Outworld: Awakening

Seven days had gone by since the descent of the grand dungeon, and calm had returned to Dratol's ports and borders. Like every other day in Dratol, tens of flying sh.i.p.s landed at its port. Hundreds of people stood rooted on the spot while admiring Dratol's beautiful scenery. The highlight was The Labyrinth of the Nameless. Dratol's very own grand dungeon.

'I wonder if this dungeon descended like the one in Valar? It's unfortunate that details of grand dungeons are regarded as national secrets.'

Still maintaining the effects of Manipulator, Adam maintained his previous disguise. Dressed in plain clothes, he looked unremarkable among the other elegantly dressed arrivals. Unlike most of the admirers, he only stared for a while, before making his way towards the elevator-like construct.

A moment later, Adam and seven other new arrivals made the slow descent. Just then, the conversation between two middle-aged men reached him.

"… Did you hear? The knights of Bordon fought with The Undertakers."

"Nah. That's not possible. You're kidding, right?"

"Why would I? A reliable source told me. I'm just as shocked as you are. Apparently, they clashed in Siena and they completely annihilated the knights…"

"Wait. Isn't this bad news? Aren't The Undertakers working for the Widow?"

"Exactly. It seems the Omen Awakened are becoming active. Something big is about to happen. Did you hear about the…"

'Widow? The Undertakers? How can they fight The Knights of Bordon?' Adam mused.

His brows furrowed as he eavesdropped on the conversation.

Through the basic information Igor provided, he knew about The Knights of Bordon. Most people considered them as one of the top ten guilds in Outworld. Most guilds couldn't compare to them in fame, wealth and personnel. And, only an Awakened with a mastery of swords or a high-ranked healer could join the guild. Although their headquarters lay in faraway Cemil, they had branches in most of the major eastern and southern nations, except Dratol.

However, Adam had never had about someone dubbed the Widow or The Undertakers. That they could fight such a renowned guild surprised him. He had the urge to interrupt the conversation of the two men, however; he swallowed his curiosity. He would rather ask Igor or Bricteva than cause unnecessary trouble for himself.

Without saying a word, Adam continued to listen to the conversation between the men. However, he slowly lost interest. Especially when the men changed the topic towards the events taking place in Targarth.

* * *

One hour later, Adam glanced through the opened window of a horse pulled carriage. A smile tugged at the sides of his lips as he stared at Dratol's busy streets. The beautiful structures towering over the restless citizens from different societal standings and the traffic congestion caused by different mounts and carriages reminded him of New York. Even the air had that same indiscernible smell.

'I missed this… who would have thought.' Adam chuckled slightly.

"Sir, would you like to stop somewhere along the way?" The carriage driver, Barka asked.

Adam snapped backed to reality, as he said, "No. Just take me to the south. If possible, don't go too fast. I would like to rest a little."

"No problem, sir," Barka said.

'Who would have thought this guy was so rich? Hahaha… I hit the jackpot today. If I knew he wouldn't haggle, I would have doubled the fare…' Barka thought.

He donned a brilliant smile as he tapped the sides of his jacket.

'Maybe he's dressing like this because he doesn't want anyone to know he's loaded… yeah, that's it. Hehehe…' Barka subconsciously licked his lips while a shady gleam covered his eyes.

* * *

"Wallace, what are we going to eat today? I'm—"

"Hey! What do you think I am? I'm not your maid damn it!"

Seated on a plain wooden bench outside the tavern, Igor and Wallace lazily stared at passersby while bickering back and forth.

"I thought you said the old hag would return soon? It's been a week. Are you sure she didn't runaway with some young stud or something? Well, I wouldn't blame her. Who would stick around with a miser like you?" Wallace jeered.

Igor couldn't stop himself from laughing while clenching his stomach. He imagined Bricteva running away with some handsome young man while enjoying the rest of her life.

"Hahaha… I don't know what's happening, but I'm sure she would return soon," Igor said.

