out of the blue.

    " Please leave..Adam, this is highly inappropriate."

    " Ok, miss.", he runs off in the opposite direction.

    I continue walking to my quarters.

    This headache....it hurts way too much..

    I massage my forehead to appease the growing pain, but suddenly the pain I felt increased by tenfold and I slip, falling down.

    When I was falling down. the image of a boy with brown hair and eyes of the same color appeared before my eyes.

    " Mommy !", the boy shouted.

    ~~~~

    Today''s the big day.

    Auction time, baby !

    I get up really early and start my preparations.

    All of us had decided to skip school for two days as part of participating in the auction, of course the school thought we were sick.

    By evening I was packed and ready to go.

    Eric looked at me strangely while we waited for Katherine toe to our room with the rest.

    After five minutes, Katherine and the rest arrived. She lead us outside the school to where her grandfather had sent us a limo.

    I''ve never been inside a limo before, now I know that it''s just an extra long car.

    The windows of the limo were cked out so we couldn''t see where we were going, when the limo stops we get out in a hurry and gasp at the sight before us-

    It was an airne with the Colleen family''s crest on it, that meant that they owned it.

    Katherine looks at us and asks with a smile on her face,

    " Are you all ready ?"

    ~~~~

    Dina....no Domino looked at the airne, impressed.

    ''Humans always made such fascinating discoveries.'', she thought watching the group of children get inside the ne excited.

    Ever since Domino saw that vision with the brown haired boy, her mind was a mess but there was one thing that was clear to her,

    If Adam Creed was going to follow her....then it was only right that she did the same.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 73 The Island Of Kauai

    It''s my first time flying first ss, hell it''s the first time I''m flying anywhere in this life.

    The inside of the private ne was just as the outside, luxurious andfy. We were given fancy drinks and all sorts of snacks on the n. There was even an on call masseuse on the ne to massage the passengers.

    I put on a movie, it was one of those animated movies that Bisney seemed to be pumping out every year. I slowly sipped the strawberry lemonade that I had ordered while watching ''Boana''.

    The strawberry lemonade was divine, who''d have thought that would ever work...but it strangely does.

    The movie was so-so, I would have done things a lot differently if I was the main character but hey...let Boana do her thing.

    By the time the movie finished, we were still in the air.

    I suppose that make sense since this was a seven hour flight.

    The auction was being held on the Ind Of Kauai.

    Everything that the three barriers angels erected touched was under the rule of the ''Elda'' Empire.

    The first barrier was given the name, Amator.

    Lycan, the capital of the human empire was located within Amator.

    Evergreen orphanage and the Unity was also located within the Amator, it was the biggest barrier among the three.

    The Ind of Kauai was located at the edge of Amator.

    It was primarily know for it''s strawberry fields.

    If heaven exists...it''s the Ind of Kauai.

    It''s a ce I made to my liking.

    '' I can''t wait.'', I thought excited tond.

    ~~~~

    " Wee to Kauai !"

    A woman dressed in Kauain traditionals greeted us after wended.

    She put gand of flowers on us and lead us to another limousine. Kauai was an ind with temperate temperature, which was the best for growing strawberries. The limo stops after some time and we get outside to find that we were in a resort called, '' Spring Valley''.

    We''re all given different rooms and given time to freshen up, I take my time and enjoy a good dip in the tub, after which we were called towards amon room. I was thest to reach there, when I opened the door I saw everybody conversing with an old man.

    That must be Eustace Colleen, Katherine''s grandfather and the head of the Colleen family.

    ~~~~

    " Thank you for inviting us out here, Mr. Colleen.", I say with a smile on my face.

    " You must be Adam Creed....I''ve heard so much about you from Kathy."

    Eustace was a character that never cared about the world, all he cared about was his family and it''s sess. Even when he found out the truth about the angels, he remained neutral.

    A selfish old man who only cared about his family.

    Just because he remained neutral didn''t mean that he was weak in any way, he had thergest reserve of the strongest resource on the world.

    Money.

    " The auction''s tomorrow evening, so do you all have any ns for tomorrow ?", Eustace asks staring at my forehead.

    He was probably using his skill on me....I hope Katherine told him about the four billion thing or else things were about to get awkward.

    " We wanted to explore Kauai.", Emilia says in a shy voice.

    " That''s good because I already arranged a tour around the ind for all of you."

    All of us gasp and thank him.

    " It''s no problem....only the best for my daughter''s friends.", he says looking at me a little strangely.

    Soon after that, waiters came and served us our dinner.

    It was a unique meal, with every dish having something to do with strawberry in one way or the other. We even ate a chicken that had only eaten strawberries during it''s lifespan,

    It didn''t taste any different from normal chicken.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    The next day, I woke up at seven in the morning and got ready to explore Kauai.

    After getting ready, I got out of my room and went to the lobby like we had nned yesterday.

    But strangely....other than Katherine no one else had arrived.

    We decide to wait for the rest of then until Eustacees in and says,

    " Your friends are all down with food poisoning."

    Well...that''s a little weird, we all ate the same food so why were wepletely fine.

    " We should probably cancel our ns then.", Katherine says looking at her grandfather suspiciously.

    " Nonsense...the two of you can go, I''ll look after your friends.", Eustace said with a gentle smile.

    " That would be great, sir.", I say and get the fuck out of there before he could change his mind.

    I''m not gonna let those shitheads ruin this for me....

    I''ve been waiting a long time for this, dattebayo.

    ~~~~

    " What did you do...grandpa ?", Katherine asked Eustace.

    " Nothing....but now that things are like this....try to charm him like we nned.", Eustace said while coldly looking at Adam''s retreating figure.

    " Grandfather...you....", Katherine just sighs and leaves her grandfather behind.

    She actually wanted to enjoy today with her friends...but it seems that was a bit too much to ask for.

    Katherine stares at Adam who was literally dancing around in excitement feeling guilty.

    ~~~~

    " So, what are we going to do first ?", I ask Katherine who seemed to be in a bad mood.

    I guess she wanted to travel with the others...and I don''t me her. It being just the two of us was going to be a little awkward, but I couldn''t care less about that.

    I n to enjoy my time here...with or without Katherine.

    " We''re visiting a strawberry farm that my family owns-"

    " WOW !", I say looking out the window of the car we were in.

    I could see troves of people dancing around covered in strawberry, people were throwing squashed strawberries at each other. The people were have a strawberry fight....

    This must be the-

    " It''s La Strawberryina....it''s a festival.", Katherine says while also looking out the window with me, the frustration that lined her face earlier had disappeared and was reced by a look of wonder.

    Another reason why Kauai was filled with people during this time was because of this particr purpose. Unlike usual strawberries which were thin, the ones grown on Kauai was thick and big like a tomato.

    The car we were in passes through the crowd slowly and finally reach a farm that looked almost empty.

    ~~~~

    " Wee to our farm of joy. I''m your guide, Lorna.", a woman says while smiling at us.

    Lorna guides us through the farm exining every little thing....

    It was boring....extremely boring.

    Almost one hour pass like this and I''m still bored out of mind, I look at Katherine and she looks the same.

    " Please wait for me while I go bring some farming tools that''ll help you nt your very own strawberry..", Lorna says going to collect her tools

    I can still hear the music from the festival....

    I look at Katherine who looked half dead and asked her with a smile on my face,

    " Wanna get out of here ?"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 74 Descent To The End (1)

    " This is a bad idea...", Katherine proimed as we stealthily walked out of the farm of ''joy''.

    I ignore her nervous chatter and lead us to where the music wasing from and it was a sight to behold,

    La Strawberryina was basically a veryrge procession filled with people from all walks of life. A huge, when I say huge....I mean humungous truck filled to the brink with strawberries was slowly driven through the middle of the procession. All the houses were covered with stic sheets to avoid messing the house up.

    A group of people stood inside the trunk of the truck along with the strawberries and hosed people with water while the people danced to the festive music.

    The truck stops in the middle of the procession and unloads the whole load of strawberries unto the ground and then begins thergest food fight in the world.

    Seeing all this in person was.....just as perfect as I thought it would be.

    " I''m not so sure about this, Adam....it looks way too messy.", Katherineined.

    ...

    I should have left her at that stupid farm.

    " Being messy once in awhile isn''t that bad, Kathy.", I say in a mocking tone.

    She res at me but before she can retort I drag her and join the procession.

    We or I dance to the music while slowly moving forward in the procession. My goal was to reach just behind the truck since that''s the best spot. All those heavenly strawberries fall right on you...you''ll literally be swimming or drowning in a sea of strawberries.

    But it was going to be tough since that was the most sought after ce inside the whole procession, so I use a little bit of my strength and push through the crowd holding Katherine''s hands.

    ~~~~

    Katherine''s POV

    ________________

    I slightly blushed looking at his hand that held mine within it''s grasp.

    How can he act so brazen with ady ?

    We danced and moved forward at the same time, the more we moved forward the more crowded it became, but strangely I find this messy festival... kind of fun. I was starting to get into the dancing a little bit now.

    Adam was prancing [ dancing ?] around like an idiot, so I felt the need to do something as well, but I stop dancing as we suddenly stop in our tracks.

    " What happened ?", I ask Adam who looked forward with a smile on his face.

    " We''re here."

    That''s all he says, but looking at the truck which hade to a halt in front of us...I understood his intention.

    No...I''m not going anywhere near that thing.

    " Adam, I don''t think I-", but before I couldplete what I was saying Adam dashes forward, dragging me with him.

    Adam finally lets go my hand as we reach just behind the truck.

    " I didn''t wan-"

    I''m yet again interrupted [ seems to be happening a lot] but this time it wasn''t Adam, the trunk of the truck had been opened up leading all the strawberries towards us.

    The strawberries are everywhere....

    It''s a nightmare....

    To make it worse, I slip down and was falling right now. To avoid my fall I try to find something to hang on too, which I do find but it''s weird....the object felt squishy....was it a strawberry ?

    As soon, I get hold of the object....a pained groan reaches my ear and I look to the side to find my hand on Adam''s....''thing''.

    .....

    Adam falls on top of me and we roll around the ground.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ______________

    Well this is awkward.....

    After the whole ''smashing my penis'' debacle, we decide that the both of us had enough of the festival.

    We were sitting in a bench in a park while silently munching on some strawberry scones.

    The atmosphere was, as anyone can imagine a little awkward.

    Katherine hadn''t spoken a word since the incident, but I seriously don''t understand what the issue was here ?

    This isn''t that big of a deal right ?

    I mean, sure my groin still hurts like hell but there wasn''t anything else to it, it was an ident....unfortunately it wasn''t a lewd ident like the ones we see in cultured works....it was a rather painful one...

    '' My poor babies..'', I think while slowly savoring my food.

    " I''m sorry..", Kathrine says very quietly.

    " What was that again ?", I ask amused.

    Katherine''s face was red like a tomato as she repeated her words,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I''m sorry."

    " For what ?", I ask grinning.

    But it seems that she''s had enough of my teasing as she shouts causing passerby''s to look at us,

    " I''M SORRY FOR TOUCHING YOUR BALLS !!"

    Across from us, a group of mother''s had gathered together and were watching their children y in the park. Both the children and the mothers turn around to look at us.

    I wave at them while putting a smile on my face.

    .....

    Maybe I shouldn''t have teased her that hard.

    ~~~~

    " I''ve never been kicked out of a park before...", I say while walking aimlessly through the streets of Kauai.

    Katherine remained silent as we walked aimlessly.

    She was a little down from the beginning....am I that bad of a tour partner ?

    Or is it something else ?

    " You know...you didn''t touch my balls...it''s more like you crushed them.", I say.

    Seeing her turn bright red, I smile thinking,

    ''Finally...a reaction !''

    " I said I''m sorry...", she says looking a little guilty.

    " Do you think a simple ''sorry'' will be enough ?"

    I get closer to her until the only thing I could see was her, I could feel her breath on me...she smelled like strawberries...I suppose everybody here smells like strawberries.

    " You''re going to have to take responsibility."

    She tries to back away, but shakes her head and closes her eyes.

    I smash the scone I had in my hand into her face.

    What did she think was going to happen ?

    Did she think I was going to kiss her....seeing that she closed her eyes and all..did she want me to kiss her ?

    Geez, girls are weird.

    The shock on her face was a sight to see.

    She starts running after me with her crepe in hand, I run for my life.

    By the time we were done, the both of us were a mess.

    We both had stains of strawberries on our clothes, after the food we had had finished we continued our fight with the strawberries that were lying around on the streets.

    We were on the ground, panting for air...dead tired.

    I look at the blood like stains on my clothes and say,

    " This isn''t gonnae off that easily..."

    Katherine startsughing at my words and I smile a little as well.

    All in all, today wasn''t that bad.

    ~~~~

    We returned to the resort after a quick snack stop.

    Eric, Emilia and Max had recovered but decided to stay in the resort until the auction, but that didn''t mean that they were just sitting on their asses. They mooched of Eustace as much as they could.

    They used the resort''s exclusive options...like using the pool, get massages and having a lot of food.

    ....

    Shameless Bastards.

    We greet them and tell them about our day, of course we leave out some details like the ball smashing....we promised each other to never talk about it again.

    They didn''t seem that sad about missing out on the festival.

    After exchanging information, we decide that it would be better to start getting ready for the auction. Eustace had apparently said that he would arrive within an hour''s time to take them to the auction house.

    I go to my room and gather the things I needed.

    After getting ready quickly , I start heading down.

    Finally....it''s time for the auction.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 75 Descent To The End (2)

    Katherine enjoyed the feeling of the cold water touching her face.

    She was taking a bath right now before going to the auction.

    She thought about her day...today might have been the most embarrassing day of her life.

    First she did ''that'' during the festival and then she thought he was going to.....kiss her, she wanted to run away but at that moment all that she could think about was her grandfather''s orders.

    ''Get closer to Adam''

    Katherine felt disgusted with herself.....she was d that Adam didn''t do anything weird during their tour....well he did do all sorts of weird things.

    The more time she spent with Adam....the more confused she became, he didn''t seem like a person would knowingly hurt others.....

    Just today, he looked like a little kid, running around excited , eating strawberries. Katherine had to drag him away from the strawberries lying on the streets, he tried to eat even those !

    Katherine chuckles thinking about all the things that had happened today.

    " I wonder why he likes them so much ?", Katherine thinks out loud.

    But then she remembers her grandfather''s warning...he said that there was something more to Adam but-

    " Is it really just a misunderstanding ?...", Katherine thought, her head leaning on the wall.

    ~~~~

    I look at Katherine who had just reached the lobby.

    She looked stunning...she wore the traditional clothes of the Kauai woman which was said to be very tough to handle. The red color of the dressplimented her in a strange way.

    Compared to the rest of us, who wore casual clothes, she looked like a different breed.

    " Why aren''t you all still dressed ?". Katherine asks looking genuinely confused.

    ....

    " We are....dressed.", I say trying to hold in myughter.

    ~~~~

    The car taking us to the auction house stops, getting out we see the auction house, Duoden for the first time.

    Duoden was a massive structure that could host upto 30,000 people. it was obviously owned by the Colleen family.

    We were lead inside the auction house by a muscr man who introduced himself as, Piero.

    Piero was supposedly our bodyguard for the evening.

    ~~~~

    We were thoroughly checked inside the auction house and the bag that I carried was scanned for any dangerous objects. After a swift check, we were lead to the VIP section of the auction which was reserved for only the most important guests.

    There were some other people in the VIP section as well, they whispered and pointed at us when we arrived. Normally this would considered rude but people do rude things when they''re wearing a mask.

    That''s right.

    All the guests were given a in white mask from the auction house, this was done to reduce the attacks on the people who won while bidding on items.

    Unlike the rest of the auction house, the VIP room was a small room, it could most probably fit at least fifty people.

    All of us sit on the seats with our name on it.

    I look around the room searching for a certain woman.

    '' I found you...'', I think as I find the woman I was looking for.

    She wore an enchanting ck dress that seemed to glitter dangerously in the dark room, her eyes and hair also sported the same color. The woman was strangely reading a book in a corner of the VIP room.

    I gulp slightly at the sight of her and turn around quickly, thest thing I want is for her to notice me because she was a very dangerous woman...

    That''s not right....

    She''s the most dangerous human on the, The Enchantress.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    Once I found her in the crowd, I don''t look back at her even once.

    Instead I ask Katherine,

    " Hey...I''ve always wondered how this whole auction thing worked, is there any chance for me to see the backstage or something ?"

    " Is that so ?.....you''ve always wondered about auctions....exactly since when is ''always'' ?", Max snickered while trying tond ame joke.

    I don''t retort, I would but most of things I want to say involve doing horrible things to his mother...since she''s dead and all, I can''t do that can I ?.....or can I ?

    I''ve already did it once.....so what''s the harm in doing it a second time ?

    Just as I was about insult his dead mother, Katherine says,

    " Sure....I''ll give everyone a tour of the ce,"

    " Well..why don''t we do it now ?", I ask.

    All of them look at me strangely, surprised by my enthusiasm.

    But now was the perfect time, there was still thirty minutes for the auction to officially start and I can mark the things I want to steal....

    " Sure, I guess..", Katherine says and that was beginning of the tour.

    ~~~~

    Katherine''s POV

    ______________________

    '' He really is like a kid....'', I think while watching him inspecting everything.

    We had arrived backstage awhile ago, things that were all arranged in an orderly manner. There were skills, artifacts, precious gems, jewelry....anything and everything.

    Apart from Adam, none of the other''s looked that excited.

    " Hey...what''s that ?", Emilia asked pointing at a cage that was hidden by a sheet of stic.

    Looking at the the cage...I feel anger rising up inside me but I contain myself. I tried my best to make my grandfather not to do this...but it seems that he didn''t listen.

    '' This isn''t right'', I think angry

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ____________

    I look at the serious frown on Katherine''s face.

    Katherine didn''t seem to like whatever was in that cage.

    I didn''t really know what it was since, in the novel I just mentioned that Half-Moon stole everything from the auction because I waszy....but this...this is huge .There were so many useful things here...I''m afraid I might be too overpowered.

    Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I run up to the cage and pull off the sheet.

    " Adam...don''t"

    I can hear Katherine saying something but what''s done is done.

    As soon as I take off the sheet, I find a pair of emerald green eyes staring right at me.

    ....

    It was a very fat panther.

    Oho.....

    An animal that''s adapted to mana.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 76 Descent To The End (3)

    When mana was first introduced to Earth, humans were not the only organisms to be affected. Every being on this was affected in some way or the other. Animals that couldn''t adapt to mana died out on their own, however the ones that did adapt changed.

    Mana helped them evolve at a speed that was unthinkable to most, humans evolved from a line of monkeys through a time span of 7-8 million years.

    An animal that was adapted to mana could evolve to the level of a human and some even more within days of getting used to mana. But such animals are incredibly rare.

    During the war, some even helped in the fight against the angels. The most famous one would be the Lion warrior, Leo.

    These animals can imitate humans in any way, they can even talk !

    After the war, they went away on their own and formed tribes among themselves. Some are friendly to humans while some aren''t.

    Humans and these animals could make contracts with each other, these contracts were made to reduce the distrust between the two sides. Contracted partners couldn''t hurt each other.

    But the most attractive feature of these beings was not their ability to fight, it was their meat. Eating their meat can apparently make you stronger, till today there haven''t been any legitimate proof but their meat is still consumed.....because they taste far better than normal animals.

    Some treat them as ves....the people who buy them are probably furries so one can only imagine....

    .....

    I have a very wild imagination.

    Looking at the emerald green eyes of the panther, I felt a little guilty but more than that I was wondering what it tasted like....

    Man...that''s weird.

    I look at the rest of the group and they all looked ufortable.

    " I know this isn''t right...but I don''t have the power to argue with grandpa..", Katherine says trying to justify herself.

    The others nod and continue on with the tour but I couldn''t look away from the panther....

    I want to eat it....

    I mean...just look at it all fattened up....those crazy fucks at half moon probably ate this poor thing, so....

    Nah..

    I shake my head and run up to join with the others.

    ~~~~

    " Ahh...my stomach hurts.", I say while touching my stomach in pain.

    " It must be all those strawberries you ate.", Katherine says standing beside me.

    We were on our way back to the VIP section, Piero our bodyguard followed us like a shadow silently..it was a little creepy to be honest.

    " Should we call a doctor for you ?", Piero spoke startling me.

    " No, sir. I''ll just go to the bathroom."

    " I''ll take you then.", Piero said expressionlessly.

    " There''s no need for that, I saw it on the way....all of you can go on ahead.", I say making a pained face.

    " Well...thank you for your sacrifice.", Max says going forward.

    Eric looks at me suspiciously before following Max.

    " Are you sure you''ll be fine ?", Katherine asks worried.

    " A...are you worried about me, Kathy ?"

    That did the trick.

    Katherine went away and dragged Emilia along with her. Piero nodded at me and followed the both of them.

    With all of them out of the way...I suppose it''s time to be naughty....

    I''ll just stop.

    ~~~~

    I enter the bathroom discreetly, making sure that no one saw me.

    Once inside, I get inside one of the stalls and start taking my clothes off.

    Opening the bag that I had brought with me, I take out the uniform of the members of Half Moon. This was the same one that we had used to infiltrate the underground prison.

    The bag that I brought with me was not a normal bag....it was an artifact that I bought from the virtual market ages ago to use for this very day.

    It was endless...to a certain degree. It could fit almost a hundred items from the auction if the math adds up. It also had the additional option of changing it''s form.

    It cost a lot...but hey..it''s handy.

    I properly dress myself in their attire, but frown as I do so.

    '' I should have probably washed this thing...''

    I sit on the seat of the toiletmenting on my carelessness.

    Now it''s time to wait.

    ~~~~

    I could hearmotion rising outside.

    ''It''s probably them.''

    After the first item was auctioned away, a st urred opening a hole in one of the walls of Duoden.

    How did they break in one of the most secure auction houses in the world ?

    It''s simple.

    They just powered through with brute strength.

    It must be happening right now.

    After they managed to get in, the next thing they did was to subdue the guards and the guests. After that they looted the whole ce before anyone could act and just left the ce.

    I get out of the bathroom and creep back to the backstage where all the items were kept. I changed the bag''s form into arge gunny bag using a little of my mana. It felt more appropriate.

    After that I quickly start putting the things I wanted into the gunny bag.

    Just as I finished getting all the things I wanted a deep voice reaches me,

    " You seem busy...anomaly."

    I turn around startled.

    It was a person who wore a ragged cloak...I couldn''t see the person''s face but judging from the person''s voice...it seems to be a man.

    Is he from Half Moon ?....

    No...that can''t be right...there''s nobody like him in Half Moon.

    Whoever this man was.....he felt dangerous.

    " Who are you ?", the guy asks me without even having the courtesy to introduce himself.

    " You don''t need to know.", I say while trying to run past him using all the power I had.

    But the next thing I saw was his hand over my face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The man pushes me with his hand and says,

    " How pathetic...."

    I crash into the artifacts that had been neatly lined up behind me.

    For the first time sinceing into this world...I feel pure fear.

    I need to learn the skills I chose now...then I might stand a chance. I try to take the necessary things out of my gunny bag...but I don''t find my gunny bag with me.

    " What''s this ?", the man says while looking into my gunny bag.

    How did he get that ?

    Shit.....

    The man scoffs while looking into the gunny bag and then...rips the bag making everything inside it to spread out in all directions.

    After destroying all my effort, the man slowly trudges towards me. In the darkness of the room..his red eyes shined on me like they had marked me as their target.

    Now that he wasing closer, I could see that his face was covered by the official mask of the auction house.

    I slowly back away, panic seizing my heart.

    I bump into a table as I back away, I turn around and see some skills lying around the table.

    Well..... anything is better than nothing right ?

    I take all the skills lying in the table which weren''t a lot and started learning them without even looking at what exactly it was.

    ------------------------------------------

    Do you wish to learn Hell Fire ?

    Y/N

    ------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------

    Do you wish to learn Weak Body ?

    Y/N

    ----------------------------------------

    ------------------------------------------

    Do you wish to learn Sub-Space ?

    Y/N

    --------------------------------------------

    -------------------------------------------

    Do you wish to learn Incite ?

    Y/N

    ---------------------------------------------

    Every single one of them sounded like shit except for the first one.

    I try to learn the next skill in my hand but my body freezes as I feel a shoulder on my neck.

    " What do we have here ?"

    Before I can react in any way, the man throws a punch at me whichnds perfectly.

    But instead of falling down, I use all the power I had to stay on my feet.

    " Impressive.", the manpliments me while throwing punch after punch.

    I dodge the first one but all the others hit me.

    This time I can''t stop my fall but the man does, he holds me by my cor and pummels me.

    He wasn''t exactly stronger than me but....I couldn''t block any of the attacks he sent my way...

    Why ?

    I feel pain all over my body but still try to fight back.

    Seeing me, the manughs and says,

    " Anomaly''s are usually a pain to deal with.....but you''re so....pathetically weak. If I was at my full strength you would already be dead."

    What''s an anomaly ?

    This wasn''t his full strength ?

    None of my questions get answered as the man continues to beat the fuck out of me.

    I''m doomed.

    I try to counterattack but the man catches my fist and twists it before sending me flying across the room.

    I fall right into the bars of the cage, my back hurts like hell.

    The fat panther looked to be in pain, it was squirming around and whimpering even though nobody had hurt it.

    I look at the man, he had raised a single finger and pointed it at me.

    I get a bad feeling...and move to the side.

    A white beam of light rises up from his finger and in a sh it reached where I was previously standing.

    Thank god, I moved...

    The freakingser beam that should have hit me instead hits the panther which screamed in pain.

    " At least you seem to have plentiful luck.", the man says chuckling.

    The man continues to walk toward me slowly..I felt too weak to even get up.

    Miraculously the man stops walking a few feet away from me and turns around.

    He takes out a scythe out from thin air and shes it in the air...instead of smoothly flowing through the air, the scythe gets blocked midway...as if it was being blocked by an invisible weapon.

    " Show yourself...", the man muttered.

    A woman appears out of thin air holding a sword in her hand.

    She also wore a mask but I could recognize this woman even without seeing her face.

    One doesn''t forget the woman that gave birth to them so easily...or at least had the same body and face.

    '' Dina ?..''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 77 Descent To The End (4)

    Dina had promised herself that she would only watch.

    Revealing herself wasn''t an option....but yet here she was trying to protect the boy.

    Why did she step into his fight ?

    Dina didn''t know...her legs just started moving on their own when the boy was in danger.

    She thought that saving the boy was detrimental since she still had many things to ask him, she made herself believe that was the only reason why she stepped up.

    " Show yourself...", said the man in the ragged cloak.

    Looking at the man in the ragged cloak, Dina felt strange.

    The aura around him felt strange... but ignoring the red bells, she revealed herself. It was a relief that she was wearing a mask.

    " Who are you ?", Dina asked.

    The man remained silent.

    Sighing, Dina strengthened her grip on her sword.

    '' Swhing''

    '' Chisng''

    The sounds of a scythe and a sword shing against each other rang out inside the silent room.

    Dina was surprised.

    While Dina was the weakest angel on a physical scale...she was still an angel. The man before wasn''t that strong but he managed to barely block all of her attack even though she was holding back a lot.

    " I have no ill will against you...all I want is the anomaly.", the man finally spoke.

    " What anomaly ?", Dina asked confused.

    " That on-", the man stops speaking midway after he turns around to find that Adam was no longer present inside the room.

    The man lets out a sigh and closes his eyes.

    Dina watches as the man disappears in front of her, she couldn''t feel the man''s presence in the room.

    ''Is it a skill ?'', Dina thought searching for the man.

    ~~~~

    A FEW MINUTES EARLIER

    ------

    Adam''s POV

    _______________________

    I watch as the both of them fight.

    Dina might be one of the weaker angels but still she was an angel...so victory was assured for her. I don''t want to be here after she''s done with him.

    I need to get out of here....now.

    Just as I was about to bolt, a whimper reached my ear...

    [ Please...help her.], a voice rang inside my head startling me.

    I look back to meet the emerald eyes of the dying panther, somehow I knew that the voice belonged to the panther.

    It had been shot with thatser beam right in the head, but it seemed to have deflected some of the power of the shot with it''s mana.

    [ Please....my child.]

    It''s kind of weird to call me that...since it didn''t look that old, it takes me some time to understand that she wasn''t talking about me. There were two baby panthers lying behind her covered in blood and other fluids.

    The fat panther was pregnant ?

    Now, I feel bad for calling her fat.

    [ Please save her...]

    I assume she was talking about her children, but they looked pretty dead to me.

    I inspect them a little closer and find that one of them was crying but no sound came out....was it a skill or--

    [ Hurry..there''s not much time.]

    So it''s a skill...

    I''m sorry but I can''t do anything about your children...I''m not even sure I can survive on my own...add in a baby panther-

    I''ll be dead within minutes..

    [ Please...help]

    ........

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    I look at both the bloodied baby panthers in my hand.

    I had broken the bars of cage using my power...silently. It''s a miracle that the ''anomaly'' guy didn''t notice me.

    I start running the fuck out of there, I need to get back to the VIP room.

    [Thank you....], I hear the voice of the panther onest time.

    ~~~~

    I knew where to keep the panthers, I could hide them in my sub-space.

    Sub-space was a prettymon skill that came in all ranks. I don''t know which rank my sub-space is but I''m sure that it can contain the two of them. Sub-space was a skill that allowed a person to store things in another dimensional space.

    I''m sure living things can survive there.... probably...

    Just as I was going to use the skill on them, I run past the bathroom.

    ~~~~

    I put the both of them in one of the stalls in the bathroom.

    It''s better than leaving them in my sub-space...I don''t think they''ll survive there.

    I get out of the bathroom and start running towards the VIP room.

    ~~~~

    I reached the VIP room...but there''s a small problem.

    The man was waiting for me outside the door to the VIP room.

    I try running back....but the man catches up with me.

    He hurls me at the wall, which breaks making me fall into the VIP room either way.

    Mission aplished....I guess.

    I struggle to stand up...but before I can, the man grabs me by the neck and throws me...again.

    This time Ind into a group of people who had their hands tied....

    Of course...it''s Max and the others.

    They look at me surprised.

    In the novel, Max and the others escape from the mana resistant chains and start fighting with the Enchantress but now....with all these shitheads here that''s not what will happen.

    Maybe I can use this situation in my favor.....

    " Who are you ?", Max asks

    Instead of answering him, I cough out blood which just stters all over my face since I was wearing a mask.

    Tasting my own blood was a rather interesting experience.

    It''s a miracle my mask is still intact after all that.

    " It''s time to stop this charade.", the man said while walking towards me.

    I hide behind Max and wait for him to do his thing...but he''s not breaking free.....

    The man was only a few steps away from us when it happened.

    A pressure of unparalleled strength fell upon us, making it hard for me to even breathe.

    Along with that a woman''s voice also reaches our ears,

    " Who are you ?"

    It was a simple question...yet the authority behind that single question was absolute.

    I look at the Enchantress who still sat in that corner reading her book.

    This is perfect....

    Since I was wearing Half-moon''s outfit, she''ll think the man was hurting her ally and she''ll help m-

    " Who are you ?", she asks yet again.

    She was not looking at the man....but me.

    She was asking me....

    ...

    ...

    I''m fucked.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 78 Descent To The End (5)

    The Enchantress was the strongest hero humankind had to offer....until she turned evil. She was the first human to awaken to mana and also had a very unique job.

    Towards the end of the war, she betrayed humanity.

    She tried killing the then second ranked hero who was the emperor now, of course she failed and is now a wanted fugitive all over the world.

    This is what the people believe to be true.

    The truth couldn''t be more further from this.

    But feeling her intimidating gaze on me, I feel as if she really is a bad person.

    .....

    This auction isn''t going in my favor at all.

    " Who are you ?", she asks yet again.

    She had gone back to reading her book now but the pressure I felt remained the same.

    The man wearing the ragged cloak stepped to the side as if he realized that he was not the one being questioned. I thought that he would start fighting her like he did with Dina but I guess he realized that she was on a different ne of realitypared.

    In simple words, She was a god and we were mere mortals.

    " I''m....-"

    Thankfully, I didn''t need toplete my sentence as a masked Dina barges into the VIP room.

    " Behind you !", I manage to say.

    '' Cling''

    The sound of a sword shing against a... pen resounds throughout the room.

    That''s right....a freaking pen.

    I felt sorry for Dina as I watched her struggle to keep up with a pen. They appeared to be equally matched at first nce but I knew better.

    Dina stood no chance.

    She''s in even more trouble if the Enchantress had a weapon with the ''Divine Death'' trait.

    There are only three ways through which an angel can be killed,

    The first way was to use a weapon with a special trait inscribed on it called ''Divine Death''.

    A weapon with the ''Divine Death'' trait obliterates the very soul of the being it is used on. It was incredibly useful..so it''s only reasonable that it is impossibly hard to get.

    Another way was to kill all the official followers of that particr angel, doing so will weaken the angel and make them mortal. An official follower will have the angel''s insignia burned into their skin.

    Thest and final way was not really that possible because it involves two angels fighting each other. Angels were capable of killing each other without any issues.

    I watch nervously as their fight continues with the Enchantress continuing to use her small ck pen and Dina swinging around her sword.

    I also peek at the others to see if they were alright.

    Katherine looked calm but I knew that she was nervous on the inside.

    Emilia wasn''t someone that could hide her emotions well, so with just a nce I could tell that she was scared. It''s normal for them to be afraid since this was the first time they were officially entering a scene of ''action''.

    I look at Eric next and I''m surprised to see that instead of focusing on the battle he was staring at me with suspicion etched in his face,

    ''Adam'', he mouths and I turn away from him in that instant.

    ''Am I bing predictable ?", I think while looking at Max next.

    Unlike the others, Max had no visible expression on his face. His eyes never left the fight even for a split second. I think he''s observing them...

    '' What intense focus...'', I think going back to the fight.

    Now that I think about it, this was a good learning opportunity.

    A fight between an angel and the strongest human is not an everyday sight...maybe I shou- ah who am I kidding ?

    I need to get the fuck out of here....while I still can.

    I start crawling towards the hole, but before I can cover any significant distance,

    " Where do you think you''re going ?"

    .....

    Ah....I forgot about this piece of shit.

    I look up to find the man in the ragged cloak looking down at me.

    I was almost fully healed now, thanks to the effects of the potion of eternity...so this time it''s going to be a fair fight.

    Last time we fought [ a few minutes ago] I wasn''t doing my best because I underestimated the man.....well I''m not gonna do that anymore.

    I stand up and jump back a little.

    I don''t fight well with my fists...I need a weapon.

    .....

    '' That''s it.'', I think running back to Max.

    " I need a weapon.", I say urgently.

    Max doesn''t answer....I think he didn''t hear me because of how engrossed he was in the fight before him.

    ''p''

    I p him out of his daze and seeing his eyese back to focus, I ask yet again,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I need a weapon."

    He stares at me for a minute and says,

    " No."

    ....

    " What ?!!", I say stunned.

    " Why should I give you a weapon ?", Max asked as if it was the most logical question ever.

    Max Reynolds always kept many weapons on hand, in his subspace as well because he liked to be prepared and I was counting on that but I forgot...how much of a little bitch he could be.....

    " If you don''t give me a weapon...that guy''s gonna kill us all."

    Max looks at the man in the cloak who was strangely nice enough to wait and then at me...this goes on for awhile until Eric interjects,

    " Just give him a weapon..."

    Max let''s out a sign and says,

    " Even if I wanted too, I can''t use mana right now.", he points at the metallic chains which bound his hands.

    The mana restraints was a unique type of handcuffs, once it was used the person in the cuff wouldn''t be able to use mana which meant no skills. They were made from mana crystals which were excavated from dungeons so it was close to unbreakable.

    But the feature that made it stand out wasn''t any of this....this cuffs don''t need any kind of keys to unlock them. A person only had to inject mana into the small hole at one end of the cuffs. It made it easier to carry but almost anybody could open the cuffs.

    I inject my mana into Max''s lock and it opens with a swift ''click''.

    " Oh", he says looking at his hands nkly.

    I continue to free the rest.

    Emilia says a quick ''thank you'' before leaving some distance between us.

    Katherine has no reaction whatsoever....she seemed to be thinking deeply.

    " Here.", Max says before throwing a rusty sword towards me.

    Sure....I help them and all I get in return is this stupid old thing.

    Max continues to give a weapon to Emilia and Katherine while Eric took out his bow.

    We all face the man in the ragged cloak who sighs and says,

    " I only want the anomaly....I don''t have the intention of harming any of you."

    ''As if that''s going to work.'', I think scoffing.

    I look beside me to find Max, Katherine, Emilia and Eric returning back to their original positions away from the both of us.

    " Hey !", I say trying to get their attention.

    " You heard the man....we don''t need to fight.", Max says smirking at me.

    This...this.....little SHIT !

    I look at Eric for help but he has the same smirk on his face, but seeing that he didn''t put away his weapon, the bow like the others gave me some peace of mind.

    " So be it...", I say turning around to face the man.

    Before moving forward, I nce at the other fight going on...it was still a stalemate.

    It seemed that the Enchantress isn''t nning on ending this any time soon.

    Taking a deep breath, I run towards the man with the sword in my hand.

    '' I''ll finish it fast...'', I think shing with the man

    ~~~~

    '' Something is not right...'', I think flying midair.

    Not flying exactly..the man had thrown me just like before.

    I crash into the ground and get up sloppily... the only thing I''ve managed to do is hold on to my rusty sword.

    The man wasn''t physically stronger than me...yet he was defeating me so easily.

    What am I missing here ?

    I run at towards him again with my sword in hand, this time instead of throwing me or punching me, the man grabs my neck and starts choking me. I did try to dodge it...but it was no use..

    While I was struggling, trying to get air in my lungs the man says,

    "Let''s get a look at your face...."

    The man uses his other hand to remove my mask...

    A few weeks back, when I went to meet the demon king...I had asked him for another favor...it was a far simple and rather odd request.

    The request was to touch him...

    The request was fulfilled of course and I was afraid I would never have a use for it but it seems that I was wrong.

    The man gasps seeing my face and says,

    " Belial ?!!"

    I used my [ Disguise] skill for the first time today...

    ~~~~

 Chapter 79 Help

    Eric was pretty sure that the masked man was Adam.

    Who else would make such a mess ?

    Sighing internally Eric got ready to to use his bow, it was then that the ragged cloak wearing man removed Adam''s mask....only it wasn''t Adam.

    But that wasn''t the end of the surprises.

    " Belial ?!!", the man said confused.

    If Eric was right and he was sure that he was....wasn''t that the demon king''s name ?

    Once Eric got a closer look at the unmasked face of the man, he realizes that the face did not belong to Adam.

    '' Did I make a mistake ?'', Eric thought putting his bow back into his sub-space.

    ~~~~

    I had used [Disguise] long ago when I was changing into the attire of Half-moon members. It was just a precaution since nobody could predict the future. Since I had certain degree of control over the transformation

    I had the option to transform into anyone that I had a clear mental image of and had touched once.

    The only downside to the skill was that the transformation onlysted for an hour.

    The ragged man surprisingly recognized Belial and let go of my neck making me fall on the ground on my knees gasping for breath.

    I love breathing.

    I get up and take the rusty sword that was lying near me and attack the man when he was dazed.

    ''Ching''

    But the man catches the sword with a single finger as if it was a ything.

    " Is it a skill ?", the man silently asked.

    ...

    I try to move the sword but the man''s grip on it was firm, he forces it out of my hand and throws it far behind me.

    " YOU DARE MOCK MY FATHER ?!", the man shouted before punching me in the stomach.

    ''Splurt''

    I cough out blood from the force of the punch.

    Father ?

    I had a lot of questions on my mind but the pain made me forget all that.

    ''Shit'', I think as the man continues to repeatedly punch me.

    I feel like this already happened once.....

    To make things worse, that man uses hisser thing and it hits this time.

    I fall down on one knee, feeling an unbearable pain on my thigh,

    Thankfully it was just a graze but it still hurt like hell.

    I grit my teeth to bear the pain but it didn''t help that the man kept punching me left and right.

    The man headbutts me and I feel myself cking out...

    '' Help...me.'', was thest thought that passed through my mind.

    ~~~~

    I open my eyes to find myself in an abyss.

    It was a vast emptiness....until it was not.

    I close my eyes when light suddenlyes into view, opening them after a minute I''m surprised to see a candle burning ever-so peacefully.

    " You''re finally up.", a small boy says surprising me.

    The boy was rowing...?

    Were we on a boat ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Where am I ?", I ask a little out of it.

    The boy chuckles as he hears my question,

    " Why tell you...when you already know ?"

    The boy stops rowing and walks up to the other side of the boat ,towards the candle.

    As he nears the candle, I see the boy''s face.

    It was me....not Adam....but John.

    " H-how ?", I ask stunned.

    The boy remains silent.

    " you don''t have to worry....I''m not a part of ''them''.", the boy said looking at the vast sea [?]

    If ''them'' meant what I was thinking....then I''m d.

    " What are you then ?", I ask the boy

    This was obviously my inner mind or soul....or something. I don''t really know.

    " I''m just a simple guide..."

    Wait....isn''t this ce weirdly simr to that ''inner eye'' thing that Kirsi talked about ?...

    How did I end up here ?

    " You are curious as to why you are here...", the boy says smiling at me.

    " You can read my mind ?", I ask a little creeped out.

    [ We are your mind.]

    A voice rings out inside my mind.

    .......

    I suppose that makes sense.

    " Why am I here ?", I ask the boy.

    The boy thought for awhile before answering,

    " The soul....it''s quite simr to the body in some ways. When a part of the body is hurt, the body pays attention to heal the wound....the soul is the same. You asked for help, sensing the danger...your soul sent ''help''."

    I nod my head along with the boy''s words and ask,

    " What kind of help ?"

    For the first time, I see fear in the boy...he looked afraid....very afraid.

    " The worst kind.", the boy says.

    ~~~~

    Max watched as the man in the ragged cloak walked back to where he had kept his scythe.

    '' Should I save him ?'', Max thought looking at the man whoy on the ground unconscious.

    After retrieving his scythe, the cloaked man starts dragging it back to the unconscious man.

    '' Kreek''

    The sounds of the scythe being dragged resounded throughout the room.

    Max readies himself to step into battle....he couldn''t ignore a person in danger even if the said person was shady. That''s what a hero does.....

    But both Max and the cloaked man stops all their movement, stunned.

    The man was getting up...as if he hadn''t been beaten to the brink of death a few moments ago and there was something different about the man now...

    The man cracks his neck and stretches as if he felt stiff and then.....he disappeared.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 80 Deranged Writer...?

    The cloaked man looks around frantically for Adam.

    '' This isn''t possible...'', he thought.

    Of course he was severely weakened now, but there''s no way someone he had deemed ''weak'' could disappear just like that.

    " I''m right here..", Adam''s voice reaches the man.

    The man looks behind him to find a rusty swording towards his neck.

    He barely manages to block it and stares at his attacker, there was something different about him....his pupils had turned red and a unsettling smirk hung over his face.

    Seeing that he had escaped the boy''s surprise attack, Adam [?] smirks and says,

    " You''re not half bad..."

    Hearing this the man grits his teeth and swings his scythe horizontally, in response Adam jumps andnds on the de of the scythe.

    Due to the influence of his weight the scythe goes down and Adam makes use of this opportunity tond a punch on the man''s chest.

    The man staggers back bearing the full force of the punch.

    " How...is this possible ?", the man asked a still smirking Adam.

    Hearing his question, Adam makes a confused expression and asks,

    " What ?"

    The frown on the man''s face deepens.

    '' He was toying with me all this time....'',the man thought, his anger rising by the minute.

    How could the man not feel angry ?

    .....

    If he had his real strength then this wouldn''t have dragged on for so long and now to add on top of all that he was being humiliated by this anomaly...

    The man also felt anger at Adam for insulting his father-inw.

    ''This had to end...now.'', the man thought readying himself to end this match.

    The man was sure that he could win, from their fight till now he could see that Adam had no technique or art form.. all he had was brute strength. To a veteran like the man this match was a sure victory....even in a weakened state.

    While the man thought all this, Adam was swinging his sword in the air as if he wanted to check something.

    " This''ll do for now.", he whispered to no one in particr.

    Adam runs toward the man in a sh and the man blocks his attack, sparks fly in the air as they collide.

    The man could see a strange madness in Adam''s eyes....the man was familiar with these types of people.

    They lived for battle...and most probably die there as well.

    The man had killed a lot of people with this same look in their eyes...yet the man felt a strange apprehension.

    The both of them fall back.

    The man watches as Adam takes in a deep breath and shouts,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " FINALLY....IT''S BEEN SO FUCKING LONG !"

    After the man''s sudden outburst the whole room goes silent, even the enchantress and Dina stop fighting to observe what was going on....

    Adam closes his eyes and when he opens them again, he says,

    " Come.", He beckons the man.

    But nobody in the room could move an inch.....because of the blood lust the man was releasing.

    All Adam had said was a single word and that was enough for the man''s knees to feel weak, he felt that if he moved even a single step forward then he would be killed.

    Adam''s eyes stayed focused on the man as if no one else mattered.

    ''Me....afraid ?'', the man thought stunned.

    ''There''s no way.'', the man thought meeting Adam''s gaze.

    But when he looked into Adam''s eyes he felt it again....that absurd fear.

    Seeing how rxed Adam was the man grits his teeth and runs towards him ignoring the sickening feeling of fear.

    ~~~~

    They exchange countless blows and everyone else watched silently.

    The cloaked man fought in a graceful manner that bewitched everyone who saw him, while Adam''s fighting style was rough and brutal.

    Katherine scrunched her eyebrows as she couldn''t follow their movements anymore, she had calmed down now that she was no longer bound in chains.

    ''Adam !'', she thought while watching the fight before her.

    They had left Adam at the bathroom.....what if something bad happened to him ?

    Katherine''s mind started concocting stories, increasing her anxiety.

    She informs her friends about the condition and they decide to slip out of the room and head towards him.

    ~~~~

    Eric don''t know how they managed to slip out of the room.

    He was sure that everybody would notice them, but everybody in the room was still focused on the fight between the two men.

    Once outside, they start running towards the bathroom, which was quite far.

    About half way there, they''re forced to stop as theye across four individuals wearing a ck cloak.

    Eric recognizes the robe since he himself had worn it to break Veronica and Tania out of prison, it was Half Moon.

    " I''ll take the one on the right.", Max said with a smirk on his face.

    Eric sighs and takes out his bow from his subspace.

    '' I hope he''s alright...'', Eric thought, already shooting arrows at their opponents.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 81 Twist Like You Mean It

    The Enchantress watched as the two men fought.

    She had stopped her fight with the masked woman the moment the man''s mask fell off, she was familiar with the man''s face.

    How could she forget ?

    She was the one who sliced his horn in half.....it was the Demon King, Belial.

    But the Enchantress knew that the man couldn''t really be the demon king since demons couldn''t enter inside the barriers under no circumstances.

    So, that meant this man was impersonating the demon king.

    The Enchantress had forgotten about the auction now, she was more interested in this man''s real identity.

    The cloaked man swung his scythe skillfully as if the grim reaper had taught him to use it while Adam barely dodged his relentless attacks.

    ''Damn it !'', the man thought getting more impatient as Adam once again barely dodged his attack.

    ''I need to change my style.'', the man thought.

    The man knew more than a hundred techniques, but right now he couldn''t bring out the full potential of any of them.

    The man changed into one of his more aggressive techniques, he started making zig zags with his scythe, some of which cut Adam causing him to bleed slightly.

    Adam falls back, but the man follows him and starts using his swing the scythe more faster making it seem as if the scythe itself had disappeared. Seeing how fast the spear moved, a frown settled on Adam''s face,

    ''Slice''

    Adam stands still, the scythe lodges into his shoulder. Just as the the man was about to celebrate, he noticed the devious smile on Adam''s face.

    " You finally stopped moving..", Adam said taking out the de of the scythe that was lodged in his body.

    The man tried to pull it away, but Adam held on and walked closer to the man.

    Adamnds a punch on the man''s sr plexus before he manages to back away.

    The man almost fell down to the ground from the dizziness and pain but manages to stay on his feet.

    Feeling pain for the first time in so long made the man angry....very angry.

    Gritting his teeth, the man once again rushes toward Adam with the intent to kill.

    The man swung his scythe once again toward Adam, but instead of making a clean swing the man throws the scythe up causing Adam to look at the scythe instead of the man himself.

    The man uses this opportunity tond a punch on Adam stomach, as Adam jerked backwards from the impact of the punch, the man takes hold of his hand and twists it.

    '' Creak''

    Adam''s hand bends in an unnatural manner, yet he looked calm...he looked excited even.

    " This is the end, anomaly..", the man whispered to Adam.

    " How strange....that''s exactly what I was going to say to you.", Adam said with a smirk on his face.

    Before the man could let go of Adam''s hand, Adam manages to use his bent arm to catch the man''s hand and twists his own hand to fix it.

    The man was surprised by Adam''s total disregard for pain.

    After fixing his hand, Adam doesn''t stop and continues to bring the man closer to him and then proceeds to punch the man in the stomach continuously.

    The man coughs out blood and tries to move away but Adam doesn''t let him go, he uses his knee to kick the man in the stomach causing him to fall to his knees.

    " It''s been fun.", says Adam while raising both his hands parallel to each other.

    ''St''

    Adam smashes his hands against the man''s ears making them burst, blood pours from both his ears like water does from a tap and the man loses his consciousness.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    Eric frowned looking at thest person left in the group of four that ambushed them.

    The other three had been taken care of by Max, Emilia and Katherine with Eric supporting them, but thest one dodged every attack they threw at him.

    Eric had mistaken thest for a girl because of his long ck hair but hearing his voice, Eric felt that it was a boy....after which he wondered why he cared ?

    Eric couldn''t see the man''s face since it was covered by the mask offered in the auction house.

    ''Swish''

    Eric shot three arrows his way but he manages to dodge them barely and then continues to fight with the others simultaneously.

    Eric aims for the boy''s mask now and it hits,

    The mask breaks revealing the boy''s face.

    The boy frowns and and runs after Eric trying to get rid of him first, but before he could reach Eric, Emilia drags him away.

    Eric stares at the boy''s clear blue eyes while the others beat him up.

    ~~~~

    Adam stared at the cloaked man whoy unconscious on the floor, he reaches for the mask covering the man''s face but before he can unmask the man,

    " Who are you ?"

    A voice filled with authority rang throughout the room.

    Adam looks at the Enchantress with a frown on his face,

    Seeing that Adam wasn''t answering her question, the Enchantress posed yet another question,

    " Why do you look like the demon king ?"

    Instead of answering her question, Adam turns around and walks towards the portion of the wall made out of ss,

    It was made transparent so that everyone sitting in the VIP room could see what was going on in the auction.

    Adam stares at the stage of the auction that was now ruined and said,

    " You know who I am..."

    ......

    " What ?", the Enchantress asks confused.

    '' Shiek''

    The sound of ss breaking resounds out as Adam uses his rusty sword to break it.

    The smirk on Adam''s face bes more apparent as he turns around and said,

    " You don''t need to know who I am.....just know that by the time I''m done.....every single one of you will be six feet under."

    After that he jumps out, falling to the ground level of the auction house.

    Dina runs of the room as well.

    The Enchantress doesn''t move.

    She lets out a sigh and starts walking towards the unconscious man.

    She could chase the two of them and beat the answers out of them but.....where''s the fun in that ?

    A small smile ys around her face as the Enchantress stares at the masked man.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 82 The Short End

    Eric and the others had finally defeated the boy with ck hair and blue eyes, it took a lot more time than they had thought it would.

    They ran to the bathroom, where they hadst seen Adam.

    Opening the door to the bathroom, they gasp collectively, horrified.

    Adam was sprawled on the bathroom floor, blood could be seen everywhere tainting the bathroom floor.

    Seeing the various wounds on his body, all of them rush into the bathroom and start panicking collectively.

    " Katherine....call for help.", Max said looking calm on the outside.

    "There''s too much blood...", Emilia said covering her mouth with her hand.

    What they didn''t know was that most of the blood belonged to the cloaked man...

    " MWAAAAAA!"

    " MWAAAAA!!"

    Crying of two animals resounded throughout the small bathroom confusing everyone.

    Eric heads toward the stall farthest from the toilet and opens it.

    " Ughh....guys....we have a situation.", he said with a perplexed look on his face.

    ~~~~

    I don''t want to open my eyes.

    Everything hurts...even my precious jewels.

    I regained my consciousness some time ago and I have no idea what happened while I was down. It was as if I had given someone else the reins to my body.

    The boy [ guide] refused to borate on my situation, but he did tell me how to resolve it and it seems that the boy''s technique worked since it seems that I''m back in control.

    I have many theories as to ''who'' exactly took control of me but I can think more about thatter now....I have to deal with the aftermath of whatever ''0'', that''s my name for the person, did.

    The hand which hadn''t left mine since the time I woke up shifts ufortably.

    I''m going to open my eyes now...

    As I slowly open my eyes, the bright light inside whatever room I was in blinds me and as my eyes adjust to the light I be aware of a small weight on my stomach...I hadn''t noticed it since the weight was almost non-existent.

    I look down my body to find two baby panthers lying on top of me, they were snuggled up together and sleeping peacefully.

    I entirely forgot about their existence...but I suppose I''m d they''re alive now.

    " Adam ?"

    I look to my side to find a dazed Lecia.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Aww...she stayed by my side...that''s nice.

    " You finally woke up.." Eric says from a corner of the hospital room [I think ?]

    Oh....they''re all here.

    Eric and the others were all present in the room as well, they sat on a table in a corner of the room and I could see some cards on the table...so they were probably ying something.

    They all get up and surround me, with awkward smiles on their faces.

    Why do they all look so ufortable ?

    Ignoring them, I ask Lecia

    " How long have I been out ?"

    Lecia has the same forced smile on her face when she answers back,

    " It''s been three days.."

    Hmmm....three days isn''t that bad...

    I thought that Lecia would freak out or something...but she isn''t....

    Something''s terribly wrong.

    " What''s wrong ?", I ask Lecia worried.

    " Well you go-OW !", Max started to speak but Emilia pinches him.

    " The doctor said to break the news gentl----", she whispered to Max...but I have very good hearing.

    What kind of news is it ?

    For everyone to be so tense....it must be pretty bad.

    ''Gulp''

    I gulp in all the saliva inside my now dry mouth and ask her again,

    " What''s wrong ?"

    " Well you g-...it''s better that you see it for yourself...", saying this Lecia nods her head at Emilia who brings a long mirror that had wheels at it''s end.

    Emilia stops it before me and smiles at me with pity in her eyes, but I don''t notice this as I was stunned by what I saw in the mirror....

    Just....how....how was this possible !!

    ~~~~

 Chapter 83 Drastic Change

    ....

    Looking at the man in the mirror, I instinctively knew that it was me but I found my current state a little....strange.

    The boy in the mirror looked like a broken shell, he looked malnourished....his body looked as if the wind could carry it away. Moreover....the boy had a effeminate face...,

    With his long ck hair, red eyes that sparkled like rubies and soft features thatplimented his face...it wouldn''t be that surprising if people mistaked the boy for a girl.

    .........

    What the fuck happened to all my muscles ?

    I touch my face, which was soft and smooth now....

    ~~~~

    I look out the window of the room.

    Lecia and the others had gone to freshen up since they had stayed with me all through the three days I was down. Before they went, they called a doctor into the room and the doctor checks up on me.

    None of the doctors had a clue as to why my body....had transformed like it did.

    After the initial shock subsided, I''vee to like this new me...I like being pretty.

    Even though my body looked like a twig, I felt strong just like before.

    Beforeing to any conclusions, I need to test if I still have my strength...but I think I still do have strength.

    Several theories for the reason for my body''s drastic change,

    The first thought that I had was that Belial had cursed me for impersonating him but that didn''t make much sense. The second and more probable theory was that the Enchantress did something to me...I don''t remember meeting her but...''0'' could have done something.

    It took some time for me to realize that all my theories were false.

    My current condition was due to one of my ne-

    " Meow."

    "Meow"

    The meowing of the baby panthers halted my thought process.

    They had gotten up as soon as I had got up from the bed.

    I observe the two cute little baby panthers that slowly made their way towards me, have they imprinted on me or something?....

    The both of them had shiny ck fur and emerald eyes just like their mother.

    As I take both the panthers and ce them on myp, a thought suddenly strikes my mind.

    ''I need to find an excuse.'', I thought nervous.

    That''s right...I need to find an excuse for the panthers...the skills and any other loose ends.

    One of the panthers kept trying to climb my body, I force it back on myp and think of a good and believable lie.

    ~~~~

    I slowly walk up the stairs of the hospital.

    My destination was the rooftop, I wanted to clear my head.

    As I open the door to the rooftop, I''m surprised to see Katherine.

    She was looking at the clear sky with a nk expression on her face, she turns around when she hears my footsteps.

    " Adam ?!", she says surprised to see me up and about.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I walk up and stand beside her,

    " Well...that is my name.", I say looking at the clear blue sky.

    There''s something calming about watching the clear sky.

    " You should have stayed in bed.", she says frowning ever-so slightly.

    " Hmmmmm.", I say, my gaze still fixed on Katherine.

    " Didn''t you go with the others to freshen up ?", I ask Katherine

    " No."

    That''s all she says, we stare at the sky for a long time.

    " Are you a bad person ?", Katherine asks me out of nowhere.

    ........

    Where did thate from ?

    I look at her to find her still looking at the sky with a slightly bitter expression on her face.

    I think for a minute and say,

    " I''ve done a lot of bad things..."

    Katherine turns her head towards me and looks into my eyes searching for something that I didn''t have but to appease her I continue on,

    " But I''m trying to be better..."

    Katherine looked a little surprised to hear my words....

    " That''s good then...", Katherine says going back to gaze at the sky.

    But I had decided on this a long time ago, this wasn''t just my second life....it was also my second chance and I don''t want to be a little shit like I was in myst life.

    After killing all the angels.....I had my whole life ahead of me.

    One thing I''m sure of is that, I don''t want to stay a hero. Saving people wasn''t my thing....it''s a little embarrassing but I do have another dream that I kept in the backburner in myst life.

    I wanted to own my own bookstore and enjoy a quiet life while leeching off Lecia''s money cause let''s be honest...nobody visits bookstores anymore.

    " I''m sorry...", Katherine breaks the silence once again, surprising me.

    "For what ?". I ask confused.

    Katherine seemed to be struggling to say something.

    " Is it about your grandfather making you spy on me ?"

    Hearing me, Katherine''s mouth hangs open in shock and she says,

    " Y-you k-knew ?"

    Of course, I knew.

    I was obviously cautious of Eustace Colleen since of his temperament and to tell the truth it was pretty obvious from the beginning.

    All my friends except the two of us somehow got sick out of nowhere and seeing how eager Eustace was to pair the both of us together....I mean c''mon...

    I might have been born with F- intelligence but even I am not that dumb.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 84 Nip It In The Bud

    Katherine looked dazed.

    " How did you know ?", she asks her eyes fixed on the floor.

    " Well....it was pretty obvious from the start...", I say with a small smile on my face.

    " I.....this....no--", Katherine once again seemed to be struggling to speak.

    Not wanting to drag this for more than necessary, I say,

    " You don''t have to say anything, Kathy."

    She frowns a little at my use of her nickname but doesn''t say anything.

    "I had a lot of fun during the time I spend with you....and I think that counts for something....moreover this is all your dumbass grandfather''s fault."

    I thought she wouldsh out at that ''dumbass''ment but instead she lets out smallugh,

    I also join in theughter after which we once again stare at the sky, only this time it kind of felt awkward.

    I wanna go back...but I can''t leave things like this...

    I turn towards her and say,

    "I look forward to meeting the real ''you''."

    Nope...the moment I said it out aloud I''m aware of how cheesy I sound..

    I rush out of the rooftop feeling embarrassed.

    ~~~~

    " I''m sorry for all this, young man.....I had no idea thin-"

    I interrupt Eustace who hade to visit with me with the others and say,

    " It''s fine, Mr. Eustace....it''s not like you nned any of this...right ?"

    "Yes....anyhow, how are you feeling now ?", Eustace asked looking at my body up and down,

    I suppose now is a better time than any.

    " About that...Mr.Eustace, I----"

    I go on to exin how I hade in possession of the skills that I had and about the panthers as well.....my words weren''t exactly the truth but hey...let''s not hang on the small details.

    The story was this, as I wasing out of the bathroom...I saw a man wearing a ck cloak running towards the backstage of the stage. Feeling that something was amiss I follow the man into the backstage to find him in the middle of stealing the items for the auction. We fight, panther dies due to our fight...as it''s dying wish asks me to take care of her children which I decide to do. I try to run away with the panthers but the man corners me in the bathroom and that''s thest thing I could remember.

    Also, I learned the skills mid-fight to get the upper hand since my opponent was too strong.

    This was basically what happened....in a sense.

    After hearing my side of the story, Eustace closes his eyes and massages his forehead with his hand as if he had a big headache which he technically did.

    I mean, the man probably lost millions of of serja because of the incident.

    " I know what I did was irresponsible...I''m willing to pay for the things that I took, sir.", I say trying to end our little chat.

    The old man annoys me for some reason.

    " No...that would not sit right with, young man....you can keep the things that you have taken....including the panthers.", Eustace says.

    I can almost feel the displeasure in his voice....

    Is he trying to win my trust or something ?

    Well, who cares ?

    Either way....I''ve hit jackpot !

    I could do without the panthers though.

    I look down at the panthers that had made themselvesfortable in myp, well one had made it''sfortable while the other one kept trying to climb on top of me.

    As Eustace and I continue our conversation, I forget about the panther and it seeds to climb on my shoulder, just as I was about to ce him on myp once again, it bends it''s head and starts...biting my nipple.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ....No...it couldn''t be.....

    A pin-drop silence descends upon the room until Max startsughing like a maniac.

    " YOU''RE THE MOMMY !!!", he wheezes out and everybody startsughing, even Eustace had a small smile on his face.

    Well...this isn''t funny at all.....nobody can insult my manliness like this...

    Eh...no..that tickles

    "heheheheh", I giggle like a little girl.

    ...

    I changed my mind....

    I''m gonna eat this nipple-sucker, I''m gonna eat him real good....

    Okay...that sounded more normal before I thought it.....

    ~~~~

    After calming down, we all talk for some time before Eustace excuses himself.

    " I almost forgot....take this.", Eric says passing my school bag [?]

    Seeing my confusion, Eric sighs and says,

    " You have to study....the midterms begin in a week."

    Oh.....right, there was that.

    In the novel, nothing that special happened during the midterms. It was just an exam, in other words it was an filler arc.

    But now that I''m in the novel...I''m gonna have to study....damn it...this would be so much easier with ''them''.

    I open my bags and arrange all my books on my hospital bed. I couldn''t go home for a week since the doctors wanted to observe me, so I''m gonna have to study in the hospital.

    One of the panthers jump on my books and I frown,

    ''This isn''t going to work..'', I thought tired.

    Taking care of one of them was possible but two was not possible.

    " Lecia...you take one of them.", I say pointing at the panther that had sucked on nipple.

    " Okay.", Lecia agrees readily, I knew that she adored animals.

    As she tried to take it, it moves away and growls for the first time as if it was warning her to try catching her.

    " It looks like it doesn''t want to go with me...", Lecia says a little sad.

    " I don''t care who....somebody has to take one of them, I can''t take care of two.", I say

    Max, Emilia and Lecia take turns trying to separate them from but they refused to move.

    I think they just didn''t want to take care of them since it took a lot of work, they''re three days old.... it''s very easy to drag them away by force.

    I look at Katherine who was shyly standing behind everyone,

    " Why don''t you give it a try, Kathy ?"

    She once again frowns but steps forward to try her luck.

    The nipple sucker refuses to move, like always but the other one strangely remains quiet...ites upto me and rubs itself on me and then goes along with Katherine.

    " YES !", Katherine screams in joy but calms down just as quickly when she notices that everyone in the room was staring at her.

    Well....this is certainly interesting.

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 85 Grind To The Top

    "I hate this.", I say in all seriousness throwing my history textbook on the bed.

    "Well....you have no choice but to study.", Lecia said while putting an orange slice in my mouth while studying herself.

    Since Lecia had just crossed over to the Hero course she had a lot more to study.

    I let out a sigh and watch the panther which had fallen asleep beside me.

    I haven''t decided a name for him [ I checked yesterday] yet.

    I''vee to strangely like this little one, it''s small and cute. But I still don''t appreciate him trying to suck on me. He''s been trying to do that again but I haven''t let him.

    Amanda usually brought his food, which consisted of milk and soggy biscuits.

    Of course, he would only eat it if I fed it to him.

    ....Stupid panther....

    As my boredom was reaching a new peak, the door to the room swings open and Amanda and Francis enter the room with Agnes tagging along behind them.

    I could see Francis carrying a huge packet, it must be the food for the panther.

    I''m pretty sure I told Amanda toe alone, but whenever she came these two bozos followed.

    Don''t they any other work to do ?

    They act super suspicious too....

    I frown seeing them all smile at me awkwardly.

    Lecia takes the food and passes it to me.

    I arrange the milk and biscuits properly and gently start feeding the baby as he woke up smelling the food.

    I look up to find that Amanda and the others still hadn''t left.

    Seeing the confusion on my face, Amanda looks at Francis and Agnes and they all share a nod with each other.

    " We respect you, sir !", Amanda says bowing her head in respect while the two others behind her did the same.

    " Thank you ?...", I say a bit confused.

    " Please call us if you need anything...", Francis said in an eager voice.

    I nod my head and they finally leave.

    " What the fuck was that ?", Lecia asks looking at weird.

    I shrug and go back to feeding the panther.

    ~~~~

    A weekter

    ______________

    I look at the gates of the Unity.

    This makes me feel nostalgic....

    I still remember the first time stepped foot inside this school, now...I''m halfway through my first year. Things have changed considerably now...but I''m still here.

    I bid Lecia goodbye and head to my room.

    I carried all my books in my bag and also carried a small crate in which the panther was kept. He kept whining ever since I put him in the crate.

    Well....nobody likes to caged but it can''t be helped.

    I swing open the room to my door to find Eric who was in the middle of getting ready for school.

    I had already changed beforeing here so, all I had to do was take the books I needed and let the panther free in my room.

    After which Eric and I walk to our ssroom, like usual.

    On the way, we''re joined by the whole squad.

    " Wow...you''re my type now..", Jennifer says smirking at me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Thanks...but I''m not looking for a rtionship now.", I say leaving behind an embarrassed Jennifer.

    The Asher twins hade to visit me while I was in the hospital and at first I was a little flustered by Jennifer''s teasing but I''m more or less used to it now.

    She was little salty that she hadn''t been invited to the auction and I got the feeling that Katherine enjoyed Jennifer''s frustration.

    During the week that I was absent from school, the school officially appointed a new principal to represent the Unity.

    The principal''s name was Miss Laurine Gem.

    She wasn''t a hero by profession but had tons of experience managing schools on the level of the Unity. Her appointment brought a storm of controversy that was swiftly dealt with.

    As to her significance to the novel...she had none. She wasn''t a character that I had made meaning she was an extra. From the interviews that I''ve watched of her till now...she seems prettypetent.

    We talk about this and that until we reach our ssroom.

    Instead of going in like we usually do, we carefully read the instructions on the door of the ssroom.

    Today was the first day of the midterms, our exam for the day was history and instead of everybody sitting in the same ssroom...for the exam everybody was seated in different ssrooms ording to their roll numbers.

    This was done to make sure that none of the students cheated on their exams.

    I look closely at the notice disyed on the door to find my assigned ssroom.

    ...

    It''s a ss that was used by the students in the business course.

    " All the best, everyone !!!", Emilia shouts making us get weird looks from everyone near us.

    We wish each other the best of luck and head to our assigned ssrooms.

    ~~~~

    On my way to my assigned ssroom, I get a lot of looks from the people around me.

    " Is there something on my face ?", I wonder entering my assigned ssroom.

    I take a few minutes to find my seat, it was was in the middle of the ssroom.

    I smile at the student sitting next to me.

    My exam neighbor sported a shaved head and ck eyes that widened when it saw me.

    " H-hello my name is John.", he said avoiding my eyes.

    I smile and share my name with him and we talk for a while.

    John informed me that he was an art student and about how he had shaved his hair to support his mother through chemotherapy and he repeatedly said that he wasn''t born bald.

    He seems like a nice guy.

    After ten minutes or so, our invigtor walks inside and gives us our question paper.

    I look at the paper and take in a deep breath.

    ''Time to ace this stupid exam.'', I thought taking out my pen and assaulting the paper like a madman.

    ~~~~

    Author''s note:

    That''s a wrap on volume 3 !

    This volume unlike the first two was a tad light-hearted and breezy since I wanted to primarily develop some characters.

    Vol. 4 will be the exact opposite in a sense.

    The next volume explores and deals with much heavier themes and will be primarily focused on Adam''s ''origin''.

    I won''t be taking a break like I usually do...but a break''sing.... trust me I can sense it with my carrot sense.[just not now].

    Comment your thoughts on this volume, good or bad since I like criticism [ don''t ask why]

    There will be an epilogue for this volume as well, which I will release some time tomorrow since it''s a bit long.

 Chapter 86 Epilogue: Adam Creed

    The Enchantress listened to her subordinate talk about promising candidates.

    "From 5-A, the potential candidates are...Max Reynolds and Emilia Brie. The first one''s parents were killed by ''them'' so he won''t need that much convincing. The second one is said to have a strong sense of justice....----"

    The Enchantress listened on as her subordinate kept talking about the two possible candidates. The subordinate hands her a file containing information about both of them, the Enchantress is surprised to recognize the two faces on the file.

    ''They were in the VIP room...'', she thought

    Just as she was about to tell her subordinate that, the door to the room they were in swings open and another subordinate rushes in and said in a dire voice,

    " The man has regained his consciousness !!"

    Hearing him, the Enchantress rushes out of the room and heads to the man''s location.

    The Enchantress had taken the cloaked man to Half Moon''s hideout to question him, it was only a matter of time before she would find the other two using the man''s knowledge.

    She enters the room without knocking and stares at the man who was tied to a chair, the mask still remained on the man''s face.

    The Enchantress had tried to rip it apart but it hadn''t moved an inch making her even more curious about the man''s identity.

    The only thing that was certain was that...the man wasn''t normal.

    How could a normal person make anything difficult for her...the strongest among the humans ?

    " It won''t work..even someone like you can''t take this mask off...", the man said staring at the Enchantress coldly.

    " Why is that ?", she asked curious.

    " You don''t have to know...", the man said coughing.

    It seemed like he hadn''t fully recovered from the fight yet.

    " Do you know the identity of the man you were fighting ?", she asked.

    " No..."

    " How did you find him then ?"

    " I knew that the anomaly would be present in the auction...it was mere luck that I found him."

    " There''s that again.....just why are you calling a person an ''anomaly''..."

    The man res at the Enchantress and said in a voiceced with malice,

    " That man shouldn''t exist....."

    Seeing that man wasn''t going to talk anymore without a little ''encouragement'', the Enchantress turned around to leave the room.

    " Wait..", the man spoke in a barely audible voice.

    The Enchantress turns around to face the man,

    "I respect you...Mera...we both want the same thing, to eradicate ''them'' all. That anomaly might be an ally to ''them''...the woman with him that night reminded me of Dina...that was the reason why I wanted to make sure to kill him..so th-"

    But the man stops speaking as an immense pressure descends upon him like a tidal wave, he found it hard to even breathe. The man looked up to find a pair of ice cold eyes looking at him.

    " How....do you know that name ?"

    Hearing her question the man tries to speak but find it hard to even open his mouth, seeing his helplessness the enchantress calms down.

    " It''s a little hard to exin in words....let me show you..", the man said shaking his head a little, the man''s mask miraculously falls off revealing his face.

    The Enchantress stares at the man''s face in a dazed manner,

    " You.....how ?", was all she managed to mutter out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ~~~~

    " This doesn''t make any sense...why''s this freak sitting with us ?", Walt Ivon said looking annoyed.

    " Be nice, Walt.", the woman sitting next to him while smacking him in the head.

    A meeting was called by the Enchantress and all the executives had gathered together.

    " Today''s meeting was called so th-",

    The Enchantress stopped talking as one of their lower officers walked inside the meeting room after knocking once.

    Usually they would onlye in after they were allowed to do so, but it must be something urgent. Everyone in the room looked at the man curiously, feeling the gaze of the executive members the average man felt intimidated, yet he spoke in a clear voice,

    " There''s someone here to see you boss..."

    " Who is it ?", the Enchantress asked

    "Well...."the man looked a little ufortable.

    He leaves the room after giving the Enchantress a file on their ''guest''. He returns with the ''guest''.

    It was a middle aged woman, she looked tired but there was something strange about her.

    "So....why did you want to meet me, Helen Hopkins. ?"

    The middle aged woman looks around the room before she opened her mouth,

    " I heard you were looking for....a certain boy.."

    A week had passed since the Enchantress had epted the cloaked man into Half-moon, during that time she had put up a price for anyone with any knowledge about the boy at the auction in the ck market.

    This woman was the first one to respond her enquiry.

    Looking at the woman''s file, the Enchantress lets out a sigh.

    The Enchantress was tired of dealing with crazies and looking at this woman''s file...she certainly was one. Helen Hopkins was a criminal on the run, she killed her husband and harvested his organs for money.

    '' Why would anyone do something like that for money ?...'', the enchantress thought.

    Of course, she could understand if the husband was abusive but from the what the file told...he was a perfectly normal man.

    " I know his identit-", the woman started to speak but,

    " Why are we wasting our time with this bitch...let''s just ig-", Walt interjected to only be cut off yet again by Helen.

    " No.....I''ve sacrificed so much.....I won''t stop.."

    The woman was mad....that much was clear from just the way she spoke.

    " Then tell us what you know?..", The Enchantress gently nudged the woman along.

    Helen nods her head and continues on,

    " That boy killed my son....my o-only son....he''s a monster....he''s a wolf in sheep''s clothing.....his name is....

    Adam Creed."

    ~~~~

    Author''s note:

    End of Vol. 3 !

 Chapter 87 A Show Of Power (1)

    The midterms take ce for a whole month.

    We have four main subjects,

    History.

    Dungeon and Portal Study.

    General Knowledge.

    Morality, which was a subject designed to teach a student about....well, morals.

    If a hero turned over to the ''dark side'' then most people me the school, so this subject was introduced as a form of counter against the people''s hateful eyes.

    It''s been a 2 weeks since the midterms started.

    History exam was kinda ''meh'' and Portal and Dungeon study was slightly better since I had some edge of the students over that subject.

    Tomorrow, we have our General Knowledge exam which deals with current affairs.

    All of us were studying together in Lecia''s room, since she didn''t have a roommate as she got into the hero course veryte.

    Well, I''m studying but the others.....

    Max was literally breathing into Lecia''s ear like an incessant dog that wouldn''t stop it''s whining, Lecia didn''t seem that bothered by it...but I''m a little bothered. I''m gonna have to give him a ''talk'' after this ''study-session'' is over.

    Katherine was gossiping with Eric while he painted her nails, which was strange thing for Eric to do since he acts all macho to hide a shit ton of insecurities.

    "hehe..right.", Katherine says blowing on her nails which were a bright red now.

    ''Just what happened while I was gone.....'', I think, stunned to see Eric smile.

    Shaking my head, I shift my focus to Jennifer who was busy chatting away with Emilia.. every minute or so she turns to look at me...it''s annoying.

    Once. I caught her in the act and Jennifer didn''t even seem flustered. Instead she winked at me...

    I did find her behavior attractive in the beginning but it''s starting to get a little annoying.

    "So...we''re going to ignore the fact that none of them are actually studying ?"

    I turn around to find John....my exam buddy.

    John Levinson was the student who sat beside me during my exams, he''s an okay dude...and we''ve been talking for a while now...the only weird thing about him is that he stares a bit too much.

    I wasn''t nning on getting close to him, but as soon as I heard his second name, I changed my mind.

    Levinson...as in ''Levinson motors''

    Remember the mana crystal car that creep, Mark bought using money that belonged to the orphanage.....that was manufactured by Levinson motors.

    They''re at the top of the food chain in their particr field.

    Even though they''re significant in this world, they had little to no significance in the novel. I just created ''Levinson Motors'' to highlight the power of the rich elite in the school.

    Like how the rich bullies would drive up in their luxury car manufactured by Levinson motors. and then Max would beat the shit out of them and the car.

    It''s interesting that I met John here....but anyway I decided to get closer to him since there surely must be a ''friend discount''...I mean I like the car I own now. But still it''s nothingpared to the beauty that Levinson introduced into the market recently.

    I know it''s bad to get closer to someone with bad intentions but a guy''s gotta do what he gotta do to get that discount.

    In order to do that, I invited him to the study session.....but that''s gone down the drain.

    ~~~~

    I give up on studying half way through the study-session and converse with John...well it wasn''t much of a conversation since I just listened on as John rambled on about his dog and mother.

    ughh....I hate rich kids..

    I resist the urge to yawn and listen with a smile on my face as I remind myself of the discount I could possibly get in the future.

    After about thirty minutes, I couldn''t hold on much longer and decided to end the session.

    " So soon...we haven''t even started yet ?", Katherine asks looking confused.

    I resist my urge to smack her on the head and say,

    " You guys can continue studying....I''m just taking a break since I''m tired."

    As I get up, John follows suit as well,

    " I''lle with you too.", he says with a gentle smile on his face.

    ''Great...'',I think getting out of Lecia''s room with him behind me.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I think I''ve heard of your name somewhere...", I say slowly sipping my coffee.

    John thinks for a awhile and says,

    " You''re probably thinking of my father''spany....Levinson motors.", John said with a smug grin.

    ''Finally..'', I think exhausted.

    I''ve been trying to clue this bastard in for than half an hour and we''re finally getting to a topic of interest !

    " Wow !", I say pping my hands together in fake excitement.

    " Yeah, that''s right..", John says blushing [?]

    " That''s such a coincidence...I''ve been thinking of buying one of your newer models !"

    " Really ?"

    John seemed to be thinking about something, after a few minutes he proceeds to grin and say,

    " How about I give you one of those shiny cars for free ?"

    What ?!

    For free.....amazing....

    I could buy ten of them without even blinking my eyes but who doesn''t like things that are free ?

    " But you have to do something for me ?", John continued in a shy voice.

    " What is it ?", I ask excitement coursing through my veins.

    I''ll do anything...literally anything.....

    " Go on a date with me !!"

    Eh ?

    " I''m sorry if it wasn''t clear, John....but I''m not uh..gay.", I say a little confused.

    John''s smile fades and his eyes fill with tears [?]

    " You d-don''t l-love me ?"

    What the fuck ?

    That''s quite the leap from going on a date.

    I watch ufortably as John runs away from me audibly sobbing..

    What just happened ?

    .....

    Do I still get that car ?

    ~~~~

    On the way to my room, three different men gave me their contact information.....is it because of how I look right now ?

    Is that why all these assholes were staring at me all the time ?

    .....

    Ughhh...I feel vited.

    Is this how woman feel, everyday ?

    ...

    That''s sad.

    I catch another dude peering at me and I re at him in full force.

    ''Che, men are such pigs.'', I thought as my eyes were drawn to a girl walking beside me.

    .....

    I''m a hypocrite....but who isn''t ?

    ~~~~

 Chapter 88 A Show Of Power (2)

    I''m can''t seem to sleep.....well I can''t say I''m surprised since today was kinda weird in a way.

    It must be because of that skill....

    I open up my status screen to once again view my new skills.

    _________________________________

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15

    ------

    Strength: D-

    Agility: D-

    Stamina: D-

    Intelligence: D-

    Mana Grade : D+

    Vitality : Unable to determine.

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spear Warrior lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for using the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    1. Sub-Space [SS- rank]

    An pocket dimension where you can store objects of different sizes and shapes.

    2. Disguise [ A- rank] Lvl:1

    Able to transform into anyone you touch and know, has a time limit of one hour.

    3. Incite [ A- rank]

    You''re speech will be more polished and the user will be able to distract people with low mental strength with words...people will trust you more.

    4. Weak Body [ S-rank] [Passive Skill]

    You''re appeal to both genders have increased, you get to be the damsel in distress at all times.

    5. Hell Fire [ SS- rank]

    Able to summon the mes of hell in exchange for vitality, the mes of hell cannot be extinguished until the user allows it to. The mes can be utilized in any way necessary....the only limit is your imagination.

    --------------------------------------

    ___________________________

    All my new skills were shit except for [Hell Fire] which felt like it was tailor made for me.

    But it seems that learning all that skills allowed me to break through to D rank, so I suppose it isn''t all bad.

    ''I should probably go to sleep...'', I think closing my eyes.

    .....

    It''s no use.

    I get up from my bed, unable to sleep for some unknown reason.

    If I can''t sleep either way, it was probably better to just study. I sit at my table and use the light from themp to study.

    About two minutes in, I started feeling sleepy.

    ''That always works..'', I think going back to my bed.

    ~~~~

    The next day, I wake up early and revise for the ''General Knowledge'' exam which was a few hours away.

    I feel calm because nobody really cares that much about ''General Knowledge'' around here.

