Outworld: Awakening

Two hours later.

Absentminded, Adam unenthusiastically ascended the stairs leading to the tavern's main hall. He couldn't shake off the ominous foreboding that followed the demon's voice, coupled with the fact that Varidan still had their eyes on him. Ever since he left Wazar, coincidentally or self inflicted, one form of trouble seemed to have come his way. And, he knew even more trouble awaited him, especially when Vicar contacted him regarding his mission.

'There's no point thinking over something I have no control over…' Adam slowly shook his head.

With a gentle sigh, he pushed open the door leading to the tavern's main hall.

"Oh. I have missed you… you had us worried, Adam. I was just about to check if something had happened," Igor said, sporting a drunken smile. He could barely raise his head which lay amidst seven empty bottle.

"Don't mind his drunken ramblings, Adam. Like I said earlier, we're here if you need anything," Bricteva said.

Although she wasn't wasted like Igor, Adam could sense the slur in her voice, coupled with the fact that she struggled to keep her eyes open as she spoke. Only Dotson and Decker remained sober. Unlike Igor and Bricteva, they discussed with each other, paying Adam any mind.

"Oh. We have prepared your room, in case—"

"Thanks, but I don't plan on staying here tonight. Don't let me disturb you. I'll see myself out," Adam interjected.

Before Igor or Bricteva could retort, Adam made his way towards the tavern's exit.

"If that's what you want, then that's okay. You're always welcome here…"

As Igor's slurred voice trailed off, Adam made his way out of the tavern. Just then, the stupor which clouded their eyes disappeared into oblivion.

"Don't you find his timing strange? Why would he suddenly decided to move out?" Bricteva said.

She donned an ugly scowl as she stared at Igor. However, Igor nonchalantly downed a bottle of rum while muttering sweet nothing to himself. His reaction or lack of, only made Bricteva's features uglier.

A split second later, Dotson and Decker suddenly stood up, before assuming a kneeling position.

"Follow him, but not too close. Find out where he's staying and if he knows anything about us. If there's nothing out of the ordinary, withdraw. If otherwise, you know what to do."

With a gentle nod, Dotson and Decker heeded Bricteva's orders. Like a flame extinguished by a gentle breeze, the duo mysteriously faded into nothingness. Leaving Igor and Bricteva alone in the main hall.

"Hahaha… I can't imagine being the paranoid half. There's no way that brat found anything about us. If Master hadn't found out about our plans, how could he? Hahaha…" Igor teased as he downed another mouthful of his favorite rum.

However, Bricteva said nothing.

"C'mon, drink. Let's drink. You just sent Dotson and Decker on a meaningless mission. It's not everyday four out of the eight of—"

"What happened to not speaking too much? Do you know if someone is listening to our words?" Bricteva interjected.

Igor, on the other hand, laughed while slowly joining his hands together in apology.

"Once you're done, meet me in the halo chamber. Don't make me wait too long."

Saying nothing further, Bricteva walked towards the counter in light steps. Meanwhile, Igor continued to laying on the table with his eyes lingering on a half-empty bottle of rum.

'It's been ten years already… we have endured for so long, but our suffering will end soon. I'm tired of living apart from the others. Soon, we'll be whole again.'

Igor chuckled as he downed the remaining rum in the bottle. Wasting no time, he also headed towards the door leading to the halo chamber.

* * *

"Boss, you left me out here for a long time. I thought you had forgotten about me," Wallace said, donning a wry smile.

'Damn it! If I had known this bastard would take so long, I would have gone to Phoebe's place for a meal…'

When Adam told him to wait earlier, he wasn't expecting it to take over two hours. Although Wallace cursed Adam multiple times in his mind, he didn't dare to show any sign of anger or malice. He wanted nothing to do with the monster in front of him.

"Forgive me, Captain. I wasn't expecting my business with Igor and Bricteva to take so long," Adam said, donning an apologetic smile.

'Wow! Did he just apologize to me?'

Wallace wasn't expecting an explanation, not to talk of an apology. He stared at Adam wide eyed, with a hint of suspicion laced within his probing gaze.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning anything. You don't have to be suspicious of my intentions, Captain."

