Worthy Adversary I — Ambrosya

I had to shake off all those shivers as I made my way out of the Treasure Hall.

Similar to how I acted in the illusion that June had created for me, I made my way out of the de Nuantra castle. It was so easy that the journey was basically insignificant. No one cared about my presence at all, especially with me putting Decrease Presence on overdrive.

I was expecting something to go horribly wrong in the middle of my mission, but nothing did. The peculiarities I had noticed all yielded nothing foul.

Well, that's what I wanted to tell myself.

I had this nagging feeling that I was being watched. Unfortunately for me, it was only a feeling. I had no way to confirm whether or not I was under the prying gaze of a stealthier being.

All I could do was guess.

Were the horrors beneath the castle eyeing my flesh?

Had whoever had been sneaking around taken a fancy to the paths that I knew of?

Were one of the high-ranking guards deciding how to kill me and claim their merits?

I sighed. Whatever it was, it no longer mattered.

I stepped into the agreed-upon getaway car. It was a sleek, matte black sedan, and I sat in the comfortable backseat. The gaze that had been following me ever since I left the Treasure Hall had finally disappeared from my senses.

"Seeing as you're still alive, I assume that you've succeeded." King eyed me through the rearview mirror. The grin on his face was excited... Expectant. The way his lips curled upwards was indicative of his blazing curiosity.

I chuckled. "It was indeed a success. Let's go. I've erased my traces and minimised any physical signs that would reveal that I had paid them a visit. The mission won't be complete until we return to the Information Veil's HQ."

"Alright, you're right." King revved the car's engine, "I can't wait to see what prompted you to steal something and risk your life like this. You didn't even bring me with you."

The car then sped through the city streets. Buildings passed by in a blur, and the cityscape turned into a lullaby that showed me how stressed I had been without my knowledge. Putting my life on the edge of the knife had likely burned through my mental stamina like crazy.

I actually fell asleep in the middle of the trip...

I slept for the first time in weeks.

...

After switching cars at some point, King and I arrived at the top floor of the Information Veil HQ. Here, King's familiar favourite restaurant flourished. The flurry of scents that originated from what was akin to Earth's middle-eastern and western cuisine wafted throughout the floor.

The scent was heavenly, and I could feel my mouth watering. For myself, I ordered Emerallia's take on a pizza, and I wasn't disappointed.

I was given a pizza with layers to it.

Yes... Layers.

It was essentially three pizzas—filled with different types of cheese, toppings, and tomato sauce—all piled on top of one another. The sheer volume of the product in front of me was stunning. Not to mention the mana that emanated from every piece of food.

I pursed my lips, 'Should I have worked under King while I was still a Lesser Human?'

I couldn't help but have those thoughts. However, I quickly shook them away after refuting them in my mind. There was always a special reason for the things I did, where I did them, how I did them, and when it was done.

My plans were as meticulous as I was when I wrote hundreds of auxiliary chapters for a book with just as many normal chapters.

Needless to say, I dug in hungrily, careful not to spill anything. Even if I was eating quite swiftly, I made sure that everything was clean.

In my opinion, the most important part of eating—aside from the direct benefits of sustenance by itself—was cleanliness, after all.

Meanwhile, King also had some food, but not as much as I did. He had a simple but mana-rich steak, cooked medium rare, and topped with a fragrant gravy. He took small bites and savoured the way that the meat melted in his mouth. Every flavour within his meal had been caught by his tongue.

Since King allowed me to eat without having to bother with the responsibilities of conversation, we ate in silence, simultaneously admiring the weekend view of the Mana Metropolis from atop one of Aelthrie's many towers.

Even when I was done eating, I simply set my eyes upon the distant horizon while King tended to several matters through his communicator. I watched all that I had created live lives that I had not written. Characters that had been left unnamed and unexplored were now real people. Each of their backstories was worthy of being books of their own. Maybe even more.

This fact was truly surreal. More surreal than the sudden changes that Earth had undergone in what seemed like a mere instant.

I sighed, feeling hints of rage boiling within me. If only I had worded things better, I wouldn't have to be working so hard right now.

I couldn't help but take out the triangular prism from my pocket and align it with the diorama's corresponding building in the distance. I closed one eye and placed the prism over the building, thus creating an image that fits perfectly like the pieces of the puzzle.

The item and the original structure were almost identical. Thyl's talent was truly amazing.

"Is that the item you got?" King looked up from his communicator for the first time in a while. "It doesn't look special... What's the secret behind it? Is it some hidden weapon? A treasure map? A puzzle?"

He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with a glint of child-like curiosity that reminded me of June. I got the shivers.

Something out of the corner of my eye had moved. It was in the shape of a child, with white hair and white clothes, and it had been dwelling within a reflection of the world.

Was I imagining things?

I probably was. I remembered adding halucinations to one of the side effects of staying in the labyrinth for long periods of time. It was a curse that made it even harder for those who were unfamiliar with its passageways.

Thus, I shook my head and opened my lips to speak,

"It is..." I replied to King after glaring at the reflection. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it was now empty of any creepy presences.

"As for what secrets it has," I tapped on the table as I smiled, "You'll see after a few hours."