    Why learn about the president when you save more people than the leader of a country ?

    After about an hour of prepping, Eric and I get ready for school and start walking to our ssroom. As usual, on the way, we meet up with the others who all seemed carefree even though none of them had studied all that much yesterday.

    I tell them about the ''incident'' with John yesterday and they all had a goodugh at my expense.

    " Wow...you''re breaking so many hearts ,now huh ?", Jennifer says wiping away the tears which had umted fromughing far too much.

    " Meh..", I say revising the portions for the exam in my mind.

    ~~~~

    The exam went great.

    But sitting next to John didn''t help all that much, I did try to make conversation but the dude refused to even look at me...as if I was the weird one.

    ''Sigh''

    A sigh involuntarily escapes my mouth as I think about the discount that had been lost...ehh who cares...the car I have now is good enough.

    Usually I would go meet up with the others in a caf¨¦ on campus grounds after an exam but I''m not in the mood today.

    I head to my room and use my key to open the door.

    I''m surprised to see Lecia and Eric in the room, they were ying some sort of weird multiyer game on a phone.

    " What are you guys doing here ?", I ask confused.

    It had be somewhat of a custom to visit the cat caf¨¦ after our exams to discuss...the said exams.

    " Well...we could ask you the same thing." , Eric says concentrated on the game.

    ''Papepa''

    A sound rings out and Eric groans in frustration.

    " How are you so good ?", Eric asks Lecia who just shrugged in response.

    I shake my head and go to the bathroom ande out after changing into morefortable clothes.

    By the time, I came back Eric was once again groaning as he lost...again.

    " Can we talk ?", Lecia asked me with a slightly satisfied expression from winning on her face.

    ~~~~

    " So, how''s the hero course treating you so far ?", I ask Lecia curiously.

    I''ve been wanting to catch up with her for awhile now, since we hadn''t gotten a chance to really ''talk'' since I got discharged from the hospital but that didn''t mean that I didn''t notice the calluses on Lecia''s hands.

    She was overexerting herself...

    We hade to the park and was sitting on the same bench as back then.

    " It''s been good so far.", she answers back with a smile.

    " Well if you need any help, I would be happy to help my junior.", I say feeling little smug.

    Lecia chuckles a little and says,

    " Don''t worry, Eric''s been helping me a lot."

    ....

    Eric''s the one she asks for help ?.....

    What about me ?

    "That''s good then...", I say pouting.

    " I''m gonna catch up with you soon....", Lecia says patting me on the head.

    ...

    Of course...she thinks of me as a rival...I get it now.

    Heh.

    We talk about this and that for awhile and until I say something that''s been on my mind for awhile,

    "Hey Lecia, do you hate my name ?"

    " What ?", she asks looking a little lost.

    This has been bugging me for awhile now...when Dr, Ken asked for a name, I used the name ''Adam'' because it was Lecia''s brother''s name, the brother who had been brutally murdered by humans during the war.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This name...must remind her of all that pain. It took me some time to realize what an insensitive jerk I am...but hey at least I''m realizing it now right ?

    That''s ssic character development.

    " I mean, ''Adam'' was your brother''s name....does it hurt to hear it all the time ?", I say trying to be more clear.

    Lecia thinks for a minute before she started speaking,

    " Well....not really."

    " Why not ?", I ask a little relieved.

    Lecia turns away from me and looks at the peaceful park..

    " Adam was a brave kid....he always wanted to be a hero, I don''t think he would mind if another brave kid who''s going to be a hero in the future takes his name..", she says turning towards me with a smile on her face.

    A gentle breeze flutters past us as she continues on,

    "I''m thankful that you took his name because you''re carrying his legacy with you...."

    .....

    We stay silent after that for some time until Lecia once again breaks the silence,

    " Oh...I almost forgot....I need a small favor."

    " Hmm...what is it ?", I ask still a little flustered from our talk a little while ago.

    " Could you ask Max to back off a little ?"

    .....

    " What did he do ?", I ask starting to get a little angry.

    Seeing me fuming, Lecia calms me down by saying,

    " It isn''t anything like that....I just don''t feelfortable with-"

    I interject and say,

    " Say no more...I''m gonna talk with him right now."

    We talk for a while more and then Lecia goes back to continue with her training.

    ~~~~

    I knock on the door to Max''s room fighting the urge to knock it down.

    The door opens slowly and Max looks surprised to see me,

    " What''s up ?", he asks rubbing his forehead.

    I ignore him and barge inside his room.

    " Where''s your roommate ?", I ask curious.

    The guy wasn''t here thest time I was here as well...did this horny shit kill him or something ?

    " He dropped out.", Max said seating himself on his bed.

    Hmmmmmm...

    That''s concerning.

    I sit on the other bed and stare at him.

    " What''s up ?", he asks trying to act all innocent.

    There was a time that I liked this guy...but he''s messing with the wrong people.

    " I need you to stay away from my sister.", I say making Max confused.

    " Why ?", he asks

    " Well...because I say so."

    " No thanks.", he gets up as if the conversation was over and opened up his door for me and tried to usher me out.

    I didn''t want to hurt his feelings since he''s the protagonist and all and everything he did was vital to the plot, but fuck it.

    " Lecia wants you stay away from her."

    " What ?", he looks a little stunned.

    " Yup, she hates you.", I say driving it further home.

    Maxes back to his bed and sits on it looking lost,

    " I didn''t mean any harm...I just really liked her."

    .....

    Well...too bad,

    I get up to leave, but find it hard looking at Max''s puppy eyes.

    I let out a sigh and say,

    " She doesn''t hate you."

    Light returns to his face as he hears me but I continue on,

    " But please stop being a creep and treat her like a normal person...she''s already been through enough already."

    " What do you mean ?", Max asks looking a little tense.

    I sigh again and say,

    " Lecia''s.... had a very rough childhood....no forget it. It isn''t my ce to speak on her behalf.....just don''t annoy her anymore,"

    Max nods his head and I get out of the room.

    As Max closed the door behind me I say,

    " I''ll kill you, if you make my sister part of your harem.."

    " Eh ?"

    I leave behind a confused Max and head back to my room.

    ~~~~

    I''m surprised to see John waiting for me near the door to my room,

    " Hey...", he says awkwardly raising up two can of cold coffee in his hands.

    " Can we talk ?", he says apologetically handing me one of the cans.

    " Sure..", I say taking one of them

    We head to the park again since I didn''t want Eric to see with this guy.

    It''ll be embarrassing.

    ''This better be quick.'', I think, it was almost night now.

    I take a sip of the cold coffee and wait for him to start speaking but when he doesn''t speak I look at him.

    Seeing how confused I was, he says

    " Ah yes....I forgive you...it''s gonna be fine now."

    That''s a weird apology...

    ...

    Why do I feel dizzy ?

    ...

    No.

    Impossible....

    I look down at the can that he had given me.....it was already opened for me.

    ''Shit'', I think feeling myself slowly losing consciousness.

    I try to punch John or something but my body feels too weak.

    Before cking out thest thing I heard was his voice....

    " It''s going to be fine now....you''ll love me just like everybody else..."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 89 The Philosophy Of Love

    ''What is love ?''

    A question that has been asked or at least wondered from the dawn of time.

    As people of science say....is the feeling of love just a chemical reaction or is it something more...

    John didn''t care about any of this until he fell in love himself at the tender age of seven, her name was Jessica, one of his ssmates.

    At first John was confused as he couldn''t understand what exactly he was feeling....every time he saw Jessica, his heart would pound as if it could burst at any moment.

    John wanted to confess but when he was with her...he couldn''t even open his mouth...he was a mess.

    Not knowing what to do, the young boy went to his father...the man he ''loved'' the most for advice.

    ~~~~

    "Eh ?....you like a girl ?.", the gruff man asked John.

    John nods his head a little shy.

    The gruff man taps on his te making a rhythmic sound that slowly yed throughout the room.

    " What''s there to think about, son ?"

    A woman enters the room carrying food, the aroma from the food distracted little John a bit but he forced his attention back to his father.

    His father stares at his wife who had just entered the room with a yful smile on his face.

    " If you like a girl...just confess...like I did with your mother.", said the man pulling his wife, who had kept the the dishes on the table, closer to him andnds a kiss on her cheek while she smiled at his romantic gesture.

    John smiled as he saw the love his parents shared for each other.

    To him, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

    John''s father lets go of his mother and she takes her seat next to him.

    Before getting into their dinner, his father warns his son,

    " But before you confess...you have to be sure that you really love her....without love....you won''t be able to do right by her."

    "Yes, papa !", the young boy shouts while vigorously nodding his little head.

    Just like that the Levinson family finally start their dinner.

    But John''s father stops eating the food after taking a single bite, he smiles at his wife and says,

    " Marilyn....the food''s cold.."

    " I''ll reheat it, hon-",Marilyn starts to speak but-

    " Why did you serve me cold food ?", the man asked gently.

    " I didn''t mea-"

    ''Phalt !''

    The sound of his te crashing into the wall interrupted Marilyn.

    The Levinson''s rescue dog, Carrie runs starts licking of the food that had spread all over the ground.

    John''s father stands up and slowly takes off his belt and transforms it into a makeshift whip.

    "Bend over, honey.", the man gently nudged his wife''s shoulder.

    Marilyn''s eyes shake in terror but her body listened to hismand.

    Even though the food tasted good to John, he watched as his father punished his mother but instead of fear...he felt nothing.

    After all it was all his mother''s fault.

    It''s only right to be punished if you do bad things.

    John''s father continues to beat his mother even after John himself had finished his food.<novelnext></novelnext>

    John waited patiently for his father to be done with his mother.

    After another ten minutes or so his father finally tires himself out. John frown seeing all the blood.

    The frown on his face deepened even further when his eyes fell on his mother whoy there silently crying.

    ''So....ugly. ''the young boy thought feeling disgusted.

    "Papa...could I get some dessert ?", the boy yfully asked his father.

    "Of course, son...you''re mother will get you some ice cream."

    Hearing the man, Marilyn crawls back to the kitchen and somehow manages to back with an small te of chocte ice cream.

    Seeing his mother struggling to reach him, John runs over to his mother and gives her a gentle smack on the head.

    "You''ll get blood on my ice cream, mummy....you''re silly today." , the boy snatches up the te from his mother''s shaking hands and goes to take his seat beside his father.

    Seeing his cute son eating ice cream, the boy''s father couldn''t help but the pat the boy on the head.

    " Good boy...", his father whispered to his son with a light smile on his face.

    ~~~~

    After a few months.

    ----------------------

    " Did you do it ?", John''s father asked his son while driving.

    The boy remained silent for awhile...but then said,

    " She behaved badly....so I punished her."

    Hearing his son, the boy''s father chuckles to himself as if he was enjoying something.

    John had confessed to Jessica after building up his courage and all he got back was an ''ew''

    So, he taught that bad girl a lesson during their camping trip.

    Instead of using a belt....John used a sharp wooden branch that he found.

    Jessica was currently in the hospital suffering from internal bleeding and bruises all over his body. The police got involved and it was clear as day who the culprit was

    But due to his father''s influence he escaped the clutches of thew.

    "Good boy...", the boy''s father whispered.

    ~~~~

    After two years...

    _______________

    "Don''t open your eyes, son."

    Today was John''s thirteenth birthday.

    John was being led to where his ''gift'' was.

    After reaching their destination, his mother gently removes the blindfold on his face and John involuntarily gasp as his eyes fall on his ''gift''

    His ''gift'' was currently sleeping inside a cage peacefully..

    It wakes up hearing John''s father''s voice...

    John ignored everything his father said and didn''t take his eyes off his ''gift''.

    His ''gift'' had smooth ck fur and emerald eyes that seemed to sparkle.

    It was a panther.

 Chapter 90 Love....Ly Fear

    During the past two years, John had truly epted his father''s doctrine of ''love''. He did start fooling around with one of his seniors, Kendra. John was sure that the only reason Kendra liked him was because of his familial roots, still John let himself be swept up by ''love''.

    But the fun stopped as she got pregnant.....John ended their rtionship and with his father''s help, yet another incident was swept under the rug.

    After the whole Kendra disaster, John felt lost....he felt that without love his life had no meaning. It was then that his eyes fell on another girl, this time from his ssroom.

    But...just like stupid old Jessica, this girl also rejected him. But John had learned his lesson...he wouldn''t hurt the girl....instead this time he decided to iste her.

    That week, that girl''s entire family was crushed to death by a truck as they were driving away somewhere. John enjoyed seeing the agony the girl suffered.

    He didn''t feel guilt...because it was only right to punish girl who''s been bad right ?

    John''s father agreed with his son...but he wanted his son to cool down a bit. If his son made a mistake and got caught in the middle of his ''endeavors'' that meant the end of thepany. The press would kill them.

    That was the reason why John''s father had bought him a pet.

    If only he knew better.

    ~~~~

    "Wow...thank you so much, papa !", John said admiring the panther.

    John''s father shes a smug smile and said,

    " I''m d you liked it...a person wille today to help you familiarize yourself with it."

    John nods his head and continues to admire the panther, which observed the family of three silently.

    John''s father had apparently gotten the panther at a very low price which was rare for an animal adapted to mana...but the previous owner was a close friend of his.

    ~~~~

    " Eh?...so do you have any questions ?", the man who hadeter that day asked John.

    John frowned at the man, the man who had introduced himself as ''The Ringmaster'' looked hideous.

    But John let go of his misgivings about the man and asked him,

    " Can she talk....like us ?"

    "Well, of course !...that''s a given for any animal adapted to mana."

    Hearing the man, John couldn''t help but feel excited, but his excitement dies down as the man continues to speak.

    " But there''s a catch to it, young man."

    "What is it ?", John asked eager to begin.

    " Panther''s are a bit unique in a sense....they''re proud animals."

    The Ringmaster smirks at the panther before continuing on,

    " They won''t talk unless they think you''re their equal....and also trust you."

    John scoffs hearing the man drone on about this and that.

    Making an animal trust him was an easy task.

    Forget trust...he was going to make her love him.

    ~~~~

    A year and halfter

    ----------------

    ''Huff'' ''Huff'' ''Huff''

    An out of breath John screams out in frustration....

    The whip slips out of his hand and he falls to his knees.

    Before him, a bloodied panthery silently watching him....without even making a whimper.

    "Bad girl.....you''re a.....A bad girl !!", John said getting back up and kicking the panther.

    At first he tried to get closer to the panther but the panther didn''t even look his way.....the panther didn''t care for him at all.

    So he started punishing her bit...by bit, but seeing that the panther had little to no reaction only furthered his anger.

    John didn''t have to worry about it turning against him since it had a chip put inside her that made her listen to his orders absolutely.

    Seeing itying there like a doll....John felt his anger spiral out of control.

    A cruel smile shes across his face as he thought,

    '' Will you talk to me.... if I prove that I love you.....''

    ~~~~

    ''p''

    " You sick freak !", John''s father ps him.

    John was confused.....was what he did so bad ?

    He just taught that bad girl a lesson...he didn''t even think it was possible for a lowly thing like that to ept his....seed.

    John slowly falls down on the floor as his father punches him, but before he can hurt John even further, Marilyn stops him.

    John had never seen his mother look so determined before.

    Strangely, his father listens to his mother and leaves the two of them alone.<novelnext></novelnext>

    John managed to stand up and make it to his bed, his mother sits beside him and gently embraced him...

    " I''m sorry.....I''m sorry.....I''m sorry.... for not doing anything to help you till now.", his mother sobbed out.

    John was even more confused now....

    But he''s even more shocked to find tears running down his face for some unknown reason...

    He wasn''t sad...so why was he crying ?

    ~~~~

    After three weeks, the Levinson household changed considerably.

    For one thing, John barely saw his father since that ''incident''.

    It was his mother that took care of him, even though she herself was sick....she was diagnosed with breast cancerst year.

    She was going through chemo now and John wanted to help his mother through it, so he shaved all the hair on his head.

    John''s mother had made him realize that there was something wrong with him...mentally. So, he was seeing a therapist now as well.

    As for the panther....John had no idea where it was.

    The day after the ''incident'' his father had taken it away...

    Things were starting to look good.

    ~~~~

    John was nervous...

    Today was the first day of the midterms....it was only reasonable that he was nervous.

    But all feelings of fear went away as his eyes met with the most beautiful person in the entire world...

    ck hair that reminded him of his pet and eyes that were like rubies that sparkled only for him.....No.....No.

    John shakes his head to get rid of these unnecessary thoughts....his therapist warned him not to fixate on anyone.

    But as the person sat beside him and smiled at him...he knew that he had to make this person his own....

    ~~~~

    Two weekster

    --------------

    John gently caressed Adam''s face.

    John had managed to get outside Unity without any issue....it was a good thing nobody checked inside the car he was in.

    Even though he had promised his mother that he would stop..onest time couldn''t hurt right ?

    This time....it was real.

    He knew that the ''love'' he felt for Adam was real....

    They were going to his private ''yhouse'' in the middle of nowhere.

    Once they reached there...John had his bodyguards help him bound Adam using a mana chain. The bodyguards were hired using his pocket money, so their skill was a littlecking but they kept their mouths shut.

    "Wakey wakey..my dear", John whispered into Adam''s ear.

    Seeing that Adam hadn''t woken up...John sighed but brightens up in the next minute as he remembers that he had forgotten to take a picture of Adam.

    It was a tradition for John to take a photo of all the people he loved....how else would he preserve his ''love'' ?

    He runs out of his y house and goes inside the shed beside it to take his scrapbook and camera.

    But as he returned, strangely enough the yroom which was previously well lit, had gone dark.....he was sure that he had switched the light on..

    ''Did one of the guards do this ?'', he thought as he walked inside the room.

    John couldn''t see anything.....

    "Che.."

    He walks forward but stops when he almost trips over something....

    He quickly opens up his phone and gasped when he saw the head of one of his guards on the floor..

    He uses his phone to look around the room....somebody had ughtered everybody mercilessly...

    He knew who it was....

    ''It can''t be.'', he thought scared beyond reason.

    " I''ve been waiting for you...."

    A voice startled John, he turned around and started backing away to the walls of the room...on the way...he falls down on the chair where Adam had previously sat...

    John looked up at the red eyes that gazed down upon at him coldly.

    Ever since he met Adam, all he wanted was for those eyes of his to notice his love for him...now that he did....what John felt wasn''t happiness....

    It was fear.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 91 Hell Fire

    I''ve been awake for awhile now.

    I''m in some sort of vehicle...

    So....John''s a psychopath too....I mean c''mon...most of the people here seem to be deranged.

    Am I the only normal person here ?

    After awhile the vehicle stopped and I feel two people carrying me somewhere, I peek a little and see a warehouse some distance away.

    ~~~~

    They seated me on a chair and bound me using a mana restraint.

    " Wakey Wakey...dear.", John''s slithery voice reached my ears.

    I feel the urge to kill him right then and there...but I need to defeat the others in the room first. They were probably bodyguards since John wasn''t that strong.

    I hear footsteps rushing out of the room and soon hear voices,

    " Are all rich people crazy like this ?", one man asked.

    "We get paid....that''s all that matters.", another man interjected.

    Seeing that they were trash talking their boss, he must have gone somewhere.

    That''s perfect then.

    It''s time to test my new guns....

    I use my [Hell Fire] skill to burn off the restraints....I waited for the pain to hit me but it never does...but after a minute my hands were free.

    Why did I not feel the heat ?

    .....

    Who cares ?....that''s actually better.

    "Boss !", one of the men shout in rm as I jump up from the chair.

    "-Stop-"

    I use my [Incite] skill and the men all appeared dazed...I don''t how long this thing works for so I needed to finish this quickly.

    I could feel the mana inside my body slowly being used up.

    I quickly run upto the first man and use my [Hell Fire] yet again... a small ball of ck me appears just above one of my fingers. I touch the dazed man using this very finger.

    I watch as the me slowly grow in size.

    "ARAHHHHHHHHHHHHH", the man screams.

    The others also seem to regain their state of mind back...

    ''five seconds...huh.'', I think taking out my spear from my sub-space.

    Since the auction, I had learned my lesson.

    I always have a weapon on me now.

    I was a little wary of using [Hell Fire] since it took my vitality in exchange for summoning the mes of ''hell''. Since I used the ''Potion Of Eternity'' I can''t feel anything now...but I''m sure that some of vitality is being used right now.

    Now, Vitality was just like mana in a sense. It represents your health in a way and in a fight, the more you get hurt....the more vitality is lost. But just because I had a lot of vitality didn''t mean that I would live even after being stabbed....I would have more time to go to the hospital but if I don''t do anything, I''ll just bleed out and die like a normal person.

    In a sense...that''s what vitality gives you.....time and I had a lot of it.

    I don''t know what my limit is but I don''t want to find out right now.

    "Die !", one of the men screamed while running towards me.

    I use [Hell Fire], but this time instead of my finger...the mes enveloped my spear.

    I gently tap the shoulder of the man running toward me and soon, he was just like the other one now...dead.

    It''s funny that he yelled out ''Die !'' and died the next second.

    These bozos aren''t as strong as I thought...

    "Be careful, boys.", the person who must be the ''boss'' warns hisrades.

    I watch as thest three men in the room run together towards me, with their weapons in their hands.

    Instead of using [Hell Fire], I decide to use my spear to do the deed.

    I can''t get to dependent on that skill...

    It took me two minutes to kill all three of them including the boss...

    Why were those guys so weak ?

    I stop thinking about the guards because I honestly couldn''t care less and walk towards the switchboard in the room to make the room dark.

    About ten minutester, John enters the room and I make sure to not be caught.

    I can see him panicking from seeing his guards dead.

    "I''ve been waiting for you...", I whisper into his ear.

    John jumps in fright and slowly backs away towards the wall just the way I wanted, he falls into the chair where I had previously sat.

    I can almost smell the fear on him, just as I was about to kill him....I notice a book and a camera in his hand.

    " P-please i-it was just a p-prank.", John whimpered.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I ignore him and take the book out of his hand, he does try to put up a fight but that''s no use...is it ?

    I take the book and look at the very...colorful cover.

    It looked like a five year old made it, ''LOVE'' was written using a glitter in the cover.

    Well...this is gonna be good.

    What is this...some sort of journal ?

    I open the book and on the first page...there was newspaper clipping of some girl who got hurt during some camping trip.

    The next page had a photo of a very young girl who was smiling, on the next page there was a photo of this same girl crying, I could see some bruises on her body...looks like a whip of some sort was used.

    I shift towards the next page which had a newspaper clipping about some car ident that killed a family leaving behind a daughter. On the next page, there was a photo of the said incident...it was a close up at that...as if the person who had taken it was there right when it happened. On the next page, there was another girl who was crying.

    So...I think I know what this shit is...I mean it''s obvious, seeing all the pain this shithead caused people only furthered my need to kill him...because I''m a hero.

    ...

    Hehe..I''m joking...

    I''m gonna kill him because I want to and also...he''s a bad guy.

    It''s only right that he receives punishment right ?....

    I turn to the next page thinking this...but all my thoughts stop as I see what was in the next page...

    It was the photo of a bloodied panther...a very familiar one.

    I quickly turn the page and for the first time I see John in one of the photos....

    I quickly close the book having seen enough.....

    I look at John who had started crying...

    ''This sick bastard...''

    "Where''s the panther now ?...", I ask him wanting to be absolutely sure.

    ~~~~

    As John finished speaking, I felt repulsed by him even more than before.

    I hated him...but I was almost ny-nine percent sure that he fathered the two baby panthers, one of which was ying around in my room right now...

    Was this fate or just mere coincidence ?

    .....

    It doesn''t matter either way since the oue wouldn''t change....no matter what.

    ~~~~

    John looked up at Adam in fear.

    Many questions were troubling his mind.

    Before making a move on Adam, John had collected all sorts of information on him and he was pretty sure that Adam Creed was the weakest student in the hero course....

    ''How''s he so strong ?'', John thought, afraid.

    Having lived a sheltered life, he wasn''t used to this feeling of fear....he found it even hard to breathe under Adam''s judgmental gaze.

    Those judgmental eyes that looked at him as if he was a monster.....

    Was what he did so terrible ?

    " I didn''t want to h-hurt anybody...I jus--just lo-ved them.", John managed to mutter out.

    "Is that so ?", Adam said nonchntly while dropping the book in his hand.

    Adam bends down to face John,

    " That''s good then....but I''m not like you John..."

    "What ?", John asked confused.

    Adam took John''s chin by hand and brought his face closer to him...John could almost feel his breath on him.

    " I''m doing this...because I want to hurt you.", said Adam opening John''s mouth forcefully, John tries fighting him but it was all useless in the end as Adam forced a small ball of ck me down his throat.

    Adam lets go of John and backs away..

    John starts panicking,

    ''What was that ?'', he thought feeling perfectly fin-

    It was then that it began.

    "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH", John screamed

    An excruciating pain started spreading all over his body and he fell down to his knees and entered into a fit of coughing, after a good five minutes he starts spasming and blood flows out of all the orifices in his body.

    Adam looked bored while waiting for John to die.

    '' Well....that was pretty anti-climatic'', he thought walking out of the yroom.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 92 Motherhood

    "Whooooooooo", I scream as I drift around in the car they had brought me in.

    It turned out to be the new model I wanted to buy....

    I''m not going to steal it, I''m just seeing if it''s worth all the hype which it sadly is not.

    It''s fun to ride it but you can''t sit inside for more than thirty minutes without you butt starting to hurt because of the seat which was rock hard.

    Well...this is disappointing.

    ''I should probably head back..'', I thought getting out of the car and heading back into the warehouse. I enter the yroom and see that the ck me was still raging on....

    ''It never goes out...huh ?'', I think impressed.

    I will the mes away, but all that was left was ashes and three bodies of the men I hadn''t used [Hell Fire] on. It really is a scary skill...

    Earlier when I had used it on John...I willed the me to not hurt him first, it was only once that the me had reached inside him that I turned it back to normal...I didn''t think that it was going to work but it did.

    That degree of control is nothing to scoff at.

    Anyway, I kneel down and search one of the guards for a phone, which I do find. I dial in a number.

    " I need help.", I say after which I shared my current whereabouts.

    ~~~~

    I decide to wait outside for them to arrive.

    After five minutes of waiting around, I''m bored out of my mind.

    ...

    ''I''ve got an idea.'', I think getting up and walking toward to the middle of the field before turning back to face the warehouse.

    "[Hell Fire]", I say the name of the skill for the first time before using it.

    ''I hope nobody saw that...''

    I imagine a huge ball of fire that could devour the entire warehouse, it takes some time to form...I gaze at the huge ball of ck me, unlike the small ones this was a little harder to control. But I sessfully managed to throw it at the warehouse.

    Fifteen minutester, I stare at what was left of the warehouse.

    All that was left was ashes...everything had turned to ashes...everything and the me still raged on even after there was nothing else that needed to be burned.

    I wanted to test my limits...but I don''t even feel all that tired even now.

    ''Amazing..'', I thought as I willed the fire out of existence.

    The next thing I burned was that stupid car, after which I turned to some trees. It was then that a familiar car pulled up into my view.

    " What happened here ?", Amanda asked looking at the space filled with ashes.

    Francis and Agnes had also gotten out along with her, I called them since I couldn''t return to the school today. It was the middle of the night...if I returned now it would be weird.

    So, I decided to head home and go to school the next day, I needed to find some excuse as to where I was but I''ll manage it...I always do.

    I could have just called one of them and left it at that but there was a reason why I called the three of them.

    I tell them that I was ''practicing'' and get inside the car before they could ask anymore unnecessary question.

    ~~~~

    I sat in the backseat...while Amanda drove the car.

    Agnes sat beside me and Francis sat up in the front with Amanda, I had closed my eyes to rest but I felt ufortable feeling all their stares on me.

    ''Not now..'', I warn myself....timing was everything.

    After twenty minutes, the car stopped in front of Creed mansion.

    Before getting out, I say,

    " I''m sure you have many questions...."

    " Yes..sir, we do.", Amanda said looking at me from the front.

    " Well...I don''t n on answering any of them.", I say staring all three of them.

    They seem a little shocked, but now I was going to shock them even further, that''ll take their mind of this whole incident.

    " But I will say that...I am proud of the way you three reacted to the ''truth''."

    " W-what truth ?", Agnes asks fear apparent in her eyes.

    " Well...you know..the truth about the angels.", I say getting out of the car with a slight smirk on my face.

    I knew something was wrong by the way they behaved at the hospital, so I checked all the cameras I''ve installed around the house and learned about how Agnes heard us discussing about the angels...<novelnext></novelnext>

    I put all those camera''s in because...why not ?, It doesn''t hurt to be careful.

    Normally I would have killed all three of them to make sure no one tattled but they''ve actually reacted in a perfect manner so killing them seemed like a waste of time and also...I''m not a bad guy who just randomly kills a person.

    I always have a reason...or at least make up one for all the people I have killed so far.

    I''m a few feet away from the door when I start to feel dizzy, I fall down. Thest sound I heard before cking out was the sound of doors being mmed shut.

    ~~~~

    I''m back at the Unity.

    I got detention for sneaking out during the night, because I couldn''t up with a better excuse.

    I don''t tell anyone about the kidnapping because I didn''t want to associate myself with John.....cause I killed him and all.

    It turns out that I do have a limit for using my [Hell Fire] skill, which was weird considering that my vitality was almost endless...

    ''There must be some other factor...'', I thought yawing because I was bored.

    It was thest period for the day.

    I find myself slowly falling asleep until I''m forced awake due to a nudge on my shoulder..

    " Why''re you so sleepy today ?", Katherine asks, who also seemed bored.

    I shrug and go back to sleep.

    Today we finished all the theoretical part of the midterms. The ''Morality'' exam consisted of just ten easy multiple choice questions so the exam took only five minutes toplete.

    We had normal ss the rest of the day...and in about a week, we had the practical test which was different every year. Of course, I knew what it was going to be this year, it wa-

    ''Rrringg''

    My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the bell signifying the end of the ss.

    I almost jump out of my seat and rush out of the ss.

    I meet the others outside and tell them to go ahead and have lunch, I didn''t want it because I wasn''t hungry for one and I felt that I could fall asleep any minute now. I also had to feed the panther.

    ~~~~

    I''m in my room now.

    I look at the baby panther greedily dinking away it''s milk from the cup that I had brought for it. He had stopped trying to suck on my nipple and had more or less adjusted to the cup.

    As I look at the panther, I''m reminded of how he came into the world.

    I wonder if he knows how much pain he caused his mother, how much suffering she had to endure to bring him into this world...

    Does this little one deserve to live ?

    I look at him drinking his milk with my support, unaware of my thoughts....he reminded me of myself...

    The panther who should have hated this child, in the end gave up on her own life to save her child...

    I suppose that''s what mother''s do...

    Even though he was conceived due to a twisted love....his mother still loved him, he didn''t ask to be born.

    We can''t whine about the cards we''re dealt with....all you can do is try to survive with the ones you already have.

    I raise the panther up into the air using my hands....it looked at me with it''s wide green eyes.

    I''ve finally settled on a name.

    " You mother loved you....Rhys."

    The panther struggled to raise it''s paw at me...

    Is he trying to wave ?

    " Mo--Mo---Mommy."

    I almost drop the panther hearing it speak....using it''s mouth....

    But I''m not a mommy....I''m a daddy..

    I try telling him that but he had already fallen asleep in my arms...

    I grunt out iprehensible words and lower Rhys and gently keep him beside me on the bed.

    Seeing him cuddling against me, I think,

    ''Che....I suppose I can be your mother for awhile.''

 Chapter 93 The Day Adam Gave Away His Flower

    After making sure that the panther was full, the both of us had gone to sleep.

    The next day, I found that Rhys had woken up at night and done the ''deed'' all around our room.

    Eric was nowhere to be found.

    He had vowed to not return until I potty-trained Rhys.

    I''m just d that the little shit didn''t shit on me.

    I find him sitting down under the bed staring at me with a goofy smile on his face.

    " We''ve been over this, Rhys.....you can''t shit where you sleep."

    One might notice that I''ve been repeatedly using the name Rhys...I''ve heard we should repeatedly call our pets by their names to make them understand....well that it''s their name.

    I thought Rhys would start speaking since he did technically say his first word yesterday...but he hasn''t uttered a word since I''ve woken up. All he did was follow me around and observe whatever I did.

    " You''re only drinking milk..... so why''re you shitting so much ?", I ask him.

    This time I do get a reply, not in words..but in a whine.

    ''Is he saying that he''s sorry ?''

    "It''s alright...but you''ll get a beating if you do this tomorrow as well.", saying this I start cleaning the room and in about an hour I was done.

    Since it was still early, I decided to take Rhys for a walk in the school park.

    Staying cooped up in a room for too long isn''t good for an animal''s mental health...I''ve been reading up a lot since I was now a panther dad.

    ~~~~

    I tighten the leash around his neck, but make sure that it isn''t too tight.

    " Calm down, Rhys.."

    Rhys didn''t seem to like the leash all that much....but he''ll get used to it.

    As walk towards the park, he explores the outside world for the first time. He didn''t seem overly curious and made sure to be next to me at all time. But once we reached the vicinity park...it was as if he had gone mad.

    He kept wiggling around and trying to eat the leash....

    Curious as to what exactly the issue was I let go of the leash and the moment I do, he takes off and I silently follow him.

    Soon, I understand why he was acting so crazy....on one of the many benches of the park...Katherine sat with a big pink ball on herp. Katherine had a smile on her face as she continued to pat the pink.....now that I''ve had a closer look...it''s the other one...his sister.

    Can panthers smell their family or something ?

    I should look that up when I reach home.

    Seeing me Katherine waves and lets the panther that had been clothed in some kind of pink monstrosity down on the ground.

    Unlike Rhys who was acting mad....the girl panther looked calm...actually she seemed a little annoyed.

    ~~~~

    " Have you found a name for her ?", I ask Katherine who kept a watchful eye on the two panthers, they were ying together while we sat on a bench.

    " Yeah...it''s L."

    ...

    What ?

    L.....was the best she coulde up with ?

    " Well, Rhys is the name that I chose....but don''t worry it''s not apetition.", I say disying a little smirk.

    Katherine frowned and says,

    " Well....L is so much well-mannered isn''t she ?"

    I watch L, who was looking at me strangely while Rhys licked her as if they were reuniting after years of being apart.

    " She''s too uptight.", I retort back.

    Katherine scoffs and says,

    " Well...L said her first word yesterday.. she addressed me as ''mother''.", Katherine said proud.

    " Rhys said his first word yesterday too..."

    " What did he say ?", she asked looking genuinely curious.

    L walks up to me and rubs her head against my leg and I pat her on the head.

    Looking back at Katherine who looked at me expectantly, I grunted out,

    " Forget it.."

    ~~~~

    After thirty minutes, Katherine and I part ways because it was almost time to head to ss.

    I take a quick shower and get dressed quickly, I make sure to lock the door before heading out so that Rhys wouldn''t idently escape.

    On the way to ss, I meet up with the others.

    " Is that thing still shitting everywhere ?", Eric asks me annoyed.

    Eric had taken up residency with Max for a short while because he was a neat freak and couldn''t handle Rhys.

    " I potty trained him.", I lie hoping that Rhys would do his business on the litter box I brought him. He seemed to be nodding his head while I gave my instructions so he must have understood something...

    I inform the others about finally deciding on a name for Rhys and Katherine does the same. I observe Max and Lecia for a bit since I hadn''t talked to them since...well yesterday.

    Things seemed a little awkward...whenever their eyes met, Max would immediately look away confusing Lecia. I told him to tone it down a little but now he''s acting like an even bigger creep.

    ''Sigh''

    A sigh involuntarily escapes my mouth as we enter the ssroom.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ~~~~

    It happened during thest period.

    [ Adam Creed and Katherine Colleen...please report to the principal''s office during lunch break]

    Everyone in the ss turned to look at us, but I don''t notice their stares as I was confused....

    What''s the new principal calling me for ?

    I suppose I''ll know when I go there during lunch break...

    Laurine Gem didn''t have any impact on the plot so it must be about something ''normal''.

    I wait impatiently for lunch break.

    ~~~~

    It was lunch break.

    Katherine and I decided to visit the principal before eating lunch.

    As we walked towards the principal''s office, Katherine asks nervously,

    " Did we do something ?"

    " I don''t know...", I say stopping to knock on the door to her office.

    " Come in.", a voice came the moment I knocked.

    Entering inside we were greeted by Laurine Gem and....Domino..

    Shit.

    Ipletely forgot about her.....am I dumb ?

    Domino aka. Dina doesn''t even spare a nce at me.

    " Wee...you must be Katherine.", Laurine, our new principal says while shaking Katherine''s hand.

    " Adam Creed.", I say shaking her hand as well.

    Laurine sits back down on her chair and asks us to do the same.

    While we sat on the seats beside Din- I mean Domino, Laurine shes a smile at us and says,

    " It''s nice to meet the both of you...Miss Domino has said that you''re both very talented...that''s exactly what this school needs right now...talent, but just because of that reason...we can''t show partiality to anyone....We treat all students equally here at Unity."

    The both of us nod our heads agreeing to Laurine''s words.

    Laurine Gem had deep ck hair that was tied in a tight bun, while her eyes disyed a slightly yellow color. But the thing that drew my attention the most was her other pair of buns....they were huge..

    I wouldn''t usually make such crassments on a person''s body but I might be a little backed up since I hadn''t had the time to...well you know ?

    I know that it''s not an excuse but hey...it''s not like anybody can [read] my thoughts.

    ...

    " Adam ?", Laurine asked with a smile on her face.

    " Huh ?", I say staring a little too much.

    " I was asking about the pet you''re raising on school grounds without a permit.."

    Oh..

    " I''m sorry, Miss Laurine....I didn''t know that we had to have a permit."

    I turn to look at Katherine and find that not only Katherine but Domino was shaking their heads looking at me with slight disappointment in their eyes.

    ...

    " Well please fill these forms and you''ll be all set.", Laurine says giving us both a form to fill.

    We fill the form quickly.

    " Well....that''s all, please be more careful in the future."

    As all three of us got up and started heading back. Laurine says,

    " Oh...I almost forgot Adam...could you stay back for a bit ?"

    What''s up now ?

    I nod at Katherine to let her know that she could go ahead without me and the both of them leave me alone with Principal Laurine.

    Laurine stood up from the chair and opened a cab, I''m a little surprised when I see her take out a bottle of scotch that looked ancient. She takes a pair of sses and then continues to fill them both up.

    I stare at her stunned...was she offering me a drink ?

    Seeing that I wasn''t moving, Laurine walks towards me and lead me to the chair where I had previously sat.

    She handed me a ss and then gently massaged my body...

    I am very aware of my ''body'' right now...also what the fuck was happening ?

    " I''ve heard a lot about you...", she says digging her nails into my back, it was painful but not bad painful...it was good painful. She was very close to me, I could feel her hot breath gently cascading down my back.

    She takes her hand off me and pulls the chair back and walks into the space that just opened up in front of me. She takes out the pin which had bound her hair making them fall down...she removes the sses she wore and keeps them on the table.

    She gently leans on the table for support and continues to unbutton her shirt...not the whole thing....she removed only two revealing just a bit of her brassiere.

    " You''ve been a very naughty boy..."

    ....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 94 The Test (1)

    ''Am I being seduced ?''

    Seduction was not an area that I had much experience in so I wasn''t that sure...but it''s either that or Laurine Gem might be crazy...or trying to trick me...

    " You''ve been a naughty boy...", she says in a sultry voice.

    I stare at her awkwardly because I have no idea what''s happening....

    We stay like that for a good amount of time, but out of nowhere suddenly Laurine startsughing,

    " Hahhahahah....your expression is priceless..."

    Now I''m even more confused....

    Laurine buttons up her shirt properly and goes back to take her seat.

    Seeing that I wasn''t saying anything. Laurine says,

    " Well....I suppose...I owe you an exnation..."

    Laurine appeared a little more serious now...but I realize that was just my imagination as she starts cracking up yet again.

    " Hahhah...I can''t...your face !"

    I''m getting tired of this...to be honest....

    She must have seen that my mood had soured as she calms herself down, after coughing to clear her throat, she says,

    " I''m Patrick."

    ....

    " What ?", I ask confused.

    " You know....Patrick...your friendly neighbourhood ascaris.", she says making a peace sign with her hands.

    " I got that...but what are you doing here and in that particr body...?", I ask baffled...because I really am.

    " Well...it''s all because of you really, since you told the king that the princess was being kept in this school...the king couldn''t help but wonder what else the school was hiding...so they had me get rid of ''Patrick'' and be ''Laurine''."

    .....

    ''Yet another change..'', I thought stumped.

    Well...this wasn''t necessarily a bad change since the demons were technically on my side...but I can''t let them find out that Domino''s an angel. That would ruin everything. But I''m pretty sure Domino can take care of herself but it''s better to keep an eye on her.

    The problem was that I still didn''t know what Dina''s endgame was.....what exactly did she want....is she an enemy or an ally ?

    "But I don''t think this body has any particr use...", Laurineined.

    " Why not ?....you''re the principal to the most prestigious school in this world.."

    " Well that is true...but I''m more of a figurehead here....the management hired this women because they thought she would be the most easy to manipte....I''m just a puppet for them....but still we do have an entryway into the Unity now....there''s that----"

    Laurine kept on muttering to herself while I listened patiently.

    " If there''s nothing else, then I''ll get going...", I say tired of her rambling.

    " Wait !...I really do have something to tell you.", Laurine says in a hurry.

    " What is it ?", I ask halfway through the door, now that I know that Laurine''s an impostor I don''t see the need to give her my respect as a student.

    " You didn''te into detention yesterday...so I''ll have to double it."

    ...

    Shit....I forgot because of how tired I was yesterday.

    " Hey....Patrick, can''t you help a brother out ?", I ask pleadingly

    Laurine smiles at me and says,

    " We treat all our students equally and fair-"

    ''m''

    I m the door on her to not give her the satisfaction of besting me.

    ~~~~

    After lunch, I head to ss for detention....

    This sucks.....

    I could be training now....

    I open the ssroom and take a seat in the middle.

    The teacher monitoring us was our Morality Teacher, Mr.Lolz [that''s his real name.]

    I take out some books and start studying, since I didn''t want to waste any time.

    But my mind was too preupied to study right now, I had so many problems to deal with, the most important one being to deal with Dina.

    In the novel, Dina was the first angel to be killed, she was killed by....herself. Max and Dina get in a heated battle and throughout the battle Max talks about the horrifying acts the ''angels''mitted...and Dina suddenly realized the gravity of her crimes...she lets Max kill her.

    Max literally pulled a paruto.....

    This whole arc received heavy bacsh because how stupid the whole thing was....which it indeed was. By then I just wanted to finish the novel and be done with it, so I rushed the plot of the novel.

    But the Dina in this world feels different....

    The only thing I know for sure is that...for some strange reason she saved my life more than once....I need to find a way to confront her....

    A tap on my shoulder breaks my thought train apart and I look to find Jennifer and Emilia beside me,

    " What are you doing here ?", Jennifer asks looking excited.

    " For detention ?", I say<novelnext></novelnext>

    Wasn''t that obvious ?

    " Not that dummy....I was asking how you got detention ?", she ps me on the back andughs out loud earning the ire of Mr. Lolz....who wasn''t all that intimidating.

    I make up a reason because I didn''t want to let anybody know that I went out during the night.

    It turns out that Jennifer got detention for the whole year for beating up that bitch who confessed to Eric and Emilia was in because she broke training equipment.

    To pass the time, we yed some games...

    ~~~~

    Detention wasn''t as bad as I thought, mostly because I hadpany. I''ve learned to tolerate Jennifer and Emilia''s a nice person to spend time with, I was d for theirpany because it kept my mind of the many troubling things I had to deal with in the future.

    I was heading back to my room now after detention with Emilia and Jennifer walking beside me,

    " I''ve been meaning to talk to you, Adam.", Emilia says smiling at me.

    She continues,

    " Could youe by my dojo sometime ?"

    " Sure", I answer back.

    I had nothing better to do, but I couldn''t help but ask,

    " Why though ?"

    " Well...we wanted to formally thank you for helping our family out....I''m sure you know..."

    I don''t know...

    Just as I was about to ask Emilia more about this ''help'', Jennifer drags her away as she had seen her brother, Jacob Asher waiting for her some distance away.

    As Emilia was being dragged away by Jennifer, she turns around and says,

    " Let''s all meet at the dojo after the practical test !"

    I nod my head and continue towards my own room, still thoroughly confused.

    ~~~~

    I entered my room to find a very angry Eric,

    " He did it on my bed...", Eric says taking out his bow and aiming it at me.

    " Eric...let''s all just take a breath..kay ?", I say gently seeing the killing intent in his eyes.

    " Nobody''s calming down until you clean my bed....", Eric growls out.

    A white arrow materializes in his bow....

    I quickly dash around the room and clean the mess Rhys made, expecting the arrow to have disappeared by the time I was done...I''m surprised to see that the bow still hadn''t gone back into his sub-space.

    " Eric ?", I ask confused.

    Eric seemed to be deliberating for awhile before he finally says,

    " I couldn''t ask you since you were having your little ''episode'' then but seeing that you''re fine now ...tell me why you lied that day ?"

    " What lie ?"

    To bepletely honest there were so many lies now that I didn''t really know which one he was going on about...

    " You lied about killing your mother...", Eric said with a frown on his face.

    Why does he think that was lie.....I think for a good minute before I finally remember that he was there when Lecia had talked about meeting my mother when she was young...

    Oh.....

    I sigh realizing my mistake and sit on my bed trying to think about a good lie...no should I just tell him the truth ?

    All this lying is making me sick...

    " I saw you were hurting and I wanted to help....I know that lying wasn''t the way to go but...lying is the one thing I''m best at...so-"

    " So you lied about killing your mother ?!", Eric interjected.

    I nod my head and say,

    " I said that...because I hate my mother for abandoning me in that ce....I''ve killed her in my dreams if that counts.."

    Hearing me, the frown on Eric''s face softens a little..

    Yes !

    I knew that was the way too go..

    Looks like I might be getting better at this ''lying'' thing...

    " Can you forgive me ?", I ask Eric, trying my best to appear pitiful.

    Eric sat beside me and fixed his gaze on the ground..

    " It''ll be hard...but I suppose I can.."

    Yes !

    Mission Suces-

    ''Poww''

    Eric throws a punch across my cheek resulting in me falling down on the bed..

    " I think I''m ready to forgive you now..", Eric said grinning ear to ear.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 95 The Test (2)

    Max was currently training.

    Instead of training at his personal training room, he had chosen to train at themon training area because....well, there was no way to say it...but Max felt lonely.

    Sure, he did have a ton friends...but strangely enough he felt all alone, he would train tirelessly when he was usually feeling like this.

    But for some reason, even training didn''t help today.

    ''Swing''

    ''sh''

    The rest of the people training couldn''t help but stop to watch Max train, there was something about the way Max fought that touched those who watched him.

    But not one of the people who were watching Max noticed the distress ON his face, they couldn''t be med since Max had learned to hide it pretty well.

    When he had first came to this school, the only thing that kept him going was the thought of revenge, he was angry at the world for taking away everything that mattered to him...he lived for revenge.

    Even though it''s a little clich??, the reason why Max could regain his normal self was because of his friends, Max put revenge on the backseat and decided to enjoy the great ride known as ''life''.

    Max was happy now...but there were still times he felt empty, like a shell that was useless to all those around him.

    ''St''

    Max falls on the ground after slipping down.

    ''Shit'', he thought getting back up.

    Feeling a little nauseous, he decided to take a break.

    Max sat down on a corner of the training room and drank his water, his eyes catch the sight of a woman training.

    Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be Lecia.

    Shame creeps up on Max as he remembers of how he treated Lecia, he really hadn''t meant any harm...since he grew up alone, he could sometimes be a little dense or unaware of his surroundings....

    Max wanted to apologize. but he just couldn''t find the right time.

    As Max was deliberating on how he should apologize, he noticed two boys staring at Lecia with a smirk on their faces. They whispered to each other and snickered while pointing their fingers at her.

    A frown settles on Max''s face as he saw the two of them approach Lecia, Max gets up to help her but-

    " AHHHH". one of the boys scream as Lecia kicks them on the stomach, the other boy was punched in the face. The two boys run away embarrassed and Lecia goes back to her training as if she hadn''t just beaten two students up.

    '' Well...she''s certainly Adam''s sister..", Max thought smiling.

    But Max couldn''t help but wonder how she had already be this strong, he had thought that Lecia had just transferred to the hero course but the level of expertise she showed was beyond the level of a beginner.

    Max didn''t notice that Lecia had felt his stare on her and turned around to look at him as he was deep in thought. But the moment he realized, he turns his head away cursing himself in his mind.

    " Hey.."

    ''Shit...'', Max thought turning around to face Lecia who had walked upto him.

    Max stares at Lecia for a second before getting up, he found that he couldn''t meet her gaze and focused on the ground as he said,

    " I''m sorry !"

    ? Before Lecia could even respond, Max runs out of themon training hall.

    " Wait !", Lecia calls out but it was to no avail as Max had already left.

    ~~~~

    Max slips in a serja into the vending machine, his face right now resembled a tomato.

    Max couldn''t believe that he had managed to embarrass himself even further in front of Lecia.

    ''Creep'', a voice that sounded eerily simr to Adam whispered into his ear.

    Shaking his head, Max reached for the slot and took out the can of soda he had paid for.

    " Hey..."

    Max is startled to find Lecia standing a few feet away from him.

    Max felt as if this had already happened once..

    " I''m so-", he began only to be cut off by Lecia who said,

    " Before you start apologizing....can we talk for a bit ?"

    Max stared at Lecia for a full minute, unsure of what to do,

    " Grape soda ?", he asked forcing a smile on his face.

    ~~~~

    " Uhhhh....so what did you want to talk about ?", Max asked taking a sip from his soda.

    They sat beside each other on the ground near the vending machine,

    " Well, I feel like you''ve been acting a little weirdtely....I just wanted to check if you were...fine ?", Lecia said struggling to find the right words.

    " You noticed..huh ?", Max said chuckling a little.

    The both of them silently sip on their respective soda.

    ''Slurp''

    ''Slurp''

    ''Slurp''

    ''Slurp''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Unable to take the silence, Max said,

    " I''ve been meaning to apologize for making you feel ufortable around me.....that was never my intention."

    Hearing his sincere apology, Lecia nods her head and said,

    " I should have said it to you...not Adam, I''m pretty sure that he exaggerated a little bit....so I''m sorry for that."

    Max turns around to face Lecia and asked,

    " So....you don''t hate me ?"

    " Well, I don''t know about hate...but I do find you a little weird.", Lecia said while brushing past some of her hair which had fallen out her hair bun, no doubt because of how rigorous her training was...

    " I can work with weird..", Max said smiling.

    The both of them smile at each other...

    " Whaw whe Wuck ?", a voice interrupts their conversation.

    Both Max and Lecia look up to find a bleeding Adam looking down at them.

    " Whaw awe yow woing wiwh wwta wreep ?", Adam asked using a handkerchief to apply pressure on his nose, which was bleeding profusely.

    " What happened to you ?", Lecia asked jumping up, Max did the same.

    " Ewic hwt we.", Adam said looking up to prevent blood loss.

    " Can you understand what he''s saying ?", Max whispered to Lecia.

    " W weard wthat !", Adam said.

    Lecia thinks for a minute before nodding her head,

    " I think I understand what he''s trying to say.....could you say that again Adam ?"

    Hearing her Adam said,

    " I swid thwt Wric wit me."

    Lecia nodded her head to show her understanding and looked at Max as she said,

    " He''s apologizing for being rude to you that day..."

    "Wo...W''m wot...", Adam said looking confused..

    " Now, he''s saying that he loves you and hopes that you remain his friend....a, Adam that''s so sweet !"

    " WO....I WIDN''T SAW THAT !", Adam shouts looking angry.

    " Oh....now he''s calling you his best friend.."

    Max tries to hold in theughter that threatened to escape his throat, while watching Adam huffing and puffing in anger.

    " W''VE WAD WNOUGH !", he proimed before turning his back on the two.

    After Adam left, Max burst intoughter and Lecia watched himughing with a gentle smile on her face.

    But Max stoppedughing when he saw Adaming back, holding his hand up to prevent them from seeing his face. He walks like this until he runs into the vending machine.

    " WOWOWO !", he groans in pain, Max tried to help but is stopped by Lecia who shook her head.

    The both of them watch as Adam pretends to be invisible and drop in a serja into the vending machine and taking a cool strawberry soda. He started making his way back with his hand functioning as a mask, but he turns again yet again used yet another serja to buy another strawberry soda.

    As both his hands were currently upied, he couldn''t hide his face...instead he sprints back to hopefully, his room.

    Watching him run, Max asked,

    " What was that all about ?", Max asked confused.

    Lecia let out a sigh and said,

    " He wanted to maintain his angry exit...I know it''s stupid but Adam''s always been like that. He was born proud....the other kids at the orphanage used to bully him because of that....you won''t believe the number of times I''ve had to save him...."

    Lecia had a nostalgic smile on her face as she reminisced their past.

    ".....Orphanage ?...I thought you two were siblings..", Max said nkly.

    Realizing that he had voiced his thoughts out loud Max tried to apologize but he was toote as Lecia said,

    " Well, I thought you all knew...Adam and I grew up at the same orphanage and got adopted by the same family.....we may not be rted by blood, but he''s a very important person to me."

    " Of course, I can see the love you two share....I''m sorry for being so insensitive.."

    " It''s no big deal...anyways I better go check up on him..", Lecia said looking worried.

    As Lecia was walking away from Max, he once again starts to apologize,

    " I''m sorry abou-"

    Lecia turned around to face him and said,

    " If you apologize one more time...I''ll punch you in the face."

    Lecia goes on her way leaving a very stunned Max behind.

    Max smiled warmly watching Lecia''s back.

    " I should probably head back too..", Max thought out loud and started jogging back to his room.

    Max didn''t feel that lonely anymore.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 96 The Test (3)

    Emilia Brie was a woman of focus.

    That was all she had really, she wasn''t intellectually capable like her younger brother nor did she have any other gifts like her friends.

    All Emilia had were her fists and she knew it well.

    Growing up in a middle ss family, Emilia had a normal childhood.

    Emilia''s family ran a dojo which was not that sessful...they would have gone broke if not for her parent''s day job.

    '' Pow !''

    Emilia''s hands feel sore as she had been in front of a punching bag for more than an hour now. Emilia knew her limits well...but some days she couldn''t help but overexert herself.

    " Hehe"

    She turns around to find some of her ssmates giggling amongst themselves, Emilia panics as she thought,

    '' Are theyughing at me ?''

    Emilia''s always been like this, her parents called her a ''self centered'' person. But they would never understand what she felt because they were the cause of her behavior.

    Emilia grew up as an average girl who didn''t have that many talents...in the beginning it was fine as her parents didn''t seem to mind but when her younger brother came along....everything changed.

    Emilia''s brother, Harry was a born genius.

    He started walking as a one year old and said his first word when he was two years old. Harry''s achievements didn''t stop there, he was ranked first for all the exams he''d taken so far.

    At the age of 13, Harry entered college after skipping most of the sses in high school and yet here Emilia was barely holding on with her strength.

    Emilia knew that her parents loved her but seeing how proud of Harry they were, she couldn''t help but feel a little jealous.

    They didn''te with her on orientation day as they had urgent business rted to her brother. She always came second and rightly so..

    Through the years of feeling small, Emilia has developed a huge inferiorityplex along with crippling anxiety.

    All Emilia had was her strength and that too was on the brink of bing useless.

    She could see all her friends getting stronger and moving forward while she still stood at the starting point.

    ''Pow''

    ''Pow''

    ''Pow''

    ''Pow''

    ''Damn it..'', Emilia thought feeling herself falling down.

    " Emilia !"

    The only reason Emilia came up to themon training hall was because Katherine had asked her if she wanted to train together.

    " Are you okay ?", Katherine asked with urgency.

    ''It isn''t fair..'', Emilia thought before cking out.

    ~~~~

    '' Where am I ?'', Emilia thought opening her eyes.

    She gets up from the bed she was sleeping on and find that she wasn''t in her room.

    " Kathy ??", Emilia called out

    Just as she was about to leave, the bathroom door open and a very wet Katherine appears, her body was covered by a long towel.

    Water dripped down from her whole body and stained the ground, she''s surprised to find Emilia awake,

    " You''re finally awake !", she said drying herself.

    " What happened ?", Emilia asked feeling sore.

    " You fainted from all that training you did...you really need to stop pushing yourself...", Katherine said looking concerned.

    Hearing Katherine, Emilia couldn''t help but feel a little bitter.

    People like Katherine had talent could take it easy....but Emilia believed that she couldn''t afford to take it easy as she wasn''t as talented.

    " You''re right....I think I''m gonna head back.."

    " Why don''t you stay here for today ?", Katherine said changing into her pajamas.

    " No...I''ll pass."

    Katherine doesn''t press Emilia any further seeing that she was feeling a little down.

    ~~~~

    Emilia was walking back to her room.

    It was starting to get dark and Emilia wanted to get to her room quickly, so she started lightly jogging until she hears a voice calling out her name.

    " Emilia !!"

    She turned around to find her General Knowledge professor, Jeremy Brine.

    " Just the student I wanted to see !", he said with a bright smile.

    " What is it, Professor Brine ?", Emilia asked not in the mood to chit-chat.

    " Well...there''s no easy way to say this....but you''ve failed your exam..", the professor said grimly.

    Emilia''s eyes widen hearing Professor Brine,

    If she failed her midterms, the chances of her being kicked out was high.....

    ''Shit.'', Emilia thought panic seizing her mind.

    " Is there any way that I can pass or take the exam again ?", Emilia asked a headache rising up in her head.

    " Well....there is a way."

    " What is it ?", Emilia asked eagerly.

    Professor Brine smiled at her enthusiasm and patted Emilia on the shoulder,

    Feeling his gaze on her, Emilia backed away feeling that something was wrong.

    " What are you doing, Professor ?", Emilia asked ring.

    Hearing the usatory tone in her voice, Professor Brine raises his hand high up in the air and said,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I can''t believe this.....you CAME ONTO ME YOU DUMB BITCH !"

    Emilia struggles to speak as she was startled by Brine''s outburst.

    " I...kn....you-"

    " WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING !...I''LL SHOW YOU WHAT DISRESPECTFUL STUDENTS GET WHEN THEY MESS WITH ME !"

    Emilia couldn''t utter a word in response...

    '' Was it my mistake ?'', she thought, shame coiling around her stomach.

    She shifted her gaze to the ground and listened to what her Professor said, silently.

    " Whwt''s gowing wn hwere ?", a familiar voice reached her ears.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    _________________

    " Whwt''s gowing wn hwere ?", I ask Emilia.

    But I think what''s going on here....there was an event like this in the novel, where Emilia got cornered by a professor and of course, the one who saved her was Max.

    I vaguely recall writing this part...

    I should have probably written these small details in a book or something...but hey, it''s no use crying about spilled beans.

    " Adam ?", Emilia says surprised.

    I don''t think Max ising since he was creeping around Lecia now..so I''m gonna have to save Emilia.

    There''s just a tiny problem.... I don''t really remember what Max did in this situation, I know that there was some beating up involved but considering that my opponent...that wasn''t desirable.

    What if he expels me or something ?

    '' What should I do ?'', I think with all my might until a familiar voice reached my ears.

    " What happened here ? ", Lecia asked running upto me.

    I don''t say anything, since the situation could be exined by just looking at the embarrassed professor.

    '' I know...I''ll just kill him.'', I thought patting myself on the back.

    I''ll just use [Hell Fire], not a lot...just a tiny speck...but that''ll be enough to do the deed.

    Just as I was about to make my move, yet another interruption takes ce,

    " Yo...why do you all look so grim ?", Jennifer says, Jacob walked beside her.

    ''Great...more witnesses..'', I thought annoyed.

    " I''LL TELL YOU WHY !, THIS STUDENT HAS GREATLY DISRESPECTED ME !", Professor Brine shouted from the top of his lungs..

    " I see..", Jennifer said deep in thought.

    " How d-did she d-disrespect y-you ?", Jacob asks using his sister as a human shield against Brine''s re.

    " SHE TRIED TO SEDUCE ME ! SUCH A GRAVE SI-"

    " Oh shut up, you old fuck.....who even talks like that..", Jennifer says with a smirk on her face.

    " What ?!"

    The Professor looked stunned to hear her talk to him like that.

    " Now let''s see....[Did Emilia really try anything with you ?]."

    Well...this is certainly interesting...

    Professor Brine looked dazed as he replied back,

    " [NO.]"

    " [Did you touch Emilia inappropriately ?] ", Jennifer asked, I don''t miss the pain disyed on her face.

    [ YES.], the professor replied yet again looking dazed.

    A small smile forms over Jennifer''s face as she coughs out some blood, Lecia supports her using her arm,

    " Did you get all that, Jacob ?"

    " Yes, sister...", Jacob says holding a phone out.

    " What h-happened ?", the professor finally snapped back to reality.

    " You better start packing your bags, shithead.", Jennifer says wiping away the blood on her face.

    ~~~~

    " Was thwt a skiwl ?", I ask handing Jennifer a ss of water.

    " Mhmm...it''s called [Truth Seeker], it''s a good skill but it gives me a sore throat.", Jennifer says before chugging the ice-cold water.

    Lecia took Emilia, who looked a little shook up to somewhere to calm her down and the Asher twins had strangely followed me to my room.

    .....

    " What happened to your nose ?...", Jennifer asks amused.

    I point at Eric, who was reading a book, and re silently..

    ''Growl...''

    Rhys seemed to hate Jennifer as he hadn''t stopped growling from the moment she hade inside the room.

    ...

    " Well...we''re off then.", she said before leaving the room.

    ~~~~

    Today''s the day...of the practical test.

    I''ve prepared to the maximum and I can confidently say that I''m gonna pass with flying colors...or so I thought.

    Reality was much harsher than I had imagined....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 97 The Test (4)

    It was the day of the practical test.

    I woke up early and did some warm up exercises, but I made sure that I didn''t strain my body too much as I needed it in tip-top condition for the practical''s.

    The test changed ever year, of course I knew what it was going to be.

    This year the first year''s had a race of sorts, it was simr to a ''test of courage'', where a person followed a path alone to prove his courage and the rest tried to scare him by pretending to ghosts and monsters.

    The students were made to cross a tunnel...alone.

    The only difference between this test and the game was that the test actually included real monsters...

    Well...not exactly real monsters, they were artificially made using synthetic fibers.

    They were programmed to attack students, they weren''t lethal as they were programmed to only knock the students out.

    The monsters were attuned to the average power level recorded among the students to make it fair.

    " How''s the nose ?", Eric asks while changing into his uniform.

    I didn''t say anything in response, I think my middle finger conveyed all that I wanted to say.

    My nose had healed within an hour yesterday thanks to the potion of eternity, but to bepletely honest I wasn''t all that angry at Eric.

    I''m well aware of the fact that I''m a lying narcissistic piece of shit, who wouldn''t want to hit me ?

    I''m only pretending to be angry to make him feel guilty, I can cash in a favor or something in the future if he feels really bad...

    Hehe.

    Eric and I start walking to our ss, as usual we''re met with the rest on the way.

    I observe Emilia, she looked a little better but still I could tell that she was still notpletely back to her past cheery self. I''ll give her some more time.

    " What do you think the practical''s gonna be about ?", Max asks Lecia.

    Why is he talking to her when I specifically told him not too...but strangely it didn''t seem to bother Lecia...well he isn''t acting creepy like earlier but still...

    " I think it''s gonna be one on one battles...", Lecia says

    " I think it''s gonna be some kind of group test...", Jennifer chimed in.

    " Based on statistics, it''s gonna be rted to monster hunting, the numbers say it all....if we look---------"

    We listen to Katherine drone on and on about statistics and numbers until we reach our ss.

    '' You''re all so not prepared...hehehe'', I thought

    We enter the ssroom and ss begins for the day.

    The test was scheduled after the sses ended.

    I nervously wait for the test half-heartedly listening to the history teacher''s words.

    ~~~~

    To prepare for the test, most of the students trained physically in an intense manner, but what I did waspletely different...I trained my mind...by watching horror movies.

    The truth of the matter was that everybody in my ss except for the really weak ones were fully capable of defeating all the monsters in the tunnel but in the novel, many still failed.

    The reason for their failure was simple, they were too afraid.

    Even thought the monsters are man-made, this was still the first time most of the students here were fighting an actual monster..it was only natural that they would be afraid.

    But the test took this to the next level, as they made the monster and the tunnel extra...creepy and scary. So, when the moment to take action came most of the students froze and failed...what in actuality was a simple test.

    Now that I think about it....it really is a ''test of courage'' isn''t it ?

    " Please follow me in an orderly manner.", says Liam Wood, our training instructor.

    ss had finished for the day and we had a small and light lunch before the test officially began.

    We were taken on a bus, which was supposed to drop us off at the location of the test. On the ride there, none of us talk as we were all too nervous....well everyone except me. I''mpletely prepared...yeah...totally.

    After an hour or so, the bus stops and we got off.

    We were in a spacious field that spread over a long distance, a huge tunnel was constructed, it ran through the center of field akin to a huge snake.

    All the students were lead to the entrance of the tunnel.

    " I''ll leave you all with Miss Domino now.", says Liam before heading back to the bus and riding off, probably to bring the next batch of students.

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    We were asked to wait for some time since 5-B was currently taking the test, I didn''t see anybodying out of the tunnel so there must be a separate exit.

    We wait patiently for about fifteen minutes, after which Miss Domino finally makes her appearance.

    " The test for this year includes braving through this tunnel infested with monsters. Before starting the test, I''ll be taking your attendance...", Domino spoke in an monotonous voice.

    She didn''t seem to want to be here...I can''t me her all too much for not being interested....she''s an angel that''s lived for a long time...why would she be interested in a small test ?

    After making sure that everyone from our ss was present, Domino says,

    " Now please enter the tunnel, when I call out your name."

    " Rank 1, Max Reynolds"

    Hearing his name being called Max walks towards the tunnel.

    " Good luck, Max !", Katherine calls out in encouragement.

    We all do the same as well.

    Max smiles and enters the tunnel.

    After exactly seventeen minutes, Domino called out Eric''s name which meant that Max had passed without any issue.

    Eric goes in and we wish him the best of luck, then Emilia went after which Katherine did the same...

    Jennifer and Jacob were called in as well.

    I watched as my ssmates went inside the tunnel, some took a lot of time while others took less time.

    " Rank 500, Adam Creed."

    My name was called out finally.

    I could see a busing in our direction from the distance, it''s probably the next set of students.

    Taking a deep breath, I step into the tunnel.

    ~~~~

    I''ve been walking for five minutes and I haven''t even met a single monster.

    '' Something''s not right...'', I thought nervously.

    I knew for a fact that a monster would pounce on me during the first minute I was in the tunnel or a monster was supposed to pounce on me....nothing''s happened till now.

    ......

    The silence feels even more scary than a raging monster.

    I walk without encountering a monster for about five minutes.

    But suddenly out of nowhere, I see a pair of golden eyes staring at me a few feet away, the eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the tunnel.

    '' Finally...'', I thought relieved.

    It was about time a monster appeared.

    I run in full speed with my fist balled up to punch whatever kind of monster it was.

    But my punch is blocked by a pair of hands....[ ?]

    What''s going on here ?

    There were no humanoid monsters so who''s th-

    ''St''

    The monster makes me slip and fall on the ground.

    ''I need to get up..'', I thought starting to panic.

    " Stop squirming.", a familiar voice rang out through the tunnel.

    No way....

    A ball of light which sprang out of nowhere, illuminates the tunnel revealing the ''monster'' before me.

    " We need to talk." says Dina staring down at me with cold eyes.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 98 [John] (1)

    Ever since the auction, Dina dreamt the same dream everyday.

    She saw the image of a boy sitting on herp,ughing without a care in the world. Dina''s heart felt heavy while she watched the boy...

    After the dream, Dina would wake up drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

    ''Huff''

    ''Puff''

    Dina woke up from such a dream that day, she calmed herself and dragged herself off her bed to wash up.

    While going to the bathroom, Dina nced at the drawing she had made of the boy, a sigh involuntarily escapes her lips.

    '' Why did I evene here ?'', Dina thought feeling sick.

    She had followed Adam to the auction and saved him when he was in danger, she couldn''t understand why.....her legs moved on their own.

    Of course, Dina had her own theories about how Adam and the boy were connected together.

    '' I need to check my neb'', she thought while letting the cold water hit her face.

    An angel was an existence that didn''t die, they were immortal.

    Some might think that immortality was a gift but the truth of the matter is that immortality is a curse of the highest degree. Even though the body is immortal the mind isn''t.

    A neb was a device that all the angels used, it could store the memories that they had umted over their infinite lifetime...if an angel or any other being were to not use a neb then their fragile minds would break under the pressure of an insurmountable amount of memories.

    The only reasonable exnation to Dina''s swirling emotions on Adam was that, he must be rted to her in some way.

    Adam could have reminded her about someone she missed or he could be an immortal being disguised as a human...it didn''t matter how...since Dina was sure that Adam was connected to her in some mysterious way.

    Today was the day she would find what exactly this ''connection'' was.

    Ever since the auction incident, she had been nning on confronting Adam and she had deemed today, the day of the practical test to be her best option.

    If Dina still couldn''t find Adam''s identity after today.....then there was no reason to stay in this school anymore.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    --------------

    " We need to talk."

    Dina''s voice was cold and precise.

    " Yes...we do need to talk.", I say getting up from the ground.

    I''ve been meaning to talk to her either way, even though this wasn''t how I''d hoped it would go...but still it''s better than nothing I suppose.

    Considering that she''s an angel and all, I should probably address her with respect.

    " What''s your deal...angeldy ?"

    " How do you know I''m an angel ?"

    ....

    I did not think that through....at all.

    " Well....I ha-", I start to make up a lie but get interrupted in the middle which I''m thankful for.

    " Spare me your lies...human."

    I nod my head and say,

    " Okay."

    I wait for her to speak...but she seems to be struggling.

    After a minute or so she pulls out a piece of paper and shows me a detailed picture of a boy.

    She''s really good at sketching...I mean the boy even looks familiar...wait...no way..

    " Do you know this boy ?"

    I''m pretty sure that''s me.

    " Nope.", I say acting nonchnt.

    ~~~~

    ''he knows.'', Dina thought

    The moment she showed the picture, his eyes widened.

    Dina could read him like an open book.

    ''Ughh'', Dina groaned in her mind from the pain.

    Whenever she was near Adam, this migraine woulde busting the walls of her brain.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Well...I have a test toplete so..",

    Adam started moving forward in a hurry.

    " No...stop.". Dina said catching his hand.

    The moment Dina''s hand touched Adam, a shock went through her putting her in immense pain.

    " AAARGHHHH"

    Dina fell to the ground, screaming.

    As Dina cked out, thest thing she saw was Adam''s face.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    _______________

    Well.....this is awkward.

    Before I could confront her, Dina had just copsed on the ground.

    I stared at the Dina, she seemed to be unconscious.

    I bend down and pick up the picture my moth-...no Dina had drawn.

    Looking at the boy in the picture, that closely resembled the ''me'' of the ''real'' world... I can''t help but wonder.....Is Dina....no it couldn''t be.

    I look at the picture that was drawn vividly....

    ''Nothing will change...'' , I thought dropping the paper on Dina and moving forward.

    Whatever happens....there is one thing that I''m certain of,

    I will kill Dina.

    ~~~~

    Dina opened her eyes to find herself in a waiting room of some kind.

    She was all alone, she did try to move but her body refused to listen.

    Even though the situation seemed out of her control, Dina didn''t panic....why would she panic ?

    Dina might have been the weakest angel...but she was an angel nheless.

    Seeing that there wasn''t anything else that she could do, Dina decided to observe the strange waiting room.

    Dina''s eyes fall on a table that was kept in the center, some toys as well as children''s books were neatly arranged on it.

    To her surprise, Dina found out that her body was moving on it''s own, her head looked to the left and then to the right as if the owner of the body was checking to see if anyone was near her.

    Seeing that she was alone, the body moves closer to the table and picked some of the toys and put into her bag...

    '' Why would this person want a child''s toy ?'', Dina thought confused.

    This body felt strangely familiar to Dina....yet at the same time something was missing.

    After stealing an appropriate amount, the body went back to sit yet again.

    Dina continues to observe the room until a poster catches her attention.

    The poster showcased a family of three, the father stood on the left side and the mother on the right while their child stood in the middle shing a toothy grin, above them, [ MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS] was written in bold letters. There was some information written below it but before Dina could read through it, a door opens and a child runs into herp,

    Seeing the child grinning at her, Dina was shocked beyond belief...

    It was the boy from her dreams.

    " Were you a good boy...[John]...?"

    John.....John...the name strangely resonated with Dina.

    " Yes mommy !", the boy said nodding his head vigorously.

    ''Cute'', Dina thought before shaking her head.

    " Miss Sinir, could youe in for a second ?", a voice came from where the boy hade from, Dina found a man that appeared to be in his mid-fifties wearing a doctor''s coat standing outside the door.

    " Of course, Doctor.."

    Dina is forced to get up, she makes the boy sit on a chair,

    " Stay here and wait for me, John..."

    The boy nods his head and after patting him on the head, Dina moves into the office with the doctor.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 99 [John] (2)

    " I''m sorry ire....I wish I had better news but the boy is the same as his father....it''s gic so I did suspect that...", the doctor regretfully informed Dina about the boy''s condition.

    The further Dina listened the more agitated she got....

    Suddenly, out of nowhere the view before her changed, she wasn''t in the doctor''s office anymore, she was now in a studio apartment which seemed to be ''ire''s home''..

    She was currently ying with [John], Dina finally understood why ''ire'' had stolen the toys, it was to gift the child....her child.

    John sat on herp ying with a toy airne, he pushed the airne against air currents and piloted it all from outside, but the boy stopped ying when he noticed the tears flowing down his mother''s face.

    " What''s wrong...mommy ?", the boy asked unaware of his mother''s inner turmoil.

    " I''m sorry....", she managed to sob out confusing the boy even more.

    Dina embraced the boy tightly and kept on whispering,

    " I''m sorry...I''m sorry...I''m sorry.....I''m sorry----------"

    ~~~~

    Dina''s view is once again changed.

    This time though...she felt a piercing pain.

    " Push...ire.. you can do it !"

    Dina ignores the pain and observes the man encouraging her from the side.

    The man held her hand tightly to show his support, she felt a certain fondness for the man....even though at the same time a slow dread settled over her heart.

    '' Tom ?'', Dina thought....

    ''Who is Tom ?'', was the next thought that came to her mind.

    Due to the confusion, Dina forgets to notice that the pain had subsided, she stared at ''Tom'' until the sound of a baby crying could be heard.

    " Have you decided a name for him ?", a nurse asked while handing the baby to Dina

    The baby remained in Dina''s hands which were steady, but her mind was in utter chaos.

    "John....we picked it before he was born...", Tom said cheerfully.

    Seeing that nobody else reacting strangely, Dina figured that she was the only one who could see this.....

    The lower body was that of a baby...but the region above the neck was that of an adult or more closer to a teenager....one that Dina was quite familiar with.

    The ''baby'' looked at Dina with a cold re and said in a deep voice,

    " Mother.....I despise you."

    Dina''s view changed yet again...

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    _________________

    I walk until the end of the tunnel.

    I haven''t even seen a single ''monster'' so that Dina cleared the tunnel so that she could ''talk'' to me. I''ll at least give her an A+ for effort...but I''m still going to kill her.

    It''s strange...I actually wanted her to be my ally but once she showed me that picture.....my mind changed out of nowhere....I''ll stop thinking now...thinking for too long isn''t good for my mental health.

    I finally got out of the tunnel.

    It takes me a minute to adjust to the light outside.

    " Adam !!"

    Once my eyes adjust to the light, I see my entire ss in front of me, of course they were busy talking to their respective friends to even notice me, but my friends do notice me andes forward to greet me.

    " Was it hard ?", Lecia asked curious...since her test was significantly more easier than the rest as she had just enrolled.

    " Meh.", I reply back to her.

    We talk for some time and wait for the test to conclude.

    ~~~~

    The test took some time too end, probably because of the fact that Dina had fainted or should I call her Domino....it''s all too confusing.

    After about an hour of waiting, Liam Woodes out of the tunnel and gathers us all around,

    " Well, I''m sorry for the dy students....but congrattions on passing your midterms....well some of you failed, but still good effort. It''s time to go back now so if you would all just follow me now..."

    Poor Liam....he looks shaken up.

    Dina must be pretty banged up.....why did she faint anyway with all the melodramatics as well.

    Was it ''Arghhhhhh'' or "Argughhhhhh''.....who cares....it''s not like she''s my mother or anything....

    I shake my head as start walking behind Katherine, all of us proceeded to enter the bus and the journey back to school began yet again.

    ~~~~

    Once we reached the school, we were given the choice to pack our bags and go home or stay at the dorms tomorrow, as school would be closed for a week after midterms. It was to help reduce all the stress the students had gone through the exam, by the time we came back the results would be back.

    I''ll think I''ll do pretty well....

    We sleep even though dawn was just a few hours away.

    I got up early and started packing,

    " Why haven''t you started to pack ?", I asked Eric who was simplyzing around on his bed reading some book.

    " I''m noting...", Eric says, his head buried in his book.

    I stop my packing and stare at him, a sigh involuntarilyes out of my mouth as I feel some kind whole ''episode''ing along...

    " Why not ?", I ask Eric ,sitting down on my bed.

    Eric doesn''t look at me and says nothing for awhile, just as I was about to beat it out of him, he opens his mouth,

    " I don''t want to be a burden...."

    " You''re not a burden, Eric.", I say snatching the book away from him.

    " Hey !!", Eric yelled in protest, but I ignore him and continue on,

    " Also...if you don''te...Lecia will think that I made you stay here and I can''t have that.....can I ?"

    Eric frowns hearing my reasoning<novelnext></novelnext>

    ...

    " Just to be clear...that''s the only reason why I''m doing this....it''s not because I want you there or anything...." I turn around but not before I see the smirk on his face.

    ....

    Damn it....

    I should have stopped at the ''Lecia will scold me'' part.

    ~~~~

    An hourter, the both of us were packed, I waited at the usual spot where our car used toe in and as expected the car came on time...I have increase Mr.Victor''s sry soon.

    Mr. Victor was my driver, he was almost fifty, he was a good man that knew to keep his mouth shut...he knew not to bite the hand that fed him.

    " It''s good to see you, sir.", Victor says opening the door for the both of us.

    We get in and then leave the next minute after making sure that my luggage was all packed.

    " Can''t we just use a gate or something ?", Eric asked rolling his eyes.

    I pop the window down and say,

    " I like to feel the wind on my face."

    Just like that we were off.

    In thirty minutes we reached the Creed mansion, the both of us get inside the mansion and freshen up up quickly. As we had nothing to do, the both of us decide to watch a movie and chill.

    We picked a horror movie, since I wanted to show off all that preparation that I did to someone. Agnes brings us some cool refreshments,

    " Why don''t you sit with us, Agnes ?"

    Agnes looks a little intimidated by my proposal and nods her head.

    " Why don''t you call Francis and Amanda.....Ahh...I forgot to call Lecia as well, so call her as well."

    Hearing me, Agnes seemed confused,

    " Didn''t Miss Leciae with you ?", she asked

    " Why would shee with u-", I stop speaking as realization strikes.

    Eric and I look at each other, we simultaneously say,

    " Shit."

    ~~~~

    Lecia looked at the night sky gloomily.

    ''Where are they ?'', she thought.

    Her back hurt from sitting on the rough road...she''d been waiting for a few hours now, at the spot Adam had mentioned.

    But she still didn''t see anyone.

    ''Is this not the right ce ?", Lecia thought confused.

    She did try calling Adam, but he wasn''t picking up.

    " Lecia ?"

    Lecia turns around to find Katherine along with a buttload of her luggage which was being pulled by two people that looked like bodyguards.

    " Why''re you still here ?", Katherine asked Lecia after exchanging greetings.

    " Well...I''m pretty sure that they forgot to pick me up...", Lecia said sighing.

    " Wow...Adam''s a dick isn''t he ?", Katherine said chuckling .

    " Careful there....that''s my brother you''re talking about.....but you''re right though."

    Katherine and Lecia have a goodugh and talk some more,

    " Well, I should probably head back then...", Lecia said taking her luggage in her hands.

    Seeing Lecia going back to her room, Katherine got a sudden idea, she called out to her,

    " Lecia !"

    Lecia turned around confused,

    " Why don''t youe with me ?", Katherine asked her eyes shining.

    " I don''t know...Katherine.."

    " I''ll call Emilia and we can have a girls night....please...", Katherine says pleading Lecia desperately.

    Katherine was in a word...a loner, since she didn''t have that many friends beforeing to Unity she wanted to make the friendships here amount to something.

    " Well...okay then.", Lecia agreed hesitantly.

    Katherine was excited but she decided to y it cool....she didn''t want to creep her friends out.

    " Call Emilia....her room number is 89.", Katherine said to one of the bodyguards.

