Outworld: Awakening

"Oi, Wallace. Stop drink and get your fat a.s.s over here."

Bricteva scowled as she wiped the sweat off her face. She stared at Igor, Wallace and two tavern-goers who drank away while chatting amongst each other. Her feet rested on a large wooden c.h.e.s.t decorated with an ostentatious coating.

"Hey… why do I always have to—"

"If you don't get over here right now. You had better prepare all the rent you owe me. Not to talk of the fee for the wine and meat…"

While Bricteva's words trailed off, Wallace rose to his feet with gusto. Before Igor or his drinking buddies could comprehend what was going on, Wallace was already standing beside Bricteva.

"Hahaha… So, what can I do for my favorite Inn owner?" Wallace asked, sporting a grin.

Bricteva rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Instead, she motioned towards the c.h.e.s.t, before pointing towards the tavern's exit. That was all the instructions Wallace needed. Saying nothing, he crouched slightly while rubbing his hands on the c.h.e.s.t's cold surface.

'Why is it so cold? Where did she even get a c.h.e.s.t like this? Hmmm... I wonder what's inside…'

While different thoughts filled Wallace's mind, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. Before he could utter a word, Bricteva's voice followed, "What the hell are you doing, laddie? I didn't tell you to c.a.r.e.s.s the f.u.c.k.i.n.g c.h.e.s.t. There's a carriage waiting outside, don't let em wait any longer."

'Damn it. How can a slap from this hag hurt so much? Let's get it over with. That bastard Igor will drink my rum if I don't hurry.'

With a quick motion, Wallace lifted the c.h.e.s.t from its circular handles. Just then, he felt the c.h.e.s.t tremble slightly.

'Huh? Did it just move? Wait… no way. Hahaha… maybe the rum is finally kicking in. How can this hag put something in there… hahaha… no way, right?'

While Wallace convinced himself what he felt earlier was because of his intoxication, the c.h.e.s.t trembled a second time.

'What the f.u.c.k is in this thing?'

Subconsciously, Wallace let go of the c.h.e.s.t, and it landed awkwardly on the floor. Owning to the impact from the fall, the latch of the c.h.e.s.t snapped opened. At that same moment, Wallace's eyes bulged as he hastily retreated.

"Look at the mess you've made… How am I supposed… F.u.c.k! Why did I have to… What are you standing there for? Come help me!"

Exasperated, Bricteva's voice slurred while she made a series of hand gestures. Her countenance had darkened, while her hands curled into a fist.

Just in front of where she stood, a purple liquid spilled out of the c.h.e.s.t. It filled the room with an aroma akin to the fragrance of fresh plums. Through the slightly opened c.h.e.s.t, Wallace could see several bloodshot eyes glaring at him.

'What the hell is she doing with Vihir rockfishes? Aren't they illegal in Dratol? Damn it. This hag had a delicacy like this and she fed me those spicy porridge…'

A sly grin slowly crept on Wallace's lips. Vihir rockfishes were one on Vihir's endangered species. In the eastern nations, they were considered as the finest and rarest delicacy, and it attracted a high fee in any nations black market.

Naturally, Bricteva did not miss Wallace's reaction.

"Hey! Don't even think about it. They belong to someone very connected in Dratol. Don't have any ideas about em. Do you think I'd risk my neck keep something like this here?" Bricteva said.

Her words doused the scam brewing Wallace's mind.

"Hurry, let's clean up this mess before the aroma attracts outsiders. Dratol's guards won't listen to any excuses. We would all be in a lot of trouble," Bricteva warned.

Wallace's expression sank. Without saying a word, he hurried to clean up the mess. Meanwhile, Igor and the two middle-aged men followed. Whether or not they had a hand in the matter wasn't relevant, because Dratol's guards would treat them as accomplices if they got wind of the rockfishes.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Wallace gazed at the gradually disappearing outline of a plain carriage. Instead of returning to the tavern, he reclined on a tree while gazing at the studded skies.

'I wonder how long I would have to stay in this place… If only I fled when Poole and the others did… No. I want am I thinking? Those bandits would have killed me if I did…'

Wallace chuckled as he slowly shook his head. He dipped his hands into his pocket, retrieving his trusty pipe. Within seconds, smoke filled the air. With different thoughts flashing through his mind, Wallace continued to gaze at the stars while drawing intermittent puffs from his pipe.

