Chapter 252: Welcome Back

The first thing he noticed when his consciousness returned was the smell. A smell that reminded him of home, it was one that he found hard to describe but that was warming his insides and leaving his mind at peace.

The second was the softness beneath him, his body resting on a mattress that felt like a white cloud had been fished out of the sky and tucked into sheets.

For the briefest of moments, he thought he was back. He had returned to his simple bed in his world, and in a few moments, he would hear his mother's high-pitched voice shouting that breakfast was ready. He would come downstairs and see his mother, father, and brother eating breakfast at a table that was not meant for four people...

As soon as that happy thought came, he crushed it.

His eyes opened, and he looked up at the somewhat familiar wooden ceiling—not at all similar to the black-beamed ceiling and red shingles of his room. Adryan stood for a few moments like that, staring silently at the ceiling without blinking, just staring at the ceiling with a serene gaze.

After what was easily 10 minutes, he sat up in bed. The thin sheet that covered him slid down his bare chest until it rested in his lap, a simple pair of brown trousers covering it.

His hair followed the sheet and fell across his forehead, covering his eyes and making all he could see red. He reached up with his left hand and brushed his hair off his forehead, noticing in passing that it had grown longer and shinier.

Looking at his palm and arm, he noticed the same: smooth and soft skin, without any imperfections, and completely free of hair. He ran his soft hand over his chin and did not feel the early stubble.

Letting out a soft sigh and lowering his left hand to his lap, he finally brought his attention to his right arm.

From his right shoulder to his fingertips, the entire arm was wrapped in thick white bandages. This caused a delicate red eyebrow to raise slightly.

Since he had regained consciousness, he had not felt the bandages.

Without moving his arm, he looked at the rest of his body, lifting the sheet to see the underside. No wounds in sight, just healthy pale pink skin. It seemed that all the wounds he had suffered had healed.

His lips pursed imperceptibly. The knowledge that his wounds had been healed brought him no comfort, only bitter memories. 

Returning his attention to the only part of his body that was bandaged, his left hand reached up and grabbed one of them, ready to see what was underneath. He didn't feel any pain in his arm, rather, he couldn't feel anything from his arm so it should be okay to see a little bit of the damage.

"I wouldn't recommend that Princess. Unlike your body, your arm is not a very pleasant sight." His hand froze at the familiar voice, his eyebrows raising momentarily.

"Flora?"

"Hum. Who else would it be? Your mum?"

"...How long have I been unconscious?"

"Since I woke up with you in that alley... Hummm... About 18 hours, it's now 8:26 in the morning on Friday the 17th of August.

"Honestly, I thought you'd be gone longer. I'd almost bet on that."

Adryan took a few minutes to digest his companion's words. His brow furrowed slightly, his eyes in deep thought.

"...How?"

It was just a word, a simple question, but it carried the great doubt that weighed the redhead down.

Anyone else would have asked what he meant. Failing to understand the question and asking for a more detailed explanation.

 Flora was not one of those people. She understood immediately what was the doubt that weighed on her redhead.

So, with a slight sigh, she replied, "I don't know, Princess. After stealing the candy from that amorphous thing, I had to sleep for months to recover, not just a few minutes. I'm as much in the dark as you are on this."

Giving a weak nod, Adryan looked at his bandaged arm for a few moments before sighing. Using that same arm, he pulled the sheet off his back and stood up.

He then began to stretch his arms and body, to his surprise, finding that he felt no discomfort or fatigue. Something that caught his attention.

Squinting his eyes in suspicion, Adryan approached the only table in the room. He then began to carefully unwrap his arm.

"Don't say I didn't warn you~" Flora chirped in his ear, and Adryan could imagine a small worm rolling its eyes while wearing a silly painted-on grin.

After a little while of undressing his arm, the redhead could finally see it naked with a simple expression. His eyes slightly closed and his lips pursed.

"At least this stayed..." he mumbled as he turned and examined the bizarre scene in front of him.

His arm had not changed since he last saw it. Huge, hairline black cracks completely covered the pale skin. Now that he could see better, they were more similar to spider webs than dry dirt.

These cracks stretched all the way down his arm, from his shoulder to his fingertips, an eerie and sinister black web that caused shivers to run down his spine at the mere sight of it.

Turning his hand over several times, clenching and unclenching his fist, twisting and wiggling his fingers. Adryan's expression only grew grimmer, something that caught the attention of Flora who had been watching the scene curiously.