    As the bodyguard left to get Emilia, Lecia''s phone rang but before she could pick it up, Katherine snatched the phone out of her hands.

    " It''s Adam.", she said ncing at the caller id.

    She answers the call and said,

    " I''m sorry Adam...but I''m kidnapping your sister."

    [ Huh ?....Katherine ?-----]

    Katherine ignored all of Adam''s questions.

    Katherine had been nning for this since a long time ago, it all led to this...

    " It''s girl''s night....or day since it''s technically morning now.", Katherine cuts the call and returned the phone to Lecia.

    Lecia got goosebumps seeing the devious smile on Katherine''s face.

    It strangely reminded her of Adam....

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 100 Stalker

    I forgot that Lecia was staying at the school like us, that''s....my bad but to be fair I did have a lot on my mind.

    Anyway, all I know for now is that Katherine ''kidnapped'' Lecia.....well is she''s with Katherine she''ll be safe so I suppose it''s alright.

    " Is she angry ?", Eric asked nervously munching on the popcorn that Agnes had brought.

    " Well...I didn''t talk to her so I think we''re in the clear.", I say nodding my head.

    Katherine said something about a girl''s night or was it day ?... I couldn''t remember but they''re probably doing something fun and safe....so,

    " Let''s just watch the movie....Lecia''s with Katherine."

    Eric shrugs and puts the movie back on.

    We''re thirty minutes in the movie when my phone rings, it wasn''t a number that was saved....I stand up and walk out of the room before taking the call,

    " Who is this ?", I ask, feeling that something was very wrong.

    ~~~~

    " So, you own this....beach ?", Emilia asked amazed by the sight before her.

    The beach was beautiful, the sand sparkled like fairy dust under the re of the sun and the water seemed alluring to the three young woman walking along the beach.

    " Yup." Katherine said offering no other exnation.

    Katherine was feeling rather proud of herself, even though she had been nning for something like this, her ideas were a bit ''excessive'' ording to her grandfather, it was her grandfather that suggested that she take them to their private beach.

    The beach was an hour away from the school, so it did take some travel but they had reached the beach yesterday.

    As everybody was too tired, they didn''t want to do anything that straining yesterday so they just rxed and gossiped about ''certain'' topics in their room.

    Today, they decided to explore the beach.

    " Well...it''s beautiful.", Jennifer said walking beside Emilia.

    Looking at her, a Katherine frowns,

    When her bodyguard, Neil had went to collect Emilia, Jennifer happened to be near her and self-inserted herself into their trip.

    ''No....forget it.'', Katherine thought shaking her head.

    Katherine didn''t know why, but something about Jennifer bothered her. It might have something with the fact of how she stared at Adam sometimes...it was weird....but Jennifer couldn''t be all that bad since she helped Emilia..so Katherine wanted to give her an actual chance.

    They jump into the ocean and start ying with a ball they found lying around the beach.

    " Hey....I thought you said this was a private beach ?", Jennifer asked pointing towards a certain direction.

    " It is....", Katherine confirmed following her finger to find the outline of three people walking towards them from a quite a way away.

    " Isn''t that Adam ?", Emilia said scrunching up her eyes..

    " That isn''t possible and how can you see their faces when they''re so far away ?", Katherine asked starting to get a bad feeling.

    " I have very good eyesight.", Emilia smiled as she answered Katherine''s question.

    " Well, you''re wrong...my grandfather would at least as-"

    ''Shit'', Katherine thought realization sinking in toote.

    ~~~~

    " Woah...this ce is amazing !", Max proimed waving at the three that were in water.

    Eustace had called us here and we had dly epted, it might be early but who am I to reject a free trip ?.

    The three of us had changed into our swimwear and was walking along the shoreline of the beach now. We enter the water and meet the other three that didn''t look all too happy to see us, Katherine had an especially huge frown on her face.

    Eustace must have tricked her into inviting me....well lucky me.

    Heh.

    Maybe...I should spend more time with Eustace.

    " What are the three of you doing here ?", Katherine asked

    " Eustace said that you were having party and invited us..", I say while jumping into the water.

    To be honest, I wanted to jump in the water quickly because I''m a little self-conscious about my appearance, I''m so bony now, all those amazing muscles that I had developed was gone...<novelnext></novelnext>

    I looked like a twig that would break on the slightest touch and looking feminine at the same time didn''t boost my morale. It also didn''t help that Max hadn''t stopped making jokes about my appearance since the moment we met up.

    " You look so cute in your little shorts !!"

    Jennifer threw water at me while teasing me.

    My shorts aren''t that small....

    As for the other''s clothing...I''ll just stop now.

    With all strength I could muster, I hit Jennifer with a dose of ocean water.

    " I''m not cute... bakayarou !"

    ...

    I might be watching a bit too much anime these days.

    The time passed quickly as we enjoy the serene beauty of the sea.

    ~~~~

    " Ahhhh...that was fun.", Max says as we walked back to the beach house where Eustace waited for us.

    '' well..it was fun until my shorts fell off..''

    I will never talk about what happened on this beach ever again....

    Lecia pats me on the shoulder with a smile that seemed to have much pity for me, I ignore her and continue to walk silently.

    " Do youe here all the time, Katherine ?", Max asked a small smile ying around his face.

    " Well.....our family used toe here for vacation but it''s been awhile."

    Max stopped walking and stared at the sun that shone brightly,

    " Mhmm...this ce sure is beautiful...it has a certain ''naked'' beauty to it....doesn''t it Adam ?"

    .....

    " I hate you.", I say in response.

    They all have a goodugh at my expense.....

    " If it''s any constion...it was very long but a little too veiny in my opinion.", Jennifer says patting me on the shoulder.

    .....

    I hate the beach....

    ~~~~

    I reach the beach house first as I had ran away from those monsters who kept making fun of me.

    I ring the doorbell and Eustace opened the door for me.

    " Where''s the others ?", he asked

    " They''reing.", I say getting inside.

    I smell something good, I''m hungry...

    Eustace leads me to the kitchen where he was cooking, I follow him but stop when I see the other person inside the kitchen.

    ''Why....why are you here ?!''

    She held a ss of wine in her hand and smiled awkwardly once she saw me.

    I calm my panicking mind and think properly,

    " Hello there....Adam was it ?", says Dina as if she didn''t know who I was...

    ....

    I might have a stalker.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 101 My Curse

    " I met Miss Domino while I was out shopping and invited her to join us for the evening..", Eustacepleted his exnation while taking his ce at the center of the long table.

    The others had arrived before I could question Dina about her arrival and Eustace had finally exined the reason behind her presence...but I call that his reason is poppycock, Dina probably tricked him somehow....it''s not important how she got in, the more important factor was the ''why ?''

    What does she want from me ?

    " The f-food smells a-amazing, Mr.Colleen", Lecia said, most probably trying to break the awkward atmosphere but she failed to properly mask her fear.

    On the other hand, Eric was looking at me for answers....he looked afraid as well.

    They knew Dina''s true identity so it was only reasonable for them to feel afraid...but I can''t deal with them now.

    I stare unwaveringly at Dina and she does the same until the food was brought to the table. I know that the others might find my behavior strange but I''m at point where I couldn''t care less.....they probably think I''m still embarrassed which I still am, we''ll circle back to that at some point.

    " Are you okay...Miss Lecia ?", Eustace asked with concern sensing that something was amiss.

    Lecia nods her head and starts devouring her food, Eric does the same.

    " Uh....so, how was the beach ?", Eustace asked scratching his head.

    " It was good....thank you for the opportunity, sir.", Emilia says with a kind smile on her face.

    Max says something along the same line and then we''re right back to awkward silence.

    Eustace is probably realizing that bringing a teacher to the house wasn''t exactly an icebreaker.

    We suffer through an extremely awkward meal after which Eustace says,

    " I''ve arranged a bonfire and some games to y...so after taking a break we''ll go do that."

    That sounds stupid, but all of us nod and agree to do just that.

    We all go back to our own rooms for a short break.

    ~~~~

    " What do we do !?", Lecia asked agitated.

    " Don''t worry.....I''ll take care of it."

    " DON''T WORRY !....THERE''S A LITERAL ANGEL A FEW ROOMS AWAY FROM US AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS....DON''T WORRY !!!", Eric who had remained silent till now jumps and starts shouting.

    It''s probably because he''s afraid....I sometimes forget that they''re just fifteen year old kids....

    ''Sigh''

    A sigh involuntarily escapes me which seemed to infuriate Eric further and he begins to shout something else but Lecia stops him and asks looking concerned,

    " Are you okay ?....Is there something you''re hiding from us...Adam ?"

    I look into Lecia''s eyes which were concerned for me and think to myself,

    '' Am I okay ?''

    I don''t really know....ever since I saw that drawing of the ''old'' me...a disturbing thought has been ying around in my mind.....A thought that I had hoped would nevere true...but.....

    " I''m sorry Lecia.....but Dina isn''t here to hurt us...she''s here to talk."

    " Talk about what ?", Eric asked finally calm again,

    " I don''t know...it might have to do something with Joe."

    Nobody speaks for a whole minute until Lecia asks,

    " So, when are we talking to her ?"

    " ''We'' aren''t...it''s too dangerous...I''ll talk with her...alone."

    Lecia frowns as she says,

    " I can''t allow that...yo-"

    " Dina isn''t aware that you two know.....so I won''t really be alone either way...you''ll be my back up in case something goes wrong..", I say cutting her off midway.

    An ufortable silence reigns over the room as each of us thought about the n that I had justid out,

    " Isn''t now a good time to tell the others the truth ?", Eric asked pacing around my room.

    " No...not now..."

    Max can''t handle the truth now.....I need a little more time.

    I stand up and p myself,

    " It''s settled then....let''s head out for the games."

    I open the door and see Dina waiting for me on the other side, the two behind me gasps in surprise but me....not so much, she probably heard our entire conversation so there''s not n whatsoever.

    " Could I borrow Adam for a bit ?", she enquired looking at the duo behind me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing that they were still rooted to their spot, I turn around and say,

    " I''ll meet you two outside in a bit."

    Seeing the expression on my face, the two of them hesitantly leave the room.

    After making sure that the two of them had left, I act as if I''m closing the door but leave it ajar in case I needed to make a run for it.

    I turn to face Dina, who had entered the room,

    " So...what do you wan-"

    I stop speaking surprised to find Dina putting me in her embrace...she even smelled like her...

    " I''ve missed you...John."

    My eyes narrow as I hear Dina,

    ''So...it''s just like I thought.''

    Somehow.....it seems that my mother is back..

    ~~~~

    " You''ve grown up so much...", Dina said caressing my face.

    We had taken seats and were facing each other.

    " How are you so sure that I''m J-"

    " Well...you haven''t denied that you aren''t him right ?", Dina interjected.

    I sigh and nod my head,

    " How much do you remember ?", I ask closing my eyes.

    " Well...not much, it''s all slowlying back to me but I''m sure that I''ll get back all my memories soon...", she says scratching her head while presenting a goofy smile.

    " Who are you now...Dina or ire ?"

    " I feel like both.....I remember all that I''ve done as ''Dina'' and ''ire'', they both feel the same to me."

    " I see...."

    I open my eyes and ask her the final question that I had,

    " What are your intentions ?"

    Dina chuckles a little bit and says,

    " Isn''t that obvious ?, I want to be your ''mom'' again."

    I don''t say anything and Dina continues on, taking my hand in hers, she has a kind smile on her face as she says,

    " Unlikest time....I have the resources I need to help with your condition...I can make it all go away....I can finally take care of you...", I can see her eyes tearing up.

    ........

    From the way she talked...it doesn''t seem like she remembers abandoning me or what happened after....

    " I don''t need anything from you Dina....",

    Dina appeared hurt at my words but I pay her no mind as I continue on,

    " You''re not my mother.....you''re just a ghost that''s been cursed to haunt me till the end of my worthless life.....your whole existence is meaningless..."

    " W-what d-", she begins, tears falling down her face.

    " Run away and never turn back, if I see you again....I will kill you.", I say hoping to never see this woman again.

    ~~~~

    " You''re not my mother.....you''re just a ghost that''s been cursed to haunt me till the end of my worthless life.....your whole existence is meaningless..."

    " W-what d-"

    Max covered his mouth to hide a gasp, he was passing by and had stopped when he heard Adam''s voice....

    The second voice in Adam''s room clearly belonged to Miss Domino.

    " Run away and never turn back, if I see you again....I will kill you."

    ''What the fuck ?'', Max thought panic seizing his heart.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 102 Contract

    I leave a stunned Dina behind and leave the room.

    ....

    Before heading outside where Eustace had supposedly arranged a bonfire, I go to the room were the two panthers were kept.

    Entering the room, I find that Katherine had taken L outside as Rhys was alone in the room. He was ying with the ball of wool I had given him, seeing me he gets up and runs towards me.

    I pat Rhys on the head trying to distract myself from unwanted thoughts, after a good amount of patting, I pick him up and carry him outside where I see a raging bonfire brighten the night sky.

    Everybody except Max, who seemed to be in his own little world had gathered around Katherine who had L on herp.

    ''What kind of game are they ying ?'', I thought, curious.

    The first person to notice me was Max, but instead of making fun of me like he usually does Max averts his gaze from me and ignores me.

    ''Weird...;, I thought walking up to the others.

    Finally taking notice of me, Lecia and Eric exchange nces but doesn''t ask me anything which I appreciate since the others would be suspicious if they saw us chattering amongst ourselves.

    " Adam....You won''t believe what just happened !!", Emilia says after taking notice of me.

    " What ?", I ask curious.

    Instead of answering, Emilia points at L who sat proudly on Katherine''sp.

    My eyes widen as realization strikes me, L looked a little more bigger now...but the biggest giveaway were her eyes....one was green while the other was blue....just like Katherine''s eyes.

    Katherine had made a contract with L...

    A contract was an agreement between two parties that basically stated that they were one...kinda like marriage...two beings in a contract couldn''t betray each other no matter what...so it''s not like marriage [ fuck you, Richard.]

    Animals adapted to mana could form a contract with anyone they thought was worthy and liked so the fact that L initiated and sessfully formed a contract with Katherine meant that L trusted Katherine with her life.

    I look at Rhys, who was busy trying to bite his own tail in my hands and sigh.

    ~~~~

    Katherine''s POV

    ______________________

    Katherine was feeling extremely proud of herself.

    Why wouldn''t she be proud ?

    She had formed a contract with L just now and it was all so sudden, Katherine and the others were ying charades and L suddenly started glowing.

    '' Adam''s going to be so jealous....'', Katherine thought feeling giddy.

    ''Where is he ?'', Katherine thought looking for Adam so she could brag about her achievement.

    But Adam and Miss Domino were nowhere to be found, Katherine found it strange but she doesn''t think twice about it.

    " Adam....You won''t believe what just happened !!"

    Katherine looks up when she heard Emilia call out his name and her lips curved into a mischievous smile,

    Katherine could see Rhys in Adam''s hand and from the looks of it, Adam hadn''t formed a contract with him yet.

    '' I won !'', Katherine thought excited to have won a non-existent game.

    " Why do you think Rhys hasn''t formed a contract with you yet ?", Emilia asked patting Rhys on the head.

    " Maybe Rhys thinks that Adam isn''t worthy of his love..", Jennifer saidughing and hitting Adam on the back.

    A bitter smile spread across Adam''s face as he said,

    " That might be true..."

    Katherine''s smile faded as she heard Adam.....

    '' Is he that sad ?''

    Strangely enough, Adam looked like the saddest person in the world at that particr moment.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ____________________

    " So....what happened ?", Eric asked anxiously.

    " She wanted to talk about filling a form..", I say lying like a pro.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I mean...what else can I do at this point ?

    Should I tell them that Dina''s my mother from another life....that''s ridiculous and there''s also the fact that I don''t want to tell them.

    " What form ?", Lecia asked frowning...probably confused.

    " A permit form.....for Rhys."

    Seeing the confusion on their faces, I say,

    " I know....I''m confused too."

    ~~~~

    It took some time for them to ept my well thought out lie.

    I kick them out of my room, after giving them enough time to digest the lie.

    Before going to sleep, I decide to pack my bags, since we''ll be going home tomorrow.

    Throwing in a few clothes was all it took to finish the ''packing'' part, after which I decide to take a quick shower before finally falling into thefort of the bed.

    After fifteen minutes, I was all tucked in and ready to sleep.

    ~~~~

    Thirty minutes ago.

    _____________________________

    Lecia and Eric walk out of the room a little dazed.

    They had even gotten ready to fight but it was all for nothing as the angel didn''t do anything....''wrong''.

    " He''s lying....isn''t he ?", Eric said shaking his head.

    " Probably.....but if he says it''s alright...it must be fine.", Lecia said with an eerie smile on her face.

    Lecia was seething inside, she was sick of all the lies...for once she wanted Adam to just tell the truth....was that too hard ?

    The only reason Lecia nor Eric confronted Adam about his obvious lie was because they knew his character very well.

    Adam would just make up new lie and try to convince them otherwise, they were tired of asking him for answers...that''s why they came to an important decision.

    '' We''ll get the truth out of you....somehow.''

    They hadn''t decided how, but they were going to break apart the den of secrets that Adam had built up until now...

    They were walking back to their respective room when-

    " Lecia....do you have a minute ?"

    The both of them turn around to find Max, who had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

    " What''s up, Max ?",

    " Well.....I was passing by Adam''s room earlier....actually I wasing to call the both of you for the games....but I heard something weird...I think you should k-"

    " WHAT DID YOU HEAR ?"

    Max took a step back as both Lecia and Eric shout at them unable to wait any longer, if it was when the others were ying...

    '' He heard their conversation !'', Lecia thought excited to have got her first clue.

    " Well...it''s really weird--------"

    But as Max continued with his story, Lecia''s excitement was reced by shock....

    " It doesn''t make any sense.." Eric said frowning...

    " I know...I thought you two might know something.", Max said concerned.

    " Are you sure that you heard him refer to Dina as ''mother'' ?", Lecia asked wanting to be sure.

    " Dina ?!", Max asked confused.

    ''Shit...''

    Lecia and Eric stare at each other with the same thought running through their mind,

    '' We might have fucked up...''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 103 FIVE MONTHS (1)

    I''ve lived for a long time as both John Sinir and Adam Creed,

    Along the way, I''ve learned a lot of things,

    The most important thing I''ve learned is that whatever happens.....will happen. It may sound confusing but it is what it is.

    So, I''ve decided to just ignore my Dina problem....at least she won''t hurt me now....not until all her memoriese back.

    It might be a different story then...

    '' Forget it...'', I thought neatly arranging my clothes in my room.

    '' I wonder where those two went ?''

    I hadn''t seen either Lecia or Eric, but I wasn''t too worried since they believed my lie and all....maybe I should take up lying as a job...I think I would pretty good at it.

    After finishing up, I go take a quick shower to freshen up.

    I had a lot of stuff to do today.

    ~~~~

    " I want an audience with General Kirsi."

    " Hmmmmmmm....can I ask why ?", Laurine Gem asked curiously.

    I''ve been thinking about visiting the demons for awhile now, I had many questions for them.

    " I have some questions for her.."

    Seeing that I wasn''t going to share more, Laurine sighs and says,

    " Well...I''ll ask the higher-ups."

    She gets up and goes down and tells something to the bartender before beckoning me towards her.

    We were currently at ''Looters'', a back alley bar that also acted as a base of operations for the demons within the human empire.

    I follow Laurine to an elevator, which we use to enter the secret underground level.

    Long story short, they teleported me using a gate.

    Unlikest time, I didn''t have to cross a dessert to reach the ce, I was directly sent to the throne room.

    ''I wonder why they did that the first time...'', I thought bowing my head before the demon king, Belial.

    ~~~~

    Belial surprisingly looked healthy...

    " You''ve changed a lot child...", Belialmented on my appearance with a warm smile on his face.

    " Well...this was an ident.", I say pointing at myself.

    " You look like a girl...Hahahahahahahahahha", Helmerughed loudly but soon stops-

    '' Smack''

    Aurora smacked him on the back and says,

    " Don''t interrupt the king."

    Helmer lets out a little ''Oww'' and goes silent.

    " Tell us the reason for your visit, Adam.", Belial ordered me ignoring the bickering of his generals.

    " Actually, I....wanted to talk with General Kirsi."

    " Oh....yes, you may talk with her."

    ....<novelnext></novelnext>

    None of them moved a muscle and stared at me.

    I wanted to talk with her alone...but I suppose I can do it with all of them present.

    " Well....can you use that skill on me again ?", I asked Kirsi ignoring all the stares.

    Kirsi''s face was cold as ice as she answered clearly,

    " No."

    Gasps of shock ran out through the room, of course Belial wasposed as always but the only thing missing for the others was popcorn.

    Something tells me that the demons here are all incredibly bored.....

    " Can I ask the reason why ?", I asked politely

    " I don''t wish to experience the horrors of your soul again, Adam Creed."

    ''Gasp''

    ''Gasp''

    ''Gasp''

    " Would you do it...if I ordered you to ?", Belial interjected.

    Kirsi''s face hardened when she heard her question,

    " I would."

    Belial thought for awhile before asking me a question,

    " Why do you want to do it ?"

    " Well.....whatever''s inside of me got out during an event and it was bad so I wanted to find a permanent solution before things...get more out of hand."

    Belial thinks for another good minute before speaking,

    " Well, If Kirsi doesn''t want to do it....I won''t force her, I suggest you find another way.", The king politely declined for Kirsi.

    Hearing Belial, I could see Kirsi hiding a small smile.

    Well...this must be why everyone likes him...

    It''s a shame that they won''t help but I can''t me them all that much, they''ve already done a lot for me. But I still can''t help but feel a little bitter.

    Without Kirsi''s help, I was lost on how to get ''X'' out of me....but I''m sure that I''ll think of something.

    As I said earlier, whatever happens.....happens or was it something else...nope that''s it...I''m pretty sure.

    " Well....I guess this is goodbye then...", I say turning around.

    " No....we can''t just send back a guest, why don''t you stay for dinner ?....I''m sure that Tania would appreciate your presence..", Belial suggested awkwardly.

    " I suppose I can sta---oh I almost forgot....I did have another question for all of you.."

    " For all of us ?", Bal asked puzzled.

    I nod my head.

    " Well then.....ask away !", Belial proims smiling.

    I''m a little nervous....but these people or demons should know best..

    " This may sound strange....but what do you know about ''transmigration'' ?"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 104 FIVE MONTHS (2)

    " Transmigration ?...", Belial muttered out deep in thought, while stroking his chin.

    " Well...I think it''s rubbish.", Bal says immediately.

    " Why ?", I ask.

    Bal smiles at me, shaking his head,

    " Adam...this world was built on a set of rigid rules....transmigration or the possession of another body goes against this. Therefore transmigration is nothing but a fool''s dream."

    Well, that does make sense...but Dina was living proof that transmigration did exist even if it did go against certain ''rules''.

    " I also have the same opinion.", Belial says confidently.

    I nod my head and wait for the others to think of an answer.

    Helmer raises his hand and looks at me expectantly,

    .....

    Is he waiting for my permission to speak or something ?

    ...

    " Helmer ?"

    Helmer nods and says,

    " Well.....I don''t know what transmigration is."

    " Uh...okay ?", I reply confused.

    " I don''t think transmigration exists.", Kirsi says after smacking Helmer on the head.

    I nod my head, internally sighing as this entire conversation was fucking useless.

    " I think it does exist....",

    Finally....

    I look at Aurora, who started frowning as soon as she felt my gaze....ourst encounter wasn''t exactly that good.

    I might have humiliated her a little bit...I made a poor joke about her ancestral roots, in the novel she hated the people who made fun of her, I actually introduced Aurora in the novel when she was killing someone for making fun of her just like I did that day....

    Why did I make fun when I knew the consequences of offending her...I don''t exactly remember but I''m sure I had my reasons....

    " So...do you know how to uh....sent back the ''transmigrated soul'' to it''s original home ?"

    Silence reigned the throne room as everyone waited for Aurora''s answer.

    " Before I answer your question, tell me the reason why you....a mere human is interested in something as ethereal as ''transmigration'' ?", she says looking down on me..

    " Aurora...please don''t disrespect our guest.", Belial says while sighing.

    " Oh....no, it''spletely fine sir.", I say in response and try to think of an appropriate answer.

    " Well.....an acquaintance of mine ims to have met someone who apparently ''transmigrated'' here....so I just wanted to uh....you know learn if he was a threat or not..."

    I don''t think I''m making much sense here, maybe I should have thought this through...

    " I see...", Aurora says seemingly believing me.

    " Before going into the mechanics of transmigration....are you clear with what exactly ''transmigration'' is ?"

    I shake my head and Aurora sighs,

    " Well....think of migration that we''re all familiar with, when winter approaches some special birds ''migrate'' to warmer ces.....transmigration is basically the same thing but on a much more higher andplex level."

    That''s a very weirdparison, but I don''t make any unnecessaryments and listen as Aurora continued with her exnation.

    " But transmigration doesn''t just happen out of the blue...as for all events it needs a catalyst. In the case of the birds, the cold weather acted as a catalyst for their migration....usually in cases of transmigration some kind of ''god'' or ancient power acts as a catalyst. Did your friend say anything about their catalyst ?"

    ...

    Is it just me or is Aurora''s eyes shining ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    " No...he didn''t mention anything about a catalyst."

    I see disappointment in Aurora''s eyes...

    " If I may....how do you so much about such an obscure event like ''transmigration''...Miss Aurora ?"

    " Tha-"

    Aurora begins to answer but is interrupted byughter,

    " Hahahahahah"

    It was once again...Helmer but the others...even Belial had a small smile on their faces.

    Seeing that I was confused Helmer says,

    " She''s addicted to those novels that you humans write....she''s probably talking about what she has read so far, human.....HAhahHhahHHA.", Helmer says and then proceeds tough like a maniac..

    .....

    So...this trip was aplete waste of time....

    ''Screech''

    Aurora takes out her spear and pounces on Helmer in an attempt to kill him, her face was beet red.

    " I''m not an addict !!", she proimed while trying to kill Helmer.

    '' Nobody called you an addict though....'', I thought tired.

    " ENOUGH.", Belial says instantly stopping all themotion urring within the throne room.

    " Stop embarrassing yourselves in front of out guest....and Adam, there is no such thing as ''transmigration''...it''s a concept that is strictly fictional...so this ''friend'' of yours is probably lying.."

    How impressive...in a single moment he admonished his subordinates for theirck of respect and gave me an answer to my problem.

    Even though his answer was shitty....it''s still somewhat impressive.

    ~~~~

    " Adam...it''s good to see you again.", Victoria says slowly sipping on her soup.

    I was currently having dinner with the Crowcolt family.

    Belial sat at the frontpletely immersed in his soup, the regality with which he carried himself had also disappeared....he just looked like a wholesome grandpa now.

    Tania made herselffortable in hisp, while he fed her asionally.

    Tania''s grown a little bigger and stronger as well, my body still feels sore from the hug she gave me earlier.

    " It''s good to see you as well, Miss Victoria.", I say trying to calm my heart which would pound faster every time I looked at Victoria...but I''m more or less used to this strange feeling now.

    " You look beautiful as always.."

    .....

    Why would I say that ?

    God...I want to kill myself.

    Victoria chuckled upon hearing me and says,

    " Tha-"

    " TIANA !"

    Belial interrupted her, the both of us turn around to find Tiana bleeding from her nose..

    Tiana''s eyes were fixed on me as she says,

    " I don''t feel so good..."

    After which, her head slumps down as she fainted.

 Chapter 105 FIVE MONTHS (3)

    " The nosebleed was induced due to stress and strain, with a little rest she''ll be back to tip top condition.", the doctor says offering a toffee to Tania.

    Instead of epting the toffee, Tania lets out a little ''hmph'' and turns her head around.

    How did she be such a brat ?

    Thest time I saw her, she was sweet and adorable child.

    Out of nowhere, Tania fainted during lunch. Seeing the nosebleed I had already guessed it would be something stress rted....but Tania''s freaking royalty...what in the world does she have to stress about ?

    Moreover, the way she fainted was....hrious, her little head fell right into the soup. I might haveughed a little....it''s a good thing that Belial and Victoria were too busy panicking to notice me.

    Am I a terrible person to find a ten year old fainting funny ?

    ...

    I guess we''ll never know.

    " I''m so d you''re all right.", Victoria said pushing the poor doctor away and embracing her daughter.

    " I''m alright, mommy..", Tiana says gently.

    Somehow, seeing them be all ''mushy-mushy'' with each other made me a little bitter....hmmm...strange...

    " I forbid you from training until you learn your limits."

    A weary voice interrupted the mother-daughter duo''s reunion.

    Tiana''s eyes widened as she processed her grandfather''s words,

    " T-that isn''t fair..", she argued.

    " Don''t use that tone with me, youngdy.", Belial says in a grave voice.

    Even I got goosebumps hearing him...so I can only imagine what Tiana''s feeling and also she''s been training ?

    How intriguing.....

    Tania was visibly shaking, just as I thought she would start crying she surprised everyone in the room by jumping out of her bed.

    She pointed her little finger at Belial and proimed in a loud voice,

    " I HATE YOU !"

    Of course, she runs out of the room after proiming her hate for the strongest demon in existence.

    ''How cheeky..''

    It''s impressive that she has what it takes to stand up to Belial at such a young age.

    Victoria starts to follow Tiana but,

    " Don''t follow her, Victoria."

    Victoria stayed in the room, but looks at me and I can almost instinctively understands that she wants me to console her child, I try to ignore her but it turns out I''m a huge simp...

    I don''t even know why I can''t resist that woman...

    ''Forget it..'', I thought walking out of the room.

    I can feel Belial''s re on me but I still follow through as I''m pretty sure he wouldn''t kill me for something as insignificant as this...probably.

    ~~~~

    It takes me some time to find the princess.

    This ce is akin to a maze, but somehow I manage to reach the princess. My mind wasn''t aware of where it was going...but strangely enough my body led me to exactly where the princess was.

    Tiana was in what appeared to be a training area of sorts, the center of room had a raised dais where Tiana sat crying her eyes out, she hugged a small wooden sword.

    Seeing me enter the room, Tiana quickly wipes her tears away and tries to smile, I quietly sit beside her and we sit there like that for a few minutes.

    " So...you''ve taken up the sword huh ?", I say taking the wooden sword away from her, she resisted but I yank it easily out of her little hands.

    " My father used to fight with the sword so..."

    " Hmmmm", I mutter out observing the wooden sword.

    It had numerous scratches on it''s surface and looked very....well used. I also notice the numerous scratches on Tania''s body....she must be training pretty hard.

    " I don''t think your father would want you to hurt yourself try-"<novelnext></novelnext>

    " How would you know what my father want ?", Tiana interjected.

    " Well...he''s my friend remember ?"

    Tiana goes silent hearing me and fixes her gaze on the floor,

    " Liar...", she muttered out in a low voice.

    " What ?..", I ask getting a bad feeling.

    " YOU''RE A LIAR !", she shouts.

    I know I should feel bad, but children look ridiculous when they''re mad....I use all my mental strength to stop myself fromughing.

    Tania takes my silence as me being guilty,

    " My father''s dead...I heard the elders talking about how you looked like him.....Aunty Aurora said.....she said that you could be my father''s reincarnation.."

    " Is that so...", I say not knowing what else to say.

    Tiana tears up again, but nods her head nheless.

    That''s some very nice information....it could exin why the demons were treating me with so much respect but oh boy.....they''re gonna be super disappointed when they find out that I have literally no connection to the prince.

    Tiana turns around to face me and looks at me wide eyed and hopeful,

    " Are you.....my father ?", Tiana asked, her eyes swelling up with tears.

    .....

    Instead of a dignified princess, all I saw was a little girl waiting to meet her father. I felt sad for the child that couldn''t ept her father''s demise.

    " Tiana....it doesn''t matter if I''m your father or not.....you have your mother and a grandfather who loves you very much...and I''m sure that if your father was alive today...he would be very proud of you..."

    I gently pat Tiana on the head while continuing on,

    " Cherish those around you while you still can..."

    Tiana''s eyes widen hearing me and she slowly nods her head, she moved closer to and leaned on my shoulder,

    " But I''m weak.....I have no talent with the sword....everyone here tells me I''m doing good but I can see their disappointment....", Tiana manages to mutter out while sobbing on my shoulder.

    Oh...so that''s what this is about.

    " Princess....you''ve got it all wrong, just because your father used the sword doesn''t mean that you have to do the same....you''re different from him or your grandfather...instead of trying to imitate your father....carve out your own path.", I say gently patting her on the head.

    I''m bad at consoling children.

    Instead of little pats on the head, this kid needs some serious therapy.

    " C-carve my own path ?", she asked dazed.

    "Mhmmm", I say nodding my head nonchntly.

    Tiana seemed deep in thought,

    " Carve my own path...", Tiana once again says but the she looks more determined now.

    We sit there and talk about this and that until,

    " Will youe visit me again ?", Tiana asked eagerly.

    Well I didn''te here to visit you in the first ce, but I suppose I''ll check on her since she''s a variable and all....it''s not because I want to visit her or anything.

    I nod my head slowly,

    Tiana hugs me excitedly and says,

    " Thank you, daddy !!"

    ........

    Realizing her mistake, Tiana''s face goes red like a tomato.

    Oh geez, is this like the one of those moments when a student call his/her teacher....''mommy''....

    Well whatever it is....it sure is awkward.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 106 FIVE MONTHS (4)

    " You were too harsh, father...", Victoria said ring fiercely.

    Belial avoids Victoria''s gaze and sighs feeling exhausted.

    Belial didn''t know how to raise children, if not for his now dead wife, Araceous [son] would have would have be a mess.

    Belial felt guilty for scaring his grandchild and he also felt a little proud that Tania had stood up to his anger....even though the words she uttered were very hurtful.

    ''I HATE YOU''

    ''I HATE YOU''

    Tania''s voice rang again and again inside his mind.

    Shaking his head, Belial said,

    " Let''s go console her.."

    Belial didn''t miss the smirk that had sprouted on his daughter inw''s face.

    The both of them head towards the training hall, since they knew that Tania liked to go there when she was sad or had a lot on her mind.

    Belial stopped just before entering the training hall as two clear voices could be heard from outside.

    " YOU''RE A LIAR !"

    Belial and Victoria peep and watch the conversation between Tania and Adam unfold.

    " My father''s dead...I heard the elders talking about how you looked like him.....Aunty Aurora said.....she said that you could be my father''s reincarnation.."

    Both Belial''s and Victoria''s respective faces contorted in shock as they listened to Tania spill sensitive information. But their shock was reced by concern as Tania abruptly burst into tears.

    " Are you.....my father ?"

    Hearing her daughter, Victoria''s hurt broke into tiny little pieces....she always knew that Tania missed her father, but Tania always kept a happy face around her and Victoria knew that her daughter''s happiness was a fa?¡ìade....yet she did nothing because she had no idea how to make her daughter happy.....

    Victoria clearly knew that her husband was dead....she had made her peace with that but how could she tell her ten-year old daughter to move on from her father''s death....so Victoria did nothing.

    ''It''s my fault..'', Victoria thought realizing that that reason that her daughter fainted was because she never helped her deal with her issues.

    " Tiana....it doesn''t matter if I''m your father or not.....you have your mother and a grandfather who loves you very much...and I''m sure that if your father was alive today...he would be very proud of you..."

    Adam''s answer brings Victoria back to reality.

    Meanwhile Belial himself was feeling pretty down,

    When Tania came back into his life, he made sure to give her all sorts of luxuries and toys, but he had never once asked her how she was feeling...

    Belial had assumed that Tania was an happy innocent child....

    '' How could I be so foolish ?'', Belial thought regret seeping in.

    Belial had forgotten that Tania had grown up abused and alone in a cell somewhere in the human realm....no child would be ''happy'' after going through something like that...

    " Cherish those around you while you still can..."

    Adam''s words hit Belial deep and precisely.....

    Belial had forgotten to cherish his granddaughter...he took her for granted, he had forgotten that even though Tania was a child...she had been through a lot more than any adult he had ever know.

    " But I''m weak.....I have no talent with the sword....everyone here tells me I''m doing good but I can see their disappointment...."

    Belial was even more shocked to hear Tania''s next words...

    It was only now that Belial had realized that he had never told Tiana how proud he was of her.....he thought that his granddaughter already knew...

    " Princess....you''ve got it all wrong, just because your father used the sword doesn''t mean that you have to do the same....you''re different from him or your grandfather...instead of trying to imitate your father....carve out your own path."

    Both Belial and Victoria was thankful that at least Adam knew the right thing to say, they were also a little ashamed that they couldn''t do the same....but that was going to change from today.<novelnext></novelnext>

    That was the fateful day that both Victoria and Belial made the same decision,

    They were going to cherish Tania more, so that she feelsfortable enough to talk with the both of them instead of making more walls between them.

    Belial slightly opens the door to the training hall to get a better look at Adam and Tiana, his heart melted at the sight of Tian smiling while hugging Adam.

    " Thank you...daddy !!"

    Hearing Tania, Victoria who was also trying to get a good look at her daughter slipped and fell on top of Belial causing a chain reaction of him falling down with a loud ''thud''.

    Both Adam and a red-faced Tania turn around in surprise hearing themotion.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    _______________

    Well, this visit has been....very weird so far.

    We caught Belial and Victoria red handed, they were eavesdropping on us !.

    Tiana threw a huge fit and stormed out of the room, but I got the feeling that she just wanted to get away from me and I don''t me her.

    It''s my first time being called a ''daddy'' and I thought that my first time would go very differently.....heh.

    Instead of being embarrassed, I strangely felt proud.

    Being someone''s father figure was a new experience to me.

    .....

    Anyway, Belial told me to stay at the demon''s castle for today since it was already thiste, I was in one of the many guest rooms within the castle.

    The guest room...well it didn''t look like a guest room. It was way too extravagant, forget the room....even the bed felt different.

    It was way too soft, as I wasn''t used to sleeping on such a soft mattress sleep eluded mepletely.

    ''Knock''

    Just as I was about to burn the bed using [Hell Fire], a knock was heard from the other side.

    I quickly jump out of the bed and open the door, I''m surprised to see Victoria on the other side.

    Victoria wore a simple nightgown, her hair which was usually braided was let loose, even in this simple attire...she looked beautiful.

    ''Stop it'', I warn myself, shaking my head.

    " Come in."

    I let Victoria in and we sit beside each other on the bed, my heart was beating a little faster being so close to her.

    " I just wanted to thank you for helping my daughter today.", Victoria says, smiling at me.

    " It''s no problem at all."

    Victoria remains silent for awhile before she says,

    " You know.....Tania really admires you...she''s been asking about you ever since you helped us....we didn''t mean for her to hear anything from that meeting....I apologize for all the trouble she caused today."

    " It''s all fine, Miss Victoria...you don''t have to apologize to me."

    We talk about this and that until Victoria goes away to her own room.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 107 FIVE MONTHS (5)

    I''m back home after a very awkward goodbye with Tiana.

    " Hey....you''re back.", Eric weed me at the door.

    " Where''s your shirt ?"

    Eric was sweating a lot, under the re of the sun he seemed to be shining.

    " I was training..."

    I enter the mansion.

    It seemed that everybody in the house was training, I went to the backyard to find Lecia in the middle of training as well. She was in the middle of lifting weights when she saw me.

    " Woah....you look so cool right now.", I say in encouragement.

    " Uh...yeah.", she says avoiding my gaze.

    ''Weird''

    I feel like both Lecia and Eric are hiding something from me....

    Ahhh.....I''m sure it''s nothing.

    After greeting Lecia, who behaved strangely I went back to my room.

    I jumped on my bed without even changing my clothes and closed my eyes to sleep.

    I hadn''t slept a wink yesterday so I wanted to make up for it today.

    ~~~~

    Four days have passed since my visit to the demon king''s castle.

    These past four days were filled with an ample amount of rxation and training, I mean it''s literally vacation so if I didn''t rx....it would feel wrong.

    The strange thing is that I''ve hardly seen Lecia or Eric these past four days, they were obviously avoiding me....something''s definitely up...I''ll find out sooner orter.

    I''ve put micro camera''s all around the house, I''m the only one aware of their existence as well. I''ve been monitoring their movements and till now they haven''t slipped up but given enough time I''m sure that one of them is bound to make a mistake.

    My house was slowly turning into a strange battlefield.

    Aside from that, today was also the day we were all visiting Emilia''s dojo.

    She''s been messaging us everyday about it and somehow it had turned into a group event.

    ''Huffle''

    ''Pufff''

    I gasped for breathying down on the prickly grass.

    I had woken up early to train and had just finished, it felt good to move my body freely,tely I''ve been feeling a little stiff.

    The air was misty and moist, it must''ve rained during the night. I had designated the backyard as the official training hall of Creed Mansion, even though it wasn''t much of a hall.

    After lying there on the ground for another good minute, I jumped back up and went inside the mansion. Entering the kitchen, where Agnes was quickly working to make everyone their breakfast.

    Seeing me Agnes points toward a ss filled with green liquid and says,

    " Good morning young master !,your smoothie''s over there."

    I pick my therge ss and gulp down the nutritional smoothie, when Agnes first made it for me, I drank it despite the puke worthy smell and taste but I''ve strangely gotten used to it ....I actually like it now.

    " What''s for breakfast, Agnes ?", I asked taking my ce at the dining table.

    " It''s blueberry pancakes, sir."

    Oh....that''s good.

    I wait patiently for Agnes to bring over the food.

    When Agnes finally does bring the food over, I couldn''t help but be confused.

    Agnes had bought only a single te....

    " Did they already eat ?", I asked spreading butter over the fluffy pancakes.

    " They...asked to serve the food in their own rooms.", Agnes said awkwardly.

    " I see...."

    I watch as Agnes walked back to the kitchen,

    " Hey Agnes.....let''s eat together then.", I say nonchntly.

    I may act unbothered but oh boy.....I''m bothered alright...

    Why''re they ghosting me so much ?

    Agnes returns with her food and we eat breakfast while talking about this and that.

    ~~~~

    It''s lunch time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Agnes woke me up from my mid-day nap and informed me that my friends had arrived and was currently waiting for me.

    " I''ll be down in a second.", I say to Agnes while rushing into the bathroom for a quick shower.

    I should have woken up a little early, but there''s something about keeping a person waiting for you that just makes you feel good.

    Hehe.

    After the shower, I quickly change into casual wear, which included a in white t-shirt and grey jeans.

    Looking at my thin and delicate figure in the mirror, I couldn''t help but shake my head disapprovingly...I missed my old lean body.....but oh well, it''s no use dwelling on such insignificant matters, but I do need to cut my hair sometime soon.

    I haven''t had the chance to to cut it in a long time, it''s been at least six months since myst hair cut, my hair had grown unbearably long...it almost touched my shoulders-

    ''Maybe I should ask Lecia....''

    I think about asking Lecia for a haircut as she had been the one to cut my hair in the orphanage but it took me a minute to remember that she was ghosting me along with beloved Eric.....

    '' Stupid Lecia...'', I thought heading down to greet my friends.

    ~~~~

    " Hey, look who finally showed up !", Jennifer pouted while using me of making them wait.

    " I''m sorry for beingte...", I say raising my hands in surrender.

    Lecia and Eric was already with the group when I had arrived, speaking about the group everyone looked different in casual wear, I was used to seeing them all in their uniforms.

    " We don''t have much time....is everybody ready to leave ?", Emilia asked impatiently.

    We all nod our heads and start heading out to Emilia''s dojo which was surprisingly enough, within walking distance from the Creed mansion.

    While walking to the dojo, I talk with Jennifer about why Jacob hadn''te...he was apparently sick.

    During the entire time we walked, I could someone''s eyes on me....Max had been ring at me from the moment I saw him..

    What''s up with him ?

    This is definitely weird....why is everyone so mad at me ?

    I''m like the nicest guy around here....

    " We''re here !", Emilia proimed loudly startling me.

    Well...the dojo wasn''t much to look at...

    It had this strange rustic feel to it, I had expected to find some students training inside the dojo but it waspletely and utterly empty....other than Emilia''s grandparents who was apparently cooking us some delicious lunch.

    " My grandparents actually live at the dojo as their workce is close by.", says Emilia as we walked into the dojo.

    To my surprise, while saying this... Emilia winks at me.

    What''s the matter with her now ?

    Everybody''s acting so weird today....

    ~~~~

    We were waiting for Emilia''s grandparents to bring in the food.

    Since there weren''t any tables or chairs, we sat on the ground and waited, to pass the time we yed a game of snakes anddders with the board Emilia brought us.

    Emilia sat next to me while we yed in two very huge groups, while ying she whispered to me..

    " I wanted to thank you.....I mean ever since they got the job, they''ve been so energetic and happy-"

    " Who are you talking about ?", I asked my eyes fixed on the board.

    " My grandparents ?", Emilia says confused.

    Hearing her, I turned around , just as I was going to ask her what in god''s name she was talking about-

    '' tter''

    ''Stter''

    The sound of te''s breaking echoed through the room,

    I look up to find a very surprised Martin and ra....

    Wait ?!

    Why would Martin and ra be here ?

    .........

    Oh no....

    ''What have I done ?'', I thought realization sinking in.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 108 FIVE MONTHS (6)

    This isn''t possible...

    Emilia and the others were talking but their voices failed to reach me, my eyes refused to look away from Martin and ra.

    If they were indeed her grandparents, I''m sure they would have told me.....right ?

    " Are you okay, Gammy ?", Emilia rushed forward with concern etched on her face.

    .....

    I watch as the others all move forward to help clean away the broken shards of the tes and food...well not all of them. Lecia and Eric stared in shock at Martin and ra....just like me.

    '' Ah....they know.''

    I explicitly told Lecia about the new hosts that I had found in the hospital and I''m sure that Eric knows as well...

    Shit.....

    Surprisingly, the fact that I killed Emilia''s grandparents bothered me less than the fact that Lecia and Eric knew the truth.

    Damn it.....

    So, what if they know ?

    I feel an array of different emotions running through me...shame, guilt, fear, anger. But even with all these emotions bubbling inside me....I did nothing.

    I just sat there and watched as the others cleaned up the mess Emilia''s grandparents had caused.

    Emilia announced that we were going to a nearby restaurant for lunch since all the food was ruined.

    We went to the restaurant and the rest of the day was a blur.

    Emilia continued to ''thank'' me and every time she did so, I felt something breaking inside me. We ate some food, after which I quickly part ways with the others with a random excuse and head back home.

    Lecia and Eric also follow me back home.

    We were currently in the car being driven home,

    " Adam....we need to tell y-"

    " NOT NOW.", I say raising my voice.

    I close my eyes trying to calm the storm within my mind.

    ~~~~

    After reaching home yesterday, I locked myself in the room and stayed there until the next day.

    Lecia and Eric came up to to my room to call me for dinner, but I refused to see them.

    It seems like they want to talk to me now....well, I don''t want to talk to anybody now.

    What I needed to do was think.....and I did just that.

    I thought about how I could bring Emilia''s real grandparents back....I thought real hard and there''s not a single possible way.

    If I removed the ascaris from their body, they would die.

    .....

    That''s about it.

    After making sure that there was nothing else that could be done, I finally get out of my room.

    I find Lecia waiting for me outside the room....was she waiting all this time ?

    ''It doesn''t matter.'', I thought shaking my head.

    Before Lecia could say anything, I say,

    " Bring Martin and ra to my office.", I say avoiding her gaze.

    I walk to the said office, where Diane had previously resided....I took over when she was assassinated.

    Entering the office, I copse onto the chair and wait for them toe inside.

    ~~~~

    " Why are you here ?", I ask irritated to see Eric with Lecia.

    Martin and ra followed behind them.

    As Eric started to answer, I say,

    " Just forget it."

    They already know everything.....there''s no more need for lies.

    Ignoring them, I re at Martin and ra silently.

    ....

    " Sir....there''s a perfectly reasonable ex-", Martin started to speak but-

    " Shut up.", I say my temper ring slowly.

    " Please understand....we didn-", ra begins-

    " SHUT UP."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Feeling the anger in my voice, the both of them lower their heads.

    Taking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and try to calm myself.

    Opening my eyes, I slowly stand up, my eyes fixed on them both.

    " On your knees."

    " What ?", ra asked confused.

    " On your knees.", I repeat myself.

    Looking at each other, confused the both of them get on their knees and look up at me.

    I look down at them, anger and frustration coursing through my whole being staring at their confused faces.

    Unable to contain myself, I kick ra across the face, resulting in her falling down. I do the same with Martin.

    " Arghh"

    I might have hit Martin a little too hard as he was bleeding from the nose.

    " Hey....stop it", Lecia says moving closer to me.

    Ignoring her, I put one of my legs on Martin and say,

    " Remind me again.....who am I ?"

    " You''re o-our m-master.", Martin managed to mutter out.

    " What are the both of you ?", I say shifting my leg onto ra.

    " Y-your loyal s-servants.", ra says with a pained expression.

    " You''re my loyal servants ?...I see...then why did you lie ?"

    " W-we wanted to protect you.", says ra.

    I take my foot off and say, thoroughly confused,

    " What ?"

    They lied to protect me ?

    " We didn''t want to make you feel guilty.", ra says relief washing over her face as I wasn''t tormenting her any longer.

    " How....just how does lying ''protect'' me ?"

    " Even if we had told you...what difference would it have made ?", Martin asked getting up, ra followed his actions as well.

    " Well-"

    That was when it hit me.

    They were right.

    Even if I knew earlier...what difference would it make ?

    I return to my seat and sigh before saying,

    " You''re right...I''m sorry for-"

    ra cuts me off and says,

    " It''s quite alright, sir.....we did lie to you, so it is only reasonable that you punish us."

    Well....I don''t think kicking them a few times can be considered as an appropriate ''punishment'' as I realized that their heart was in the right ce.

    " Just leave.", I say motioning toward the door.

    Martin and ra nod before leaving the office.

    Staring at Lecia and Eric, who were heading out as well, I say,

    " Hey...Lecia, what did you want to tell me ?",

    I remember hering to talk to me yesterday....

    " Eh...it''s uh--", Lecia struggled to say whatever she was trying to say, she and Eric look at each other nervously.

    " What is it ?", I ask impatiently.

    " Before that.....you have to understand that it was a mistake....we didn''t me to sa-"

    " Just tell me what it is....", I ask a little curious now.

    I mean how bad could it be ?

    Is it worse than killing your friend''s grandparents ?....I hope not.

    " Max knows the truth.", Lecia says

    .......

    Fuck.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 109 FIVE MONTHS (7)

    " Max knows the truth." Lecia say nervously.

    " What ?..."

    That''s not possible.....that shouldn''t be possible.

    " Max knows the truth about the demons.", Lecia added in once again.

    I feel like my mind is going to break under all this goddamn pressure, too many unsavory things were happening at once which only added more fuel to the whirlwind raging on inside my mind.

    " How ?", I ask taking in a huge breath of ever-present oxygen in an effort to calm myself down.

    " Well....Max heard your conversation with Dina and came to me....''concerned'', it was a small mistake...but he forced us to tell the truth.", Eric says taking over from Lecia.

    Shit....

    Max heard the conversation between me and mo--Dina ?

    That''s not good....

    " About the conversation.....why did you lie to us ?", Lecia asked gently, as if she was talking to a baby.

    My mind searched for some kind of lie that would sound usible, in the end I decided to just go with the truth....well a half-truth if such a thing exists.

    " Dina''s crazy...she ims to be my mother."

    Both Eric''s and Lecia''s eyes widen hearing me,

    " What ?", Eric asked clearly confused.

    I stay silent, not wanting to repeat myself.

    " Why did you lie about it...?", Lecia asked

    Before answering her, I think about Martin and ra and the reason for their lies.

    " I didn''t want you to feel guilty.", I said staring apologetically at Lecia.

    " Oh.", she says in return.

    But the change was evident in her eyes, they had softened considerably.

    ...

    I guess guilt-tripping does have it''s uses, huh ?

    Silence descended upon us as I thought about my next course of action which is obviously confronting Max....

    Dealing with the ''grandparents'' cane upter....

    " Adam.....about the ascaris.....you should be honest with Emilia since it''s better th-"

    " Ok...I will.", I say interrupting Lecia.

    Since Max knows.....soon everybody will, that''s going to be a big change but I''m nothing but adaptable...so everything''s going to be fine....yeah....it''s going to be totally fine....yeah....

    " How did Max react after learning the truth and how much does he know ?", I ask ns unfolding in my mind.

    " We told him everything we knew....sorry.", Lecia murmured silently.

    " It''s fine.", I say making awkward hand gestures.

    " Max said that he needed some time to think...he asked to bring you to the park today.....night.", Eric says casually as if he was talking about the weather.

    " What ?!....you''re telling this to me only now !", I ask surprised.

    " He told us to ignore you....so that you wouldn''t have time to make up a lie and frankly speaking.....I think he''s right so please.....juste clean.", Eric says a strange emotion ying around his face.

    ...So that''s the reason why they''ve been ignoring me ?

    .....

    I don''t want to ept it....but they''re right.

    It''s time toe clean.

    ~~~~

    It was the dead of night, yet inside of sleeping in myfortable bed....I was in a car which was slowly driven by Victor as per my request.

    I was in no hurry to reach that stupid park.

    I spent a lot of time thinking about how to approach Max.

    ''Purrrr''

    Rhys gently purred [?] in myp as if he had sensed my agitation, I gently pat his head.

    " Why''re you bringing Rhys again ?", Eric asked looking puzzled, he sat beside me.

    " We''re going to the park right ?.....Rhys loves the park."

    That''s a lie.

    I brought him because I was nervous and he was sort of like afort giving plushie to me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    '' Purrr''

    Rhys purrs yet again...instead of talking.

    Anyway.....I wasn''t exactly looking forward to this interaction but a small part of me strangely felt relieved.

    I close my eyes and wait....

    ~~~~

    The usually crowded park was deste at night, it looked kind of gloomy.

    Lecia and Eric walked on either side of me as Rhys ran around around us, since it was night I didn''t see the need to use a leash on him.

    Max sat on a bench and beside him....was Katherine.

    Oh no...

    I nced at Lecia who shrugged to show that she didn''t know what was going on.

    " What''s she doing here ?", Eric asked as we approached the bench.

    " I told her the truth."

    That was all that Max said.

    ...

    " Why ?", Lecia asked, eyes widening.

    " ...because I wanted to talk to someone about all this.", Max said ring at me.

    Katherine didn''t look angry....but an emotion unknown to me flitted across her face.

    This wasn''t going as I expected but....it''s going to be fine.

    Yeah.....everything is going to be fine.

    Silence descended upon us as everybody looked toward me for some sort of excuse or exnation....

    " Look....you have every right to be angry, I nned on telling you all everything when the time came but everything became soplicated...it''s all my fault.", I say apologetically.

    Katherine''s gaze softens as she heard my exnation but Max still didn''t lose the hardened expression on his face.

    Taking a deep breath, he jumps up from the bench and walks closer to me, he stops mere inches away from me.

    " Tell me.....why didn''t you tell ''me'' the truth ?", Max says while staring deep into my eyes.

    I don''t back away from him even though all my instincts were telling me too.

    Max wasn''t asking why I lied to them....he was asking me why I had lied to ''him'' specifically....

    " I didn''t think you would be able to handle it....since you''ve believed that your parents were killed by demons since....forever."

    I can''t believe it but I think his face hardened even further...

    That might not have been the best thing to sa-

    ''BAM !''

    " THAT ISN''T YOUR DECISION TO MAKE !!", Max shouted while I fell on the ground due to the force of his punch....

    ''Shit'', I think my nose broke.

    Lecia, Eric and Katherine hold back Max from pouncing on me.

    Max was shouting all sorts of curses at me, but I didn''t hear anything he said.

    I stared down at the blood on my hand....

    Why ?

    What the fuck did I do to deserve this ?

    This fucker can''t handle shit, just like I thought....why would he try to pounce on me like a feral animal...

    So, I was right....

    The pain from his punch added more fuel to my anger, why the fuck are all these little shits punching me for every little thing....do they even know the things I''ve done to reach where I am now ?

    I''m not a fucking pushover.

    I get up dusting my clothes,

    " Who the hell do you think you are.....you fucking brat ?"

    ck mes slowly appear on different parts of my body as my anger spirals out of control.

    Everything.....can just go fuck itself.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 110 FIVE MONTHS (8)

    Katherine sat beside Max, an unperturbed silence flowed between them as neither of them were in a mood to ''talk''.

    When Katherine learned about the ''truth'' from Max, she was reasonably shocked but the more she thought about it.....the more she realized how obvious it had been...

    There were so many clues....yet Katherine wasn''t smart enough to identify any one of them. Even though Katherine should be mad at Adam, she was weirdly not that mad...rather she felt sorry for Adam

    ''It must have been hard.'',

    It all made sense to Katherine now, why Adam had an outburst that day....and why he looked particrly unhappy during the beach trip....

    Adam was shouldering all that on his own.....why ?

    ''Was it for us ?'', Katherine thought before shaking her head.

    From what Katherine''s observed so far, Adam isn''t the type to sacrifice himself for anything...he always puts himself first....so why didn''t he just tell them the truth ?

    It was when such questions were burning a hole through her mind that Katherine saw the silhouette of three people in the distance.

    " They''re here.", Katherine said ncing at Max.

    Max was behaving very strangely, his face remained expressionless but Katherine could almost hear him grinding his teeth in anger at the the mere sight of Adam.

    '' This isn''t gonna go well..", Katherine thought apprehensively.

    ~~~~

    " Who the fuck do you think you are.....you fucking brat."

    Adam''s voice was cold as he red at Max, ck mes erupted around different parts of his body as his anger spiraled out of control, even though the mes were burning profusely his clothes showed no signs of burning up.

    Seeing her brother use a strange skill, Lecia''s grip on Max loosens as she was surprised and Max used this opportunity to break free from their grasp.

    No longer bound, Max stared at the ck mes dancing around Adam nkly.

    " You fucking liar....", Max muttered out under his breath.

    Taking in a deep breath, Max begins to do something strange.

    He fished for something in his pocket and took out....what looked like an very expensive ornamental dagger, strange markings and design''s were etched into every part of the dagger.

    Instead of attacking Adam, who watched him silently....Max cut himself using the dagger forcing his blood out of his body.

    The blood that umted from his would slowly rose up in the air ominously, Max''s skin became more pale as more blood rose up in the air.

    All the blood suspended in the air slowly converges together to form a big ball of red blood with a sickeningly sweet smell.

    The the ball of blood divides itself again...and again...and again until there were millions of small balls of blood all directly aimed at Adam.

    [ Blood Art: Red Needle.]

    This was it.

    Max''s most powerful skill or more appropriate to say a inherited technique.

    Red Needle was a basic move of the ancient blood arts, it was his mother''s....[The Blood Queen''s] legacy....

    There was so much more to it, but all that Max could master on his own was the red needle, which involved his blood being sucked out to form hundred''s of needles that would pierce his enemy.....in this case, Adam.

    Adam looked at the array of red needles nkly.

    Max didn''t intend to use the skill on him, but something about seeing him so nonchnt ticked Max even further. Making sure to avoid vital points, Max sent all the needles in his direction at a speed that wasn''t visible to the naked eye.

    " Stop it !", Lecia shouted trying to rush towards the both of them, but Katherine stopped her, fearing that Lecia might get hurt.

    Seeing the millions of needles rushing toward Adam, Katherine wanted to do something....anything to stop this madness.

    Colliding against something, the needle explode causing dust to cover the space around them, blinding everyone from seeing what had be of Adam.

    ''Did I get him ?'', Max thought anxiously.

    There was a small part of him that thought that this was a bit overkill but Max couldn''t think straight due to this strange anger he felt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As the dust cleared, Max narrowed his eyes trying to find where Adam was.

    ''I should stop.'', Max thought his anger calming down hearing his friend''s pleas to stop their mindless fight.

    '' !!!''

    Shock is clearly visible on Max''s face as the dust clears up making Adam visible once again.....Adam was nowhere to be seen but a huge ball of ck mes was seen where he previously stood.

    ''No it isn''t mes...its-''

    Just as Max was about toplete his thought, the ball or the ''wings'' separate revealing apletely unhurt Adam. Adam had wings made of ck mes on either side of him.

    Adam had a indifferent expression on his face as he took a step forward,

    ''Thump''

    Then another-

    ''Thump''

    Max''s heart beats erratically as a strange emotion surrounds it...it took him a minute to realize that what he was feeling now had a name: fear.

    Max involuntarily took a step back even though he didn''t want to, that was the result of the intense bloodlust Adam exuded as he walked over, his footsteps ringing across the deste park.

    " You''re angry because I didn''t tell you the truth ?", Adam askes expressionlessly.

    Max strangely felt nervous, yet he still answered back.

    " Yes."

    Max still had a million questions he wanted answers too.

    " You want answers ?", Adam asked as if reading his mind.

    Max takes a step forward, his anger resurfacing to bare it''s ws.

    " I think I''m entitled to some answers.", Max said ring.

    " YOU WANT ANSWERS ?!", Adam asked again raising his voice.

    " I WANT THE TRUTH !", Max shouted, a vein bulging on his forehead.

    " YOU CAN''T HANDLE THE TRUTH !"

    Before Max could answer back, Adam continues on,

    " You sit in your warm little ssroom blissfully unaware of the truth which wasn''t all that well-hidden.....if you wanted too, you would have found the truth by yourself yet you didn''t...because you''re a fucking coward."

    Max looked at Adampletely stunned as Adam continued on,

    " I''m not a fucking coward like you-"

    Hitting himself on the chest, Adam continues on,

    " Do you know what I''ve done to reach here...the things I''ve done.....the things you hypocrites scorn me for.....while you sit in yourfortable little hole of delusion fooling yourself because you know....you know even though I''m unsavory and hideous...I''m the reason you''re breathing right now."

    ''Boom''

    Max falls down on the ground after receiving Adam''s punch.

    " Since you''re alive because of me, I have the right to take away your measly little life....don''t I ?", Adam said forcing his foot on Max''s chest and looking down at him.

    For the first time since their ''conversation'' began, Max saw a change in Adam''s expression....it wasn''t his facial expression that had changed, it was his eyes-

    ...they had a glint of madness.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 111 FIVE MONTHS (9)

    " Since you''re alive because of me, I have the right to take away your measly little life....don''t I ?"

    Hearing Adam, Lecia was horrified.

    Growing up at the orphanage, Adam was considered ''strange'', he was too proud for a child and infuriated the adults a lot. The children and even some of the adults used to bully him, Lecia did try to protect him but the both of them were just powerless children then.

    But even though Adam went through all that, he didn''t have an outburst....not even once during his stay at the orphanage. Even when angry, he would just keep to himself and move on with a smile on his face...

    After getting adopted by the Creed''s, Adam did the same but-

    '' We pushed him too far..'', Lecia thought feeling ashamed that she couldn''t help her brother.

    Lecia watched as Adam kicked Max around like a bug, her eyes tearing up.

    Lecia unwittingly took a step forward....

    Even if she was the weakest.....she had to at least try to stop Adam....before it''s toote.

    " Stop-", Lecia began but before she could do anything more-

    ''Whish''

    ''Whish''

    Two arrows made of pure light whished past her, heading directly for Adam and Max.

    "AHHHHHHH", Adam grunts out in pain as one of the arrows pierced his shoulder.

    Max groaned out as one of the arrows hit him on the same spot as well.

    Katherine and Lecia turned around, their eyes widened in surprise as they stared at Eric who had taken his [Bow of Artemis] from his sub-space.

    Eric moved forward ignoring their stares, he took quick steps and got in between the Adam and Max.

    " What do you think you''re doing....Eric ?", Adam asked taking the golden bow out even though it burned.

    Max did the same, after much struggle he had managed to take out the arrow as well as stand up on his own feet.

    The both of them stared at Eric, who had intervened.

    Eric stared at the both of them with aplicated expression on his face, after contemting for awhile he said in a low voice,

    " Please.....stop."

    " What ?!", Max asked back surprised at Eric''s silentmand.

    " Friends.....aren''t supposed to kill each other."

    All of them stared at Eric confused...

    " I''m not your ''friend''.", Adam grumbled out, frowning.

    " That''s right...you''re not just a ''friend''...you''re the person who gave me a hand when I was all alone and defeated...you''re my best friend."

    Adam cringed hearing Eric, but he had considerably calmed down so Eric was sessful in a way, but at what cost ?

    " You have no reason to fight in the first ce.", Eric said addressing Adam and Max.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " What ?.....he lied to alll-", Max started but Eric cut him off immediately and said,

    " You''re not angry at him, Max...you''re angry at yourself.....you''ve made ''revenge'' the only goal in your life and now you''ve realized you''ve been looking at it all wrong.....you want to vent your anger and Adam made an easy target. The truth of the matter is that no matter what Adam thought while he was lying to us...you have to understand that he did it to protect us."

    Turning toward Adam, Eric continued,

    " -and you.....you''re not angry at Max.....I think you''re angry at yourself for what happened with ''her''....you''re not a monster Adam.....you didn''t know....it wasn''t your fault."

    Hearing him, Adam averted his gaze pulled back all his mes, sighing in defeat he said,

    " You''re wrong....I was just stating the truth.....but I don''t want to kill anybody so I''ll stop."

    Adam sat on the ground seemingly back to his normal self.

    Max sighed and sat back on the ground.

    An unbearable silence descended upon them all.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    _______________

    It''s been a day since my little ''outburst''.

    Today was also the day that we had to return to school....so that''s great.

    Things are a little awkward between me and everybody else now.

    After our fight, all of us went back to the Creed mansion and Agnes and Francis-Amanda duo stitched up our wounds without asking any unnecessary questions.

    Max and I hadn''t really talked since then.

    Well none of us talked, we just--well things are super awkward now.

    ....

    Anyway, I checked myself in the mirror and barged out of the mansion with Lecia and Eric with all our luggage on us.

    It''s time to go back to the Unity.

    Sitting on either side of me, Lecia and Eric looked out the window of the car avoiding conversation...which is a good thing since I suck at small talk.

    Thankfully yesterday, Lecia informed me that they had left out the details about me kind of killing Emilia''s grandparents by ident.

    They had luckily forgotten to mention that I had sessfully revived the ascaris...so even if Emilia knew the truth she wouldn''t really know the ''truth''. Of course, I promised Eric and Lecia that I would tell Emilia about her grandparents....but when I was ready...so another 100 years should be enough time.

    The car stooped abruptly and we got off with our luggage.

    I stared at Unity''s gate apprehensively....

    '' Well....here goes nothing'', I thought taking my first step back into Unity.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 112 FIVE MONTHS (10)

    Moving past the gates, Lecia parts ways with us to return to her own room.

    Eric and I head slowly back to our room, after walking for a few minutes Eric spoke for the first time since we got here,

    " You know....I''ve been meaning to ask you something."

    " What is it ?", I say wondering what my ''best friend'' wanted.

    ...

    Heh.

    Eric stared ahead of us, debating something in his mind.

    " That conversation with Dina, being your mother and all.....is there anything you want to tell me ?...."

    Oh.....I did tell him something along the lines of ''killing my mother'' didn''t I ?

    " No....", I say immediately.

    Eric stared at me, a rare smile attached itself to his face,

    " Everybody''s allowed to keep secrets....but I think you should learn to lie better, I don''t think we can afford another outburst from you."

    Hmmmm, true....but-

    " I could do that.....but all of you could just stop hitting and annoying me every chance you get."

    " I don''t think that''s going to happen anytime soon.", Eric says grimly.

    We walk in silence for awhile after which Eric says,

    " About that...I''m sorry about punching you that day...I shouldn''t have don-"

    I cut him off and say,

    " It''s all cool since you''re my ''best friend'' and all..."

    Hearing me, his face slightly goes red but luckily for him, he was saved from total embarrassment as we were interrupted by Jennifer and Jacob.

    " What''s up ?", Jennifer greeted us for the both of them.

    I''ve been noticing it for awhile now but I think Jennifer coddles Jacob too much, the guy can''t even look me in the eye....probably because he''s intimidated by my awesomeness.

    Anyway....yesterday I made everyone promise that they wouldn''t tell Jennifer and Jacob the ''truth''. I made the excuse that we weren''t that close to them but the truth of the matter was that I didn''t want them to know the truth since they''re variables that I don''t know how to deal with...so it was best to leave them be.

    Jennifer asked us about our vacation and some other things before bidding us farewell. We still had to keep all our luggage back in our rooms, it was even more troublesome for me as I had to carry a huge ass cage, in which Rhys was sleeping peacefully.

    After making our way back to the room, we quickly unpack everything and head back to ss.

    ~~~~

    " Why''s it so crowded here ?", I asked stepping on a stranger''s foot for the tenth time.

    " It''s probably because they wanna see their results."

    Oh yeah....that''s pretty obvious isn''t it ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    I think I might be a little dumb-

    " Hey guys !"

    We turn around to find Katherine waving at us from a distance.

    I thought that Katherine would be the one most angry after learning the truth since we were quite close but her reaction was surprisingly the most subdued.

    We didn''t talk all that much after that....I was a little anxious but seeing her running towards us, all my worries seemed to go away as if seeping into the background.

    " Did you guys check the result ?", Katherine enquired looking past us at the huge screen in front of us. We were in the ''results'' room now, where a huge ass screen was disyed in the center, beside the screen there was a small device that we could use to type in our admission code and our results would be disyed on the screen.

    After a lot of pushing and shoving, we finally managed to secure the device.

    Eric went first, his scores were great as expected from the son of arge conglomerate as ''Grey Tech''.

    Katherine went next and her result was the best.....literally the best in our ss, she was first in the theoretical exams but was the fourth in the practical test.

    It was an impressive feat as expected from someone from the Colleen family.

    I went in next, typing in the code....I felt strangely anxious and excited.

    Pressing ''enter'' I stared at the screen where my results was disyed.

    " Woah.....", Eric muttered out in excitement while Katherine had a small frown on her face.

    I was quite surprised myself...

    Everyone who saw my results on the giant screen gasped in shock.

    Well, my results for the theoretical part wasn''t anything that impressive but for the practical test....I was given the first rank which meant that I had scored the highest.

    That should be impossible...-

    ''Wait....I didn''t really do anything for my practical test''

    That''s right...I didn''t do shit because there were no monsters to fight. I don''t know on what basis they grade us but it seems like I really lucked out this time.

    But I''m sure that this will raise some questions.....which might prove bad for me but who cares....it''s just a stupid exam.

    " I''m gonna head over to ss.", I said leaving behind my stunned friends.

    ~~~~

    That day, a bizarre rumour started spreading at Unity.

    A rumour that the weakest student at Unity had scored more than anyone in his ss....that too on his practical test !

    But what they didn''t realize was that....this student was only starting to show his true colors....

    That boy was capable of much more....much more horrifying things.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 113 Guilt Is The Mind Killer

    " How did you do it ?", Katherine kept on whispering into my ears while Mrs. Alverez, our new morality teacher droned on.

    Mrs. Alverez is close to ny years of age and I honestly don''t know why she would teach at this age.....sometimes I think that she forgets that she''s a teacher.....why else is she talking about her brisket recipe now ?

    Another problem that arose was that Mrs. Alverez was hard of hearing which meant that most of the students were having full blown conversations while she was teaching.....I felt kind of sad for her.

    Oh...and I''m definitely going to be making that brisket.

    " Hey....how did you do it ??"

    A frown settles on my face as Katherine asked me for the fifth time today how exactly I had bagged the first ce....I don''t really know or care for that matter so I remained silent but sensing her re on me, I say,

    " I don''t know.....maybe I''m just really strong ?"

    Hearing my answer, Katherine thinks for a moment before nodding her head and going back to listen to the lecture.

    Man.....I like some friendly rivalry but this is more like obsession.

    It''s probably because of Katherine''s past....well let''s just let things flow in a natural order...there''s no rush.

    I doodle on my notebook while half-heartedly listening to Mrs. Alverez,

    " Are you okay ?"

    I turned around to face Katherine, whose face was still directed toward the front.

    " Why do you ask ?", I asked confused, turning my head toward the front as well.

    " Well.....with all that happened yesterday....I was just wondering..."

    Hearing her, I voice out a question that I''ve been meaning to ask her for awhile now.

    " Were you angry at me when you learned the truth ?"

    There was a slight pause as Katherine thought about her answer.

    " I did feel a little angry....but I understand why you hid the truth from us....we''ve only know each other for five months....a sane person wouldn''t reveal a truth of that magnitude to just ''anybody''..."

    Woah....that actually makes a lot of sense.

    " It must have been hard.....hiding something that big all alone.", Katherine continued stealing a nce at me.

    " It wasn''t that hard.", I say truthfully because that''s my thing now.

    I''m all for truth now, since I''ve learned my lesson about lying.

    Heh.

    That''s another lie....but still I strangely wanted tell the truth to Katherine.

    I don''t know, I just wanted to talk to someone about all that''s happened till now....obviously I couldn''t talk to my sister and ''best friend'' about such matters...because it feels a little awkward, but it''s easier to talk to Katherine.

    She''s very mature for her age, it actually feels like I''m talking to an adult right now and that''sforting since I''m also an adult on the inside....sort of.

    " Do you ever feel.....guilty ?", Katherine asked, her eyes wavering slightly.

    Me....guilty.....pfttt...

    I know no such thing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I know that I''m a shitty person but do I feel guilty about that ?...no, I do not.

    " I did what I had to do....there''s no use in feeling something as useless as guilt."

    " I see...", Katherine says her eyes steady unlike before.

    Feeling guilty was like pulling the trigger on yourself, once you start feeling guilty...there''s no going back....you''ll drown in the guilt you feel....and I''ve already drowned once....I''m not looking for anymore of that shit.

    Oh....wait, I forgot to ask her something-

    " Kathy....is there any chance that you won''t tell on me to your grandfather ?"

    Hearing me, Katherine remained silent for a moment before speaking,

    " I''m sorry, Adam...but I''m going to tell him the truth....there''s no choice....we''re just some fifteen year olds, there''s no way we''ll be able to handle a situation like this."

    Well...it was worth a shot.

    I mean there was no plot of any kind now, so I''ll just leave things as it is.

    Eustace learning the truth might cause some difficulties but I''m sure that I''ll be able to manage.

    " If it''s anyfort at all, grandfather''s very far away now on a very important job....he''lle back within five months...I''ll only tell him then since I don''t want to leave a digital footprint."

    I nod my head and the both of us talk about all the secrets I''ve kept with me until now.

    It felt liberating to talk so freely.

    ~~~~

    It was lunch break.

    Instead of getting lunch like I usually do, I walk towards the rooftop by my lonesome.

    All of us had decided to tell Emilia the truth yesterday.

    I agreed with telling her the truth on the condition that I would be the one to tell it.

    I slowly walk up the stairs, with each step I took....my heart beat a little faster.

    I was obviously nervous.

    Opening the door to the rooftop, I see that it waspletely empty which would be strange but I remained calm as I was the one that told my friends to make sure that the terrace remained empty except for us.

    We had all agreed to meet here at lunch break, but it seems that I''m the first one her-

    " Hey.....you''re here."

    I found Max leaning against the wall in a corner of the rooftop.

    .......

    Of course...I''m alone with the person I tried to kill yesterday.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 114 Bully

    " Hey.....you''re here."

    I found Max leaning against the wall in a corner of the rooftop.

    Of course....I''m alone with the person I tried to kill yesterday.

    I don''t know what was going on in my head yesterday, I''m usually such a nice and patient person...well I can''t change the past so there''s no use in thinking about it now.

    The both of us stared at each other for awhile, until I broke eye contact and moved forward. The railing was cold, I looked below me...everybody looks so small from here....like ants.

    Time passes as Max and I silently wait for the others-

    " I''m sorry about yesterday.", Max says, his face unreadable.

    " It''s alright....I should have told the truth much sooner."

    Max''s scrunch''s up hearing me,

    " No....we''ve only known each other for a small time, so I understand why you didn''t tell the truth...."

    isn''t this ?.....

    " Did Katherine talk to you by any chance ?"

    " Uh.....yeah, she did have a ''talk'' with all of us."

    Oh....well it''s nice that she''s looking out for me but I can take care of myself.

    " I shouldn''t have hit you without thinking things through.....I''ve had a lot of anger since I was a child because....I''m sure you know, I was kind of a bully in middle school.....I promised myself that would change in high school....but it seems that I''m still the same."

    Oh....I know this already but it''s nice that he''s opening up to me.

    " You''re not a bully, Max.....and I think we''ve all changed during our time here."

    Max nods his head and we remain silent for another minute or so until he starts to speak once again,

    " Hey....I need a fav-"

    But before he couldplete whatever he was saying, the door to the rooftop was swung open and the others finally reach.....they''rete.

    Emilia looked really confused as she walked to me.

    " What''s going on ?...everyone''s acting all weird..", Emilia whispered to me.

    Oh....Emilia, this is just the beginning.

    The others moved to the side and looked at me expectantly.....I thought they were going to leave....but no matter, I can always improvise.

    " Emilia....-----------"

    I continue to tell Emilia about everything.

    I tell her about learning the truth about the demons by ident.

    I tell her of how I took over the Creed household.

    I tell her about how I killed Joe.

    I tell her about breaking the princess and Victoria out.

    I tell her about my trip to the demonic kingdom.

    I leave out some some very insignificant details like idently killing her grandparents and of course, I don''t say anything about John because....it hardly seemed relevant.

    "------------and that''s about it.", I finish narrating the events that had urred till now and take in a deep breath.

    I wonder how she''s going to react....?

    I raise my gaze from the floor and try to observe Emilia but-

    I''m surprised to find Emilia embracing me, all the others looked surprised as well.

    Emilia breaks away from the hug quickly, she says while her eyes slightly teared up,

    " I''m sorry....it must have been so hard shouldering this all on your own...at least now you won''t be alone right ?" Emilia says while wiping her eyes to stop herself from crying.

    Oh....yeah, Emilia''s character trait was ''kind'', so I suppose this reaction is normal.

    Well, that''s good for me...but why do I feel so bitter ?

    Meh, it must be nothing.

    ~~~~

    I was walking back to my room with Eric and.....Lecia beside me, I don''t know why but she''s following the both of us.

    " Are you feeling okay ?", Lecia asked concerned

    " I''m fine.", I answer back irritated.

    I don''t know why Lecia is so worried, I''mpletely fine. Strangely, her trying tofort me just makes me more angry.

    " Are you sure you''re fine ?", Lecia asked again frustrating me.

    I turn around to face her and grab her shoulders,

    " I''mpletely fine, Lecia."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Before she could say anything else, Eric and I lead her to her room and get the hell out of there.

    I needed to be alone now.

    " I don''t think you''re gonna like this question.....but are you really alright ?", Eric asked.

    What.....him too ?

    " Why is everyone asking me that ?", I ask confused

    " It''s just that...you seemed a little sad earlier."

    " Well, I''m not sad.....so just leave me alone.", I say giving out ''hmph'' for practical effect.

    " Alright....", Eric says patting me on the shoulder before entering our room.

    Eric directly went to his training room and I did the same,

    I had let Rhys loose in my training room, I''m pretty sure that it''s a freaking battleground now....let''s just hope that I don''t step on a nd mine''.

    Entering the room, I''m surprised to find it spotless, just like I had left it.

    " You finally started using the litter box, huh ?", I say patting Rhys on the head.

    Rhys stayed near me as I took out my spear and started training.

    ~~~~

    Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I continued swinging the spear around.

    I also did some other exercises but I mainly just stuck onto the spear because it still felt a little unfamiliar to me...I needed to get used to the spear quickly, for that I think I need to fight someone for real using the spear.

    Falling down to the ground,pletely and utterly exhausted I crawl over and lean on the wall of the training room for support.

    I sit there for a very long time...thinking.

    My body felt sore, but the pain was weing.....in fact I craved to feel it...to feel something.

    ''Huh ?'', I thought confused as I wipe away the tears that flowed down my face gently.

    I''m crying ?.....

    Why ?

    Is it because I killed Emilia''s grandparents ?

    No....that couldn''t be it...I''ve killed tons of others....this is the same and I''m not even the person who killed them...in a way they killed themselves.

    So....it''s not my fault.

    It''s not my fault.....

    It''s not...but they why....just why do I feel so hollow inside ?

    Wiping away my shameless tears, I felt angry at myself.

    When I first arrived in this world....I made a decision that I would be a winner, but I''m still the same....

    I''m still a fucking loser....

    " What do you want ?", I asked raising up Rhys who was trying to climb on top of me.

    Rhys touched my forehead with his and a bright light engulfed the room, after the light subsided....I was greeted by a pair of red eyes that stared at me sympathetically....

    " It''s going to be fine.....mommy.", Rhys says in a clear and crisp voice.

    ~~~~

    I sessfully made a contract with Rhys.

    I felt happy but is he going to continue calling me ''mommy''....cause that''s a problem.

    Even though it was the time to be celebrating, I didn''t tell anybody else about the contract....I have enough time....I''ll do it tomorrow or something.

    Right now, I was at the park with Rhys sitting on myp.

    I watched the sun set.

    " It''s beautiful isn''t it ?"

    " Mhmmm", Rhys says busy ying with a ball of yarn.

    I watch as the sky became darker and I could feel the night approaching steadily.

