Within a well furnished room, akin to the interior of a luxurious tent, a young man sat behind his desk.
The interior was spacious and well-lit, the flickering glow of lamps casting warm pools of light upon the polished wooden floors. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, their intricate designs depicting scenes of prestige.
At the center of the tent stood a large, intricately carved table, its surface polished to a high sheen and strewn with maps and parchment scrolls. Ornate chairs stood in front of the table, as well as behind it, their plush cushions appearing inviting to any who ventured inside.
One chair was occupied, while the second remained vacant.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the tent was the large canopy that stretched overhead, its richly embroidered fabric literally oozing with energy.
All of these were ignored by the grinning boy who sat on the chair, his gaze unfocused as he listened to the words that came from a certain box that sat on his desk.
His dark hair, slightly longer than the average boy, swayed slightly as he tilted his head. His blue eyes warbled a little as he narrowed them, creasing his brow a little too.
"How surprising. So all of that really happened..." He whispered, his bald chin resting on a few fingers that rubbed against them.
"And how is everyone doing? Our classmates, I mean..."
As he asked this question, there was a brief pause. It seemed the person on the other end of this particular Communication Device was thinking about the appropriate response to give.
After a few seconds, though, the muffled voice emerged.
~Eric and Billy are dead. Rey and Alicia are unconscious. The rest of us are fine.~
As he heard this, a small smile spread all over his face. It seemed like the boy was pleased to hear what this spy of his told him.
'It could have been a lot worse...' His thoughts trailed.
"What of casualties? How many are dead?"
~It's been a few days since the incident. We calculated that about ten thousand people died. That's nearly ten percent of the total population. That's not even counting the many who are severely injured...~
"Okay, that's enough." The dark-haired boy sighed, a hand on his forehead as he closed his eyes.
His smile disappeared, and he nodded slowly.
"Well, I'm glad you're fine. Sorry about your--"
~It's fine. More importantly, what about what I told you? About Rey being Ralyks...~
"Ah, that..." The boy said, barely seeming fazed by what he heard. "Yeah, it's quite a surprise."
His expression seemed to say the opposite of what he uttered, and it seemed the one at the other end realized that.
~Did you already know? Is that why you told me to get closer to Ralyks, and also to watch Rey?~
"Whatever do you mean?"
~Be honest with me, Adrien! I've been nothing but honest with you!~
An angry voice echoed into the massive room, forcing none other than the sole person in it--Adrien Chase--to listen to all of it.
"...." He said nothing for a while, and then a small smile formed on his face.
It was a strange, twisted smile--one so crooked that it couldn't belong to a mere teenager.
"Our arrangement demands that you be honest with me. I am under no obligation to return that sentiment."
~I just...~
"Are we clear on that?"
~Y-yeah. Sorry for raising my voice.~
Adrien sighed, shrugging as he got even more comfortable on his chair. "Nah, its cool. As long as you know."
Once again, an awkward silence took over.
"I understand you are on edge. After the tragedy of the Dungeon, and now what happened in the Capital. It's a lot, I know..."
~Y-yeah. I just wish I could have done something. If only I-- ~
"Then our deal would be off. You understand that, don't you?" As Adrien said this sternly, the one at the other end responded in a stutter.
~I... I understand.~
"If it brings you any comfort, you shouldn't mourn over what happened in that Dungeon. The Adventurers there are most likely fine."
~They survived the Skeletal Dragon Lord?!~
"Yup!" He said with a flippant tone, jumping to his feet as he stretched his body a little.
Despite having such a casual manner of speaking, as well as a smile on his face, even Adrien had a few troubling thoughts of his own.
'It's quite strange, all of these occurrences...'
Narrowing his gaze while rubbing his chin once again, he began having an inner discussion with himself.
'After my business here was concluded, I planned on going to the Adventurers City--specifically the [Dead Zone] there--for my next step. I even wanted to use Jet as my name, since it's reminiscent of the strongest Adventurer there...'
It came as a surprise that someone with the same name had beat him to it. This 'Jet' character even had a partner named 'Lux', and they both caused quite the stir in the Conquest of the Grand Calamity Class Dungeon.
'It's so confusing. I have so many questions...'