Adam chuckled as he stared at Wallace. If their roles was reversed, he too would have suspected Wallace had an agenda.

"Ummm… I wasn't suspecting you or nothing Boss. I was just surprised... so, what did you want to talk about?"

Wallace laughed nervously as he slowly scratched the side of his left arm. His eyes wandered in all directions, trying its best to avoid Adam's.

Just then, the smile on Adam's face disappeared and his countenance turned serious.

'Oh shit, I knew something was up.'

Fear and anxiety overwhelmed Wallace's heart as he stared at Adam. He was both curious and scared of what Adam would say.

"Hahaha… Relax, Captain. I actually have good news for you." Adam teased.

He had purposely put on a stern expression to make Wallace anxious. However, despite Adam's words, Wallace couldn't shake off his anxiety.

"Captain, aren't you tired of this place? Wouldn't you like to be free?" Adam asked.

'Uh? What the hell is he saying? Is this a trick question or some kind of test?'

Wallace couldn't mask his confusion as he stared at Adam sported a brilliant grin.

"Well… do you want your freedom, Captain?"

Again, Wallace remained silent.

'Is he trying to test my loyalties? If this is a test and I say yes, then he would know I thirst for my freedom. But, if this isn't a test and I say no, I would be trapped with this bastard for who knows how long… why the f.u.c.k do I always have to be in a dilemma like this?'

Wallace believed no matter which answer he chose, he would get the short end of the stick.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Wallace suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder. At that same moment, Adam's voice reached him, "Captain, don't overthink this. Knowing you, I believe you have already assumed the worst. I don't have any ulterior motives behind my words. I promise. Do you want to remain as my underling, or do you want to roam free and do as you please?"

For the first time, Wallace raised his head to meet Adam's gaze. As he stared into Adam's deep blue eyes, he couldn't sense an ounce of insincerity in them. At that moment, his thoughts cleared.

'He wouldn't have to go through all this trouble for someone expendable like me. He might actually mean it…'

Lost in his thoughts, Wallace chuckled as a smile donned on his lips.

"Captain, why are you staring into my eyes and laughing? Don't tell me—"

"He-Boss, no! It's definitely not that! I don't swing that way," Wallace interjected.

To his surprise, Adam burst out laughing while creating a mild distance between them.

"Boss, if you really mean what you said, then I would like to regain my freedom," Wallace whispered.

He lowered his head while his eyes darted around. His breathing quickened like that of a teenage girl awaiting the response of her lover. His legs wobbled slightly while he struggled to control his trembling hands.

'Why isn't he saying anything? Damn it. I shouldn't have said anything. It was a trick question all along.'

Each second Adam didn't respond felt like an eternity to Wallace. His lips trembled, as he tried to muster the courage to take back what he had said.

"B-Boss, I didn't mean to…"

Wallace suddenly paused as he heard a loud thump. Subconsciously, he raised his head.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Wallace muttered.

"Thank you for the hard work, Captain. From this moment onward, you can do whatever you want. Tell Igor to give you thirty percent before he returns the bag. He would understand. It's been a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, Captain. Farewell."

As Adam's words trialed off, Wallace stood in a daze gazing at the tavern.

'I'm free? Just like that?'

Wallace couldn't stop himself from laughing, tears streaked down his cheeks while he collapsed to his knees.

'Finally. I'm free. I never thought this day would come…'

"I'm free! I'm finally free!"

Wallace yelled with both arms raised into the air as tears streaked down his cheeks

"Shut the hell up, Wallace! Nobody wants to hear your ramblings!"

Wallace laughter echoed while he gave several fist pumps into the air. He didn't know or care who had spoken, but he couldn't hide his delight.

Meanwhile, a few meters away, two pair of eyes masked by the night watched his every move. However, they didn't linger; rather, they followed a youth who ran at a moderate pace.

* * *

[Potential Sources of Danger Detected]

'Again? Are they Varidan's spies or someone else's?'

Adam countenance darkened as he maintained his running speed. He had initially received the first system notification while discussing with Wallace.

'This can't be Varidan's spies. Dean Hensley wouldn't do anything contrary to Varidan's laws. A dean doesn't have that level of power in Varidan.'

He suddenly came to a stop in front of a roadside stall selling smoke fish and ch.i.p.s.

