[Master, can you see that thing? It's been following us for a while now.]
"Yeah…"
With Cristal's ability, we managed to find a way past the monsters who were still fighting among themselves. Although, it was inevitable that we came across low-level monsters, for some reasons, they ran away as soon as they saw us.
From the look of it, the reason why they fled was not related to my presence or Cristal's, but because of something that had been following us since we left the castle.
"I saw that guy disappearing in front of me, but the possibility of his becoming an existence similar to a ghost isn't zero," I said.
[What should we do?]
"Going back is more important for now, so don't stop unless it attacks first."
I wasn't sure about anything, but as far as I was concerned, I could tell that anything could happen from the moment I created an ability by myself. 'Yes, even a flying black cape.'
The black cape followed from afar, but for some reason, the monsters were afraid of its presence. 'Still, if the guy could really turn invisible, would he really wear that black cape and expose his last trump card? And why didn't he attack me when I was with Liu and Zax? Well, if he was close by my power would be able to nullify his power. Or is there another possibility? For example, if it was some kind of magical item then that would make sense.'
Anyway, I didn't notice it because its ability must have been nullified during the fight, and that was why the guy could move around the room so quickly when I deactivated my power.
"Is the portal still far from here?" I asked.
[No, but I detect some presences nearby, and the path is difficult to pass through if you can't fly.]
"I know, but we need to manage to go there somehow."
The ground was extremely uneven and cliffs were everywhere, making the whole area look like a maze. If someone who didn't have Cristal's help went there, then they would become the snack of the monsters.
Moreover, I couldn't move harshly because Zax was still unconscious. 'Is she alright, though? I guess she was really shocked, and the fact that she was giftless didn't help. I shouldn't have brought her here, I need to remember this situation in the future.'
There were a lot of things that I came to be aware of after what happened today. 'With my power and my situation, I would never be able to live a normal life. Before, I felt like I was special and I could do great things, but now, even though I know I am special and can create miracles, I realized that it comes with a price. It was so easy to say that I was ready for anything to achieve my goal, but if in the end, if I need to sacrifice everything that made me human, that I cared about then… Well, it's not the time to think about that…'
[…ster. Master!]
"Huh?"
[You were spacing out. Look behind you.]
I turned my head and the black cape was right behind me. Then, I activated my power immediately and the cape fell as if it was just a normal piece of cloth.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier. That was dangerous." I said.
[…]
"Okay, I was spacing out so I didn't hear you. Anyway, what was that? It didn't seem like there was an invisible person." I remarked and tried to touch the black cape with my foot but there was no response.
[I also couldn't feel the presence of a human nearby.]
"Well, this must be some kind of artifact. Why does it follow us though? His former owner died, so maybe it needs a new owner?" I wondered.
I wasn't even surprised to see this kind of weird artifact, after all, I had a whole universe inside of me.
"Still, the real question is, will this help me in this situation or not? Because if not, it's useless."
After all, I didn't want to pass some kind of ritual to acquire the ownership of this cape.
"Shiiiiiish!!"
Suddenly, I heard a very annoying noise and when I turned around, I saw a huge snake, wrapping itself around one of the pillar-like boulders in the middle of the maze-like area.
The huge snake was clearly bad news, and I was not up for another fight, so if the black cape could be of any help to avoid the fight and help us move forward more quickly, then I didn't find any issue. 'I will think about the other details after we get out of here.'
"Hey, do something," I said, pushing the cape with my foot after I took Zax in my arms instead of leaving her on my back.
I deactivated my power, and turned over, presenting my back to the cape, and as soon as I did, the cape put itself on my back.
Then, I felt like my body was wrapped by an invisible force and I began to float.
"Nice! Let's go, Cristal!"
I didn't know how did the cape manage to make me fly but it was not a bad thing at all and was extremely useful. I couldn't also feel any kind of evil intention coming from it, or something wrong with my body. 'Well, if that happens, I would just activate my power.'
I didn't even need to think about anything, and I just leaned my body forward and I moved forward. ' I felt like I was some kind of hero. Such a shame that only monsters could see it. Well, enough about that, I should think about what to do from here."
With the help of the black cape, we managed to move forward more quickly, and I couldn't even feel Zax's weight.
Despite what I said, I was a little bit surprised to see Zax's face. 'She was so shocked to the point that she passed out, but why does she look peaceful now? Is she having a nice dream?'
[The portal is right ahead. And master…]
"Huh?"
After saying these words, the armor covering Liu's head retracted and crystal blue eyes were looking at me.
Something in me just stopped for a second, as if time was slowing. 'I don't want to feel like this, considering the situation, but did this girl become more beautiful than before?'
Despite everything I had gone through, it seemed like there were still some emotions that made me feel like what I did was worth it. 'Such a thing… Maybe, this is why I am still human despite my power.'
*****
:::[Third person POV]:::
Liu turned her head and looked at Adam, feeling that something happened to her body that made it feel extremely light. She could also feel an overwhelming power deep inside her, and the way she was now, she felt like she go head to head with one of the individuals who sat on the seat of the Guardians of the Empire.
"How are you feeling?" Adam asked.
Liu looked at the man in front of him. "Adam? What happened?"
Adam looked extremely filthy, his hair was messy and coated with disgusting liquids, and most of all, he was naked, wore a black cape, and held a little girl in his arms while floating. His look didn't help Liu to at least guess what had happened while she was unconscious.
"You seem to be fine. We will talk later, let's go!" Adam said and then rushed forward, and Liu followed him.
As time passed Liu was more and more curious and she was very confused, but as Adam said, it was not the time for a talk. She could see the monsters that roamed the area, and she was smart enough to understand that it was dangerous to stop.
"Cristal, Liu, as soon as I immobilize the monsters, rush inside the portal! I will come after you." Adam said.
Liu didn't say anything but she couldn't help but notice the change in how Adam addressed her. Also, it seemed like everything about Adam had changed. His red eyes looked straight at her, and he was taller and more muscular than before.
After that, Liu just nodded at Adam's instruction, knowing that Adam was more knowledgeable about what was happening.
However, no matter how she looked at Adam, some facts left her confused. How strong Adam was? Did he come here alone with Zax or with everyone else? If he came with everyone else, where were they? What happened to her?
And more importantly, there was one thing that made her more anxious. "Where is Verte?" She mumbled.
Adam definitely heard her but he decide to not answer and continued forward.
"Now!" Adam said.
Liu was still confused so Cristal took the initiative and dashed forward while avoiding the monsters.
After that, Adam and Zax also followed them.
Swoosh!
'Finally,' Adam thought. 'We managed to bring Liu back. I hope the others followed my instructions.'
However, as soon as Adam reached the other side, his eyes widened.
He went through an insane experience and was almost close to dying, but what he saw made everything that happened look like nothing.
"What the hell is this?"
*****
[Inside of a spaceship, somewhere in space.]
"What? A signal? What kind of signal?" A middle-aged man wearing a distinct Chinese-like outfit asked, looking at the man who just reported to him.
"Yes, it came from the planet Kepalta."
"What?" The man had face, expressing his surprise.
After all, things took a very nasty turn while Adam was beyond the gate, and not only did it affect Liu's companions, but also Adam's family and his home.
"Kepalta? How can that be?" The man asked as if he was talking to himself rather.
The Empire never announced it publicly or even talked about it, but something happened, and it was not something that could be taken lightly.
"What should we do, sir?"
"Establish a contact... If by any chance it was related to Miss Liu, we can't ignore it. After a year... How can this be, what happened?" The man had a complex look on his face, and even though his hair was still black, he looked like something was weighing on his mind, making him look like he was an old man.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om