"And here I thought that when you woke up, you'd be screaming and crying in pain like a little nanite. But, of course, your pain tolerance is disgusting. I'm sure that's nothing more than a tickle to you." Flora finished with a giggle.

If her arm looked half as bad as Adryan's, she's sure she'd be doing that and more-.

"I don't feel a thing."

Those words were like a bucket of cold water to the demigoddess, "What do you mean by that? You can move your arm! You must be able to feel it!" 

Sigh...

Shaking his head, Adryan began to wrap his arm back up skillfully but at a somewhat calm pace. '"Just because I can move it doesn't mean I can feel it; if I wasn't looking at it, I'd think I'd lost my arm," he said.

"This is the price of having abused the resurrection process... Ha, it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

He could still use his arm; the only problem was that he couldn't feel it.

"Considering how useful it was. One arm is a con!" unable to help himself, a small chuckle escaped his lips.

It only stunned and infuriated the Jacob more.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Adryan?! That's all you have to say?! That it's just one arm?! You're sick!

"Don't you realize what it means?!"

"You can no longer feel cold or heat, you can no longer feel the touch of a loved one, you can no longer feel the coolness of the water on a summer day... If it weren't for the fact that you can still move your arm, you would be one-armed!"

Adryan remained silent, letting his companion finish her part before saying anything.

"I can still grab, squeeze, punch, and throw. I may not even feel it's there, but I can still use it.

"Flora, think of the madness we did. That was none other than a mission of no return, death being the safest thing for us.

"That we not only survived but won was not by a miracle or the grace of the gods. It was by our cunning, wit, and tenacity. Because we were willing to sacrifice everything.

"Think of the lives we saved. We saved the world, Flora. My arm is insignificant compared to everything we accomplished."

"Besides, if I did nothing. The apocalypse would start, and then we'd be in trouble. No matter how you look at it, there was no other choice."

"..." A long, heavy silence filled his mind. Surely, Flora was processing his words, and he would give her space.

Finally, after another 4 minutes. Flora spoke in a heavy, tired voice, a hint of sadness in every word.

"...So you're going to tell me you're not upset at all?"

Adryan snorted and shook his head. "Of course I am! If I hadn't missed my first core attack, I could still feel my arm. You could say this is the price I paid for missing the first time."

"... How much more do you think you have to pay before the world is satisfied? If this happens again, what will you give up next time? Your other arm? Or one of your legs?

"Engrave these words, Adryan Kenway, engrave them deep in your soul.

"Don't throw your life away so easily. When you lose your will to live and are willing to die to win, that's when you really lose yourself."

Adryan found himself shocked for a few long moments. Flora's words hit deep inside him, a stab to the heart. His emotions flared for an instant, but he managed to barely contain them. He couldn't help but raise his lips into a fond smile.

Recovering, Adryan let out a slight chuckle, "I didn't know you were such a poet, Miss Worm. If you keep using your old lady charms, I'll fall in love with you in no time~"

"...This is not the time..." Flora replied after a few seconds, a slight trace of embarrassment in her voice. It seems she had realized that she had put more emotion and intensity into her previous speech than she wanted to.

"Hehe. If you had a body, I'd give you a kiss on the forehead with how cute you are~ You hardly even look like a fossil with your shyness." 

If she had a body, her cheeks would be red." Go eat dog shit, Princess. It's wrong to tease a lady like that, you know?"

Footsteps reached his ears behind the closed door of the room, a mischievous idea popped into his mind, and a teasing smile was born on his face.

"Oh, but I'm not teasing Miss Worm~ I may be teasing you a lot with your age, but let me tell you a little secret~" Licking his lips and sensually squinting his eyes, Adryan slurred the words masterfully, sending shivers down the Jacob's spine. Using his spirituality, he heated his mouth, and a cloud of steam came out, accompanied by heavy breaths.

"I've always preferred my women to be older than me~"

"Adryan!?" Flora exclaimed in complete embarrassment. The demigoddess found her non-existent heart was about to burst.

That was too much! Her mind was spinning! What a bloody misguided son of a-

How dare he make her heart beat that fast! And she wasn't old!

Yes, she may have been over 200 years old and older than Emperor Roselle himself, but she was still young! 

She had been insulted again! Then why! Why...

Why did it feel so good for him to say that?!

He did it again!!!

Criiiick Crash!

