CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER 266- HELP ME

"What happened? I thought you were ready to decide?" Abraham pressed, tilting his head.

He was certain he had cornered Adrian into taking the deal. After all, Adrian had far too much to lose if he didn’t.

But then, something shifted.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his voice cold. "Can you promise me something? That the person I am before that one minute... will be the same after? Can you promise I’ll stay sane?"

The smile slipped from Abraham’s face.

In a measured, detached tone, he replied, "That depends entirely on you. I can’t promise what happens once the minute is over. The outcome will be yours to bear."

Adrian’s stomach sank. He knew Abraham couldn’t lie under the spell. And those words set off every alarm in his mind.

What was he planning to do to him? Break him? Twist his thoughts?

Abraham sneered. "What’s this? Don’t tell me the great Adrian—the one-in-a-century runesmith—doesn’t trust his own mind. Has fear finally caught up with you?"

Adrian chuckled. "You’re really hoping I’ll take the bait, aren’t you?"

The System had warned him. And if there was anyone he trusted more than anyone else, it was the System. Between Abraham’s honeyed poison and the System’s concern, the choice wasn’t even close.

The acolyte’s aura shifted, thickening the air until it felt heavy on Adrian’s chest. "So," Abraham said darkly, "you’re rejecting my proposal. You’ve chosen the red pill."

Adrian shrugged. "I never planned to make a deal with a second-rate villain like you. I was just buying time."

Abraham’s eyes narrowed. Then, sensing movement behind him, his head turned. His lips curled into a smile the instant he caught sight of a familiar silver-haired figure.

"Well, well... look who’s here." His voice dripped with amusement. "Good to see you in one piece, Warden."

Ariana stood tall, a flagstaff gleaming in her hand. She smirked. "You just don’t die, do you?"

Abraham clasped his hands together, his grin widening. "I promise you this: the day I fulfill the purpose of my life, I’ll welcome death with a smile."

Ariana snickered. "Then consider your purpose fulfilled today."

Mana surged around her, her silver eyes blazing with fighting spirit as she charged.

Abraham cursed under his breath and snapped his hand upward. Thick mud walls shot from the ground, stacking between them like shields.

He turned toward Adrian, voice edged with impatience. "Last chance, Professor. Choose wisely."

Adrian leveled his revolver. "Here’s my answer."

THWACK!

The bullet tore through the air. Abraham immediately raised a barrier, knowing full well how fast that artifact’s shot was.

TING!

The bullet struck the barrier—

HISSSSS—

—and a cloud of thick black smoke erupted, engulfing the acolyte’s vision.

"Damn it!" Abraham growled, sweeping his arm wide. The smoke scattered like mist in a storm, but when his sight cleared—

Adrian was gone.

And with the mud walls still standing unbroken, it was clear the Warden hadn’t pressed the attack either. They had slipped away.

For a moment, silence reigned. Then Abraham’s lips curled into a sharp, teeth-baring smile.

"You can run for now," he muttered darkly. "But sooner or later, you’ll fall right into my trap. And when you do..." His eyes gleamed with malice.

"...you’ll learn what despair truly means."

....

Inside the arena.

Elana had already set up camp in the middle of the forest, carefully scouting the area first to ensure no monster lairs were nearby.

Once everything was in order, she turned to Allen. "You know your job. You know where the flares are."

Allen gave a firm nod. "Don’t worry. I’ll protect the camp." Defense was his role—and he intended to fulfill it without fail.

"Good. Aries, Brendon—head east and take down that snake."

Aries snapped a salute. "On it, Captain." She and Brendon sprinted off without hesitation.

Altia exchanged a quick nod with Elana before she and her partner slipped away toward the bear cave they had scouted earlier.

Every role had been decided. Tonight, their goal was simple: secure as many points as possible so tomorrow they could turn their focus on hunting other students.

The strategy was deliberate. Let the other teams exhaust themselves battling monsters and each other. Then, on the final day, the Runebound would strike—gathering flags and sealing their place at the top.

Left alone, Allen decided to patrol the camp’s perimeter, every sense sharpened, keeping himself on high alert.

Just then—

[You aren’t meant to defend. Holding your ground like this only slows your growth. Real combat experience—that is the true essence of development.]

Allen smirked faintly. "It’s been a while since I heard your voice."

That same presence—the one that had been ’guiding’ him—had fallen silent for some time, ever since his failure in a simple task: befriending Olivia.

The voice’s plan had been clear. Befriend her, use her as a bridge to manipulate Adrian. But instead, things had shifted. Allen had grown closer to Olivia—much closer—becoming something far more than just a pawn in someone else’s scheme.

[You don’t understand your importance to this world,] the voice pressed, calm yet weighty.

[You are destined for something greater. To achieve it, you must become stronger—stronger than anyone else. The weight of this world rests on your shoulders.]

Allen let out a tired sigh. "You keep saying that. Over and over. But why me? Why am I supposed to carry this burden? And even if I tried... do I really have what it takes to save the world if such a disaster came?"

[Your main issue is that you haven’t realized what exactly you can do. You possess ancient powers, someone’s soul who once had been hailed as the supreme warrior. You have the strength to slice through mountains and tear the sky. And all you are doing is to stand on the sidelines.]

Allen frowned, "See, I have been following your words all this time and what did I become? An arrogant prick who couldn’t accept anyone else’s words of advice and believe he is the strongest. I started to believe that I am the best...and soon, I got humbled. I realized how much I have to learn."

There was no response and Allen wasn’t eager to hear one either, as suddenly, the nearby bush rustled.

He took out his sword and got prepared, "Come out before I end this sneaky game with a trail of blood."

The bush rustled again and soon a familiar girl appeared.

"Elizabeth?!" Her left arm was bleeding and missing as she panted and told him,

"H-Help...m-my teammate...h-he is an acolyte."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please consider dropping a review if you have been enjoying the story so far.