    Telling the truth to Emilia made me feel nostalgic....it''s been a long time since I''vee to this world.....a lot of stuff has happened ,some were good while others were bad....I still have a lot of stuff to do....I have a lot more enemies to finish off.

    Instead of feeling excited for the future...I felt afraid.....even though it''s taken me some time....I finally understand that I''m no god.....I''m not the hero-

    I don''t know what I am, but I''m sure that I''ll learn given enough time-

    -------------------

    -and just like that......five months passed.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 115 Talent

    Their meeting room was just like any other room.

    A long table was kept in the middle, where twelve people sat silently conversing with other. Each of the chairs had numbers engraved on them....till 12.

    ''Creak''

    All sound died down as a woman entered the room, she wore a long ck sleeve dress in which an image of a butterfly was embroidered, the design of the butterfly was peculiar as it''s wings were broken.....yet the butterfly still struggled to fly.

    As the woman takes her rightful ce at the front of the table, all the others rise up to show respect to their one and only leader,

    The Enchantress.

    Half Moon was having their monthly meeting, where they discussed matters that required their attention.

    " Thank you for making time toe to this meeting, I''m sure that you''re all very busy...", The Enchantress finally began the meeting...just like she usually did.

    Despite her polite tone, the people in the room.....the executives looked tense.

    They all seemed to be strangely nervous, they listened to their leader but most of the executives were silently watching another member that sat at their table, ignoring their gazes.

    " What''s on our agenda today, Ai ?", The Enchantress asked the person closest to her.

    The boy had clear blue eyes that resembled the clear sky, his ck hair was gleamingly smooth.

    " Well....we have to discuss the talent a-", ''Ai'' started to speak but got interrupted just as fast enough.

    " Ahhhhh.....I can''t take this, why the fuck is this guy still here ?", Walter Ivon asked pointing towards the man everyone was collectively observing.

    " Shh....don''t make a scene, Walt.", a woman whispered into his ear before he could say anything more.

    The Enchantress heaves a sigh and said,

    " I thought I made myself clear...he''s an executive just like you now."

    Walter rolled his eyes before retorting back,

    " He''s arade ?...we haven''t even seen his face.....not even once !, how are we supposed to trust someone like that ?"

    Some of the others nod their heads hearing Walter seemingly agreeing with him.

    "Don''t take that tone with me boy....if I say that he''s an executive...he is one. It''s not a matter of trust....it''s an order."

    Hearing the Enchantress, Walter scoffs but doesn''t say anything else as he wasn''t that crazy.

    Understanding that themotion was over, ''Ai'' started reading their ''to-do'' list out.

    "----------------- Find more about ''Adam Creed''."

    Hearing thest item on the agenda, the Enchantress frowned,

    " Where are we on that ?", she asked rubbing her forehead, tired.

    " Well....we haven''t found anything that leads us to believe that he was the one that attacked us....except for that woman''s testimony."

    " We need concrete proof.....that woman is too unstable.", the enchantress muttered out, lost in her thoughts.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " We should kill him now.", the ''man'' said staring at her through his mask, which hid his face from the others.

    The new executive continued on making sure that he had the attention of the others,

    " If it is indeed that boy, then it''s best that we kill him as soon as possible, taking chances won''t cut it.....we don''t know what he''s capable of...."

    " No.....without concrete proof, we will do no such thing. They''re just kids.", The enchantress said immediately rejecting his proposal.

    Silence descended on the room....

    " I think the masko is right.....we can always find out if he''s threat by attacking him and if he is....then we''ll just kill him.", Walter said surprisingly agreeing with the masked man.

    Soon all the executives voice out their opinions, they were all somewhat simr to what the masked man said...seeing that ''Ai'' hadn''t spoken, the enchantress asked him,

    " What do you think we should do.....son ?"

    Ai thought for a minute before responding,

    " I think we should just let him be for now, keeping an eye on him should be plenty enough....."

    " I think the same as well.", the Enchantress said sounding final.

    " I think you should reconsider....ma''am.", another boy with sandy blond hair and grey eyes said standing up.

    " Please return to your assigned seat.", Ai silently said standing up as well.

    Frowning at him, the boy took another step and was about to take another but before he could do so, Ai disappeared and appeared behind him,

    " Please return to your assigned seat...", Ai said ominously.

    " Fuck off !", the boy said pushing Ai to the ground.

    " I''m not taking orders from someone who''s not a man or a woman ....you fucking unnatural p-"

    " Silence."

    A low but angry voice reverberated through the room making everybody feel a sense of dread,

    " Go back to your seat.....Bardock." the enchantress said ring at the boy.

    Both Bardock and Ai take their respective seats and the meeting continues on with Ai reading the next item on the agenda,

    " Talent recruitment from Unity...."

    ~~~~

    Author''s note:

    This is before the time skip.

    _____________________________

 Chapter 116 After The Skip (1)

    Someone once said-

    ''The goal of all life is death.''

    We''re all born with death''s mark on us, whatever we try to do....death is inevitable.

    A groan escaped the man''s throat as he gazed upon the horrifying sight before him.

    It was a battlefield, bodies of allies and foes alike were strewn around everywhere, most of them were dead or was dying like the man...

    Unbridled rage as well as sadness for the lives cut short made the man feel a veryplex emotion....

    " This...isn''t.....over.", the man whispered falling down .

    ~~~~

    I open my eyes slowly and steadily, trying my best to calm myself.

    Beads of sweat flow down my forehead profusely as my breathing gradually bes regr again.

    After making sure that I was feeling fine, I get up rubbing my forehead, reeling in my urge to punch myself to lessen my headache.

    " Arghhhhhhh---", I groan out frustrated.

    " Urghhh....again ?!", Eric said getting up from his bed.

    It''s not my fault that he''s sensitive to sound.

    If anyone''s frustrated....it''s me, I''ve just about had enough of these stupid visions....or nightmares....I''m not really sure what these are...

    It started almost four months back, out of the blue I started have these ''nightmares'' and it''s been very difficult....my sleep schedule is all messed up and I''m miserable.

    As to what exactly was the contents of these ''night visions''.....I can''t clearly remember....only I remember is the distinct smell of blood which is technically impossible since it''s a dream and all....

    After a week of experiencing these visions....I went to the demon kingdom and asked for help, they tried their best but ording to them I was perfectly fine.

    Lecia had this absurd theory that it was all because of the guilt I felt....which is just not true, it''s true that I felt a little down when some ''things'' happened but I don''t feel all that guilty since it wasn''t really my fault.

    That was exactly what I''m going to tell Emilia as well.

    Lecia and Eric had been pestering me continuously for the past five months, they wanted me to tell the ''truth'' to Emilia....and I was nning on doing just that. Emilia''s grandparents were the ones who signed the contract....so it''s their fault.

    I know it''s selfish on my part to tell her that but hey....I''m trying to be more truthful...that''s an improvement if you ask me.

    " Here you go.", Eric said, handing me a ss of water.

    I gulp it down quickly and try to go back to sleep, but it proved fruitless as I couldn''t fall asleep no matter what I did, so instead of wasting my time squirming around my bed, I decided to train.

    ~~~~

    ''Raven...Huff''

    ''w....Puff''

    I ''huffed'' and ''puffed'' as I continued training with my spear even after every bone in my body felt sore, I might regret thister but I was too immersed in my training to really care.

    After another hour of training, I fall down on the floor of my training room,pletely and utterly exhausted.

    Staring up at the dull ceiling, a strange sense of dread spreads over me....ignoring this I open up my status screen to how much I had improved,

    _________________________________

    Name : Adam Creed

    Age: 15.89

    ------

    Strength: C-

    Agility: C-

    Stamina: D+

    Intelligence: D+

    Mana Grade : D+<novelnext></novelnext>

    Vitality : Unable to determine.

    ------------------------------------

    Job: Spear Warrior lvl: 1

    You have a innate understanding and talent for using the spear.

    Techniques: None.

    Skills:

    1. Sub-Space [SS- rank]

    An pocket dimension where you can store objects of different sizes and shapes.

    2. Disguise [ A- rank] Lvl:1

    Able to transform into anyone you touch and know, has a time limit of one hour.

    3. Incite [ A- rank]

    You''re speech will be more polished and the user will be able to distract people with low mental strength with words...people will trust you more.

    4. Weak Body [ S-rank] [Passive Skill]

    You''re appeal to both genders have increased, you get to be the damsel in distress at all times.

    5. Hell Fire [ SS- rank]

    Able to summon the mes of hell in exchange for vitality, the mes of hell cannot be extinguished until the user allows it to. The mes can be utilized in any way necessary....the only limit is your imagination.

    --------------------------------------

    Over the past five months, I''d improved considerably but this still wasn''t enough....I need more....more power.

    Iy on the floor staring at the status screen for a very long period of time.

    It wasn''t easy too break into the realm of C rank, unlike the other ranks it was much more harder....I even had to use some specialized potions for training.

    Getting tired of staring at my status screen, I force myself up and head over to the bathroom to take a nice and hot shower.

    As the heated water embraced my body, I could almost feel my fatigue melting away but as always instead of enjoying my well deserved break...my mind wandered elsewhere.

    To be exact, Dina or I suppose... my mom.

    She hadn''t left but she didn''t get in my way, I still don''t know what exactly she wants but I''m sure that she won''t hurt me....but it''s always better to be careful but the problem is that I have no means to defeat an angel that''s lived for far longer than me.

    So.....I''m doing nothing.

    I get out of the bathroom, water dripping down from my body to the carpet below, I use a towel to cover myself and move away as Eric rushes past me into the bathroom muttering something.

    ''What''s up with him ?'', I thought feeling confused.

    My confusion disappears as my eyesnd on the clock.....I think I just took a two hour long shower....

    ''Rring !''

    Before I could digest the fact that I had took a bath for two hours, the door bell to our room was rung which was weird since nobody ever uses that thing.

    I open the door, on the other side stood Eustace with Katherine hiding behind him looking guilty.

    ''Sigh''

    Sighing, I move back inside my room, as I take my uniform which had been kept on my bed...I say,

    " Come in."

    I knew that this wasing someday soon....but I didn''t think that I would have to do this half-naked.

    .......

    ''Sigh''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 117 After The Skip (2)

    " So.....this is a little awkward huh ?", I asked still drenched in water.

    Eustace had made himselffortable on a chair while Katherine stood behind him avoiding my gaze.....geez I told her it''s fine if she wants to tell Eustace the truth....

    Why does she look so guilty ?

    It''s not like I can kill Eustace, if I do I''ll probably be know for killing my friend''s grandparents.....and that''s not a name I want for myself.

    I''ve been expecting this talk with Eustace for some time now.

    During these past five months, I''ve thought long and hard on how to deal with this selfish geezer and there''s only a single way....well aside from killing him but that''s beside the point isn''t it ?

    I''m going to try to bepletely honest, if all ends well.....I would have a very important and powerful ally, but the most basic characteristic trait of Eustace was [selfish], he was not the hero that fought in the front lines....he was the person who always profited from the conflict...because of this it might be hard topletely take advantage of his power and influence.

    Before sitting down, I wait for Eric toe out of the bathroom and when he does I rush inside quickly with my clothes without giving any further exnation.

    " Oh....hi."

    I heard Eric speak as I was going inside the bathroom, a smile naturally spreads over my face thinking about the awkward atmosphere in the room.

    ~~~~

    In about five minutes time, I was facing Eustace....fully clothed this time.

    I sat in a chair that was kept opposite to him, Eric stood behind me...I don''t really know why though ?

    " I''m sure that you have a lot of questions....I know it''s hard to take it all in but I''m sure so-"

    I stop speaking as Eustace raised three of his fingers, a frown stered over his face.

    " I only have three questions to ask you.", his voice was cold....looks like he''s not putting up the fa?¡ìade of a loving grandpa anymore.

    I nod my head, not flustered by his abrupt shift in tone...after all I created him in a sense...so I had expected this.

    " Sure....ask away.", I say, smiling kindly.

    I smile at Katherine, who had no trouble looking at me now....it must be because I was barely clothed then....she''s childish when ites to the weirdest things isn''t she ?

    " Do you have any proof ?"

    Hmmmmmm...I guess that''s his first question.

    Eustace didn''t have to specify what exactly, this ''proof'' was so it could be anything at all. I don''t think for that long as I already knew how to answer this question.

    " No."

    " What ?!", Eustace says, surprised.

    I had no proof of my words....but someone else does-

    " I may not have proof....but I''m sure you do...."

    " What do you mean ?...", Eustace asked acting confused.

    Eustace was a careful person by nature, there''s no way he just came to this meeting without even looking into my ''truth'' and I''m sure that he found concrete proof of the angels being a bunch of dickheads.

    Of course, a question arises along with this thought, why hadn''t anyone else found the truth if it was this simple ?

    There was primarily two reasons for this, the first being that the Colleen family had a vast amount of resources and talent with them so it''s easy to find information. The second and most important reason was that nobody really investigates the angels all too much....why cast doubt upon thy saviors right ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even if someone did try to find dirt on the angels...it would be extremely hard, the only reason Eustace was sessful was because of the first reason...probably.

    " I''m sure that you were careful, but please extremely careful when you investigate them.....if they find us, you''ll be endangering us all.", I say to a bbergasted Eustace.

    " How did you know ?", he asked hiding his surprise.

    " I guessed.", I couldn''t help but smirk seeing him frustrated.

    Calming myself down, I put on a serious face before asking him,

    " Before you ask the next question....let me be frank....we''re in dire need of help, you could help us a lot but right now whatever you decide on...I need you to not make any drastic changes or decisions.....the angels might get suspicious if you do something out of the norm...like you usually do."

    Eustace thinks for a moment before slowly nodding his head,

    " That''s reasonable."

    I''m surprised that it was that easy.....maybe Katherine talked me up or something ?

    I wait as Eustace thought before asking his second question,

    " How do you n on dealing with the angel here...at Unity ?", he asked seriously.

    " There is no need to ''deal'' with her....she isn''t a threat."

    " Why is that ?...",he asked inching closer to me.

    " She''s been brainwashed by me...it''s a very strong skill so you don''t have to worry about her escaping it."

    I knew that he was going to ask me that question and this was an answer that I had prepared beforehand. I''m going to deal with Dina soon...so I can''t have him interfere now.

    " I see...", he says deep in thought.

    As I waited for his final question, I manage to take a look at Katherine who looked at the both of us nervously....seeing that I was looking at her, Katherine''s face stiffens up.....oh no...that won''t do at all.

    I wink at her and as expected she bes flustered and avoids my gaze,

    " Tell me.....who are you ?"

    Hearing his question, I couldn''t help but be confused.

    " Excuse me ?"

    " What ?.....you expect me to believe that an orphan from the middle of nowhere managed to somehow do all that you''ve done....and that too all alone ?"

    Seeing that I remained silent, Eustace asks me once again,

    " So tell me...what exactly are you, Adam Creed ?"

    I stand up slowly and look down at Eustace,

    Since I decided on being truthful.....that''s exactly what I''m going to do.

    ? " I am.....--"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 118 The Last Question

    Katherine was nervous.....extremely nervous.

    When she told her grandfather the truth, he was obviously shocked. But before acting rashly he sent some people to collect some kind of ''footprint''.

    Katherine didn''t know what exactly it was all about but she was feeling much better with her grandfather by her side. These past five months moved at a snail''s pace making her even more anxious, she had thought that telling her grandfather the truth would make him want to fight the angels or something of that sort.

    Katherine realized how na?¡¥ve she had been only muchter, instead of digging more into the angels....he was fixated with Adam even now and who could me him ?

    The questions he asked were valid.

    Katherine nervously waited as her grandfather knocked on the door, the door opens slowly revealing a barely clothed Adam.

    '' ....''

    Katherine looked away feeling embarrassed, she had never interacted with the opposite sex in any manner so it was only reasonable for her to be shy. But her embarrassment was short lived as Adam quickly changed into his uniform and sat down to talk with Eustace.

    Katherine listened silently while the both of them conversed....no, rather than a conversation it was more simr to a interrogation. Adam answered quickly and precisely which made Katherine feel happy....lying now would make him an enemy and Katherine wanted to avoid that if possible.

    " Just who in the world are you ?"

    Eustace asked his third and final question, hearing the question Katherine sharpens her ears and listened more closely.....she''s wanted to ask him this for awhile now but her grandfather beat her to it.

    Adam slowly gets up, adorning an uncharacteristically serious expression.

    " I''m....te for school.", Adam said taking his bag from a corner and heading out.

    Eustace didn''t move probably because he was stunned and Katherine also remained silent as she realized that she was alsote.

    " Eustace....please don''t do anything rash, it may endanger us all. We''ll contact you when we need your help.", Adam said closing the door to his room, leaving behind a stunned Eustace.

    Katherine knew her grandfather very well.

    Eustace Colleen was not a man who stood still and waited for anybody, but still Katherine had hoped that this time he would, but she realized that it was toote from the re stered on her grandfather''s face.

    Adam...was in trouble.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ______________________

    Getting out of my room, I take in a deep breath.

    I really wanted to tell the truth....the full truth but it just felt wrong....as if I was exposing myself or something....

    I don''t know....it''s just weird.

    I begin walking to my ss but stop as I realized that I had left Eric behind.

    ....<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Eh he''ll be okay.'', I thought abandoning him and running away.

    On my way to the ssroom, I meet up with the others.

    " Hey look...it''s the birthday boy.", Jennifer greeted me first.

    " There''s still three more days for my birthday...", involuntarily sighing.

    That''s right, it ''s my birthday in three days and Lecia''s invited everyone to the mansion for a ughhh.....party.

    I don''t even wanna think about it....but I will.

    I hate parties, it''s that simple. I told Lecia to call it off, but she insisted on holding one. It must be because she feels guilty for all those party-less birthdays at the orphanage.....she didn''t know this, but I was hoping for it to be the same this year.

    But oh well, since she already minted invitations and sent them out to our friends....there''s nothing I can do now.

    " I can''t wait till you see the gift I got you...", Emilia said bobbing her head up and down.

    Seeing her excited made feel strange....but I tried my best to ignore that specific ''feeling''. We talk about a lot of things and finally reach the ss.

    ~~~~

    " As I''m sure you''re all aware...in a week''s time your final exams will begin, theing week will be your study leave so please make sure to study properly.", Dina''s voice reached my ears.

    I still couldn''t bring myself to look her in the face.

    But still as I listened to her, I was mildly surprised.

    Time was moving very quickly, soon all of us would enter our second year at Unity. That feels crazy....it only feels like yesterday when I was intimidated by this school''s huge walls.

    A lot of things happened in thest five months and everything that happened was leading to this.....well not everything but still.....-

    Things are finally starting to look up in as sense.....

    ~~~~

    " How quickly can you arrange it... ?", Eustace talked with his phone pressed against his ears.

    [One month.], an eerily low voice whispered back through the phone.

    " Keep in mind that I need the best."

    [ Yes, the person won''t even know what happened.]

    Cutting the call without saying anything else, Eustace closed his eyes, deep in thought.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 119 My Eyes Need Soap

    ss goes on as normal.

    I find it vey hard to concentrate on ss....I mean what''s the point ?

    We''re revising the important portions since everything''s already been taught. I couldn''t concentrate because I had too many things to deal with,

    Telling Emilia the truth.

    Somehow dealing with Dina.

    Acing my final exams.

    These three were the most important ones, I still have a lot of other stuff to do but I''m concentrating on these three for now.

    I had decided to tell Emilia the truth....the next question was the ''when'' and my birthday party was the perfect time since it''s going to suck either way.

    About dealing with Dina....I think I''m gonna with the ''emotional threatening'' n. Just guilt her into running away somewhere far away, if that doesn''t work.....I need to find a way to finish her off.

    I need to find a way to kill her and I''m sure that I can.....do it.

    I''m not that worried about the exams since I''m confident in my ability to study and the I already know what the practical part of the final exam entails courtesy of Laurine Gem.

    In the novel, it was tournament style battle....but it''s been changed now. It''s good that Patrick...I mean Laurine told me...It would have been difficult otherwise.

    The plot change was a little concerning but I decided to roll with it since there wasn''t anything else-

    " Hey.", Katherine whispers into my ears startling me.

    Oh yeah.....she''s been a little too quite since earlier. Katherine usually talks a lot during ss.

    I slightly nce at her to find that she looked worried [?]. She seemed to be struggling to say something, I wait patiently.

    " My grandfather looked mad....please be careful."

    " I will.", I say nodding my head.

    Even thought Eustace was selfish in nature, he did have certain morals or codes he went by so he shouldn''t try to kill me....but still I better prepare something just in case.

    " I''m sorry for-"

    " It''s not your fault.", I say cutting her off.

    It was obviously Eustace''s fault.....that grumpy old shit.

    I try my best to concentrate but my mind kept wandering elsewhere.

    ~~~~

    It''s lunch break now.

    All of us sat together at our usual spot at the rooftop and ate our lunch while talking about this and that.

    " How''s the partying along ?", Max asked Lecia.

    " It''s a secret.", Lecia says, a yful grin on her face.

    I frown seeing them talking so freely.....they''ve gotten awfully close haven''t they ?

    The person who might have gone through the most change these past five months was probably Max. He''s cooled down a lot and grown a lot stronger and it''s all because of me...hehe.

    Max asked me to introduce him to the demon king and the both of you went there, I knew that something was weird the moment he asked me but I went along with it either way.

    But when we reached there, he surprised the shit out of me by begging the demon king to train him, he said that he wanted to grow stronger and of course Belial refused him....but Helmer was impressed with his guts and took him in as a disciple.

    Now, this was a very huge deal because Max is a human and a demon training a human was unheard off. Rumors of Max had spread quickly within the demon''s ranks. Max would use the gate to the demon''s ce every single day to travel and reach Belial''s castle where Helmer would train Max.

    I would go along with him asionally to visit Tania and Victoria.

    I used to hate Max but now I''ve learned to tolerate him and who knows....maybe after a century, I mighte to actually like him.

    " What''re you staring at ?", Max asked confused.

    " Huh ?"

    Was I staring for too long ?

    Lately it always feels like this...I feel like I''m asleep when I''m awake and awake when I''m sleeping...

    .....

    That doesn''t make sense...

    It''s difficult to exin...but I feel very tired....always.

    ''Oh.''

    I realize that everyone was looking at me weirdly.

    Lecia pats me on the shoulder and asks,<novelnext></novelnext>

    ? " Are you still having the nightmares ?"

    Lecia looked concerned.

    I''m d but-

    " I''mpletely fine."

    The others also check up on me before we once again start chatting about the most random things.

    ~~~~

    " Are you ready to leave ?", Eric asked me yawning.

    " In a minute..", I say throwing in all my clothes into the bag.

    A frown settles on Eric''s face as he saw the mess that was my bag but what''s he gonna do....pack for me ?

    God...I wish he does pack for me.

    This all feels like such a drag.

    After packing everything important, I head outside with Eric beside me.

    We were returning home since school was going to be closed for theing week. We would normally take Lecia, but she said that was doing something with the girls, so it''s just the two of us today.

    As we were walking to where Victor awaited us, Eric suddenly stopped in his tracks.

    " Why don''t we take Max with us ?....I wanted to y a game of happy birds with him....I might finally beat him today."

    Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

    I suppose we can drop him off at Looter''s...I could also visit Tania, it''s been awhile since I saw her.

    " Let''s do that then.", I say

    We started walking to Max''s room in a hurry.

    ~~~~

    Eric knocks twice on Max''s door.

    Strangely, there was no response.

    We could hear muffled voicesing from inside....so he was obviously inside.

    " That''s weird...", Max says going to ring the bell.

    Eric stops midway and says,

    " Wait....he gave me the key to his room."

    " Why ?", I ask curious.

    " For emergencies.", Eric replied using his key to open the door.

    Nobody''s given me their keys....

    Hmph.

    Eric opens the door and pops his head inside,

    " Ma-", Eric started to speak but.....pulled his head back and mmed the door shut as if he had seen something.....unpleasant.

    " What''s wrong ?"

    " I-it''s n-nothing.", Eric says blushing.

    I push past him and open the door, curious to find what rattled him so much....I mean it''s probably somethin-

    All thoughts going on inside my mind stop as I see Max and...Lecia in the room. Seeing me, they scurried around the room like little rats to cover themselves.

    What''s happening here ?

    Nah....it''s not possible.

    There must be a perfectly reasonable answer for th-

    I finally notice the hickey on Max''s neck.....

    ....

    WHAT THE FUCK ?!!

    ~~~

 Chapter 120 Plotting The End

    This can''t be happening...

    But as I watched Lecia and Max dress themselves, I realize that this wasn''t another one of my nightmares.

    This was reality and I''m gonna kill Max.

    I take a step forward with the intention of smashing his head in, but Eric holds me back probably sensing my anger.

    " What....exactly is going on here ?", I say gritting my teeth against each other.

    " We can expl-", Max started to speak but-

    I raise my finger and ''shh'' Max and say,

    " I wasn''t talking to you."

    Hearing me, Max lowers his head and fixed his gaze on the floor.

    I stare intently at Lecia, while she avoided my gaze.

    " Adam.....could we talk outside ?"

    " Why ?", I say ring at her.

    Lecia seems confused as she answered back,

    " Uh....because I''m ufortable talking about this here ?"

    " Well....I''m sure it''ll be fine if we talk here since the both of you seem very fortable'' with each other."

    ...

    An ufortable silence descends upon the room as Lecia and I re at each other.

    " Fine.", she says taking in a deep breath.

    She nces at Max before saying,

    " What do you want to know ?"

    Well....that''s pretty obvious isn''t it ?

    " When did it start ?"

    " A month ago...we were training together and it just happened."

    So...she''s been lying to for a whole fucking month, that''s just great.

    " Do you love him ?", I ask, dreading the answer.

    " I don''t know...I don''t think so....our rtionship is strictly physical.", she says sounding unsure of herself.

    " What ?", Max says looking hurt.

    Seeing him looking so hurt gave me a slight joy, I feel relieved now.

    If Lecia doesn''t love him that means I canpletely obliterate this ''rtionship'' before it bes official.

    " Well....that''s good then.", I say smirking at Max.

    This wasn''t that horrible, the both of them are at the age were they''re curious of such things....but I''ll make sure that this doesn''t blossom into something serious.

    " This rtionship ends here.....I forbid you two from seeing each other anymore.", I say with finality.

    Lecia scoffs as she says,

    " You forbid me ?"

    " Yes...that''s right."

    " Are you serious right now ?", Lecia asks her eyes widened in surprise.

    " Do I look like I''m joking to you ?", I retort back, ring at her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I forbid the two of you from seeing each other again.", I say wanting to drive in my point into her thick skull. I know I sound like an asshole right now....but this is for her own good.

    We''re once again back to ring at each other in full force, until Lecia surprisingly smirks at me.....I have a bad feeling.

    " You know what-"

    Lecia pulls Max closer to her and continues on,

    " I''m gonna see him even harder."

    " What''s that supposed to mean ?", I say frowning at how close they were to each other.

    " You know what it means.", Lecia says taunting me.

    Hearing her, Max has a weak smile on his face.

    ...

    I''m going to kill them both, but before I could say anything else Eric drags me away.

    " Hey !", I say trying to push him off.

    After Eric closes the door, he lets me go, he had an apologetic expression on his face.

    " Why don''t we give them some time ?"

    " Nah, I''m going back inside.", I say trying to open the door.

    " Let''s leave before you say something you''ll regret in the future."

    I stop trying to open the door, hearing Eric...maybe he''s right.

    I can''t think clearly now and thest time I acted without thinking.....I almost killed Max.

    I''m angry with Lecia....but I don''t want to do something that''ll sour our rtionship.

    Feeling helpless, I turn around and say,

    " Let''s just go back."

    ~~~~

    The car moved quickly through the near empty streets, while Eric and I conversed about ''certain'' things.

    " What do you mean, I overreacted ?.....I reacted perfectly."

    " Look....all I''m saying is that the both of them are mature enough to make their own decisions."

    I roll my eyes and say,

    " They''re fucking teenagers....they''re not ready for something like this."

    Eric frowns upon hearing me,

    " But aren''t you just a teenager too and what was with all that ''forbid'' stuff ?"

    " That...might have sounded strange but it was for her own good."

    "How are you so sure ?", Eric asked raising his brows.

    " Trust me.....Max is the worst match for Lecia.", I say rolling down the window of the car and looking outside.

    Max was the protagonist and trouble often followed the protagonist like a shadow, getting closer to him meant that Lecia could get seriously hurt and I can''t allow that....I won''t allow that.

    I''m going to break them up.

    I know exactly when to act as well....

    My birthday party was shaping up to be rather interesting.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 121 The Party

    For the past three days, I''ve been thinking about a way to end Lecia''s ''rtionship''.

    All my good ideas had Max dying at the end, which wasn''t good.....or was it ?

    I look at myself in the mirror, I seemed.....too shiny.

    Today was my...birthday and Lecia was hosting a party in my name, I had assumed that it was off because of the things that hade into light, but it seems that Lecia still wanted to keep the party going on.

    She made Eric bring me the dress, she had picked out for me.

    The dress she''d chosen looked expensive and it was really shiny, tiny red gems had been embedded into the suit and shirt was entirely red. A ck tie and pants of the same color.

    I look like a clown.

    I had worn the suit and was admiring myself in the mirror, the others were probably waiting for me in the backyard, which was the venue that Lecia had chosen for the party.

    ~~~~

    It was probably dark out by now.

    I could hear voicesing from our backyard, I took in a deep breath and stepped into the backyard, swinging open the back door.

    As soon as I open the back door....''it'' reached my ears.....that dreadful song,

    " HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....ADAM, MAY THE GOOD GOOD BLESS YOU---------"

    I''m greeted by all my friends who sang the ''birthday'' song chaotically.....hmmm, I''ll give them an A for effort though.

    Even though their song was subpar, Lecia had really turned the backyard into something beautiful....

    Lanterns were hung from trees and nts, they illuminated the night sky.....giving it afortable orange hue. Light music could be hearding from a speaker that was hidden skillfully.

    " Happy Birthday...Adam.", Lecia says moving along with the group towards me carrying a very big cake.

    Lecia smiled like she did normally....she didn''t look angry either.

    I thought we were fighting...?

    " I think you''re supposed to blow now.", Katherine remarked earning chuckles from Jennifer and Emilia.

    " Oh...right.", I say before awkwardly blowing out the candles that were inserted inside the strawberry cake....which looked very appetizing.

    ~~~~

    After blowing out the candles, Lecia cut us all a slice of cake and we ate it while sitting together in a circle.

    I don''t like to admit this....but I''m enjoying this party more than I thought I would.

    " So.....we heard something interesting about you two..", Emilia says disying a smirk.

    She was looking at Lecia....and Max.

    I re at Eric, who averts his gaze nervously.

    That little gossip machine told everyone !

    Now....it''s going to be harder to contain it.

    " Well...ac-", Lecia begins, but-

    " There is nothing to talk about.", I say sounding a little more harsher than I had intended to.

    A certain awkwardness pierces through the jolly atmosphere and I suspect that it might be my fault.

    " The food''s getting cold...we should probably start eating now.", Lecia says forcing herself to smile.

    ~~~~

    It was a buffet.

    We had to serve ourselves the food, which was also very good.

    Eric and I stood in a corner holding our tes, which were filled with food and eat our food. The others had all gathered around Lecia and they were talking about something.

    " You know....these baby carrots are pretty good.", Eric says examining the baby carrots on his te thoroughly.

    I remain silent as I wasn''t in the mood for conversation, but oblivious to this Eric continues on,

    " Lecia told me that these were grown in this backyard.", He says waving the carrots around.

    .....

    " Hey....didn''t we bury that guy here ?....what was his name again....Joe or something ?"

    ...

    " Since we used him as manure...it''s like we''re eating him in a way....huh ?"

    I spit out the baby carrot in my mouth and frown hearing Eric.

    " What the hell is wrong with you ?", I say putting my te down and walking away.

    I need some fresh air....

    I walked to the front porch of the mansion where my car was parked.

    Leaning against the car, I gently sit on the floor and close my eyes.

    I feel....plicated.

    Uhhh....this is all such a dra-

    " Feeling guilty yet ?"

    I almost jump up, startled as a familiar voice reached my ears,

    " Jennifer...", I say observing the smiling girl before me.

    Jennifer''s crimson hair and green eyes strangely seemed to sparkle in the night....she was beautiful for an extra.

    " Why should I feel guilty ?", I ask scoffing.

    " Well...let me think....for behaving like an asshole even after she did all of this for you.", Jennifer says sitting down beside me.

    I re at her even though I know she''s right.

    " Well....I won''t let them be together.", I say shaking my head and strengthening my resolve.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I don''t care about any of that. Adam....I just hope that you understand that Lecia''s the only family you have...and I believe that family is the most important thing in the world....so don''t throw that away for something as insignificant as this.", Jennifer says getting up.

    " I''ll see you on the other side.", she said before leaving me alone with my thoughts.

    Family.....

    Am I really in the wrong here ?

    I should probably talk to Lecia properly first.

    ~~~~

    Before talking to Lecia, there''s another teen-tiny thing I have to do.

    Confess to Emilia about how I killed her grandparents....I''m not gonnae off good in this story....but I have to do it.

    Returning to the backyard, I search for Emilia but she was nowhere to be found, after asking around, I learn that she had went inside the mansion to get some water.

    Bracing myself, I enter the mansion and find Emilia in the kitchen heartily drinking some water. I see a disy of very shiny knifes next to her....maybe I should do this some other time....

    " Adam !"

    But it was toote to back out now as Emilia called out to me,

    " Hey...", I say unsure of exactly where to begin.

    " I hope you don''t mind me saying this....but take it easy on Lecia...alright ?"

    " Mhmm", I mumble nodding my head.

    " I have to tell you something....."

    " What is it ?", Emilia asked worried, seeing my grim demeanor.

    ..............

    " Could you pass me some of that water ?"

    ~~~~

    Okay.

    So, I failed at telling Emilia anything....I''ll just tell her some other time.

    It''s just that she looked so happy today.....I don''t want to ruin that.

    I also might have been a little scared.

    Instead of heading back to the backyard, I head to my room and fall down on the bed.....dead tired.

    A few peaceful minutes pass before-

    ''Knock''

    Someone knocks on my door.

    " Come in.", I say getting up and sitting on the bed.

    " I thought I''d find you here."

    Lecia entered the room, she sits beside me and smiled at me.

    We stay silent for some time before she started speaking,

    " I''m sorry fo-"

    " No.....I''m the sorry one.", I say interrupting her.

    " I hate the idea of Max and you together.....but it was wrong of me to try to force you to stop having sex with him-"

    I hold in the urge to puke, hoping that Lecia feels the same way.

    " Sex ?,...we haven''t quite reached that part yet.", Lecia says looking embarassed.

    " Then....what did the two of you exactly do ?"

    " Well, we just j-....I don''t think I''mfortable enough to talk this with you."

    " Right...."

    Another ufortable silence descends upon us until Lecia breaks it by saying,

    " Adam...since I came here from the orphanage...I''ve been afraid of something and meeting with Max and talking with him helped me a lot more than you could imagine...he isn''t that much of bad guy if you really get to know him."

    " I refuse to believe that.....but okay."

    Lecia sighs and continues on,

    "All I''m saying is that...he''s helped me get over a lot of things and he''s an alright guy.....but we''re not in love or anything like that....it was just some harmless fun....just because we did some ''things''...it doesn''t mean that we''re going to get married now or anything.....so you can stop being so paranoid."

    " I see....are the both of you going to start dating or something ?", I ask wanting confirmation of some sort that their rtionship was really ending.

    " Oh...god no, I''m not interested in something like that....at least not right now."

    " That''s good then...", I say finally having peace of mind.

    '' Purrrrrrr'', the sound of Rhys snoring reached our ears.

    " He''s grown quite big hasn''t he ?", Lecia says smiling.

    " Yeah..."

    Rhys had grown up a lot.....he''s also getting pretty good at speech as well, but L''s always ahead of him at everything....and he still keeps calling me ''mommy''.

    I need to do something about that...

    " Why don''t we head back ?", Lecia asked getting up.

    Opening the door and dragging me along with her, she said,

    " It''s time to open the presents."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 122 Father Oh.......Father (1)

    ''Scring''

    The sound of wrapping paper being torn apart rings vividly in my ears as I slowly opened the gifts I had received.

    The first one I opened was Emilia''s...she bought me very heavy dumbbells.

    " Thank you.", I say, smiling at Emilia and taking the next gift in my hand.

    This one was given by Max, I had the idea of burning it but that might seem rude. I quickly remove the wrapping paper and a book was revealed underneath.

    " How to deal with anger...eh ?", I say reading out the book''s long title.

    " Well....I thought it would help you, hehe.", Mark saysughing like an idiot.

    The others all have a smallugh at my expense and then I quickly move on to the next gift.

    This one was from Jennifer, I opened it up quickly and I found that it was a dress....a woman''s gown, one that resembled very closely to the dress that Cindere wore in that stupid fairy tail.

    Seeing me confused, Jennifer lets out a chuckle and says,

    " I thought it would be fitting since you know...you look like a girl now."

    ....

    After the others once again have a goodugh at my expense, I move on to the next gift.

    The next one I chose to open was Lecia''s, quickly removing the wrapping paper I found a soft nket inside that had....little strawberries as a basic design.

    I resist the urge to lick the nket and move on to the next gift after thanking Lecia.

    The next one was Katherine''s...it was extremely small so opening it was very easy.

    It was a keychain....of a small strawberry, the strawberry had eyes and hands as well. It was cute...I resist the urge to lick it [ for tasting purposes] and put it down with the other gifts.

    " It''s stupid...isn''t it ?", Katherine asked looking down, her face was flushed.....is it that embarrassing ?

    " I love it.", I say staring at her flushed cheeks.

    Katherine''s eyes widen slightly hearing me, I enjoy her reaction more that I''d like to admit.

    We go inside the mansion and chat about for an hour before they all left.

    Thus, ended my sixteenth birthday celebrations.

    ~~~~

    " Arghhh....cleaning up is such a pain.", I groan out cleaning up the remains of yesterday''s party.

    We could have easily hired people to clean this up, but Lecia insisted on doing the clean up together. I don''t get her sometimes.

    " Stop whining and get on with it.", Lecia ordered doing her part.

    I was given the task of taking thenterns away.

    I frowned reaching for thentern that was hung on a branch of small tree, somehow in the process of taking it, I hurt myself.....a drop of my blood fall on the ground and then everything went dark-

    I was in a familiar battlefield....no it was more fitting to call it a graveyard, millions of allies and foes had been in and their bodies were starting to release an unpleasant odor.

    I watched in horror as crows feasted on their bodies, a pain that I hadn''t noticed earlier attacked my body.....I look down to find a hole, the size of a fist, where my heart was supposed to be.....

    As my body [?] fell down, a voice that I wasn''t familiar with could be heard,

    " This...isn''t.....over."

    It took me a minute to realize that...it was my voice....only it wasn''t my voice.....this wasn''t my body.....this wasn''t my memory.

    This.....was someone else entirely.

    ''Huff''

    I wake up, breathing heavily.

    ''What was that ?'', I thought massaging my forehead.

    " Adam !...", Lecia eximed in shock seeing me awake.

    Both her and Eric rush toward me and look me up and down,

    " Are you okay ?", Eric asked

    " Is it those visions again ?", Lecia asked looking concerned.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Yes.", I say answering both their answers together.

    ~~~~

    It''s been two days since....my little vision.

    I feelpletely fine now.

    Today.....I was going to meet Dina because I might as well start dealing with her now. I need to do something instead of just wasting my time like this.

    I wasn''t that scared because I was sure that Dina wouldn''t hurt me....unless I really provoked her.

    I was currently just outside her quarters inside the school grounds.

    Teachers were given a residence at the school and getting to Dina''s quarters wasn''t that hard.

    I knock on the door and wait for her to open the door.

    I was calm since I had already prepared myself...mentally.

    The door slowly opened, revealing Dina''s thin figure.

    She wore casual clothes...which looked weird on her. She looked extremely surprised to see me,

    " Adam ?!"

    But her surprise soon died down,

    " I knew that you woulde...."

    I walk inside without asking for her permission, she didn''t seem to mind all too much.

    " I actually wanted to talk to you for awhile now.."

    " About what ?", I ask sitting downfortably on her sofa.

    I''m going to emotionally ckmail her now...oh boy, this is going to be roug-

    " I brought your father here..."

    .......

    " W-what ?", I ask thinking that I had misheard.

    Dina smiled warmly before saying,

    " I brought Alvah...you loved him a lot didn''t you ?"

    No....that''s not-

    No....please....if Dina was my mother she would never do this.....something''s wrong.

    My mother hated him....there''s no way she would willingly bring him here.

    Dina''s smile became wider as she says,

    " Now...the three of us can finally be family again."

    .....

    The door to Dina''s bedroom opened, a boy who looked about eleven or twelve came out.

    He smiled at me, warmly....just like Dina.

    " Oh.....you must be the boy....I''ve heard a lot about you....----"

    In the novel, I based a character off my mother and...father.

    My mother was Dina.....an angel.

    My father was Alvah.....he was also an angel.

    If I had to point out a difference between the two...

    My father....no Alvah was a tad bit more crazier...

    ~~~~

 Chapter 123 Father Oh.....Father (2)

    Alvah was a character that was based off my father.

    I didn''t put my parents in my novel because I have issues.....it''s easier to write when the characters are more familiar.....yeah...that''s it.

    Alvah was bad news.....even more so than Dina because he''s crazy....no ''crazy'' isn''t the right word, he was obsessed with Dina.

    That''s his primary character trait.

    Ever since Alvah could remember, he''s been in love with her and Dina knew about it as well....but Dina would never reciprocate his feelings because he had the body of a twelve year old.

    Heh.

    Alvah would always love Dina....but it would lead to nothing.

    I might have done this because I wanted to hurt him or.....I don''t know.

    After Dina''s death, he goes on a rampage and destroyed Unity, Max couldn''t handle him alone....but with the help of his ''friends'', he managed to kill Alvah.

    " I--------------------", Alvah was saying something but I couldn''t make myself hear him.....his face resembled my father, when he was a young boy.

    Seeing him made me feelplicated, I was strangely excited, my father ''died'' early on in my life...but when he was alive...he was the best thing in my life.

    Alvah tries to shake my hand, but I back away before his hands could touch me.

    Being touched by him was bad news.....

    " Why...are you here ?", I manage to speak...somehow.

    " Eh ?....Dina, you were right....our son is very careless."

    Alvah smiled at Dina before continuing on,

    " Believe me.....I''m more surprised than you , to think that Dina and I have a son and that too from a past life.....it''s fascinating really..."

    " I''m not your son.....I think I''m going to leave now.", I say turning around.

    I can''t stay here now....now that he''s here, it''s going to be harder to sent them both away but I cane up with another n.....I just need time.

    " Where do you think you''re going ?"

    Alvah...who was behind me had appeared in front of me in the blink of an eye, that''s way too fast....

    " I said I''m leaving.", I say trying to move around him.

    " I''ll kill you if you take another step."

    Alvah''s voice was soft and kind as if he was talking about helping me or something.

    " Al...don''t threaten him.", Dina says frowning.

    I sigh internally before moving back towards Dina, I make sure to stick close to her because I''m a little scared of Alvah....since he threatened to kill me and all.

    " I want to leave...", I whisper hoping that Dina lets me go.

    " You can leave.....but please stay for awhile be-", Dina staggers slightly, Alvah appears just in the nick of time and helped her up.

    " What''s wrong ?", I ask confused.

    Now that I''m stuck here anyway, I might as well get information. Dina looked weak...which shouldn''t be possible.

    Alvah res at me and says,

    " You don''t know ?....it''s you....you''re the one doing this to her....she said that being near you made her remember more and she was right.....I have a splitting headache now."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Alvah massages his forehead afterying Dina down next to me on the sofa, her face was contorted as if she was hurting real bad....

    Aurora said something about a catalyst...it seems I''m the trigger, that''s just great isn''t it ?

    Alvah goes to the kitchen andes out with an ice pack on his head,

    " Ahh.....that''s better."

    He sits opposite to me, his face was grim.

    " I hope you''re worth this pain...son.", Alvah says closing his eyes.

    The both of them were out of it now.....should I try killing them ?

    ....

    No, that''s a bad idea.

    ...

    I feel weird watching these two, they made some grunting noises once in awhile but that was it. I observe my fa- Alvah, he had ck hair and eyes of the same color, he looked short for a twelve year old...but something about him annoyed me.

    I sit there for some more time because I need to end this today, I hope they don''t remember everything....since-

    " Huff....huff"

    Dina suddenly jerks up, awake.

    I stand up and move away from her, her eyes were hazy for awhile...until tears started flowing down, she runs towards me and hugs me tightly....I surprisingly let her hug me...

    " Do you hate me now ?", I ask her even though I already knew her answer.

    " I could never hate you...it''s not your f-"

    " Well....you should.", I interject pulling her away from me and heading for the front door.

    " Joh-....Adam, the both of us weren''t perfect....but we have always loved you and will continue to do so...I understand that you need time but if you ever need anything.....we''ll....always be here for you."

    Hearing her, my heart felt strangely empty.

    If I didn''t need her then....I don''t need her now.

    ~~~~

    I''m back home, lying on myfortable bed.

    Sleep eluded me as usual....

    When did everything be so messed up ?

    ...

    That doesn''t matter.....all I can do is move forward.

    I also need to start studying for my exams, which are right around the corner.

    Sighing with all my might, I close my eyes and try to sleep.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 124 Let The Finals Begin !

    Nothing out of the ordinary happened the past two days, I haven''t seen Dina or Alvah for which I''m d.

    I used the remaining days to catch up on most of my subjects and now it was finally time to use all that crammed-up knowledge in my brain.

    ''Rrriing''

    The bell rang clearly signifying that exams had officially begun.

    " You can start now.", our exam invigtor says prompting us to start writing. Before getting into my paper, I observe how the others were faring,

    Lecia was thoroughly reading the paper while Katherine had already started writing. I found Eric and Max staring at me.....they must be bored too.

    I give Eric a thumps up and flip Max off before looking back to my own paper.

    The questions were all hard.....really hard.

    ''Oh well....here we go.'', I thought finally starting to write.

    ~~~~

    The exam was way harder than I had expected.

    I think there''s a small chance that I might actually fail.

    " I think I''m going to fail....", Emilia says looking bummed out.

    We were having lunch on the rooftop as per usual.

    " Me too...I can''t believe we''re going to have to write another one today.", says Lecia sighing, lookingpletely defeated.

    She was right, we had to write another exam after lunch.

    The school seems to be in a hurry to finish the theory part of the finals.

    Anyway, the practical test will begin immediately after all the exams are over and that will take just two days.

    In the novel, the first years had a tournament stylepetition as the practical part but it''s been changed now, I know all this because of Laurine.

    Apparently, the school thinks that the current first years have a tendency to...well die very easily. In just one year, more than two students and a teacher were dead and almost everybody knew that these deaths were connected.....in other words, it was in murder and the killer was still atrge.

    The school wanted to make their students stronger and their solution was to make them experience something....''real''.

    I still don''t know what exactly the management is thinking but since there isn''t anything I can do against them, I''ve decided to just go along with the flow. It''s a good thing Laurine informed me of the revised practical test....if I went in unprepared my life could have been endangered.

    Since Laurine told me ages ago, I''ve had plenty of time to prepare myself. I wasn''t just fooling around these past five months....

    " How''d you do on the exam ?", Eric asked breaking me away from my thoughts.

    "Meh.", I reply back....silently praying that I pass the stupid exam.

    ~~~~

    It''s the second day of exams and I''ve just finished thest exam.....meaning that the theoretical part is officially over now.

    I head out of the ssroom after handing my paper to the invigtor.

    I seriously think I''m going to fail.

    I''ve skipped a butt-load of questions because of myck of knowledge.

    Urghhh....I''m so dumb.

    I should have prepared better.....

    It''s going to be alright because I canpensate for all the failed papers by acing the practical test.

    " How was it ?", Lecia asks beckoning me to her

    I''m greeted by the others outside....well most of them, Katherine was still writing her paper.

    " It was...alright."

    "That bad huh ?", Lecia answers back seeing through my act.

    We chat while waiting for Katherine toe out but she never does.

    ''Rrringg''

    She doesn''te out even after the bell signifying the end of exams rang.

    " What''s taking her so long ?", Max asked impatiently.

    "Let''s go check it out.", I say hearing the voice of someone arguing within the ssroom.

    Entering the ssroom, I''m surprised to find Katherine arguing with the invigtor.

    " I JUST NEED FIVE MORE MINUTES.", Katherine screamed tugging at her paper which the invigtor was trying to snatch away.

    " You have no more time...please return your paper, youngdy.", the invigtor says keeping her calm even after Katherine''s little outburst.

    Now that I think about it....Katherine looked a little haggard.

    She didn''t look like she had slept in ages.....her eyes had sunken and dark circles enveloped them.....her hair was unkempt and messy. I didn''t notice it earlier since I was too caught up in my own world....but is Katherine alright ?

    The exams might be stressing her out.

    Before the situation could escte any further, I head over to intervene.

    " I''m sorry.....my friend is just a little tired.", I say dragging Katherine away.

    The invigtor sighs and nods her head before going on her way.

    " Wait....I hav-", Katherine began to argue but-

    " Shhhhhh.", I say raising my finger against her lips.

    ~~~~

    " What was that all about ?", Lecia asked as we came out of the ssroom.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I let go of Katherine and instead of answering Lecia''s question....she red at me.

    I back away as she starts moving towards me with her fingers pointed up at me,

    " YOU HAD NO RIGHT !.....I could have finished that if I just had a little more time..."

    " I''m sorry.", I say not wanting to agitate her even further.

    I should have thought about her ''past'' before I acted....that was thoughtless of me. since I understood where her anger came from...I feel kind of bad for interfering...but her paper would have torn otherwise.

    " I----", Katherine stuttered finally snapping out of her anger....I think.

    " I''m going back to my room.", she says before leaving in a hurry.

    .....

    We silently watch her retreating figure.

    " What was that all about ?", Eric asked to no one in particr.

    " I think I should go check on her.", Emilia says following Katherine.

    Katherine better sort out whatever she''s going through today, if she takes part in the practical test in that state...there''s a high chance that she could die.

    ~~~~

    Night was slowly approaching and I was out instead of sleepingfortably in my room.

    I was taking Rhys on his daily walk.

    " Mommy.....po-po.", Rhys says in a child like voice that befitted his age.

    po-po mean that he has to take a shit.

    " Go ahead then.", I say taking off his leash.

    Rhys proceeds to do his business in the grass of the park inside the school grounds. I would usually see Katherine around the park but I doubt I''ll see her toda-

    " Adam !"

    Just as I was thinking about her, Katherine''s familiar voice reached my ears. I turn around to find her sitting at our usual spot with L on herp. After making sure that Rhys was done, the both of us head towards them.

    " H-hey....", Katherine says, her face was flushed and she didn''t or couldn''t look me in the eye.

    " Hey.", I answer back taking a seat next to her.

    " Hello, father." L said in a deep voice.

    " Oh...hello there.", I say weakly smiling.

    L had started addressing me as ''father'' and I was ufortable with it but telling her to stop would make me seem heartless....wouldn''t it.

    That''s the only reason why I let her be.....I don''t enjoy it or anything...yeah.

    " I''m s-sorry about today.", Katherine says aggressively petting L.

    " It''s alright....forget that, are you alright ?"

    ....

    " You look terrible...", I edge her on to say something but she still remained silent.

    ....

    After a considerable amount of time, Katherine finally says,

    " I can''t sleep..."

    " Why not ?"

    " I don''t know..."

    " Is it because of the exams ?"

    " I don''t know..."

    .....

    I feel like we''re going in circles here.

    Letting out a cough, I say,

    " I know it''s tough but you don''t have to be so stressed...."

    " You don''t understand.....I have to be perfect....I can''t bring shame to the Colleen name..."

    " Yeah.....you''re right. I don''t understand what you''re going through...but I hope you''ll be easier on yourself....since you''re already pretty amazin-", I stop speaking as I feel her head leaning on my shoulder.

    " Katherine ?", I ask confused but all I got in response was-

    ''Zzzzzz''

    Katherine had fallen asleep.

    Wow.....am I that boring ?

    I chuckle seeing her sleep so peacefully after she had just proimed that she couldn''t sleep.

    ''She must have been tired....'', I thought letting Rhys on myp.

    Rhys took a minute to getfortable and soon started snoring away just like Katherine, L too had somehow fallen asleep.

    Feeling their warmth.....I felt strange, it''s been a while since I''ve felt so.....warm.

    I sit there for a very long time.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 125 Dun-Dun Sur-Sur

    Katherine''s POV

    --------------------

    I wake up to find myself leaning on Adam''s shoulder.

    I''ve been awake for a long time...but I can''t seem to move....this is so embarrassing.

    First I act like a crazy person and then fall asleep on Adam.....speaking about him, he hasn''t moved either.

    I peep on him and find him.....sleeping.

    Why didn''t he just wake me up ?

    Since Adam was asleep, I open my eyes and look around.

    The sun was slowly rising up....did I just sleep the entire night on a bench and that too....this close to him ?

    That''s ridiculous.

    I seriously need to get out of here....without waking him up, if people see us like this they''re going to get the wrong idea.

    Just as I was about to make a run for it.....I notice a strand of his hair that had gotten misced right in middle of his face.

    I unknowingly pick the strand and push it back to it''s rightful ce.

    '' Cold.....'', I thought feeling Adam''s skin.

    It was too cold, it''s probably my fault since he had to stay outside all night because of me...

    The rising sun shined it''s light on Adam.....making him appear bright and he looked so...delicate.

    As if a single touch could break hi-

    " Katherine ?", his voice was still groggy since he had just woken up.

    ...

    " Oh.....you''re finally awake.", I say after getting up from the bench and moving quite a distance away from him.

    ....

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ________________

    I can''t believe that I slept on a freaking bench....

    I probably should have woken Katherine up but she was sleeping so peacefully and truth be told....she looked like she needed it.

    I was on the way back to my room.

    Yesterday, after all the exams the students in the hero course were informed that they had to gather at the assembly hall for a briefing on the practical test. I still had an hour to get ready so it was all good.

    " Where were you ?", Eric asked as I ran around in a hurry inside our room.

    " Uhh...I was training.", I lie easily.

    I had a quick shower and mentally prepared myself for what was about toe.

    Changing into casual wear as instructed by the school, Eric and I head to the assembly hall.

    ~~~~

    The assembly hall, like the other structures within school grounds was buildvishly. The marble floors gleamed and a huge chandelier adorned the ceiling. In the front was a raised dais where all the teachers and staff had gathered.

    It took us a minute to find the others and just as we all met up together, Laurine our figurehead principal  demon spy started addressing the students,

    " Good Morning to all my dear students in the hero course, I''m sure that you''ve heard this a thousand times but please bear with me....you all are not just regr students.....you''re our ''future'' and it is our duty to nurture you into responsible and powerful heroes...but sadly enough, we have failed to protect you."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Hearing her, some students start whispering amongst themselves,

    " It''s no secret that.....this year has been a dark time for all of us....we lost our beloved principle, Gordon and his daughter, Leslie Vord.....who was a brilliant teacher. Even some students have been killed.....during such troubled times it is only natural that fear and distrust rule over us...I assure you that we will soon catch the killer but until then do not trust anybody."

    The whispering bes more prominent.

    The emotion in Laurine''s eyes seemed genuine but I knew that she was just reciting her lines from the script they had given her.

    " There is only one way to survive in this environment where everything is hidden in deceit....you have to be stronger. With that in mind, the school has decided to make this year''s test more challenging."

    Laurine takes in a deep breath before continuing,

    " The test is simple...all you have to do is to survive in a F-rank dungeon for thirty minutes."

    An uproar urred as soon as the students heard their principal.

    It was only reasonable for the students to panic, even if it''s only an F- rank dungeon....it was still a dungeon that was filled with dangerous traps and monsters. Inexperienced students would surely die within minutes....

    " Please calm down.....I can understand your anxiety, please be aware that we have already informed your guardian about the test and we also have made them sign papers that make explicitly clear that the school isn''t responsible for your life during the test.....so make no mistake.....this is very much real."

    I observe the students who had gone silent hearing Laurine, fear wasmon emotion that could be read from all their faces.

    " Of course, not all of your guardians agreed to this unorthodox test....we have prepared another test for those students. Now please step forward when I call your names."

    Laurine proceeds to call out names and one by one, students lined up near her. After she finished, Laurine made a teacher guide those students out of the room.

    Facing those that remained in the room, Laurine says,

    " Good luck.....my dear students."

    Laurine leaves us alone with Din....no Domino and Liam.

    ''p''

    ''p''

    Liam pped twice to get the attention of the students.

    " Before heading to the site of the exam we have few things to say."

    " To pass the test, you only have to survive in the dungeon for thirty minutes and this is a team exercise....one of you will be given a ''return stone'', upon crushing said stone both of you will be teleported back safely.", Dina says her gaze on me.

    I avoid her eyes as Liam says,

    " For the teleportation stone to work, you will have to wear two bracelets that you must wear at all times when you''re inside the dungeon. Also no matter what....do not engage the boss monster."

    Dina and Liam continue to brief us on how the exam would go.

    ~~~~

    Lecia was my official guardian, since she was eighteen and all. Officials from the school had approached her a week ago asking her for permission to send the both of us into the dungeon.

    Lecia didn''t want to take part in the test....but I somehow managed to change her mind. The official warned us to not inform the others about the test so we kept our lids shut.

    " I feel nervous...", Emilia says rubbing her hands together.

    " It''s going to be fine.", Lecia consoled her.

    We were currently waiting in line to use a gate which led to our exam site.

    Each ss had their own dungeon to deal with.....I hope our dungeon is easy.

    In our ss 5-A, out of a hundred students only thirty were taking part in this test including all of us.

    This is going to be fun.....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 126 The Hunt Begins (1)

    " Please head to the front when your name is called.", Dina says in her usual monotonous voice.

    We had gone through the gate assigned to us and had reached our exam site, it was a forest but that wasn''t the important part.

    The important part was right in front of me, the portal which led to the F-rank dungeon. Dina was probably going to divide us into different groups now since this was a group exercise.

    The test was simple enough, we had to survive in the dungeon for a minimum of thirty minutes.....I n on staying for much longer since I want to make sure that I can get amazing results as I''m already pretty sure that I might have failed the theoretical part of the finals.

    " Adam Creed and Jennifer Asher.", Dina calls me out breaking me away from my thoughts.

    I''m with Jennifer....she isn''t particrly strong but she''ll do just fine.

    I wave at her and run upto stand beside her.

    " Are you nervous ?", I ask her as Dina continued calling names out.

    " Hmmmmm....just a little bit.", she replied smiling at me.

    After another minute, Dina clears her throat to get our attention,

    " Now that you''ve all been divided into different groups....it''s time to brief you on the dungeon. This is a basic F-rank dungeon and as I''m sure you''re all aware....F-rank dungeons are fairly simple. There''s a whole lot of monsters and a boss monster that rules over them, once the boss is killed the rest of them slowly die out....but please don''t engage the boss monster.....you''re not ready to face ''it''. The species of monster that reside within this particr dungeon is Wolfia, a wolf like monster, the bracelet will record the number of monsters you kill and you will be awarded extra points based on this....does anyone have any questions ?"

    Katherine raised her hand immediately.

    " Do you have any advice for us ?", Katherine asked eagerly.

    Dina thought for a moment before saying,

    " Well...just don''t underestimate these things....they maybe F-rank but you''re invading them on their turf and a monster is the strongest within it''s domain."

    After answering Katherine''s question, Dina answers a few more questions from other students until-

    " Now that you''re all clear on your objective...it''s time to start the test."

    Dina stands before the portal and called out each group and handed them a pair of bracelets and a stone that glowed in a light shade of blue.

    That was of course....the return stone and it''s bracelets.

    After some time, it was finally our turn.

    Dina hands the stone and a bracelet to Jennifer and ties the other bracelet tightly around my wrist.

    " Be safe.", she says quietly.

    I obviously ignore her and enter the portal....pletely ready to ace this stupid test.

    ~~~~

    Lecia walked through the forest with her partner beside her,

    " it''s a little spooky isn''t it ?", Max said sticking close to Lecia.

    " Yeah....", Lecia replied moving forward.

    Max and Lecia had been paired together by pure luck.

    An awkward atmosphere hung around the both of them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was only natural as they hadn''t spoken to each other since Adam had found out about them.

    Max knew that they''re rtionship wasn''t something exclusive and she would obviously choose her family over him....but it still hurt him a little bit.

    Their ''rtionship'' started a month ago, a particr night the both of them continued training in themon training hall until it was just the two of them and.....it just happened.

    Of course....they hadn''t done ''it'' yet and truth be told Max was d they hadn''t crossed that line, he didn''t feel ready and Lecia too seemed disinterested in the concept of sex.....it was almost like she was afraid of it.

    The both of them had some pretty intense make out sessions but that was about it.

    " So...how have you been ?", Lecia whispered quietly, tiptoeing around the dark forest.

    " I''ve been good.", Max said keeping up with her.

    .....

    " Hey.....listen, you''re a great guy but I don''t think ''we'' work...."

    " I agree....", Max said....internally wiping away tears.

    " You do ?", Lecia stopped to look back at him....surprised.

    ....

    The both of them continue on, but Max didn''t feel good.

    Max liked Lecia a lot...she was beautiful even more so after getting to know her. When he was with her....he feltfortable...safe and he didn''t want her to go away....at least not like this.

    " Wait....", Max said halting his steps.

    " Hmm ?", Lecia enquired turning around to face him.

    " I...don''t want it to end like this."

    Hearing him, Lecia looked a little sad,

    " Look....I''m sorr-" Lecia begins only to be interrupted by Max.

    " Please....just listen to me, you''re right....''we'' were wrong...very wrong, I rushed because I was afraid that you would hate seeing the real me...but I was wrong. I want us to have another chance....a proper chance to do things right.....I don''t want us to end like this."

    Lecia looked hesitant but seeing how genuine Max was, she says ''yes'' without thinking.

    Hearing her, his face brightens up in an instant.

    ...

    " I''m Max Reynolds.....it''s nice to meet you."

    Lecia smiled hearing him and answered back,

    " I''m Lecia Creed....it''s nice to meet you as well."

    The both of them shook their hands and that was their second beginning.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 127 The Hunt Begins (2)

    I enter the portal without hesitation.

    I was even more calm since I''ve already prepared more than enough.

    During thest five months, I''ve been training for this test by entering many F-rank dungeons, of course it was illegal for an underage child to enter a dungeon no matter the rank but when you have the green¡­..you don''t have to worry.

    I even took Lecia on a few of them.

    Of course, I hired more than capable people to protect me if something went wrong. I tried my luck with a basic goblin dungeon which had a hob goblin as it''s boss. I closed it within five days¡­..it was extremely easy so I wasn''t all that worried for this one.

    After entering the portal, we were greeted by a lush forest. In the goblin dungeon the habitat was a desert so it was more easier in a sense...but I had anticipated this. I just have to be a little more careful.

    " It''s like a whole other world, huh ?", Jennifer says looking around in admiration.

    " Be alert.....there''s no telling when the monsters will attack.", I warn her remembering my experience.

    Jennifer nods her head and we plunge into the bowels of the deep forest.

    ~~~~

    Katherine and Emilia were surrounded.

    It had been just five minutes since they entered the dungeon.

    " This doesn''t look good...", Emilia said kicking a small wolf like creature away.

    The creature by itself wasn''t that difficult to deal with but getting surrounded by a horde of them was an entirely different story.

    Emilia and Katherine stick close to each other as the wolfs closed in on them.

    " What should we do ?", Emilia asked in a panic.

    Katherine had been behaving strangely since a while ago, to be more exact since they had been cornered.

    " Emilia....could you close your eyes for a second ?"

    " Huh ?....wh-", Emilia stopped speaking as she saw the serious expression on Katherine''s face.

    " Alright then...", she said deciding to put her trust in her friend.

    Emilia closed her eyes and for a second there was silence-

    until howls of pain could be heard..... a loud ''bam'' could also be heard once in a while.

    " What the fuc--", Emilia said opening her eyes and gazing at the view in front of her with surprise and shock.

    ~~~~

    ''Swish''

    ''Swish''

    ''Swish''

    Eric used three of his arrows to instantly kill three monsters.

    " Woahhh.....you''re amazing.", said Bob, pping his hands.

    Bob was Eric''s teammate.

    Hearing Bob, Eric frowned.

    Bob hadn''t done anything till now so it was only natural that Eric was a little angry.

    ''Just twenty more minutes to go...'', Eric thought nocking another arrow.

    ~~~~

    " What....was that ?", Emilia asked Katherine, who looked visibly drained.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " It''s.....a...skill.", Katherine managed to say, struggling to breathe properly.

    After Katherine dealt with the monsters using her ''skill'', she had fallen downpletely exhausted and Emilia had carried her to another area in therge forest that looked safe.

    " I can use it only for five minutes.....and I can''t even move after...so I''m pretty much useless now."

    Emilia took out the shining blue stone and said,

    " Should we use the return stone ?"

    " No...we only have five more minutes to go....why don''t we start heading back...slowly."

    The both of them start walking back as that was their best option.

    ~~~~

    " Let''s head back.", Eric said to Bob, who was hiding behind him.

    " Sure thing, boss."

    -and just like that....they too started heading back.

    ~~~~

    " I think we should head back now.", Lecia said after they had made considerable progress.

    " If you say so.", Max said slicing another monster''s head in a clean slice.

    They start heading back as well.

    ~~~~

    " Why don''t we head back now ?", Jennifer asked looking tired.

    " Hell no.", I say, scoffing at Jennifer.

    I had lost count of the number of these things I had burned....I was starting to feel a little bit of fatigue as well but I won''t stop until I''mpletely exhausted.

    After another hour, I finally reach the point where I couldn''t move.

    We were in a clearing right now....

    In front of us, there was menacing cave that was most probably where the boss was hiding...

    " You may have to carry me back.", I say falling down on my knees, tired.

    I had used the [Hell Fire] skill closely for more than three hours....I don''t know what the criteria for exhaustion was but I was surely feeling it.

    "Jennifer ?", I say when she doesn''t respond.

    " What''s going o-", I try to speak but a sharp pain hit my shoulder.

    What was it ?....a monster ?

    Is Jennifer okay ?

    I look down to find a dagger piercing me from behind.....a lot of my blood was flowing from my fresh wound...but that dagger...it belonged to Jennifer...that shouldn''t be possible.

    I turn around to find her behind me with an expressionless face...she drove the dagger deeper into my shoulder making it much more painful.

    " ARGHHHHHHH", I screamed unable to think.

    Yet...I voiced out the only thought in my mind,

    " W-why ?"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 128 The Past Never Dies

    AN: This chapter will jump from the past to present and vice versa. [-^-^-^= time jump]

    ~*~*~*~

    Jennifer was an extra, she brought nothing to the story....just like me.

    .....

    ''I''ve been such a fool.'', I thought backing away from her, even though everything hurt but I knew that if I stopped moving....then I was as good as dead.

    " W-why are y-you doing this ?", I manage to speak out...but it was barely a whisper.

    But I''m sure she heard me as there was a slight change in her rather expressionless face.....it was only for a split second but I didn''t miss it.

    Jennifer looked like she was in pain....or maybe she was sad, I''m not the best at discerning faces when I''m extreme pain.

    " J-jennifer....stop this.", I plead with her sensing that something was amiss.

    Why would Jennifer try to kill me ?

    Was she a spy for the angels from the very beginning ?

    I can''t take mind control away from the table as well....that was the most probable case as why else would she do this ?

    The problem is that my body won''t move...because of overexerting my [Hell Fire] skill....because I had near endless vitality...theoretically I should be able to use the it for a long period of time but some unknown factor was hindering me from doing so....I already knew all this but I didn''t think it would be problem since Jennifer was here, who would have thought th-....no,

    I just have to find a way to bring her back to normal.

    -^-^-^-^-^-

    Several months earlier,

    " Wake up....Jen."

    Jacob Asher nudged her sister awake.

    " Hmmmm....what is it ?", Jennifer said rubbing her eyes still half-asleep.

    Jacob sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly at his sister.

    " Did you forget already ?.....you''re going to bete for the entrance exam.."

    Hearing him, Jennifer''s eyes widen in shock but only for a instant as she took action quickly.

    In a span of five minutes, Jennifer had took a short bath and changed into a proper dress. She runs down to the dining room and grabbed a piece of toast and ran out of her house in a hurry.

    " Have some food before you go !", Jennifer''s mother, Gloria called out to her daughter.

    " I down''t weed food !", Jennifer said...the toast still inside her mouth.

    '' I can''t bete....'', Jennifer thought worried.

    Jennifer had been nning for this day for ages, it''s not every day that you get to take part in the entrance exam for your dream culinary institution. ''Starlight'' was the best high school for students who aspired to be chefs.

    ''Starlight'' was basically a Unity for students who aspired to be chefs.

    Being a chef had been Jennifer''s dream ever since she was ten years old and she was finally going to take the first step towards her dream.

    Looking at Starlight''s grandiose school building, she felt nervous but excited as well.

    " Here goes nothing....", said Jennifer entering the building, hoping for the best.

    Two hourster,

    " Urghhhhhhhhh", Jennifer groaned.

    " Was it that bad ?", Gloria asked patting her on the shoulder.

    Jennifer had returned and she seemed to be in a bad mood, the Asher family was sitting together discussing her entrance exam.

    " Well....it wasn''t bad, but I''m wasn''t that satisfied."

    " You''re the best chef I know, so I''m sure that you''re gonna get in sis.", Jacob said grinning widely and giving Jennifer a thumbs up.

    Seeing her brother, Jennifer''s mood gets better.

    Even though they were twins, Jennifer considered herself the elder one since Jacob was so timid....she had a huge soft spot for her stupid but kind brother.

    " He''s right you know....you really are talented.", Gloria said, a warm smile spread across her face.

    " It must be true if you all say so.....heh.", Jennifer said smirking smugly, her face was flushed probably because she was embarrassed.

    " When was your exam again ?", Gloria asked Jacob.

    Jacob Asher wanted to be a hero, everyone in their family was surprised when Jacob informed them since he didn''t seem like the ''hero'' type....still his family wholeheartedly supported his dream as well.

    " I still have time, the school apparently holds it veryte to give us more time to prepare."

    " That''s good....make proper use of this time, Jacob.", Gloria reminded her son.

    The three of them talk for awhile more, until small growls from Jennifer''s stomach echoes around the room.

    Gloria smiled and said apologetically,

    " Why don''t you start eating, dear ?"

    " No.....we''ll eat when fatheres home.", Jennifer said, her face red like a tomato.

    " It seems like he''s going to bete.....so the two of you can eat now.", Gloria said sounding final.

    " He''s always busy...", Jennifer said scowling, her gaze on the floor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Jen.....you know how his job is.....", Gloria said understanding her daughter''s feelings.

    Jennifer and Jacob eat their dinner and go to sleep.

    Some timeter,

    Jennifer woke up, feeling extremely thirsty.

    She got up and started walking down the stairs to her kitchen but stopped when she heard voices from downstairs.

    " Strange....weak...dangerous...", Jennifer could only make out a few words but it was clearly her father''s voice.

    " So...you''re finally home huh ?", Jennifer asked ring at her father.

    " I''m sorry I waste on your big day, honey.", he said smiling apologetically.

    "Hmph.", Jennifer entered the kitchen and started gulping down water in anger.

    Jennifer''s father was always like this, it was always work ''this'' or ''that'', sometime it felt like he was more interested in his work than his own children....nheless Jennifer loved him, he was actually the reason she wanted to be a chef.

    " I''m sorry, honey.....", he said looking down, Gloria consoled him by patting him on the shoulder.

    Jennifer put the now empty ss down and started walking back upstairs to her room.

    " You better make it up to me....", Jennifer said turning her back to her father.

    " I will...", he said smiling warmly.

    -^-^-^-^-^-^-

    " Jennifer.....calm down.", Adam said edging back until his back hit a tree.

    Jennifer moved slowly-

    ''Thump''

    ''Thump''

    ''Thump''

    With each step she took, Adam''s heart beat a little more faster.

    After closing in on him, Jennifer bends down and looked into his eyes.

    " W-why are you...crying ?", Adam asked shocked to find Jennifer crying.

    Instead of answering his question, Jennifer pushed Adam down and got on top of him.

    Teardrops flowed down from her face andnded on Adam''s cheek,

    " Why did you do it ?", she asked tears not showing any sign of stopping.

    Adam tried his best to overpower her, but his body felt too weak and refused to budge.

    " Look...whatever you think I did.....I didn''t do it.....I know !, why don''t you use that lie detector skill on me....then you''ll know for sure.", Adam said, honestly just babbling to prevent his imminent death.

    " I was nning on doing that...", Jennifer said, anger, pain, sadness..... her face disyed a variety of emotions.

    Her eyes slowly start to glow in a blue shade indicating that she was using the skill,

    [ Did you---------]

    -^-^-^-^-^-^-^

    Jennifer had never seen this man and woman before.

    They imed to be her father''s colleagues.....but he never once mentioned them.

    The woman introduced herself as Amanda and the man next to her was Francis.

    " We''re sorry for your loss.", they said bowing their heads and leaving the Asher household.

    " It c-can''t be possible....", Gloria mumbled unable to believe what her husbands co-worker''s had just informed her.

    Jennifer''s father was missing and.....the police think he ran away.

    ''No...that''s not possible.....he wouldn''t do that.'', Jennifer thought confused.

    ''Something must have happened to him.'', Jennifer thought reaching to the most reasonable conclusion.

    -^-^-^-^-^-

    [Did you---------]

    Hearing her, Adam looked confused.

    " What ?.....I don''t even know who your father is.", Adam said trying his best not to faint.

    Jennifer chuckled and said,

    " That''s right....you wouldn''t.....I''ll rephrase the question."

    Jennifer''s eyes once again glowed in a shade of blue as she asked,

    [ Did you kill Geoffrey....Asher ?]

    .....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 129 Karmic Retribution

    The atmosphere surrounding the Asher household was grim.

    Gloria Asher, Jennifer''s mother had gone into her room after being informed that her husband had gone missing and she hadn''te out till now. Jennifer was very worried about her mother, she tried to bring her out countless times but her efforts were to no avail since her mother refused toe out.

    " Here you go...", Jennifer said cing a te filled with store-bought food in front of her brother.

    Jennifer prayed that her mother woulde out soon....but she was more worried about her brother. Jennifer knew very well that he wasn''t as mentally strong as her mother and her, but all she could do for now was be there for him.

    Jennifer hadn''t epted her father''s disappearance, she kept thinking that he woulde back soon but now she knew better. There was something unusual about her father''s disappearance but right now her family was more important.

    She needed her mother back to her normal self before investigating her father''s disappearance.

    " Eat...before the food goes cold.", Jennifer said watching Jacob ying around with the food, his face sullen.

    The Asher twins eat their lunch in silence, the both of them weren''t exactly in a mood to talk.

    Just as they were about to finish their lunch, they hear the door to their mother''s door open slowly.

    " You''re eating ?!", Gloria asked ring at her children.

    " Mom !....", Jennifer got up quickly but before she could take another step-

    " You''re eatingfortably while you''re father is....suffering all alone...", Gloria slowly walked towards her children.

    It was only now that Jennifer noticed how unsettling her mother looked.

    Gloria''s eyes were red as if she hadn''t slept in ages, her hair was all ruffled in different directions as if she had been pulling her hair out by force and Jennifer could see that her right hand was bleeding slightly.

    " Are you oka-", Jennifer began but-

    ''p''

    Gloria pped her before she couldplete speaking.

    " You ungrateful children.....you''re enjoying yourselves after your father was murdered !".

    Jennifer backed away from her mother in shock and fear, Jennifer had never seen her mother act like this before.

    " W-what are you talking a-about ?", Jacob asked standing in front of Jennifer as if he was protecting her.

    Gloria shifted her attention to Jacob, Jacob didn''t know why his mother was behaving like this but he wasn''t going to let her act like this to his sister..not after how she took care of him all this time.

    It was his turn to protect her now.

    " Geoffrey didn''t run away....he was killed.....do you understand me, son ?.... YOU''RE FATHER WAS KILLED !", Gloria screamed tears flowing down her eyes.

    " Mother....calm down.", Jacob said moving forward to console his mother.

    " CALM DOWN !.... YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN ?!"

    Jennifer watched in horror as her mother proceeded to hit Jacob without rest.

    Jennifer couldn''t move...

    '' Why is this happening ?''

    Just a week ago, her family was perfectly happy....just how could everything fall apart so easily?

    Jennifer soon learned the reason why.....

    Gloria exined to her children that the Creeds, whom their father worked for had adopted a strange child that was hiding his strength, the Creeds were trying to bring some truth to the light and had given her father the job of observing the boy.

    Gloria thought a lot about it and there was only one answer to Geoffrey''s disappearance.....the boy had killed her husband and the Creeds were covering up his death.

    " You have to kill the boy....", Gloria said holding Jacob''s hand tightly.

    " K-kill ?", Jacob said, fear evident in his eyes.

    The boy was going to enroll at Unity, in Gloria''s eyes it was the perfect n.

    " If that boy lives....then your father''s soul will never get peace....so you have to avenge your father.", Gloria said gently caressing her son''s face.

    " I--ca-", Jacob stuttered out, scared.

    " I''ll do it.", Jennifer pushed past Jacob and said facing her mother head-on.

    Jennifer had passed the entrance exam for Starlight, but she wasn''t nning on taking it.....she was going to enroll at Unity and kill that boy..... she wanted to protect her brother frommitting murder but a small part of her did want.....revenge.

    " What''s that boy''s name ?"

    " Adam Creed.", Gloria replied with a smile on her face.

    -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-

    The present

    ---------------

    Adam''s POV<novelnext></novelnext>

    ---------------

    [ Did you kill Geoffrey Asher ?]

    My mind goes nk as I answer her question in a trance,

    [YES.]

    ....

    Shit.

    It takes me a minute to remember who Geoffrey exactly was, he was the butler I choked to death.....so he was Jennifer''s father ?

    Damn it all, I have the worst luck ever....

    " Jennifer.....let''s just calm down and talk hmmm ?", I say hoping to stop her.

    Jennifer was going to betray me from the beginning, I should have looked into her background instead of just pushing her around as an ''extra''.

    " I don''t have anything to say....to you.", Jennifer said closing her eyes and bringing the dagger down on my face.

    ''This is it....huh ?'', I close my eyes, bracing for the pain to hit me...but it never does.

    I open my eyes to find the dagger piercing the ground beside my head.

    Breathing out a sigh of relief, I say,

    " Jennifer.....I may be a killer but you aren''t...your father wouldn''t want this....so let''s just stop...I''ll confess...you don''t have to do this..."

    " I think we both know that you''re lying...but you''re right, I''m not a killer.", Jennifer says getting up and dusting away the dirt on her.

    Alright.....it seems that I''ll make it out of here alive for no-

    " Hey.....what are you doing ?", I ask Jennifer, who had picked the fallen dagger and was closing in on me once again.

    Instead of answering my question, she bends forward once again but this time she does start using the knife on me....she''s trying to cut my hand...?

    "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    I continued to scream as Jennifer proceeded to cut off my hand.

    The pain is unbearable and I can feel death''s shadow being cast upon me.

    After removing my hand from my body, Jennifer proceeds to throw my hand far away and walks into the depths of the forest andes back with a lot of monster corpses in her hand, she continues to walk over to the entrance of the cave where the boss monster resided.

    Dropping the corpses in front of the cave, she says,

    " I''m not a murderer...but I wonder if the boss has a problem with killing you?", Jennifer said turning around with a bitter expression on her face.

    " I''ll see you in hell....Adam.", saying this she crushed the stone in her hand leaving me behind.

    My bracelet was on my hand that was cut off....so she wants to make it look like this boss monster killed me.....the smell of blood will probably draw the boss monster out any second now.

    ''Fuck....'', I thought not because of my very imminent death.....but because of the pain that I felt.

    I hate pain.....shit.....shit.....am I going to die like this ?

    ''MOVE....DAMN IT ! JUST MOVE ALREADY....''

    I cursed my body that wouldn''t budge no matter what.

    [Uffff....looks like we''re in trouble.]

    ....

    " Who said that ?", I look around confused and surprised.

    [ I''m hurt.....you don''t know me after all we''ve been through. >_<]

    " R-reveal yourself.....", I say feeling myself lose consciousness.

    I''ve lost a ton of blood....it''s a miracle that I''m still conscious at all.

    [ I''m right next to you.....I''ve always been right next to you.]

    I turn around and find the owner of the voice,

    " Y-you...how ?", I ask seeing ''me''.

    Not Adam....but John.....somehow I can see him standing right next to me...

    [ Yo.], John said looking down at me.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 130 Adam Creed (1)

    [ Yo.]

    This....what is this?

    Confusion and shock keep me from cking out then and there.

    " You''re...d-dead.", I say in a weak voice.

    [ Am I ?], John says sitting down beside me.

    .....

    [ You must be so confused now ^_^]

    John....or whatever this thing was leaning on my shoulder while continuing to prattle on about nonsense.

