Chapter 74: World Invader
Frilo, hovering in front of Maxwell as he walked, blinked. Once. Twice. Processing the information.
No wonder Olive had fallen asleep when Maxwell told her his ’story.’
Seriously, Frilo believed it was the only one who could handle this side of Max.
Believe it or not, the man could get bubbly and talkative when he was in that mood.
It made Frilo smile. And Maxwell smiled back.
"You know, I’m going to need to complete those instructions Malin gave me at the entrance of that cave. And I’m also going to find my old friends and allies, scattered across the world. Oh, and I also need to open that bar. Very important. I’m going to take Rita with me. And since she wants to see the world, I don’t think the bar would be a stagnant one. Maybe a cart or a large wooden shop that I can put in my pocket dimension and travel with, so I can open it anywhere we go to. Oh, but I’ll need to explain that to Rita. Hmmm. How do we travel? Yes. It’s been a while. We’ll walk on water. I’ll will the ocean to move us. I also need to meet the elves in Elyrus... I–"
Frilo began to buzz, waving its tiny hands in the air.
Maxwell blinked, laughing awkwardly as he scratched his cheek.
"Too much?"
Frilo nodded.
"Sorry. I’m just excited. It’s been–"
Frilo suddenly circled around Maxwell’s arm. The young man raised his hand, blinking.
"What? Consequences of–" eyes widened. "Oh. I almost forgot about that. The consequences of showing off 9th-circle mana in a room filled with the Empire’s power."
Maxwell laughed awkwardly.
"You’re right, you’re right. I have to deal with the consequences. But first, I’m courting Rita now, aren’t I?
"It all feels like a dream. A really, really long dream that I hope I don’t wake up from. I have to persuade her to leave soon, though. We have to leave the entirety of Jalozi. I’ll take her," Max grinned, "on an adventure! And then..."
Frilo sighed, shaking its head.
Oh, Maxwell.
But just before the spirit could say anything else to the young man who was, in very fact, still speaking, it froze.
Slowly, the spirit turned its neck. And it narrowed its eyes, gazing above.
It could feel it.
Something — or someone — was coming. Someone familiar.
Someone Frilo didn’t like.
"...And then our kids, like Freefall showed me, will be a boy and a gi... Frilo?"
Frilo held up a hand.
Maxwell paused, brows knitting. It felt the same thing Frilo felt, through their soul-link.
Immediately, in the middle of the streets, Maxwell stood on guard.
A very strong force was coming.
And, sure enough, a loud, heart laugh boomed in the atmosphere. Echoing.
’What the hell?’
As the laugh got closer and closer, a voice echoed through the air, relaying:
"Maxwell lad! I told you we’ll definitely meet again!!"
Max’s furrowed brows relaxed, and he stood properly, sighing in frustration.
"Oh, no," the youth whispered.
Max and Frilo saw a red flash in the sky. And then, out of nowhere, the frame of a man emerged, and in less than a second, the man landed on the ground, causing a minor explosion that shook the streets, causing horses to neigh here and there, doors and windows to close, and people to curse as they held themselves.
The man had landed with a crouch. And he stood up, black, blank masked face meeting Maxwell’s.
And through the eyes-slits of the man’s blank mask, Maxwell saw a pair of glowing red eyes.
He frowned.
"Blank," Maxwell said. The taste of the man’s name in his tongue was bitter. "Why?"
"Uh... why?" Blank walked closer to Maxwell. "Why what?"
"Why are you here?"
"Are you trying to say that I can’t be here? Or I shouldn’t be here?"
"No, you can be here. What I’m trying to ask is why you’re here now?"
"Why can’t I be here right now? Do I not have the right to be here?"
Maxwell’s scowl deepened.
"That’s not what I mean and you know it."
"I don’t know it."
"Do you even know anything?"
"I know certainly more than you do."
’You wish.’
Maxwell walked closer.
"Oh, yeah?"
Blank walked closer.
"Oh, yeah."
Soon enough, the blank-masked man, dressed in that same black robe that hid his features, slipped his mask, exposing the lower part of his face. His jaw and lips, which was curved up in a mocking grin.
He stuck his tongue out.
"I’m just messing with you," he said softly. "Come on. Don’t be a stiff lad."
’Don’t punch him, Maxwell.’ Max told himself. ’That mask is looking really punchable right now.’
Blank outstretched a hand for a handshake.
"You’re thinking of punching my face right now, aren’t you?" He asked, mocking. "I know you are. Hahahaha."
Maxwell gazed at his outstretched hand.
"You think I’ll shake that?"
"You should. I came all the way here to do this."
"To do what?! Why the hell are you here?!"
’I know part of Malin’s instructions were to help this guy, but... I just... he’s just...’
"To congratulate you, world invader."
Max’s brows really furrowed now. And his mana spiked.
"What do you mean?"
Blank’s smile faded. And he covered his mask once more, still offering his handshake.
"To congratulate you on your ascension from what, 3rd — or was it 5th? — circle to the 9th-circle! Almost an ascender. In one day! Wow!"
Maxwell raised his brows.
Now he understood.
Damn. Frilo was right. He should’ve thought of the consequences of flaring that 9th-circle mana back there.
He’d even forgotten that Charles — or Blank — was still acting as some kind of world protector for Cryst, chasing off ascenders like him and forcing 10th-circles to ascend.
Maxwell was certain that this fledgling who was yet to understand the vastness of the Cacosphere could do nothing to him, though.
He shrugged.
’Might as well shake the guy.’
Maxwell grabbed Blank’s hand. And shook it firmly.
Suddenly, with Frilo blowing raspberries in front of Blank’s face, Maxwell grinned mischievously. A twinkle in his eyes.
"Thank you for your warm congratulations, Ascender Charles Liam Flameworth."