"Captain, you'll ruin your health if you keep on smoking that stuff."

A wry smile tugged at the sides of Wallace's lips as he heard the familiar voice.

"Boss, you're back. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," Wallace said.

His eyes scanned his surroundings, however, he couldn't find any trace of Adam.

"I won't be staying long. Is Bricteva or Igor home?"

"They're both home, Boss," Wallace said.

'Where the hell is he hiding?'

No matter how much Wallace searched he couldn't find Adam.

Just then, a chill went down his spine as he felt a tap on his shoulders.

"Thanks. Wait here for me. I have something to discuss with you."

"O-Okay, Boss. May I ask what…"

As Wallace's voice trailed off, he turned his head only to realized Adam had long since departed.

'What kind of Blessing does that guy have? Wait, that's not important now. What the hell does he want with me? Did I f.u.c.k up somehow? I can't remember doing anything wrong…'

* * *

"Has anyone seen Wallace?" Bricteva asked as she stared at Igor and his companions.

The trio shook their heads without paying her any mind; they were more interested in discussing wine and women.

'Those imbeciles. Where did that brat run off to?' Bricteva mused as she walked towards the tavern's exit.

The moment she reached for the knob, the door opened on its own, and a familiar face came into view.

"Were you going somewhere?" Adam asked while sporting a faint smile.

His sudden appearance drew the attention of the drinking trio at the other end of the tavern. While they stared at him, Adam also stared at them. Apart from Igor, he couldn't recognize the other men. However, he wasn't bother. Whether they were true customers or disguised underlings of Erik Gilmore didn't really matter to him.

"I thought you said you—"

"Yeah. I wasn't planning on come back so soon. Let's talk somewhere else. I have some questions that need answers."

Without waiting for Bricteva to gather her thoughts, Adam walked towards the door behind the counter. A moment later, Adam had disappeared behind the door leading to the halo chambers.

Igor and Bricteva shared a glance, but said nothing. Wasting no time, they followed Adam. Leaving the middle-aged men behind.

* * *

Seated opposite each other, Erik Gilmore stared at Adam who had his eyes closed. Since they entered the room, Adam hadn't said a word, which made them slight uneasy. Especially, when they thought of the many spies watching the tavern.

'He's the one that said he needed answers, yet he's not saying anything…' Igor mused.

Bricteva also had the same train of thought. However, unlike Igor, she wasn't that patient.

With an indiscernible gleam in her eyes, she gently tapped on the table, before saying, "So, Adam, what can we do for you?"

Adam slowly opened his eyes, meeting Bricteva and Igor's curious gazes.

"I won't waste your time any further. I have only one question to ask, and I would appreciate a thorough response. With that said, tell me what items one can use to determine if someone is telling a lie," Adam said.

For a split second, Igor's fist curled underneath the table. Meanwhile, Bricteva showed no reaction. Instead, she assumed a pensive demeanor.

"Adam, we would spend the next couple of hours here if we gave a detailed explanation. In fact, there are a myriad of such items. I believe you're more interested in items with the greatest efficiency. Am I right?" Igor asked.

'As expected. He knew what I wanted from the get-go.'

Saying nothing, Adam nodded.

After leaving Varidan Academy, he had visited Varidan's libraries and several information brokers. He wanted an explanation to the phenomenon he experienced in the mirror room. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't get the d.e.s.i.r.ed information from Varidan's libraries or the information brokers.

Adam knew that there was no way the information he sought after wasn't in Varidan's libraries; however, his registered rank limited what he could search for. And, he didn't expect Dratol's information brokers to know anything about Varidan's methods. If not that he wanted to be thorough, he wouldn't have bothered with them. He believed if anyone would know anything about Varidan methods, it was Erik Gilmore.

"That narrows it down, but before I answer, could you answer a question of mine?" Igor asked.

"Ask. If I don't deem it private, I will answer," Adam said.

His brows creased slightly as he stared at Igor, he wasn't expecting him to ask a question.

"I understand… To be honest, answering your initial question would be very difficult without more information. Because, depending on the organization, they could use different items for interrogation. If you don't mind, your question relates to Varidan Academy, right?" Igor asked.

He donned a faint smile as he stared at Adam. Bricteva who had been contemplating also stared at him in anticipation.

'This drunk hit the nail on the head… There's no point denying it right now. I doubt their reach would extend to Dean Hensley,' Adam thought.