    " What are....you?", I ask trying to understand just what was happening right now.

    [ Did you f*orget:~~:~ about us so soon...when we''re the reason you entered this world...]

    John''s voice ovepped with the voice of many others and I finally understand...they''re back...the voices are back.

    "So.....you have a physical form now ?", I ask trying to keep myself awake.

    If I die now, the timing would be perfect.

    I wouldn''t have to listen to these assholes anymore....still I can''t give up on my life just like that.

    [ Well.....not really, how could we get a physical form when we don''t exist?.....you''re just hallucinating.]

    ....

    That''s just great.....

    [ So...you don''t look so good, pal.]

    " Mhmm", I mumble out struggling to stand up or do anything else than listen to these dumbshits.

    I try to ignore their ramblings and try to find my way out of here.....there must be something that can be done.

    I noticed it when I was looking around to find something that would help me get up,

    A pair of red eyes observing me within the darkness of the cave.

    ''Oh no...I''m fucked''

    The boss monster was making its appearance.

    The boss monster was an evolved Wolfia,pared to its kin....it was humongous, thick blue fur covered its skin and its piercing red eyes were fixed on the pile of dead Wolfia that Jennifer had dumped before she left.

    Tears flow down its eyes as it tries to wake up the already dead kin.

    Of course, after making sure that its friends couldn''t be saved, it was ring at me.

    ''Shit.....I need to get out of here.", I thought slowly crawling away from the boss monster.

    I could hear it slowly walking towards me and with each step it took, I felt closer to death.

    [ Are you trying to save yourself....after all this....you still want to live ?]

    I ignore them and try my best to make some distance between me and the unhinged beast.

    [ As always.....you''re so selfish.]

    The wolf''s steps suddenly stopped, I look back using a lot of effort to find that the wolf was indeed moving but.....much slower than before.

    It was as if time had slowed down...

    " Is this your doing ?", I ask trying to their way but my body was too weak, I copsed on the ground exhausted.

    [ Hmmm...not really.]

    " What do you want ?", I ask thinking of some sort of way to end this charade.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [ We just want to talk ^_^]

    I scoff hearing them,

    " You want to talk me into killing myself again ?"

    [ Oh.....we''re hurt, ending your life was a choice you made...not us.]

    " I thought you died since you all have been so silenttely.", I say wanting to know the reason for their return.

    [ Well.....we did have some difficulty because your mental fortitude increased a lot because of this world....probably because you created this ce....but as always it all crumpled down with enough time...we feel even stronger now....it''s strange isn''t it ?]

    " Urghhh...just what do you want from me ?"

    [ We just want to remind you.....of what you''ve conveniently forgotten.]

    The whole world disappeared after their sudden promation.

    We were in a world of white now, there was nothing except the two of us.

    I look down at my body to find that all my wounds had vanished.

    " Where are we ?", I asked John, who stood in front of me with a mischievous smile on his face.

    [ Home.], he says snapping his fingers.

    The view before mepletely changed in the blink of an eye, the both of us were now in a very familiar studio apartment.

    A small T.V was ying ''Le Chortle'', a ridiculous show that I used to watch together with my family.

    In front of the T.V, a boy sat in the middle,ughing watching the show along with his parents...

    Seeing this brought back emotions that I had buried long ago, out in the open.

    I was back.....home.

    ~~~~

    Lecia and the others were worried.

    It had been close to two hours and Adam and Jennifer still hadn''t returned.

    " I''m worried....", Jacob said looking at the shining portal.

    " Me too...why haven''t they returned yet?", Eric asked looking concerned.

    " Maybe your friend is dead."

    Everyone looks at the person who spoke in surprise and silent anger, Eric looked especially furious and frustrated.

    " Why are you still here...Bob ?"

    Eric''s teammate, Bob... stuck to Eric like glue even aftering out of the portal.

    " They won''t die...Adam''s super strong, ya know ?", Max said reassuring everyone.

    Out of nowhere, Jennifer materializes outside the portal, covered in blood.

    Everyone rushed towards her, worried.

    Jennifer was sobbing uncontrobly.

    " What happened ?!", Katherine asked, shaking Jennifer.

    " Hey...Jennifer, w-what is t-that ?", Lecia asked, eyes wide as she pointed at something beside Jennifer.

    As everyone saw the bloodied hand near Jennifer, they all go silent.

    " A-adam''s d-dead.....", Jennifer sobbed out stunning everyone around her.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 131 Adam Creed (2)

    I look at the family that I had left behind with a strange sense of nostalgia.

    The three continued to watch the stupid tv program without paying any attention to us...this is probably a hallucination or dream of some kind.

    Wait....is this what people call...your life shing before your eyes?

    " Why are we here ?", I ask John.

    [ To remind you...what exactly you are.]

    ~~^~~

    -----------------

    ire Sinir loved her family.

    She had a loving husband and the most beautiful son in the world.

    " Hahahaahaahah"

    "Hahahahahahaah"

    Hearing her husband and sonughing heartily put a warm smile on her face.

    ire hoped that they would always be this.....but reality is often disappointing.

    ''Knock''

    ''Knock''

    Tom Sinir immediately switches light that they put on, he didn''t bother turning the television off as they were watching the show with no volume.

    " I KNOW YOUR IN THERE, YA ROACHES !". the voice of their very drunkndlord came from the other side of the door.

    " I NEED MY RENT !...I''M NOT RUNNING A CHARITY HERE."

    After shouting for a few more minutes, thendlord retreats back into his own home.

    ire removes her hands which were tightly covering her son''s ears, she didn''t want her son to hear such profanity....

    She looked at Tom, clearly worried.

    ire had no real education to speak off, so it was very hard for her to find a job. She worked as waitress near a local caf?? but the money earned from there wasn''t enough. Tom had no real job going on as he was recently fired as hispany he had worked for went bankrupt.

    The Sinir''s were broke as fuck.

    If it was just the two of them, they might have been able to hold on somehow but the issue was that they had a very young son....who had many needs.

    The both of them were desperately looking for jobs.....but they obviously hadn''t seeded.

    " It''s time to sleep, Johnny..", ire tried to take the boy away from his father but John refused to budge.

    " I want to sleep with papa !", the young boy proimed trying to look intimidating.

    " Aw, I''m so lucky to have such a loving son.", Tom said rubbing his cheeks against John''s prompting him to giggle.

    ~~^~~

    " I''m scared, papa....", John whispered to his father.

    " Of what ?", Tom asked half-asleep.

    " Thendlord...."

    Hearing his son, Tom eyes widen,

    ....

    " Are we going to be alright, papa ?"

    Tom gently patted his son on the head before he said,

    " We''re going to be fine...I''ll make sure of it."

    John smiled, his innocence clearly visible within in his smile,

    " I love you, papa."

    " I love you too.....son."

    Soon, John fell asleep andter woke up to find his parents conversing silently, He pretended to sleep while eavesdropping on his parents.

    " ------John''s a strong kid.....we need to raise him properly.", Tom said shifting his gaze to the boy.

    " I agree.....but you can''t just stop taking your meds.....you need them, Tom.", ire said, her gaze on John as well.

    " It''s not a matter of need...we can''t afford them anymore....I''ll be fine."

    " Still--"

    " This discussion is over.", Tom said in a raised voice.

    John was slightly scared, he had never seen his father angry before.....he was always happy and kind.

    ~~^~~

    After two months

    ______________________

    John observed his father who looked strangely tired.

    His mother was away on work.

    " I want strawberry juice, papa.", John said bobbing his head up and down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was tradition within his family that both him and his father drank strawberry juice or shake or just a in old strawberry. For the past few months they hadn''t done anything of that sort.

    Tom had been in a bad mood for the past two months and John had noticed this.

    John thought that his father''s mood would improve if he drank some good old strawberry juice...after all it was his father''s favorite..

    John pretended to like it because he wanted to be like his father, even though he hated strawberries...to him it tasted like an unsavory medicine.

    " Go away, John.....I can''t y with you now.", Tom said massaging his head.

    " But-"

    " NOT NOW.", his father screamed frightening the boy.

    John went to a corner of the studio apartment and sat down on the floor unsure of what to do.

    After a few minutes, the door bell was rung and John rushed to open it. ire had said that she would bete.....but it seemed like she hade early. John was delighted to see his mother again but when he opened the door....the person that greeted him outside the door wasn''t his mother...but the scaryndlord.

    " Where''s your daddy, kid ?", the man asked looking inside the small apartment.

    " What do you want ?", Tom said pushing aside his son.

    " Ye know what I want, you bastard !"

    " You''ll have your rent by the end of this week.", Tom said firmly.

    Thendlord scowled and said,

    " Why lie ?...we both know that you''re broke.....I''m sure I won''t get my rent.....if you want I can just overlook this entirely if you.....send your beautiful wife to my room for a night....it''s a fair deal isn-"

    Before thendlord could finish, Tom punched him to the ground and closed the door on the man.

    " YOU''LL REGRET THIS !", thendlord screamed from the other side.

    Tom closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing but it never does, this anger he had didn''t go away...

    ''Just why....why is this happening to us ?", he thought wondering what exactly his wife and him to deserve a life like this.

    [ You know exactly what it is....it''s him...that boy is the problem.], a voice whispered into Tom''s ears.

    Tom looked at his child that was visibly shivering from fear,

    " Papa.....w-why d-don''t you have some s-strawberry juice ?", the boy said through his fear.

    Hearing his son, something inside Tom broke,

    [ Ungrateful.....]

    [ Kill him]

    [ You''ll be free....]

    " I''ll be free....", Tom said in a daze walking towards John.

    " P-papa ?", the boy asked confused as his father got on top of him and gently sped the boy''s neck with his hands and then-

    ''Thump''

    Tom started choking his son.

    John thrashed around unable to breathe andprehend what was happening to him....

    Tom tightened his grip on John''s neck...the voices urged him to increase his strength even more and just as he was about to do so-

    " S-stop P-papa...", the boy somehow managed to plead with his father.

    Hearing John, Tom''s mind finally calmed down bringing him back to reality.

    Removing his hands away from his son''s tiny neck, Tom was horrified to find his handprint etched into John''s skin.

    John gasped for air andy on the ground unable to understand what had just happend.

    " What have I done ?.....", Tom said backing away from his son.

    ~~^~~

    After ten minutes,

    ire opened the door to their apartment using her key.

    Seeing the inside of the apartment, she froze.

    She wanted to scream, but her shock prevented her from doing so....

    Tom was hanging from their fan, a tight rope was wrapped around his neck.

    Thomas Sinir was dead.

    " Mommy...you''re finally here.....could you wake papa up---

    ire eyes widened as her eyes fell on her son, who sat in a corner of the small apartment.

    ----he isn''t waking up no matter what I do."

    ire ran towards her son, who had a bright smile on his face....but his eyes....they looked dead.

    ~~^~~

    .....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 132 Adam Creed (3)

    " Why are you showing me all this?", I ask the ''thing'' in front of me.

    It had earlier taken John''s face but as we delved deeper into my memories, its face had begun to melt. Instead of being horrified, I''m surprised to find that I preferred this form more than the previous.

    John was an eyesore.

    [ Shhhh.....the show''s not over yet.], the voice whispered.

    The scene around us changed once again, we were in a vaguely familiar amusement park....this was probably the amusement park where I was abandoned.

    I scoff at young John who was walking around, holding our mother''s fragile fingers.

    This memory and the previous memory.....I already know all this and I''ve already moved past them so I don''t see why I''m seeing this now.

    I watched as my mother left me on the Ferris wheel, all alone.

    I watched as John cried for his mother.

    I watched my mother crying, even though she was the one who left me there.

    Seeing all this, I realize that I still don''t know the exact reason why my mother did what she did...

    Is it because I''m unlovable ?....hehe...Nah, I''m quite lovable.

    I can just ask her if I make it out of here alive.....which is seeming more unlikely as I can sense my life slowly ebbing away.

    [She looks pretty when she''s crying doesn''t she ?]

    " Don''t talk about her like that...", I say quietly.

    [ what''s this ?.....are you defending you''re mommy ?], it asked.....I could feel it smirking at me even though ''it'' had no face.

    " Just stop speaking for a minute.", I say feeling dizzy,

    [ Oh no.....we forgot about your current state....why don''t we fast forward to the most important part...kekeke], it saidughing out.

    " ...and what would that be ?", I ask sitting down on the ground.

    [ You''ll see.], it says snapping its fingers.

    The view around me changes once again and we''re in a stairway now.

    Above me, a few flights of steps away.....I could see a much older John and Mo- ire.

    ¡­...

    That''s impossible, I didn''t meet my mother until I grew up, the ''me'' in this memory looked olderpared to my previous memory but he still had the features of a child...¡­

    " Impossible...", I whisper in disbelief.

    [ Oh...¡­it''s very possible.]

    ~~^~~

    " John.....I finally found you !", ire said embracing her son.

    " What ?", the boy asked, dazed.

    " I''m sorry for leaving you there...¡­.. I looked so hard but I failed...¡­ I''m sorry..., I can make it right now.", ire said refusing to let go of her son, big fat tears slowly dripped down from her eyes and fell on John''s shoulder.

    " Stop it."

    " Huh ?"

    Hearing John, ire let go to look at her son....she slightly flinched seeing the look in his eyes.....it looked the same as that day... the day his father left the world.

    " All you do is lie.....mother."

    " w-what ?", ire asked confused.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Was it hard looking for me ?..... I''m sure you had a lot of help from your new...better family.", John said ring at his mother.

    " Wh-"

    " JUST STOP LYING !"

    " John.....please just listen to m-"

    " NO, I HATE YOU, I WISH YOU WOULD JUST DIE---", John said pushing his mother away from their embrace.....the boy didn''t consider their position.

    John tried to prevent the ident but it was toote....he couldn''t prevent ire''s fall. All he could was stare at his mother as she fell to her death.

    ~~^~~

    " No...this isn''t real.....it isn''t.", Adam said looking at his mother''s very dead body.

    She had fallen down a flight of stairs and had fallen right beside Adam, Adam watched the light in his mother''s eyes fade.

    [ Ughhh....are you not going to admit the truth even now ?], the voice sounded annoyed.

    Adam ignored the voice, he couldn''t take his eyes off his mother.

    [ Don''t act like you don''t remember this...¡­..you''ve already confessed to one of your friends about this haven''t you ?]

    ''It'' gently tapped Adam on his shoulder before saying,

    [ Stop pretending to be the victim.....when you''re the problem.]

    " I''m the problem ?"

    [ Of course, you are.....no shhh....it isn''t over yet.]

    The both of them watched silently as John slowly walked to his mother, shock and panic were visible in his eyes.

    " John ?", a woman''s voice was heard from behind.

    All three of them turn around and find the owner of the voice,

    "Nurse Mariam ?", the boy asked, tears forming in his eyes.

    Seeing the situation, Nurse Mariam has a bitter expression on her face.

    " I knew that you hated your mother, but this.....I was surprised when you asked me to find her but still this....."

    " It was an ident, Nurse Mariam.....please believe me."

    John said running into Nurse Mariam''s warm embrace.

    " Oh..... you poor thing.", she whispered into his ears,forting him.

    " Don''t worry.....I''ll always be there for you."

    John failed to notice the ominous smile on Nurse Mariam''s face.

    [ That woman sure was cunning...she put her boyfriend''s and ire''s murder on you and escaped jail time for herself.....she got you good, didn''t she? kekekek]

    The both of them watch as John got sent to the juvenile center and spent his days there.

    " Larry....", Adam said noticing a boy that resembled Eric.

    [ Yeah....he was cool, it''s too bad he killed himself.]

    They continue to watch John struggle until he finally got out of prison.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 133 Prologue#2

    I''ve always known the truth.

    Somewhere along the way, I just buried it deep inside because I didn''t want to ept that I killed my mother.

    I didn''t try to hear her out.....I just finished her off as I do with all my enemies but was she ever my enemy?

    [ A...you look sad.....how wonderful.]

    I continue watching John as he met Cecile.....my wife.

    I watch them fall in love.

    I watch them fall apart as well.

    But Cecile looked so lonely...was I that neglectful of her?

    I never realized.....

    [ Oh.....I love this part !], it eximed jumping around in excitement.

    Knowing what wasing, I gaze down feeling tired.

    ~~^~~

    John was feeling miserable.

    Cecile was pushing fiercely for the divorce and he couldn''t fight against her anymore, he had no means to do anything.

    All his funds were drained due to the divorce and he was broke, not owning a single thing to his name.

    Right now, he was going over to ire''s ce to ''collect'' his things.

    ''Rring''

    John rang the doorbell and waited for her to open the door.

    It took her a few minutes to open the door, she wore an almost transparent nightgown.

    Cecile looked surprised to see John.

    " What are you doing here, John ?", she asked putting on a fake smile.

    " You told me toe to pick my things up....", John said avoiding her eyes.

    " Yeah....but not at midnight !", Cecile red at John, tired of this.

    Cecile could almost smell the alcohol off John, she was tired of his behavior and just wanted this to end but a small part of her did feel bad for him.

    " Cecile.....I-"

    " Babe, who''s at the door ?", a voice came from behind Cecile.

    John''s eyes widen as a man who wore nothing but his underwear came and stood beside her, swinging his hand around her shoulder.

    " Who''s this ?", the man asked smiling at John.

    " Richard....why don''t you head back ?"

    " You....already-- how could you ?", John asked tears rolling down his face.

    Cecile whispered something to Richard, who after hearing her said,

    " Oh...it''s your asshole ex-husband."

    Hearing Richard...something broke inside John.

    " DAMN YOU !", John screamed as he pounced on Richard.

    ''Bam''

    ''Bam''

    John continued to punch the man until Cecile tried to stop him.

    " STOP IT !", she screamed trying to push John away.

    John pushed her away and got off Richard only to get on top of Cecile.

    " Urghhh", Cecile groaned as John sped her throat.

    The voices inside his head encouraged him to continue so that''s exactly what he did.....

    John could see Cecile slowly dying, even then his grip on her was never loosened.

    " J-johnn--", Cecile whispered, pleading with John.

    John suddenly let go of her throat, shocked to find the extent of the destruction he had done...

    When he had gotten married, John had made a promise to himself.

    But he had broken it tonight.

    John had be his father...the person he hated the most in the world.

    ~~~~

    John looked down from the railing, the water greeted him with an ominous stillness.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The voices egged him on to jump but in the end, he couldn''t do it.

    '' I can''t even kill myself properly....''

    John tried to get down but unfortunately slipped to his death.

    ~~^~~

    Both Adam continue to watch as John slowly became ''Adam''.

    They watched as he befriended Lecia at the orphanage.

    They watched as he killed Mark.

    They watched as he killed the Creeds.

    They watched as he killed Joe.

    They watched as he got closer to the characters in his novel.

    [ Look at you go..]

    The memories continue to go on until Jennifer betrayed Adam.

    Adam notice that Jennifer was tearing up when ''it'' had happened.

    '' Why didn''t I notice that before ?''

    - and just like that, they were back to the present.

    The boss monster was a lot closer now, but Adam still had time.

    Adam found that his body was back in hismand, just as he was about to get up-

    [ Are you going to run away now ?.....]

    The voice made him stop.

    [ Then again, I wouldn''t be surprised because all you do is run.]

    Adam sat on the ground and listened to the voice,

    [ Everyone you love.......dies....you like it don''t you ?....seeing them break apart like that...]

    " N-no...I didn''t want any of this.", Adam mumbled out weakly.

    [ Stop pretending to be the good guy when you''re not...you killed Jennifer''s father out of petty and can you me her for trying to kill you ?]

    " I-"

    [ Oh and there''s Emilia, that poor little girl. She has no idea that she''sughing around with the murderer of her ''gammy'' and ''pop-pop'' does she ?.....you enjoy fooling her, don''t you ?....kekekek]

    [ -and of course, we can''t forget about dear old Lecia.....back then, you knew what was happening to her right ?....there were so many signs and yet you ignored them all because you wanted her to be miserable....right ?]

    " I didn''t k-"

    [ I can list so much more....but why bother when you''re gonna kill them all.]

    ....

    [ Oh....you can even kill your mother again....you''re a lucky little murderer aren''t you ?]

    " I don''t w-"

    [ What ?...you don''t want to kill anybody ?]

    [ That might be true.....but you''re going to kill again because you''re addicted to seeing others suffer.....there is a way to prevent all that though...]

    " How....?"

    [ Kill yourself....everybody wins that way.]

    " Kill myself?", Adam asked, dazed.

    [ Yeah....think about it, you won''t have to try so hard anymore and everybody you love will be able to live a long and happy life...]

    " You''re right...."

    Adam looked at the sky which had darkened, the sky looked simr....it looked the same as the day he jumped off that bridge...

    '' I wonder what happened to Cecile?'', Adam thought thinking of that night.

    Even after their divorce, Adam had loved her.....so he wondered just how he could do something like that to her.....

    ''Maybe.....it''s better if it just ends here.''

    The boss monster had been warily circling Adam, but after realizing that he wasn''t a threat...it stopped and inched closer to Adam.

    Standing inches away from Adam, its saliva falls on Adam''s face as it bared its very sharp teeth at him in a menacing growl.

    Looking into the red eyes of the monster...Adam closed his eyes epting his death.

    '' I deserve this.'' was thest thought he had before the boss monster-

    - sank its teeth into Adam.

 Chapter 134 Deaths Footsteps

    " WE HAVE TO GO INSIDE NOW !", Lecia screamed at Liam Wood, who blocked her way.

    " I''m sorry but we can''t enter until the test is officially over.", Liam said, stone-faced.

    " My brother is in danger.....please j-just let me pass through.", Lecia pleaded falling on her knees.

    Liam faced the other way and said,

    " Please wait for five more minutes.....I can''t do anything to help you since that would be against the contract that you signed...Lecia Creed."

    Max helped Lecia up and red at Liam.

    " You''re gonna move now.....or else.", Max took out a sword from his sub-space.

    "...You shall not pass.", Liam said ring right back at him.

    Katherine, Emilia, Eric, and even Bob took out their weapon...ready to break through Liam by force.

    Just when the tension was at its peak, a lone voice reverberated throughout the forest.

    " Move."

    " Miss Domino...you can''t-- don''t you remember the rules ?", Liam said, sweating feeling the pressure exerted by Dina.

    " Don''t make me repeat myself, boy."

    Liam felt like he would faint then and there, her mere words seemed to have enough power to decimate them all.

    Liam instinctively moved out of the way and let Dina pass through.

    Lecia and the rest also follow behind Dina, catching up with their homeroom teacher, Lecia said gratefully,

    " Thank you.", Lecia wiped away her tears and a more determined expression took over her face.

    ''he''s alive.....I''m sure of it.''

    Lecia believed that her brother was still alive.....she couldn''t.....wouldn''t ept his death.

    Lecia was the one that agreed to sign the document...she couldn''t let her brother die...not again.

    So with much enthusiasm and vigor, all of them headed toward the portal, but just as they were about to enter the portal-

    ''Step''

    -----------

    ~~~~

    A few minutes earlier,

    Adam closed his eyes epting his death.

    '' I deserve this.'', was thest thought that he had before the beast sank it''s teeth into Adam.

    Adam felt incredible pain yet he made no audible sound.

    No screaming. No groaning. No gasping.....nothing, his face remained nk as if the pain was insignificant.

    Adam closed his eyes immersing himself in afortable darkness and silently waited for death.

    But strangely enough.....death never came for him.

    Moreover the pain that he had been feeling since earlier had faded and was reced by afortable warmth.

    '' Wha-'', Adam thought opening his eyes and seeing the sight before him.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ____________________

    I''ve seen a lot of strange things in my life.

    But this.....this is a whole another level.

    I was sure that I was going to die but as it was taking too long, I had opened my eyes to find that...my obsidian ne was shining.

    I could almost feel it vibrating with some strange energy.

    The beast had backed off seeing the light, but I could see that it was gearing up for some kind of counterattack. The ne continued to slightly vibrate as the wolf edged closer to me, wary.

    I get up but then sit back down on the ground.

    Dying while standing up sounds like a hassle.

    That''s right....no matter what happens, I''m not going to leave this ce alive because I want it to be over.

    Maybe it''s because I experienced all that again.....I feel extremely tired.

    The wolf was mere centimeters away from me, I could almost feel it''s hot breath on me.

    Ughh....it stinks.

    I notice that it was still crying because of the death of it''s kin.

    To think that monster would still mourn the death of it''s kin while I feel close to nothing after killing my own mother is slightly rming.

    Is there something wrong with me ?

    Earlier, I felt strange but I couldn''t even shed a tear....it''s like I''m dead inside.

    Then again, different people mourn differently.

    I watch silently as a ck goo somehowe out of the ne, it forms a small ball and rolls around my body until it reached my shoulder.

    I watch curiously as the ck goo starts floating in the air.

    What even is that ?

    What''s with this ne ?<novelnext></novelnext>

    I had a million questions but I pushed all those aside and stared as the ck goo interacted with the wolf.

    The beast didn''t seem that intimidated by the ck ball, it tried to smell it and at that exact moment the ck ball forced itself down the poor monster''s nose. The wolf slowly started backing away, stunned.

    After some time, blood started to pour out of all its orifices-

    " AWOOOOOOOOOO", the beast screamed and then burst into a million pieces.

    I close my eyes reflexively as I''m bathed by its remains.

    ''Disgusting''

    I open my eyes to find that I was covered in the blood and the innards of the beast which looked plenty healthy a few minutes before.

    I don''t know what happened but it seems.....that I''m still alive...oh that''s a little awkward.

    The voices urged me to end it by myself and I agreed with them.....but how ?

    Just as I was deliberating how to end my miserable little life, the ck goo rose up and started to change its form....-

    -....it was the silhouette of a woman.

    " Live.", the ck goo says in a weird voice and then it literally flew away...

    This world.....sure is strange.

    But Mrs. Goo''s words really stuck with me.

    It doesn''t have to be like this.....moreover what would Lecia do without me ?

    What if she goes all evil like in the novel ?

    She needs me.....all of them do, so I should probably try a little harder to increase my will to live.

    I also need to deal with Jennifer...what if she isn''t satisfied with my death ?

    That''s right....just like the voice said.....I need to live and kick some ass and then I''ll think about killing myself.

    I mean....I''m not exactly in a hurry to die.

    Yeah....let''s live.

    The voices start condemning me but I try my best to ignore them, if it wasn''t for that ck goo....I would have probably gone through with it....but its voice brought me back to my senses.

    I can think properly now.

    I''m startled to find that my body had started to glow, but I calm myself down since I knew what was happening.

    In a normal F-rank dungeon, after the boss monster was killed everybody within the dungeon was transported close to the exit, this was perfect for me since I would have had to walk for a long time otherwise.

    I can walk now but my body is too damaged.

    My hand is gone and I''ve lost a LOT of my blood.....it''s a miracle that I''m still alive.

    I close my eyes and when I open them again, I was back to where I had been earlier....back to the starting line.

    The portal through which I had to pass was just a few steps away.

    I get up grunting and groaning, trying my best to not faint.

    In an effort to distract myself, I think of how I was going to punish little Jennifer.

    Thinking about my sweet revenge, I walk out of the portal.

    ~~~~

    Just as Dina and the others were about to enter the portal they hear the sound of footsteps echoing through the portal.

    ''Step''

    Dina watched anticipating her chil- Adam''s return.

    ''Step''

    Lecia closed her eyes praying to any god that had the heart to listen to her.

    ''Step''

    Katherine watched the portal, her anxiety building up as the footsteps drew closer and closer.

    As everybody was watching with silent anticipation, Jennifer was the exact opposite.

    ''Step''

    ''It can''t be.....no it''s not possible.''

    ''Step''

    Her heart starting beating at an rming rate, her fear rising as he slowly came closer to her....

    ''Step''

    ''He''s going to kill me....'', Jennifer couldn''t handle herself anymore and fell on her knee.

    ''Step''

    The others payed her no mind and continued watching the portal until finally Adam came out from the other side.

    Seeing Adam, nobody rejoiced....nobody cried tears of relief.....none of them could even move.

    Adam was covered in blood from head to toe, his hand had been cleaved in half , blood slowly oozed down from where his hand should have been....he seemed dazed.

    A small grin spread across his face seeing the people outside the portal.

    Even though he was grinning from ear to ear, nobody reciprocated his smile as all of them unterally only felt a single emotion-

    - ....fear.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 135 Aftermath (1)

    Dina was the first to snap out of her trance.

    " Adam ?", she said slowly walking towards him.

    " Shhhhhh", Adam said bringing a finger to his bloody lip and-

    -....then he fainted.

    ~~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    -------------

    I wake up feeling extremely sore.

    I''m greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling but I could ascertain by the smell around me that I was in a hospital.

    Hospitals always have a certain recognizable scent about them.

    " You''re finally up....", Lecia says, she had been sitting beside me.

    I could see dark bags under her eyes, she must have had trouble sleeping.

    " You seem restless.", I say patting her on the head.

    ....

    I''m stunned to see big fat tears roll down her cheeks as she forced me into a tight embrace.

    " I w-was so hic- worried."

    A bitter smile epasses my face as I calm Lecia down.

    " I''ll go call the doctor.", Lecia says wiping away her tears.

    As I watch Lecia leave the room, I couldn''t help but feel bad since I made Lecia cry. If I had died.....how would she have felt ?

    I''ve been in danger before but nothing of this magnitude, I came really close this time....too close.

    The only reason I''m alive right now was because of that ck goo...!

    I look down to find that my ne was still on me, but the obsidian gem had changed it''s color to a greyish hue. I use my hand to feel the ne and I''m shocked yet again,

    " AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH", I scream looking at my hand which had been detached from my body.....but it wasn''t the same....I had a hand which resembled a baby''s hand more than a fifteen year old''s one.

    It was tiny, I could move it around easily enough but it looked super weird.

    Did the doctors mess up my surgery or something ?

    " What happened ?!", Lecia barged in with a barrage of doctors.

    I look at them for a second, unsure of how to bring up my ''baby'' hand.

    I sigh and raise my baby hand before asking them,

    " What the hell happened to me ?"

    ~~~~

    Arge number of doctors had gathered inside my room.

    A middle-aged man who appeared to be the chief doctor sat in a chair right in front of me, with a kind smile on his face.

    The other doctors gathered behind him and Lecia sat beside me, her hand on my shoulder in an effort tofort me.

    " So.....you''re saying that my hand just grew back to this.", I say wanting to confirm that I wasn''t high on morphine.

    " Yes, we assumed that it was because of a skill.....is it something else ?", the doctor asked scratching his head confused.

    " Well.....yeah, of course....it''s one of my skills alright.", I say, nodding my head mysteriously.

    Lecia strangely sighs hearing me.

    .....

    I have no idea why my hand grew back like that.....I don''t have any skills that gives such uh...unique regeneration. The only thing I can think of is the [Potion of Eternity] but even that didn''t have the power to regenerate an entire arm....especially like this.

    I wiggle my little baby fingers, confused.

    I''m missing something here...just what is it ?

    ...

    ....

    Ughhh, I give up.

    I''m sure I''ll understand everything about this strange phenomenon in the future.

    " We also cut your hair a little bit....your sister said that it was fine."

    " Oh...that''s fine."

    I was already nning on it but was way toozy to really do it, my hair had grown way too much. I just went around tying it all in a bun.

    I feel my hair, it was still fairly long, it almost reached up to my shoulders...almost.

    Well at least the hospital did something to help me.

    ...

    The doctors continued to stare at me in a weird manner until I red at them,

    " What ?", I ask annoyed.

    " Oh....it''s nothing, we''ll leave you two alone."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just like that Lecia and I were once again alone in my hospital room.

    " They''re just fascinated with you....since you healed so quickly.", Lecia said getting up.

    " Hmmm....how much days was I out ?", I ask bracing myself for an astonishing number.

    " 2 days."

    " What ?!"

    It''s only been two days....I thought that a month would have passed or something. My healing is a little too quick.....it''s really strange.

    Just as I was about to ask Lecia another question-

    ''Knock''

    - a knock resounded throughout the small room.

    " Come in.", I say as Lecia took out a box of apple slices.

    Oh...yum !

    I open my mouth and Lecia gently feeds me a slice of de~liciou~ous apple.

    Two uniformed officers enter the room, greeting us with a warm smile.

    " Good Evening sir....miss.", a man of short stature says acknowledging the both of us.

    The woman next to him, probably his partner of something also shed us a toothy grin. They looked like the most happiest police officers in the world.

    " We hope that we didn''t disturb you...."

    " You didn''t.", I say as Lecia made them sit.

    " My name is Conrad Kelly and this is my partner Jessica Kelly, we''re here to ask you some questions.....is that okay with you ?"

    I give them a ''thumbs-up'' while opening my mouth to wee yet another apple slice.

    " We''re here because the doctors informed us that you had multiple stab wounds and you hand had been cut off by some sort of knife.....the doctors im that there are clear signs that you were harmed by a human....do you have anything to say about that ?"

    I stare at them for awhile, wondering how to answer their question.

    " You can trust us, Adam.", Jessica says holding my hand in an attempt to reassure me.

    " Thank you....but there isn''t anything to tell, I wasn''t alert and got caught off-guard by the boss monster."

    " Are you sure about that ?", Conrad asked, his smile slowly fading.

    " Mhmm", I mumble out throwing in another apple slice inside my mouth.

    They stay and ask me some more questions until,

    " Well....thank you for your time.", Conrad and Jessica got up and left without pressuring me for an answer.

    " Why didn''t you tell them about Jennifer ?", Lecia asked grimly.

    " You knew ?!"

    " Well....Eric caught her trying to run away so we thought that something was up but it must be true seeing how you reacted.....why would she do something like this ?", Lecia asked, her temper ring.

    " Who knows ?", I say lying back down on the fluffy bed.

    " Bring her here tomorrow with the others."

    " Okay....are you sure you''re fine, Adam ?"

    " Oh....I''m more than fine."

    The reason I asked Lecia to bring them over tomorrow was just a precaution, even if I say that nobody attacked me.....it was clear that something strange had happened so the police would probably keep an eye on me for awhile.

    I also need time to think.

    Lecia fills me in all the events that had urred while I was down. We chat for some time before I made her leave.....she looked like she needed some rest.

    By the end of the day, I could feel that my hand had grown more, this is fascinating really.....it only took three whole days for it to heal by this much, if my healing continued at this pace I would bepletely healed in.....probably two weeks.

    " Urghh", I groan out as the voices start their dance yet again.

    ''I need to do something about them as well.''

    I was starting to getting used to life without them but it seems like they''re back and it looks like they''re not nning to leave anytime soon. I need medicine.....I''ll figure something out.

    I also had to deal with Jennifer.....there''s no use in hiding the fact that I killed her father. I need to own up to the things I have done.

    I also need to tell Emilia the truth.

    After almost dying, I think I realize the problem within me.

    Like ''they'' said, I''m always pretending to be a good person....why ?

    I don''t know, it might be for personal satisfaction or some other obscure reason.

    But I do know that.....I need to stop.

    I need to stop pretending to be someone I''m not, what I am is an awful person.

    I''m rotten to the core and there is no use in pretending to be something I''m not....I''m not kind....I''m not good.....I don''t deserve to live but yet here I am alive and well.

    That''s the harsh reality of this world, the ones to get thestugh aren''t the good and just. I''m going to be busy from tomorrow-

    -....since there''s no rest for the wicked.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 136 Aftermath (2)

    Being in a hospital usually brought a sense offort and safety, but it was the exact opposite for me.

    The doctors woulde and check on me every second of the day, partly because I owned this hospital...well Lecia does but let''s just gloss over the minor details. The doctors also seemed to be fascinated with my recovery.

    My hand had grown considerably within just hours, it wasn''t just my hand either...I felt good, like really good. My body didn''t ache, which was impossible because it had only been three days since I was almost killed.

    I didn''t have much to do except so I waited for the others to arrive, Lecia had told me that she would bring them over in an hour.

    '' Twenty more minutes to go.'', I thought observing the clock that was fixed on the wall.

    ~~~~

    " Wake up, Adam"

    I open my eyes to find Lecia and the others looking at me.

    " Oh....you''re all finally here.", I say smiling weakly at my friends.

    They all take their turns asking me about my well-being and I give them the ''I''m fine'' answer every single time. After an exhausting amount of this, Maxments,

    " Your hand looks weird, man."

    " Oh yeah, thanks...I hadn''t noticed.", I answer back rolling my eyes.

    The room goes silent as we all stare at the Asher twins who had been standing in a corner this whole time.

    I observe Jennifer''s face which remained expressionless while her brother, Jacob Asher was the exact opposite, he was sweating buckets and kept fidgeting around clearly agitated.

    " Did you miss me.....Jennifer ?", I ask gazing into her emerald eyes.

    '' Grrrrrr''

    Before Jennifer could answer, a small growl rang throughout the room distracting everyone. I look toward the crate that Lecia had probably brought in when I was asleep.

    " Let him out."

    Lecia opened the crate and let Rhys out immediately.

    Rhys prowled around the room for a good minute before making his way towards me, jumping up on the bed by his lonesome, he makes himselffortable on myp.

    After making sure that he was settled in, I ask Jennifer yet again,

    " Where were we ?... Ah right, did you miss me, Jennifer ?"

    I pat Rhys slowly on the head as she answered back,

    " Not particrly.", her voice held no emotion but I could see the hate in her eyes.

    Why didn''t I notice it sooner?

    " Is that so ?", I answer back nonchntly.

    A deadly silence once again descends upon the room as everyone stared at Jennifer and me, they all looked a little tense.

    " Please...spare my brother.", Jennifer says, her face finally cracking with emotion.

    " Huh ?....why would I hurt your brother ?", I asked back continuing to pat Rhys.

    " After all.....he''s not the one that tried to kill me.", I say smirking.

    .....

    " How could you do something like this...after all we''ve been through ?", Lecia asked ring intensely at Jennifer, who received her re with her very own frown.

    " You still don''t understand ?..... YOU PEOPLE KILLED MY FATHER !"

    Hearing her, Lecia''s eyes widen and she managed to stutter out,

    " W-what ?"

    Jennifer looked like she had lost it, I can''t me her....she must have been nervous, I do have the habit of killing the people that wrong me.

    " That just isn''t true ''Jen''...", I say shaking my head.

    " What ?.....YOU''RE ACTING INNOCENT NOW.....YOU FUCKING...MONSTER !"

    Jennifer took in a deep breath seemingly out of breath. Just as she was gearing up to shout again, I interrupt her and say,

    " You said ''you people''.....but Jennifer, I was the one that killed your father.", I push Rhys out of myp and slowly begin to get up.

    "---and you know what ?.... I enjoyed snuffing the light out of your old man''s eyes."

    I inched closer to her ignoring the others.

    " Do you wanna know how I killed him ?"

    Without waiting for her to answer, I say,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I cornered him just like this...-

    Jennifer couldn''t back away anymore as she had hit the wall, I gently sp her throat and continue,

    " - and choked him to death, he begged and fought his hardest but in the end, he died because he was too weak."

    Jennifer copsed on the floor hearing me, her eyes brimming with tears.

    " Stay away from my sister !", Jacob says trying to push me away.

    I use my good hand to block him and knock him out in the blink of an eye, even though I had just hurt her beloved brother, Jennifer didn''t look angry....she looked broken.

    I bend down and look directly into her eyes,

    " W-why ?....my father was a g-good man....he-"

    " Hahaahahahahahahahahahahah--", Iugh out unable to control myself.

    " Oh.....how na?ve.", I pat her on the head while she stared at me thoroughly stunned.

    " Wake up to reality, Jennifer...your father wasn''t a ''good'' guy, he was a criminal that used the Creed''s influence to elevate himself....he was nothing but scum-"

    " NO.....NONONONONONONON-"

    Jennifer had lost it for real now, she was shaking her head and covering her ears as she was unable to bear the truth.

    " If I hadn''t killed him, he would have killed me as soon as he noticed something wrong.", I say to Jennifer, but to me, it felt like I was trying to justify myself and I promised myself that I would stop doing that.

    Looking at Jennifer, who couldn''t stop sobbing the anger that I felt for her slowly diminished.

    " I''m giving you a choice now...¡­die now or run away with your brother."

    Hearing me, Jennifer looked up at me with a re stered over her face,

    " Run where ?"

    " I don''t know but know this, never stop running because I''ll always be right behind you.....and when I find you.....I will kill you."

    Jennifer sat on the ground refusing to move, maybe I should give her some encouragement...

    I turn around and say to Lecia,

    " Go bring those police officers...I think I''m remembering just what really happened to me."

    " What ?", Lecia asked looking stunned.

    Now that I look a little closer, they all look stunned.

    Ah....they must be surprised because of how I''m dealing with Jennifer.

    This is good, they need to see what happens to the people who betray my trust.

    " Go and bring them here.", I order Lecia.

    " O-okay.", she says heading out, dazed.

    Seeing her like that stung a little but...I can''t pretend anymore.....I''m tired of this shitshow.

    " You better make a decision quickly.", I say returning to my bed.

    I watch as Jennifer struggled to make a choice, in the end just like I had expected she ran out of the room dragging her brother away.

    .....

    An ufortable silence descends upon the room.

    " Why don''t all of you head back ?", I say, tired.

    " Oh....right.", Eric says awkwardly.

    ........

    " We''ll be out of your hair then....", Max said moving out of the room, the others also started heading back.

    " Oh, I almost forgot.....could you stay back...Emilia ?"

    " M-me ?", Emilia asked pointing at herself.

    I nod my head, smiling at her.

    " What is it ?", she asked nervous.

    " Well....we have a lot to talk about.", I say my smile not wavering...not even once.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 137 Bitter Truth

    I stare at Emilia who smiled at me awkwardly.

    ...

    I had thought a lot about how to confront Emilia with the truth and many scenarios yed throughout my mind. I don''t know if what I''m about to do is the right thing.... but it''s the best choice that I can make.

    ¡­..

    Even though I wanted to just say it outright without wasting any more time, I couldn''t. I don''t know....maybe it''s because I feel guilty or something.

    " Why don''t we head to the rooftop ?", I say feeling stuffy in my hospital room.

    I''ve been stuck here for a while now, so heading up to the rooftop might be a nice change of pace.

    " Sure.", Emilia says helping me up.

    ~~~~

    I looked down at the vibrant city before me.

    Creed Hospital was located along a busy street and from the rooftop, one could see much happening.

    " So....what did you wanna talk about ?", Emilia asked gazing out with me.

    ¡­.

    I look down on the people that went about their life....unaware that they were being confined within these barriers.....our position was akin to a pig growing up in a ughterhouse.

    We were all being fattened up before the angels could butcher us in an attempt to fry us to death...

    ''Growl''

    My stomach grumbled like it had a life of its own.

    " You must be pretty hungry...huh? hehe."

    " Yeah....that must be it."

    " Anyway, what did you want to tell me ?"

    " Oh right....your grandparents are dead."

    ....

    A look of shock passed through Emilia for an instant as she asked me once again praying that she had heard me wrong...-

    " What did you just say ?"

    " Your grandparents are dead."

    -.....but it looked like God was ignoring her prayers today.

    Emilia still doesn''t seem to understand.....not it''s not that she doesn''t understand, she just can''t ept it.

    " H-how ?", she asked, tears streaming down her face.

    I seem to be making a lot of women cry these days, I better stop...I don''t want people to think that I have a weird fetish.

    " Well...we needed some porters for a dungeon raid and I made your grandparents do it."

    " What ?"

    " We needed some porters for a dungeon ra-"

    " Why...would you do something like that ?....they were normal civilians..."

    I rub my head and yawn before saying,

    " I did it because I can and if it''s anyfort at all.....they were pretty good meat shields."

    ¡­...

    " You.....BASTARD !", Emilia punched me using her full strength.

    I fly across some distance before falling and I look up to find hering towards me, her fists clenched and she was also muttering something but I couldn''t hear her because of the ringing within my ears...

    Damn...Emilia knows how to throw a punch.

    However, before Emilia could do any more damage Lecia appears out of nowhere and drags her away.

    ''Where did she pop out from?''

    Soon, Katherine also emerged from the opposite end of the rooftop, we didn''t see them earlier because they were hidden by the building that led to the rooftop.

    Katherine walks up to me and watched the view down below.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I think back to thest time we were alone on a rooftop, she had asked me if I was a ''bad'' person...I wonder if Katherine hates me now?

    " Why did you lie ?"

    " About what ?"

    " About her grandparents....."

    My eyes widen in surprise hearing her, seeing my surprise Katherine says,

    " Lecia told me about those parasites a long time ago....so tell me, why did you lie to her ?"

    Lecia....she couldn''t just keep her mouth shut.....ughhhh.

    When we told them the ''truth'', Eric and Lecia left out a minor detail...that I had fed Emilia''s grandparents the Ascaris but it turns out that Lecia couldn''t keep her mouth shut and when did they even be so close?

    ....

    Oh right.....five months have passed.

    I have a lot of questions but now''s not the time to be lost in my thoughts.

    " The oue wouldn''t be any different even if I told her the truth."

    " Is that so ?", Katherine says her gaze fixed on the clear sky.

    " Do you hate me now ?"

    I don''t know why I asked her that.....it''s not like I care about what she thinks.

    " I don''t," she says immediately.

    What?

    She doesn''t hate me?

    " Don''t you understand ?..... I killed all those people because I wanted to.....I''m not a good person."

    " I never said that you were a good person.", Katherine remarked.

    " THEN WHY WON''T YOU JUST HATE ME !?", I shout at her.

    I don''t know why I''m getting so frustrated.....I should probably shut up but something about Katherine just ticks me off.

    " Adam...I don''t know what kind of person you were before...but we''ve all changed sinceing here.....even you. I can''t bring myself to hate you because.....you''re the kindest person I''ve ever met."

    " What ?", I scoff at her.

    " you think I''m kind ?...don''t make meugh, do you know how many people I''ve ughtered with these hands ?", I say raising my hands in the air....don''t ask me why.

    I can feel my anger rising.....and I don''t understand why I''m feeling this way...

    " That may be so.....but as I said...you''ve changed, we all have. You didn''t tell Emilia the truth because you wanted her to me someone other than herself...didn''t you ?"

    " I told you that isn''t i-"

    " You let Jennifer go because you couldn''t kill her...I don''t know if you''re a bad person but I do know that you''re not evil.....you need to stop hating yourself and let some people in or you''ll be all alone."

    " Well.....what if I want to be alone ?"

    " I don''t think you mean that...we all need somebody, Adam.", Katherine says heading back.

    Somebody...for what?

    Just before going away, she turned around and says with a bitter smile on her face,

    " Stop acting like an asshole and deal with them properly."

    After she left, I return to my room.

    I knew for a fact that Jennifer was wrong about everything.

    I am evil because being bad and evil are the same thing...isn''t it?

    She wants me to stop being an asshole and deal with things properly.....I''ll never do that...I mean how would that even work?

    _+_+_

    I didn''t know it then.....but I should have listened to Katherine''s advice.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 138 Leora

    I can''t sleep.

    No matter what I do, I....couldn''t sleep.

    I did most of the things that would bore me to death thinking that I would feel sleepy then, but instead, I felt more awake than ever.

    I couldn''t sleep with all these voices screaming in my head, it''s just like back then. The only difference is that I had ire tofort me back then...now, I had no one beside me.

    I was alone, just like Katherine predicted.

    ''No....forget about her.'', I thought, shaking my head.

    Iy down on my bed and stared at the ceiling nkly,

    ~~~~

    I leave the hospital tomorrow.

    It''s been close to two weeks since I was admitted to the hospital and my hand was healing splendidly....it''s almostpletely healed.

    " Oh Yes, finally.....I''ve conquered you woman!", Eric proims dancing around.

    They''ve been hanging around my hospital room for some days now.

    Eric had finally defeated Lecia at someme game, I frown as they were disturbing me from reading.

    I was reading an erotica that one of the nurses here had provided me with when I asked her for something to read, I wasn''t that interested at first but I couldn''t put it down now.

    I must know if Sir Stephan wins Julia''s heart!

    I''ve also learned that these books are so much better than porn, it makes you utilize your imagination and it''s been I''ve used that.

    I continue to read ignoring their bickering.

    After about forty-five minutes, I was done with the book.

    I look up to find that Eric and Lecia had fallen asleep, Eric leaned on Lecia''s shoulder and Lecia leaned on his head.....they looked stupid.

    During the past week, I''ve had a lot of visitors.

    For starters, Laurine Gem, our principal/spy came to visit, she was extremely worried and asked me all about the ''incident''. I told her the truth, about how Jennifer had stabbed me in the back....literally.

    Patric- I mean Laurine offered to capture Jennifer but I refused his help since if Jennifer knew what was good for her, she would keep away but I wasn''t stupid. I knew how to locate Jennifer if the need arose.....

    All the others also visited me, we all had a heart-to-heart chat about what happened. I told them about Geoffrey. I also apologized to them if they felt ufortable because of me.

    I wasn''t taking Katherine''s advice, I just didn''t want them to be afraid of me.

    Unfortunately, I hadn''t seen Emilia since that day.

    Katherine and Lecia did say that they went to check up on her, they told me that she was pretty down. The Brie household held a funeral for Martin and ra, I wasn''t invited obviously but Lecia said that it was a beautiful service.

    I''m pretty sure that I ruined my rtionship with Emilia...

    There was only a single thing left to do before leaving tomorrow.

    Well, I didn''t have to do anything, I just had to wait.

    ''Knock''

    Just as I was about to head out, a knock rang throughout the room.

    Fortunately, Lecia and Eric didn''t wake up.

    I head out and open the door to find senior doctor, Phil waiting for me....with a ratherrge paper bag in his hands.

    I got acquainted with Phil over my stay here, he''s smart and can keep his mouth shut, those are qualities that I admire but I liked Phil because he knew his ce.

    Phil wanted a promotion and I could give that to him.

    But nothing in this world was free, so we came up with an agreement.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " You really shouldn''t take these without a doctor''s prescription.", Phil says handing me the brown paper bag.

    " It''s fine.....I know what I''m doing.", I say snatching it off him.

    " If you say so.....I''ve delivered the rest to your home."

    We exchange our goodbyes and I head to the washroom, taking out the small yellow containers within the paper bag. They were my meds, specifically some sleeping pills and a lot of antipsychotic medication.

    I needed these so that the voices would stop, giving me a chance to think properly. This wasn''t a permanent solution....a permanent solution would be to kill myself but since I''m not nning on doing that anytime soon...I need to learn to live with this and this was the first step.

    I take off the lid of one of the containers and pop a pill inside my mouth.

    The effect isn''t immediate but after twenty minutes, I could enjoy silence once again.

    ~~~~

    " Did you make sure to not leave anything behind ?", Lecia asked me for the hundredth time.

    " I did," I say pleasantly.

    I was happy to be able to be back in my car again,

    " It''s good to have you back, sir.", Victor said while driving like he always did.

    " It''s good to be back !", I proim my hands in the air.

    Lecia had a small smile on her face and Eric also grinned slightly seeing my enthusiasm.

    We arrived home quickly and I started to head into the house with my luggage.

    " Don''t bother unpacking since we''re leaving tomorrow.", Lecia says calling out to me.

    " Alright.", I say running into the house.

    Ah.....this is it.

    I''ve missed this little hell hole, it''s disappointing that we have to leave tomorrow.

    Where exactly are we running off to?

    Well, Unity was a unique school in the sense that it housed its first years in the most secure barrier which was Amator, this was done to ensure the safety of the inexperienced students.

    After sessfully finishing their first year in Unity, students in the hero course had to move to another school located at the second barrier. The second barrier was called ''Leora'' and was more vulnerable than Amator since it was closer to demon territory.

    Anyways, this other school was an exact replica of Unity in every way except the fact that it''s a little more luxurious, it was supposed to have more amenities.

    I was lucky because these past two weeks weren''t that important, the teachers were busily grading the papers.

    I was discharged at the right time as everyone was leaving for Leora tomorrow.

    The results of the exam were shown while I was in the hospital and of course, I passed....barely.

    So, just like that we would soon leave our homes and travel into the unknown.

    Even though schools were closed for the summer vacation, the students in the hero course had to pack their bags and head out to Leora, this was done to familiarize the students with their new home.

    Three whole months just to familiarize with a ce may sound ridiculous but it was needed as Leora was very different whenpared to Amator.

    Soon, we would be second-years.

    Even though it''s not noticeable now, the cogs are turning to bring upon the future that I want for this world.

    Another reason for my excitement was because of the fact that we were finally entering the next major arc of the novel.....it was my favorite arc and that should say a lot since I hated most of what I wrote in myst life.

    Yup, the [ The War Of Grey and Gold ] was an amazing arc.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 139 New World

    " ---I wish you all the best for your future."

    Laurine finally concluded her speech and the students politely pped.

    Today was the day we crossed over to Leora, it was also the first day of our summer vacation.

    The school had arranged amon gate for all the students to a za within Leora, after reaching there we had to find our own way into the school.

    The War of Grey and Gold would start within a week under normal conditions but I need to speed it up if I want to make full use of my time. After reaching Leora, we would be given missions toplete throughout our vacation.

    The objective of the missions could vary in difficulty, it could be finding a lost cat to killing someone.

    In the novel, Max and the group were given a mission that yed a role in him meeting with ''them''.

    Leora was a unique ce since it wasn''t just home to humans, it was the home of some very strong tribes of animals adapted to mana.

    The first and most prominent tribe within Leora was the ''Lion'' tribe. Its leader was one of the strongest animals adapted to mana, he yed a very important role in the war and was a great leader to his people.

    The war hero, Leo.

    The next powerhouse was the ''Wolf'' n, their leader who was also a war hero had abandoned the n and left. Even though their leader wasn''t present the ''wolf'' n was still plenty formidable.

    But the most important aspect of these tribes was that they worshipped weapons.

    The ''Lion'' tribe worshipped the sword.

    The ''Wolf'' tribe worshipped the spear...

    Both the tribes strove to reach perfection with their adored weapons.

    These two tribes had a big alliance going on making them even stronger as a whole.

    " Hey Adam, snap out of it....it''s our turn.", Lecia nudged me on the shoulder as our turn to use the gate hade.

    I nod my head and take her hand in mine and we walk through the gate at the same time.

    ~~~~

    " It doesn''t look any different...", Iment as we pass through the crowded za.

    " Y-you''re right...", Eric said smiling awkwardly.

    I sigh and observe the atmosphere within the group, it was really bad and I know exactly why...

    I look back and there she was a few meters away from us, as soon as our eyes met she looked away, a small little frown on her face.

    It was Emilia.

    She hadn''t talked to me till now and I don''t think she''s ever going to talk to me again.

    Emilia had entered together with Katherine, but she wouldn''t join up with us probably because of my presence, she''s probably following us because she''s totally lost.

    I sigh once again, I can''t make everyone else ufortable because of this.

    " I have some things to do.....so you all head on ahead without me."

    " What is it ?....I''lle with.", Lecia says with an understanding look on her face.

    I grab her shoulders and push her away from me,

    " No, it''s something I have to do alone...", I say not wanting to drag Lecia into my mess.

    " What is it ?", Eric asked ncing between Emilia and me.

    " Uh.....I can''t say because it''s a super-secret."

    Almost everybody sighs hearing me,

    " Why don''t the two of you just talk it out ?", Lecia suggested for the hundredth time.

    I promptly ignore her and start walking away bute back, I walk towards Katherine who stared at me puzzled. I kneel and remove the leash tied to L''s neck.

    We had brought both of them with us, instead of putting them in a crate like we usually do.

    " It''s probably better if we don''t use these for a while.", I say to Katherine proceeding to remove the one on Rhys.

    " You''re right...I almost forgot.", Katherine says nodding her head appreciatively.

    I give her L''s leash and bid them all goodbye, I wave at Emilia, who ignores me before heading off.

    ~~~~

    I''m lost.

    I have no idea where I am.

    I trudge along the busy streets looking for a ce to rest since I had been walking for a while now, Rhys also looked a bit tired.

    My eyes fall on a strangely designed building.

    '' Luna....huh ?''

    I read the name of the bar out loud, it had the aesthetics of a tavern that one would usually only see in fantasy worlds....well I guess this is a fantasy world.

    I walk into the bar, it was filled to the brink with people who were having a jolly good time. A woman sang a happy tune to set the mood for the bar and the sound of people chugging beer was heard almost continuously.

    I find a booth for Rhys and me and we make ourselvesfortable while waiting for someone toe and take our order.

    Rhysy down beside me looking a little scared, he must be scared because of the crowd....ah now that I think about it this was the first time Rhys was seeing this many people all at once.

    I gently pat him on the head wanting to reassure him that everything would be fine.

    A waiter soon came and took our order.

    I ordered two strawberry shakes for myself and Rhys, I also order a te of salted mini pretzels.

    Our order arrived very quickly, and the waiter added in a littleplimentary sandwich because of Rhys''s cuteness.

    I split the sandwich into equal halves and gave Rhys his share,

    " Yummy !", he said munching on the sandwich.

    Rhys had somewhat improved in his speech sincest time, I''ve been training him a lot.

    Teaching him the alphabet was no easy task...

    I feed Rhys from time to time as I devoured my food.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just as we were about to finish our food, a man whose face was covered up by the hood he wore approached me.

    " Y-you... DISGUSTING BASTARD !", he screamed out trying to punch me.

    ...

    ''What the fuck ?''

    Why am I being attacked?

    Also, this is the second time someone''s called me a bastard this week.

    I''m seeing a pattern here...

    " YOU THINK YOU''RE BETTER THAN US...HUH ?" The mannds the punch this time and I fly away not even having the time to think.

    I get up quickly, my body hurt...it''d just been a day since I was discharged, I was advised to take it easy...this sucks.

    The bar went silent as people circled around us eagerly watching the fight.

    " I don''t know what you think I did.....but this is a mistake, I don''t want a fight."

    " Shut the fuck up.", the man removed his hood revealing his face...

    He....wasn''t a man.

    A beastman stood before me, to be more precise a wolf.

    The man''s face was that of a wolf''s but his lower body was simr to a human''s, the man was covered with blue fur from top to bottom.

    Without even trying to listen to me, the man charged at me.

    ''Shit''

    Just as he was about tond another punch, I use [Incite] to daze him and avoid his fist.

    " Please....let''s just talk this out.", I say not wanting a fight.

    Ignoring me, the man charges at me once again.

    I couldn''t use [Incite] because it had a cooldown time of ten seconds, but I still manage to avoid his fist.

    ''Goddamnit !''

    I need to fight back or this is just going to drag on.

    I decide to make a coat of armor using [Hell Fire] before the man could charge at me again, but as I started using the skill...a searing pain engulfed me.

    ~~~~

    " What''s happening ?"

    One of the bystanders watching the fight asked looking at Adam who was on his knees even though he had only taken a single hit from the beastman.

    " AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    Adam screamed out in pain.

    Hearing him scream everyone inside the bar took a step away from Adam except for the man, who walked closer despite his screaming.

    " You''re crying after a single punch.....then you''re in a world of pain today, you little shit.", he remarked raising Adam''s face, gearing up to punch his face.

    But seeing Adam''s face, the man lets go...surprised.

    ck blood flowed down from his eyes, it looked like he had fainted.

    The man was confused, he hadn''t hit the kid that hard....so just why was he bleeding so much?

    " It doesn''t matter.....you deserve this.", the man said roughly pushing Adam to the ground.

    The man kicked him once and was about to give another kick when a woman''s voice echoed throughout the bar,

    " Geez...I was away for a minute, what trouble did you make now ?"

    The people give way for a beastwoman, she looked at the bloodied boy and sighs.

    " Nephyr...this guy....he...Just look...", the man pointed at Rhys who was also making his way towards them, Rhys had been trying to cross over to Adam since the beginning but couldn''t do so because the people had blocked his way. Rhys made use of the path the woman had used and ran towards the man.

    Nephyr''s eyes widen as she noticed the small panther.

    Rhys looked up at the man who stood before his mommy.

    The man who had hurt his precious mommy...

    The man kneeled down and gently patted Rhys on the head.

    " It''s going to be okay, little on- Arghhhhhh", the man groaned out in pain as Rhys bit one of his fingers off.

    Rhys''s red eyes glowed as he stood in front of his mommy, blood slowly dripped from his chin as he red intensely at the people who had hurt Adam.

    " DON''T HURT MY MOMMY !", the tiny panther screamed.

    " Huh ?....what now ?"

    Everybody in the bar stared at the tiny panther confused out of their minds.

    ~~~~

    Author''s note:

    That''s the end of volume 4!

    This volume was tough to write since a lot of stuff happened, I tried my best but it might still becking in some areas. Tell me your thoughts on this volume in thements.

    Volume 5 will have a lot more action, I''m a little nervous since writing fights isn''t an area where I excel then again I wasn''t that good at writing when I first began this novel and I think I''ve improved a little so let''s hope that I improve more along the way.

    I won''t be taking a break since I want toplete as much of the story as I can before my exams start which are in a month...I think?

    We''re also very close to 200 ps for the first time ever so let''s gooooo.

    I''ll stop ranting now.

    Anyways, thank you for reading till here.

    _____________________________

 Chapter 140 Epilogue: Alive And Well

    Jennifer and Jacob Asher were in hiding.

    They were currently hidden deep within Baryon mountain.

    " I''m cold....", Jacob said shivering.

    Jennifer said nothing in response and just frowned.

    Jennifer was used to her brother''s temperament but sometimes she just wanted him to shut up.

    " Sis ?"

    ''I''m cold too.''

    Jennifer suddenly felt angry at her brother, why was only he allowed toin...why did she have to give up her dreams for his sake.....Jennifer hated him.

    " Hey....are you alright ?"

    Hearing him ask if she was okay after all this broke something inside her, in a fit of rage she tackled her brother.....her head hurt and she couldn''t think straight. All she could feel was hate...towards her brother....towards Adam....towards everything.

    Getting on top of her brother, she choked him.

    She increased the pressure on his throat slowly and steadily, Jacob tried to resist but it was futile. Soon, the light within his eyes dimmed and Jennifer could finally think properly again.

    Seeing her brotherying on the ground, lifeless like a broken doll.

    All Jennifer could do was scream.....

    " ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    What had she done ?

    She couldn''t even remember what she was angry about?

    ''p''

    " Who''s there ?", Jennifer asked into the darkness as a p resounded throughout the dreary mountain.

    " Heehheheheheh....you showed me something amusing child..."

    A tall man wearing a mask stepped out from the shadows.

    " W-who are you ?"

    " Hmmm.....well you can think of me as your guardian angel."

    " What ?", Jennifer inched away as the man came closer and closer.

    " It''s not your fault you know....you were cursed by someone, that is the reason why you killed your brother."

    Hearing the man''s ridiculous words, Jennifer couldn''t help but move even further away.

    Who would curse her?

    '' Adam.''

    Jennifer''s eyes widened as she realized that she had forgotten about Adam.

    " Yeah....it''s all his fault...I didn''t do anything wrong.", Jennifer said more to herself than the masked man.

    The masked man bends down and embraced Jennifer,

    " That''s right.....none of this is your fault."

    The man''s warmth spread over to Jennifer and it made her feel...safe.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " But you need to make this right.....you need to avenge your brother and get him justice."

    " But I''m too weak....", Jennifer said, tears slowly falling down her face.

    The man patted Jennifer on the head as he said,

    " I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams....but-"

    " What should I do-- no I''ll do anything...."

    The man stood up and spread his arms wide, moonlight bathed his body giving him a heavenly glow,

    " All you have to do is...be my messiah."

    ~~~~

    The twelve executives of ''Half-Moon'' were currently holding a meeting.

    As usual, the Enchantress sat at the very front hearing her subordinates argue.

    " We need to bring her over to our side ! ", Bardock, the tenth seat said looking frustrated.

    " Why take a risk when we know so little about her?", Aiden, the eleventh seat said ignoring Bardock''s re.

    The two of them bicker while the others silently listened.

    " What do you think, mother ?", Aiden asked his mother, the enchantress.

    The Enchantress thought for a minute before answering her son''s question,

    " We have to bring her over to our side....even if we have very little information on her, we can''t let a genius like her slip away.....it would be even worse if the demons got hold of her first....so we''ll move forward with the n."

    " But the only thing we know about her is that she''s hiding at Unity !", Ai argued but seeing that his mother wouldn''t back down, he sighed in defeat.

    " Ha, Suck it !.", Bardock said grinning smugly.

    Aiden red but kept his mouth shut.

    " The next thing on our agenda is..--",

    Aiden was interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open.

    All 12 members stared at the shadow that stood before them, all of them remained alert as the shadow moved closer to the Enchantress. But as the members closely observed the shadow they realized that the shadow was simr to the Enchantress in its figure, no it was exactly the same.

    The executives rxed as soon as they realized this, they knew that the Enchantress had many tricks up her sleeve.

    But her reaction upon seeing the shadow was strange, her eyes had widened in surprise and she looked strangely pale.

    The shadow stopped just beside her and said in an almost robotic voice,

    [ Objectiveplete....the subject is alive and well.]

    Hearing the shadow, Aiden''s eyes widened and he asked his mother,

    " Is that-"

    But he got interrupted once again as the Enchantress said,

    " Yes, it seems that your.....brother is alive and well."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 141 Bad Joke

    I wake up to the sound of someone whispering beside me.

    " Woah.....look at them."

    " I know...they''re cute aren''t they ?"

    Hearing their conversation made me feel ufortable, it took me a minute to recollect just what had happened to me.

    That''s right.....Some random wolfman attacked me and I tried to fight back but then I just fainted out of nowhere. Before I cked out, thest thing I remember was trying to use the [Hell Fire] skill.

    That''s obviously not a coincidence, something is wrong with my skill, but that wasn''t possible since skills didn''t just stop working out of nowhere. I need to understand what''s going on with my body soon.....it''s a good thing that I''m in Leora.

    Before moving forward with my n, I need to identify what exactly is going on with me...if not I might be in a little bit of a pickle.

    Anyway, before doing all that I need to get up and deal with these people.

    They''re clearly strong, a weak person wouldn''t attack someone in broad daylight. If they are what I think they are...I might have lucked out.

    I open my eyes only to be startled by the face of a beastwoman.

    She was way too close...

    " I knew it!.....he''s awake Nyad."

    Hearing her, the wolfman who had attacked me earlier burst into the room we were in, he held a bowl in his hands and was using a whisk. It looked like he was whipping up some eggs.

    " Oh...."

    That was all that the man, Nyad managed to mutter out.

    Instead of being angry with both of them, I was fascinated.

    Apart from Rhys and L, I haven''t interacted with any other beastpeople so I couldn''t help but be fascinated.

    Animals capable of utilizing mana had three main forms or evolutions.

    The first was their base form, in this form they were unable to talk but were able to use a very limited amount of mana.

    The second form was achieved when they sessfully made a contract or became efficient in using mana. In the second form, they were able to use a lot more mana and could talk more.

    Thest and final form was the form in which everything changed.

    Their body would resemble humans much more and they would be able to control much more mana. The final form also came in with a bonus.

    Animals have lived their entire lives being one with nature, so they could tap into the power of nature, doing so temporarily unlocks their final form called ''natura''.

    Animals are also given the choice to reject their evolution.

    The three of us stare at each other in silence until the man grunts something and heads back into what I think is the kitchen.

    " I''m sorry about him.....he means well."

    I nod my head and ask the woman before me,

    " Where am I ?"

    " Well....you''re in our room."

    "Hmmm", I say taking a look around.

    " I''m Nephyr by the way and the brute is Nyad.", the woman adds cheerfully.

    I try to get up but Nephyr stops me and points at myp with a slight smile ying around her face,

    " He''s a cute one..."

    I found Rhys sleeping peacefully on myp, I had failed to notice him earlier because of Nephyr''s presence.

    " We owe you an apology...We''re s-"

    " You don''t owe me anything.....that guy does though.", I say pointing towards the kitchen where Nyad had disappeared to.

    " Haha....that''s true.", Nephyr says awkwardly scratching her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    We stay silent as the sound of Rhys snoring slightly slowly passed through the room like a wave.

    " Why did he attack me in the first ce ?", I ask already having an idea.

    " Well because of him...", Nephyr''s fingers were once again pointed at Rhys.

    " That''s it? , I know that it isn''t normal for him to be contracted at such a young age but that isn''t enough reason to assault me...."

    Nephyr had a strange look on her face as she exined,

    " That isn''t it.....we have a good sense of smell and that young child is....part human."

    Oh....it''s just as I thought.

    " Nyad attacked you under the assumption that you had something to do with his birth, but when we saw how he tried to protect you.....we thought that there might be more to the story."

    Rhys tried to protect me?

    That makes me feel strangely good.

    " I see...", I answer back in a good mood.

    ...

    " Could you tell us his story?", Nephyr asked, her eyes strangely sparkling.

    " Sure.", I answer back without a second thought.

    I mean, I have no reason to hide anything.

    " Let''s go somewhere else...I don''t want to disturb him.", Nephyr says standing up.

    I gently leave Rhys on the bed and start to follow her.

    ''Thump''

    As Nephyr opened the room, we were greeted by Nyad who had clearly been eavesdropping on us, he was trying his best to act like he wasn''t though.

    Both Nephyr and I ignore him and she leads me to another room where we make ourselvesfortable, Nyad also entered the room and stood in a corner, leaning on the wall.

    After making sure that both of them were paying attention, I began narrating the story of how Rhys and I met....and his past as well.

    ~~~~

    '' BOOM''

    A hole the size of a fist had appeared after I had finished my story.

    " FUCK THEM ALL !", Nyad screamed, his face was flushed and his veins seemed to want to break out.

    Nephyr had a horrified expression on her face that pretty much summed up her feelings.

    " I''m sorry to say this Mr.Nyad, but all humans aren''t bad."

    Hearing me, Nyad seemed to want to scream but after seeing all the bandages on my body, his expression softened.

    " You''re right.....you''re not half bad for a human, kid. I liked the part where you burned that bastard....."

    " He''s right....you''re a good kid, Adam.", Nephyr added in still looking sick.

    Oh...this atmosphere is bumming me out.

    I need to do something to lighten this shit up.....

    " You''re right.....I''m pretty great aren''t I ?"

    Dead silence was the end product that I received for my poor joke [?] until Nephyr chuckled and Nyad also chuckled a bit.

    Great...they''re giving me a pityugh, but I suppose that''s what you call progress.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 142 The Mission (1)

    A week has passed since I met Nephyr and Nyad.

    That day I had to sprint to the school because I was way toote, but fortunately, I made it in the nick of time. It didn''t take me much time to settle into my new room since the only real difference was that we now had a television.

    The school''s been giving us missions since we got here, the missions varied from patrolling the perimeters of the barrier to capturing or if need be killing them.

    So far, I''vepleted all my missions spectacrly.

    Ever since then I''ve also beening back to the ''Luna'' to have a drink or two with Nyad and Nephyr. After getting to know them for a bit, they''re quite nice people. I''ve also been a little distant from the otherstely...I don''t know why....it just feels a little awkward.

    I''m especially making sure to ignore Katherine cause looking back on our conversation, I''m a little....uh....embarrassed, I made a fool out of myself. So, instead of talking to everyone like a normal person I''m ignoring them and running away just like always...

    God.....I suck.

    Anyways, other than all that I''ve also learned some new things about Rhys.

    Apparently, under normal circumstances, a child between two different species was impossible but there was a one in a trillion chance that a child could be conceived, Nephyr told me that it had something to do with their mana being at the same frequency...whatever that means.

    Not much is known about hybrids like Rhys and L, Nephyr and Nyad advised me to hide the fact that they were hybrids from the rest of the world.

    I did inform Katherine right away.....through a text.

    Anyways, today I was heading to Luna as usual after a perimeter sweep.

    Rhys walked along with me, I slowed my pace so that his little legs would be able to keep up with me. Rhys has grown up quite a bit....it''s a strange feeling, I kinda feel like a dad now. Amazingly, I haven''t managed to mess him up yet.

    We enter the bar and got into my usual booth, I ordered the usual and waited for Nyad and Nephyr to arrive.

    " Look who it is.....if it isn''t our favorite human.", Nyad says sitting down next to me.

    " Geez....why are you already drunk ?", Nephyr scolded Nyad while smiling at me.

    Just like that, we talk and I watch them drink on and on,

    Even though I like these two, there''s another reason why Ie here every day. I''m trying to get information out of these two. From what I''ve observed till now, these two weren''t just two random beastpeople hanging around a bar.

    When I woke up in their room, I made sure to properly observe everything, they had weapons that were above the pay grade of mere normal people....even if I hadn''t seen those, I would still suspect these two.....I already have an inkling of what exactly they''re hiding but I wanted to hear it from them.

    So, I''ve beening here almost every day to make them drunk and careless so that one of them will have a slip of tongue and reveal something and so far my n''s been a bust but today.....today was different.

    It has been close to three hours since they''ve started drinking,

    Nyad was already drunk and Nephyr had passed out. Today might be the day.

    " I''m beat !", Nyad says putting his head down to rest but the sound of snoring vividly rang out soon.

    Nyad too had passed out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just as I was about to question them hoping that they answer in a trance or something, Nyad murmured something.

    "------s-----"

    " What was that ?", I asked getting much closer to him.

    " Don''t worry....your big brother''sing to save you...Ne."

    Hearing him, a small grin spread across my face,

    ''It''s just like I thought....''

    I carry an already asleep Rhys on my shoulder and head back to Unity.

    ~~~~

    Two days have passed since I confirmed why exactly those two were here.

    I had prepared thoroughly for what was about toe, I also went to the doctor and had multiple tests. The results came yesterday and it seems that I''mpletely fine, but I knew what happened to me that day....my skill hurt me...somehow. For now, all I could do was not use [Hell Fire] unless it''s absolutely necessary.

    I was heading to the staff room since Din- I mean Miss Domino had called for me, I''m a little anxious, I haven''t spoken to her since I came out of that portal.

    Entering the staff room, I''m surprised to see a few others were there as well, I join them.

    Domino gave me a small smile and started speaking immediately,

    " All of you have been chosen to do a joint mission, I''ve chosen all of you because I think you''re the mostpetent within your ss. your mission is to stop a ve auction-----"

    I listened carefully as Domino finished briefing us on our mission.

    "--- you''ll be given two days to prepare yourself....so please do so."

    I knew this already, I''m d that I made it to the list, now all I had to do was wait...

    After briefing us, Domino dismissed us and I started heading back but just then-

    " Could you stay back for a bit, Adam ?" Dina asked gently smiling at me.

    " Sure...",

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 143 The Mission (2)

    .....

    Dina and I stared at each other, she gave me an awkward smile.

    " Why don''t we head out to the park ?"

    " I''d much rather talk here, ma''am.", I say avoiding her eyes that scanned me from top to bottom.

    Upon hearing me, a look of hurt passes over her for an instant but soon a bitter smile took its ce.

    " That''s....understandable, have a seat then."

    I do as instructed and sit down on the seat before her desk.

    " Are you okay now....you, after all, that happened, I was just wondering..."

    " I''m fine now."

    Dina''s face brightens up as she says,

    " That''s great...I wanted to visit you but I didn''t think that you would want me ther-"

    " Thank you for your consideration....may I leave now ?"

    " O-oh yeah sure, I just wanted to check up on you."

    I get up wanting to leave and start walking back but stop hearing Dina''s voice once again,

    " Your father.....he said that he wanted to chat with you.....he''s got all his memories back, could you...meet him...for me ?"

    I didn''t need to think even for a mere second before answering her question,

    " He''s not my father."

    ~~~~

    The day of the mission has finallye.

    I got up early and started getting ready for the mission.

    At first nce, the mission didn''t seem all that hard and the ''mission'' by itself wasn''t that hard, all we needed was manpower and we did have that.

    I got out of my room with Eric who was one of the chosen students and the both of us made our way outside where the rest of the students were waiting for us. Our team wasprised of ten people from all the sses within the hero course.

    " Are you nervous ?", Eric asked probably noticing that I was being uncharacteristically quiet.

    " Not really...", I say scanning the small crowd for a certain someone.

    " Hey guys, over here !"

    We find Max waving at us with a goofy smile on his face.

    Sighing internally, both of us walk over to him.

    We talk about the mission and other things while waiting for Dina who would brief us once again because of the magnitude of this mission.

    Owning or selling a ve was considered illegal within the Elda empire, but it still happened under the shadows, away from the eyes of the public. Humans, artifacts, and weapons were all put on sale, but the most prized products were the beastpeople. These ve auctions were one of the main reasons why the rtionship between humans and beastpeople soured.

    Today, we were going to ambush one such auction.

    Usually, something like this would have been impossible since these auctions were so secretive but Unity had someone on the inside this time so they knew when and where the auction would take ce.

    In the novel, Max and the othersplete their mission which was to help the victims while the veteran heroes fought the ''bad guys.'' But one of the victims, a lionboy ran away in fear and Max ran after him..to make sure that he was really safe. This was when he met the rescue team that the beastpeople had sent.

    They were extras with no real role in the story, but they were strong extras. The rescue team consisted of two lions and two wolfs. The lions assume that Max was trying to hurt the lion cub and takes him in as a prisoner to give him the punishment he deserved....and just like that Max was on his way to the Lion tribe''s vige located along the edges of Leora.

    Now Max goes through a lot of trials and hardships, he does a whole lot of stuff but all that doesn''t matter for now. I''m going to do the exact opposite as him...I''m going to make the wolfs take me in as their prisoner and make my way into the Wolf Tribe''s vige located just beside the Lion tribe''s vige...

    I need to make this work.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " I hope that all of you have prepared well...", Dina says appearing out of nowhere.

    She continued to brief us on how we were going to proceed forward, we were supposed to move together and help the victims escape while the heroes distracted the bad guys.

    That was basically it.

    ~~~~

    Eric was feeling extremely nervous, even though they only had a small part to y if he messed it would be bad.

    The students had managed to get inside the auction house disguised as guests, since everybody inside was wearing a mask there was no real way to identify anyone and Unity just made up some fake invitations and made the informant add their names to the register.

    Eric found that it was hard to breathe with the mask covering his face.

    They were currently slowly heading towards their destination, where the victims were being kept but they were strictly instructed to not act until the heroes gave their permission to do so.

    " It''s getting pretty hot in here, huh ?", Eric asked Adam who was walking beside him.

    .....

    But instead of an awkward response from Adam, all Eric got was silence.

    " Adam ?"

    Eric turned around to find that Adam was nowhere to be found.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ________________

    Slipping away was far easier than I thought.

    I was a little afraid that Eric would notice me, but it seemed like my worries were for naught as he seemed to be in his own little world....he''s probably nervous.

    I blend in with the audience who was raising their little cardboards with little numbers printed on them as new ''objects'' were put on sale. I sat down and reached for my own little cutout, it had the number 69 printed on it.

    Hehe....noice.

    I watch as many ''items'' were introduced and waited patiently.

    " Now onto the next product, a child from the wolf tribe !", the presenter says hyping the ''product'' up.

    A small girl, chains wrapped around her tiny hands and legs. Instead of walking on stage like the other products, she was carried by someone.

    The child was sweating a lot and her expression gave away the fact that she was in pain.

    " This one is sadly suffering from some disease that we have yet to identify....she''s been given three months to live at most. We know that''s not a lot....but you can do a lot in three months...hehe", the presenter joked eyeing the small child up like the disgusting dog he was.

    Some of the people within the audienceughed, while some of the others shook their heads disapprovingly.

    " The starting bid is a hundred serja."

    When the time to battle out who her owner was, nobody raised their hands. After all who in their right mind would want a...defective product.

    A smirk spreads across my face as I raise my hands and say,

    " 101 serja !"

    " Oh..we finally have a bidder.....101 serja going once.....twice...thrice....-"

    Striking his little hammer on his little table, the presenter says,

    " -and sold to number 69."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 144 The Strange Human (1)

    "-- and sold to number 69 !", the presenter said, surprised that anyone would spend their money on a defective product.

    '' Well, I don''t care either way as long as I get mymission.'', the presenter thought getting ready to introduce the next product.

    " Huh ?"

    But just as he was about to do so, the presenter saw number 69 walking toward the stage.

    " Sir, please head back to your designated seat..."

    The presenter was weirded out by the silent customer who didn''t stop even after his warning, but there was nothing else to do other than tolerate the customer''s antiques as their auction house was known for treating their customers well.

    Number 69 slowly got on the stage and inspected the ''product'' first, he put his hand over her forehead and after ascertaining something, the man walked towards the presenter himself.

    " Uh- sir ?"

    By now, the audience was openly gossiping about the strange actions number 69 was doing.

    Ignoring their chatter, the man casually took out a small bag from his sub-space and threw it at the presenter who caught it toote, resulting in the contents of the bag spilling out-

    The serja ''ttered'' and ''ttered'' as it danced on the floor.

    The presenter''s eyes widened at therge amount of serja before him, the man''s voice echoed through the wide auction hall,

    "There''s close to 200 serja in there, take it andplete the transaction-"

    The man gently caresses the product on its head, as if he wasforting it,

    "-- I want her now."

    After proiming his desire to im the product there and then, the man doesn''t wait for a response and carried the product back to his seat.

    -Step-

    -Step-

    -Step-

    The only sound that could be heard within therge auction hall was of the man''s slow footsteps, the others within the auction house couldn''t say or even move for that matter.