Leaving his companion in her embarrassed ramble, Adryan turned calmly towards the wide open door and the woman in the doorway who had tossed a tray with a cup of medicine and ground herbs onto the floor. Adryan greeted the crimson-eyed woman who had begun to cry, giving her a small smile.

"Hey, long time no see Opera. You look good."

Thick tears fell from the woman's red eyes, causing them to glisten slightly under the lamplight giving an air of innocence. The woman blew her stuffy nose and put her hands to her face to try to wipe the tears away but they wouldn't stop.

 "Sniff* Ja-sniff- Adryaaannn! sniff*' the woman cried loudly, frozen in place and trembling.

"Haaa... Come here, little one." Shaking his head with a gentle smile, Adryan walked over to Opera and gave her a hug, due to the height difference between the two he wrapped his arms around her head. Opera didn't lag behind and wrapped her arms around his waist while still sinking her face into his chest.

"I was so scared..." the woman sobbed, and Adryan merely stroked the Planter's soft hair.

"It's alright. It's alright, I'm here." Adryan comforted with a sweet, gentle smile. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as rapid footsteps, some light and some heavy, came rushing towards them.

Turning and looking at the frozen newcomers. Adryan gave them a toothy grin as he winked.

"What's up, brats? Did you miss me?"

TapTapTapTapTapTap! Pam!

"WAAAAA!" Looking down at the head of curly brown hair hugging his leg so tightly that her knuckles turned white, Adryan could only let out a giggle as he carefully stroked that hair.

'I'm happy, her hair is softer and smoother than last time. She must be eating and resting well.' 

As if carrying his thoughts, Jerry raised her head and looked at him with reddened grey eyes and puffy cheeks. She looked like a little mouse with full cheeks.

 At such a tender image, Adryan could only smile apologetically, "'I'm sorry to have worried you so much."

"Hum! You better!' Jerry murmured as she sank her face back into her hero's leg and let him continue to stroke her head gently.

Looking up at the last three remaining, Adryan winked at them." Well? Won't you join in the embrace?"

"Not even in your dreams, Boss." Charlotte grunted as he walked up to Adryan and slapped him hard on the back. Ignoring the sting in his hand and swallowing his groan of pain, the young man gave a small smile to his leader.

"Welcome back."

Winking at the young man, Adryan turned to look at Pugilist Sasha, who had moved to stand in front of them. She had a serious look in her green eyes.

But to Adryan and Charlotte who knew her, both could see that glint of mischief. For that very reason Charlotte tried to escape, but the giant's muscular arm was quicker.

Adryan, for his part, let himself be grabbed with a sideways grin.

Pulling the quartet to her chest in a powerful bear hug, Sasha let out a loud cry of joy accompanied by a laugh, small tears streaming down her eyes.

"I WAS SO WORRIED, CAPTAIN! DON'T EVER SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN!!!"

With each word, she tightened her embrace but was always careful not to hurt the little ones. Adryan laughed at Sasha's words and gave a toothy smile.

"And miss a good dance? Nah" the red-haired man replied dismissively as his scarlet eyes moved to the end of the hallway where a figure was watching the whole thing half-hidden. 

He had heard her earlier but hadn't commented.

'Ou? What is she doing here?' Recognizing the figure, his eyes moved questioningly to Father, who understood the message and gave a discreet nod.

Letting out a grunt, Sasha continued the embrace for a further 15 seconds before blurting out, "Always like that, Captain. You're crazy, you know?"

"And you love me for that." Was the red-haired man's short reply.

Father Utravsky looked at him calmly, his expression showing no change except for the gentle little grandfatherly smile. 

The mountain of a man extended a clenched fist towards him." Blessed be Mother Earth that you were able to return safe and sound, Mr. Kenway."

Raising his left arm, the Conspirator bumped fists with the giant with a sideways smile. "Thanks for taking care of me; very nice beds, by the way. I almost didn't want to get up."

The big Father smiled at the red-haired man and nodded, "Would you like something to eat, Mr. Kenway? We were just about to have Miss Opera's breakfast. Or you can go back to rest if you like, and we'll talk when you wake up."

"I'll have breakfast, Father. I haven't eaten in days, so you better watch your plates, as I will have no shame in stealing your food." Adryan commented with a wink. His nearly empty stomach could fit a horse if he put his mind to it.

Opera chose that moment to finally detach herself from the red head's shoulder, she looked embarrassed as she had soiled the shoulder with her tears and some snot but even after the red head's words who didn't make a big deal of it she still looked very embarrassed.

