Shaya's Visit

Adam returned to the Bukor household just before curfew.

After a day without seeing Adam, Lina ran up to him the moment he arrived and hugged his leg.

Adam lifted her up in one swift motion.

"Adam, when you weren't home, Maggie did my hair, and it looked awful," Lina pouted, rubbing her head against Adam and messing up her hair.

"Lina, you only think about your brother Adam, don't you?" Maggie's voice came from the kitchen, causing Lina to stick out her tongue playfully.

"Alright, alright, I'll fix your hair right now," Adam laughed, placing Lina on a chair.

To Adam's surprise, as the sky darkened, there was a knock on the door.

Adam's expression stiffened. He hadn't sensed anyone approaching, but he pulled himself together and opened the door.

Standing before him was High Monk Shaya, supported by Laven.

"Just passing by, so I thought I'd drop in," Shaya said with a smile. "What, not welcoming me, Adam?"

"Of course, you're welcome, High Monk," Adam quickly replied, inviting them in. Only after hearing their footsteps did Adam realize something.

"Was that a divine spell?" Adam had sensed nothing before Shaya knocked, but afterward, he could feel their presence.

Thinking about this, Adam couldn't help but feel lucky. If he'd encountered someone like High Monk Shaya during his nightly outings, he'd probably be a pile of ashes by now.

Maggie and Aris were a bit uneasy with Shaya's presence, but his amiable nature gradually put them at ease.

"You're progressing quickly," Shaya remarked, noticing the spellbook on the table. His wrinkled face showed a hint of nostalgia as he complimented Adam.

"You flatter me," Adam tried to appear natural. Based on what he knew, he guessed that Shaya was not involved with the Elixir of Life and likely didn't know Anthony was still alive. Revealing this could jeopardize his spell studies.

Besides this, Adam had other concerns, such as whether Jin would come by and whether the High Monk would notice him.

He had also asked Jin to leave a mark at 17 South River Road for tonight's gathering of the exotics. If the High Monk stayed, Adam couldn't leave.

This could harm the credibility of "Mr. Riggs" and disrupt future plans. Adam maintained a calm expression, listening to Shaya's words.

"Alright, Adam, I'll be leaving now. If you have any difficulties, you can always find me at the church," Shaya said kindly. "Don't rush your mage training; I'll have Alvado keep an eye on you."

"Thank you, High Monk," Adam replied, then asked curiously, "Where's Monk Flera? I haven't seen him for a long time."

"Oh, he's not in Roya anymore. His teacher at the seminary needed him, so he took a month's leave," Shaya said, pleased with Adam's inquiry, which showed his gratitude.

"Flera's teacher is an ascetic, right? I heard he wanted to recommend Flera to a powerful ascetic," Laven added, knowing Flera from their time at the Saint Shining Seminary.

"I won't keep you any longer," Shaya said, standing up and pulling out a bag of nuts, placing it in the hands of a drowsy Lina.

The little girl perked up immediately, shouting, "Thank you, Grandpa! Come again, Grandpa!"

She got a playful tap on the head from Maggie for her excitement.

Adam forced a smile as he saw Shaya and Laven off. His family didn't notice the strange expression on his face: "An ascetic monk."

"This can't be a coincidence," Adam thought, recalling the perception he had touched upon during his bloodline awakening.

In hindsight, that person surely had extraordinary perception. Even if they couldn't come personally, they would quickly gather people.

"Is Flera one of those summoned? And he's seen me." Adam had fought Flera in his white wolf form. Although Flera hadn't seen his face, white wolves weren't common, so they would soon narrow it down to Roya.

"Time to speed things up?" Adam didn't say much to Maggie and the others before heading upstairs.

To his surprise, Jin was sitting on his bed, admiring Adam's first woodcut painting.

Adam had tried to salvage that painting, but it was still deformed and cracked, though at least it hadn't fallen apart.

"Relax, it's nighttime, my domain," Jin reassured Adam, noticing his questioning look. "If that old guy were in his godly mode, I'd stay far away, but now he's not in combat mode, so he can't detect me."

"Are you really at the Refining stage?" Adam couldn't help but doubt.

"I've told you, I'm a stealth specialist," Jin said, teasing a bird outside the window. "How do you plan to go tonight? Need my help?"

"Of course. It's not time to leverage the Rom family's power yet," Adam nodded. Although he had learned about the Elixir of Life from Anthony and knew Alva wouldn't make another, Adam wasn't ready to abandon his previous plan.

"I need to create a 'Longevity Elixir' somehow." With Jin's expertise in bloodlines, Adam planned to gather knowledge on common longevity methods and concoct a believable 'Elixir of Life,' using the Rom family's power along the way.

But Adam recalled sensing a presence in the carriage earlier, likely Matt upstairs. Soon after, he smelled Doug and others, probably going to judge Matt.

Doug would abandon his own son for the Elixir. If he didn't get it, he'd unleash his wrath.

Adam could escape unscathed, but...

Hearing the commotion downstairs, Adam closed his eyes. Survival required ruthlessness, especially for someone like him.

"Let's go! Time to get the disguise," Adam said, opening his eyes and addressing Jin.

Ever since assuming 'Adam's' identity, Adam knew he'd implicate the Bukor family whether he succeeded or failed. So, it was better to leave sooner.

"Being defined as victims is best," Adam thought, knowing that though they'd face some gossip, it wouldn't severely impact their lives. Being seen as accomplices, however, would lead them to the stake.

Clearing his mind, Adam quickly adjusted his emotions. No one could predict the future, but he could try to ensure the Bukor family was seen as victims.

Surrounded by black smoke, Adam transformed swiftly, becoming a white wolf. He leaped from the attic, heading for the hidden stash of the rogue monk's disguise.

Jin's black smoke enveloped him, not only masking his presence but also enhancing his speed and strength.

Silently donning the disguise and avoiding detection, Adam once again appeared on the second floor of House 17.

The black smoke condensed into a wolf-head tattoo on Adam's back.

"Can you hear me?" Jin's voice resonated through Adam's senses.

After Adam confirmed, Jin continued, "Though exotics have banded together in recent years, there are still conflicts among them. Tonight's lesson is about exotics."

"I'll inform you of each exotic's race, weaknesses, and countermeasures," Jin said.

Adam nodded, staying silent.

"Also, Nasir," Jin added, "I can't maintain this form for long, so pay attention. This teaching opportunity might be the only one."

His tone was calm, devoid of emotion.