Outworld: Awakening

Later that day.

Dusk had descended on Targarth, and all Adam could see was an endless sea of clouds and the brilliant moons. He reclined on his seat with his chin rested on his hand. His eyes had returned to normal, and he had a more relaxed demeanor. Unlike before, he had stopped receiving the system's warning notifications.

"Hey? How long are you going to stare? Are you hoping to see a fairy or what?"

Adam lazily turned to the side, only to see X cheerfully stuffing her mouth, albeit ungracefully, with different tantalizing dishes.

'How can someone so small eat so much? Where does it all go?' Adam couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he glanced at X's c.h.e.s.t.

"Oh? I knew you were a perv all along… Hahaha…" X quipped as she tore through a well-garnished meat.

"Who said I was looking? Well, that's not important. There's something I need to ask you." Adam slowly shook his head as he watched X devour her food.

"Don't talk to me now. Can't you see I'm busy here? And, who said I was talking with you?"

Ignoring Adam, X continued to devour the plates in front of her without pause. Unlike her graceful and fragile appearance, she ate like a barbarian of old.

"What's the relationship between The Scavengers and Mxy—" X quickly placed her oily hands around Adam's mouth, while her eyes scanned the booth. "Are you insane? Don't call those names here," X whispered, still cautiously observing the room.

Just then, Adam flicked her hands away from his mouth. Unfortunately, oil had already covered the sides of his mouth and part of his nose. X, on the other hand, wore a cheeky smile as she saw results of her actions.

'Hehehe… I was too slow. I should have put some on his clothes, too,' X chuckled while innocently l.i.c.k.i.n.g her fingers, much to Adam's fury.

"Why can't—"

"I keep thinking about. But, why did those beasts suddenly go berserk? And how did you escape such a wild horde? There's also the question of how you randomly popped up back then," X interjected, while cleaning her hands with a special towel.

No matter how she thought about it, the events in Celsa made no sense to her, especially the actions of the beasts. That Adam could survive such a horde unscathed surprised her, coupled with the fact that he appeared just after she had killed Kuura; made her believe he had been there all along.

"I honestly don't know what happened to those beasts… maybe they were on heat or something," Adam shrugged as he slowly shook his head. Meanwhile, X narrowed her eyes as she stared intently at him. From the looks in her eyes, Adam knew she didn't buy his nonsense, however, he didn't care.

"So?" X urged Adam to proceed with her other questions.

"So what? There's nothing to say, really. As an Illusionist, what more could I do other than run? I ran, hid, and ran more. I'm not proud of saying it, but I didn't want to die. Lastly, I knew you could take that guy. So, there wasn't any point in interfering. Are you satisfied now?" Adam lazily stared at X with a faint smile.

X, on the other hand, stared blankly at Adam. Her lips trembled while her eyes quivered ever so slightly.

'This bastard! Does he think I'm a kid? He's not even putting any effort to his lies…' X hands curled into a fist, however, she restrained the urge to break Adam's jaw.

"Why are you glaring at me like that? Are you angry again? If our positions were reversed, I'm sure you would have done the same, right?" Adam teased as he causally wiped his face a second time.

'So, he wanted to see the extent of my abilities… Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. Don't let him rile you up…' X chanted the same words in her mind over and over. However, that Adam wore a smug grin tested the extent of her patience.

Unlike most people, she understood the hidden meaning behind Adam's words. Although she would never admit it, she agreed with him.

"X, can you answer my question now? Or, do I need to order you?" Adam said, donning a faint smile.

"You're a real asshole. You know that, right?" X retorted.

"Of course. I learned from the best. You can't avoid being one if you want to live long in this world," Adam nodded while smiling confidently.

'Urgh! Why did they have to send someone like this?' X couldn't hide her fury as she stared at Adam. 'At least he's better than the last one… Damn it. I didn't want to think about that creep.' X shuddered slightly while drawing deep breaths.

Meanwhile, Adam silently watched from the side. A moment later, X regained her calm. Staring intently at Adam, she assumed a serious demeanor, "You have to be careful with your words. We don't want anyone to associate us with those guilds, especially Mxyrath. Among the dark guilds, they have the vilest reputation. Anyone associated with them won't last a week if exposed."

'Huh? Their reputation is even viler than The Eight Gates? What the hell did they do they gain such a reputation.' Adam couldn't hide his disbelief as he stared at X.

"What did they do to attain such levels of infamy?"

"Why don't you know that? If they didn't send you over, I would believe you're some kind of idiot. If you don't have enough information, you won't last in this murky parts of the world," X scolded.

However, Adam dismissively waved her concerns, much to X's ire.

"The hate for them isn't because of what they did; rather, it is because of what they are." X explained.

'What they are? What does at mean?' Adam couldn't hide his confusion as he stared at X, however, he said nothing. He silently awaited her explanation.

"Have you heard of a race know as the Xyrath?" X asked.

Instantly, Adam shook his head; admitting his ignorance.

"I thought as much. I'm sure there are millions just like you in that regard. The Xyrath is a race that should be extinct by now." X suddenly cleared her throat, before taking a drink from a nearby cup. "The largest member of the Xyrath ever known was only five inches, and—"

"What? Five inches? You're not bullshitting me, right?" Although Adam dismissively glared at X, his eyes beamed with curiosity.