"Breakfast is scrambled eggs and coffee. Thanks to Miss Sasha always asking for seconds, I usually make more than we need, so there should be plenty for you," Opera said somewhat sheepishly as she grabbed a broomstick from the room and began to clean up the plate she had broken earlier.

"Hey! Just so you know, what I eat is completely normal!" Sasha defended herself somewhat indignantly. 

"You eat like you're going to die the next day, Sasha. Don't deny it." Adryan commented nonchalantly as he used a rag given to him by Charlotte to wipe his dirty shoulder.

Sasha's expression grew even more indignant, and she placed a hand on her chest as if she had been injustice slapped. "Captain?!"

"Thank you, by the way. Here," Thanking the Melee Scholar for the rag and handing it to the aforementioned, Adryan ignored the giantess' drama.

"Don't worry, Boss..." With some disgust, the young man grabbed the rag with his fingertips and disappeared into the hallway to go wash it.

Smiling at the retreating man, Adryan returned his attention to the mountain in front of him.

"Hey, Father. Bathroom's free, isn't it? I'd like to take a shower before eating." 

Glancing for a few seconds at the red-haired man, Utravsky gave a slight nod.

"Go ahead, Mr. Kenway. The bathroom is stocked with hot water, soap, shampoo, and fresh towels. I'll bring you a change of clothes while you use it.

"The bathroom is down the hall, last door on the right.' 

Smiling at the father, Adryan nodded. "I appreciate it. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Shaking his head gently, Father looked into the shorter man's scarlet eyes earnestly. "It's the least I can do after what you did."

"Oh? So you've already given a report on that?" 

Utravsky nodded, "I received the official report a few hours ago. The report that was given to the public was different."

Nodding at his words, Adryan looked down from the father's eyes to the hair still hugging his leg.

"Jerry, can you please let go?" the redhead gently asked as he gently stroked the girl's hair.

After a few seconds, and reluctantly, the youngest in the group let go of her hero's leg. Her head lowered as she looked down at the ground.

Letting out a soft sigh, Adryan knelt on one leg and placed both hands on the little girl's shoulders. "I'll be right with you for breakfast. Why don't you save me a place by your side, and in return, I'll tell you what I saw while I was out. How about that?"

At such a proposition, Jerry's head went up in a blur, and the little girl's grey eyes sparkled with excitement. "Deal!"

Turning around, the Half-Espectator ran and disappeared down the hall towards the kitchen, being closely followed by Sasha. Opera followed them as soon as she finished placing the broken pottery in the trash can to prepare the extra plate.

The red-haired man watched as they both left, the cloaked figure disappearing as soon as they crossed the corner. He could hear them talking, but that was not the focus of his attention.

Alone now, both men looked into each other's eyes. The first to break the silence was Adryan.

"How did I end up here?"

"A young lady found you in an alley two streets away from the Church and it was she herself who notified us that you were there. She had the sharp mind to separate one of us to tell us in private. Sasha was the one who brought you here through the back door while Opera treated your arm."

"I had no other injuries, nor was I with someone else?"

"You were in perfect health. The only wound we found was the one on your arm that no matter how many times we tried, we couldn't treat it. And you were alone when we found you."

"I don't hear anyone else in the church. Where are all the wounded?"

"The more serious ones were taken to hospitals to get better help while the healthier ones went back to their homes to check the damage. The rest were taken to bigger churches because we lack the capacity to treat them accordingly"

"I should have had a jet stone with me when you found me. They are the characteristics of a Devil I killed. Where is it?" 

At the sudden information, Father paused his quick reply and looked for a few seconds at the red-haired man. His eyebrows slightly raised in surprise at his revelation. After a few seconds, the man spoke.

"...When Sasha went to retrieve you, she also found the stone, but she had no means to seal it, so she took it away from you. I went to retrieve it when she told me about it and sealed it in a small container. I will deliver it to you along with your clothes in the bathroom."

"Is there anything I need to be aware of or anything I should know?"

Instead of answering, the Father reached into his robe, pulled something out of it, and handed it to the red-haired man.

"I wouldn't go outside the Church if I were you."

Squinting, Adryan took the object, a newspaper, and read the front page. His eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but squeeze the paper tighter, crumpling it.

"That's quite a few zeros..." Flora commented in a bit of a daze, looking at the issue that carried almost the entire front page.