He suddenly had a sly grin on his face as he stared at Wallace, "Let's sell the place if she doesn't come back. We could enjoy ourselves for the next two months. What do you say?"

"I wish. That old hag would definitely come back. She would kill us if we even dreamed of selling her place. Forget it. Let's go drink. I found some of the good stuff," Wallace said, slowly shaking his head.

Igor's eyes lit up. Wasting no time, he rose to his feet. Before Wallace could say anything, Igor's voice filled his ears, "What is the meaning of this, Wallace?"

'Huh? Why does he look so angry?' Wallace thought.

Igor's sudden change in disposition surprised him.

"W-What did I—"

"Do you think I don't know what you're doing? You found the good stuff and you're just telling me now! You bastard. I'm sure you drank two bottles all by yourself," Igor interjected.

Wallace's jaw dropped as he stared at Igor.

'Is that why he's mad at me? And here I thought I did something wrong.'

"What are you waiting for? Can't you hear the bottles calling for me? C'mon, lead me to my babies," Igor said.

He passionately wrapped his arms around his body while shaking from excitement.

Wallace still had his mouth opened as he stared at Igor.

'What the f.u.c.k is wrong with this guy? Huh? Why is that here of all places?' Wallace's brows suddenly creased.

"Wallace. What are you waiting…?" Igor's words trialed off the moment he noticed Wallace looking over his shoulder.

Curious, Igor slowly turned his head.

"Huh? Why is this here?" Igor muttered.

His eyes lingered on an enclosed wooden carriage which had several elegant design on its surface. In the central region of Dratol, such a carriage wouldn't turn heads, but the reverse was the case in the southern region.

"Doesn't it look like it's coming here?" Wallace said, while rising to his feet.

"Here? That's ridiculous. Why would it come… huh? It really is coming here." Igor's brows creased as the carriage continued his journey towards the tavern.

'Could it be Bricteva? No. That old hag would never spend so much for a grand entrance… unless…'

Wallace didn't dare finish his train of thought. His body shuddered as he thought of Bricteva eloping with a young man.

Saying nothing further, the duo watched as the carriage parked in front of the tavern. They could see the confusion in the eyes of the coachman, too. Neither of them understood what was happening.

Just then, the doors of the carriage opened. Before Wallace or Igor could say anything, a middle-aged man with bland features emerged.

"Sir, are you sure this is your destination?" Barka asked.

"Yes. Thank you for the ride," Adam said.

He didn't bother himself with Barka's obvious confusion. His eyes lingered on Wallace and Igor who stared at him with their probing gazes.

"It's a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, sir. Farewell."

Recovered from the previous shock, Barka tugged on the reins of the horse, guiding the carriage away from the tavern. However, he couldn't stop himself from glancing backwards. Confusion still covered his eyes.

Meanwhile, Igor and Wallace still stared at Adam with different thoughts in their minds.

"Umm… can we help you?" Igor said.

"Let's go inside. We have much to discuss, Erik," Adam said.

He donned a slight smile as he stared at Igor. Meanwhile, Igor's disposition changed. His body shook slightly while his eyes bulged. However, his eyes soon turned bloodshot while donning a frown.

Wallace, on the other hand, did not understand the reason for Igor's reaction.

"Who are you? I will only ask you once," Igor said.

[Potential Sources of Danger Detected!]

Adam laughed but said nothing. At that same moment, however, his facial features distorted. Wallace and Igor retreated with the fastest speed they could muster, while staring at Adam's morphing face.

Before they could comprehend what was happening, the middle-aged man turned into a familiar young man with white hair.

"Let's go inside, Erik. We have much to discuss," Adam said.

'Is that his Blessing? Or did he buy a transformation potion?'

While different thoughts filled Igor's mind, a smile replaced the frown on his face. Meanwhile, Wallace rubbed his eyes several times as he stared at Adam.

"Hahaha… Adam, it's been a while. I didn't expect to see you so soon. Let's go inside," Igor said.

