Chapter 12: Forget Everything And Run.
If they don't fear your absence, then you were never truly present.
Eren Yeager
Vroom.
"What did you actually want?" Adrian asked, then his attention from his excel to Aryan.
"Nothing much actually, I just wanted to get to know you." Aryan said with a smile still plastered across his face.
"Though, I wonder, did you actually need us to come drag you?" He asked.
Adrian stared at his face for a second, then chuckled "Yeah, I was almost bored of the virtual world, I've played almost every game there is, and you showed me there are more interesting things in this world than I thought." He replied.
"Aren't you curious as to what exactly we are?" Aryan asked immediately Adrian finished his sentence. His question lit a spark in Adrian, causing his eyebrows to rise.
"Would you tell me?''
"Wouldn't it be more interesting to find out yourself?"
The two locked eyes for a moment.
"We are remnants of the being that created this world." Aryan said. "You probably put it together by now… or you thought you were it. The Divine Temple has already put enough in your head." Aryan replied. "I'm surprised you don't have his memories, the high and mighty Adrian…" Aryan's smile deepened.
"Maybe I ended up this way because I had." His smile gradually fell as said this.
"So Lira?" Adrian asked.
"Yes, we are all pieces to one big puzzle, a puzzle to which full extent I do not know."
Beep.
The room glowed red.
"We have reached our destination." Aryan rose, a smile reappearing on his face.
Brooom.
The hatch slowly opened, and the wind blew out.
Crossing his hands over his chest in an 'X' with no parachute, he turned to Adrian "There is a parachute under your seat." Then stretched his leg out and jump.
"Huh." Adrian stood at the edge, watching him fall, feet first at an astonishing speed.
Boom!
He landed in the forest, just as straight as he fell. The fall created reverberations that echoed for a 10 mile radius, and even the trees closer fell and broke.
_Phase_
Adrian stood by him.
"I don't sense any signs of Anulian nearby." Adrian said. "Is this totally you just wanting to see me alone?"
"No, an anulian report was filed by the villages here to the City's beast guild. I just thought why not freshen-you up a bit." Aryan replied, bending his knees.
"How do you not have mana?" Adrian looked at him, astonished. Everyone in this world had mana, it was just a matter of how much they had.
"Ask yourself."
Boom!
Aryan shot to the sky.
** [6/9/3 Era Haven] **
Aryan confirms the mystery Olga and Xiao Long tried so hard to hide. Xiao Long isn't the true sovereign being, rather a shattered will of him. Lira, Aryan and I are the puzzle pieces needed to bring back that entity. Aryan's powers are based on physical ability Though he may also nullify mana and energy He is excessively boastful Due to his total lack of energy, some of my spells may be rendered ineffective against him.
***________***
Adrian jotted a few things down quickly and traced Aryan's movement with a crow-eagle from the Haven.
_Phase_
Adrian appeared by Aryan, who seemed to be speaking with the village chief.
"The druid priest prophesized that a great calamity would befall us upon his death, and he never missed the spot. With the advent of those dark creatures, we thought maybe they would be the calamity." The chief explained.
"So you decided to quest a hunters' guild when you weren't sure." Aryan stared at the chief with his permanent smile. It irked the chief out and he mistook it for anger.
"We are willing to pay you hunters for as long as you stay." The chief quickly added.
"Sorry, but we aren't hunters… besides, I probably scared all the beasts of." Aryan said.
Only then did Adrian start to understand something about Aryan, it wasn't that he was being boastful, rather… he did it to ward of all beasts and prevent the villages from a future massacre other than an Anulian one.
"…" The Chief paused for a moment "Then who are you?"
"It wouldn't matt-"
Boom!
Aryan was cut short, a wave of null energy hit the village in the centre.
The mud huts were blown away, dust rose.
Aryan stood amidst all this, confused.
"Ha! It ended so soon?" A group of men walked in from the edges of the village.
Adrian dispelled his barrier… He stared into Aryan's face, and he noticed a difference, it wasn't the jovial Aryan he knew, there was a change in his eyes, but it lasted for only as long as it came.
A smile reappeared o his face as he noticed all the villagers covered by Adrian's barrier.
Aryan turned to the attackers. "Null tech." His smile had now become dangerous, like one straight out of a horror movie.
Adrian sensed that foreboding danger hidden behind the smile, a familiar feeling.
Grab.
Adrian didn't even notice when he moved, by his hand was already on the faces of one of the invaders.
Twitch.
The invader's flesh and body begun to twist and turn in weird angles, until he took the form of a common rabbit-dog.
'Transfiguration.' Adrian noted in his head.
Soon only one of the attackers remained gyn, but he had lost all his dignity and self-respect as he lay back on the ground in fear.
"I hate doing this to people, but you pushed my hand." Aryan bent before him.
"Why did you come here?'' He smiled as he asked this question.
"A new mage-root vein had been discovered under the village, we needed to get rid of its inhabitants."
"He's right… It has high purity." Adrian walked to Aryan's side.
"So you decided to make it look like an Anulian attack?" Aryan smiled and frowned at the same time.
"We were only following orders." He replied.
"Whose?!" Aryan roared.
The invader pressed his lips against each other, clearly unwilling to spill the beans.
"They will kill my family." He cried.
"And the ones you hurt here?" Adrian questioned.
"Bye." Aryan stretched his hands out.
The invader closed his eyes, awaiting the exit of his gyn life… but it never came.
"No." Adrian placed his hands on Aryan's shoulder.
If truly, they were remnants of the same entity, then he had finally found his kin- people like him, how did this idiot dare stress him? His face turned cold and deadly as he turned to face the invader.
"NO!" The invader turned to Aryan, but he looked straight into his eyes as Adrian grabbed him and sent him into the Haven.
"I'll get what I need to." Adrian said to Aryan. He just couldn't understand why someone as powerful as Aryan showed so much care and compassion towards his enemies.
_ Assistance and Warding Grimoire_
A grimoire appeared in Adrian's hands, this one was much different from the Character grimoire, it was newer, with a red cover.
_Rebuild_
The mud houses begun reconstructing themselves.
"Your mana feels different." Aryan said after wiping his tears and rising from the ground, smiling.
"It's a byproduct of the grimoire, to prevent Anulian."