Processing what he was reading, Adryan let out a soundless sigh, folded the paper, and looked with a raised eyebrow at his father.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Red Poppies and red candles I could borrow, would you? I like to bathe with some ambiance and would prefer to be comfortable in my first shower in days." 

This was an Earth Mother Church, and it wouldn't be too crazy for them to possess those flowers.

'Besides that, Opera is a Planter. I'm sure they have a garden somewhere.' Adryan thought calmly as the Father looked at him as if he had sprouted multiple heads.

After a few seconds, Utravsky finally recovered, "...I'll bring them to you in a moment..."

'Yep. Secret garden.'

A while later...

After locking the bathroom door and placing the folded clothes, small container, flowers, and candles on top of the toilet, Adryan stood in the middle of the medium-sized bathroom with the newspaper in his bandaged hand.

<HUGE LOSS! HUGE EXPLOSION IN EAST BOROUGH!>

The day before, Backlund was rocked by a huge explosion and an earthquake that shook the city's very foundations and almost brought it to its feet.

Recent investigations show that the earthquake was caused by the same explosion that could be heard for miles.

The explosion was caused by a fire at a Gasworks in East Borough. Because it could not be controlled in time, the fire caused a chain reaction that ignited multiple tons of gas in a huge explosion.

The explosion left a horrific chemical fire that stretched for miles and reached high into the sky. The plumes of toxic reddish smoke caused some people to say it was as if a huge crimson tree appeared from the ground.

The toxic smoke generated a horrible storm that covered Backlund, making it seem as if night had suddenly fallen. The storm lasted all night, and the rain helped prevent the fire from spreading.

The fumes released by the explosion were not only extremely toxic, causing horrific injuries to people, but the fumes acted as a drug, causing those closest to the source of the explosion to lose all sense and show enormous levels of aggression. 

There are great rumors of flying men and lightning, but all the people who said they saw this were close to the explosion, so it is quite possible that they were just hallucinations caused by the toxic fumes.

The loss not only of property but of life due to this event is like no disaster seen before in modern times. 

The damage sustained due to this horrific event is estimated to be well in excess of hundreds of billions of pounds, while the confirmed loss of life so far is 164,000 people.

Due to the enormous damage sustained, the poor documentation of the East Borough population, and the fact that as you read this newspaper, bodies are still being counted and recovered...

The death toll is estimated to be close to one million.

But there is a strong rumor that is under investigation but worth mentioning.

The explosion was not an accident but a terrorist attack by an Evil Organisation!

There are multiple sightings of Mysterious People confronting the police and causing even more damage, and not only that...

After several days missing and presumed dead, the Fire Mage reappeared and confronted these people!

The eyewitness accounts of the fight are so fanciful that it is hard to believe even if they are false or exaggerations but it is obvious that it was a fight for the history books.

As a result of those who witnessed the fight, which is not a small number, the name Fire Mage has been dropped from the title that has been used to refer to the Hero of East Borough.

People now call him the White Dragon Knight of East Borough. 

As if that wasn't enough, the bounty on Adryan Kenway has been increased to go with his new title as if it were a badge of honor.

For anyone who delivers Adryan Kenway, Dead or Alive, to any of the 3 Churches, a juicy reward of 50,000 pounds will be given! 

Any useful information on his whereabouts will also be handsomely rewarded, with a minimum of 2,000 pounds!

...

Sigh...

Putting the newspaper down and placing it on the sink, Adryan put a hand to his face and grunted.

"We did what we could, Princess..." Flora comforted in a soft, calm voice.

Nodding slightly at his companion's words, Adryan sighed again and lowered his hand. His eyes had become two soul-deep icebergs.

Shaking his head, he nodded.

"I know"

Looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, Adryan couldn't help but notice his changes better.

His eyes had sharpened slightly and now sparkled with a sensual glow. His lips filled out a little more, and his facial features became more handsome and beautiful. To his relief, his chest did not grow, but he could notice how his figure looked much more aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. 

Out of a feeling, he turned around and looked at his rear. His expression broke a little, and a small blush covered him.

'Oh, that's big...' 

And not to mention his legs, even under his trousers, he could proudly say. Any woman would kill to have those legs.

Shaking his head, he put those thoughts aside and returned his attention to what he was going to do.

Flora was abnormally quiet, the demigoddess finally getting a better look at the redhead after his promotion and rest and not being able to help but be speechless. 