With a gentle nod, Adam affirmed Igor's theory. At that same moment, the smile on Igor's face brightened.

"If it's Varidan Academy, then you would have to handle the truthseeker. Unfortunately, I know little about it," Igor said.

'Truthseeker? If you know nothing about it, then why the hell were you smiling as if you did? Damn it. At least now I have a starting point…'

Mid-thought, Adam heard Igor's voice again, "I may not know much about the truthseeker, but Bricteva is fairly knowledgeable on such matters."

A smile bloomed on Adam's lips as he heard Igor's words. Just then, Igor suddenly rose to his feet.

"I will leave you two to discuss. I have some other matters to attend to," Igor said.

Wasting to time, he walked into the darkness. Neither Adam nor Bricteva could see him nor hear his footsteps. It was as if he had just disappeared.

Unperturbed with Igor leaving, Adam focused his attention on Bricteva. And, she also stared at him.

"Adam, I would advise you not to do anything that would require Varidan using the truthseeker on you. Even if you have done something, it's best you admit it and save yourself the added punish of lying during the investigation. Unlike other items, the truthseeker has a 99.99% accuracy in determining a lie," Bricteva explained.

'99.99% accuracy? Then, doesn't that mean it's possible to beat the effect of the truthseeker?'

Adam's c.h.e.s.t thumped wildly as he stared at Bricteva. Although the odds of beating the effect was only 0.01, there was still a chance.

"Tell me more about the truthseeker. What does it look like? How does it know when one tells a lie? Since you said its accuracy is only 99.99, how can one escape its effects?"

Adam's eyes gleamed as he anticipated Bricteva's response. The events during the interrogation had left him confused and burning with curiosity. He didn't know or understand why Devourer activated, or what he devoured.

"The truthseeker is not a single item, rather it's a combination of two items. Mira mirrors and an essence crystal. To create a truthseeker, it requires four Mira mirrors and an essence crystal."

Bricteva suddenly paused, because she noticed Adam's eyes quiver when she gave the exact specification.

'That look tells me Varidan has subjected him to a truthseeker… if he's here, it means he told the truth…' Bricteva mused.

"Why did you stop? Answer the remaining questions," Adam said.

He could no longer hold his curiosity. Despite Adams demanding tone, Bricteva remained calm while sporting a faint smile.

"I would be a liar if I told you I knew the mechanism behind the truthseeker," Bricteva said.

Within seconds, Adam's expression darkened.

Just then, Bricteva followed up on her statement, "However, I have heard a little on the matter. From my sources, I was told the essence crystal emits a yellow glow when activated. Once activated, it emits an odorless gas into the air. It might take a while, but the gas gathers in the interrogatee's body. At that moment, the Mira mirrors activate, turning the essence crystal blue. At that point, no matter what the interrogatee does, there's no way to avoid the effects of the truthseeker. Pardon me, I am not a hundred percent certain on the authenticity of this information."

Adam's eyes gleamed as he stared at Bricteva, different thoughts filled his mind, and slowly his encounter with Dean Hensley began to make sense.

"From what you said, the only way to avoid the effects of the truthseeker is purging the gas, right?" Adam asked.

Saying nothing, Bricteva nodded.

"Have you heard of anyone purging the gas? Does the gas remain even after being interrogated?" Adam asked in quick succession.

"Although I have heard rumors, unfortunately, I haven't been able to verify them… for your second question, the answer is yes. Even after death, the gas would remain. Do you have any other question for me?" Bricteva responded.

Adam absentmindedly shook his head. With Adam saying nothing, Bricteva rose to her feet, while saying, "If that's all, I will leave you to your thoughts. If you need anything, I'll be in the tavern."

Wasting no time, Bricteva walked into the darkness. Unlike with Igor, Adam didn't bother to watch her.

'No wonder they left me in the room for so long… I would have been dead if Devourer hadn't activated…' Adam mused.

Initially, he thought the instructor purposely isolated him to score a psychological advantage before the interrogation. He didn't know the orb he deemed a mere illumination orb had been emitting and filling him up with gas. Although he found the Mira mirrors strange, he wasn't expecting them to play such a unique role.

[Establishing Connection to The Omen]

[Connection Established]

Name: Adam Staples.

Age: Seventeen.

{Race}

- Human.

