Chapter 52

Adam's POV

I really couldn't believe that little brat somehow figured out how to defeat the rift, but his luck will run out once I find him and ship him off to Lord Enzo. At this point, I'm so close to my goal—I'm not going to let anyone or anything get in my way. Not Ezra, and not his stupid little son.

Walking out of the astral gate, I was met by several people eager to see what all the commotion was about. I knew they wanted to know why Kael was in the city, and a lot of them immediately began to ask questions and berate me as I walked out.

"Adam, is the fugitive still alive in there?"

"Ezra Solaris is currently hanging on for dear life, and Kael has come to get revenge for his fellow guild member—as well as your loved ones. This will be the retribution you all seek. With this, I hope we can band together, move on from these tragic times, and live the fulfilling lives they wished for us to have," I responded, easing the tension of the civilians.

Afterward, there was no more discourse from the townspeople. They seemed relieved and at ease, knowing their loved ones would finally get the justice they deserved.

Shortly after, I proceeded out of the city to find the boy before he could return to his physical body. Swiftly moving through town, I made my way past the outskirts, where the forest met the city's borders.

"Do those people know the truth?" A voice calmly asked from within the brush.

"Come on out, boy," I responded, evading his question.

"You know, I saw it all go down. I saw you betray your people and imprison my father," the voice said, growing increasingly firm. "I really started to have a glimmer of hope that not everyone on this continent was bad. I was beginning to believe there were people like you who knew my father wasn't an evil man—that what happened to my family and clan was unjust. But no…I was wrong. I was naive. You are a clear reminder that this world is evil and that everyone on this continent is a lost cause.

"So, Adam, I'll give you one last chance to make up for what you did. We will go back to town, and you will tell them exactly what you did and why you did it."

"And what if I refuse, boy?" I chuckled.

"Then I will kill you," the boy said with deep resolve backing his intentions.

"I'd like to see you try. You're a stage below me. You know you're no match for me."

"I couldn't care less what stage you're at. You heard what I said. You won't be able to talk or trick your way out of this like you did with my father. I hope you enjoyed your last breaths on this earth."

Activating my Fate Constellation, I commanded the roots deep in the ground to reach out and grab the boy. "Your clan has always been a little too cocky for my liking. I'm glad you've been knocked down a peg," I said as roots burst from the ground, surging toward the brush where the boy was hiding.

With my senses extended through the roots, I felt I had reached my target. I commanded them to bring the boy to me. "You know, the entire earth is my domain. Hiding is futile at a time like this, young Cyrus," I lectured as he hung upside down before me.

"You're lucky I need you alive. Otherwise, I would have killed you. Though I do have one question—how did you kill that horde of Aurora Moths? It's been bugging me for quite some time now."

The boy didn't reply. Instead, a smirk spread across his face.

The next thing I knew, an immense pressure forced me to my knees. I lost control of the roots and dropped the boy as I struggled to move. I watched as he landed effortlessly on his feet and walked toward me.

"What am I feeling? Why isn't he affected by this force?" I thought as he crouched and stared me dead in the eyes.

"This forest may be your domain, but why is it that you're groveling at my feet?" the boy said, not blinking once.

After what felt like an eternity, the pressure finally began to fade. But before it could fully dissipate, I felt the force of a devastating kick to my face.

"Oh, Adam, you have no idea what you're up against. For someone at the Adept Stage, your core isn't impressive at all. No wonder you retired early—you just couldn't keep up anymore, huh?" the child mocked.

Enraged, I activated my constellation, summoning dozens of roots from all directions. They lunged at Cyrus, attacking from every angle, but as they neared him, they simply crumbled to the ground.

A second later, I was keeled over, gasping for air after taking an uppercut to the stomach.

"You know, I let those pathetic branches catch me the first time because I wanted to see your face when you realized your constellation is useless against me."

"You little brat! Who do you think you are?!" I spat.

"I told you, Adam—I'm the one who's going to kill you, I'm the one who will get the revenge for those innocent people." The boy took a few steps back. "Now get up and at least put up a fight. I want to enjoy this a little more. And I suggest you try something different than those slow roots."

As I got to my feet, I knew I would have to stop holding back. I didn't want to kill the boy—Lord Enzo needed him alive.

Releasing more of my cosmic energy, I activated my second rune. A portal to my Astral Forge appeared, and from it emerged my soul weapon.

"Thornsoul…it's been a while," I muttered. "Guess it's time for me to teach this cocky little brat a lesson."