How hot is this guy going to get?!

Opening his mouth as wide as he could and sticking out his thick pink tongue that now easily reached under his chin - to the surprise and delight of a certain worm - Adryan slipped his fingers into his mouth.

Invisible threads ran down his throat to his stomach, and having found their target, they began to pull it up. 

Pulling the object out of his mouth, which was now covered in his saliva. Adryan lit his hand on fire, 'cleansing' it before washing it in the sink.

With Tauk Millenium now out of his stomach, he set it aside. He grabbed the candles and flowers and began to prepare to do the ritual sacrifice. 

"Are you really going to do this in a church? Wouldn't that be dangerous?' Flora asked, watching what her redhead was doing, curiosity creeping into her tone.

"No problem. It'll be quick." Adryan commented seriously as he knelt on the ground and clasped his hands together in prayer.

Besides, he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get into the City of Calamities quickly to not only think about the next course of action but also everything he learned these past few days.

"The Scarlet Monarch that burns depravity;

The Calamity of the Old Days;

The Closest to the Oldest One..."

With the incantations done and whispers reaching his ears, Adryan quickly began to draw the sphere of light in his mind to enter the sephira.

Redrawing it again and again, he could already see the smoke-covered city in the distance when suddenly his spirituality flared, and he was pulled out of the state of cogitation.

"Adryan, please tell me you forgot you had it with you!" His companion's alarmed voice instantly sharpened his senses.

Dazed and following the guidance of his spirituality, Adryan looked down at his left bicep, and his eyes froze.

"Since when can that thing do that? It came out of your shadow like a cockroach!" Flora asked cautiously, watching what was unfolding.

There, shrouded just as the last time he had seen it, was a black band that seemed to be made of the same shadows, dancing in a wind not present.

The Burnt Band!

'That's impossible! It's supposed to be destroyed! What the fuck is it doing here?' Despite his shock and disbelief, Adryan didn't waste a second and quickly tried to stake the band off his arm.

This was a dangerous situation! He had to get rid of that thing now!

No sooner had his hand grasped it, and noticing how cold it felt to the touch, the band made of shadows slipped out of Adryan's bicep, through his fingers, and hit the ground with a wet sound.

The red-haired man stared dazedly at the patch of shadows that looked like a demon had vomited darkness directly onto the ground.

Before he could try to escape from the bathroom, the blob of darkness literally spat out several objects that fell at the feet of the man, who had his mouth half open.

The first object to be expelled was a wine-colored glove, whose entire body was covered with theatrical masks whose expressions were of pure horror.

The second object was also a glove, but unlike the first one, this one seemed to be made of human skin and had a mouth full of sharp teeth in the palm that was smiling enormously, clearly very happy.

Vecchio Pomodoro and Creeping Hunger!

'What the...' Adryan found himself speechless.

What the fuck was going on!

Finally, the blob of darkness spat out a third object that also fell at Adryan's feet.

As soon as this object left the blob, it began to boil and bubble as it shrunk. After a few seconds, the blob resumed the shape of the Burnt Band but retained the appearance of shadows moving in the invisible wind.

But Adryan did not notice the change the Burnt Band underwent, for all his attention, was on the third and final object it had spat out.

Adryan's face froze, his mouth half open, and his eyes widened in shock. Flora within herself was the same as she recognized the object at the redhead's feet.

"Is that a..." Flora asked in a daze. Unable to complete the question because of the unbelievable sight in front of her.

Snapping out of his stupor, Adryan let out a shaky sigh and nodded as he grabbed the last object with his threads and brought it to his hand.

"... yep..."

"... Adryan... you lucky bastard!" Flora exclaimed euphorically, trembling with excitement.

What the red-haired man held in his hands was a treasure trove of legends!

"I thought they were lies, but they're real! Oh shit, they really exist!"

Resting in the red-head's left hand was a card. 

On the face of this card was an illustration of a man with a good mustache hanging upside down on an inverted cross. He was tied with a rope by his wrists to the arms of the cross while both feet were tied to the pole of it. The shadow cast by the hanging man seemed to have countless eyes staring at him. Despite his position, the hanged man had a calm gaze. 

Adryan instantly recognized the man on the card, not only because he was one of the most important figures in the history of this world, but because of his enormous importance in the original story!

Emperor Roselle Gustav!

On the top left of the hanging Roselle, a line of text written in words as bright as stars read, 'Sequence 0: The Hanged Man!'