- Demonkin (Plague).

{Stats}

Constitution: 11. Agility: 17. Endurance: 23. Luck: 2.5

Dexterity: 16. Strength: 19. Charisma: 10.

{Skills}

- Summoning.

- Illusion Inducement.

- Regeneration (Passive).

{Title}

- Manipulator.

- Illusionist.

- Devourer.

- Dominator.

- Slayer (Passive).

- The Hated One (Passive).

???

{Status}

Awakened!

{Omen Points}

- 0.

{Inventory}

- Cataclysm, Runed Blade of Delusions.

- Familairs (8/???)

- Transmission Crystal (1/1)

- Worn Half Mask (1/1)

{Level}

- C.

???

'Apart from my passive skills and titles, and Manipulator, my other titles and skills came after I merged with the demonic half. What kind of demon has so many abilities? And, if I remember correctly, it said it was only an underling of Korgrath. How powerful would that bastard be?' Adam thought as he glanced at the system's interface.

"Oh? Adam, you want to know more about me? Hahaha… If you promise to offer me a dozen sacrifices, I will tell you everything you need to know. Let's drink the blood of some maiden—"

"I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. I thought you only showed up when Devourer is activated?" Adam interjected.

"Hahaha… You remember what I told you that day, Adam? I can't wait for the day you'd beg me to take back everything I have given you. I'm always with you, Adam. Always!"

Adam's expression darkened as the demonic voice trialed off. There was no way he would forget the events that took place when he merged with his demonic half.

* * *

A few minutes earlier, Bricteva emerged from the halo chamber. Igor and the two middle-aged men who had been drinking, diverted their attention towards her.

"How was it? Where you able to discern anything useful from him?" Igor asked while swallowing a mouthful of rum.

"You might be right. I believe Varidan has found something about him. In fact, I'm eighty percent certain Varidan has used the truthseeker on him," Bricteva replied as she walked towards the men in light steps.

Igor's brows creased, meanwhile, the two middle-aged men continued to drink without a care.

'If he's here, that means he told the truth during the interrogation. I thought Varidan only used the truthseeker when they were confident of the other party being an enemy. If they let him go, why haven't they recalled their spies yet?' Igor mused.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Igor didn't know when Bricteva sat on the empty seat beside him.

"Forget about that brat for now. We have a more pressing issue," Bricteva said as she tapped Igor on the shoulder.

"Huh? What are you talking about? What could be more—"

"I'm talking about the matter with Wallace. What if he saw the—"

"Don't worry about him. Dotson and Decker made sure he saw the illusion of rockfishes. I'm certain he didn't see the actual contents of the c.h.e.s.t. If he had, I doubt he would have been able to talk casually like that," Igor said.

The two middle-aged men, Dotson and Decker nodded but said nothing.

"What if he was pretending? I think we should replace him with a sub—"

"Shush. What if those Varidan dogs are listening?"

Igor's right hand covered Bricteva's mouth while his eyes lingered on the tavern's window.

"Don't say that word for the foreseeable future. And, I don't believe that Wallace is that good of an actor. Maybe he can fool ordinary people, but he can't fool you and I. Don't forget about Dotson and Decker too. Do you think Wallace of all people could fool master illusionists?" Igor asked.

He slowly removed hand, but his gaze still lingered at the opened window.

"I know you're tensed because of the last few hours, but we can't afford to make a mistake. Our plan and lives depend on it. No matter what, we can't let Varidan get wind of our activities. If they do, eventually, it would make its way towards master's ears. We can't have—"

"Sheesh! I know. I know. Forget I said anything," Bricteva interjected.

"We don't have to do anything right now… Wallace will meet a natural end in the coming months. The poison we have been feeding him should kick in four months. Let's allow him to enjoy the small time he has left. Oh. That reminds me, Henry has departed for Vihir. Things are falling in place nicely for us. Once he's back, we will be one step closer to freedom," Igor said while sporting a teasing smile.

He passed the half empty bottle in his hand towards Bricteva who sported a brilliant grin. Saying nothing further, Erik Gilmore, Dotson and Decker laughed and drank.

Meanwhile, outside the tavern, Wallace continued to gaze at the stars. He reclined on the tree while drawning intermittent puffs from his pipe.

'I wish I had taken the second option. I would've been in Vihir right now...' Wallace mused as a faint smile donned his lips.