Saying nothing further, he walked into the tavern. Adam followed behind, he could barely stop himself from laughing as he stared at Wallace's exaggerated reaction.

A few minutes later, Adam and Igor sat opposite each other in a partially illuminated room. Apart from Igor and Bricteva, no other person knew of the room.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Adam?" Igor asked.

Adam didn't immediately respond; instead, his eyes wandered around the room. He could sense a strange heat and cold. He didn't know why, but he felt as if nothingness surrounded him.

"Where are we? Is this still the tavern?" Adam asked.

"Yes, and no. We can talk freely here. No one will listen to our conversation." Igor smiled brilliantly while scratching the side of his neck.

'This bastard. He didn't even answer the question.'

Adam didn't bother to ask Igor to clarify himself. From his demeanor, Adam knew it wouldn't be a fruitful endeavor.

"Before we begin, where is Gilmore? I didn't see her earlier," Adam said.

"I apologize on her behalf. She went to see our Master. She will be back later today," Igor said.

'Oh. She went to see Adelaide. Damn it. If I had returned sooner, maybe I would have been able to follow her.'

Adam's fingers drummed on the surface of the wooden table while his thoughts wandered.

"Where is—"

"I'm sorry, Adam. I can't answer any question relating to her whereabouts. I hope you understand," Igor interjected.

'I figured as much. It must be the work of Vicar.' Adam mused.

"All right. I need you to sell some items for me. Can you do that?"

"Of course. We have a range of stores in and out of Dratol, we shouldn't have any difficulties in sell some items. Where are they?" Igor asked.

'Is that why he wanted to talk with me? But, I didn't see him carry anything when we entered…' Igor's eyes shifted between Adam's hands and his b.r.e.a.s.t pocket.

Adam nodded, but said nothing. Just then, a small sackcloth bag appeared on the table. Its sudden appearance surprised Igor. Before he could speak, he heard Adam's voice, "Everything you need is in there. You will need an Awakened versed in spatial manipulation to retrieve the items. Once you're done selling them, I would like the bag returned with the money."

Involuntarily, Igor nodded while reaching for the bag.

'Huh? It feels so light.' Igor thought.

"With that settled. I would like some information," Adam said.

"Oh. I'm at your disposal. What would you like to know?"

Igor sported a slight smile, having fairly recovered from his initial surprise.

"Who is the Widow and The Undertakers?"

Just then, a frown replaced the smile on Igor's face. Silence followed, with Adam's fingers incessantly drumming on the table.

"To be honest, our guild only knows a little on the Widow and The Undertakers. First, I will tell you what the public knows about her. She is one of the most infamous Omen Awakened. Anyone who has seen her face is dead or has forgotten about meeting her," Igor said.

'Huh? What does that mean?' Adam thought as his brows creased.

"What do you mean? She kills them or makes them forget?"

"Exactly. She kills the unfortunate ones while the others don't even remember their encounter with her. She erases their memories."

"Wait. How is that possible? If no one remembers her, how is she among the most infamous Omen Awakened? Isn't that contradictory?" Adam asked.

Igor's words had piqued his interest.

"It is. The only reason we know her is because of an Awakened who survived an encounter with her. He had a unique Blessing which could mimic death. When the Widow left, he ran to his guild and explained the details of his encounter. Through him, a portrait of the Widow emerged. However, the Awakened soon forgot about the encounter. Death followed a day after."

Igor suddenly clicked his fingers. At that same moment, a poster appeared on the wooden table.

"This is the only image of the widow. It's partially useless, since death or memory loss awaits anyone who sees her in flesh," Igor said.

Adam nodded while reaching for the poster. He agreed it was useless having a poster of the Widow.

'What kind of person is… What?! Isn't this…'

Adam's eyes bulged as he stared at the poster and his hands shook a little. Naturally, Igor didn't miss Adam's strange reaction.