It was a Card of Blasphemy!

Every question in the red-haired man's mind about what had happened was answered the instant he saw this card.

"What are you waiting for?! Open it! I want to read it!" Flora exclaimed. A girl with 10 kilos of sugar in her blood wouldn't be half as excited as the Jacob was right now.

She always tried to find a Card of Blasphemy but could never find one even after searching for a whole century.

The Cryptologist in her was elated!

Now that she had one in front of her, she couldn't miss the chance!

"Please hurry!!"

"No."

"WHAT?!!!" Flora was about to protest with sticks and torches. This was an injustice!

"This is a business where we have no place." Adryan replied serenely as he knelt down.

"Understood." The torches were extinguished and put away in the cupboard.

Her desire to read a Card of Blasphemy may be huge, but her desire to live was far greater.

Stay out of God's business.

Placing all the objects on the altar, Adryan folded his hands and resumed praying.

...

Closing the fire door and looking at the items in front of him, Adryan simply sent Creeping Hunger, Tauk Millenium, Burnt Band, and Vecchio Pomodoro with the remaining artifacts as he sent the container with Joseph's characteristics with the other characteristics he had.

The only thing left floating in front of him was the Card of Blasphemy.

Letting out a sigh he put a hand to his forehead to try to calm the headache he was now feeling.

Now he had a name for the one who had healed his wounds and healed Flora as he finally understood what Hunters Hallow had said.

"So the one who beat it was you, huh? Tch..." 

He already had the idea that the Rapper was aware of him, but not to the point of placing a 'lifeline' and mark on the Burnt Band.

"You got that much confidence in me? I'm sure you gave me the ingredients for Provoker as a small investment, but how do you go from delivering Sequence 8 ingredients to delivering a Card of Blasphemy?

"You're crazy. I'm sure of that, that doesn't seem to have changed... But just because you're crazy doesn't mean you're stupid...

"If anything remained after your death, it's your way of paying. You also have an equivalent form of exchange, a sick form but equivalent too...

"So there are two possibilities... I will give you something in the future, or I already gave you something...

"In the future... hum... it is unlikely that this will be the case. You may be the best candidate for that throne, and I have no problem with you possessing it, but it's too early for that. You haven't been resurrected yet, so there has to be something else...

"That means it's more likely to be the second choice! I already gave something, and the Card of Blasphemy was my payment, but what could I give that would mean such a special payment?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, the Conspirator's mind sped up, mixing and filtering the information quickly.

The red-haired man's eyebrows shot upwards.

"That's it!' running a hand through his hair, Adryan manifested a beach chair and sat down, his legs failing him for a moment.

"If things didn't change too much, Lanevus would be forced to come to Backlund and fall into the hands of the Aurora Order, which planned to use him to create a vessel for the descent of the Rapper!

"They would do that through a ritual using the suffering, corruption, degeneracy, and death of the East Borough with the help of the Trap Club, who unleashed a plague on the Borough, causing more pain and fueling the ritual!

"Of course, things went wrong early on because Lanevus died at the hands of Klein, and Mr. A offered himself as the new vessel before the Poor God stuck his nose and also destroyed that too... Sure, but that's in the original story!

"...In this present, I'm sure Lanevus was still alive when the shit hit the fan...

"That means that during yesterday's whole mess... The Aurora Order was able to use the disaster to complete the ritual, and with no one to stop them, they were able to successfully create a Vessel for the Rapper!"

Adryan let out a loud grunt and covered his face with both hands.

"FUCK!!!"

A Vessel for the Descent of a God was now walking free in the world!

Sighing, Adryan leaned back in the beach chair and watched the yellowish clouds roll past.

"But even with that in mind. I wasn't directly involved in the whole process..." The red-haired man muttered and then frowned slightly.

"It might have been because I stopped the destruction of Backlund?"

Yes... That was it!

"He may be willing to kill large numbers of innocent people in order to gain the upper hand, but for all the madness that chokes him, the Rapper was always on the side of Earth!

"He would never allow the Divine Whore to descend, so if I failed to deal with the baby, I'm sure he would have acted and ended it...

"But of course, that would mean revealing that he can now walk the world and considering the amount of Gods that were watching everything that happened in the tree... Even someone like him wouldn't have managed to escape the attack that would fall...