Why did Adonis refer to them as Dragon Spies? What was the goal of Jet and Lux in the Dungeon?
'... And why did Rey and his partner decide to don that persona?'
If anyone would be behind the 'Jet' persona, it had to be Rey. They thought very alike, so it wasn't too surprising that he would choose the same name that Adrien was planning to go with.
As for 'Lux', that would be the partner he sensed at that time.
'It seems she's also grown quite strong...' Adrien smiled a little, wondering why so many things had to go out of sync.
'Still, knowing Rey, he wouldn't have abandoned those Adventurers. They're definitely safe, so there's no need to concern myself too much with that.'
~Is there anything else you want to say to me? I need to leave soon. It's almost time for us to reconverge with that arrogant bastard that calls Rey his Master.~
"Just endure it for now." Adrien chuckled. "You can't let anyone suspect anything."
~I will be careful. I always am.~
'Oh, I know you are. It's why I chose you, to begin with.' He smiled even broader.
"I wish I was present to witness all of this, though. From what you're describing, all those events seem pretty fun."
~Fun? You're kidding, right?!~
"Haha! Perhaps I am. Who knows…?"
~Are you saying you could beat it? The Divine Beast, I mean.~
"Pfft! No way!" Adrien laughed out loud. "What do you think I am? Some kind of Monster?"
~Well… I'm not sure.~
"It's just unfortunate that I'm on another continent right now, so I can't particularly show up and see things for myself right now."
~The important business that you have, right?~
"Yup! In any case, I'll be excusing you right now. Keep up the good work and make sure to put a smile on their faces for me. You're the class clown, after all."
~Yeah… I guess. Everyone needs some comedy at this point.~
"... True."
~BZZZT!~
Once the line disconnected, Adrien gave a heavy sigh, running his hand through his hair. There was a lot to think about, but he didn't even have the time for that.
"Yes? Do you need something?" Adrien's voice echoed in the air, almost as if he was talking to some form of invisible figure.
Then, from outside the tent, the voice of a lady emerged.
"Yes. The General wishes to see you."
"Ahh…"
Adrien swiftly moved, his youthful gait striding across the room until he came out of the exit.
Once he did so, he was met with a beautiful sky, the clear sun, and fresh breeze—all of which were dampened by the rock-
hard ground.
Nothing but dark, barren earth could be seen for miles.
"Right. Sorry for keeping you waiting." Adrien turned to the woman before him, giving his most charming smile to her.
Her stoic face showed no emotion. The three horns that protruded out of her forehead gleamed as her pink hair swayed from side to side.
This was a Commander, and the pinkish tail behind her, alongside the wings that folded behind her were more than enough to signify her race. Adrien was used to this, so he made sure not to stare too much. Instead, he walked closer to her and nodded in all readiness.
"Please… lead the way."
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Adrien Chase
- Race: Human (Otherworlder)
- Class: Necromancer (A-Tier)
- Level: 90 (78.54% EXP)
- Life Force: 30 (+3,000) [+4,000]
- Mana Level: 100 (+5,000) [4,000]
- Combat Ability: 50 (+4,500) [4,000]
- Stat Points: 445
- Skills (Exclusive): [Skill Creation]
- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Inventory]. [Necromancy]. [Greater Darkness]. [Grand Defense]. [Grand Spatial Magic]. [Grand Item Summon]. [Grand Healing]. [Greater Armament]. [Full Resistance]. [Full Boost]. [Equip Limit Break]. [Deep Insight]. [Absolute Magic Utility]. [Mind Touch]. [Absolute Combat Application]. [Anticipation]. [Absolute Magic Interference]. [Divine Persona]. [Command Code]. [Greater Luck]. [Pinocchio]. [Link]. [Miasma]
[See More]
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
[Additional Information]
A true mastermind. One who lurks in the shadows and causes others to do his bidding while laughing underneath his mask.
His goals remain a mystery too…
[End Of Information]
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[Conclusion Of Arc 4: The Grand Calamity Arc]
~Notice: Please Prepare Yourselves For Arc 5!~
[The Land Of The Elves Arc will now begin…]
PS: I hope you had fun in this Arc. If so, then we should enjoy ourselves even more with the upcoming one…
Cheers!