"Now. I will tell you what the public doesn't know. The Widow is from one of the most powerful families in Vihir, the Von Fitzgerald. From your reaction, I believe you must have seen her twin sister in Varidan Academy, yes?" Igor said.

Adam's gaze shifted between Igor and the wanted poster. Different thoughts flashed through his mind, however, he said nothing.

"No one apart from the higher-ranked officials of Varidan know the details. They would probably execute me if they knew I knew about it. Meanwhile, The Undertakers are a legion of Omen Awakened sworn to fight for the interest of the Widow. They eliminate anything that threatens her. It's believed that they are responsible for the death of the Awakened who revealed the Widow's identity," Igor explained.

His eyes lingered on Adam who had yet to overcome his shock.

"Why didn't they eliminate the guild of the Awakened? At least, that would have sent a message." Adam suddenly asked.

"Not that they didn't want to, but they couldn't. The Awakened was a member of The Knights of Bordon. The Widow may be powerful, but she and The Undertakers can't compete against one of the top ten guilds in the world. However, the two factions regularly engage each other. Most people are ignorant of this because Bordon lacks a presence in Dratol," Igor said.

Adam said nothing but nodded his head. He had yet to overcome the initial surprise. Just like that silence once again enveloped the room.

"Adam, is there anything else you'd like to know?" Igor asked.

The silence made him uncomfortable.

"No. That's all. Oh. You should get someone to buy some properties in Targarth, since—"

"Thanks for the reminder, Adam. But, I have already done that. I'm a businessman, after all. We can't miss out on such a great opportunity." Igor grinned as he stared at Adam.

Saying nothing further, Adam rose to his feet, and Igor mimicked his actions. Within a few minutes, the duo walked out of the room. Before ascending a flight of stairs leading to the main hall of the tavern. There, they could see Wallace cheerfully chatting with different customers while gulping a large jug of ale.

"I kicked the old bastard in the nuts. How dare he make a move on my girl… Hahahaha…" Wallace quipped.

"Hahaha… But, Wallace. Didn't you say she left you for another person a month later?"

'Why would you say that now? Why do I tell these bastards anything?' Wallace's face turned sour.

"Hey. You promised not to—huh?"

Before Wallace could finish his statement, he felt a touch on his shoulder. Turning his head, Adam's face came into view.

"B-Boss? I mean, sir. No. Adam…"

Wallace stuttered as he saw Adam's listless eyes. Among the things he feared most, Adam stood at the very top.

"Follow me. I need to ask you something."

Wasting no time, Adam walked towards the tavern exist. Wallace, on the other hand, drank all the ale in his glass before hurriedly following Adam. Saying nothing to each other, the duo walked a fair distance away from the tavern before stopping at a grassing field just before a serene lake.

[Title: Illusion Inducement activated]

Wallace flinched as Adam suddenly turned towards him. Before he could say anything, he heard Adam's voice, "How are you doing, Captain? I see that you have adjusted to life in Dratol. That's very good. By the way, do you remember Dominic from the flying ship?"

"Dominic? Dominic…" Wallace muttered.

A split second later, his eyes lit up as he said, "Oh. That prick. I remember him. Isn't he the one that pissed you off during our journey to Dratol?"

'Is this a test of something? Why is he asking me about that guy? I hope he doesn't want me to fight him or something.'

"Good, you remember him. Do you remember the lady we met before him?" Adam asked.

'Huh? What's he talking about? What lady?'

Wallace rubbed the side of his left arm while avoiding Adam's gaze. He couldn't remember meeting anyone before Dominic.

"Why are you suddenly quiet? Do you remember her or not?" Adam asked. His voice firmer than usual.

"I'm sorry, Boss. I can't remember any lady. Maybe she came when I was sleeping or something..."

No matter how much he tried, he could've remember the events leading up to their encounter with Dominic. He subtly retreated, while hoping Adam wouldn't punish him.

'It's her. No wonder I thought Arianna looked so familiar. She introduced herself as Elliana, right? So that's the name of the Widow.'