"Considering the hatred the Troublesome Pigeon and the Rapper have for each other... I doubt he wouldn't have released the energy to destroy Backlund to eliminate him. He would have even gained help from the Plucky Bird and the Bearded Lizard... Backlund would have been leveled, and his Vessel would have been destroyed.

"If I look at it that way. Not only did I keep his Vessel from being destroyed, but thanks to me dealing with the baby, his status is still a secret!

With all that in mind, paying with the Card of Blasphemy made a lot more sense. Of course, he couldn't rule out that it was also a heavier form of investment.

But there were also several questions that it raised. The biggest of all.

"How did he manage to heal Flora? Hunters Hallow protects her in a certain way and hides her... Is the limit of the robe the Gods?"

"... No... It has to be something else... Hunters Hallow managed to save me from the Vessel of the Evernight Goddes..."

Sighing, Adryan began to tap the armrest of the beach chair as he struck a thoughtful pose.

"There's still too much I don't know about Hunters Hallow... This will have to wait."

Tap tap tap tap

His finger tapped the armrest in a small rhythm. Doubts and more doubts filled his mind.

"Evernight attacked me... It may have been to get the tunic. After all, it's made from the water of the River of Eternal Darkness... Tch, that's why she found me so quickly. I'm sure she followed the law of attraction to me."

"But if she could do that, Why didn't she come for me when I was unconscious? I would have been practically served on a silver plate to her... Did Hunters Hallow do something that made it hard for her to track me or is something else..."

Clicking his tongue again, Adryan finally decided to leave the subject of Hunters Hallow for another time. There was still too much he didn't know, so it would just be a waste of time to dwell on it.

His mind instead went to the more important topic.

"Rose School of Thought... They are different from the original story..." Adryan narrowed his eyes.

"In the original story, while the beyonders on the Divine Whore's side were welcome, they were not given important roles and were even looked down upon. The Doctor being such an important part of the Organisation and being a Beyonder on the Divine Whore's side shows the difference...

Whatever Path the Doctor was part of, Adryan was sure it was on that bitch's side. Both gave him a similar feeling and possessed similar skills.

"This time, the Divine Whore and the Overdeveloped Shrub are not divorced and have a better relationship...

"And not only that, the Rose School knows that I'm not from this world. How much they know is beyond me, but that they know more than me about my Status is sure..."

And if the Rose School knows that, then the ones outside know for sure, too. This could also mean that there is a high chance that the Gods also know about his 'alien' status.

"Tch! How annoying!"

"Not only that, but the Rose School seems to have a way of tracking me. It doesn't seem to be a GPS type; if it was, they would have found me a lot quicker. It's possible that a compass would be more comfortable. 

"I can't stay in one place anymore. I have to be always moving to drive that compass crazy."

Watching the clouds pass by, Adryan let out a sigh, extended his hand towards the sky and clenched his fist.

"Backlund is no longer safe. I have to get the hell out of here."

That was the most obvious move. The Rose School already knew he was here, the Gods knew he was here, he had to move.

"I already got everything I wanted by coming to Backlund."

He more than fulfilled the goals he committed to before he had to left the city;

1- Obtain Beyonders powers and reach sequence 6

2- Obtain at least 40.000 pounds.

3- Obtain various sealed artifacts and potion formulas.

4- Find a way to obtain a messenger.

He had committed to that and achieved it with flying colors; the fact that he had already started forming a team on the way was an addition.

Sighing, Adryan began to tap harder on the armrest.

"There's still a problem..."

The bounty on his head.

"With that kind of price on my head. Everyone is my enemy; every self-respecting secret organization will notify their members to keep an eye out for me... With me being alone- as far as they know- I'd just be easy prey...

"Hiding from one Secret Organisation is easy. But all of them? Even with Hunters Hallow and Creeping Hunger's help, it would only be a matter of time before they catch me again...

"I need a shield... A large figure over my shoulder that will make them think twice before they think of hunting me... The only thing that can generate such a large shadow is...

A plan formed in his mind. A plan that, even by his books, was completely insane.

And that was just what he needed!

Letting out a long sigh, Adryan gave a resigned smile.

"Well... It was a matter of time, after all. Sooner or later, it was going to end up happening. Why not take the bandaid off now?"

Nodding inwardly, the sphere of light drew in his mind, and he disappeared from the city.

He would read the Card of Blasphemy later; he couldn't lose any more precious time.

...

Returning to his body, Adryan set aside the candles and flowers and placed the Bell to one side. After that, he knelt down again and prayed.

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era..."