CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 265- DEAL

The only face he didn’t want to see today was this one.

Abraham wasn’t supposed to appear in this arc, nor the previous one.

He was the final boss of the volume, not a supporter of these Acolytes.

Then why was he being so obsessed with ruining Adrian’s plans?

"What do you want?" Adrian asked, his eyes narrowed and body tensed. He was inches away from pulling his revolver, knowing how strong the foe is.

He went against one of the advanced Golems he got from Forgelet. He has inhumane strength that can crack a concrete pillar with a single punch. Not to talk about his absolute control over magic, which he had gained over so many years of experience.

Abraham is the single opponent against whom Adrian had to be wary all the time.

The Acolyte raised his hand, "Before that, let me draw a circle of truth," as he said, he raised his hand above his head and drew a circle in the air.

Soon, the circle spread in all directions and surrounded the duo, "Now, none of us will be able to lie without getting caught."

Adrian...was confused but he chose to hear the man first.

"Let me ask you something before I get onto the subject I came for." He said, sounding casual. His posture suggested anything but alertness.

Clearly, not taking Adrian as a threat.

Adrian remained silent, as the other one asked, "You haven’t uncovered the truth of your origin yet, have you?"

Adrian frowned, "Why do you care?"

"Pfft-you really have to ask that?" With a menacing smile and his eyes holding a naked obsession, he said, "You are an anomaly in my eyes, Adrian. Someone who can play from both sides and remain utterly sane? Yes, you are a subject of curiosity. And when I researched your blood...I came across something really interesting."

He seemed to be having fun. His tone suggested how eager he was to reveal.

Adrian still remained silent, waiting for him to relay whatever was on his mind.

But, "Nah, not so easily." He shook his head, "As much as I am eager right now to let you know about your origin, I will hold on to that information for now."

Adrian’s expression turned cold, "So you brought me here just to play this teasing game?"

"Teasing game? Now that sounds interesting. We will play that later. But for now, let’s get onto the deal I have for you."

He clapped his hands and soon parted them to reveal two small candies. One red and one blue.

"Choose the red one...the dangerous one, to get rid of me. You and I both know that an ambush is approaching. Dozens of people would die but you, the genius Runesmith, would surely somehow repel the ambushers and save the day. I am sure you have already set all the pieces in place and things will turn out just fine."

Adrian wasn’t surprised that he knew about the ambush.

The Acolyte grinned, "Now things would get interesting if I were to get involved, wouldn’t it?"

Adrian tilted his head, "Is this a threat?"

"I am a walking threat to humanity, Mister Adrian. You know what I can do...even though I am very curious about how you know that. I can flip the tables. I can ruin every single plan you may have formulated. I can destroy every single thing you are desperate to protect."

His gaze turned condescending. His aura turned the air heavy. The clouds began to swirl, turn dark, all listening to the command of the being Adrian was facing.

"You know what I am capable of, Adrian. So I highly recommend you don’t choose the red one."

Adrian didn’t show any sign of backing off, and neither his stance shifted. It wasn’t like he never anticipated Abraham’s appearance during this arc. He had taken all possibilities into consideration.

...But surely, if this Acolyte were to get involved, things would turn out extremely messy.

"Now, the blue one." The air returned to normal. The sky cleared and the smile returned to the man’s face.

"Choose the blue one and I will back away. Choose the blue one. I will tell you their plans, how they are going to attack, and whom they are going to target. Choose the blue one and you will have solid control over the situation. What do you say? Pretty great deal, eh?"

Adrian scoffed, "And there is nothing there for you in this?"

Abraham chuckled, "Of course, there is. But it’s something so trivial that the wise Mister Adrian wouldn’t even consider it as a barter at all. I am practically getting cheated here, you see-"

"Tell me the price," Adrian interjected, his voice holding the frustration he was feeling.

"So you are interested. Nice." He clenched the hand in which the red orb was, as if he already knew that Adrian was going to accept the blue one.

Acolyte’s lips curved as he relayed the price for the promise, "For a single minute, you would hand over your body to me. And in that single moment, I promise not to touch you, nor direct any spell on you. Your safety would be my responsibility and in that single minute, I won’t be killing anyone close to you."

Adrian frowned, "What is that... ominous-sounding request? Why would you need me for a minute?"

Abraham grinned, "That’s not a part of the deal. It’s either yes or no for you, Mister Adrian."

Adrian was baffled. Like what is he trying to accomplish here?

He said no killing and he is even taking responsibility for his safety.

Then...what exactly does he desire from him in that one minute?

Adrian took his time to judge the risks...but considering what he is offering here in return, he felt this deal was beneficial.

He remembered Ariana’s face last night. The fact that innocent people were going to lose their lives today was constantly weighing on her shoulders. She has been trying to devise a plan through which she could save as many people as she could, if not, everyone.

And maybe, accepting this deal might allow him to just do that. Maybe he can save everyone? Maybe he can possibly negate the danger looming over those he cares about?

"Don’t think too deeply, Adrian. This deal would decide the fate of the people around you. Tell me you don’t care about those who might possibly lose their lives today. It could be your beloved Headmistress or those cute little students you dearly adore. It could be anyone."

Adrian gritted his teeth. It was getting difficult to resist.

Even if Abraham is planning something evil to do in that one minute, Adrian could negate that using artifacts or his knowledge.

He has the support of otherworlders as well.

’I guess I need to make this deal with the devil...’ He made up his mind.

He parted his lips to accept the orb, when suddenly,

[Stop right there.]

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. The system came to the rescue.