With Wallace confirming his suspicions, Adam suddenly recalled the words Elliana said to him before she jumped out of the flying ship.

'Why do I always attract weirdos and nutjobs? What if she actually does what she said?'

A chill went down Adam's spine as an eerie thought filled his mind. He raised his head, only to see Wallace slowly retreating.

'There's no point keeping him under the illusion anymore.'

[Title: Illusion Inducement deactivated!]

"Wallace, you can head back first. I'll stay here for a while."

"O-Okay, Boss."

Without hesitation, Wallace hurried toward the tavern.

A few hours later, night had reached Dratol, and Adam made his way towards the tavern. He had spent the last few hours ruminating on his encounter with the Widow, and what it meant for his future.

'Unlike the central region, here is quieter. Even the air is fresher. Maybe I should move here permanently...'

Adam smiled as he slowly shook his head. He was a New Yorker through and through. No matter how much he complained, he couldn't imagine himself living in a rural area.

'Maybe I should find a place somewhere close to Varidan. That would... huh?'

Adam suddenly stopped in his tracks. Out of the corner of his eyes, five men came into view. However, Adam could recognize one of them.

'What's he doing here? Could it be that...'

A smile donned Adam's lips as he stared at Barka and his companions. Although he wasn't certain, he had a haunch why he returned to the southern region.

'It seems I shouldn't have tipped him. Should I eliminate them now, or should I let Igor handle them?'

For him to hang around the tavern with four equally shady looking men, Adam could infer their intentions.

With different thoughts in his mind, Adam continued walking towards the tavern. Unlike him, Barka and his men loitered the area, slowly observing those who entered and left the tavern.

As he got closer to the tavern's doors, he could hear a cacophony of laughter, chatter, and songs. Wasting no time, he pushed open the doors of the tavern.

[Potential Sources of Danger Detected!]

[Title: Illusionist activated!]

The space in front of Adam slowly warped. The cheerful noises and the jubilant tavern-goers had disappeared. Instead, six men cloaked in black robes stared at him. At the far end of the tavern, he could see Bricteva and Igor. They previously had bloodshot eyes which only relaxed when they realized it was Adam.

"What's all this?" Adam asked as he shut the door behind him.

"Please don't misunderstand, Adam. This isn't for you. Rather, it's for some rats who don't know their place. Welcome. Igor said you asked after me. If you don't mind, let's talk downstairs. I have something to give you."

"All right. By the way, where is Wallace?" Adam asked.

"Safe. Don't worry. After you," Igor said while gesturing towards the opened door behind him.

Saying nothing, Adam walked past the six men, and soon disappeared behind the door leading to the mysterious room. At that same moment, the scenery distorted once more, and tens of cheerful tavern-goers appeared in the tavern's hall.

Ten minutes later, Adam and Bricteva sat opposite each other. Adam's eyes lingered on the blue envelope on the table and a gray transmission crystal.

"So, what do you have to tell me?" Adam asked.

"Master sends her regards. She instructed me to pass these items to you. I will leave the room while you read the letter. Please take your time."

Saying nothing further, Bricteva rose to her feet, before exiting the room.

'Adelaide sent this? Why do I feel it's really Vicar?'

Adam reached for the envelope before removing the letter within.

'Adam, if you're reading this, it means you haven't died yet. I guess that's an achievement on your part. I won't waste words on travesties. Contact me with the transmission crystal if you have merged with your second soul. Remember, once you contact me, there is no going back. This letter will explode when the paper turns red.'

Adam tossed the letter to the side before it turned red. His eyes lingered on the transmission crystal on the table.

'Did I have any choice from the beginning? What's there to regret at this point?'

Adam's eyes gleamed as he picked up the transmission crystal. Just then, it turned black. Before he could comprehend what was happening, a radiant silver glow covered the room.

"It's been a while, Adam. I really miss you. How are you finding life in Dratol? Master will be with you shortly, he has something to take care of."