    They were all entranced by the man''s presence, even though he wasn''t much to see...none of the people within the hall could question the man''s authority.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ________________

    The childy on myp, her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily.

    Beads of sweat rolled down her face which was covered with blue fur, just like those two.

    I feel a little repulsed by the smell of her sweat and start wiping them away using my handkerchief, this child is most likely Nyad''s sister. I bought her because I needed her to make them take me into their super-secret vige.

    Wiping away the little wolf''s face, I felt slight pity for her.

    No child should have to go through something like this, but oh well....it''s not as if it has anything to do with me.

    This child is probably about ten or twelve years old because that was the age when the beastpeople usually entered their third evolution and seeing that she was already in a humanoid form I''m probably correct...

    " What a creep !"

    " He must be a lolicon !"

    " That poor child !"<novelnext></novelnext>

    My muscles tense up hearing the rudements of those around me.

    I''m not a lolicon.....

    Also, what right do they have to judge me?

    They''re literal criminals who like buying ves and all.

    ''Hmph.''

    But all that doesn''t matter now.

    I need to heal this kid, if she''s suffering from an unknown disease....then it could be an uncurable one right?

    I was hoping that it would be uncurable since I could heal her with my blood then.

    ~~~~

    Ne''s POV

    ______________

    Pain.

    All that I could feel was pain, everything was difficult...breathing, walking, thinking. I couldn''t do any of these without my head threatening to burst open. I had a vague idea of what was happening to me,

    I was being sold.

    I never could have imagined that something like this would happen to me...

    I just wanted to explore the real world, and even though my brother advised against it, I chose to run away from home and now I''m here.

    I never knew that humans could be this cruel.

    Just as the pain was reaching a new height, a cold hand gently caresses her forehead, the cold made her feel good even though it onlysted for a minute as the hand had gone away.

    ''Don''t go.....don''t leave me here please...''

    ------------

    Surprisingly enough the hands seemed to listen to her as they took hold of her and carried her away. Even though the pain hadn''t gone away, the steady hands that carried her away from that horrible stage gave her a sense offort.

    After a while, she could feel someone gently wiping away the sweat on her body, she tried her best to open her eyes but her effort proved fruitless as her eyes remained firmly shut.

    " Drink."

    The voice demanded her to drink and she did exactly that, a sweet and vorful fluid filled her mouth, she was quite familiar with it was blood, but this blood....it was the sweetest blood she had ever tasted.

    Ne felt better as soon as she drank the blood, it was a gradual change but she could feel herself bing better slowly. Once she felt a little better, she tried to open her eyes and this time they do open.

    It took her a minute to adjust to the light, but after she her eyes got used to the light, she could see again.

    Tears slowly fell down as her emotions, which she had suppressed till now overflowed.

    She had been made to sit in a chair, she could see a new ''product'' being introduced.

    " Oh...you''re finally up."

    Turning to where the voice originated from, Ne saw the strangest human she had everid her eyes on.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 145 The Strange Human (2)

    The auction went on, new products were introduced and the people bid for them.

    The girl had woken up some time ago, but she hadn''t said a word. She was probably afraid.

    I continued watching the auction without thinking too much about her until a small voice reached my ears,

    " T-thank you, sir."

    I look at the girl, who refused to meet my gaze. She did look a lot better now.

    " You don''t have to be afraid, your brother sent me to uh- save you.", I say trying to reassure the little girl.

    " Really !", the child asked, her eyes widened in surprise.

    I chuckle seeing her and say,

    " Yes, you can trust m-"

    ''BOOM''

    A loud explosion shook the whole auction room surprising everyone inside, Low tremors could be felt emanating from the stage where people wearing costumes had appeared out of nowhere,

    Heroes.

    " It''s going to be alright.", I sayforting the fear-stricken Ne....or Neelu, I can''t really remember her name.

    I watch as the heroes quickly started their ''mission'', the people near me had already started running at the first sight of trouble. I didn''t move a muscle, instead, I made myself even morefortable.

    The heroes were busy fighting the presenter and his goons, they didn''t look that strong but there was arge number of them while the heroes were less in number. This is probably just a distraction to make it easier for the students.

    I wait patiently for the members of the wolf tribe to make their appearance.

    Ne had somehow made her way onto myp, she had closed her eyes and held onto me tightly.

    The heroes hadn''t noticed me till now, but it was just a matter of time so it would be better if they arrived sooner. I felt bad for all the people who ran away as a bunch of other heroes was waiting for them on the other side.

    Hehe...just kidding.

    After a couple of minutes, the door to the auction hall was swung open, and finally, two very familiar beastpeople made their appearance.

    Nyad and Nephyr.

    I watch in silence as they look around frantically for something or in this case someone...

    " Brother ?!"

    Ne looked surprised to see her brother, she tried to run to him but I restrained her before she could do so.

    " Huh.....mister ?", the child looked at me confused.

    " NEELA !"

    Nyad screamed while running towards the both of us, I get up carrying Ne using just a single hand.

    " LET HER GO !"

    ''Good''

    I smiled seeing him trying to attack me, I was counting on Nyad''s brashness and explosive character to make this work. I jumped to dodge his attack, I didn''t know his full strength since we''ve never really fought all out but I could tell that he was holding back, probably trying to make sure that his sister wasn''t hurt.

    Since he was deliberately holding back his punches, I could easily dodge any attack he threw my way. I needed to put up a little fight so that they think of me as an enemy. Ne struggled the best she could but my grip on her refused to lessen.

    " Just hang on for a little more.", I whispered to her.

    I don''t know if she heard me but she started to struggle a little less.

    " AHHHHHH!", Nyad screamed trying tond another punch.

    Instead of dodging, I use Ne as a human shield and made Nyad hit her instead.

    Nyad''s eyes widened as he watched his younger sister faint from his punch.

    I drop her to the ground and crack my knuckles preparing myself for a beatdown,

    Nyad checked upon his sister first, seeing her on the ground is probably going to infuriate him.

    " YOU FUCKER !", he screamed trying to attack me.

    I couldn''t dodge, I wasn''t nning to either way but as I saw his fisting toward me I instinctively activated [Hell Fire].

    Pain instantly hit my body just likest time, but this time it was a little more bearable. The ck mes didn''t appear even though I had summoned them.

    ''Pow !''

    Nyad''s punchnds right across my face, with the pain of the punch and of using [Hell Fire] hitting me together I could feel myself cking out.

    Thest thing I saw before falling unconscious was Nyad and Nephyr looking down on me.

    ~~~~

    ------

    -War-

    -Anguish-

    -Regret-<novelnext></novelnext>

    -Kill-

    Voices whispered into Adam''s ears as he watched the destruction before him.

    Even though the destruction was vast, Adam didn''t look fazed in the slightest, after he was very familiar with this particr scenery.

    Dead bodies were strewn about everywhere, crows ''cawed'' while gnawing on the innards of those very bodies.

    ''It''s been a while since I had one of these.'', Adam thought silently watching the death and destruction that surrounded him.

    Adam was calm because he knew that he would wake up soon.

    .....

    ....

    ....

    But he didn''t wake up.

    This dream wasn''t ending.

    Adam tried to move but as always he couldn''t move when it counts.....

    " LET ME OUT !"

    A voice screamed out drowning all the other voices.

    --------------

    I woke up gasping out for air.

    ''Thank god.''

    I was almost afraid that I would never wake up.

    But it''s strange, I''m sure that I woke up but why is everything still so dark ?

    ....

    It took me a minute to realize that my head was covered with some kind of dark cloth, most probably to prevent me from seeing the path to the vige. I was in some sort of vehicle, I could feel it moving swiftly.

    I could hear the voices of several people arguing nearby,

    " That''s thest we''ll talk about this !"

    That''s probably Nyad.

    " But he helped me !"

    Ne sounded desperate.

    " You must have misunderstood dear....this man didn''t have any good intentions."

    Nephyr patted me on the shoulder as she said this.

    A....it looks like Ne was trying to save me.

    I listen to them argue for awhile more until the vehicle we were in jerks to a stop, I was forced out of the vehicle and led to somewhere else.

    I could hear people whispering about everywhere.

    I was gently led through some steps and finally arrived at some sort of raised tform.

    I was probably at some kind of execution altar, the wolfpeople used a special spear called the ''Spear Of Infinity'' that was said to trap the souls of the people that were killed with it to execute the people they deemed ''truly evil''.

    " Urghh", I groan out as I was forced to my knees.

    The dark cloth that was wrapped around my face was slowly taken off, It took me a minute to adjust to the light outside.

    I could see again.

    I was greeted by the sight of many....many wolfpeople staring at me, beside me Nyad and Nephyr stood ring at me.

    " This human bought one of our kind....he treated us like inferiors....for his sins, we condemn him to an eternity of suffering." , Nephyr says taking a weird spear that was ceremoniously decorated with many symbols.

    Just as she was about to slice my head off, I scream,

    " STOP !"

    Whispers are hearding from every direction as people were perplexed by my action.

    Nephyr looked at me expectantly, taking in a deep breath I say,

    " You''re gonna kill me after I paid for all those beers ?"

    Hearing me, both Nyad and Nephyr looked shocked.

    " Adam ?", Nyad asked taking off my mask.

    An awkward smile spreads across my face as I say weakly,

    " Hey guys..."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 146 Dumb And Dumber (1)

    " Adam ?"

    Both Nephyr and Nyad looked stunned to see me, but I had no time to exin my circumstances to them right now. I need to bring him out.

    A rupture in space became visible as I activated my [Sub-Space], I imagine what I wanted to pull out and put my hand inside the space.

    Nyad and Nephyr take a few steps back, confusion still visible on their faces.

    Ignoring them, I pull out....--

    " Mommy !"

    -..Rhys from the sub-space.

    I''ve been conducting experiments using [Sub-Space] for thest five months, I started small by using baby chicks andter used their mother hen.

    From my experiments, I''vee to understand the skill a lot better.

    Living beings can survive in the sub-space, no rather than survival it was more like time stopped for them but they could only stay in the space for a very limited amount of time. After a lot of specting I''ve concluded that size matters.

    ....

    The size of the being inside that is, the bigger and moreplex the organism, the faster it disintegrated. The mother hen died out far more quickly than its offspring. With all this knowledge in my mind, I used it on Rhys.

    From what I''ve seen, Rhys can survive up to five hours within my sub-space.

    I had used the skill on him just before entering the auction house and it seems that I made it in time. This was a little bit of a gamble but I wasn''t that worried since I knew that the wolf''s vige wasn''t that far.

    There was a reason I brought good ol'' Rhys here, but I need to deal with this situation first.

    Rhys rubbed his body against mine and I attempted to stand up, only to be stopped by Nephyr.

    " Just....what exactly are you doing here ?", Nephyr asked, her eyes were cold and filled with suspicion while Nyad looked conflicted.

    Well...this is an interesting turn of events.

    I thought Nyad would be the one who would get mad, but it seems like I was wrong.

    I''m a little hurt, to be honest, I thought Nephyr liked me...

    Chuckling to myself, I give up trying to sit down and make myselffortable on the floor of the raised tform.

    I looked down at the countless wolfpeople who were whispering amongst themselves probably confused as to why I''m still alive.

    " Why.....would you buy my sister ?", Nyad questioned me, his eyes burning with fury.

    " Well, it''s a long story but I suppose we have time....----------------"

    I put forth an exnation that I had already prepared beforehand, Unity had issued a mission and I was just doing my part. I saved Ne from imminent death by giving her a potion-

    " Then why didn''t you just tell us that before...all this happened ?", Nephyr asked still looking suspicious.

    I wave at the countless beastpeople down below with a bright smile on my face.

    " I''ve always wanted to visit this ce."

    Hearing me, the both of them looked stunned.

    " Y-you what ?!"

    Before the both of them could question me more, a deep voice reached our ears,

    " That certainly was a long....story."

    A wolfman that was muchrgerpared to the others came towards me, he slowly climbed the small flight of steps with Ne clinging to his shoulder.

    " Is this human telling the truth ?"

    Ne nervously nodded her head and gave me a weak smile.

    " The h-human saved me.", she managed to whisper out.

    '' This must be the chief....what was his name again ?''

    The wolfman had blue fur covering his body just like the others yet what made him stand out was his extremelyrge and well-built body. For a chief, he looked quite young.

    " I see..."

    The wolfman says hearing Ne, he stared at me for some time before-<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Oh, how rude of me! , My name is Augustus Kelmar and I am the current chief of Lupus vige."

    Oh right, I remember now.

    Augustus helped me up and says,

    " I must thank you for saving this little one-"

    He pats Ne on the head before continuing,

    "-- But may I ask why you wanted to visit our little vige so much so that you would go to such lengths ?"

    I thought for a minute before saying,

    " I like wolfs."

    " Mwhrr ?", Rhys growled out looking offended.

    " I see.....that''s understandable.", Augustus says, still smiling ever so brightly.

    ....

    .....

    ~~~~

    ''ng''

    " Hey, you''re making a big mistake !", I say trying to reason with these unreasonable canines.

    " I''m sorry, Augustus told us that he''ll decide what to do with you soon.....you don''t have to worry, I''ll put in a good word for you.", Nyad says giving me a thumbs up.

    I want to smack him, but these bars prevent me from doing so.

    That''s right, these guys threw Rhys and me inside jail!

    Hehe....all ording to my n (not really) but it''s going to be alright, things may seem dire but I''m going to bepletely fine.

    " Why didn''t you just ask us ?", Nephyr asked looking curious.

    " Ask what ?"

    " You know...to take you to the vige."

    ....

    " You wouldn''t understand.", I say a little smirk ying around my face.

    Nephyr smiled and says,

    " You''re a little dumb...aren''t you ?"

    ....

    I ignore her question.

    I''m not here to just ''visit'', I''m nning on doing so much more...heh.

    " Hmph...well, I guess we''ll see you soon enough. Enjoy ''her''pany."

    I watch as they go back, but suddenly a thought struck my mind.

    Enjoy whosepany?

    Except for Rhys, I''m pretty sure I''m alone he-

    ''Rattle''

    I slowly turn around, my heart beating a little fast and...it was then that I saw ''it''.

    Within the shadows of the dimly lit prison cell..-

    - ...a pair of blue eyes stared at me without blinking.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 147 Dumb And Dumber (2)

    It seems that I''m not alone in this prison cell.

    " Uh---hello ?", I say smiling, hiding my surprise.

    -Step-

    The sound of slow and steady footsteps echo throughout the cell as the other inmate walked out of the shadows revealing herself.

    Unlike the others of her kind, ck fur covered her body from top to bottom.

    This wasn''t her only peculiarity, below her right eye.....a mark of a blue cross could be seen, a birthmark to be more precise. All of these qualities together with her gentle blue eyes gave her an ethereal feel.

    It felt as if I was standing next to some kind of deity.

    " Who the fuck are you ?", the peculiar wolf spoke bringing me back to my senses.

    " O-oh right, I''m Adam."

    " What are you doing here ?", the wolfwoman asked, her eyes narrowed.

    " Well, it''s all a big misunderstanding--"

    " Stop...I''m no longer interested."

    ...

    After proiming her disinterest in me, she once again moved to the opposite end of the prison cell.

    I settle down in a corner with Rhys on myp, I was still a little confused with our ''conversation'' just now. As for who exactly the mysterious inmate is.....I might have an idea.

    " So, what''s your name ?", I ask her, trying to start a conversation to pass time.

    .....

    All I got in response was dead silence.

    ~~~~

    Time moves very slowly when you''re bored.

    I for one am just a minute away from shooting myself in the head, I''m sooooooo bored.

    Little blue eyes over there hasn''t spoken a word, but I could feel her eyes on me.

    To somehow pass time in this dreary little prison, I had begun ying with Rhys.

    I puppeteered him like a master puppeteer, I held onto his little paws and made him dance on the slippery floor. Rhys growled out annoyed, yet he didn''t try to run away. I let go of his hands quickly resulting in him falling with a ''thud''.

    ''Grrrr''

    Rhys growled bumping his head against mine in a fit of rage.

    " Hehehe."

    A chuckle rang across the room as ''blue eyes''ughed out at the scene before her.

    " What''s his name ?", she asked, a smile still ever-present.

    " What''s yours ?"

    I watch as the smile on her face faded, only to be reced by a frown.

    I ignore her and continue to y with Rhys.

    ''Sigh''

    " Fine....I''ll let you have the privilege of knowing my identity-"

    She got up and stepped much closer to me before proiming,

    "- My name is Lydia Caerus, I''m the daughter of the honorable chief of this vige !"

    " Oh....you mean Augustus ?"

    Hearing me, another huge frown spreads over Lydia''s face,

    " That man is just a proxy....he''s just a stupid fake....", a look of defeat ovees her face as she makes herselffortable beside me and Rhys.

    " Where''s the real chief then ?", I ask leaning on the moldy wall of the cell.

    " I...she....urgh forget all that....why does this one smell human ?", Lydia says dodging my question, she made Rhys sit on herp and gently patted him, he didn''t seem to mind all that much.

    Very well...if she''s not ready to tell me, there''s no need to force the truth out of her since I already know.

    I once again narrate the story of how Rhys and I met and by the end, Lydia had a simr reaction as the other two.

    "Humans are disgusting !", Lydia proimed loudly.

    " Well...not all humans are that ba-"

    " I know, not all humans are bad and not all wolfs are good, we''re all.....wed I guess ?"

    I nod my head, agreeing with her sentiment.

    " What did you do to end up here ?", I asked, curious.

    Hearing my question, Lydia slightly winced and says,

    " I tried....to destroy the Spear of Infinity."

    " Oof...why''d you try to destroy it ?"

    The Spear of Infinity was something that was passed down from generations, a generational weapon that was always used by the chief of the Lupus vige, In the eyes of the vigers, that spear was akin to a god, and trying to destroy that very spear required guts.

    " I don''t know.....I wasn''t thinking straight because I was drunk..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    " The people must resent you now...", I say closing my eyes.

    " Well...that''s not new, they''ve always hated me. I''m a daily reminder that their leader abandoned them."

    ....

    The both of us don''t notice time passing by us as we were immersed in our conversation, it might be because the both of us were in a somewhat simr position or it could be something else entirely but the both of us felt a sense of camaraderie with each other.

    Lydia was interested in the world outside of Leora and I tried my best to paint a vivid picture in her mind.

    I was interested in Lupus vige and she told me all about it, the ces that I had to visit as well as avoid.

    ''ng''

    " Looks like the two of you are enjoying yourselves...."

    I look up to find the door to the prison cell opened and outside waiting for us was Nephyr.

    Upon seeing Nephyr, Lydia looked extremely nervous.

    " Your fate has been decided.", Nephyr says addressing the both of us with a cold smile ying around her lips.

    ~~~~

    " So...we''re free ?", I ask once again to bepletely sure.

    " Well, essentially yes...but you''ll have to stay with us a little while more until we can bepletely sure that you''re trustworthy....is that fine with you ?"

    I nod my head and Nephyr immediately shifted her gaze towards Lydia.

    " Lydia...I''m disappointed in you, you''ll be the one keeping an eye on him and I''m warning you now....this is yourst chance."

    Lydia''s gaze was fixed on the floor, seeing the glum expression on her face I nudge Nephyr on the shoulder and say,

    " Hey, c''mon give her a break..."

    Lydia seemed shocked seeing me defend her, Nephyr smiled apologetically and says,

    " Right.....well I''ll leave you two alone."

    Nephyr left soon after and I was back outside along with Lydia and Rhys.

    " I can''t believe that you just did that..."

    " Did what ?", I asked, confused as to why Lydia looked so dazed.

    " Y-you don''t know ?..... Nephyr is the most feared person here other than the chief..."

    " Why ?", I ask quietly.

    " She''s our executioner."

    ~~~~

    Lydia and I walked along the busy streets of Lupus vige, for a vige...it was quite big.

    Lydia was now leading us to a hot spring that was supposed to have ''medicinal effects'', it was the perfect ce to visit after being stuck in a stinky cell.

    On our way there, a lot of people stared and pointed their fingers at...Lydia and some cast curious nces on me as well. Lydia seemed to be used to their gazes...which looked a little hateful in my opinion.

    " We''re here ", Lydia eximed excitedly.

    I gaze at the entrance to the hot spring, there were two signs kept on the front probably showing which direction the men and women had to go...I couldn''t read theirnguage so this was all guessing on my part.

    I wait for Lydia to guide me but instead, she drags me with her inside.

    Don''t the women and men use separate springs or something.....is it different for wolfpeople?

    " You''re going to love this ce !", Lydia says as we entered the changing room, which was empty.

    Lydia and I split up to change into our towels, I felt strangely nervous.....

    After securely storing my clothes in a box, I take a towel and cover my lower body.

    Well...I suppose I should just head in now.

    ~~~~

    Adam got into the hot spring, as soon as he got in he felt his muscles rxing.

    " Ah...this is it.", he said out loud to no one in particr.

    '' What''s taking her so long ?'', he thought not aware that Lydia was approaching him from behind.

    Adam wasn''t sure about the wolfpeople''s customs and traditions so it was only reasonable for him to assume that this was normal but the truth was far different.

    ''Oh...I forgot to take the soap.'', Adam thought getting up.

    ''Flip''

    At the same time, Lydia who was approaching Adam lost her soap to the ground, it had slipped away from her hand. Lydia bend down to pick up her soap bar, she was mere centimeters away from Adam....it was at this moment that Adam had gotten up.

    Turning around, Adam saw a very ''exposed'' Lydia.

    "Oh.", was all he managed to utter out as his wet towel fell revealing his precious jewels.

    Lydia stared at the view before her in a daze until-

    " AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"

    - she screamed, her face flushed from embarrassment

    ~~~~~[?]

 Chapter 148 Trap ?!

    " AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    Lydia''s screams rang out through the misty hot spring, I quickly reim my fallen towel and cover myself up.

    " YOU''RE A BOY ?!", Nephyr screamed out looking traumatized.

    .....

    " OF COURSE, I''M A BOY !.... DIDN''T I SAY THAT MY NAME WAS ADAM ?"

    " I THOUGHT THAT WAS SHORT FOR SOMETHING...."

    ...

    What?

    What did she think Adam was short for...Adamina?

    " NEVER MIND ALL THAT....GET OUT !", Lydia kicked me out of the hot spring, I go back and enter the other entryway, probably used by the males.

    Still a little dazed, I enter the hot spring yet again.

    ....

    I think Lydia might be dumber than me, but in her defense, my appearance was more.....feminine due to my [Weak Body] but still, I didn''t think that its effects would be this...strong,

    Are my skills getting stronger on their own or something?

    I spent some time getting soaked, deep in thought.

    But after some time, I decided to get out as I wanted to explore this ce a little more before calling it a day. Getting outside, I''m surprised to see Lydia waiting for me.

    " Uh- did you wait for long ?", I ask avoiding her eyes.

    " N-no, I didn''t wait that long....", She replied, avoiding my eyes.

    The both of us silently stare at the ground for a weirdly long time before Lydia says,

    " Well....let''s head to my home..."

    Lydia slowly started leading me to her house since she''s the one that has to keep an eye on me, I suppose it can''t be helped...

    As we were walking side by side along a rugged path, Lydia says,

    " Hey....I''ve been thinking..."

    " Yeah ?", I say walking beside her.

    " I know it''s a little unconventional but I think it might work..."

    " Hmmm....what will work ?"

    " Our marriage, dummy !"

    .....

    " WHAT ?!"

    Seeing my adverse reaction, Lydia has a quizzical look on her face,

    " Don''t tell me you don''t know ?"

    .....

    " I guess you don''t, well it''s tradition for us to marry the first person that sees us naked."

    " I d-didn''t know....", I say edging away from her.

    Lydia has an ominous smile on her face as she moved closer to me,

    " You''re going to take responsibility aren''t you ?"

    I think about what exactly I should say to fix this absurd situation,

    ...

    " I mean....it isn''t like there was much to see...", I say my eyes on her t chest.

    " What ?"

    ...

    " I''m sorry....", I say backing away even further.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ...

    I avoid her eyes and stare intensely at the ground but I''m forced to look up at her as I hear herughing like a maniac,

    " HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.....look at your face !"

    Oh...she must have been joking...

    " Hahahaha...you got me good."

    Lydia puts her hand on my shoulder and puts a little too much pressure on it,

    " Hmmm...I feel like you said something troubling earlier.."

    "Oh no...I would never, you must have been imagining it.", I say sweating a little.

    " I''ll let you go just this once...hmph.", Lydia says letting go of me.

    As we continue with our walk, we''re back to chatting normally....

    It wasn''t that awkward anymore.

    ~~~~

    " This is my house !", Lydia proimed proudly.

    We were in front of a shabby little building that looked like it would copse soon, I suppose she''s not exactly wealthy.

    " Do you live alone ?", I ask as we entered the house.

    " I live with my grandma...", Lydia says taking off her shoes before moving further into the house.

    Well...I hope I don''t kill Lydia''s grandmother during my stay here.

    I remove the shoes I had on as well, following Lydia''s example.

    " Grandma, I''m home !"

    ''Streak''

    An elderly wolf appeared supporting herself on a cane, her appearance was the same as Lydia''s except for the grey spots on her body.

    " Oh my, they released you earlier than I th-"

    The elder stopped speaking as her eyes fell on me.

    " Oh my, I heard rumors about a human breaking in.....who would have guessed that they were true."

    " I didn''t break in, ma''am....it was just a misunderstanding.", I say respectfully.

    " Is that so ?"

    The woman stared at Lydia and me expectantly,

    " Oh right, this is Adam, and Adam this is my grandmother...Georna."

    " Hmm, it''s quite a pleasure to meet you, young man.", Georna took my hand into hers and kept it there for a while.

    I try to take my hand away but Gerona had a surprisingly strong grip, her eyes gopletely white and I felt strange.....

    " What''s happening ?", I ask Lydia who didn''t seem that confused by her grandmother''s actions.

    " She''s----"

    Just as she was about to answer my question, Georna let go of my hand and her eyes return to normal.

    ''Huff''

    She seemed to have overexerted herself...

    " Oh my.....", Georna says catching her breath.

    " What''s wrong grandma ?", Lydia asked looking worried.

    ...

    Georna stared at Adam, a grim look enveloping her face as she says,

    " This boy is dying."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 149 Plethora Of Penises

    " This boy is dying.", Georna said with a grim look on her face.

    Both Adam and Lydia widen their eyes upon hearing the elder.

    After proiming that Adam was dying, Georna gave no further exnation and went back to the inner parts of the deste house.

    " uh...what was that about ?", Adam asked looking a little worried.

    Lydia''s face was grim as she exined,

    " Grandma''s a shaman, she just used one of her skills on you, Adam.....I think you''re in danger."

    " A shaman ?!", Adam said acting surprised.

    Lydia silently nodded her head, her eyes on the path her grandmother had taken.

    " I''ll go talk to her, could you wait here for a second ?"

    Soon, Lydia followed her grandmother into the hidden depths of their shabby house.

    ~~~~

    Shamans.

    They are healers who use an alternate state of consciousness to enter the invisible world, which is made up of all unseen aspects of the world that affect us, including the spiritual, emotional, mental, mythical, archetypal, and dream worlds.

    I knew that I was ailing from a mysterious disease, but who would have thought I was dying?

    After the doctors found nothing wrong with me, I knew that I need another type of healer, the mystical kind.....

    So, is the fact that I met Georna this soon just a mere coincidence, or was it nned?

    ...

    I guess we''ll never find out.

    I make myselffortable in their guestroom and wait for them to arrive after their discussion, after about twenty minutes I could hear the sound of Georna''s cane tapping on the ground as she slowly approached me. Lydia followed behind his grandmother, a grim look visible on her face.

    Compared to her, the old wolf was much calmer, she had a nonchnt expression on her face as she sat next to me. Lydia stood behind her, fidgeting around.

    " As I said before, you''re dying.", Georna stated, bored. " I need to inspect you more to understand what the problem exactly is...but I''m sure it''s only a matter of time before you bite the dust."

    " That''s good to know.", I say mimicking her nonchnce.

    Georna raised her eyebrows, surprised to see me so calm. Lydia also looked surprised.

    " If it''s up to me, I would leave you for dead but this one here seems to like you...she''s forcing me to heal you.", Georna says pointing at Lydia, who looked embarrassed.

    I smile at her and say,

    " Thank you, Lydia."

    -and I mean it. I feel bad using her like this but I always pay back my debts.

    Lydia smiled warmly at my sincerity while Georna had a huge frown on her face,

    " But I''m not one of those good-hearted angels who''d help anyone for free, I need some kind ofpensation."

    " Grandma !"

    " Shut it, brat. momma needs some dough."

    I chuckle hearing the duo bicker and interrupt them,

    " That goes without saying, ma''am. I''m a really strong person so aspensation.....I''ll protect the both of you."

    Seeing Georna scoff, I add-in,

    " I''m also very rich so....I''ll pay you back as soon as possible."

    ...

    " So, we''ll start the procedure tomorrow.----"

    Both Lydia and I smile as Georna begrudgingly agreed to heal me.

    " I need to inspect you before the procedure, so strip."

    .....

    " What ?", I ask confused.

    " STRIP.", Georna mouthed the word slowly, mocking me.

    " I---right now ?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Don''t be so embarrassed, I''ve seen plenty of human dicks in my time so you can rest assured."

    ...

    " Stop being a pervert, you stupid hag !", Lydia proimed before gently smacking her on the head.

    " HUH ?, WHAT''D YA SAY, YA DUMB BRAT ?!"

    ''What an interesting duo....'', I thought watching the two fight.

    Instead of a normal grandmother-granddaughter rtionship..... the rtionship they disyed was that of friends. I felt slightly jealous as I watched them fight because even though they were outwardly cursing each other...I could see the love and bond they shared.

    ....it must be nice.

    ~~~~

    I''m scarred for life.

    The old hag had just finished ''inspecting'' me, it was torturous.

    Georna would make some sort of hatefulment every few seconds as she inspected every nook and corner of my body to excruciating detail.

    She especially made fun of my weak and fragile-looking body, if only I could somehow remove [Weak Body].....

    "---and this is your room !",

    Lydia led me to the room where I would be staying, the room in question just like the house was shabby but still livable.

    I enter the room and settle down on the bed.

    " I guess...I''ll leave you alone then.", Lydia says already walking back, but she stopped just before going away, turning around to face me, she says with a gentle smile on her face,

    " You''re going to be fine....Adam."

    I nod returning her smile with my own,

    " I hope so..."

    ~~~~

    The day of the procedure had finallye.

    I was currently lying down on a table as Georna inserted small needles into my body.

    " Oww.."

    " Shut it.....this is nothing.", Georna quietly scolded me.

    " What exactly are you doing to me again ?", I ask trying to distract myself from the pain.

    ''Sigh''

    " I''m blocking your inner channels to temporarily stop the flow of mana so that I can understand the problem more clearly."

    Hmmmmm, I see...I don''t get it.

    Georna talked about the process more and I listened attentively.

    " You should have let Lydia stay, she looked like she wanted to-"

    " You don''t know what she wants.", Georna says thrusting a needle a little too harshly.

    ....

    " She doesn''t even know what she wants....she''s been isted since birth because of the insufferable people here....and yet she doesn''t hate them....she wants them to acknowledge her....mark my words, these people will regret treating her this way...soon."

    Georna had a murderous gleam in her eyes as she droned about how she hated Lupus vige and it''s resident wolfs.

    ....

    " Ahh...that''s all good but could you please be a little more gentle ?", I interrupt her.

    " Oh....sure.", Georna says smiling innocently.

    ''PRICK''

    ''PRICK''

    ''PRICK''

    " Ahhhhh", I scream as she inserts three needles at the same time.

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 150 The Old God (1)

    I silently curse Georna and distract myself from the pain I felt.

    Georna prattled on about the history of Lupus vige and how she hated all of its residents.

    To summarize, Georna was a cranky old granny who wanted her granddaughter to be happy.

    Lydia had wanted to partake in this little ''experiment'' but Georna had driven her away saying that she wasn''t ready for something like this, her exact words were,

    '' You''re still only just an apprentice.''

    I was surprised to learn that Lydia was a Shaman apprentice since the art of mystical healing wasn''t exactly an easy path to walk. Shamans always had to pay a price in exchange for the powers they gained.

    " Is it done ?"

    I ask the elder as the feeling of pain had slightly faded.

    " Mhmm...be silent.", Geornamanded as she closed her eyes and opened them again but they were glowing now.

    I watch silently as Georna turned her head around frantically as if she was watching something absurd. After about a minute or so the glow in her eyes fade and she came back from her weird trance.

    Georna looked at me with mild surprise and says,

    " Well...I''ll be damned, you''re ''energies'' are being fused."

    " My ''energies'' ?", I ask confused.

    " Yes...but we''ll get into thatter, I need some rest now.", Georna said walking away.

    Now that I looked a little closer, it looked like she had once again overexerted herself.

    I stare at the ceiling nkly with a single thought running through my mind,

    '' Who''s gonna remove all these needles ?''

    ....

    ~~~~

    " Geez....grandma can sure be forgetful...", Lydia says smiling nervously as she gently removed the needles on my body.

    " I don''t think she forgot..."

    .....

    " Anyways...what did she say ?", Lydia asked after helping me up after removing all the needles in my body.

    " She said something about my energies...I didn''t understand, I was hoping that you would know something about it ?"

    " Hmmmmmmmm", Lydia thought deeply before responding to my question, "No clue."

    " You wanna get some lunch ?", Lydia asked as we walked out of the shabby house.

    " Oh.....sure, I guess."

    I wasn''t looking forward to this.

    ~~~~

    " We''re looking to pass.", Lydia says smiling at the two gatekeepers in front of us.

    We were going out to hunt for food, food could be bought from the market but Lydia insisted that we go out to the forest nearby and ''hunt'' because it was a ''once in a lifetime experience.'', she could have just said that she was dirt poor.

    I''m not one to judge.

    Both the guards glowered at us as they stopped blocking our path and moved out of our way, I''m d they''re not insulting us directly...I can''t afford to cause a scene here.

    Lydia looked a little down as we crossed over to the outside of the vige, noticing that I was looking at her, she forced a smile and says,

    " Let''s go hunt !"

    -and hunt we did.

    ~~~~

    Within a mere hour, we had caught two rabbits and a frog.

    I didn''t particrly do anything except watch Lydia do her magic.

    Considering her lineage, it isn''t that much of a surprise that she was a natural when it came to hunting.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Let''s pray.", Lydia says holding her hands together and solemnly praying.

    After that, we start skinning the animals, the whole process was a little too gruesome for me, I''m not that good with blood.

    After thoroughly skinning the animals, Lydia led me to a stream, where we proceeded to wash the meat that we had acquired with much effort.

    After that, Lydia and I settled down under the shade of a tree.

    " Huuuuu...I''m beat.", Lydia eximed epting the soft embrace of the grass.

    We lie there for some time until Lydia suddenly jumped up with newfound energy and says,

    " Let''s eat !"

    " What about Ms. Georna ?", I ask already opening up the meat which we had packed up.

    I''m not that concerned about Georna.....I hope she starves....hehe.

    " Grandma usually eats alone....so we can just eat now when the meat is still fresh."

    I freeze up hearing her,

    ''That''s right...I forgot.''

    I had forgotten because of all the hunting and skinning but beastpeople eat their meat in a rather unique way.....scratch that, it''s a much simpler way,

    They eat it raw.

    Cooking meat made them lose some of their proteins, so beastpeople who aspired to be the strongest race out there only allowed the consumption of raw meat.

    Of course, eating a cooked meal wasn''t forbidden, but it was frowned upon.

    Just as I was preparing myself to eat raw meat for the first time, I noticed that Lydia was behaving quite strangely. She was taking out firewood and-

    ''Whoosh''

    Lydia had started a fire.

    Seeing the confusion on my face, Lydia smiles as she says,

    " I figured you wouldn''t want to eat your food raw."

    ...

    " Are you a goddess ?", I ask seeing a halo above Lydia''s head.

    Lydia chuckled as she took out our food.

    ~~~~

    Lydia silently watched as I cooked my meat.

    I had offered to cook some of my meat for her, but she refused but now that the aroma of cooked meat was floating around us, I could see the hunger in her eyes,

    Lydia was hungry for my meat.

    ...

    I''m not doing that purposefully.

    ''Gulp''

    I heard her ''gulping'' as I chewed on the ndly cooked meat, it had no real taste because we didn''t have any spices on us.

    " Do you want one?", I ask tearing a piece of my meat.

    Lydia stared at the piece of meat, dazed.

    She quickly looked around us, to make sure that we were alone and then took the piece from me.

    Lydia''s calm blue eyes widen in shock as she took her first bite.

    " This is so much better.", she says her mouth filled with the meat.

    I couldn''t help but smile seeing Lydia devouring the meat with so much glee.

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 151 The Old God (2)

    ''Crunch''

    Lydia ate all the cooked meat in a hurry as If she was afraid that the food would just disappear which it did.....because of her.

    After another minute or so, Lydia finished all the cooked meat.

    She looked devastated.

    Lydia seemed surprised as she looked over at me, she probably realized that she had eaten everything that I had made for myself.

    " I''m s-sorry.", Lydia says scratching her head probably thinking of how to make up for her carelessness.

    I raise my hands in the air as I say,

    " It''s ok, I can just cook some more."

    Hearing me, Lydia''s face rxed and she asked me a little hesitantly,

    " Can you cook me some as well ?"

    " Oh yeah, this batch is gonna be much better.", I answer back plucking a mushroom out of the ground near me.

    " What are you going to do with those ?" Lydia asked, eyeing the mushroom batch.

    I carefully mash the mushrooms and make a paste out of it, after that I collect some leaves that smelled good and mixed those with the paste, after which I proceeded to cover the meat with the paste.

    " This will make the meat more vorful.", I say nodding my head, satisfied with myself.

    " Are you sure it''s safe ?" Lydia asked, peering at the meat being roasted.

    I have a smug grin stered over my face as I answer back,

    " Lydia, trust me. I know what I''m doing."

    Lydia and I wait for it to be properly grilled after which we took the meat out carefully and equally divided it amongst ourselves.

    " I''lle back after taking a whiz.", I say my dders full and ready to burst.

    " Mhmm.", Lydia murmured back already chewing on her meat.

    I move some distance away until I found the perfect spot.

    Halfway through doing the deed, sharpughter rang throughout the forest startling me.

    I run back to find Lydiaughing with a crazed look in her eyes, she was talking to herself with a bright smile on her face....she seemed high.

    Oh....no way.

    I look at the meat that I had cooked after much hardship.....

    .....

    I think I might have drugged Lydia.

    ~~~~

    "OOOO.....hey, you''re here !", Lydia eximed upon seeing me.

    "Y-yeah.". I say maintaining the distance between us.

    Lydia frowns seeing this,

    " Why are you running away ?", she asked tears slightly forming within her eyes.

    " Are you going to leave me too?"

    ....

    " No...I''m not going anywhere, " I answer, taking a step toward her.

    " That''s good...I don''t want to lose my first frien-"

    ''Splurt''

    Lydia pukes out all the meat that she had eaten in a single go.

    ''Splurt''

    Seeing her vomit, I too vomit...

    I''m sensitive to stuff like this.

    Seeing me vomit, Lydia pukes once again.

    ''Splurt''

    ''Splurt''

    ''Splurt''

    ~~~~

    " What''s wrong with her ?"

    Georna asked helping me drag Lydia into their house.

    " Uh...I don''t know."

    " Mommy !", Rhys ran up to me.

    Rhys was staying with us as well, Georna seemed rather fond of him.

    Georna frowns at the both of us as Rhys rubbed his head on my leg.

    I pat him on the head and say,

    " I''m going to take a bath."

    "Mhmm...you don''t want to know more about your condition ?", the granny asked while pping Lydia across the face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Five more minutes !", Lydia says to no one in particr.

    Oh yeah...I forgot about that.

    Well...it can wait, I need to cleanse myself from the smell of puke.

    " Can we do it after I take a bath ?". I ask Georna who curtly nodded and left with Rhys, well it was more like Rhys was dragged away.

    " Mommy !", he called out in desperation.

    I give him a thumbs up.

    I''ll never forget your sacrifice, Rhys.

    ~~~~

    After a long and steamy bath, I got quickly dressed and went to Georna''s room.

    I could hear Lydia''s snores from here, she''s still asleep.

    ''Knock''

    " Come in !", Georna''s sharp voice responds to my knock.

    Sliding the door open, I find Georna ying catch with Rhys, they were tossing around a ball of wool. The despair that was evident on Rhys''s face minutes ago was reced by a look of joy.

    It''s strange.

    I kinda feel jealous.

    " It''s bad luck to keep an elder waiting, boy.", Georna whispered throwing the ball of wool towards Rhys, who ran after it like Georna''s personalpdog.

    " I know that, but you''re still a young maiden in my eyes Miss Georna.", I say winking at her.

    Georna scoffed upon hearing me,

    " Save your act for that poor girl, I see you for what you are: a monster."

    " That''s a little harsh isn''t it ?", I say acting hurt.

    Georna''s narrowed eyes examined me from top to bottom until a tired sigh escapes her throat,

    " Sit down."

    I obey hermand and sit opposite her, facing her ever-present frown head-on.

    Georna takes in a huge breath of air, getting ready for her exnation.

    " Inside the body of any living organism, there are certain energies. The inherent energy that all beings are born with is called their internal energy, this may include mana, glucose, etc. and the second type of energy is the energy that we take in from outside. This list is more versatile than the first division.

    The skills you absorb, and the artifacts like a healing potion can all be put into this ss of energy. When I inspected your body...I saw an unimaginable amount of energy within it, you have the energies of arge number of people within you and yet you haven''t utilized your power properly, this is only a guess but is the reason for yourrge amount of external energy....an artifact ?"

    I nod my head, understanding most of what Georna said but I was still confused.

    What did the Potion Of Eternity have to do with the pain I felt?

    " What kind of artifact was it ?", Georna asked stroking her chin.

    I proceed to exin thoroughly everything I knew about the artifact in question.

    I even told her about the legend surrounding the potion.

    In the novel, Alvah was the one who caught hold of this artifact but for him, it wasn''t necessarily ''worth it'' since Alvah was an angel, he was immortal. After Alvah uses the potion it''s never mentioned again.

    " It....surely is an impressive artifact."

    " I know..", I say smugly.

    " Just make sure that it doesn''t turn into a curse...."

    " What''s that supposed to mean ?", I ask, my curiosity piqued.

    " Living a long life.....isn''t always a blessing."

    What''s that supposed to mean?

    Living is the best.

    But there is a strange sense offort in the idea of death.

    " Anyway, this potion seems to be fusing with both your energies, I knew you weren''t normal from the beginning but it seems that you''re even messed up than I thought....no normal human would have passed that test."

    I choose to keep my silence and wait for her to continue with her exnation,

    " As I said, this potion of yours which is an external energy is fusing with everything in your body, due to being kept dormant for a long period.....but your body is breaking apart as it can''t handle all this energy, the fact that this energy came from vengeful spirits don''t help one bit but this condition of yours.....is treatable."

    I heave a sigh of relief,

    " I will have to readjust your body in a way that all the energy within your body will stabilize, this process carries with it a huge risk since I''ve only done this procedure once before....now that I think about it, that case was simr to this one as well...."

    " Oh...who was it?", I ask trying to ease the nervousness that I felt.

    " Mhmmm, it was my daughter....she didn''t use a potion like you...she was just born with an unimaginable amount of energy."

    My eyes widen hearing Georna,

    " Y-you mean L-"

    " That''s right, that child was Lydia''s mother and the chief of Lupus Vige-"

    A grim expression passes over her face as she uttered her daughter''s name,

    "- Luna Caerus"

    ~~~~

 Chapter 152 The Old God (3)

    Luna Caerus.

    A beastwoman that was rumored to have unparalleled strength, she was one of the first animals to adapt to mana and a major powerhouse within the faction of wolfs.

    But out of nowhere, one day she disappeared.

    No one knew where she had gone, too, except for a select few.

    " Anyways, let''s stop talking about that little shitwad.", Georna says shaking her head.

    I nod, Georna sighs as she says,

    " We''ll start the treatment tomorrow, it''s going to be extremely painful so prepare yourself well."

    " I will," I say, unaware of the exact amount of pain she was talking about.

    ....

    " Get out of my room now."

    " Yes, ma''am."

    Like that, I exit Georna''s room and start heading toward my room.

    On the way there, I check up on Lydia who was still asleep.

    ''I hope she doesn''t remember about the food tomorrow'', I thought entering my room to sleep as well.

    Before going to sleep, I take a pill.

    I don''t know for how long these meds will work, but they''re all I got for now.

    I need to be mentally prepared for tomorrow.

    ~~~~

    It''s the first day of treatment today.

    I''m lying on a very weak operation table, Georna looked more like a doctor than a shaman now, she wore gloves and had a sleek blue robe covering her whole body. Lydia smiled encouragingly at me from the side.

    Lydia was acting as an assistant to help make the process easier for Georna.

    Thankfully, she doesn''t seem to remember what happened yesterday all that clearly.

    " So....do you understand the procedure now ?"

    " Mhmm.", I weakly nod.

    I have no clue, Georna was using way too many technical terms that I couldn''t even begin to grasp but I don''t have to understand the process...I just need to bear it.

    " I''m going to begin now.", Georna says pulling down her gloves even further down her hand.

    Lydia gives me a sympathetic smile and a thumbs up.

    I close my eyes and wait for the pain to hit me.

    ''Crack''

    I open my eyes in shock to find that Georna had broken my hand.....

    Seeing my hand that had bent unnaturally, a scream involuntarily escaped my throat.

    " ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    ~~~~

    Pain.

    All I feel is pain.

    I had passed out multiple times and the pain remained even after regaining my consciousness, this repeated in a cycle for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn''t even begin to grasp what Georna was doing to my body.

    ''Crack''

    I could hear the sound of some part of my body is broken, then a warm and fuzzy feeling enveloped my body. The heat slowly increased until it was unbearable and then out of nowhere it became ice-cold.

    I try resisting the pain, but it wasn''t all that effective.

    I could feel Lydia holding my hand, consoling me.

    I was d for her support, I''m pretty sure her hand is bleeding because of my nails which dug into her skin whenever the pain became too much and yet Lydia''s hand doesn''t let go.

    I''m than-

    ''Crack''

    " ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    ~~~~

    When will this nightmare end?

    The pain was still there but it had lessened since earlier, so that was a relief.

    " The procedure isplete.", Georna says removing blood-soaked gloves.

    " Did i-it w-work ?", I manage to ask through the pain that still felt fresh.

    " Hmmmmm...it''s too soon to tell.", Georna answered back inspecting my body.

    Hearing her, I surrender to the pain and just faint.

    ~~~~

    " Urghhhh", I groan out as I open my eyes.

    My body ached but the pain was bearable.

    " Look who decided to finally wake up....", Georna''s voice reaches my ears, I find her sitting down on a chair near me. She was reading a book, her eyes were fixed on the book as she says,

    " How do you feel ?"

    " I feel.....a little sore."

    Georna closes the book abruptly and observes my body,

    " Well. your operation was sessful....but that doesn''t mean you''re off the hook."<novelnext></novelnext>

    " What do you mean ?", I ask feeling exhausted.

    " Your body was modified too fast, the energies inside you need more time to adjust, as part of that you may experience some....'' side effects."

    " What kind of side effects ?"

    " It could be anything from sudden outbursts of pain to internal bleeding and don''t expect to see the results of the surgery until your body and energies are once again in sync."

    Georna got up, leaving behind her book on the chair.

    " I''m sure you know, but you can''t use any of your skills until then."

    I nod my head.

    Well, that''s a bummer.

    But the whole point ofing here was to improve my physical strength so, this is a good thing.

    As Georna was exiting the room, she turned around and says,

    " That brat said that she wanted to take you to the hot springs to lessen the pain you are feeling...I agree with her....so head there with her now."

    I nod my head, looking at Georna''s retreating figure I couldn''t help but say,

    " Thank you."

    Georna briefly stopped but didn''t respond to my gratitude, she walks away soon after that.

    ''Sigh''

    A tired smile spread across my face as Iy back on the bed and waited for Lydia.

    ~~~~

    " I have to say, you''re in a better condition than I thought you would be."

    " Sorry to disappoint you?", I say smiling at Lydia.

    " Haha, I didn''t mean it like that....it was apliment."

    " If you say so."

    The both of us were heading to the hot springs to relieve my body of some of the soreness I felt.

    " Anyway, I hope you know that you can''t enter the woman''s bath this time."

    ...

    Lydia has a wide smile on her face as she enjoyed the visible embarrassment on my face.

    The both of us finally reach the hot springs, we part ways but not before reminding ourselves to meet up outside the building in half an hour.

    I would have liked to spend an hour, but it was almost nighttime and Lydia said that it was best to return home at the earliest.

    I waste no time and quickly undress and cover myself with a towel.

    Fortunately, the men''s hot spring was empty so I could rx peacefully.

    " Ahhhhhhhhh"

    Pleasure engulfs me as I ept the warm embrace of the water.

    I could almost feel all my pain being washed away.

    I wish this wouldst forever.

    30 minutester,

    It didn''tst forever.

    I got out of the hot spring, I didn''t want to keep Lydia waiting.

    Outside, I found Lydia waiting for me.

    " Am Ite ?", I ask feeling a little guilty.

    " Nah...I just got out early."

    Lydia looked visibly nervous.

    " We need to get home now...it''s already so dark out."

    I knew why Lydia was so paranoid.

    But, I''ll wait for her to open up to me.

    " Then let''s head back.", I say and the both of us start heading back.

    We were halfway there when ''it'' happened.

    ''RRING''

    The sound of a bell being rung spread throughout the vige.

    ''RRING''

    I watch as Lydia''s face turned from carefree to worried.

    ''RRING''

    " What is that ?", I ask already knowing the answer.

    ''RRING''

    " It''s the lions.", Lydia replied her face etched in worry.

    ''RRING''

    ''RRING''

    ''RRING''

    ~~~~

 Chapter 153 The Old God (4)

    ''RRING''

    The sound of the bell being rung reverberated throughout the entire vige. Beastpeople slowly came out of their homes, their face just like Lydia''s showed worry.

    " Is everything alright ?", I gently nudge Lydia who seemed to be in a daze, " You look nervous."

    " I''m fine.", Lydia answered back swiftly.

    " Why is the Lion tribe uh- doing whatever it is that they''re doing?"

    " I should have told you this earlier, the lion tribe''s vige is just beside ours and we have an amicable rtionship with them buttely....everyone''s been a little on edge."

    " Why ?"

    "It''s difficult to exin...¡­both the viges are facing a hard time because of a serial killer."

    ¡­..

    " What ?!", I ask faking surprise.

    " I know it''s a lot to take in, we didn''t say anything because we didn''t want to frighten you...", Lydia says, guilt visible on her furry face.

    ''sigh''

    I let out a sigh and massage my head in an effort to look conflicted.

    I hope this is working well...I can''t have Lydia be suspicious of me.

    " This is a lot.....but I think I understand why you didn''t tell me, I would have just freaked out. Look at me, I''m freaking out right now !"

    " Oh...that''s a relief, I was worried that you would hate me...", Lydia says smiling slightly.

    I observe the beastpeople that were heading to where the sound of the bell originated from.

    " Where are they going ?"

    " Ah, they''re going to the boundary between the two viges. We should probably head there as well."

    " What about Georna ?"

    Lydia shakes her head and says,

    " She''s too old for this sort of thing."

    Just like that the two of us started to head to the boundary between the two viges where some sort of meeting was being held because of an emergency.

    ~~~~

    On the way to the meeting, Lydia exined the problem that both the viges faced in more detail.

    It all started a month ago.

    The first victim was a female wolf, age: 25.

    When the killings started nobody thought that they would be connected.

    How would they think of that when the second victim was from the lion beastpeople''s vige, ''Roar''.

    The second victim was a male lion, age: 17

    One of the other lions witnessed this crime when it happened, they couldn''t make out the exact face of the culprit but the witness saw that the killer wasn''t a lion.

    It was a wolf.

    This led to the lions and wolfs meeting up together and after a lot of discussions, they connected the first murder to the second because the killer had a ''special'' way of killing.

    After killing the victim, the killer proceeded to take their hearts, in a literal sense.

    Eating the heart of a beastperson was rumored to increase the consumer''s strength, assuming that the murderer ate their victim''s heart could only mean one thing,

    Both the viges weren''t just facing a run-of-the-mill serial killer.

    They were facing a cannibal.

    This fact made this issue even more serious since the beastpeople had a belief that if their heart was consumed then their soul would never find peace. Monumental efforts were taken by both viges to find the killer but s.....the killer wasn''t caught.

    Two more murders urred, this time both happened inside ''Roar'' even though the lions had upped the security the killer still somehow managed to get past them and this time multiple witnesses were stating that the killer was a wolf, the killer also ironically wore a mask that was shaped in the form of a lion''s head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The rtionship between the two viges had soured greatly because of these events, the scent of distrust and betrayal was hanging over both viges refusing to let go.

    " - and that wasst week, I don''t know what happened this time but since they rang the bell thiste....'' it'' must have happened again.", Lydia says concluding her narration.

    " Hmmm", I mumble out thinking deeply.

    In the novel, Max weeded out the killer and saved the vige, he left the vige after that. It was onlyter that he learned that soon after he left both the viges warred with each other resulting in the total decimation of both the viges.

    '' Why would they kill each other...?''

    This was the question that gued Max''s mind after he learned about the war between the wolfs and lions. The war was dubbed the name,

    The War of Grey and Gold.

    Max''s questions and doubts were valid since, at the time of his departure, the rtionship between the two viges was returning to its normal state.

    " Is that the ''wall'' ?", I ask pointing at the huge ass wall in front of us.

    " Yeah, that''s the wall that separates the viges."

    Two guards stood at the exit, the both of them red at us but let us pass without any issue. They had to because there were a lot of people behind us waiting to exit the vige as well.

    Exiting the vige, the first thing I saw was a huge arena.

    " That''s where we meet up.", Lydia says leading me inside the arena.

    ~~~~

    The arena was huge, a lot of beastpeople from both the viges had alreadye inside and more were on their way and still, the arena was only barely filled.

    " Why is it so huge ?", I ask admiring the intricate interior of the arena.

    The arena was not just huge, from just one look at it I can say that it is well-built.

    " It''s not just an arena, this ce also functions as a disaster camp and is also where the beastpeople from both viges gather to discuss issues."

    " Which tribe built it ?"

    " It was a joint effort from all the tribes present within both viges.", Lydia answered her eyes stered on the raised tform at the center of the arena.

    Soon, a massive lion with a bright gold mane and hazel brown eyes walks up to the stage.

    " That''s the other vige''s chief, Leo Tigris."

    ~~~~

    Lydia watched with silent anticipation as Leo, the chief of ''Roar'' vige walked up the raised tform.

    " Dear wolfs and lions, today I bring with me grave news. Another one of my kin has been....murdered in cold blood. But unlike the other cases, we have apprehended the culprit this time !" Gasps rang throughout the arena as the beastpeople received shocking news.

    " Till now we have been tricked, the killer wasn''t a lion or a wolf, it was a human !"

    Another round of gasps.

    Leo took in a deep breath before shouting in a loud voice,

    " Bring him in !"

    Soon, two lions brought a human.

    The human looked to be in terrible condition, he was covered in blood and his hands were chained with mana restricting handcuffs.

    " This human is the one who has been terrorizing our vige for the past month, we didn''t even know about his existence till now.....he has been hiding in the shadows plotting our demise, and his name-"

    '' Oh...no.'', Lydia thought worried.

    The human seemed like he was simr to Adam''s age, Lydia wondered if Adam knew him. Lydia turned to look at Adam and is surprised to see the look on his face.

    "- is Max Reynolds."

    Instead of concern, Adam Creed had a huge smirk stered over his face.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 154 The Old God (5)

    Leo Tigris was the chief of the ''Roar'' vige.

    Leo was one of the first animals to adapt to mana and was one of the major powerhouses within ''Roar''. During the great war, Leo fought bravely on the frontlines with his contractual partner, Baryon.

    This was a big deal since Baryon was the third strongest hero ording to the list put forth by the Heroes Association. So it was fairly obvious that Leo wasn''t just a normal beastperson, mothers sang about his bravery and courage to children.

    In short, Leo was Roar''s version of Luna.

    Only, he didn''t abandon them as she did.

    Lydia swallowed nervously as she watched Leo stare down at the bloodied human called ''Max Reynolds'' menacingly.

    " Do you know that guy ?", Lydia asked suppressing the chills she felt.

    Adam remained silent, the smirk on his face remained unchanged.

    ''Pssh''

    The sound of Max being forced to his knees echoed throughout the silent arena as the beastpeople sat in their seats shocked beyond words, another one of the guards rushed forward carrying a mighty sword towards Leo.

    " Now, I will use the dius to bestow judgment upon this sinner !", Leo proimed taking the sword into his hands.

    The dius was the ceremonial sword that was used within ''Roar'', it was said that the sword was alive and the more blood it absorbed the more powerful it became. It was akin to the spear of eternity in a way since the beastpeople of ''Roar'' revered the weapon as a god.

    Leo swung the sword high up in the air, but just as he was about to swing the weapon down a loud voice resounded out within the arena,

    " STOP !"

    All heads turned to the source of the voice and almost everybody was surprised to see Augustus Kelmar, the current chief of Lupus vige rushing to the raised tform. Leo raised an eyebrow, confused by Augustus''s strange behavior.

    Augustus jumped up on the tform quickly and whispered something into chief Leo''s ears.

    Upon hearing him, Leo''s eyes widen but his surprise fades away as if it never existed in the first ce. Leo''s eyes were ice-cold as his eyes surveyed the audience until they stopped on Lydia and Adam.

    Leo''s re made Lydia''s skin crawl,paratively, Adam looked much calmer.

    Leo and Augustus slowly started heading towards the both of them, the beastpeople near them moved away and made way for them while ring at the both of them.

    " A-dam....why are the two chiefs heading our way ?"

    " Mhmm...¡­ I think I have an idea.", Adam whispered, standing up to face them.

    Lydia got up along with him, she looked over at Adam wondering how he was staying so calm, looking at him Lydia realized that Adam wasn''t blinking...

    '' He''s nervous...'', Lydia realized feeling a strange sense of relief.

    Lydia wondered why Adam would hide his nervousness, was it to keep her calm?

    Lydia felt strangely touched.

    " You there....what is your name, human.", Leo asked emphasizing the word, ''human''.

    "My name is Adam Creed....sir."

    " It''s quite a coincidence, isn''t it?", Leo raised his brows, " Two humans appearing at the same time and we''ve already confirmed that the human ''Max'' is the culprit....we never thought that he would have an aplice.."

    " I''m gonna stop you there, Mr. Chief.", Adam raised his hands in surrender, " I have no idea who that man i-"

    " ADAM !!?"

    Once again all heads turned as the bloodied man shouted,

    Max, wiped the blood away from his face and looked more clearly at the familiar figure a few feet away from him, relief flooded his face as he confirmed that it was indeed...Adam.

    " ADAM !, IT''S ME...MAX!", he screamed unaware of the trouble he had caused.

    Leo chuckled hearing the boy screaming frantically and turned to face Adam once again,

    " You were saying ?", Leo asked, bloodlust exuding out of him in massive amounts.

    Everybody around him froze, fear paralyzing their very being.

    Even Augustus Kelmar, the chief of Lupus vige couldn''t help but break a sweat from feeling Leo''s anger.

    Adam looked unaffected by Leo''s show of anger, but Lydia could tell that he was acting calm.

    Leo raised the dius high up in the air as if preparing to swing it, the atmosphere around them started to shift and be more intense as Leo didn''t hide the killing intent behind his eyes.

    But before he could do anything, Lydia surprisingly came in front of Adam, as if trying to protect him. Lydia didn''t know why but she knew that if she didn''t intervene now then she would regret it.

    She had to protect Adam.

    After all....he was her only friend.

    " Please, this is a misunderstanding. I''ve observed Adam all this time....he''s not someone who would do something like this."

    Leo''s gaze softened considerably,

    " You''re Luna''s daughter aren''t you ?"

    Lydia nodded, sweat pouring down her forehead.

    " Look, child.....I''m sorry but this human probably tricked you, that''s how humans are....you will learn when you grow up, now...move out of my way."

    " Adam isn''t like that !", Lydia insisted taking a step forward.

    " Will you ju-"

    " It''s a bit ridiculous isn''t it ?", Adam said interrupting Leo.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " What ?", Leo asked, perplexed.

    " Tell me....why are you so sure that Max is the killer ?"

    " We found him with the body, he was holding the murder weapon...", Leo said with a quizzical look on his face.

    " So, you saw him standing next to the body.....you didn''t see him stab the victim ?"

    " No ?"

    Hearing Leo, Adam sighed,

    " So, you''re telling me that you didn''t see him killing anybody ?"

    " That''s right, bu-"

    " Did you even question him ?"

    Leo didn''t have an answer for Adam.

    " You''re just parading him around as a killer and for what ?", Adam red at Leo as he continued, " - because he''s a human....is that it ?"

    " I-"

    " You have no proof and yet you''re ying around with someone''s life.....do you have no shame ?", Adam was slowly raising his voice now.

    " THAT''S ENOUGH, BOY !", Leo shouted, enraged, and yet he didn''t attack Adam.

    " You have guts, boy....nobody has ever raised their voice against me and lived to tell the tale...but you have a point.....since you seem to love justice so much....we''ll do this the right way and if we find out that you are....the culprit then I will punish you in the worst way possible."

    " That seems fair.", Adam said with a slight smile ying around his face.

    ''SIGHHH''

    Lydia sighed in relief, the worst seemed ove-

    " There''s no need for that.....Adam is guilty."

    A low but clear voice resounded throughout the arena, Lydia turned around hearing a voice that was very familiar to her,

    " G-grandma ?!!"

    It was Georna.

    The beastpeople made way for her as she slowly walked over to them.

    " Miss Georna...", Leo said ncing at the old crone.

    " That boy poisoned my Lydia...", Georna said in a low voice.

    " Are you sure ?"

    Georna red at Leo as she raised her voice against him,

    " Are you questioning me, boy !?"

    ¡­.

    " Take this human away.", Leo shouted nodding at Georna.

    Lydia couldn''t move.

    She couldn''t understand why her grandmother was doing this...

    " W-why are you lying ?", Lydia asked Georna nudging her on the shoulder.

    Georna ignored Lydia''s pleas with an indifferent gaze.

    " Hey...t-tell me why you''re lying?"

    All Lydia got was silence...

    ''Scosh''

    Guards came and cuffed Adam and started dragging him away.

    Leo stopped them and smiled at Adam,

    " I hope you''re prepared...boy."

    Adam remained silent, satisfied with his reaction Leo let go and the guards dragged Adam away.

    " Considering the new details that havee to light, we need to discuss some more before deciding on their fates....so don''t worry, for now, Luna''s child.", Leo said patting Lydia on the head with warmth in his eyes.

    Lydia watched in silence as Leo and Augustus moved away to discuss matters, the beastpeople that had gathered around also started heading back to their respective viges.

    Lydia fell to her knees, tears slowly streamed down her face as she asked her grandmother once again,

    " Why did you lie ?", her face scrunched up as she tried to hold back her tears, " They''re going to kill him..."

    Georna who had remained passive until now had a flicker of emotion on her wizened face, it hurt her to see her granddaughter in pain. So, tofort her Georna decided to tell her the truth even though Adam had told her not to.

    " Calm down, child,", Georna narrowed her eyes, as if even she couldn''t fully grasp what she was going to say next,

    " I only did what the boy asked me to do."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 155 Death Flag (1)

    A few minutes before Lydia and Adam went to the hot springs

    _+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

    " Thank you.", Adam said staring at Georna''s retreating figure.

    Adam had just woken up after a very painful surgery, upon hearing Georna briefly stopped.

    Adamy back on the bed, a tired smile visible on his face.

    Confirming that Adam had finished speaking, Georna started to head back but stop when Adam spoke once again,

    " What would happen if I were to use my skills ?"

    Georna turned around, surprised by Adam''s question.

    " Didn''t I just tell you that you shouldn''t use them ?"

    Adam smiled gently as he responded back,

    " I wanted to know just in case something happened."

    Georna thought about it for a moment,

    " Well....it would hurt but other than that nothing far too damaging will happen, it''s actually good if you use your skills since that will increase the speed of the whole process, your body would be in sync with your energies much faster...but why take in pain that can be avoided ?"

    Adam nodded along with Georna''s words.

    " You''re right...."

    Georna sighed and sat back down on her chair sensing that the boy wasn''t finished speaking.

    " I wanted to ask for a favor.", Adam said avoiding Georna''s gaze.

    " What is it ?"

    " I think they''re gonna me me for the murders....and if they do, I want you to tell them that I''m guilty...."

    Georna took some time to process what the boy had just said,

    " How do you know about the murders ?" Georna was pretty sure that Lydia hadn''t told him since the both of them had decided to hide the fact that a murderer hiding amongst them.

    " I''m not stupid, I just asked around and found out."

    Georna smacked herself in the face, she still couldn''t understand Adam.

    " What are you trying to achieve here, boy ?"

    " I know that it may sound bizarre, but please trust me for now."

    Georna let out a huge sigh and said, " Well, fuck it. I don''t care.....I''ll do it if a situation like that ever arises but don''te crying to me when they execute you." Georna red at Adam," Do you understand me, boy ?"

    Adam nodded and got out of the bed, he started heading out leaving Georna alone in the room, but just before leaving he turned around to face Georna onest time and said,

    " Oh...one more thing, my name isn''t ''boy''...it''s Adam Creed."

    ~~~~

    Back to the Present.

    _*_*_**_*_**_**_*_*_*

    " Get in here.", said the guard as he pushed both Adam and Max into a dimly lit prison cell.

    The scurrying of rats and the rancid smell of urine made both the boys frown, Max groaned unable to get up from the ground due to the various shallow wounds on his body. On the other hand, Adam got up rather quickly, disgusted by the moist floor of the gloomy prison cell.

    Adam settled down in one of the clean corners of the cell and watched as Max struggled to get up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After much struggle, Max finally managed to get up, he had a weak smile on his face as he settled down beside Adam.

    " It''s so good to see you....*hic*...."

    " Are you crying ?!", Adam asked looking rather disgusted.

    " I''m just happy to see a familiar face, these people are so v-violent."

    Adam watched incredulously as Max started sobbing like a child, no.... that would be an insult to children all around the world, Max cried like ''Max'' if that makes sense. But Adam could understand why Max was so.....traumatized.

    The Lion tribe within ''Roar'' vige were known for how excessively violent they were so it was no wonder they seeded in scarring little Max, but Adam also knew that at the end of this ordeal Max woulde out stronger.

    After all, scars are a sign of survival, it shows that you were stronger than the harm that befell you.

    ~~~~

    ADAM''S POV

    ----------------

    When I first came to this world, I had thought that I would like Max the best.

    Max was my protagonist, so it was reasonable to think this. But somewhere along the way I had begun to hate him.

    Was it because he fooled around with my sister ?

    Well, I was angry at first but thinking more deeply, I realize that Lecia has the right to make her own decisions. So, I''m not angry about that anymore.

    ...

    I lied.

    I''m still a little angry about that.

    But I don''t think I hate Max because of such a stupid reason, I''m not that immature.

    When I first created Max''s character, I made his behavior and characteristics simr to mine as some authors tend to do, Max was just like me or at least what I thought of myself then.

    I thought he was perfect, just like me.

    It took me some time to realize that I''m not perfect in any way, it was actually the opposite. I was selfish, condescending, narcissistic and just a total asshole....in myst life. I don''t quite know about this life, but I''m trying to change so that at least means something.

    Seeing Max was a constant reminder that I single handedly ruined myst life, if I had triedmunicating more clearly with ire...maybe...just maybe things would have gotten better. We would have been happy....who knows ?, maybe I would have be a father and all three of us would have made a happy little family...

    But nooo....it was always about me....every single thing had to be about me...I destroyed the only rtionship that mattered to me in myst life and the only thing I can do now is just sit around moping like a fucking loser.....

    " A-adam, what''s wrong ?!"

    I raise my brows, not understanding his question.

    " You''re c-crying.", Max said wiping away his tears.

    Huh ?

    I realize that my face was wet with big fat tears.....damn it.

    " It''s going to be alright....we''ll get out of here.", Max said consoling me.

    I stare at him, surprised.

    It seems that Max is different from me in at least one aspect.

    He seems to care about others.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 156 Death Flag (2)

    It has been some time since the both of us were thrown into this poorly maintained cell, Max had told me all about how he had reached his current predicament.

    Just like me, Max had been mistaken as the enemy and was almost executed but thankfully Max was able to convince them that he meant no harm, he informed them he was a student from Unity who was trying to save the lion cub. Of course, they didn''t fully believe him, but the lions decided to postpone his execution since his story checked out.

    They sent a letter to Unity wanting to confirm the truth, Max was let out and was allowed to freely explore the vige under the watchful eye of an observer, a lioness named, ''Henna''. Henna was a kind person contrary to the other people within the vige, so she got along well with Max.

    But their blossoming friendship wasn''t meant to be as Max witnessed Henna''s death the very next day. It was a night like any other, Max had just walked away for a minute but by the time he had returned, it was toote.

    A dagger had been used to make a hole in her chest and looking down on her was a wolf wearing a lion mask, the killer held Henna''s weakly beating heart within their hands.

    Max tried to stop the killer but he was helpless as he had been bound with mana restraints since the beastpeople didn''tpletely trust him. Max screamed and shouted for help but the killer escaped.

    Trying to somehow mend the horrible situation, Max bent down to inspect Henna''s body. It was at this exact moment that ''help'' arrived. But instead of listening to Max, the lions drew up their own conclusions and arrested Max.

    "- it was so scary, they wouldn''t listen to me no matter how much I tried to exin...", Max says ending his long and tiring narration.

    It was tiring to hear him exin since I already knew all that had happened.

    " What about you ?", Max asked, his eyes sparkling," Did you infiltrate inside this ce to save me?"

    ''Sigh''

    I exin in detail and make max understand that I would nevere to save him in a million years.

    " So, that''s how you came here....."

    We sat in silence for the next few minutes.

    " What are we going to do ?", Max asked breaking the silence.

    " I don''t know."

    " We need toe up with a n...."

    _______________

    An hourter,

    ______________

    Max hade up with a lot of stupid ideas.

    I listened patiently and kept my cool.

    It was getting tiring listening to Max go on and on, I was almost reaching my breaking point. It was at this exact moment that the door to the cell swung open. I almost hugged the guard who came inside out of pure relief.

    " Please f-follow me, the chief is c-calling for you.", the guard says, a little rattled by my antics.

    Both Max and I exchange a knowing nce and follow the guard dutifully, we could have easily ran away but I could sense that wasn''t a good idea and since Leo sent only a single guard....that could only mean that he doesn''t see us as threats.

    That''s good.

    The guard led us to a door,

    " He''s waiting for you inside.", the guard said before getting out of our way.

    I open the door and move inside, Max follows behind me.

    The room looked quite....normal, a bookshelf filled with tons of books stood towering at the side and a fan was spinning atop us with a ''whir'', in the middle of the room a table had been arranged.

    " You''re finally here....", Leo says standing up along with Augustus who was also in the room.

    " Have a seat.....we have a lot to discuss.", Augustus says sitting back down on his chair.

    All of us follow his example and do the same, for a while there was quiet until-

    " So, we''ve investigated a bit and you''re both.....not guilty.", Leo says refusing to meet my gaze.

    Max lets out a sigh of relief, I remain calm since I had expected this oue.

    Of course, we aren''t the killers. These bastards just want this to end so they med the first person they suspected.

    Shitheads.

    Stupid fuckers.

    Assholes.

    For every curse word, I uttered in my mind, Leo winced as if he could read my m-

    " A-anyway, we got letters from Unity stating that you''re both students there so it''s not possible for you to be the culprits...we also got a letter from a woman named Lecia."

    Leo took out two letters and passed them to Max and me, My eyes narrowed unconsciously as I saw Max eagerly opening his letter.

    I open my letter slowly and read through its contents,

    To sum it up, Lecia scolded me for the better half of the letter, she told me that I was careless and was always getting myself in trouble. After that she started questioning me about my condition, she asked if I was getting proper food, and so on. At the end of the letter, she said that she and the others were waiting for us, eagerly.

    I put the letter down, a slight smile unwillingly formed on my face.

    Max also seemed to have enjoyed reading his letter as a stupid grin was visible on his face,

    " What did she write you ?"

    " Well...a lot of things, but primarily to keep you safe.", Max says smiling at me.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Che.

    As if I need protection, I''m probably the strongest within our little merry group.

    " Ahem, anyway there''s still something w-"

    ''Knock''

    Leo frowned hearing the knock on the door, before sighing and saying,

    " Come in."

    The door opened and revealed Lydia along with Georna trudging along behind her, I raise my brows upon seeing the newpany,

    " What are they doing here ?". I ask Leo who had gotten up and offered his seat to Georna.

    I moved to the edge of my chair and opened up some space for Lydia on my chair, she sat down next to me with a weird look on her face.

    " Well.....I just wanted to why this elder lied to us ?....."

    Leo stared down at both Lydia and Georna intensely, Georna scoffed at his action,

    " Stop using your stupid skill on me boy."

    Leo didn''t retort in any manner, he just shifted his gaze to Lydia who had started to sweat profusely.

    " W-what skill ?", Max asked confused.

    " This cub can read minds.", Georna says drinking a cup of tea.

    " That was mine.", Leo says ring at Georna.

    Georna gave a little ''hmph'' and continued to drink Leo''s tea.

    Leo shook his head in defeat and went back to staring at Lydia.

    " H-he can read minds !?", Max asked surprised.

    I nod my head and continue to observe Leo in action, it was faint but Leo''s hazel brown eyes were slightly glowing in a golden hue.

    " Why did your grandmother lie ?", Leo asked Lydia in a rather cold tone.

    " Me don''t knww.", Lydia says closing her eyes.

    Me don''t knww ?

    What the hell does that mean?

    Leo continued to stare at Lydia for a long time until-

    " Ahh...just stop thinking about carrots !"

    Lydia nods her head and Leo''s eyes stop glowing,

    " It doesn''t matter, either way, these two are innocent.", Leo says doing a dynamic facepalm.

    " I knew it !!", Lydia says jumping up, which resulted in me falling on the floor with a loud ''thud''.

    " ....Sorry...", she said calming down.

    After a few minutes, we were all once again seated properly and Leo continued on,

    " These two are innocent but....we can''t let you two just leave like that."

    " Why not ?", Lydia asked, worried.

    " The beastpeople are in a state of panic right now, people are feeling unsafe. We can''t just say that we made a mistake and just move on... there are already talks going on about our ipetency...if we just let you two go....then that would be bad for our....image.", Leo says, his face slightly red from embarrassment.

    " This is just pathetic.", Georna said ring at Leo.

    " You don''t have to tell me that...I already know."

    " Luna would be disappointed in yo-", but before Georna couldplete her insult an intense pressure fell upon the room.

    " Know your limits...Miss Georna."

    An awkward silence settled around the room as the pressure quickly disappeared.

    " A-anyway, we had an idea to salvage this situation. We''re going to make you do the ''trial of truth''."

    " What is that ?", Max asked eager to get out of this dangerous vige.

    " It''s a form of punishment where the used are made to fight each other and the one who wins the match is the innocent one, we believe the gods helped him survive. But you two wouldn''t have to fight.....all you have to do is to forfeit the match and then you''ll be taken away. The people might think that we killed you but....we''ll just let you go."

    " Great....which one of us has to forfeit the match ?", Max asked looking excited.

    " You''re both going to have to forfeit, it won''t work with just one person giving up. The trial can only be stopped if both of you give up."

    Max nods along with Augustus''s words, the both of them tell us more about the trial and how we were to prepare for it.

    ~~~~~

 Chapter 157 Cleansing

    The trial of truth was an outdated practice that was seldom put to use, so the beastpeople were confused when their chief''s dered that they would be witnessing the absurd trial once again.

    Before pitting the two used together, the used we asked to take a five-day cleanse to ''heal'' their soul. The used, in this case, Adam and Max were freed from their imprisonment. They did still have the mana restraints on them though.

    The cleansing ritual included being bathed in the blood of prey that the used themselves had caught.

    " Ha !, I hate this so much.", Max said looking like something that jumped out of a cheap horror flick.

    The two of them were currently being bathed by maids, their body was being scrubbed with the blood of the game they had caught themselves. Adam had caught a deer, but Max unfortunately was a noob when it came to hunting,

    The only game he caught was a bunch of rats.

    " Bear with it.", Adam said looking bored.

    " Why do we have to do this anyway when the stupid trial is fa-"

    " CARROTS! CARROTS! CARROTS!", Lydia screamed startling the two teens.

    " Oh...right !", Max said realizing his mistake.

    The people that knew that the uing trial was a farce were limited to the people within that room, two days ago.

    Two days have passed since the cleansing process started.

    This meant that the maids that were ''cleansing'' them right now thought that this entire thing was real.

    Also, it seemed that Lydia''s go-to thought when she panicked was '' CARROTS! CARROTS! CARROTS!''

    She truly was a peculiar child.

    " Why are you even here ?", Adam asked Lydia attempting to change the subject.

    " I''ve been tasked with observing you so, of course, I''m here.", Lydia replied avoiding their eyes.

    ....

    Of course, since theirher regions were covered with a towel, there wasn''t much of an issue but both Adam and Max felt a little ufortable with Lydia''s presence. Sure, she was a literal wolf, but still....she was a woman, and for growing teenagers that was enough to make things weird.

    " Okay...I was bored.", Lydia admitted letting out a sigh of defeat, she continued," Since you''re leaving soon...I wanted to spend time with you."

    " I''m so touched....to think that you thought so highly of me even though we just met yesterday.", Max said wiping away his tears of joy.

    " No...I-", Lydia looked at the knowing smile on Adam''s face and soon a simr smile bloomed on her face, " Yeah...I''m gonna miss the two of you."

    After five more minutes of being scrubbed with the blood of dead animals, it finally stopped.

    The maids left as quickly as they arrived leaving the three of them alone in therge space.

    " We''re gonna freshen up now, so....", Adam said staring apologetically at Lydia.

    ...

    " Oh yeah...I''ll leave.", Lydia said running out of their way.

    As the two of them settled into the huge bath that was prepared for them, Max said,

    " That girl must be lonely...."

    Adam closed his eyes enjoying the cool water embracing his body,

    " Yeah...she''s had a tough life."

    ~~~~

    Day four,

    It''s the fourth day of the cleanse.

    Both Adam and Max had finished their cleanse for the day.

    Lydia, Adam, and Max werezing around her house, Georna was in her room with Rhys keeping herpany.

    "Burgh. I just want this to end.", Max groaned out smelling himself," I still smell like a rat."<novelnext></novelnext>

    " We only have one more day to go.", Adam said, more to himself than anyone else.

    Feeling the gloomy atmosphere surrounding her, Lydia thought about how she could distract her friends,

    " Hey...¡­ I have an idea !", Lydia jumped up and dragged the two depressed boys outside.

    " Where are we going ?", Adam asked surprised to see Lydia so excited.

    " We''re going to Blue Finn Orphanage !"

    ~~~~

    As within any poption, there were some orphans present in both viges. Blue Finn was the orphanage that took care of these helpless beast children. A unique fact about this orphanage was that it housed both wolf and lion beast children, there was no discrimination whatsoever even though the orphanage itself was built in Lupus vige.

    Lydia liked to volunteer at the orphanage when she was free which meant that she was there most of the time. Blue Finn orphanage was the only ce where she felt truly weed, nobody there despised her.....they were just grateful for her help.

    " I''m telling you this ce is gonna blow your mind away.", Lydia said as an orphanage building came into view,

    " It sounds stupid.....who cares about orphans ?", Adam said earning weird looks from both Lydia and Max, " Oh...I was just joking...I love orphans."

    ''Knock'' ''Thump'' ''Knock''

    Lydia knocked on the door in a rather peculiar manner.

    After some time, the door swung open, and a lion child greeted us in an energetic voice,

    " Sis....it''s you !", the child said, smiling widely.

    " Guys !, Lyd-Lyd sis came back !", the boy screamed and soon we could hear many footsteps rushing toward the front door.

    ~~~~

    Adam''s POV

    ____________

    I hate children.

    I hate everything about them.

    This is a fucking nightmare.

    A swarm of deadly children had blocked all paths of escape, I was trapped along with mypatriots who didn''t seem to mind the children that much.

    One of the runts of the pack, a little girl [wolf] looked up at me with her stupidly wide eyes and as if she had decided on something, the child nodded her head and held on to my leg like a parasite.

    Now, I did try my best to gently put her down, but the child refused to budge so I threw her off me with a little force. She hit the floor and immediately started crying,

    ''Waaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaa''

    Now.....is any of this my fault?

    That''s debatable, but the re on Max and Lydia''s faces told me that they thought otherwise.

    " Now...now....that''s no way to handle a child, young man."

    All three of us turn around hearing a familiar voice, it was...Leo.

    Therge lion wore a pink apron over his clothes and had a gentle smile on his face as he greeted us,

    " It''s nice to see you three here."

    ¡­...

    Hmmmm.