"I had the same reaction, too. Most of those bastards are even smaller than that. For some, it isn't even possible to see them with our eyes. In their natural state, they aren't a threat to any being, and they die within a year of their birth. However, if they encounter a being from a different race, that's another matter entirely." X explained.

"What was the first race they encountered, and what happens when they meet one?" Adam already had an inkling of where the Xyrath's history would head.

"Factually, I don't know. However, the first ever Xyrath was discovered in the corpse of a farm bull. However, it was no ordinary bull. It weighed six times more than an average bull, while having a hide thicker than some metals. I'm sure you know what means, right?"

'They are parasites?' Adam mused.

"It induced the bull's evolution." Adam gasped while gathering his thoughts.

"You're right. The Xyrath enabled the bull's evolution, to aid it survival. Unlike other Xyraths, it survived for three years. However, that was just the beginning." X paused again, taking another gulp from her cup.

"Over the years, it had i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed hundreds of cows, hence transferring a part of itself. Upon its death, its dormant offspring activated, causing the evolution of their hosts. They killed the owner and hundreds of people in the town. It took the efforts of some passing Awakened to end their terror, or so they thought.

"One Xyrath escaped the confines of its host and hid in the armor of one Awakened. If one Xyrath could transform a normal farm bull to something comparable to beasts in a dungeon, what do you think would happen when the host his a human, and an Awakened at that? Long story short, that single Xyrath started the scourge that would birth Mxyrath.

"A long time ago, the Xyraths infiltrated the upper echelon of our organization, almost bring us to our knees. Since then, there has been a standing order from every Pope to eradicate any Awakened suspected to be a Xyrath offspring." X paused again, this time to enable Adam process her explanation.

'As if this world wasn't dangerous enough. Now, I might have to deal with parasites.' Adam remained silent while pondering on X's words.

"If you see anyone bragging to be a member of Mxyrath, don't show them any mercy. If you leave them be, they would rain terror eventually." X nonchalantly glanced at Adam while arranging her clothes.

"How do you differentiate an Awakened possessed by a Xyrath from a normal Awakened?" Adam asked, his head remained lowered, however.

"If such a method existed, they would have been extinct by now." X slowly shook her head while taking another sip from her cup. "Apart from that rapist bastard, I have only heard of another Xyrath Awakened. Now that I think about it, that bastard was also a rapist, too. And, an infamous one at that. The funny thing is that he was a member of our organization, and I knew him," X added.

"Huh? How did he meet his end?" Adam suddenly raised his head, staring intently at X.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. It happened three years ago. According to what the people in Biamal—"

"Wait. Did you just say Biamal?" Adam interjected, unable to hide his rising curiosity.

'Does he have any relationship with that town? Maybe this is a good chance to get some information about his origin…' Adam's reaction startled X a bit, however, she quickly regained her calm.

"Ummm… yeah. What is it to you?" X said, causally staring at Adam.

"What did the inhabitants say?" Adam replied with a question of his own.

'Figures. I expected nothing in the first place,' X donned a wry smile while taking another sip from her cup.

"Well, according to them, someone drugged the rapist. Before he woke up, they tossed him into Wazar Canyon…"

'I was still in the canyon during that period. I didn't see anyone while I was there. Vicar would have

definitely seen something… he might have even orc.h.e.s.trated the whole thing.' Adam mused.

"...According to them, it was a prison for hundreds of demons… hahaha… You know what's funny?" X suddenly paused.

'What's wrong with him? Why did he suddenly become restless?' X narrowed her gaze as she observed Adam's strange reaction.

"Hey? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Yes… what's funny?" Adam replied, his mind obviously somewhere else.

"Hmmm… I feel they might have drugged an innocent person and sent him plunging to his death—"

"Why do you think so? Didn't they retrieve the corpse after?" Adam asked.

"What's wrong with him? Is this something to get anxious about?' X didn't know why Adam suddenly became a nervous wreck.

"He had a unique ability. He could alter his body, face and voice as he pleased. Coupled with the fact that he could control small objects, like daggers and pebbles, as long as it was within ten meters of his position. Since he could alter his face, it's not far-fetched to believe he r.a.p.ed someone with a false identity. Leaving the poor bastard to suffer the consequences… Meanwhile, we searched for his corpse in the canyon; however, we found nothing. Not even bones. It's not unsurprising, though. The Wazar Canyon is, after all, home to some strange beasts. We—huh?"

Just then, X felt an overwhelming pressure weigh her body down. Cold sweat covered her forehead, and she found it hard to breathe. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see black tendrils covering Adam's arms, and extending all the way to his neck. Her heart thumped wilder as she saw Adam's hair slowly turn white while his eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

'What the hell is this? Why is this bastard using an illusion now? This isn't good. My head feels…' Unable to suppress the pressure from Adam's Omen, X passed out on her seat.

[Title: Devourer activated!]

"Hahaha… I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Who would have thought she would be the one to trigger your memories? Let's calm down, Adam. There's some we can't afford to offend on this ship.... Hahaha..."

[Memory Synchronization Enable!]

[Beginning Memory Synchronization…]

[Memory synchronization Completed!]

Adam felt as if someone had split his head open, and memories he had long forgotten poured into his mind. At that same moment, however, Adam heard a knock.

"Pardon the intrusion, this is your conductor. Please open the door."