CHAPTER 1080: READY

After the process was done, a heavy relief washed over them all. The lattice of lingering light on the walls slowly dimmed, the room feeling less tense now even though the tether on the table still pulsed with its faint heartbeat glow.

Billy sighed, his shoulders loosening, then tilted his head toward Adrius.

"So... why not do it now?" he asked, his tone laced with the impatience of someone eager to end this thing.

Adrius let out a low chuckle, sinking into one of the chairs.

His eyes were shadowed with fatigue, the glow of exertion still clinging faintly to his face.

"Because it’s still too hard for me, boy," he admitted, rubbing his temple. "My mind and core need time to recover. If I force it now I could break."

He leaned back, breathing slowly. Then with a small, almost mischievous smile, he added, "Wait a minute."

Billy’s eyes widened slightly, then he laughed awkwardly and raised both hands in mock surrender. "Oh. Alright. I didn’t mean to pressure you into hurrying. Hehe."

Adrius simply nodded, the smile still lingering on his lips. "It’s alright. I know you all want this finished as fast as possible. So do I. But patience will keep us alive."

The tension eased again.

Erend let out a soft groan, then said, "I’ll go grab some coffee. We could all use it."

Billy immediately agreed. "Yes. Definitely."

Adrien gave a small nod of approval, his usual sternness softened by the offer.

Erend glanced at Adrius. "You want some?"

Adrius gave him a curious tilt of the head and smiled. "Sure. I’d like to taste what this world calls coffee."

With that, Erend, Billy, and Adrien stepped out, their voices fading down the hallway as they went to fetch drinks and snacks.

The room fell quiet, leaving Adrius alone with the tether.

At first, all was calm. But then the orb pulsed again, harder than before. It then became quick and erratic as though something inside had stirred.

Adrius frowned and leaned forward. He raised his hand, focusing his energy toward it and probing it with his senses.

The tether’s rhythm was sharp, but no clear signature revealed itself. No trace to grasp.

He held his breath and concentrated harder, but the strange pattern only swelled before fading back into a steady beat again, almost mocking his effort.

He narrowed his eyes, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Strange..." he muttered.

For a moment he sat still with suspicion in his heart. But after another long silence, he sighed and leaned back.

"It must be nothing. Just a fluctuation." He shrugged it off.

—

Far away, deep inside a void where light never reached, a pair of eyes glowed.

They weren’t looking at the darkness around them. They were peering outward and stretching across the fold of dimensions. They had seen the trace and felt that it was being locked onto.

A wide, crooked grin spread across unseen lips. A voice slithered out in an incomprehensible tongue, words that carried a weight no human could understand.

The meaning was clear all the same:

"Remarkable... you managed to lock onto me. But it works both ways. Now... I can lock onto you."

From that instant, the entity’s awareness coiled around Adrius. It now knew his Magic signature and had tied itself to him as firmly as he had to it.

—

Minutes later, the meeting room’s silence broke with the return of voices and the smell of hot coffee.

Erend, Adrien, and Billy reentered, carrying steaming cups and a paper bag filled with bread and snacks.

They settled in and soon the grim mood softened with warmth and the simple comfort of food.

Adrius took a cautious sip of his coffee and eat his bread, his expression brightening with genuine surprise.

"Fascinating," he said with a satisfied smile. "The flavor is rich and the bitterness lingers nicely. This world’s food is strange... but remarkable."

Adrien, who usually bore a stern face, allowed himself a rare smile at the Archmage’s delight.

"I never thought I’d hear someone say simple bread is fascinating," he said dryly, though the humor softened his tone. "Now you’ve made me curious about the food from your world."

Adrius laughed lightly. "That could be a good exchange someday. Recipes for knowledge."

Billy nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I’d be up for that."

The room’s tension dissolved into light conversation until the door opened again.

Jessica, Thomas, and Conrad entered, their expressions alert and expectant.

They stopped for only a moment at the sight of the faint residual glow still clinging to the walls, then moved to join them.

Erend and Adrius set aside their cups, their faces turning serious again.

Together, they began to explain everything again about how they had prepared the tether, traced the entity’s lingering path, and locked its residue into a record.

Jessica’s shoulders eased the moment the explanation was laid out before her. The knot of helplessness that had been coiling in her chest for days loosened and for the first time she felt like they weren’t groping blindly anymore.

Thomas released a sharp breath and gave a firm nod. Conrad’s lips curved into the faintest smile, his usual wariness was gone a little bit.

"So we finally have a lead," Jessica said, her eyes showing the flicker of anticipation.

"Yes," Erend replied. "It’s faint but it’s enough to begin the chase."

Jessica turned her gaze to Adrius. "Then when can we start?"

Her question hung in the air. Thomas and Conrad instinctively shifted their attention toward Adrius too.

Erend and Adrien, already knowing the truth, simply looked at the Archmage in silence.

Jessica’s brows drew together, her eyes moving from one to the other before realization struck her.

Adrius met her gaze with a small knowing smile. He placed his hand over his chest and nodded his head gently.

Adrius chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair. "Just a few minutes, my lady. My core still burns from earlier."

The room settled into patience. No one spoke too much, but the silence wasn’t heavy anymore. It was expectant.

Finally, Adrius drew a long breath and pushed himself up from his chair. His fatigue seemed to peel away layer by layer, replaced by an aura of control and focus.

He looked around the room, his smile faint but filled with certainty.

"I am ready," he said simply.

The others straightened at once.

Adrius lifted his hand, and the tether answered immediately, its glow swelling.

—