    I need a camera.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 158 The Killing Joke

    These past five days have been weird for me.

    For starters, I stink of blood because of this stupid ''cleansing''...

    I also had a pair of bumbling baboons that seemed to follow me anywhere, Max wasn''t supposed to be this clingy but the lions really seemed to have a number on him.

    Now, just when I had thought that I had seen it all, this happens.

    The intimidating chief of Roar vige, a hero among heroes was standing before me wearing an apron and looking after some snotty brats....oh, how the mighty have fallen!

    I watched as Leo consoled the crying wolf child with warmth in his eyes.

    " There...there, it''s alright now, sweety.", Leo says patting the child on her head.

    The child sniffled and held back her tears as if she didn''t want to disappoint Leo and went back to y with her friends, she didn''t forget to blow me a raspberry before leaving.

    ''What a thoughtful child....''

    " You don''t seem to like children all that much...", Leo says smiling at the child''s retreating figure,

    " What''s there to like ?"

    " Hmmm, I don''t know.", Leo says leaving me behind to join Lydia and Max.

    I follow behind him not wanting to be left behind,

    " It''s good to see you here again, Luna''s child.", Leo says smiling at Lydia.

    Leo seems to be smiling a lot now, that''s weird since thest time I saw him, he was an impulsive, violent and stupid piece of trash.

    " I''m d to be back, sir,", Lydia says smiling back nervously.

    " W-what''s he doing here ?", Max asked taking refuge behind Lydia''s broad shoulders.

    " I also like to volunteer here.....it''s the least I can do.", Leo takes a good look around the lively orphanage," After all, these children are our future."

    Ugh.

    That serial killer should kill these kids, I mean this dumb lion seems to like them so maybe the killer will get caught faster....it''s just a thought...that I now realize is a little abnormal.

    The three of us talk for a little more before Leo suggested that we stop dawdling and start helping around the orphanage.

    ~~~~

    " Kill the monster !"

    Lots of rocks were thrown at the ''monster''.

    The monster had attacked the civilians out of nowhere, at first the civilians had run out of fear but after some time they decided that they wanted to protect their home, so they started fighting back by throwing small pebbles at the monster,

    Unfortunately, the civilian''s attacks were in vain as the monster deflected all of them easily.

    But just when everything was thought to be lost, he arrived-

    " Fear not...¡­I, Maximillian Reynolds shall protect you !", the hero said shining a light of hope in the hearts of the distraught citizens.

    " You fiend!, how dare you attack the innocent people of this uh...town ?"

    In response to the hero''s words, the monster did nothing but sigh.

    " Can we just go home already ?", the monster said ring at the civilians,

    ...

    " CUT !"

    A wolf child walked casually to the monster and smacked his legs with a piece of paper,

    " That''s not your line, monster !", the wolf child screamed, ring at the monster.

    The monster scoffed at the child''s impertinence, just as he was about to speak, the wolf child said,

    " Ughh...this is not working out, you''re fired !"

    The monster looked offended hearing the child,<novelnext></novelnext>

    " You can''t do this to me...I''m the one who started thispany !"

    " What ?", the child asked looking confused.

    " I m-mean you don''t have to fire me...because I quit !"

    As the situation was escting, one of the civilians came and dragged the monster away.

    The monster watched in envy as the children surrounded the hero praising him for his ''amazing performance''.

    ~~~~

    " Well....that was sad to watch.", Lydiamented as we too shelter within the orphanage.

    " I hate kids....", I say, my eyes burning with hatred.

    ...

    " Hahahahahah--"

    Seeing Lydiaughing like a maniac, I became confused,

    " What''re youughing for ?", I asked narrowing my eyes.

    " It was funny to watch a kid fire you from a role.....hahaha and you were so hurt...hahaha-", Lydia says through herughter.

    It has been two hours since we came to the Blue Finn orphanage.

    Leo informed us that the caretaker had business elsewhere, so he was subbing in for her just for today. We helped him clean and prepare food quickly, after which the children asked us to part of a little game they were ying.....it was a stupid game.

    The door to the room we were in swung open making Lydia stopughing momentarily, Leo stood at the other side holding a tray of what seemed to be tea and cookies. It was funny seeing someone so intimidating doing something so....hmmm, what''s the word for it,

    Sensitive? Kind? Na?ve? Fragile?

    Wait....who fucking cares?

    " It seems that the children have tired you out."

    " They didn''t tire us out, sir." Lydia smirked at me," They fired us."

    Hearing her, Leo raised his brows and asked,

    " How so ?"

    Just like that Lydia began narrating the events that had transpired a few minutes ago, all three of us take a cookie and ss of tea as well.

    " HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAH-", the old lion''sugh thundered around the room frightening even the mosquitoes that were just trying to suck some blood.

    Lydiaughs along with him, I just sit therepletely ignoring the bullies around me.

    " HAHAHAHAHAHAH-KREAK-HAHAHA-URGGG"

    Lydia stoppedughing as she noticed that something was wrong....very wrong.

    " CRUCK-COUGH-COUGH-COUGH-COUGH"

    Leo''sugh had slowly turned to a fit of coughing, he seemed to be in pain.

    ''Stter''

    Blood slowly starteding out of his mouth, the more he coughed the more blood seemed toe out until-

    ''Thump''

    -the old lion passed out on the floor.

    Lydia and I stare at the horrific scene before us.

    I turn around to face Lydia and say,

    " Well...you killed him."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 159 Duty

    It took us a minute to calm down.

    Well, it took Lydia a minute to calm down, I was born calm.

    " What should we do ?!", Lydia asked rushing toward Leo.

    I watch as Lydia checks for a pulse, from the look of relief on her face I can understand that Leo''s not dead, he probably just fainted.

    " W-we should c-call a doctor...", Lydia says getting up but I stop her before she could leave.

    " Let''s try waking him up first, can you go and get us some water ?", I made sure to disy a reassuring smile to calm her.

    " O-okay.", Lydia stuttered out of the room slightly dazed.

    By the time, she hade back I had managed to pick Leo up and make himfortable on the sofa. That C- strength is pretty neat isn''t it?

    " Here''s the water.", Lydia says holding out a jug filled with ice-cold water.

    Lydia looked much calmer now.

    I take the jug from her and douse Leo with the cold water, I could see him stirring, annoyed. It seemed that I need to bring in the big guns if I need to wake him up.

    ''p''

    ''p''

    Lydia gasped as she witnessed me pping the crap out of the chief of Roar vige.

    " Huuuuu.....", Leo groans out as he opened his eyes.

    ~~~~

    " I''m sorry for worrying you both....", Leo says massaging his forehead.

    A few minutes had passed since Leo had woken up.

    " I wasn''t that worried.", I say casually.

    " Hey.....!", Lydia says stepping on my foot.

    " Oww...w-", just as I was about to give her a piece of my mind Leo interjected,

    " That''s understandable...I haven''t exactly been the most gracious host to you, the truth is that I haven''t been myselftely...it''s must be because of ''that''..."

    Hearing Leo, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh.

    " Stop being so cryptic.....just tell us what the problem is."

    I hate those kinds of people the most, I mean how could I help if I don''t even know what the issue is?

    Leo looked tired as he gave me a weak smile,

    " You''re right, I suppose I shoulde clean..... I''m going to die soon."

    ...

    " WHAT ?!", Lydia eximed, shocked.

    " What is it ?"

    " It''s mana repulsion."

    .....

    Mana Repulsion is a mortifying disease where mana destroyed a person from the inside. The more the person used mana, the faster they would die. The only way to avoid death would be to stop using mana entirely. But in Leo''s case, that wasn''t exactly ideal since he was the chief.

    He was Roar''s protector, he was the pir on which the entire vige depended. Leo could try to stop using mana for a while....but what if an enemy were to learn his condition because of this?

    The enemy would obviously attack, and Leo would be forced to fight. Both scenarios only yielded Leo''s death. In a situation like this....the most reasonable solution was to just give up.

    " That''s right....the only fate awaiting me is death.", Leo says smiling at me.

    Oh right, this guy can read minds.

    " No.....you can j-just not use mana, then you''ll survive for sure.....yeah.."

    Why is Lydia always so emotional?

    It''s a little annoying...or am I just being insensitive? Yeah, it''s probably my fault.....or is it? or.... I''ll just stop thinking.

    Leo chuckled and says,

    " You need not worry children, I epted my death some time ago...", A slight frown rose on his face as he continued," I only have a single goal now...I want to bring this killer to justice and then I can finally.....rest."

    Leo closed his eyes, it was weird seeing a man so weing of death. If it had been me, I would probably never ept my death and just keep on looking for some kind of cure. It''s kind of inspiring.....maybe, one day I''ll also wee death with open hands....who knows?<novelnext></novelnext>

    " We''ll leave you to get some rest then.", I say dragging Lydia with me.

    " Oh...huma-no.....Adam, I hope you keep the events of today to yourself.", I nod agreeing to keep his little secret. I once again started to head out but Leo''s next words made me stop,

    " ....I wish you the best for your trial."

    ~~~~

    Day 6,

    Today is the day of the trial.

    Both Adam and Max have prepared immensely for this day.

    The trial was set to take ce in the arena, people had slowly started filing the seats within the arena, and everyone was excited to see a ''trial of truth'' once again.

    Meanwhile, Max and Adam were being lectured once again by Augustus and Leo. They had been told over and over about what exactly they were supposed to do. The two of them were instructed to forfeit at the same time, that way the vigers would think that the two of them were killed but in reality.....they would be free after today.

    " Do you have any questions ?", Leo asked once again.

    " Nope.", Max said cheerfully.

    Adam shook his head.

    " Okay then. we''ll begin the match in five minutes...prepare yourselves."

    Augustus and Leo left the both of them alone in the changing room.

    " Well we better get changed into these...", Max said handing Adam one of the ceremonial outfits they had given them, it was dress-filled to the brim with unique carvings and symbols. Taking the dress, the both of them start heading to a different room but-

    " Hey...Max ?"

    Max turned around hearing Adam,

    ".....Good luck out there."

    " Yeah...let''s get out of here bro....", Max saiding back for a hug.

    ~~~~

    Cheers erupted as the two used walked into the arena.

    Adam watched in silence as he observed the crowd for Lydia, he found her soon, it was quite easy to find her since she was waving her hands like crazy to get his attention. Next to her, Georna, Leo, and Augustus sat focused on the arena.

    An old wolf came to the center of the stage and exined the rules of the trial.

    " The trial will be over when one of the used is dead or out of bounds. The winner will be considered innocent. May the gods judge you justly.", the old wolf skittered of the arena in a hurry.

    Tension hung high in the air as the crowd observed Adam and Max.

    Max nodded and smiled at Adam as he said,

    " I forfeit."

    ....

    " I forfeit."

    " I f-forfeit..?", Max couldn''t understand why Adam wasn''t responding back to him.

    But soon Max did get his response-

    ''Step''

    -but it wasn''t one that he would like.

    ~~~~

    " What''s he doing?", Lydia asked confused as she watched Adam slowly walking toward Max.

    " I don''t know...", Augustus said frowning deeply.

    As they wondered about his motives, Leo couldn''t take his eyes off Adam,

    " What is he thinking ?", Georna asked Leo.

    Lydia and Augustus also paid attention to Leo.....

    Leo''s eyes widened as he answered them back,

    " Oh god...that boy...he''s going to kill him."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 160 Turning Point (1)

    " I f-forfeit.", Max said for the fourth time.

    Max was feeling confused and slightly scared, he could see killing intent within Adam''s eyes but that was surely a mistake, wasn''t it?

    Max''s eyes widened as he watched Adam take out a spear from his sup-space, Max couldn''t understand why this was happening.....

    He couldn''t understand even as Adam started running toward him, the spear was undoubtedly aimed at his heart...Adam was trying to kill him.

    As shocked as Max might have been as if on instinct he took out his sword from his sub-space blocking Adam''s blow.

    " What are you doing ?!!"

    Adam ignored his pleas as he continued thrusting his spear, Max blocked all his attacks but he knew that he couldn''t block forever, if this situation escted even more there would be no other choice left other than to switch to the offensive...but that was not something Max wished to do.

    ''I need to make him snap out of it'', Max thought strengthening his resolve. There had to be a reason for Adam''s sudden and abrupt change. Max contemted the possibility that someone might be controlling Adam, forcing him to attack.

    '' Yeah...that''s the only logical exnation.''

    ''sh''

    ''ng''

    ''Brrzt''

    Small sparks flew up from their weapon colliding.

    Max frowned as he strengthened his grip on the sword.

    " Adam.....I don''t know if you can hear me but it''s me...Max, I think you''re mind is being controlled s-"

    Adam jumped back, a smug grin spread across his face as he said,

    " I''m not being controlled....stop embarrassing yourself."

    Hearing Adam, Max became even more confused than he already was,

    " Then....what''s the meaning of this ?"

    ''Kreeeeeeeeeee''

    Adam let his sword touch the ground and slowly dragged it with him as he move forward, a sly smile spread across his face as he said,

    " You wanna know something fun ?...¡­.. I hate you, Max...I hate every single thing about you, you made fun of me every chance you got...I could handle that....but....but you defiled my sister....that''s fucking uneptable...that was yourst straw, but I still had to keep you around because.....but right now, I can see a future without you...so can you just die for me ?"

    Adam''s smile made Max''s skin crawl, it wasn''t a smile filled with bloodlust or malicious intent. That would have been fine...Adam''s smile held nothing behind it....it was just a normal smile but something about it made Max feel rattled.

    ''Sching''

    Adam thrust his spear at Max at an unbelievable speed, a speed that even Max couldn''t perceive. Max managed to dodge the blow but the spear still managed to graze his left cheek, a single drop of blood fell to the ground as Max stared at Adam unaware of his surroundings.

    All he could see was Adam, in Adam''s eyes Max could see the unrelenting hatred Adam had for him,

    ''Was I that bad of a friend ?''

    But soon, Max had to snap out of his daze as Adam rushed to him readying his spear for another attack.

    ''Brrzt''

    " Careful now, you''ll die if you don''t focus."

    Max was forced back until he started applying pressure of his own, even then he was still being pushed back.

    ''When did he get so strong ?'', Max thought jumping back.

    Max was pretty confident in his strength, after all, he had D rank strength and that was not something to take lightly. If Adam was stronger than him.....that meant that he was above D rank !!

    Max also had a slight feeling that Adam was holding back...¡­a lot.

    Max retreats once again, seeing him run away Adam couldn''t help but scoff.

    " You''re running away ?", A smirk nted itself on Adam''s face as he continued," I can''t me you.....the only thing you''re good at is running away, you''ve been running your whole life, haven''t you?"

    Adam slowly began to walk toward Max.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " You ran away when you''re parents were killed."

    ''Step''

    " You watched as they died....like a fucking coward."

    ''Step''

    "A scared little boy.....that''s all you are and ever will be."

    Hearing Adam, two emotions tormented his fragile mind: anger and confusion.

    Max was confused because he had never told anyone about witnessing his parent''s death, that was something he carried with him....alone.

    But the anger he felt was much greater, so much so that it overshadowed the confusion. Max knew that Adam was right.....he did nothing and watched as his parents were killed, his mother''s face still haunted him.....

    Max could never forget the expression on his mother''s face as they proceeded to behead her.

    .....

    She was smiling.

    Max could still vividly remember his mother''s smile, she was smiling at him...as he cowered in the shadows hoping that ''they'' didn''t notice him...was his mother d that at least he had survived?

    Max would never know, but he knew one thing-

    " You''re just a weak li-"

    " SHUT UP !", Max screamed strengthening his resolve once again.

    -He would not die today.....at least not until he tore ''them'' apart.

    ~~~~

    Lydia watched nervously as the duo fought more and more aggressively.

    " Something must have happened....we need to stop this.", she eximed urgently.

    " We can''t do that...¡­..listen, Lydia.....we gave them a way out but it''s not our problem if they want toplete the trial...", Augustus said lowering his gaze.

    " He is right, child...¡­.we cannot interfere.", Leo added in.

    Lydia''s mind was thinking of some way to help.....she finally came to the conclusion that she had to interrupt the fight.

    ''I need to hurry....this is getting out of hand.''

    But just as Lydia was about to jump in, Georna stopped her.

    " Don''t be stupid...if you go in now, that boy will kill you as well."

    " Adam wouldn''t do that !", Lydia saiding to his defense.

    Georna sighed and shook her head in disappointment,

    "Your naivety knows no bounds, I noticed it when that boy first came but now it''s even more clear....."

    " What is ?", Lydia asked confused.

    ...

    Georna''s eyes narrowed as she observed Adam,

    " That boy may be human but.....he has the eyes of a beast and you know what they say about deranged beasts-"

    Leo and Augustus nce at each other.

    "-- they won''t stop until everything and everyone in their path is destroyed."

    ~~~~

 Chapter 161 Turning Point (2)

    ''ng''

    Several beastpeople watched in awe as Max and Adam fought toe to toe, the fight wasn''t something out of the world, these people were just starved for entertainment.

    To Max, it felt like they had been fighting for a long time. The both of them hadn''t used their skills till now and the extended fight was taking a toll on their bodies....well on Max''s body.

    " Adam.....this doesn''t need to happen.....just stop."

    Adam ignored him and once again thrust his spear forward.

    Max swerved to avoid the blow but the spear managed to graze his shoulder making him bleed once again. Swiping away the blood, the frown on his face deepened.

    Max has always found it hard to control his anger and right now...Adam was pissing him off.

    ''I need to beat him, Max thought switching to the offensive.

    Adam might be physically stronger than Max, but Max had a whole array of skills and not to mention a top-notch technique as well.

    Max took in a deep breath and steadied his rapidly beating heart, he couldn''t lose focus while using this technique...

    Max''s mother was an S-ss Hero, The Blood Queen.

    The Blood Arts was an ancient technique that she acquired from a dungeon, its basic form allowed the user to use their blood to form attacks. But as the user became more proficient in using the technique, they would learn to use the blood of others and be able to manipte it at will.

    It was a formidable technique that made his mother famous.

    Right now, Max could only use about 30% of its true power, he hadn''t learned to control the blood of other beings as well, but Max knew that he would seed...all he needed to do was work hard.

    But this was not the only gift his parents had left him.

    Max''s father was an S- ss hero just like his mother.

    The Rolling Thunder.

    That was the name his father went by, his father may have been strong but it was painfully clear that he had a trashy naming sense.

    Anyway, his father left behind the technique he practiced as well.

    The name of the technique was, [Thunder Void].

    Just like [Blood Art], it was an extremely powerful technique that allowed the user to conjure and tame lightning. It was a rather straightforward technique, but whenpared with [Blood Art] it was much harder to learn.

    Right now, Max could bring out 15% of its true potential.

    Through intense effort and godly luck, Max somehow managed to fuse these two techniques to make his very own technique,

    [ Ouroboros ]

    But Max could only use it as ast resort for now since it was too much for him.

    As Max opened his eyes, he was strangely calm.

    Max knew what he had to do, he was going to knock Adam out and run away from this shitty ce.

    ''Clrzz''

    As Adam thrust his spear once again, he failed to notice the small sparks that endowed Max''s sword.

    As their respective weapons made contact, the sparks quickly traveled to Adam, reaching him through his own spear. Adam tried to let go of his spear, but it was toote.

    ''BRRZZT''

    Max smiled as Adam fell, smoke rose from his body because of the action of the small spark.

    [Stun] was a basic form of the [Thunder Void]

    As Adam slowly got up, Max wasted no time and cut himself with his sword, resulting in blood pouring down from his body. The blood that came out flew up into the air and together the blood droplets made a sphere of blood.

    Max had be quite pale now since using [Blood Art] did put a slight strain on his body.

    The sphere of blood split repeatedly to form small needles of blood, they were all aimed at Adam who had finally managed to stand up.

    [ Blood Art: Red Needle]

    Max once again wasted no time as he charged at Adam.

    Their weapons shed causing sparks to fly up, but these sparks came right back down and once again attacked Adam,<novelnext></novelnext>

    [ Thunder Void: Stun ]

    Instead of falling down, Adam somehow managed to hold on but sadly for him, the needles that had been hovering in the air came rushing down to greet him giving him no time to catch his breath.

    " ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

    Adam screamed as several blood needles pierced his body and this time he did fall helplessly to the ground.

    " Let''s stop this...¡­.you can''t defeat me, Adam.", Max said preparing to knock him out.

    " Y-you''re right.....I can''t defeat you right now....", Adam said as he surprisingly stood up once again.

    " You know Max, sometimes when I get angry about you and my sister, I fantasize about fucking your mother."

    ...

    Silence prevailed as everyone became shell-shocked at Adam''s abrupt promation.

    " I grew up jacking off to her.....she was truly my ideal type. It''s a shame that she was killed."

    .....

    " If I saw her right now, I would ***** **** and then I would **** ***** **** ***, huuuuuuuu, just thinking about her is making me horny. Maybe, I should pay her grave another visit...."

    ....

    As Adam continued on, the image of his mother''s smile cracked in Max''s mind.

    " YOU.....YOU.....YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT !"

    As Max rushed toward Adam, he cut himself again leading more drops of blood to join the sphere, the sphere had be quiterge now.

    Max knew that Adam was purposefully trying to tick him off.....and it was working.

    Max let go of his sword and raised his hand high up in the air, the sphere of blood gently levitated above his hand and started to change its shape. It slowly changed into a huge scythe.

    Sparks of electricity enveloped the scythe adding anotheryer to the blood scythe.

    [ Ouroboros: Serpent Scythe]

    Max swung the scythe, going in for the kill.

    ¡­for the kill?

    ''Kill ?''

    The scythe vanished as Max realized that he was about to kill Adam.....

    '' I need to calm mys-''

    ''Thump''

    Max fell, his body was sore and everything hurt.

    " You really are.....foolish.", Adam said looking down at Max, his grin wider than ever.

    Feeling that he needed to run, Max tried his best to run away but all he could do was crawl slowly, Adam slowly walked behind him as if he enjoyed watching Max struggle.

    Out of nowhere, the old wolf yelled,

    " The trial isplete...Adam Creed is the winner."

    Max was out of bounds...making Adam the victor.

    ''I''m alive...at least...", Max thought consoling himself.

    " I''ll see you on the other side."

    That was thest thing Max heard before he...no the entire arena was engulfed in ck mes. As the mes disappeared, the crowd was astonished by the extent of the damage the mes had caused.

    Adam Creed only remained within the arena.....which could mean only one thing-

    - Max Reynolds, the protagonist....was dead.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 162 Queen Of Hearts (1)

    " When are theying back ?", Eric asked slowly munching on his sandwich.

    " The letter didn''t say anything about that.....they should be back soon.", Lecia said staring down at the schoolpound.

    " I hope they''re safe....", Katherine said looking worried.

    They were having lunch in their usual spot, the rooftop.

    " How did Ada-"

    ''MUNCH''

    Emilia''s chewing interrupted Katherine, it had taken some time for Emilia to warm up to them again and they''ve only made this much progress because Adam was away right now.

    Emilia had changed considerably, as opposed to her kind and loving nature, she had be.....somewhat cynical. She barely talked and even when she did, it was always ''Mhmm'' or a nd ''okay''. The others were worried about Emilia....but they didn''t know how to console her. They did try but nothing seemed to work.

    " This sandwich is delicioussssss !", a cheerful voice proimed changing the topic tactfully.

    " Shut up, Bob.", Eric said rolling his eyes.

    Eric had met Bob on the day of their final exam and for some stupid reason, Bob just wouldn''t leave him alone. It was quite annoying for Eric, but he was now more or less used to him.

    The five of them carried on with their conversation until the door leading to the rooftop swung open, seeing the two people that greeted them, all four of them except Bob took out their weapons from their respective sub-spaces.

    It was Dina and-

    ''That little boy must be Alvah''

    Adam had explicitly warned all of them to steer clear of this...child, but the fact that he stressed even more than that was to make sure that the boy doesn''t....under no circumstances touch them.

    As usual, Adam didn''t borate further.

    " Seeing your reactions, Adam must have told you the truth."

    Lecia came forward and nodded.

    " What do you want ?", Lecia asked observing the new angel closely.

    ''He''s really just a kid....''

    " Uhh...I wanted to know why Adam hasn''te to school.....he still has a lot of missions pending...so...."

    " He''ll be back soon....", Katherine added, putting her sword back into her sub-space.

    " I see.....''

    ...

    " Where is that stupid brat ?", Alvah grumbled silently.

    ...

    Their principal, Laurine Gem had received a letter a week ago that asked several questions about Adam''s status as a student within Unity. Upon receiving the letter, Laurine immediately called for Lecia and made her write a reply letter for both Adam and Max. Laurine had told Lecia to keep this whole event under wraps. But, angering the angels before them was not an option....for now at least.

    Seeing Dina''s expectant gaze, Lecia hesitantly told her about Adam''s special situation.

    " I see.....I''m d he''s safe at least..."

    .....

    " Why are you ''d'' ?", Eric asked frowning at both of them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ....

    " It seems that he did not tell you the truth...I can''t me him."

    .....

    Eric shook his head and turned around to face Bob,

    " Get out."

    " What ?"

    " Get out."

    Like that Bob left without putting much of a fight, making sure that he was out of earshot Eric once again turned to face the duo of ''angels''.

    " I''ve been wanting to ask this for a while....but are the two of you even angels ?"

    Eric had thought a lot over the past few months, he realized how shaky...Adam''s truth was, he had been wanting to confirm the truth for a while now and now was the perfect chance,

    " How insolent."

    An intense pressure fell upon the group of four and they all fell to their knees.

    ''Well.....Adam was telling the truth.'', Eric thought.

    " Stop it...Alvah."

    The pressure lifted and they all stood back up, their bodies still felt the pain even though the pressure had gone away.

    "--But it still doesn''t make sense....why did you address Adam as your ''son'' ?"

    Max had overheard their conversation that day, so Eric knew that both Adam and Dina were hiding something.

    By now Katherine and Lecia wanted to smack the shit out of Eric, he was deliberately annoying foes they were currently no match for!

    Dina sighed deeply.

    " I suppose there is no harm in telling the truth, Adam is------"

    ~~~~

    Back at the arena,

    The mes subsided revealing a very bloodied Adam.

    The beastpeople watching him held in their breaths wondering what the winner of the trial was about to do....the fight which had been tilting in Max''s favor abruptly ended with his death.

    ''Cough''

    Unaware of the gazes on him, Adam spat out arge amount of blood and fainted with a ''thump''.

    The crowd watched in silence as medics quickly dragged Adam away, everyone felt strangely anxious....they had a feeling that this trial was just the start of something much bigger....-

    - They were right.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 163 Queen Of Hearts (2)

    I wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling.

    "Sheesh...", I groan out as I force myself up.

    I had one of those visions again, it''s been a while since I''ve seen one of those. Nothing out of the norm happened, there was the battlefield....dead bodies, it was the same stuff.

    I need to know exactly what is going on with me.....am I just going crazy?

    Hopefully, this ce can provide the answers I need.

    " You''re finally up."

    I get startled hearing a coarse voice, turning around I find Georna sitting down in a rocking chair, her eyes were focused on her hands as she continued knitting without looking up at me.

    " You made quite the show.", she remarked nonchntly.

    ...

    Seeing that I chose to remain silent, Georna sighed and got up after struggling for a while.

    " I''ll go call them over.", she says leaving me alone with my thoughts.

    Did I have to kill Max?

    ...

    I don''t know but.....this was the best way.

    The plot had already gone to shit so there was no use in keeping him around, I have many others that I can use who are just as strong.

    I stared out the window beside my bed, the night sky was illuminated with a multitude of twinkling stars, and the chirping of crickets could be heard...all in all, it wasn''t a bad view.

    I tear myself away from the breathtaking view as the door to the room was once again swung open, stepping into the room Leo acknowledged my presence by nodding, behind him two other people followed.

    Augustus and Lydia.

    ''mp''

    Georna closed the door behind her and as everyone made themselvesfortable in the small room, I prepared myself for the barrage of questions that was heading my way. But contrary to my belief, silence prevailed even after they had made themselvesfortable.

    .....

    " You must be wondering...why I killed M-"

    " We''re not.....that is between you and the other human."

    Oh...this is surprising.

    " You can leave the vige now.....and I hope you do so at the earliest.", Augustus says coldly.

    Leo had a bitter smile on his face as he nodded along with Augustus.

    " H-how could you do that ?", Lydia who had remained silent all this time stuttered out.

    "Hmm?", I asked wanting her to borate.

    " How could just kill him without hesitation !?", Lydia''s frown deepened as she continued," Wasn''t he your friend !?"

    ....

    Silence once again fell upon us as everyone turned to me for an answer.

    They or at least Lydia wanted a reason to believe that I was in the right....sadly-

    " What does it matter to you ?"

    Hearing my answer, Lydia''s eyes widened in surprise, she seemed to be in a daze, but she came out of it soon as small tears flowed down her furry face.

    " H-how could you say that....aren''t we friends ?"

    ...

    Lydia''s obsession with the word ''friend'' is almost frightening, but I can understand where she''sing from....she''s been alone her whole life, she craves friendship like I crave a good ol'' strawberry.

    Just as I was about to answer back, the door to my room once again swung open and a wolf that I hadn''t seen rushed in.

    Nephyr, the executioner.

    She was out of breath and seemed to be out of it, Leo tightly held her shoulder and asked,

    " What''s wrong, child ?"

    Nephyr alternated her gaze from Augustus to Leo as she says,

    " It''s about Blue Finn orphanage...."<novelnext></novelnext>

    ~~~~

    ''Huff''

    ''Puff''

    It was a little difficult to run as my body still felt a little sore from my fight with Max, but I needed to run....the situation called for it.

    Lydia was running along with me as well, our little dispute had been forgotten for now because the situation now was much more grim and urgent. Leo and Augustus most probably reached the ce, they were unbelievably fast.

    We could slightly see it now.

    The mes had given the previously serene night sky a red hue, the sky seemed to be on fire....but it was not the sky that was engulfed in mes but a little orphanage quite near to us. As we reach the burning orphanage, we see Augustus and Leo standing nearby,

    " Why aren''t you going in ?", I shout

    " It''s toote....", Augustus says in a low voice.

    Upon closer observation, I notice that the orphanage building had already copsed.

    We were toote.

    Those kids were probably dead.....

    Was this an idental fire or a-

    My question was answered soon enough.

    " Adam....t-that...", Lydia says pointing at the ground.

    On the ground near us, was a bloody heart and that could only mean one thing-

    I stared at the zing fire, my lips stretched ever so slightly,

    - the killer had struck again.

    ~~~~

    It''s been two days since the fire.

    After putting the fire out, we searched for the remains of the children....we found none.

    Unrest and distrust were at an all-time high, right now we were having a meeting,

    Why am I and Lydia included in this meeting?

    I have no idea.

    Leo and Augustus hade to visit Georna and we were just present in the room at the time.

    " We''ve asked around...nobody saw anything suspicious.", Leo says head held down.

    Leo looked.....very tired, there were huge bags under his eyes fromck of sleep and Augustus was the same.

    " I don''t know what to do....", Augustus says looking defeated.

    ....

    " Ahem"

    Everyone turned around in surprise to face me, confirming that I had their attention, I made a....very nice suggestion,

    " I think it''s clear what you have to do..."

    " What exactly are you saying ?", Augustus asked, frowning slightly at my interruption.

    Before borating, I first point at Leo and say,

    " Chief Leo is a dead man walking, he''s unable to use mana and there''s no saying when he''ll die.", I pointed a finger at Augustus," After he''s gone the chances of you catching the killer will be halved....more than that...if this killer has evaded detection this long then that means whoever this killer is..... they''re very skilled."

    I take in a deep breath and say,

    " We have the highest chance of catching the killer...if we bring her."

    " Bring who ?", Augustus asked raising his brows, evidently confused.

    I smile as I say,

    " Luna Caerus."

    ....

    ~~~~

 Chapter 164 Adam Creed, Avenger Of Children

    ....

    " You overstep your bounds, human.", Augustus narrowed his eyes," This matter does not concern you." Augustus seemed to be giving me the cold shoulder, probably because I killed Max...

    " Adam is right....my daughter is needed now more than ever.", Georna added thinking deeply.

    " What !?", Augustus said, rmed.

    .....

    " What are you guys saying ?.....nobody knows where mother went..", Lydia asked raising her brows.

    The only response she got was silence.

    " Right ?...", Lydia asked again.

    " R-right ?", Lydia asked once again, she looked at each of us hoping for an answer.

    As her gaze fell on Augustus, he could do nothing but gaze intently at the floor.

    " Wha-"

    " Calm down....child.", Georna says, ncing at Lydia with a strange emotion in her eyes.

    " I--we-"

    Lydia struggled toe up with words as her face puffed up, tears stream down her face and I''m reminded of her crying on the day I killed Max.

    Lydia seemed to cry a lot.

    Without uttering another word, she rushed out of the room.

    Georna let out a tired sigh and looked at me pleadingly, I nod and follow Lydia.

    It''s time for some good old-fashioned consoling.

    ~~~~

    I followed Lydia as soon as she ran out, she ran to the orphanage, or at least what was left of it.

    I found her sitting down in a corner supporting her back with the charred rubble, she had no visible reaction upon seeing me and just continued with her incessant sobbing. I sat beside her and thought about how I shouldfort her,

    " It''s been a rough day eh?"

    ...

    That was probably not the best way to start, but I have to manage with what I have.

    " It''s going be okay...I''m h-"

    " Y-you don''t understand....everyone in this vige shuns me every day, all because they think that she left because of me.....I''ve already epted that she had run away...I had epted that I would never be able to ask her ''why''....but it turns out that....everyone''s been lying to me." Lydia sniffled as she weakly smiled, " They must think that I''m such an idiot...."

    " You''re not an id-", I start but Lydia wasn''t finished...not just yet.

    " Just as I was about to give up....you came, you were my first friend. I thought I knew everything about you after spending a few days with you.....I don''t know why you killed him but I keep thinking that you had some sort of reason....when it could be that you''re just evil..."

    I feel a little sting upon hearing her words, I''m not evil....not yet at least.

    " But even after all that...I can''t bring myself to hate you or granny.....or anyone else. The only person I hate is...myself. I should never have been born-"

    ''mp''

    I embrace her before she could continue, she looked stunned but didn''t refuse my embrace. Now, I hate touching others....but she looked like she needed a hug.

    What kinda friend would I be if I don''t help her now?

    " Trust me when I say this....hating yourself doesn''t work. There''s nothing we can do to change who we are or what our circumstances are.....we just have to learn to live with them."

    Lydia started crying once again upon hearing my words.

    As I pat her head, consoling her I said,

    " But I promise you.....it''s going to get better."

    ~~~~<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lydia cried her eyes out.

    We were now returning to her house, I don''t know if my words had an effect on her but she was silent as we walked back...as if she was deeply thinking about something.

    Strangely enough, the words I told her were the truth. I wasn''t nning on it being sincere, I had a whole speech prepared and shit. Anyway, I hope my words were true, if not both me and Lydia are screwed.

    ''Click''

    I open the door to her house and enter, Leo and the others stopped speaking as we entered the house. Georna looked concerned but chose to remain silent as Augustus said,

    " I''m against this.", his brows rose as he continued," There''s a reason why she put herself under exile....we can''t just run to her when we need help..."

    " The situation calls for it.....", Georna added still observing Lydia.

    " But still s-"

    " Where is she ?", Lydia asked interrupting Augustus.

    ...

    " Where is she ?", Lydia asked once again, her face devoid of any emotion.

    " A few years back, when you were just a baby...your mother banished herself, she requested no one disturb her and went into exile....she went inside a portal near the vige and hasn''te out since.", Leo said ignoring Georna''s piercing re,

    " She''s in a dungeon?"

    Leo gives me a nod and Augustus let out a tired sigh,

    " All the people we''ve sent into the portal....never made it back, so searching for her isn''t going to be an easy task..."

    ...

    " I''ll go.", I said unable to hold myself back from smiling.

    " What?....that''s preposterous !", Augustus proimed immediately., " Why would a human like you even want to help us ?" he said as he narrowed his eyes.

    I took in a deep breath and stared straight into his eyes,

    " I''m not doing this out of my goodwill.....I want to save those children."

    " What ?!"

    I squint my eyes wondering if the thought that the children may be alive didn''t ur to this dumb wolf....

    " Those children....they''re alive, I can feel it. I have to save them....and even if I can''t...I will at least make sure to avenge them."

    Adam Creed, the avenger of children... sounds nice.

    ...

    " Let him go...", Leo said finally joining in our conversation.

    " But w-"

    Leo narrowed his eyes as he continued,

    " I don''t care how...I need to catch that monster and if I have to bring in another monster to do that....then so be it."

    I nodded agreeing with his words.

    As they say, you can only fight fire with fire....or maybe water....also fire extinguishers....but that''s it.

    " If he''s going then...I''m also going.", Lydia added in from the sidelines.

    Hearing her, Georna let out another sigh...

    She seemed to be sighing a lot now.

    Anyway....it looks like I''m in for some.....fun?

    ~~~~

 Chapter 165 Absolute Strength

    The world was not a fair ce, the rich get richer and the poor be poorer, and the strongpletely dominated the weak. To survive in this hardened world, we must be strong or give in to the strong.

    Humans were at the very top of the food chain, we were the mightiest among the others¡­until mana began seeping into this world resulting in every being gaining self-consciousness, mana helped every organism evolve at an astonishing rate.

    This all led to the birth of the mana beasts, animals adapted to mana.

    Humans had to grudgingly ept the fact that they were no longer the strongest, they couldn¡¯t ept this at first but after witnessing ¡®her¡¯ might¡­they could no longer act blind to the truth.

    After all¡­every being kneels before absolute strength.

    ~~~~

    I couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Sleep was always a luxury in my previous life as well, I was also running on sleeping pills so, I had to reserve some for theing journey. Ever sinceing here, things have been going surprisingly well¡­too well.

    I got rid of a nuisance [Max]

    I met up with Lydia Caerus just like I wanted, I wasn¡¯t nning on meeting her in a prison cell but in the end, it all worked out well. Maybe Max¡¯s luck rubbed off on me or something¡­

    Initially, I had a whole different n for befriending her but it seems that wasn¡¯t necessary, I was excited to meet her but even more excited to meet her mother, Luna Careus.

    I was also treated for whatever was going on within my body, I did hope that shaman treatment would be effective but also did have certain¡­countermeasures if Georna couldn¡¯t fix me, but now¡­.all of that was unnecessary since I was healed.

    Everything was going so well for the first time since I came into this world and tomorrow both me and Lydia were going to set out to confront Luna Caerus who had conveinentantly banished herself into a dungeon.

    If everything goes well, by the time I leave this ce¡­I¡¯ll be much stronger.

    A smile creeps up on my face as I think about the future. I didn¡¯t expect muching into this ce but¡­it¡¯s not bad and Lydia¡­she¡¯s a good kid.

    It¡¯s weird, beforeing here¡­all the beastpeople here were just ¡®characters¡¯ to me but now that I¡¯ve interacted with a lot of them¡­they all feel so real.

    Why did Ie into this world?

    Did someone send me here..?

    What is my purpose in this world?

    Many questions that had been troubling me since I came into this world struck me again all at once, but once again I had no answers.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter..¡¯

    It doesn¡¯t matter how I got here, I¡¯m here now and I¡¯m gonna live however I want¡­and this life¡­won¡¯t be like myst life¡­.I¡¯m no longer going to be a loser¡­yeah..it¡¯s as I promised myself when I first came into this world-

    I closed my eyes, the smile still stered over my face.

    -I¡¯m going to be a winner.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Wake up, Adam.¡±

    I open my eyes, hearing Lydia¡¯s voice. She was standing beside me staring at me with her ocean blue eyes, her ck fur surrounding her eyes was wet indicating that she was crying, but I ignored this and got up stretching my body.

    Lydia¡¯s been having a rough week.<novelnext></novelnext>

    First, all those kids were kidnapped, then she finds out that her mother is still alive and kicking, but somehow I could feel that she was going to be alright. The resolve in her eyes was no joke.

    ¡° Let¡¯s go eat breakfast,¡± Lydia said walking out of the room, I followed behind her to find Georna waiting for us with warm food presented beautifully on the rather small dining table. The smell of the food wafted into my nose, making me take a big gulp of saliva.

    I¡¯m hungry.

    We enjoyed a silent breakfast, I could feel some tension between Georna and Lydia, they still haven¡¯t made up¡­.well not like I care about their rtionship.

    Yesterday, after a ton of discussion the two chiefs permitted us to go after Luna, a decision that Georna was against. She argued but in the end, her voice was not taken into consideration. Leo and Augustus didn¡¯t seem to think that we would seed but to them, a chance was a chance, no matter how improbable it was.

    Lydia got up silently with her te in hand and walked away seemingly finished with breakfast. I could see Georna watching her back with bitterness vivid in her wizened eyes. As soon as Lydia was out of the room, Georna¡¯s gaze fell on me. I averted my eyes, feeling ufortable.

    ¡° Are you two still hell-bent on going ?¡±Georna asked, taking a spoonful of soup and blowing on it.

    Here we go¡­

    She¡¯s going to beg me to not take Lydia with me¡­.

    ¡° Yes¡­.I¡¯m sorry.¡±, I answered, my gaze fixed on my bowl.

    Georna remained silent for a moment before a bitter grin broke through her aged face,

    ¡° You have nothing to be sorry for¡­I knew that this day woulde sooner orter, I suppose it¡¯s good that she at least has you to keep herpany.¡±

    The grin didn¡¯t fade away from her face, but her blue eyes exuded a slight bloodlust as she said,

    ¡° I don¡¯t know what your end goal is¡­I couldn¡¯t care less..but if something were to happen to her..I¡¯ll personally make sure to r-¡±

    ¡° Hey, hey..calm down, you don¡¯t have to worry about that¡­I won¡¯t do anything to hurt your granddaughter or you..¡±

    Hearing me, Georna closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡° Could you tell me a little more about the dungeon Miss Luna entered ?¡±, I asked, desperate to change the topic.

    Yesterday, after deciding that we would bring Luna Caerus back, we were told about the dungeon where she had made her home. It was an S- ranked dungeon, meaning that it was extremely difficult to clear. The terrain was not known, but the climate was extremely cold. Since none of those who had ventured into the dungeon came back, the information on the dungeon was limited.

    Nobody knew about the requirements to close the dungeon or what kind of foesy within, going inside such a dungeon was basically suicide. But unlike most people, I knew a lot more about this little dungeon so the both of us were going to be fine.

    ¡° I know nothing more than what was said yesterday.¡±, Georna said bringing me back from my many thoughts.

    ¡° I see¡­¡±

    ¡° But I¡¯ll tell you this one thing¡­if you meet my daughter, don¡¯t ever try to fight her..¡±

    I raised my brows, perplexed,

    ¡° Why not ?¡±

    Georna took a sip of her soup and gulped it down before she solemnly said,

    ¡° If you fight her¡­.you¡¯ll die without even realizing what hit you.¡±

    ~~~~

 Chapter 166 Creeping Death

    ¡°Okay¡±, I said nkly.

    Georna got up and left the room leaving me alone with my thoughts, her advice didn¡¯t help all that much since I wasn¡¯t nning on fighting Luna¡­she was way out of my league.

    Luna Caerus, in terms of strength, was on par with Dina, the weakest angel. That in itself was amazing but she had even more potential than Dina¡­now that she had spent this much time within an S-ss dungeon, there was no telling just how strong she was, so fighting her was out of the question

    Meeting such a powerful individual was risky but I at least had some insurance as I had Lydia with me. Lydia''s ck fur was proof that she belonged to the former chief''s bloodline.

    I¡¯m sure that she wouldn¡¯t hurt Lydia¡­I mean¡­.I hope so.

    Anyway, now isn¡¯t the time to doubt myself, it¡¯s the time to prepare.

    ~~~~

    Five hours have passed and the preparations areplete.

    I wore a sweater and topped it off with a jacket made out of wolf fur, I also wore a beanie made of wolf fur along with gloves to protect myself from the cold. Lydia on the other hand just wore a sweater, she didn¡¯t really need that much protection from the cold as she had her thick fur to protect her.

    Aside from that, we also prepared a bunch of other stuff as well, food, extra clothes, extra gear, a tent, and even a heat orb, it was an orb that emitted heat. Lydia apanying me also helped me a lot since I still couldn¡¯t use my skills, if I did I would be under immense pain as a result of my surgery.

    Even if using my skills increased the rate of energies settling in, the pain was too much, so I had restrained myself from using any of my skills since using them against Max during our fight.

    ¡° Take good care of yourselves¡­.¡±, Georna said, staring at the both of us apologetically.

    During the past five hours, Georna and Lydia had talked a lot, seemingly settling their differences. Lydia was still not back to her usual self, but she wasn¡¯tpletely ignoring Georna now. In response to Georna¡¯s concern, she gave her a curt nod and left, turning her back towards us.

    ¡° Well¡­we¡¯re off. ¡°

    I followed behind her bidding Georna farewell, we were going to meet up with Augustus since he would be giving us directions to the portal leading to the dungeon. As we walked towards the previously informed meeting point, Lydia remained silent.

    ¡° You could have at least properly said goodbye¡­this could very well be thest time we see her.¡±

    Hearing me, Lydia doesn¡¯t turn to look at me, instead, she closed her eyes and sighs deeply,

    ¡° I know, but I¡¯m tired¡­.I¡¯m tired of all the lies¡­I¡¯m going to find the truth for myself, she knows that and that¡¯s enough¡­for now.¡±

    ¡° I see¡­¡±

    We stop as we reach the chief¡¯s house, we knock on the door and it soon swung open revealing Augustus.

    ¡° Ah¡­you¡¯rete,e inside.¡±

    Augustus wasted no time as he led us straight to his dining room, where we found Leo waiting for us, sittingfortably on a chair that was way too small for his gigantic body. Seeing us, Leo acknowledged us by nodding. The atmosphere enveloping the room was tense as Augustus spread an old mad on the table.

    ¡°This is a map of the whole vige.¡±, he said, blowing at the map to remove any lingering dust.

    The map looked ancient, Augustus pointed at a tiny spot on the map and said,

    ¡° We¡¯re here.¡±, he then continued to point at a different point marked with an ¡®X¡¯ on the map, ¡®This is a restricted mine, most believe that the mine is haunted but the truth is that this is where the portal appeared all those years ago¡­¡±

    ¡° It¡¯s five kilometers east of the vige.¡±, Leo added with a serious look on his face.

    I nodded and got up, there was no time to waste. As the both of us bid them farewell and started heading back Leo¡¯s voice made us stop,

    ¡° Be careful¡­.and don¡¯t worry about us, I¡¯ll catch the culprit even if it¡¯s thest thing I do..¡±

    The animosity in his eyes was a sight to behold, I nodded and gave him onest smile before heading out. The hate Leo seemed to have for the killer seemed to have increased tenfold, it¡¯s only natural since he was probably close to those children.

    Speaking about the children, they''re still probably alive, I don¡¯t understand why the killer would keep them alive but the reason was probably something horrifying. All the more reason why we need to make haste.

    ytime is over.

    ~~~~

    As we got out of Augustus¡¯s house, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was forgetting something important¡­.

    What is it?

    Hmmmmmmmmmmm

    Well, if I forgot, it couldn¡¯t be anything that important.

    As we started to follow the path mentioned on the map leading to the mines, a troubled voice stopped both of us,

    ¡° Mommy !¡±

    ¡­..

    Turning around, I saw Rhys running towards me, behind him Georna slowly walked her eyes on Lydia.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡®Oh¡­I forgot about Rhys¡­¡¯

    I roll my eyes and stare at the sky,

    ¡° Making me forget someone every time isn¡¯t funny, carrot man.¡±

    Lydia looked at me weirdly, but I paid her no mind.

    Seriously, I mean this isn¡¯t the first time this has happened, it¡¯s happened with Lecia and Max as well¡­.it¡¯s bing a little repetitive, isn¡¯t it?

    Change it up a little.

    ¡° There¡­there, I¡¯m sorry I left you there.¡±, I said consoling a dejected Rhys.

    As I continued to console him, I observed Georna and Lydia from the corner of my eyes, they seemed to be talking, they had moved away for privacy so I didn¡¯t really know what they were talking about but I hope they make up since I can¡¯t have Lydia distracted while we¡¯re in the dungeon.

    ~~~

    Lydia¡¯s POV:

    As I saw my grandmother slowly making her way toward me, I couldn¡¯t help but remember all that time that we had spent together. She¡¯s been my everything since I was born, she was my mother¡­my father¡­she meant everything to me.

    I know that she must have had her reason for hiding the truth but that isn¡¯t enough to quell this me¡­that¡¯s raging inside of me.

    All my life, I¡¯ve tried my best to be good, I wanted to persevere and be the chief to prove once and for all that I¡¯m¡­worthy¡­of what?

    Now that I think about it¡­why do I even want to be the chief?

    To be worthy of these people¡¯s love?

    These people shunned and mocked me for something I couldn¡¯t even control¡­something that wasn¡¯t my fault...

    Everyone¡¯s been lying..all this time, ever since Adam killed Max¡­.the lies had slowly started to unravel¡­

    When I meet my mother¡­.I can finally know theplete truth.

    No more lies.

    ¡° You can¡¯t stop me¡­¡±, I said, gearing myself up to run away at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Grandma sighed, she looked tired¡­defeated.

    ¡° I know¡­I¡¯m not going to stop you.¡±

    ¡° Then..why are you here ?¡±

    My grandmother was not one to beat around the bush, but surprisingly enough she seemed to be struggling to convey her feelings.

    ¡° I knew this day woulde¡­.no one can hide the truth forever..O-¡±

    ¡° Then why did you lie ?¡±, I ask, cutting her off.

    I could see a variety of emotions flickering through her eyes trying to spit out an answer that would bring us close once again,

    ¡° I¡­.didn¡¯t want to lose you too, no¡­.I couldn¡¯t lose you, I wanted you to stay as my little granddaughter for some more time¡­I did it knowing that it was selfish¡­so you have every right to hate me¡­.but please stay safe out there. I-¡±

    I couldn¡¯t keep listening to her so I did the first thing that came to my mind, I hugged her.

    ¡° I don¡¯t hate you¡­.but I¡¯m going to guilt-trip you forever for lying to me.¡±, I say, separating myself from her.

    I¡¯m pleased to see her eyes widen in shock.

    I was angry at her¡­.that¡¯s true but I could never hate my grandmother, as I said she¡¯s my everything.

    Turning around, I walked toward Adam who was waiting for me with an impatient look on his face.

    ¡° I¡¯ll see you soon, grandma.¡±, I say, my back towards her.

    ¡° Are you okay ?¡±Adam asked seemingly worried but who knows¡­

    I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on in his little human brain, but for now, I think I¡¯m going to be okay.

    ¡° Let¡¯s just go.¡±, I say, moving past him.

    It¡¯s time to meet my mother.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 167 Fractured Friendship

    ¡° That¡¯s probably the entrance¡­¡±, Lydia says, her brows arched upwards in worry.

    We had reached the entrance to the restricted mines, the entrance seemed to be in pretty bad shape, we had been told that the entrance had been blockaded to prevent anyone from wandering in but the entrance was wide open,

    Lydia bend down and picked a piece of what seemed to be part of the wood b, which was probably used to seal this ce, simr pieces of woody all around us, Lydia and I looked at each other at the same time,

    This was bad.

    Someone¡¯s already in there.

    Rhys whines slightly, feeling the tense atmosphere.

    ¡° Should we go in now or wait for a few minutes ?¡± she asked, throwing the piece of wood back on the ground.

    I thought deeply about our next move, but no matter what happens now¡­we can¡¯t stop when we¡¯re this close,

    ¡° Let¡¯s go in¡­.it¡¯s probably nothing.¡±, I say knowing full well that it was not just ¡®nothing¡¯.

    ¡° If you say so¡­¡±, Lydia said, taking out a torch from her backpack and leading the way, inside the dark tunnel leading to the mines.

    ~~~~

    The mine was divided into different sectors and the portal had appeared in the 7th sector, which was also thest one. Inside the mine, as we walked slowly, I could hear the scurrying of rats and whatnot, the air felt damp and the tunnel had a distinct musty and earthy smell.

    As we made our way through the mine, I saw a signboard with a huge ¡®2¡¯ printed on it. We must have reached sector 2.

    ¡° How much more do we have to go ?¡±I asked Lydia, who was walking in front of me.

    ¡° Hmmm¡­about half an hour probably,¡± Lydia says, increasing her pace.

    She must be feeling impatient, after all, she¡¯s going to meet her mother after all these years, since such an interaction didn¡¯t happen in the novel this soon, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how this would turn out in the end.

    I just hope that things go well.

    Heh.

    That¡¯s a lie, I don¡¯t care.

    Time passed by rather quickly and finally,

    ¡° This must be it¡­¡±, Lydia said staring at the board that had ¡®7¡¯ printed on it, even if the board hadn¡¯t been there we would have still found it as the entirety of sector seven was glowing slightly.

    ¡®Zzzzzzz¡¯

    As we walked further into sector 7, we finally saw the portal that led to the S rank dungeon, it had a blue shade like all portals and a slight ¡®whirring¡¯ sound echoed throughout the sector.

    Both of us nod at each other and walk into the dungeon as this was not the time to hesitate.

    ~~~~

    Each dungeon had a unique theme.

    There¡¯s the normal kill-the-boss monster scenario.

    Some others like the fearko dungeon.

    But there are other dungeons out there that are even moreplex, more dangerous.

    ¡®Cold¡¯

    I felt it even before I opened my eyes, the unyielding cold that managed to prate the shitload of sweaters and coats. I shuddered slightly as I opened my eyes, snow-covered every inch of thend we were in.

    I put it out of my hand and snowkes piled up, even if the cold was undesirable..it was still a sight to behold.

    ¡° It¡¯s a little chilly isn¡¯t it ?¡±Lydia remarked, scanning our surroundings.

    ¡­..

    A little chilly!

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m jealous of a literal wolf.

    Now that I think about it, Lydia¡¯s fur would make for a pretty good sweater¡­

    Nah, killing friends is where I draw the line. So, I¡¯ll have to make do with the sweater I have on now.

    Rhys also seemed to not mind the cold that much, but just in case he felt cold I removed one of the many sweaters I wore and put it on him.

    ¡° Where should we go now ?¡±Lydia asked, stretching to relieve her sore body.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As we didn¡¯t know anything about the dungeon, we didn¡¯t have a clear idea of how to clear it. But that wasn¡¯t an issue since we weren¡¯t here to clear this dungeon¡­we were here to drag out Luna Caerus.

    ¡° We should start by exploring the dungeon slowly since we don¡¯t know what kind of monsters we have to face. It''s best to remain vignt..¡±

    ¡° Yeah¡­¡±, Lydia muttered looking conflicted.

    ¡° What¡¯s wrong ?¡±

    After deliberating for a while, she answers back,

    ¡° It¡¯s just¡­..I-...I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±

    ¡° I see¡­¡±

    It was normal to be nervous, after all, meeting her mother after knowing that she willingly abandoned her must not be easy. Mothers are just crazy, aren¡¯t they?

    ¡° It¡¯s going to be fine¡­probably.¡±

    ¡° Yeah¡­.¡±, she says, looking unconvinced.

    ~~~~

    As we slowly explored the dungeon, I tried my best to converse with Lydia but she¡­shut herself down. It¡¯s been like this ever since I killed Max, she¡¯s built so many walls between us, not that I can me her.

    Either way, I don¡¯t really care.

    But it still is a little regretful since I did enjoy herpany¡­

    ¡° Why don¡¯t we stop for today ?¡±Lydia asked, following the setting sun with her blue eyes.

    We had been exploring for the better part of the day, it was soon going to be night and the cold would be ten times worse, so I epted that we had explored enough for today and we started to look for a ce that would shelter us from the cold.

    Till now, we had strangely yet to encounter any type of monster.

    After an hour of searching, we finally found a cave, we settled inside the cave.

    Lydia removed the sweater she wore and changed her clothes while I didn¡¯t bother to change my dress since it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. The both of us took some time to getfortable, fortunately, we had the heat orb with us¡­so we wouldn¡¯t die due to this damn cold.

    ¡° Are you cold ?¡±Lydia asked, looking at me strangely.

    ¡° I¡¯m f-f-fine.¡±, I say, pulling my nket even closer to me.

    Lydia chuckled and stared at me for a second, before abruptly moving close to me¡­way too close. I could almost feel her breathing on me, it was a little¡­weird but the warmth was wee.

    ¡®Munch¡¯

    ¡®Munch¡¯

    We tore into the beef jerky that we had packed, silently chewing while contemting our next move or at least I did¡­Lydia seemed to be thinking about something else entirely, probably confronting her mother¡­who knows...

    We didn¡¯t talk much, I wanted to but she didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood for a good ol¡¯ conversation.

    After a while, I was done with my dinner.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­..

    MY GOOD GOD!

    I¡¯M SO FUCKING BORED.

    I thought that a dungeon raid would be more exciting, what the fuck is this shit ??

    ¡®Che..¡¯

    I tried my best to stay awake, but I could feel myself falling asleep.

    It¡¯s better to get some shut-eye now then, there¡¯s no reason to force me to stay awake. Lydia¡¯s awake so it should be fine¡­

    ¡° Yawn¡­¡±

    ~~~~

 Chapter 168 TotAl MInDFuCk

    168 TotAl mInDFuCk

    Lydia¡¯s POV :

    Adam¡¯s pretty confusing at times.

    Sometimes he¡¯s a normal human and my first friend and at other times he¡¯s like a deranged beast,pletely out of control. I still remember him burning Max to his death¡­it was so sudden¡­so random.

    I had decided to keep my distance from him but that didn¡¯t seem possible now. My lips curled upward seeing him sleep, leaning on my shoulder for support. He looked so defenseless now¡­

    ¡®Step¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡®Step¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    My eyes widen as I hear the unmistakable echoing of footsteps, someone or something was heading our way.

    ¡®Step¡¯

    ¡®I was right..¡¯

    A pair of gray eyes observed me from outside the cave, I stared right back.

    I would have attacked immediately if it was a monster but surprisingly enough it was a wolf if it was a wolf¡­it could only be one person.

    My mother.

    ¡°Wake up¡­Adam.¡±, I say getting up.

    Adam muttered something under his breath and continued to sleep making the frown on my face to be even more prominent,

    ¡° ADAM ¡°

    ¡° I¡¯m up¡­I¡¯m up.¡±, He got up dusting off the snow that had gathered on his pile of clothes, he still seemed to be out of it but there¡¯s no more time. I pointed towards the wolf that kept making its way towards us¡­it was still a little far away, but it had to be my mother¡­

    Everyone else who entered this dungeon was probably dead.

    ¡° Is that¡­?¡±Adam asked, scrunching up his eyes to get a better view.

    ¡° It has to be her¡­.let¡¯s go outside¡­.be alert.¡±, I say, already moving out of the cave, my heart threatening to burst from within my chest.

    This was it.

    ¡­.

    I was finally going to meet my mother¡­.my mother who abandoned me when I was a young child.

    ¡­.

    Why am I here for her?

    For the first time since deciding to enter this dungeon, I was stumped¡­why did Ie here?

    To see the woman who abandoned me all those years ago?

    To feel her warmth once again?

    I don¡¯t want any of those things.

    I knew that already.

    I came here to do something about this anger I felt, this pain that kept wing at my heart¡­it was slowly eating away at me and I let it be for all of these years but no more¡­

    No more forgiveness.

    I want to show my mother that I grew up just fine even without her, that was also the reason why I wanted to be the chief¡­

    To prove that I was better than her¡­

    It¡¯s always been about her, everything I did¡­.I did with her in mind and now¡­I could finally show her¡­

    I could show her that I¡¯m perfectly ha-

    All my thoughts stop as the wolf came into view, the wolf¡¯s gray fur made it hard to distinguish him from the snow,

    ¡° Hey¡­. is your mother a man by any chance ?¡±Adam quipped, staring at the wolf before us.

    ¡­

    It wasn¡¯t my mother after all.

    I stared nkly at the wolf before me, it stood there watching us for some time before deciding toe closer. Lydia and I tightened our grips on our weapons, ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice but as we saw the wolf clearly, both of us understood that we didn¡¯t need to keep being that ¡®careful¡¯.

    The wolf looked..feeble, as if a slight wind could just knock him out, most of his fur had grayed indicating that he was really¡­old. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what this old-timer was doing here¡­

    ¡° Ie in peace¡­¡±, the old man mumbled out slowly.

    The both of us lower our weapons and stare as the old wolf made his way inside the cave, upon inspecting us even further, tears slowly start streaming down his wizened face,

    ¡° You¡­.you finally came for us¡­..you fina-¡±, the old man fell face first, and yet he didn¡¯t stop mumbling,

    Lydia bends down and checks on him,

    ¡° Who are you ?¡± she asked, shaking him to his very core, refusing to let the dude rest.

    Instead of answering her, the old wolf smiled widely and showcased the world¡¯s worst smile ever, most of his teeth had decayed beyond recovery and the intact ones were dyed in a deep yellow shade.

    ¡° Why were you sote ?¡±, the old man asked before fainting.

    Lydia and I stared at each other, we didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Can¡¯t we just kill him ?¡±I asked, feeling disgusted as I cleaned the old wolf using a cloth.

    ¡° For the tenth time, we can¡¯t kill him¡­he may have intel for us,¡± Lydia said, rolling her eyes at me.

    Lydia couldn¡¯t understand how a person could just think about murder so easily, it seems that she has yet to fully understand me. This old man is not going to amount to anything, it¡¯s unfortunate but it¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m sure because I¡¯m ny percent sure that I know who he is¡­

    But I suppose saving someone however useless they are is a good thing- nope I can¡¯t even think of it. This is aplete waste of time.

    I roughly scrubbed the old wolf¡¯s fur, not to hurt him but to get all this dirt off him.

    It¡¯s not like I enjoy hurting others¡­.yeah and from where exactly did all this dirte from anyway¡­

    we¡¯re surrounded by fucking snow on all sides?

    Lydia paced around the cave, she probably has a lot on her mind.

    ¡°Cough¡±

    The old wolf coughs startling me, I remove the piece of cloth and stand beside Lydia as the old wolf finally wakes up.

    Lydia took a step forward and bent down to reach his eye level, she smiled warmly at him and asked in the sweetest voice possible,

    ¡° Who are you ?¡±

    Hearing her question, the old man had a quizzical look on his face, nheless, he answered the question dutifully,

    ¡° My name is Greydor, I am- was part of the search team.¡±

    ¡­.

    ¡° What search team ?¡±, I wanted to speed things up.

    ¡° It was a special team formed to find the chief.¡±, Greydor replied weakly.

    By now, seeing that Lydia was slightly shaking I¡¯m sure that she is starting to understand the true nature of this ce. Before we came here, Augustus had informed us that he had sent in a search team 10 months ago and that they had yet to return. He showed us a list of the members who went in, I distinctly remember Greydor because-

    ¡° But why did you take so long ?¡±Greydor asked, noticing our grim expressions.

    -he was the youngest member.

    Lydia turned around and looked at me, horrified...

    That¡¯s right.

    This wasn¡¯t a dungeon of ice, rather it was the dungeon of time.

 Chapter 169 Ayarlu

    ¡° Why did it take you so long ?¡±Greydor asked once again sensing something amiss.

    Lydia seemed to be in a state of shock, I can¡¯t me her¡­this dungeon was a shitshow. No sane person would willinglye inside this dungeon if they knew of its true nature.

    ¡° It¡¯s only been 10 months since you went inside¡­.what happened ?¡±I asked, hoping the shock would just kill him.

    Carrying him through this dungeon would be a drag.

    ¡­.

    My words seemed to have taken a second toe into effect as silence reigned for just a second before Greydor voiced his doubt in a small voice,

    ¡° What ?¡±

    ¡° I said that it¡¯s only been ten months since you¡¯ve entered¡­so what the hell happened?¡±

    ¡° That¡¯s¡­.that¡¯s¡­.that¡¯s not possible, it¡¯s b-been so long¡­.they all died¡­.every single one of them¡­I couldn¡¯t help it¡­.it¡¯s been so long¡­¡­this can¡¯t be happening¡­I-¡±, the old wolf slowly seemed to be losing it.

    Well, he¡¯s probably going to die soon if we don¡¯t do something¡­.well too bad.

    Let¡¯s just move on.

    ¡­.

    ¡° Calm down, sir. You¡¯re going to be fine¡­.I promise you, we¡¯re going to help youe back¡­home.¡±

    ¡° H-home ?¡±, Greydor whimpered, snapping out of his trance.

    ¡° Yeah¡­we¡¯re gonna take you back home.¡±, Lydia answered back with a warm smile.

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    Do I get a vote?

    ~~~~

    ¡° I say we dump him here and go about our way..¡±, I say, staring at the old wolf from a distance.

    I had called Lydia away to advise her on our best move.

    ¡° How can you even say something like that ?!¡±Lydia asked, ring at me.

    I see¡­

    I let out a chuckle and put a hand on her shoulder,

    ¡° Look, I can understand that you feel sorry for him¡­.I get that, but think of it like this: the man is already half-dead¡­we would just be doing him a favor by leaving him here.¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡° He¡¯s not a man¡­..he¡¯s a wolf, and I won¡¯t just abandon one of our own¡­.I¡¯m not someone who would just kill my kind¡­..especially not for you.¡±

    Uff.

    I suppose that was deserved.

    Lydia pushed away my hand and walked over to Graydor.

    I can¡¯t believe how petty she¡¯s being¡­..is killing one of my friends for a non-existent reason such a bad thing?

    ~~~~

    As a new day dawned on the dungeon, we were all nervous.

    Greydor exined everything he knew about the dungeon and we told him about the situation outside, we also gave him plenty of food. The ¡®time¡¯ aspect of the dungeon was also discussed, Lydia initially wanted to return immediately but I managed to change her mind.

    The dungeon was veryrge and even Greydor had yet topletely explore it, by his estimate he had only explored about one percent. The reason for such a low number was apparently because of the ¡®green people¡¯ ording to the old wolf. Greydor also confirmed that he had yet to find any trace of Luna Caerus.

    Greydor wasn¡¯t sure how long he had spent in this dungeon but¡­he was sure that it was more than 10 years,

    It¡¯s unbelievable¡­

    How can someone be so useless that they¡¯re unable to find a single person in ten years?

    Pathetic.

    ¡° So these ¡®green people¡¯....what are they like ?¡±I asked wanting to know more.

    Greydor¡¯s face immediately darkened as he said,

    ¡° They¡¯re devils¡­..¡±

    Great¡­.I knew it.

    We spent some more time discussing their location and decided to head there to understand more about these people, we wanted to scout before taking action.

    ~~~~

    ¡° This is it huh ?¡±I asked, staring at a vige a few meters away from us.

    I was worried about how we would hide in the snow but strangely enough, the area surrounding the vige was not covered by snow¡­it was like a whole different ce. We had hidden ourselves using a bush and were now observing the vige.

    We could see a guard standing outside what I presume is the entrance to the vige, ah¡­seeing these people brings back a lot of pleasant memories¡­

    The guard was green, just as described by Greydor but he didn¡¯t look all that intimidating, they were peculiar though, they didn¡¯t have a nose, instead, I could see two small holes¡­.so basically these beings were just like a green voldemor-

    Nah, forget it¡­.that¡¯s not important.

    ¡° So what should w-¡±

    ¡®Step¡¯

    ¡®Step¡¯

    I stopped speaking, and all of us turned around to find a little green girl staring at us, she held a ball in her hands. None of us spoke, silence fell on us like afortable nket that was ripped out too soon as the girl screamed at the top of her lungs.

    ¡° AYRALU !¡±

    Without wasting even a second, Lydia knocked the child out but it was toote as the guard had already heard the girl and was running toward us, I grabbed Greydor and sprinted back to the cave with Lydia following behind me. We easily escaped but it was only a matter of time before they caught us.

    Damn it¡­

    The child was unconscious but she was still alive, maybe we could make a trade¡­after all these people can¡¯t be that bad¡­I know best.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡° What should we do ?¡±Lydia asked, looking at me for answers.

    I shook my head, not wanting to reveal anything that might make Lydia suspicious.

    ~~~

    It had been an hour since we kidnapped a child.

    ¡­.

    We hadn¡¯t been found¡­.but it would happen any time now.

    It was just a matter of time.

    ¡° Let¡¯s eat¡­¡±, I say, taking out some beef jerky and water.

    Lydia took the beef jerky and pushed away the water,

    ¡° We should use as little of the water as possible since we know that this dungeon is time-rted¡­everything is unpredictable..¡±

    I nod and put the water back in my sub-space.

    ¡° Well, there is a river nearby¡­I drank from there all these years¡­so I know it¡¯s good water.¡±, Greydor said, taking a bite of his food.

    ¡° That¡¯s great !¡±Lydia said, smiling for the first time in a while.

    We finished the food quickly and decided to collect some water for ourselves. I had brought two empty water containers just for this.

    ¡° The two of us will go¡­you stay with the girl.¡±, Lydia said, taking the containers away from me.

    I sit back down and nod,

    ¡° If we don¡¯te back in twenty minutes¡­.take the girl and run.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure how running will help but-

    ¡° Sure.¡±

    ~~~~

    I watched as the girl slowly woke up.

    It had been seven minutes since they had left to bring more water.

    The girl snapped out of her trance rather quickly and stared at me with fear evident in her eyes. But strangely enough her eyes didn¡¯t stay on me for long, she looked around frantically for something¡­

    ¡° AYALUR !¡±, she screamed.

    ¡° AYALUR !¡±

    ¡°AYALUR !¡±

    She kept on screaming that word.

    ¡­..

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    I suppose I¡¯ll trante her words since I have nothing else to do¡­

    Of course, I know how to speak theirnguage¡­.I created it.

    Still, I¡¯m a little rusty though¡­

    I haven¡¯t used thisnguage since I was a child, no¡­.thest time I used this was probably when I wrote about it¡­anyway it isn¡¯t that hard¡­

    I assigned two alphabets to a single alphabet and made a weirdnguage, I used to love using it¡­.I remember my mother taking me to a doctor because she thought something was wrong with me¡­

    Yeah, she was silly sometimes.

    My mood soured as I thought about Dina.

    I wonder how everyone back at Unity is doing?

    ¡° So let¡¯s see¡­A stands for-¡±

    After an intense two minutes, I finally got what the little girl was trying to say,

    ¡° But it doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±

    What does ¡®CANNICAL¡¯ even mean?

    The girl had not stopped screaming even now.

    I stared at the paper in which I had arranged the words.

    OH.

    I had mixed up a ¡®b¡¯ and a ¡®c¡¯.

    With a satisfied smile on my face, I corrected the word.

    Oh¡­I see now.

    The word is CANNIBAL.

    ¡­¡­

    I stared at the girl and then at the paper.

    The girl. The paper.

    The girl. The paper.

    The girl. The paper.

    ¡®Ohh¡­¡­¡¯

    Lydia might be in trouble.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 170 A World Dyed In Red

    170 A World Dyed In Red

    ¡° Woah¡­¡±, Lydia eximed, staring at the strange river.

    The river was strange because half of it was frozen and the other half wasn¡¯t, the climate on their side was freezing, snow covering every inch of thend while the other side was warm with various strange flora and fauna residing within it.

    ¡° Yeah¡­this ce is really weird.¡±, Greydor added from behind Lydia.

    Greydor seemed to be nervous as he kept looking around,

    ¡° We should hurry¡­.theye here sometimes..¡±

    Lydia nodded and gave Greydor one of the containers, their hands briefly touched while doing so. Lydia noticed that Greydor¡¯s hand lingered but didn¡¯t think that he had any hidden agenda.

    Just like that Lydia started filling up the container, the river¡¯s water was cool and refreshing. Lydia slightly shuddered at the cold as she continued to fill the container but strangely enough, she felt as if the world was spinning.

    It took her a minute to realize that the world wasn¡¯t actually spinning, she had just fallen.

    ¡­.

    Yeah, she was pretty dumb.

    Lydia iled weakly in the water unable toprehend what was going on, her body wasn¡¯t listening to her. Panic seized her heart as she tried desperately to call to Greydor, unfortunately for her, she was sessful as Greydor dragged her body out of the water and she could properly breathe once again.

    She would have celebrated, but the look on Greydor¡¯s face threw her off, it was¡­unsettling. Saliva slowly oozed out of his mouth as he lowered himself to her level and stared intently at her arm.

    Lydia tried to question him but she couldn¡¯t utter a single word, she waspletely immobile.

    A look of craving passed through Greydor¡¯s face and soon after that, he took in a big gulp of saliva. He opened his mouth widely and-

    ¡®Much¡¯

    -took a bite out of Lydia¡¯s flesh.

    Immense pain assaulted Lydia but even then all that came out of her mouth was just a whimper, blood slowly oozed out of the holes in Greydor¡¯s teeth as he continued chewing her flesh slowly, thoroughly enjoying her taste.

    But soon, a look of displeasure passed through Greydor¡¯s face as he spat out bits of Lydia¡¯s fur that had entered his mouth along with her flesh.

    ¡° I¡¯ll have to skin her just as I thought¡­¡±, Greydor muttered to himself.

    Hearing him, Lydia¡¯s eyes widened,

    ¡®What the fuck ?¡¯

    Lydia couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, why would Greydor do something like this?

    ¡­.

    As Greydor took out a small dagger with a sharp glint, Lydia realized that it didn¡¯t matter why Greydor was doing this¡­

    She was absolutely sure about one thing¡­

    She waspletely and entirely fucked.

    Greydor didn¡¯t hesitate and started getting on with skinning her¡­.alive. Lydia felt so much pain¡­..she wanted to yell out, to fight back but her body refused to budge even as she was slowly but surely getting killed.

    Lydia didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but Greydor had managed topletely remove the skin covering her left hand. With a satisfied smile, Greydor reached for her red flesh but just before he could relish on his delicacy, a cold voice echoed across them,

    ¡° Could I get a bite ?¡±

    Greydor turned around in surprise, Lydia could see a familiar figure from the corner of her eyes¡­.

    It was Adam.

    ~~~~

    Adam¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯ve always been curious about cannibalism, not like ¡® I want to eat human brains'', it was more akin to intrigue.

    What could make someone eat their own kind?

    From where I¡¯m standing, Greydor looks like a parasite¡­.I can see the crazy in his eyes.

    A parasite that is addicted to eating its kind.

    A parasite.

    Parasite¡­..

    Abruptly I began to feel angry, it was strange because this didn¡¯t feel like my anger¡­.it felt like someone else¡¯s¡­ whatever it was¡­it was making me feel angrier by the second. Just looking at Greydor pissed me off.

    The word ¡®parasite¡¯ kept ringing in my head increasing my anger.

    ¡° Could I get a bite ?¡±, I ask, feeling something strange awaken within me.

    ¡° Huh ?¡±Greydor turned around in surprise, we stared at each other silently as I made my way to them.

    ¡° H-how did you find me ?¡±, he asked edging away from me.

    I shrugged my head and stared at Lydia, her hand seemed to be the only part that was hurt badly¡­.I suppose that¡¯s a relief¡­

    ¡° What did you do to her ?¡±

    ¡° It¡¯s a s-skill¡­.stay back or I¡¯ll do the same to you !¡± Greydor eximed, baring his sharp teeth at me.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡° Stay back.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡° I said, stay back dammit !¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ~~~~

    Greydor couldn¡¯t understand why he was feeling so afraid.

    He had survived all these years in this harsh dungeon alone, why would he be afraid of a kid?

    But under those cold red eyes that seemed to look down on him, Greydor felt helpless.

    ¡® I can¡¯t give up now¡­.not when I¡¯m so close.¡¯

    Greydor pushed back his fear and rushed toward Adam, extending his hand out he managed to touch Adam. A smirk glued itself to his face as he had just won, he had just used one of the skills he had stolen called ¡® Move Not.¡¯ on Adam¡­he had used the same skill on Lydia.

    The skill did have a condition that it can only be used on one person at a time, so it would naturally stop affecting Lydia but Greydor couldn¡¯t care less since he had damaged her enough to take her own even with his measly strength.

    ¡®Huh ?¡¯

    The skill should have gone into effect but Adam seemed fine.

    ¡®What¡¯s happening ?¡¯

    It was then that Greydor remembered Adam wearing a whole lot of sweaters on top of each other, if it had been just one the skill might have worked, but since the barrage of sweaters blockedplete contact with his skin¡­the skill obviously wouldn¡¯t work.

    Adam smiled gently at and pat Greydor on the shoulder,

    ¡®Crack¡¯

    ¡° ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±, Greydor screamed in pain as he felt his arm break. Even though he had a variety of skills that were mildly useful¡­his body had grown feeble with time so it wasn¡¯t that surprising.

    The pain made him kneel.

    ¡° Please¡­.please f-forgive me¡­.I¡¯ll do anything.¡±

    Adam¡¯s face remained stoic as he asked Greydor,

    ¡° What happened to the rest of the members on your team ?¡±

    Greydor avoided Adam¡¯s eyes,

    ¡° Answer me.¡±

    ¡° I swear¡­I didn¡¯t mean to¡­..it was an ident¡­¡­we were stuck, he died first¡­.I did it to survive¡­.I would never¡­¡±

    ¡° Why did you kill them all ?¡±

    ¡° I- I¨C....the taste was too g-reat¡­the more I ate¡­.the m-more p-powerful I became¡­I even got one of their skills¡­.it was t-too addicting¡­.I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    Adam silently stared at Greydor, without uttering a word.

    Greydor¡¯s mind raced to find a way to save himself, in the end, he knew what to do even if it wasn¡¯t something he really wanted to do¡­.he just need to share his meal.

    ¡° I can give you h-half of h-her if you l-leave me alone¡­.I promi-¡±

    Adam closed his eyes and walked away.

    Seeing him head towards the river, Greydor sighed in relief and waited for him toe back with their meal,

    ¡®Crack¡¯

    Hearing a ¡®cracking¡¯ sound, Greydor found Adaming back towards him, and in his hands was a huge block of ice, he had broken it off from the river. Greydor felt an ominous feeling but it was already toote.

    Before he could even process anything, Adam had gotten on top of him.

    Without uttering a single word, Adam raised the huge block of ice high in the air,

    ¡° P-please, we can jus-t t-talk this ou-¡±

    ¡®St¡¯

    Blood sttered on Adam¡¯s face, but he paid that no mind and continued,

    ¡®St¡¯

    The snow was slowly being dyed red.

    ¡®St¡¯

    Brain matter and enzymes oozed out of his head and yet Adam did not stop.

    ¡®St¡¯

    The world was being dyed in red-

    ¡®St¡¯

    -and Adam wasn¡¯t nning on stopping anytime soon.

 Chapter 171 Time For Change (1)

    A cold wind blew past Adam, making him feel a slight chill.

    The sight before him was quite something, blood had spilled everywhere and the various contents of Greydor¡¯s head had spread throughout the snow. Adam couldn¡¯t take his eyes off what remained of Greydor, he slowly rose from his corpse and proceeded to vomit violently.

    After all, he too had his limits.

    ~~~~

    Adam¡¯s POV:

    What just happened?

    ¡®Cough¡¯

    I cleared my throat and stared at what remained of Greydor, I wasn¡¯t nning on killing him right now¡­.

    Did I even kill him?

    I didn¡¯t even realize that he was dead until a moment ago¡­..just what is going on with my body?

    ¡­.

    I need to hurry.

    ¡° Come on out.¡±, I said and soon our hostage and Rhys came out of their hiding ce.

    The green child avoided my gaze while Rhys ran right up to me and rubbed my legs using his body.

    ¡° Carry her for me.¡±, I say to the child.

    ¡­..

    Oh right!

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° Arke Faavon.¡±, I said thinking deeply.

    Thenguage barrier was a problem, but there was no time to deal with it. I need to find Luna Caerus quickly. I knew that Greydor was a survivor but I wasn¡¯t aware that he was a cannibal. These characters never made it into the book.

    The child nodded and struggled to drag Lydia back with us.

    I couldn¡¯t carry her since I needed to write a¡­.letter.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Fak off.¡±, I proimed, raising my hands high in the air.

    Fak off means ¡®peace¡¯.

    ¡­..

    The child beside me gently let Lydia down and ran towards her vige, we were once again back in the vige but now instead of hiding we were in the wide open. I covered my nose to block the smell that emanated from Greydor¡¯s corpse.

    Oh yeah¡­I brought him too.

    Lydia was unconscious and hurt pretty bad, we didn¡¯t have the necessary materials to treat her so we had no choice but to confront these people. Also, these people aren¡¯t that bad, I should know best since I grew up with them¡­in myst life.

    I used to love this cereal brand in myst life called ¡®Martian Life¡¯, it was dirt cheap, and always gave a small gift with each packet. An action figure¡­.of a martian. I collected a lot¡­.and when I grew up and became an author, I just randomly used them in my book.<novelnext></novelnext>

    I could see that a small crowd had gathered near the entrance to the vige and was staring at me and Lydia, I waved to show them that I was friendly but that just drove them away.

    ¡­¡­

    Oh¡­.I¡¯m covered in blood.