'If it's not Varidan's people, then who could it be?' Adam mused.

Unknown to him, the young man in charge of the stall had a beaming grin. He had only started his business, and Adam would be his very first customer.

"Sir, welcome. Could you sit for a moment? The fish isn't ready yet."

"Huh? Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't come—"

"Please, sir. It will only take a minute. I promise," the young man interjected.

His voice was borderline shaky while tears gathered at the corners of his gleaming eyes.

'What kind of situation is this? I don't have time for… no. Maybe this will work out for me.'

With a sudden realization dawning on him, Adam sat down on one of the four empty stools in front of the stall. Only a few inches separated him from the sizzling fish, roasting under the brilliant red charcoal. The combination of fat, condiments and season pervaded the air. Adam didn't know when his stomach rumbled in sync with the roasting fish.

However, he subtly observed his surrounding, slowly biding his time for when the unknown assailants would reveal themselves.

However, if they were Varidan spies, they would remain in the shadows. If someone else had sent them, Adam believed they would reveal themselves sooner rather than later.

'If I should draw a list of potential adversaries, then the rats should belong to either, Vicar, Erik Gilmore or Raventhorn. If it's Vicar's men, then it's unlikely they would reveal themselves. The same with Erik Gilmore's men. However, Raventhorn is a different scenario entirely…'

Absorbed in his thoughts, Adam suddenly heard a muffled thud, followed by the enthusiastic voice of the young man, "Sir, your food is ready. Please enjoy."

'Is this a little too much?'

A wry smile tugged at the sides of Adam's lips as he stared at two garnished fishes; one medium-sized and one large. With steaming hot ch.i.p.s on either side of the plate.

Adam looked at the plate and then the food vendor, and then the plate again.

"Sir, is there a problem?" The young man asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"Ummm… isn't this is a little too much?" Adam retorted.

"Not at all, sir. Tonight is our grand opening, and as our first customer, this is the least I can do."

'Oh. So, that's why.'

Adam nodded but said nothing. Slowly, he digged into the garnished dish.

Ten minutes later, only the bones of the fishes remained.

'Who would have thought such a talented cook was in a place like this. It's been long I enjoyed a random meal like this…'

Adam sat with a contented smile as he slowly drummed his fingers on the wooden surface of the stall. Apart from the food served in Varidan cafeteria, he had never tasted something so delicious.

"Ummm… Sir, can I ask for a favor?"

Adam slowly raised his head to meet the gaze of the food vendor.

"Ask. If it's within my power, I'll do it. By the way, how much do I owe you?"

Having devoured such a fantastic dish, Adam felt it was the least he could do. Meanwhile, the food devours countenance brightened, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sir, you don't have to pay. How could I collect money from a Varidan student? All I want is for you to tell your friends about my stall."

'Oh. He's smarter than he looks. If it's known that Varidan students frequent a particular stall, it's certain he would receive hundreds of customers daily. However, it's such a shame he met me of all people.'

Adam donned an apologetic smile while slowly shaking his head, before saying, "I'm sorry, I won't be able to help you with that. Someone like we will only invite the troublemakers. Here, you can have this."

Adam suddenly reached for his pocket, before retrieving a small golden coin. Saying nothing further, he placed the coin just before his empty plate. Just as he was about to stand up, the food vendor called out, "Sir, this is too much. As my first customer, it's on the house. Please, come back again."

"I won't insult your kind intentions by saying irrelevancies. Whenever, I'm in Dratol, I would surely come around," Adam said.

"Thank you, sir… ummm… sir, can you do me one more favor? I promise it's not something strenuous."

Saying nothing, Adam nodded.

"Sir, I have some posters in my home. Please, can you put them up in one or two noticeboards in Varidan Academy?"

'This guy doesn't want to miss this opportunity. Well, since it's not against Varidan rules, it's the least I can do for the free meal… wait, is this even a free meal at this point?'

Adam chuckled as he gestured for the young man to lead the way. Elated, the food vendor loosened his oil soaked apron before leading Adam towards his house—the old building directly behind the stall.

A few minutes later, Adam and the young man stood in a dusty, poorly lit room filled with mannequins of various shapes and sizes.