    I waited patiently for the child to deliver the letter that I had given her, it was a letter specifying how it hade to this. I wrote about our mission and how we killed Greydor, a person who probably ate the rtives of some of these people.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Ichogo Bwjka.¡±, a man who appeared to be the chief came out and extended his hand towards me.

    Shaking his hand, I shed a wide smile.

    The chief smiled and ushered me into the vige, I could see a bunch of people staring at us from a distance. I paid them no mind and followed him to thergest building in sight.

    After making ourselvesfortable on a sofa, the chief faced me,

    ¡° Usjeo Beoak Lobaol Lahuv ayfj akcio aiyfoq.¡±, the chief said, stroking his beard, he was a ratherrge man, and of course like everybody else here, he was green.

    Also, I did not get a word of what he said just now¡­

    ¡­..

    ~~~~

    After spending an agonizing amount of time tranting, I had gotten the gist of the situation. Luna wasn¡¯t in this vige, but they knew where she was.

    Apparently, this vige isn¡¯t the only one present within this dungeon, the [ Gom] tribe was inhabitants of the vige next to this one and Luna is with them¡­.

    The chief was sure that it was Luna since I had described her as a ck wolf.

    The Gom¡¯s had taken her in as their guardian deity, that was about all the information he had for me.

    Apart from that, the chief also expressed his gratitude for killing Greydor, he had lost his son to him it seems¡­.

    After realizing that Luna wasn¡¯t here, I wanted to immediately head over to the neighboring vige but Lydia¡¯s condition had worsened and she needed proper medical care. Also, it would be hard to deal with Luna without her.

    So, I decided to stay here for two days.

    Right now, I was lying down in my bed while Rhys zoomed around our room at hyper speed. I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­.

    We were close¡­

    I usually wouldn¡¯t want to change the plot but in Luna¡¯s case¡­I needed to change the plot or we¡¯re all fucked¡­

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    Yeah, that¡¯s right.

    I can¡¯t let what happened in the novel actually happen¡­

    For the first time sinceing to this world, I was afraid of what the future held.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 172 Time For Change (2)

    The room was lit by a dimmp, insects buzzed around the room going about their blood-sucking business while Adam fed Lydia dinner, it had been two days since they had arrived at the vige of the green people, Hor.

    ¡®Gulp¡¯

    Lydia swallowed the slimy green substance with her brows crinkled, the taste of the food here was rather¡­.¡¯ vibrant¡¯. Lydia¡¯s hand obviously hadn¡¯t healed, they were nning to use a potion they had brought with them from Lydia¡¯s vige.

    They were hesitant to do so since they didn¡¯t have that many potions, which cost a ton, but the situation called for it.

    ¡®Gulp¡¯

    Lydia stared at Adam as he fed her food, he had remained silent all this time. She had thought he would gloat about how he was right but it seems that he was more mature than Lydia thought.

    ¡® I suppose I do owe him an apology¡­¡¯

    ¡®Gulp¡¯

    Suppressing her pride, Lydia started,

    ¡° I should have listened to you¡­..you were right¡­I-¡±

    ¡° I¡¯m sorry¡­what ?¡±Adam answered back, bringing his ear closer to her face.

    ¡° I said I¡¯m sorr-¡±

    ¡° I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re gonna have to speak up, I can¡¯t hear you.¡±

    ¡° I SAID I¡¯M SORRY !¡±

    ¡­..

    ¡° Why are you sorry ?¡±Adam asked, smirking to Lydia''s annoyance.

    ¡° You were righ-¡±

    ¡° That¡¯s right¡­I told you to dump the old dude¡­.I soo told you sooo.¡±

    ¡®Ah there he is¡­¡¯, Lydia thought, sighing.

    For the next thirty minutes, Adam continued to gloat over her, and after finishing her food they were now talking about their ns.

    ¡° So, we¡¯re heading out tomorrow then ?¡±Lydia asked, taking a beaker from her sub-space. It was filled with a silver liquid.

    Adam nodded, silently watching as Lydia poured the liquid on her hand, as soon as the liquid came in contact with her skin, it began to sizzle and burn her skin.

    ¡° AHHHH-¡±, Lydia silently endured the immense pain as the healing potion did its trick. Beads of sweat trickled down from her forehead as she endured and endured, just as she was about to lose consciousness from the pain, she felt a handforting her.

    Lydia opened her eyes to find Adam holding her hand tightly, at that moment she felt so very useless .... Throughout this whole thing, she had been nothing but a burden.

    ¡®No more¡­.I¡¯m not useless.¡¯

    Fighting against her pain, she stayed awake for what seemed like an eternity, but after the process waspleted her hand was as good as new,

    She was healed.

    ~~~~

    ¡° How are you feeling now ?¡±, I asked as they followed their guide.

    ¡° Strol nein aoryw.¡±, the guide said, he was leading us to the vige of the Gom tribe where Luna was residing.

    ¡­¡­

    Hearing the guide, I nod my head and we increase our pace.

    ¡° We¡¯re close¡­.¡±, I said in reply to Lydia¡¯s questioning gaze.

    ¡­¡­

    Some time passed, and we walked quickly and silently until Lydia asked a rather troubling question.

    ¡° Hey¡­..how do you know theirnguage ?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    I stared at her and she stared right back.

    ¡­..

    Did she just realize that I can speak with these people?

    Woah, when I¡¯m next to her I feel like I¡¯m the smartest person in the world¡­

    ¡° I¡¯m just really smart.¡±, I said walking past her.

    ~~~~

    ¡° WHA DOW AKRU JDAK !¡±, the guide screamed at the top of his lungs proiming our arrival, we had arrived at the Gom¡¯s vige, Gor.

    Two guards came out and conversed with our guide, I tried to keep up with them but that didn¡¯t really work out. So, I went back and stood beside Lydia,

    ¡° So¡­.are you excited about meeting your mother who abandoned you all those years back ?¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­¡­..

    Lydia looked at me as if I was weird,

    Oh.

    Was I insensitive?

    I¡¯m pretty much used to mothers leaving me that I just don¡¯t understand the need to oveplicate it with feelings¡­.mothers just leave, it¡¯s as simple as that.

    ¡° Abu myre aofhsi.¡±, the guide said, giving us a thumbs up.

    It worked out fine it seems.

    It¡¯s a little suspicious though¡­.everything seems to be going too well¡­

    As we entered the vige of the Goms, the guide spoke non-stop but I didn¡¯t understand a word as usual.

    ~~~~

    The Goms were morphologically simr to the green people, they had only one difference, they were blue.

    We settled into a room they provided for us, and the guide exined everything clearly to us.

    Luna had arrived here a long time ago, she closed herself in a cave here. If the Goms were ever in serious trouble she would help out. These people were crazy about her¡­to them, she was god and their god¡¯s daughter and friend was a wee guest.

    The guide advised us to rest for today and approach Luna tomorrow. I was in a hurry but decided to listen to his advice but someone else wasn¡¯t so willing¡­

    ¡° I said¡­.I want to go in now.¡±Lydia said, scowling.

    I remained silent.

    ¡° Why can¡¯t we just go in now ?¡±Lydia whined again.

    The only reason I had decided against entering the cave was because night fell, entering during the day felt morefortable even if it didn¡¯t make a difference. To bepletely honest¡­I¡¯m scared.

    I''m way out of my league here.

    ¡° Let¡¯s just go now¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡° Okay.¡±, I say getting up from my bed.

    ¡° What ?!¡±Lydia asked, looking nk.

    I smiled widely, Lydia was right¡­.there was no need to push the inevitable. There is no room for fear here.

    ¡° Let¡¯s go in now.¡±

    ~~~~

    I stared at the huge boulder that blocked the entrance to the cave.

    ¡° Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t inform them about going in ?¡±Lydia asked, also staring at the boulder.

    I shook my head and moved forward,

    ¡° Forget about the extras and just help me move this oversized rock.¡±

    ¡° Huh ?¡±Lydia asked, confused, but she helped me nheless.

    I felt a little bad for referring to these nice people as ¡®extras¡¯ but that was what they were¡­.in the novel at least.

    With much effort, we pushed aside the boulder.

    Staring into the abyss inside the cave, I smiled at Lydia and moved aside to make way for her.

    ¡° Ladies first.¡±, I said ushering her in.

    Lydia scoffed and entered the cave with me just behind her.

    ~~~~

    Somewhere inside the cave at the same time,

    A woman was meditating with her legs crossed, she did not move aside from breathing in and out deeply once in a while. She had an aura of purity, she seemed to be in another world altogether¡­one where there was no evil or filth,

    A world where only she resided.

    A world where there was no good or evil, just her.

    Slowly, her eyes opened revealing deep blue irises.

    She could feel the boulder being pushed aside, it seemed like she had some guests.

    She closed her eyes, unbothered by their presence.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 173 Natura

    ¡° Why would anyone willingly stay in this miserable ce ?¡±Lydia asked as we made our way through the cave.

    The cave seemed never-ending, Lydia used her [Torch] to light up the dim cave, just like she said it was hard to believe that anyone would actually live in this ce. To sum it up, the ce was a dump.

    ¡®Lub¡¯

    But none of that registered properly within my mind, I was too nervous.

    ¡®Dub¡¯

    I could literally hear my heart beating out of my chest.

    ¡®Calm down¡­.things are different now.¡¯

    I stared at Lydia¡¯s back as she slowly made her way through the cave, that¡¯s right¡­.things were not simr to how it was in the novel,

    Lydia was alive and well.

    I bump into Lydia as she stopped abruptly,

    ¡° Why did you stop ?¡±, I asked even though the answer was clear to me.

    We had reached our destination.

    Moving to the side, I pass Lydia and take a step forward but stop in my tracks stunned.

    ¡®Beautiful¡­.¡¯

    In front of us was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Somehow a hole had been formed above her, moonlight slowly seeped through the hole and bathed her entire body, her ck skin seemed to glow under the silver glow of the moon and her light blue hair ran past her wide shoulders. A single white cloth covered her body while she meditated cross-legged.

    ¡®Natura¡­¡­¡¯

    This must be the rumored final form of evolution for animals adapted to mana, it¡¯s beautiful.

    The both of us stood there confused about how to approach her, in the final stage of evolution the animal would attain a human form, they would transcend normality and reach a higher ne of existence.

    That was how I had described their final evolution in the novel, only a handful of mana beasts had ever attained this form, and Luna Caerus was one of them. Their control over mana increases ten-fold in that form and their overall strength is also boosted.

    ¡° Ah¡­hello ?¡±, I said moving forward while Lydia stayed glued to her spot.

    I¡¯m sure she heard me¡­.but there was no response.

    ¡° Hello ?¡±I speak more loudly than before.

    This time she does open her eyelids revealing a set of deep blue eyes that slightly glowed, she stared at me without an ounce of interest in her eyes and continued to do so until I decided to speak,

    ¡° Uh¡­.well, it¡¯s very nice to meet you, we were sent by the current chief because¡­.we need your hel-¡±

    ¡° Not interested.¡±, Luna said passively, her voice was soft but managed to echo throughout the cave.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡° But I-¡±

    ¡° Why aren¡¯t you interested ?¡±, a firm voice asked from behind me.

    I turned back to find Lydia, who should have been fuming but she strangely looked very¡­calm.

    It was kinda unsettling¡­

    I move to the side and watch as Luna¡¯s eyes widen upon catching sight of her daughter.

    ¡®Hehe¡­now you have to ept¡­¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    But contrary to my expectations, Luna¡¯s surprise faded in an instant. I was sure that she knew that Lydia was her daughter since her ck fur was proof of her lineage.

    ¡° I renounced my ties with that vige long ago, I don¡¯t intend to go back just because they need my help.¡±

    ¡­.

    Lydia didn¡¯t seem too surprised by her mommy¡¯s harsh words.

    ¡° The lives of children might be in danger, without your help they could die¡­..do you still not want to help ?¡±, Lydia asked, a glimmer of hope passing through her face.

    Luna thought for a moment, her eyes met with mine and I instinctively looked away¡­che.

    ¡° If they die¡­.that is their fate.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Let¡¯s just go.¡±, Lydia said turning around to leave.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Adam ?¡±, she asked finding me rooted to my spot.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° If you can¡¯t help the vige¡­.then help us right now¡­..teach us.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Leave me be¡­.I have no interest in your matters.¡± Luna proimed, returning to her meditation.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Well¡­.that was a bust.¡±, I say walking back to our respective rooms.

    ¡° What are we going to do now ?¡±, Lydia said avoiding my gaze.

    She seemed to be doing a lot better than I had expected, I thought she would be bawling right about now but instead, she seemed to be more worried about the problem at hand.

    Hmmm.

    How mature of her¡­

    ¡° You don¡¯t have to worry about Luna¡­.she¡¯lle around.¡±

    ¡° How could you possibly know that ?¡±, Lydia asked, a bitter smile epassing her face.

    Heh.

    Even if our initial confrontationcked some luster¡­.Luna failed to realize something, this was just the beginning.

    Our anti-climatic meeting was not going to be the end.

    A smirk naturally spread across my face as I said,

    ¡° She has no idea¡­.how annoying I can be..¡±

    Lydia sighed hearing my answer and left me alone with my thoughts.

    ~~~~

    A/N: Sorry for the short chapter and for not uploading for a few days, I was down with a fever.

 Chapter 174 The First Devil (1)

    Day 1

    A day has passed since Luna Caerus, the original chief, refused us her help.

    But am I the kind of person to just give up?

    ¡­¡­

    Yes, I usually give up very easily but not this time. I¡¯m willing to do anything for power and there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to stop now after I¡¯vee all this way.

    ¡®Purr¡¯

    Rhys gently snored as he slept in myp, right we were inside the cave watching Luna, I mean it¡¯s pretty confusing, I had thought that she would kick us out but she pretty much ignored our existence though she did look a little intrigued by Rhys.

    Aside from stalking Luna, I also collected all the information the vigers had, from all of my deep undercover ¡®investigation¡¯ I¡¯ve found that the only thing she really does is meditate, but once a month she ventures out of the cave for something,

    I need to observe her and understand her schedule before thoroughly disrupting it.

    Heh.

    This is going to be fun.

    Day 2,

    There¡¯s been no movement from Luna¡¯s side other than some sideways nces.

    Also, Lydia tried to leave this ce today but she got lost and came back like a lost puppy.

    I can¡¯t let her leave either way since she¡¯s my trump card.

    Day 10,

    It¡¯s been ten days since I started observing Luna Caerus,

    There have been some changes though, now Lydia too had joined in on my light stalking and I could see that it was slowly but surely starting to get to Luna.

    Other than that, this ce is actually pretty fun.

    Day 30,

    This ce is hell.

    I¡¯m wasting so much precious time.

    I¡¯ve thrown away the whole n, I¡¯m just openly begging her to teach me now but oh of course¡­this bitch is still ignoring me.

    Lydia doesn¡¯t appear to be as desperate as me though, she seems to be simply following Luna around since she¡¯s trapped in this ce anyway.

    Also, Luna finally got out of that stupid cave.

    I was a little curious as to what she would do¡­..but she just took a bath. Lydia and Rhys took a bath with her while I didn¡¯t of course¡­I may be a murderer but that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t be a gentleman does it?

    Day 45,

    I¡¯ve given up on everything.

    There¡¯s no meaning to life.

    We¡¯re all going to die someday.

    Day 50,

    I¡¯ve had enough of this bullshit.

    No more stalking, no more of this stupid ¡®nice guy¡¯ act, I¡¯m going to force her to teach me.

    Lydia and Rhys had already gone inside the cave as usual, but I refrained from doing so. My skills had yet to stabilize but if it came to it, then I would obviously use them.

    I took in deep breaths to calm myself as I walked over to the cave,

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Once inside the cave, I found the trio meditating as usual.

    I also did try to join them but meditation just isn¡¯t for me, I hate the calm and quiet.

    Hmmmmmmm.

    Leave all that, none of that matters.

    I¡¯m going to force Luna to teach me¡­.no matter what.

    ~~~~

    Lydia¡¯s POV:

    My life has been pretty strange until now, but during these past few days, it¡¯s be even stranger. The main culprit for this was meditating with her eyes closed while Rhys slept on herp.

    All I could feel for her was anger during our first interaction, but now after spending so much time together, I don¡¯t know what to feel¡­

    She wasn¡¯t how I had imagined her¡­.she was living a very hard life for some unknown reason¡­away from her family¡­.away from me.

    I wanted to remain angry at her¡­no¡­.I was angry at her but I want to know why she left¡­

    I deserve that.

    ¡®I wonder where Adam is ?¡¯

    He would usually stand in a corner and stare at my mo- Luna like a creep, I could tell that it was slowly beginning to get on her nerves so I was a little nervous.

    ¡° Luna Caerus.¡±

    A cold voice echoed throughout the cave causing all three of us to open our eyes, in front of us was Adam, a frown had fixed itself on his face, and killing intent slowly oozed out of his body like honey¡­.but this didn¡¯t feel that sweet.

    ¡° You will teach me¡­..-¡±, Adam pounced on Luna, who wasn¡¯t fazed a bit.

    Grabbing onto her legs, Adam did something that astonished me,

    ¡° Please¡­¡­pretty please¡­..I¡¯ll do anything¡­.¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    He had begun to beg.

    ¡° Please just train me¡­.¡±, Adam pleaded again and again.

    I watched him in silent horror, all the time I had known him¡­he seemed to have a lot of pride, why would he demean himself so much?

    ¡®Ah¡­.¡¯

    How foolish of me?

    He must be thinking of the children, while I¡¯m here trying to find good in dear old mommy¡­

    I watch as Rhys also grabs onto Luna¡¯s legs and whines in an unsteady voice,

    I need to help them¡­.

    ~~~~

    For the people within Gor vige, these past few days have been bizarre.

    A pair of people hade iming to be rted to their great goddess and now they were witnessing something even more atrocious.

    ¡®Step¡¯

    Luna walked slowly as three people hung onto her body like a leech. They would speak once in a while but Luna paid them no mind at all. The people of Gor vige thought this wouldn¡¯t go on for long but even after Luna came out the next month for her bath¡­.

    ¡­..they were still barely hanging onto her.

    ~~~~

    Adam¡¯s POV:

    Man¡­I didn¡¯t think this through.

    I¡¯m so tired, hanging onto a person is really hard¡­.

    But somehow Rhys had managed to sleep while hanging onto Luna, he¡¯s truly a magnificent creature.

    Luna was heading over for her usual bath, but instead of heading to the river, she stopped in a clearing away from everyone else.

    ¡° Get off me.¡±, she said in a low voice.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    All three of us got off quickly, and my heart hammered with excitement¡­.maybe she was going to finally train me?

    ¡° You have great resolve¡­.why do you want to grow stronger ?¡±Luna asked, staring at the three of us.

    ¡° Well¡­of course, to save those kids.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    Luna rolled her eyes and said,

    ¡° Do not lie to me¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    I thought for a good while, why did I want to be stronger?

    ¡­¡­.

    This is going to be a real cliche answer but¡­oh what the hell, I don¡¯t care.

    ¡° I want to save the world¡­.from total annihtion.¡±

    ¡° Are you saying that the world is going to end ?¡±, Luna asked passively.

    ¡° That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong¡­..the end has already begun.¡±

    The angels. The demons. The humans.

    Every story leads to an end, everything that has happened so far is leading to that very end¡­..that end that I desperately want to avoid.

    ¡° Hmmmmmmm.¡±, Luna thought deeply for a second before snapping her fingers bringing me a lot closer to her.

    ¡° I can¡¯t trust you with that alone¡­.I need to know everything if you want my strength.¡±, Luna pressed her thumb against my forehead,¡± Let me take a look at your memories¡­.in exchange I¡¯ll let you take a look at mine as well, equivalent exchange is only right,¡±

    ¡° Hey¡­wait a sec-¡±, I tried to argue with her but my consciousness faded away before I could make my case.

    I might be fucked.

    ~~~~

    Luna Caerus opened her eyes, and she found herself in space shrouded in darkness.

    ¡®How strange¡­.¡¯

    Usually, this skill was like a video yer that utilized the contents of the mind as its files, it would usually start with the first thing the person remembered¡­.so what exactly is this ce?

    Just as Luna was about to cancel the skill thinking that there was some kind of error, she found a pair of red eyes staring at her from some distance away.

    ¡° It¡¯s been a while, wolf.¡±, a raspy voice echoed throughout the space.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡° H-how is this possible ?¡±, Luna stuttered in shock as she realized who the man before her was.

    How could she ever forget?

    This man was the reason why she left everything behind, her family, her home¡­.everything that meant anything to her.

    The First Devil,

    The Prince of All Demons,

    Araceous Crowcolt.

 Chapter 175 The First Devil (2)

    175 The First Devil (2)

    A wolfy on the ground breathing heavily, it would whine out once in a while several wolves surrounded her, and all of them howled. As the howling stopped, so did the fallen wolf¡¯s cries¡­..instead a light ¡®awooo¡¯ echoed through their surroundings,

    A new member was born to their pack today.

    Luna Caerus was born.

    ¡®What the fuck ?¡¯, Adam thought as he watched on from the side.

    Adam continued to watch as the young wolf slowly grew up, she wasn¡¯t extraordinary in any way but she persevered against hardship well. She soon became the leader of their pack.

    Life for a wolf was hard, from hunting for food to defending itself from enemies, there was a lot a wolf had to do to survive in the unforgiving wild.

    Adam watched as her life went by, she devoured her prey¡­.she lead her pack to safety in times of danger and kept on living.

    Hunt.Rinse.Repeat.

    Hunt.Rinse.Repeat.

    Hunt.Rinse.Repeat.

    Life was slowly turning drab for the young leader but yet she kept fighting for her people, for her home because that was her duty.

    Just as she was beginning to think that her life would never change, it did¡­.in a way no one would ever expect.

    Mana descended onto earth.

    In her pack, she was the strongest, once mana integrated with her brothers and sisters they began to challenge her for the position of leader, but it turns out that with or without mana¡­..Luna would always be the strongest, her newfound strength initially gave her joy but that soon turned to dread.

    Too much power istes you.

    In her case, she was bing stronger at a rapid pace. To her siblings, she was an insurmountable wall that they couldn¡¯t even hope to climb as such, it was only natural that she was isted from the rest.

    As Luna learned to live with her new circumstances, a new enemy appeared.

    The demons.

    Luna fought with humans for the first time, their enmity that had begun since the dawn of time hade to an end in the face of theirmon enemy. The demons were ferocious in their attack but with the humans and animals working together with the angels¡­they finally defeated the demons.

    The war was a long and tiresome one due to a single individual.

    The prince of the demons, Araceous Crowcolt was a deranged beast, at the time he was leagues above Luna in terms of raw power and unlike Luna, the demons seemed to love their prince.

    Why else would they sacrifice their own lives for him?

    In the end, it took all twelve of the angels and the best, humanity and the others had to offer to take a single man down.

    Luna felt a slight chill passing over as she heard the man¡¯s final words,

    ¡° This isn¡¯t over¡­¡­I will be back.¡±

    ¡®No way¡­..¡¯

    Adam looked shocked after this scene wasn¡¯t new to him¡­.he had been dreaming about this day often.

    ¡® Why didn¡¯t I think about this before ?¡¯

    Adam¡¯s mind wandered as the scenes before him changed rather quickly.

    Luna came back to her vige a hero.

    She surprisingly fell in love, and they married and had their first child.

    Luna¡¯s days were filled with joy and bliss, she wasn¡¯t alone anymore.

    ¡®It¡¯ happened when she was pregnant with her second child, an inextinguishable fire had begun to devour their vige and Luna had gone to settle that¡­.which she did, but she returned to her home to find her husband and child murdered in cold blood.

    Upon further investigation, she found out that the humans had sent assassins because they were afraid of her ever-growing strength.

    Adam watched silently as he witnessed Luna falling into a pit of despair, she had lost the only things that mattered while protecting a vige that was almost alien to her¡­.and why?

    Was it because of her strength?

    From the moment she was born¡­.her strength took away everything from her. It took away her childhood and now¡­it took away her husband and first child.

    ¡° Will it take you away too ?¡±Luna whispered into the newborn''s ear.

    ¡®That¡¯s probably Lydia¡­.¡¯, Adam thought

    ¡° Gugu¡±, the baby replied, unaware of her mother¡¯s plight.

    ¡° I won¡¯t let it.¡±, a weakened Luna whispered to no one in particr.

    Luna left the child and ran away.

    ~~~~~

    I opened my eyes to find Luna ring at me,

    ¡° Uh¡­that was interesting¡­¡±, I tried to understand just what she saw, if she every memory of mine like I did of hers¡­then I¡¯m fucked.

    She would know that I¡¯m the author.

    She would know everything about me¡­.even the things I need to hide from myself.

    I winced, praying to all the gods for their help, but the words that came out of her mouth confused me even more,

 Chapter 176 The Way Of The Spear (1)

    ¡° You will ?¡±I was confused.

    If the skill worked properly, Luna should know by now that I¡¯m the author of this world, but her reaction says otherwise¡­.did something happen?

    ¡° Your memories were quite interesting¡­..even more than¡­.nevermind.¡±

    Now that I took a close look at her, she looked a little rattled.

    ¡° I guess it¡¯s my turn now¡­¡±, Lydia said, moving closer to Luna.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° I won¡¯t be teaching you.¡±, Luna replied, crushing what little hope Lydia had.

    ¡° W-why not ?¡± she asked, trying to change her mind.

    Luna ignored her whining and turned around, she was probably heading back to her cave again.

    ¡° You shoulde to me when you¡¯re ready, bring the panther as well.¡±, Luna added before disappearing from our view.

    Thank god¡­.everything seems to have worked out somehow, now I just need to find a way to deal with Luna.

    She probably knows everything by now, but I have to make sure.

    As different thoughts passed through my mind, I failed to notice Lydia pouting at me. She gave a little ¡®hmph¡¯ and walked away from me.

    ¡® What¡¯s with her ?¡¯

    ~~~~

    I walked into the cave apprehensive about the future, I need to stand my ground with her or I¡¯m doomed. Rhys matched my pace and soon we reached before the woman of the hour herself, Luna Caerus.

    As usual, she was meditating,

    ¡° Uh¡­I¡¯m here.¡±

    I also needed to ask her what she knew about the demon prince since the dreams that I seem to be having seem connected to him.

    Luna slowly opened her eyes and stared at me for a full minute before she spoke,

    ¡° Sit.¡±, I followed hermand and sat on the rough floor.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° So¡­.can we talk about what you saw¡­.when you used that skill on me ?¡±, I ask, weirded out by her stares.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° I guess there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush with you¡­.yes, I saw everything in your memories¡­.I know that you¡¯re a 40-something adult in a child¡¯s body¡­.I know the connection between you and the angels¡­..I know the truth between angels and demons now¡­.I also know how pathetic you are¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­..

    Excuse me?

    Did I just hear her right?

    ¡° No need to look so stumped¡­.I just voiced out my thoughts.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡° Why am I pathetic ?¡±, I asked, genuinely curious

    Luna saw most of my life, so she must know a great deal about me now, so why exactly am I pathetic?

    Also, it seems that she doesn¡¯t know about the novel¡­.she would have definitely brought that up if she knew about it.

    ¡° You¡¯re weak¡­.in every area, that would normally be fine as weakness is not fatal¡­.it takes true strength to rise after being defeated¡­.youck that strength¡­.the only thing you¡¯re good for is running away and you don¡¯t even have the talent to make up for it from what I¡¯ve seen in your memories¡­.also you cane out now, child.¡±, Luna said and soon Lydia came out from somewhere.

    I didn¡¯t care about her right now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    Unaware of my feelings, Luna continued bashing me with truth bombs,

    ¡° To top it all off¡­you¡¯re a coward.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Why are you helping me then ?¡±, I ask, unable to refute any of her ims even though I wanted to.

    Luna¡¯s eyes briefly meet with Lydia as she answered my question,

    ¡° Your fate is intertwined with a man to whom I owe a debt¡­that is the only reason I¡¯m helping you.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­

    The atmosphere in the damp cave had be strange as Luna¡¯s words silently echoed,

    ¡° The demon prince ?¡±, I asked, my heart starting to beat more quickly by the minute.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Yes.¡±

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡° How am I connected to him ?¡±

    For the first time since our conversation started Luna seemed to be at a loss for words,

    ¡° I don¡¯t know¡­.it¡¯s unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡±

    ~~~~

    The both of us stood in an empty field near the cave, Luna and I had finished our conversation with her expressing displeasure at my very character¡­..and she¡¯s right¡­I suck.

    Lydia and Rhys stood by the side watching us,

    ¡° Do you have a spear ?¡±Luna asked, observing my body.

    I nodded and took out one of the many spears I had in my sub-space,

    ¡° Show me the three basic moves that you practice all the time.¡±, Luna asked, taking a step back.

    I take in a deep breath and perform them,

    Thrust

    sh

    Pierce

    Watching me, Luna sighs deeply and said,

    ¡° You¡¯re not doing it right..¡±

    ¡­..you don¡¯t have to be so mean about it.

    Luna took her time showing me the three moves properly, I followed her movement perfectly but she still didn¡¯t seem satisfied,

    ¡° Okay¡­.now do each of them 10,000 times.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    Huh?

    ~~~~

 Chapter 177 The Way Of The Spear (2)

    Thrust

    sh

    Peirce

    The three basic moves that I learned from that weird beginner''s guide all those months ago, it turns out that I hadn¡¯t been doing them properly¡­¡­so that¡¯s a lot of hours wasted then?

    ¡­¡­.

    Fuck me.

    Right now, I¡¯m even falling behind Lydia¡­.who isn¡¯t even officially part of this training, I was asked to do each of the basic moves¡­.ten thousand times. It¡¯s been a week since then and I haven¡¯t been able to do it.

    ¡®Thump¡¯

    I fell to the ground, gasping out for air and trying to calm my heart that threatened to burst from within my chest, sweat covered every inch of my body and it slowly flowed down my body as I struggled to get back on my feet.

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    I turned around to find Luna walking towards me, both her and Rhys had gone back to the cave for something¡­she would always check on me and I¡¯ve had to hear that disappointed sigh every single time.

    ¡° Pathetic.¡±, she said, letting Rhys down, he made his way toward me and rubbed himself against my sweatden face.

    I found Luna¡¯s eyes falling on Lydia who was a few meters away from us, I could see a strange emotion pass through her face. Talking about Lydia¡­..she started training at the same time as me but she¡¯s much closer to the goal than I am¡­.

    Normally, I would act like a baby about all this but¡­.now I can¡¯t help but feel helpless.

    ¡­¡­.

    Am¡­..I¡­talentless?

    I¡¯ve gotten everything with so little effort in this life, I¡¯ve taken so many shortcuts¡­.I don¡¯t even have a potential binding me like everyone else¡­.yet I¡¯m still this weak¡­¡­.fuck.

    I can¡¯t question myself now.

    All I can do is get up and work¡­¡­.until I seed.

    That¡¯s the only way.

    ~~~~

    Luna¡¯s POV:

    It has been a little over a month since their training officially started.

    Night had fallen upon us, ushering us into the cave where we were having our dinner. I secretly watched as my daughter ate her food, during the past few days¡­.I¡¯ve been watching her train and she¡¯s obviously got talent¡­.she¡¯s my daughter after all.

    No¡­.

    I need to stop.

    I can¡¯t get close to her.

    I had also taken a liking to the small panther, it also seemed to be hiding a lot of talent within itself. I slowly started training it because I couldn¡¯t contain my curiosity¡­I was surprised when I realized that-

    ¡°Mo- Miss Luna ?¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡° What is it ?¡±, I asked wincing internally.

    ¡° Well¡­.Adam¡¯s still training¡­..I¡¯m a little worried.¡±

    ¡° He¡¯ll be fine.¡±, I said, concentrating on my meal.

    ¡° How about I go check on h-¡±

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    I got up and started heading back to the designated training grounds to check on the brat.

    ¡° I¡¯ll go check on him¡­.¡±

    I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s so fond of that man¡­.he¡¯s a walking disaster.

    Looking at all his memories, I did initially feel a little pity for him but the world doesn¡¯t need a broken man¡­..it needs someone strong¡­.and that boy isn¡¯t anywhere close to strong. I wouldn¡¯t have helped him even with the prince¡¯s connection but¡­..I did decide to train him anyway because I didn¡¯t want her to leave just yet¡­

    I reached the clearing expecting to find him on all fours but it seems that he still hasn¡¯t given up,

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    The boy kept on performing the basic moves again and again and silently counted, he didn¡¯t seem to be aware of my presence just yet. I decided to watch him for a few minutes.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    I felt like I was watching a man desperately trying to fight against something¡­..something that no one could even understand.

    ¡®Thud¡¯

    I tried to reach him instinctively as he slipped and fell to the ground even though I was too far away to be able to do anything.

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll bring him back now¡­¡¯, I took a step forward but stopped as I witnessed something surprising.

    The boy got back on his feet.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    He performed the three basic moves again and proimed out loud,

    ¡°One.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    To think that he would start over again¡­..

    I watched silently as he performed the set while tears and snot rolled down his face, his body was visibly shaking.

    A smile slowly spread across my face, the boy was not what the world needed¡­.but he¡¯s what the world had for now¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    I''ll have to do my best with what I¡¯ve got.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 178 The Way Of The Spear (3)

    178 The Way Of The Spear (3)

    Two months have passed since our training started, I can barely do the 10,000 sets now¡­.somehow, my body has be more toned over these two months probably from all the non-stop training.

    I¡¯ve wanted to stop many times now but every time I think about Luna¡¯s words¡­.I get back up.

    Today, she called us out to our usual clearing to teach us the next part of our training, it seems that she¡¯s decided to train Lydia as well¡­.she did outshine me, so she must be talented.

    ¡­¡­

    All the more reason, I have to work twice as hard.

    ¡° Well¡­.I suppose we¡¯ll start now.¡±, Luna said, getting up from the ground.

    I tune out the rest of the world and concentrate on Luna, she stared at us for a second before getting into it,

    ¡° Listen carefully now, I¡¯m going to pass down my technique to the two of you.¡±, Luna¡¯s eyes fell on me as she continued, ¡° You should feel honored¡­.usually only my direct disciples would have the privilege to learn our way¡­you¡¯re probably the only human to ever learn this technique.¡±

    I nod my head.

    ¡° Before getting into it, you have to swear an oath that you will never spread this technique.¡±

    I once again nod my head, excited to finally get what I came here for.

    ~~~~

    After swearing a long oath and signing a very extensive terms and conditions contract, we were ready to finally learn her famed technique. But from the way all of this was going, it felt more like I was downloading a very shady app from the y store than learning a technique.

    ¡° So what technique are we learning ?¡±Lydia asked, looking excited.

    Luna had a light smile on her face as she said,

    ¡° You have two options, [The Lighting Spear] and [The Spear Of Desecration].¡±, Luna put forth two of her fingers before beginning her exnation,¡± As its name says¡­the lightning spear is a technique that deals with taming the power of lightning, it has a lot of raw power and is just as difficult to master.¡±

    ¡°What about the other one ?¡±, Lydia asked, her eyes twinkling strangely.

    Luna lets out a sigh and said,

    ¡° That¡­.one is much more difficult to master, it offers much more power though.¡±

    ¡° What does it do ?¡±I asked, interrupting her.

    ¡° It¡­is a technique that goes against the natural order of the world¡­.so which one do you want to learn ?¡±

    Lydia and I exchanged nces, seeing our exchange Luna let out a little cough and adds in,

    ¡° The both of you don¡¯t have to choose the same technique to master¡­.I can individually train both of you.¡±

    Okay¡­.

    My choice is obviously going to be [The Spear Of Desecration], I mean it¡¯s the better choice. I would have picked it even if I wasn¡¯t the author cause it¡¯s¡­..just so obvious that it¡¯s the best choice.

    ¡° I want to learn [The Spear Of Desecration].¡±

    ¡° Alright¡­¡±, Luna turned to face Lydia, a hint of anticipation evident on her face as she asked her daughter, ¡° What about you ?¡±

    Lydia appeared to be deep in thought, I didn¡¯t know what there was to even think about¡­

    She¡¯s obviously going to choose the same as me, [Lightning Spear] is fine and all but it isn¡¯tparable to the [Spear of Desecration].

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° I wanna learn [Lightning Spear].¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    What?

    My eyes widened as I heard her, my eyelids threatened to burst from my sockets as I saw something even more delirious¡­.Luna had a small grin on her face¡­so did Lydia. The atmosphere around me felt warm and mushy.

    I don¡¯t like this.

    I don¡¯t like this at all.

    I thought that Lydia hated Luna¡­what the fuck is going on here?

    ¡­¡­.

    It doesn¡¯t matter either way.

    Whatever is going on between them¡­.that¡¯s none of my business.

    ¡° Rest up for today¡­.we¡¯ll start tomorrow.¡±, Luna said, concluding our session for today.

    ~~~~

    I didn¡¯t go to sleep just yet.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    I continued to perform the basic moves because I couldn¡¯t just stay still, I was excited, scared, and hopeful about tomorrow¡¯s session but I knew that I was stillcking.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    That¡¯s why I need to put in more work.

    ¡° You¡¯re still training ?¡±, a voice breaks the rhythm of my movement, I turn around to find Lydia sitting down with Rhys on herp. The both of them watched me strangely.

    ¡° Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡° I wanted to talk to you¡­.it¡­well¡­-¡±

    ¡° What is it ?¡± I wanted her to get to the point.

    ¡° Well¡­..we need to decide about what we should do about the children¡­¡±

    ¡° What children ?¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    OH¡­.the ¡®kidnapped¡¯ children.

    ¡° I want to help¡­.but we¡¯re too weak.¡±, I say, stopping my training.

    I need to settle this now, I can¡¯t have Lydia act out again likest time.

    ¡° But we can ask her for help¡­¡±, Lydia whined.

    ¡° As someone who saw her memories¡­.I can say that she won¡¯t return no matter what¡­.all we can do is leave the children to Augustus and Leo, we need to get stronger so that we can catch the killer¡­.so please just concentrate on that.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° What happened to her ?¡±, Lydia asked solemnly.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° I don¡¯t think I have the right to say¡­..anyway, I know that you want to stay here much more than me¡­so drop any thoughts about leaving¡­.is that clear ?¡±

    ¡° Nuh-huh, I don¡¯t want to stay here.¡±, she said getting defensive,¡± But I¡¯ll stay for now¡­.¡±, she continued in a small voice, slightly blushing.

    ¡°Great¡­¡±, I smile, enjoying her reaction.

    ¡° Now¡­e here ya punk.¡±, I said, snatching up Rhys out of Lydia¡¯sp.

    During these past two months, this little bastard has been spending a lot of time with Luna.

    ¡° What¡¯s she doing to you ?¡±, I thought out loud hanging Rhys upside down and shaking him.

    ¡° Mommy !!¡±Rhys screamed I could sense a little anger in his voice but I paid him no mind.

    ¡° Hahahahahahahahaahah¡±, Both Rhys and I stop fighting and turn around to face Lydia who had startedughing abruptly.

    ¡° I¡¯m d¡­¡±, she said wiping away the tears in her eyes, ¡° It¡¯s nice to see that you haven¡¯t changed¡­

    you seemed down these past few days.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° I suppose so¡­.¡±, I said, staring at the night sky.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Are you ready ?¡±Luna asked, taking out a spear from her sub-space.

    I nod my head and watch as Luna¡¯s eyes start glowing in a deep shade of blue, and strange symbols start appearing all around on her skin.

    ¡° [The Spear Of Desecration] is divided into ten parts, right now I¡¯m going to perform the first part: Birth¡­watch closely.¡±

    Luna closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, she moved gracefully, her spear cut through the wind causing a small gust of wind to reach me. The spear she held felt like an extension of her body. I couldn¡¯tprehend the movements she was showing me right now but my eyes refused to leave her.

    It was just so¡­..beautiful.

    Soon, she stopped and stared at me, she didn¡¯t even bother asking me if I had even understood a little of what she had shown me just now, all she said was,

    ¡° Let us begin¡­¡±

    Just like that, my training started and some time passed.

    ~~~~~

    A/N: Gimme powerstonessss¡­¡­.please(?)

    PS Goal: 100

    If we reach the goal, I¡¯ll release an extra chapter on the weekends.

 Chapter 179 The Way Of The Spear (4)

    A yearter,

    Lydia sat by her lonesome atop a boulder, she breathed rhythmically and closed her eyes, and felt the world around her. The chirping of the birds and the howling of the wind were just some of the various sounds that intermingled among themselves and formed the tune of nature itself.

    Lydia slowly tuned out all the noise around her, right now she was the only being to exist, there was nothing else that mattered.

    Small sparks of lightning slowly spread across her body, she opened her eyes that glowed in a deep shade of blue, and she slowly got up and jumped down from the boulder.

    ¡®Crack¡¯

    A small crater formed below her, she took hold of the spear that floated around her, and upon touching the spear, the lightning streaks that danced around her body spread over to the spear like an infection.

    She stretched the spear backward and aimed at the cloud-filled sky.

    ¡®Swish¡¯

    Without hesitating, she threw the spear with all her strength, a cloak of lightning coated the spear as it blew past the sky knocking off all the clouds in a rather impressive manner.

    A smile slowly spread across Lydia¡¯s face as she observed the result of her hard work,

    ¡° Good work.¡±, Lunamended her daughter from the side.

    A year had passed since the training had begun and Lydia had surpassed Luna¡¯s expectations by a veryrge margin. The training had also given them a chance to bond, but as always Luna always kept her at arm''s length.

    ¡° Thank you.¡±, Lydia said, wiping away the sweat that had formed on her face.

    ¡° You can take a break for a few minutes now, you must never overexert yourself.¡±, Luna advised, already moving on to check on her other student.

    ¡° Yeah¡­.¡±, Lydia said, staring at Luna¡¯s back that seemed a little too wide.

    ~~~~

    Adam was currently training¡­.as he always did.

    During the past year, he literally almost trained to his death.

    If not for Luna, he really would have died.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luna wanted to tell him to stop, but she couldn¡¯t¡­.because if he did stop, he was fucked.

    A year ago, when Luna had begun teaching Adam, she hadn¡¯t realized that he was unable to use mana. Using mana was a necessity when it came to properly implement a technique that was asplex as [The Spear Of Desecration].

    Adam had undergone surgery before entering this dungeon, to calm the energies swirling within his body, Georna had warned him that his body would be unstable for a while, but she didn¡¯t specify how long it would take¡­

    Adam was able to use mana but the pain that came along with it was unbearable for him. Initially, they had decided to wait until his body stabilized¡­.but even after a year¡­.his body never did stabilize.

    Luna had thought that Adam would give up and fall into despair¡­.but it was strange, he didn¡¯t seem that bothered. As Adam couldn¡¯t utilize mana, he couldn¡¯t bring out the power of the technique but Luna had taught him the ten parts.

    Now all he had to do was master those ten parts, which was even harder without the help of mana. So, for the past year, he¡¯s been trying to do just that.

    It was a slow process, but Luna was slowly starting to see some results.

    As Luna walked into his training area, she saw him training, as usual, his hair had grown out considerably¡­.that was all that had really changed as his skill [Weak Body] was a passive one and seemed to still work.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    Adam''s movements were rough and imprecise as he danced around with the spear, but Luna could see that his form was improving. But still, there was only so much a person could do without mana.

    Luna silently wondered just what was going through his head as he kept on training and training not even noticing her presence. She wondered how much longer he could push himself¡­.-

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    As everyone breaks sooner orter.

    ~~~~

    A/N: GIB PS PLS.

    PS Goal: 100

 Chapter 180 The Way Of The Spear (5)

    The world seems to hate me.

    It¡¯s been more than a year since I entered this dungeon and started training under Luna, there have been so many hurdles.

    I can¡¯t even use mana because of the surgery.

    All I could do without mana was train the movements, but that was hard to do without¡­.mana.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    Right now, I¡¯m training as usual.

    That¡¯s all I seem to be doing these days.

    The Spear Of Desecration had ten movements.

    Birth.

    Ordinance.

    Deviance.

    Transgression.

    Defiance.

    Death.

    Afterlife.

    Regression.

    Rebirth.

    Desecration.

    These ten movements were all interconnected in aplex manner, from what I¡¯ve learned till now¡­this was more like a dance than an actual technique and to be really¡­.really honest, I enjoy learning them.

    In myst life, dancing wasn¡¯t something that I had much interest in but if I knew that it was this fun¡­.I really would have given it a try.

    I¡¯m a little worried about the ¡®mana¡¯ situation but Georna did say that my body would stabilize sooner orter¡­..so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    I¡¯m more worried about Mr. demon prince, I¡¯ve thought about it a great deal and it all makes sense now, he must have helped me out with the Enchantress that time¡­..the only question that remained was¡­..what the fuck did he want with me?

    Also, why exactly is he holed up inside my body?

    I also thought about how happy Tiana would be to learn that her father was ¡®alive¡¯ but after thinking about it even more¡­I realized that telling her or any demon about him was not the way to go.

    They could betray me¡­.

    I need to stop thinking about other things and concentrate now.

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡° Adam¡­.¡±, I turned around to find Lydia behind me, ¡° Luna¡¯s called for a meeting¡­e to the cave.¡±

    I nod and go back to my training.

    I want toplete this set first.

    ~~~~

    ¡° I¡¯ve taught you both everything that you need this past year, now all you have to do is train and increase your mastery over the level.¡±, Luna said matter of factly.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡° Adam¡­..that means we can leave.¡±, Lydia said, smiling slightly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° Adam ?¡±

    ¡° Huh ?¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    Luna and Lydia exchange a concerned nce.

    ¡° I said that we can leave now¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° No.¡±

    ¡° What ?¡±, she asked incredulously.

    ¡° We can¡¯t leave now¡­..I need more time.¡±

    ¡° Time for wha-¡±, she started but I didn¡¯t wait for her to finish.

    I don¡¯t have time to waste.

    I need to get back to my training.

    ~~~~

    My heart was beating a little too fast.

    Sweat slowly rolled down my body as the ufortable feeling rising in my chest refused to go down. Fortunately, it went away as soon as I held my spear again.

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    It¡¯s time to get back to training.

    ¡®Hup

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    ~~~~

    ¡° I¡¯m worried about Adam¡­¡±, Lydia said, her brows knitted in a frown, ¡° It¡¯s like he¡¯s addicted to training¡­.and he¡¯s theziest person I know¡­.so it¡¯s weird.¡±

    Luna said nothing back.

    ¡° Aren¡¯t you going to do something ?¡±, Lydia asked, brows raised.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡° No¡­.some things have to be ovee alone.¡±

    ~~~~

    I¡¯m done with training for the day.

    Rest is just as important since it¡¯s vital for a sessful training session.

    I¡¯ve stopped sleeping in the cave with the others, now I just sleep in my clearing. This is where I train, sleep and eat¡­.I¡¯ve gotten quite attached to this ce.

    ¡®Thump¡¯

    I leaned against a tree and stared up at the night sky which was littered with millions of stars.

    It really is beautiful no matter how many times I see it¡­..

    As I thought about various things, I suddenly remember something that I had been putting off for a while now,

    I open my sub-space and reach into it searching for a little something that I had put into it a while back.

    ¡®Aha..¡¯, feeling the slimy material, I pull it out revealing a fresh heart.

    I observed the still warm heart with slight disgust, I had taken it off from Greydor after I had killed him¡­.

    The moonlight fell on the heart giving it a slight glow.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­..

    Now¡­.just what should I do with this?

    ~~~~

 Chapter 181 The Return Of The Queen (1)

    ¡° Look at him go¡­¡±, Lydiamented from the side wearing a sweater to protect herself from the cold.

    ¡°Mommy¡­.¡±, Rhys added in, his voice trailing off in worry.

    It has been two years since their training had begun, Luna had taught them all she could¡­now all they could do was train alone, Lydia understood that Adam wanted to be prepared¡­but this way too much.

    Lydia was going to take him back¡­..with force if necessary.

    Adam was currently performing the ten movements, he had moved away from his clearing and had shifted towards the colder regions of the dungeon.

    ¡®How is he not cold ?...¡¯, Lydia thought as she watched him train, barely wearing any clothes. For some reason, he had stripped to his underwear as well.

    ¡° Let¡¯s go, Rhys.¡±Lydia moved toward him apprehensively.

    ¡° Adam ?¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Adam ?¡±

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    ¡° What is it ?¡± he asked, pausing his training.

    Although his obvious displeasure annoyed Lydia, she shed him a smile and said,

    ¡° It¡¯s time to leave¡­..it¡¯s been two years.¡±

    ¡° No¡­..I need more time.¡±, Adam said immediately.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Time for what¡­..just what are you trying to do here ?¡±, Lydia asked, feeling frustrated.

    As much as she enjoyed staying here¡­.she wanted to head back since they had to catch the killer.

    ¡° You wouldn¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    Hearing Adam, Lydia¡¯s suppressed anger started leaking out spewing its venom on him,

    ¡° You know what ?.....fuck you and all your little secrets¡­.I¡¯M OUT.¡±, she screamed and started to storm off.

    ¡° Wait¡­..¡±, Adam said making her stop in her tracks, ¡° I suppose there¡¯s no need to hide anything from you, I did want to surprise you but¡­.that feels stupid now¡­.so I¡¯ll tell you why we need to continue training¡­.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Really ?¡±Lydia asked, suspicious about his intentions.

    ¡° Yeah.¡±, Adam said, a serious expression epassing his face.

    ~~~~

    Three yearster,

    ¡®Hup¡¯

    Lydia trained in her clearing as she had done for the past year, she had gone weary of the training but she couldn¡¯t stop now that she knew¡­.the truth.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that Adam had lied to her all this time¡­but considering his erratic behavior throughout the time they had known each other¡­..she probably should have known better.

    ¡° Huuh¡­I¡¯ll stop here for now,¡± Lydia said out loud, her voice traveled aimlessly without ever reaching anybody as she was all alone right now.

    Taking a minute to catch her breath, she thought about what she should do next.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll head back to have dinner with the others¡­¡¯, she thought, already heading back.

    Lydia was tired, but she had to train¡­.until they became strong enough.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    Just like that¡­..ten years have passed within the dungeon.

    ~~~~~

    The flow of time is convoluted, life slowly fades away as we stand helpless against this mystical phenomenon¡­..everything will surely fade away. But some things stand forever even withstanding the cruel passage of time.

    The world remained still as Adam performed the set of ten movements for the veryst time, he felt ready¡­.barely, but that was enough for him now. To his dismay, his body still hadn¡¯t stabilized, they concluded that since the dungeon seemed to y around with the concept of time¡­it might be affecting the process.

    Adam didn¡¯t let it get him down and practiced endlessly for the past ten years, these movements had been ingrained into his very being but he could feel that he had yet to reach the level he wanted but the time for training was over.

    Now¡­.it was time for action.

    ~~~~

    ¡° So¡­you¡¯re finally leaving¡­¡±, Luna whispered to no one in particr as the three of them sat down for theirst lunch within the dungeon.

    Both Lydia and Adam remained silent as Luna thought deeply.

    ¡° Have you thought about it ?¡±Adam asked, breaking the long-held silence.

    Luna seemed conflicted as she answered,

    ¡° I have and¡­..I¡¯lle with you.¡±

    Adam had approached Luna about a year ago, he wanted her to leave with them when the time came since he wanted her help to catch the killer. Initially, she seemed against the idea but with Lydia¡¯s help¡­she finally relented.

    The rtionship between the peculiar mother and naive daughter had changed throughout these years, even though Luna tried to stay away¡­.Lydia barged her way into Luna¡¯s heart. But they had yet to discuss the things that mattered¡­..they couldn¡¯t as they were afraid about the strain that would put on their already shaky rtionship.

    After a short lunch, the three of them began packing.

    ~~~~

    ¡° Well¡­we¡¯re here.¡±, Lydia said as she stared at the portal that would lead them back home.

    Luna sighed and said, ¡° I could have broken the link easily and gotten us out of here.¡±

    Lydia shivered slightly hearing her mother talking about splitting apart an entire dimension as if it was totally normal.

    ¡° I told you¡­.we need this dungeon.¡±, Adam answered back, staring at the portal apprehensively.

    ¡° Fine¡­fine.¡±

    ¡° Are we all ready ?¡±Luna asked, after getting a nod from her students she took a step forward and entered the portal without hesitating. Rhys purred as he also left, he had been carried by Luna even though he had grown considerably bigger¡­.it still wasn¡¯t anything to her.

    Lydia followed after her, leaving Adam alone.

    Instead of getting in, Adam turned around and took a long¡­deep breath, his hair had grown past his shoulder and he had grown considerably taller.

    A small smile spread across his face as he bid adieu to the ce he called home for thest ten years,

    After that, he too walked into the portal¡­.ready to im what was his.

    ~~~~

 Chapter 182 The Return Of The Queen (2)

    Time.

    Something that I had factored in when I first entered the dungeon, I desperately needed power¡­not for catching the killer but for what woulde after that, to attain the amount of power I needed¡­I needed a lot of time.

    I hade to this vige with the dungeon of time in my mind, but now¡­I want more.

    In the novel, Lunaes out of the dungeon tired of living away in it, she decided to end her life, before offing herself, she wanted to see Lydia for onest time. But when she came out of the dungeon, she found that Lydia had been murdered by the same serial killer that¡¯s running around the vige now. After, learning of how brutally her only daughter had been murdered-

    -she killed everyone.

    Rage¡­.unfortunately doesn¡¯t discriminate as Luna wiped out both viges, she wouldn¡¯t have stopped there either if an angel hadn¡¯t descended to kill her¡­.to prevent her from doing any more damage.

    Ironically, she still failed to kill the serial killer.

    ¡° What¡¯s happening to us ?¡±Lydia seemed to be shocked as her body slowly started to turn back in time.

    ¡­¡­

    That¡¯s right.

    Our bodies were slowly bing youthful again, I watched silently as the countless traces of our rigorous training slowly faded away.

    Time itself is neither linear nor circr. It does not flow or move but allows others to do so.

    Essentially, the ten years we spent in the dungeon happened, but this world can¡¯t register that¡­since we were in a whole other dimension. This only works because this specific dungeon has a huge time difference from the real world¡­..our world.

    The work we put in doesn''t go away since I can still perform the ten movements as I used to and Lydia can use the lightning spear as well, this meant that the mastery that Lydia umted during our time within the dungeon wouldn¡¯t go to waste.

    With me¡­.I don¡¯t know.

    Since I couldn¡¯t use mana, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration but¡­.I couldn¡¯t back out just because of that. That¡¯s why I put in maximum effort, I went as far as to hurt myself while training.

    I introduced this cave in the novel so that it could be used for training, I realized onlyter how much of a cheat it really was¡­hence I made Luna destroy it.

    Also, I didn¡¯t eat Greydor¡¯s heart since I wanted to wait till I got my mana back, the heart obviously decayed¡­even with time slowed within my sub-space, ten years was still a long time but I¡¯m sure it went back in time just like us¡­.so I just need to find a refrigerator to store it until my mana returns¡­..

    ¡° Oh my¡­.¡±, Luna eximed, touching her face.

    She looked a whole lot younger than us since the amount of time she spent in the dungeon was muchrger.

    ¡° Woah¡­.you look weird,¡± Lydiamented, staring at Luna.

    ¡° How did you know this would happen ?¡±, Luna asked me, ignoring Lydia¡¯s stares.

    I had told them beforehand that we would de-age as we went outside because I wanted to alleviate some of the tension that Lydia had, even after learning the ¡®truth¡¯ Lydia was still reluctant to spend ten years training¡­.so I told her that those ten years weren¡¯t gone.

    They didn¡¯t believe me then but now¡­

    ¡° I guessed¡­¡±, I winked yfully, Luna frowned at me but before she could question me further, her body started convulsing violently until she fainted.

    Both Lydia and I stared silently at Luna.

    ~~~~

    Augustus massaged his head, his head threatened to burst as he continued to shift along troughs of files regarding the vige¡¯s affairs.

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    Augustus got up from his chair and melted onto the sofa within his room, after Adam and Lydia had left¡­.a period of peace fell upon both viges for a very brief period. During this time Augustus and Leo exhausted all their resources trying to find the killer¡­but they failed.

    It felt frustrating as Augustus felt as if they were waiting for the killer to do something.

    Even then Augustus had a glimmer of hope¡­

    Luna Caerus.

    The previous chief who had exiled herself into a dungeon, with her on their side¡­.they could surely catch the killer. But the two who had gone into the dungeon looking for her hadn¡¯te back in ten months¡­.

    Georna would alwayse to his office asking about their status and every single time¡­Augustus had to admit the fact that he didn¡¯t know shit.

    To top it all off, the killer murdered against month.

    The victim was a middle-aged lioness named Henna.

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    Another sigh escaped Augustus¡¯s lips as he thought about how utterly pathetic he was¡­

    ¡° Sir !!¡±

    Nyad, one of the wolves within his security detail barged into the room out of breath.

    ¡° What is it ?¡±Augustus looked over his rude behavior as he understood the situation must have been urgent.

    Nyad took a minute to catch his breath and said,

    ¡° They¡¯re b-back si-¡±

    Before Nyad could even finish speaking, Augustus rushed out of his office.

    Nyad had been stationed near the portal after ¡®they¡¯ left.

    Augustus¡¯s heart beat rapidly as he made his way through the vige and as he saw them, he rejoiced for a split second but seeing the unconscious woman being carried by one of them made him stop in his tracks.

    Finally¡­after ten long months¡­-

    Adam waved, a smile stered over his face as he, Lydia, and Rhys walked over to him.

    -they were back.

    ~~~~

    Adam¡¯s POV:<novelnext></novelnext>

    Augustus seems to have a hard time.

    But we had to cut our greetings short as we had more pressing matters at hand like taking care of Luna, who just fainted out of nowhere. I mean¡­.I was truly shocked.

    It was truly surprising.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡­¡­.

    Okay¡­.moving on, Augustus immediately called the best doctors within the vige and started taking care of Luna. Right now, we were in her room.

    I watched as Luna breathed rhythmically, while many doctors examined her.

    ¡° She¡¯s in stable condition¡­.so she should wake up soon¡­..but we¡¯ve never dealt with something like this before so we have to observe her until she wakes up.¡±, the gray wolfmented while taking notes.

    Augustus nodded in understanding and the doctors excused themselves.

    ¡° It¡¯s really her¡­¡±, Augustus said in a daze.

    Georna remained silent as she watched Luna with a nk expression masking her face.

    Lydia and Georna had a whole emotional reunion, I did want to give the old hag a piece of my mind but I decided to hold in my anger because it wasn¡¯t her fault.

    I¡¯m just grumpy.

    We didn¡¯t speak and just watched as Luna slept peacefully until a huge lion burst through the door startling all of us.

    ¡° I came as soon as I heard¡­.where is sh-¡±, Leo started but fell silent as his eyes fell on Luna.

    ¡®Step¡¯

    ? He slowly walked over to her, each step echoing loudly within the small room, after reaching her, he bent down and caressed her cheek tenderly as fat tears fell to her face,

    ¡° She¡¯s b-back¡­.¡±

    Oh yeah¡­.these two were best friends.

    ¡®Sniffle¡¯

    I turn around and find Georna tearing up, my mouth literally wouldn¡¯t close¡­

    Where¡¯s the bitchy old hag that we left?

    Finding me looking at her, Georna wipes away her tears and said,

    ¡° Oh¡­fuck off, you brat.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Well, some things never change.

    ~~~~

    ¡° I can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re really back¡­.¡±, Luna said, staring at the ceiling.

    We were back at her house and in our beds ready to sleep, Lydia seemed way too happy¡­ I think she¡¯s forgotten about the fact that there is still a serial killer on the loose.

    Well¡­.who am I to put a damper on her mood?

    ~~~~

    A shadow entered Luna¡¯s room as she slept soundly.

    It observed Luna¡¯s body in great detail for a few minutes, then it brought its hands together and tried choking her.

    But the shadow stopped, startled to find two blue eyes staring into her very being.

    Luna watched as the shadow tried to run, but it was all futile as Luna caught up with her in a second and took hold of her.

    The shadow had deeply underestimated its queen.

    The return of the Queen was inevitable but with her return¡­..the shadow was doomed. It was a n set up to fail from the beginning.

    ~~~~

    The next day,

    Adam walked into Luna¡¯s room to find her waiting for him.

    ¡° What took you so long ?¡±, Luna asked, frowning.

    ¡° Hey¡­don¡¯t me, your daughter¡¯s the one who made uste.¡±, Adam said pointing behind him as Lydia walked in with Rhys on her shoulder.

    ¡° Forget it¡­.how did you know that-....should I even ask ?¡±Luna eximed in defeat.

    Adam smiled gleefully and waved at the woman on the bed, who had been tied up.

    ¡° She tried to kill me an hour ago¡­..¡±, Luna added while moving toward Lydia.

    Adam let out a chuckle, bending down to face the serial killer that has been haunting the vige¡­.

    ¡° Long time no see¡­¡­Nephyr.¡±

    ~~~~

    A/N: It looks like we won¡¯t reach our PS goal¡­..*cries*...that¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t upload for a few days so it¡¯s on me¡­che.

    Anyway, Nephyr was the wolf that led Adam into the vige, they were drinking buddies. She¡¯s also the official executioner of the vige. A little underwhelming reveal¡­I know¡­.but bear with me.

    PS goal: 100

 Chapter 183 The Final Act (1)

    Catching Nephyr was something that I did anticipate would happen, but even that was still based on several other factors but fortunately¡­..I was lucky to be right this time. Even though I did know the killer¡¯s identity¡­it still wasn¡¯t eptable.

    I need more control over the situation.

    ¡° What will they do to her ?¡±, Lydia asked while we watched officials take Nephyr away¡­..probably to a prison cell.

    ¡° I don¡¯t know¡­..¡±, I said, stretching to alleviate the stress that had umted within my body.

    ¡° They¡¯ll try to wring as much information out of her as possible and then execute her.¡±, Luna said walking out of the room. I could hear the others shouting in joy seeing their oldrade back.

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    This is going to be a long day.

    ~~~~

    After a long day filled with tear-jerking reunions, things had finally calmed down.

    Luna and Lydia had gone off with Georna to catch up leaving me alone with Augustus and Leo.

    ¡° Still¡­.to think that it was Nephyr of all people¡­..she was right under our noses this whole time.¡±, Augustus chimed in as he sipped on his tea.

    ¡° It certainly is surprising¡­.I just hope that those children are safe and sound¡­but it feels toote now.¡±, Leo said, his expression darkening by the minute.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡®Slurp¡¯

    They faced me as I finished drinking my tea.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Oh yeah¡­..it¡¯s such a shame.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­

    ¡° Why are you even here ?¡±Augustus asked, raising his brows.

    ¡° Now¡­..don¡¯t be disrespectful to our esteemed guest, after all, he¡¯s the person who brought the chief back to us.¡±, Leo said, shing a smile at me.

    Augustus slightly winced at the ¡®chief¡¯ part but recovered rather quickly.

    ¡° On that note¡­..I wanted to ask for a favor, could I be present for Nephyr¡¯s interrogation ?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely no-¡±, Augustus started but got cut off by Leo.

    ¡° I suppose there¡¯s no harm in that.¡±

    ~~~~

    ¡° WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN ?!''''Leo screamed from the top of his lungs as Nephyr¡¯s head was being held underwater by a wolf.

    Nephyr had been tortured for the past two hours in various ways, she was whipped, her toenails had been torn off, her fingers had been broken and now she was being drowned.

    I was a little taken aback by the glee clearly visible on the torturer''s face, is it really that fun?

    I might have to dabble in it in the near future, so I made sure to mentally take notes of the actions disyed by the wolf.

    But it seems that Nephyr¡¯s tenacity is more ferocious than his techniques.

    As he brought back Nephyr¡¯s head from the water, little droplets of water sttered on us and we watched as Nephyr gasped for air.

    ¡° ANSWER ME !¡±Leo proimed, veins bulging out from his forehead.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° They¡¯re in¡­..¡±, We crept closer to Nephyr as she continued to whisper, ¡°......my tummy.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe¡±

    We could only stare in stunned silence as Nephyr continued her evilugh.

    ¡° Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe-¡±<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡° YOU FUCKING BITCH !¡±Leo screamed as he rushed forward and greeted her with a punch.

    ¡®Crack¡¯

    Nephyr fell to the damp ground of the underground chamber along with the torturer, she howled in pain as the torturer sprang into action, subduing her.

    ¡° Heal her¡­.and prepare for an execution immediately.¡±, Leo said, restraining himself from doing further damage.

    ~~~~

    ¡° How did the interrogation go ?¡±Georna asked me while she inspected my body.

    I shrugged and said,

    ¡° She didn¡¯t say anything useful¡­.¡±

    ¡° Is that why they¡¯re executing her today ?¡±, Lydia asked, standing beside Georna with her tray with tools neatly arranged on them.

    ¡° Yeah¡­¡±

    For the next few minutes, silence prevailed as Georna slowly checked every part of my body.

    ¡° Am I interrupting something ?¡±Luna asked as she walked in with her hands behind her back.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡° No¡­.we¡¯re just checking Adam¡¯s progress.¡±, Lydiamented from the side.

    ¡° I see¡­.¡±, Luna said, sandwiching herself between Lydia and Georna.

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡®Sigh¡¯

    ¡° Why don¡¯t you take your mother and leave me alone¡­so that I can focus ?¡±Georna asked, not taking her eyes off my body.

    ¡° Sure¡­¡±, Lydia said, cing the tray down and dragging away Luna with her.

    Georna continued to inspect me for a while more.

    ¡° You can get up now.¡±, Georna said, taking a seat in her chair, ¡° Your body will stabilize very soon, it¡¯s almost nearpletion.¡±

    ¡° Oh¡­.that¡¯s great then.¡±, I said, jumping down from the table.

    As I made my way to the door, Georna¡¯s voice stopped me,

    ¡° You know¡­.I heard about what happened in the dungeon¡­and I have a lot of things to say but for now¡­.thank you.¡±

    ¡­¡­..

    A small smile bloomed on my face as I left the room.

    ~~~~

    ¡° My dear friends¡­..today we avenge the deaths of many¡­.we avenge the death of our children¡­.we will etch this day in history as the day¡­.we punished the most heinous criminal in our history¡­.¡±, Augustus and Leo stood atop a raised tform and faced the crowd as Nephyr was brought onto the tform.

    We watched the whole thing from the crowd. Leo wanted to inform everybody of Luna¡¯s return but she declined his offer by saying that she needed more time. To avoid being recognized, she was currently disguising herself using a very long piece of clothing.

    Two guards forced Nephyr to her knees and left, Augustus brought out the [Spear of Eternity] and raised it high in the air, he looked over at Leo and waited for their agreed-upon signal.

    ¡° Now watch closely as we¡ª------------¡±, They continued to bber about this and that but I tuned them out and started walking forward.

    Now should be about right¡­.

    ¡° HEY¡­.WAIT A SECOND !¡±I screamed, attracting the attention of everyone around me.

    Seeing their confused stares, I smirked and said,

    ¡° Aren¡¯t we being a little too hasty ?¡±

    It¡¯s finally time for the final act.

    ~~~~

    A/N: PS goal: 100

    LET¡¯S GOOOOOOO

 Chapter 184 The Final Act (2)

    184 The Final Act (2)

    ¡° Aren¡¯t we all being a little too hasty ?¡±Adam said, making his way out of the crowd.

    People whispered amongst themselves as they watched a human interrupt the execution of the dreaded serial killer, Luna had a nk expression on her face,

    ¡° What are you talking about ?'''' Leo asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

    ¡° I¡¯m no-¡±, Adam started but got cut off by Augustus,

    ¡° You know what¡­.I don¡¯t care what you want.¡±, Augustus said walking down, his finger pointed right at Adam, ¡° Why are you always meddling in our affairs when you¡¯re not even one of us¡­..we don¡¯t need your help¡­STOP LOOKING DOWN ON US.¡±, Augustus was seething inside but his rage wasn¡¯t all directed at Adam.

    Augustus always felt inferior to humans, whenever theyughed¡­.he thought they wereughing at him. He felt like a ¡®lower¡¯ being¡­.because of his own dreary past with humans.

    As Augustus stopped to take a breath, he looked around to find that nobody was pping or cheering him on as he had hoped, they just stared at him ufortably.

    ¡° I¡¯m sorry if I offended you¡­.but I just had to intervene¡­¡±, Adam said as Augustus¡¯s heart slowly started to drop.

    ¡° Why?¡±, one of the people from the crowd shouted trying to move on from their chief¡¯s pathetic disy.

    ¡° Hmmmmmmmm¡­..well as I¡¯m sure you know, I went inside a particr dungeon with Lydia and stayed there for the past few months¡­I don¡¯t know what they told you but¡­the real reason why went in was to find Luna Caerus¡­the real chief.¡±, Adam said, that grin still stered all over his face.

    Gasps rang out as people learned of the truth.

    ¡° What are you tr-¡±

    ¡° We went in to find her and we did¡­e out Luna.¡±, Adam said, cutting off Augustus.

    More gasps rang out as Luna came out of the crowd, that nk expression still evident on her face. Cries and shouts engulfed the area as people called out to her, it had been years since she left them¡­.but how could they ever forget their beloved ruler?

    ¡° After bringing her back, the ¡®killer¡¯ came to murder her and that¡¯s how dear Nephyr was caught¡­

    but it¡¯s a bit strange isn¡¯t it ?¡± Adam moved forward and turned around to face the crowd.

    ¡° How could Nephyr avoid detection¡­.so much¡­..she¡¯s not some kind of mastermind and she killed people from both viges¡­.how can someone with so little influence and power remain undetected for so long¡­..unless she had help.¡±

    ¡° That doesn¡¯t matter¡­.please show the photo.¡±

    21:37

    The Blue Finn was an orphanage that was run by both the viges, a ce for children with nowhere Whispers of agreement rang out through the crowd as Adam continued,

    ¡° So¡­I set out to find the truth hidden in in sight¡­.Adam reached into his sub-space and pulled out arge book, he flipped through the book until he reached a particr page and shoved it into Augustus¡¯s hands.

    ¡° Could you please show everybody¡­..that photo ?¡±

    Before looking at the contents of the page, Augustus looked at the cover of the book and asked,

    ¡° The Blue Finn records ?¡±, A frown settled itself into his face as he enquired, ¡° This should have burned with the orphanage¡­.how do you have this ?¡±

    ¡° That doesn¡¯t matter¡­.please show the photo.¡±

    The Blue Finn was an orphanage that was run by both the viges, a ce for children with nowhere to go, its record was extensive and contained a photo of every child, every year they would also take a group photo.

    The page that Adam had taken out had one such group photo.

    Augustus took a look at the photo and said,

    ¡° What am I supposed to see her-¡±, he started but stopped, his eyes widened upon ¡®seeing¡¯ the photo.

    ¡° This¡­.impossible¡­.no, this doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±, Augustus said, trying to calm himself down.

    ¡° Oh¡­.it¡¯s very possible.¡±, Adam said, taking the book out of Augustus¡¯s hand and raising it high in the air revealing a photo of a group of children.

    ¡° It didn¡¯t take me long to find Nephyr since she¡¯s standing so close¡­..to Leo.¡±

    Upon hearing him, silence reigned over the entire vige.

    Nobody spoke as every single person was staring at a single person.

    Leo.

    The chief that was supposed to protect them.

    ¡° This doesn¡¯t prove a-anything¡­¡±, Augustus scampered around, not knowing what to do.

    ¡° Well¡­.I do have a way to prove if it¡¯s true or not¡­.Miss Luna here can look into his mind and rify it herself¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° T-this is a j-joke right ?¡±Augustus turned around to face Leo who remained silent.

    ¡° Say something ?¡±, he urged but Leo abruptly turned to face Nephyr.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡° Papa ?¡±, she whispered in a low voice.

    ¡° It¡¯s going to be fine¡­.I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±, Leo said, a warm smile radiating from his face as he caressed her face.

    Nephyr¡¯s heart rxed since ¡®papa¡¯ seemed to have a n.

    Yeah¡­

    Papa always had a n.

    It¡¯s going to be fine.

    Yeah¡­it¡¯s¡­.going¡­.to¡­be¡­fine.

    Nephyr frowned as the pressure exerted by Leo¡¯s hand slowly increased over time.

    ¡­¡­..

    ¡­¡­.

    ¡° Papa¡­it h-hur-¡±

    ¡®SPLAT¡¯

    Leo¡¯s indifferent expression didn¡¯t falter as blood and brain mush sprayed across his face soaking him in blood.

    As he turned around and faced the crowd, nobody moved an inch¡­it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to move¡­.they couldn¡¯t.

    Adam and Leo stared at each other, their expressions not faltering one bit.

    ~~~~

    A Lioness whined quietly, it was alone in a damp cage, some hay had been left in one corner and a bucket of water was also kept. The Lioness appeared to be malnourished as its body was extremely thin except for her belly¡­.there was a small bulge making its way out of her body,

    It was giving birth.

    After a few minutes, a small lion cub covered in blood and other fluids started crying, but the mother didn¡¯t move as her heart had stopped when her son was born.

    The child was born into the embrace of death and it wasn¡¯t going to leave him anytime soon.

    ~~~~

    A/N: PS GOAL: 100

    LET¡¯S GOOOOO¡­

    ALSO, DROP IN A REVIEW IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, I DON¡¯T KNOW WHY I¡¯M TYPING IN ALL CAPS¡­THANKS FOR READING.

    Also, tell me what you think about the reveal¡­was it obvious?

 Chapter 185 Be Good. (1)

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    The sound of a whip echoed throughout the small range, it would stop for a few minutes and then once again start like clockwork.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    Each time the whip bared its fangs, a small whine would also apany it, a small lion kneeled reeling from the pain it felt.

    ¡° Seriously¡­¡­how can it not even jump through a freaking hoop ?!¡±, a middle-aged man sighed in frustration whipping the young cub yet again.

    ¡° It should have died with its mother.¡±, the young man that stood next to the other manmented,ughing to himself.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    The cub didn¡¯t understand what was being said, but their faces said all that had to be told.

    ¡° JUMP ¡°, The man screamed, aiming the whip at the cub. They watched as the cub scampered to jump through a hoop ced in front of him, but the cub failed yet again falling.

    ¡° YOU''RE FUCKING USELESS !¡±

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    ~~~~

    The Levinsons were a rather peculiar family.

    From long ago, their family had traveled around as a circus troupe and entertained all kinds of people. But as times changed, so did people¡¯s interests, and going to the ¡®circus¡¯ wasn¡¯t something grand anymore.

    Even if their poprity had plummeted with time, the Levinsons never gave up and added a little more spice into their programs.

    They decided to add animals into their act.

    People started taking an interest in that fact and they slowly started regaining some of their old prestige, even though various animals had been included into the act the most famous was of course¡­.the lions.

    They were predators of the highest order, but still to a certain degree tameable under certain conditions. The lions within the troupe weren''t fed properly to keep them weak, they were fed enough to just survive. They would be whipped and taught to fear their owners from a young age.

    But fear is a good influencer only if you have anything to lose.

    ~~~~

    The young cub was born into the world at dawn, as light showered on the world, its cries echoed out of a small cage. After giving birth to it, its mother passed away due to her weak constitution.

    The young cub had four brothers, all better than him in every way.

    They were better performers, listened properly, and were capable.

    The young cub on the other hand was weak in every way, he couldn¡¯t understand their orders and had a weak body on top of that.

    As people were slowly starting to lose interest in their act, the Levinsons wanted to up their act, so they grilled the young cub every day until everything hurt.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    Another session was going on right now, the young cub struggled to jump through the hoop.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    The people before the cub, screamed iprehensible words frightening the young cub.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    ¡° Stop it, you¡¯re hurting him !¡±, a young woman¡¯s voice reached the cub¡¯s ears, who silently rejoiced at the arrival of his savior¡­.his mother.

    To the young cub who was always alone, the only light in this world was his mother, it knew that she wasn¡¯t his real mother but she was the only maternal figure in his life.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Mother always took care of the cub even if the masters sometimes punished her for it, she would apply medicine to its wounds and give it extra pieces of food.

    ¡° Che¡­Elena, I¡¯ve told you to not interrupt us !¡±, the middle-aged man grumbled leaving as he was fed up with the cub.

    The young man snickered watching Elena take away the cub.

    ~~~~

    ¡° I¡¯m sorry my father gave you such a hard time¡­¡±, Elena whispered into the cub¡¯s ears as she patched him up.

    The cub tilted its head in confusion as it didn¡¯t understand what its mother was trying to convey.

    After patching up the cub, Elena prepared to leave but stopped hearing the cub whine, a small smile spread across her face as the cub brought a ball towards her and looked at her expectantly with its wide eyes.

    ¡° Eh¡­Leo¡­.you want to y catch again ?¡±

    ~~~~

    ¡®Leo¡¯

    A word that its mother frequently used to call to it, hearing the word made Leo feel warm and fuzzy inside.

    Leo couldn¡¯t help but notice another bruise on its mother''s face as they passed the ball around.

    ¡®Is mother also being trained ?¡¯, it thought curiously as they passed the ball back and forth.

    Time passed quickly and they stopped with their little game, Elena had lost track of time and spent way too much time with Leo, she knew that she was going to be punished for it but there was nothing she could do but ept the punishment now¡­.she didn¡¯t feel that bothered since she liked spending time with Leo.

    They both made themselvesfortable on a patch of grass and watched the evening sun.

    ¡° It¡¯s beautiful isn¡¯t it ?¡±Elena remarked, all she got in response was a light whine.

    Elena chuckled and picked up Leo, lifting him off the ground,

    ¡° You¡¯re so amazing Leo¡­.you can even understand me !¡±Elena smiled widely as she continued, ¡° You¡¯re going to be the most powerful lion in the world aren¡¯t you ?¡±

    ¡° Purr¡±, the cub replied enthusiastically.

    Elenughed, but herughter soon came to a halt as her expression darkened,

    ¡° But you should always be good¡­..they¡¯ll hurt you if you aren¡¯t good¡­do you understand me ?¡±, Elena asked putting Leo back down,

    ¡° Purr ?¡±

    ¡° Promise me that you¡¯ll always be good¡­.no matter what happens¡­.be good.¡±

    The lion cub licked its mother''s hand not understanding her, but the words ¡®be good¡¯ strangely struck a deep chord within it.

    ¡®Be good.¡¯

    ¡®Be good.¡¯

    ¡®Be good.¡¯

    Leo repeated again and again.

    These words were something it would carry on within itself for the rest of its life.

    ~~~~

    A/N: PS GOAL: 100

    Drop in a review so we can get some stars....carrot out.

 Chapter 186 Be Good (2)

    Be good.

    Be good.

    Be good.

    As years passed by, the lion cub kept repeating those words again and again but as all living things do¡­it too reached it too reached its breaking point.

    It felt ¡®it¡¯ for the first time when it was being trained, the cub feltplete, as if it had reunited with a long-lost friend. As the cub familiarized itself with this strange energy¡­.this mana, it got stronger¡­more sharper, the mana widened its thinking capacity, so much that it could even understand its masters.

    The world was slowly changing and the cub felt that freedom was within its grasp,...now¡­all it had to do was grab onto it and never let go.

    ¡° Faster dammit !¡±, the young master screamed threatening the young lion and its brothers, who quickly jumped through their hoops wanting to avoid the wrath of the whip but¡­the young lion was different¡­.it had decided to leave with its mother.

    ¡®Whip¡¯

    The young master kept true to his word and whipped the young lion, but other than feeling ticklish¡­the lion felt fine.

    ¡° SBE AGOOD¡±, The lion said, a grin spread across its face.

    ~~~~~

    ¡° Labaadoobbbadobaaadoo¡±, Elena hummed along as she made her way into the barn where her family trained the animals. Elena was excited, the world was changing¡­..angels, demons, mana¡­things that were nothing but a fairy tail were slowlying true and Elena couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.

    Elena stopped humming as she noticed something strange.

    ¡° Is¡­.that¡­blood ?¡±, she asked herself, bending down at the small puddle that had formed below the door.

    After confirming that it was indeed blood, Elena quickly rushed to open the door but whaty behind the door wasn¡¯t something she could have ever imagined.

    Blood.

    It was the only thing that stood out to her, blood covered every inch of therge barn and in the middle stood her favorite lion¡­.her Leo.

    ¡®Thud¡¯<novelnext></novelnext>

    She fell on her knees as she saw the mutted body parts of her family¡­.they had been killed mercilessly¡­without hesitation.

    ¡° MFOTHER.¡±, The young lion said, edging toward her.

    ¡° Stop¡­.¡±, Elena whimpered out, her words carried away by the brisk wind.

    ¡° M-monster.¡±

    The young lion cub frowned upon hearing his mother¡¯s words, he clears his throat and said in a clear voice,

    ¡° My name¡­.is Leo.¡±

    Silence presided over the barn but soon screams followed.

    ~~~~

    Adam and Leo stared at each other, both had a face devoid of any emotion. Just as the tension was reaching it¡¯s limit.

    Luna¡¯s voice echoed throughout the vige, all the vigers turned to face her as they her words¡­.no word.

    She had asked Leo the only question she had to ask him,

    ¡° Why ?¡±

    ~~~~

    AN: hey, it''s been a while.

    My health has surprisingly taken a big hit and it sucks but that''s life I guess?

    Anyway thank you for your continued support, it is very much appreciated.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!