'What does a food vendor need mannequins for?' Adam mused.

As if sensing Adam's thoughts, the young man suddenly said, "Pardon the tardiness. I wanted to be designer when I was younger. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

Saying nothing, Adam slowly nodded his head. However, an indiscernible gleam covered his eyes. Meanwhile, the food vendor walked towards a small stack of posters covered in dust and cobwebs.

"Sir, I'm sorry. They are a little dusty," the young man said as he handed over five posters to Adam.

'Elliot's fish and ch.i.p.s… so, his name is Elliot…'

Adam could see the depiction of two smoked fishes and ch.i.p.s and the stall on the poster. It wasn't a brilliant poster, but it wasn't shabby, either.

[Potential Sources of Danger Detected!]

[Skill: Manipulator activated!]

"Thank you very much, sir. I don't know—"

Before Elliot could finish his statement, Adam suddenly reached for his neck lifting him into midair.

"Who the hell are you?"

The whites in Adam's eyes slowly turned black, while his blue irises glistened like lanterns amidst darkness.

"S-Sir? What are you talking about?" Elliot asked through bated breath.

Adam said nothing, instead, his grip around Elliot's neck tightened.

"S-S-Sir! Pl-Please don't—"

"Enough of your nonsense. Who the hell sent—?"

Before Adam could finish his statement, he felt an ominous sense of foreboding from behind. Instantly, he let go of Elliot while shifting to the side. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see two mannequin's fist in the spot he stood earlier. At that same moment, all the mannequins in the room shook while slowly opening their eyes.

Adam's gaze fell on Elliot, he too had turned into a mannequin and he shook like the others. Within seconds, Cataclysm appeared, while darkness slowly covered Adam's arms.

"Hahahaha… You really have good reflexes. I'm jealous…"

'Where the hell is he hiding? Is he posing as a mannequin? Or, is this an illusion? No. This can't be an illusion…'

Adam's eyes roamed the room as he searched for Elliot. However, only the vibrating mannequins came into view.

"However, you're still a little green. I wasn't expecting it to be this easy. I'm kinda disappointed," Elliot teased.

"Who the f.u.c.k are you? And who sent you? Are you from Raventhorn?"

"Raventhorn? What's that? Is it a bird, fish or something? Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time. We'll meet again," Elliot retorted.

Just then, a mannequin clicked its fingers. Before Adam could react, a barrier covered the room, turning the world within the barrier to a negative world.

'What the hell is happening?' Despite being at the center of the strange phenomenon, Adam didn't feel or sense any harm.

A five seconds later, the barrier suddenly disappeared, and the room returned to normal.

'Was that supposed to be an attack? I don't feel…'

Mid-thought, Adam suddenly noticed that one mannequin's body morphed. It's size shrunk, with white hair and skin suddenly forming on the mannequin. In that same moment, a familiar uniform covered the mannequin, and it opened it eyes. Revealing its deep blue irises.

'Are you f.u.c.k.i.n.g kidding me?' Adam thought as he stared at a doppelganger of himself.

"See you later, Adam… come find me when you have the time…"

As Elliot's words trialed off, Adam's doppelganger walked towards the exit of the room.

"Hey?! Where the f.u.c.k do you think you're going? What are you going to do with my… F.u.c.k! Why can't I move?"

Adam trembled as he struggled to move his body. When he tried to move his left leg, his ring finger moved. If he moved his ring finger, his right ear twitched. One did not need to tell him the previous negative barrier had disrupted his nervous system.

'Does this bastard think this is enough to keep me here?'

With Manipulator, Adam had full control over every aspect of his body. Ten seconds later, Adam had successfully reconfigured his nervous system. However, he dropped to his knees while his breathing turned heavy. He hadn't expected the task to leave him mentally fatigued.

'Damn it. I can't even lift a finger. Was he banking on me removing the effects of the attack?'

Just then, Adam could hear footsteps.

'F.u.c.k! This is not good. I can't do anything like this.'

Adam felt his heart tightened as the footsteps drew closer.

"I always seem to meet you in a pathetic situation. And, here I thought you would have grown a little."

'Is that? No… it couldn't be. How could he be here?' Adam's eyes widened as he stared at an approaching figure.