Chapter 4
After both Emily and Lute finished with their ice cream, Adam got up and started walking towards the exit of the park, Emily and Lute noticing him, followed along with a familiar motion that was carved into them for the centuries that they were together, minus Adam that is.
"Where are we going ?" Emily asked, curious and with that innocent glint still in her eyes. Making one wonder how such a pure gaze exists in a creature as ancient as her.
"To a ice-cream factory, i got a big order and i want it done fast and cheap" Adam answered, his towering height casting a massive shadow upon them, especially with OG's ballish freely flowing clothes making him bigger than he already was, as in making him look like he was a freaking bean pole that ate a massive bowling ball.
"I am sorry, I didn't think," Emily started apologizing, possibly assuming that he was ordering cause she ate his ice cream.
"You are misunderstanding, Emily, i am not buying it for my self, but for my subordinates" Adam answered, his voice step lower than normal and taking on an more familiar calm tone from his previous life, though with smoothness that wasn't previously there as the OG Adam's voice, when he was not crazily screaming had a smoot gliding feeling to it. "I thought they would like it."
"Commander," Lute quietly asked from behind him. Already, Adam could imagine her sharp eyes as her gaze narrowed suspiciously at him.
Adam just gently shook his head as he continued walking. "I am not taking it from the budget Lute, from my own personal account."
"..personal ?" Lute asks, unsure, her voice also containing hint of surprise, not at the fact that he was spending money for something as he was generally quite ...generous but the fact that he was giving gifts, that is not swords or weapon nor used for parties after the extermination but simple one that had no meaning other than just ...bringing joy to ...them.
Adam ignored her words as he just continued marching, as he faintly remembers where the factory is located, as it was in the manufacturing district of the city, specifically on the edge of the normal civilian part and manufacturing part along the main road.
Along the way, Adam observed the city of pure good, its buildings, its people, and their actions.
The building was massive and tall to the point it seemed to block the very skies, yet for some reason also not blocking out the sun light itself, the people ?. Well, they were a weird bunch, he would say. Both in appearance and actions.
There were some weird shape humanoid beings with halos, angelic wings for faces, cat-faced, green-blue, all-rainbow seven-color hair and skin tone. They were laughing with each other, dancing to music, and some even doing break dancing while posing to a certain camera every few seconds.
Yet despite all the noise, there was a certain limit and rules that prevented all of them from doing anything drastic. Those who were dancing didn't dance too provocative way, those who were wearing revealing clothes didn't do any dances nor move too much, while the background music that was playing behind them was songs that, despite having a rock and roll theme, had no curse words. Instead, they were only bashing each other with normal words or not at all.
Making the city of good beautiful and free on first glance, but filled with invisible chains the next. Adam's smile widened on his mask as he continued on his path. Adam didn't dislike it, in fact, he even liked those chains and would even like to add a few, like no loud voice or screaming during the night, no getting in the way of others when walking, nor flying at high speed, as it sends waves of leaves floating about. Granted, if those chains also restricted him, Adam wouldn't have liked it much, but who was he?
He was the ADAM, THE FIRST MAN
Those rules that all winners and low-tier angels follow don't restrict him, and only those heavy or forbidden things are the rules that truly restrict him. And he doesn't plan on breaking any god damn heavy, forbidden rule anytime soon.
Along the way, some of the winners and angels greeted him.
"Hello, Sir Adam."
"Hi, Adam."
"What's up, Adam? When is the next concert ?"
Some respectfull, some not, yet all talking freely to him.
Meanwhile, to Emily, it was more respect and distance as if an invisible thin wall was between her and them, despite her outgoing, soft, and gentle personality.
"Good afternoon, Miss Emily, I hope you have a good day."
"Hello, Emily, going to the main building ?"
Some sort of mixed emotion brewed in Adam's heart as he listened and answered a few greetings and answered some questions.
Some part of Adam found how open and seamless other low-tier angels and winners connected with him endearing and enjoyable. Yet some little part wanted the respect and distance that Emily was getting, as he wanted some space for himself, but he shook it off the next second, thinking that he was getting to a topic he didn't want to go. Besides, Adam already expects winners and low-tier angels to treat him with more respect and distance when he stops interacting with them much and stops acting like a hooligan.
Two year?
Five year?
Decade?
It didn't matter, as in the end, they would all change, as they are living beings who breathe and live as a community
After a bit of walking, they finally reached the ice cream factory and Adam ordered about a thousand or so ice creams along with two massive freezers as they wouldn't fit in the freezer of the bootcamp. Due to the mass order, he managed to knock the price of the ice cream from 40k to 35k and ordered two massive freezers, each costing 4,000 credits.
[648,500 -43,000 credit]
"Sir, you do know that they won't fit in the kitchen right ?" Lute asks on the way out, worried, as those freezers won't fit in the kitchen, as it was already full, but Adam just waved it off.
"Don't worry, i plan on addressing that soon enough," Adam said as he nodded at her then he turned to Emily. "How busy has Sera been recently ?" He asked, his yellow masked devil like face glowing in yellow color.
"Just the usual, just enough work that she can't go around freely, but not to the point she is swarmed with it," Emily nodded.
"Great," Adam declared as he started walking. "Hey, Emily, do you mind if you put in a meeting request to Sera?" Emily and Lute followed along with familiar motion. "OK," She answered as she waved her hand, manifesting a shower of yellow mystical light and sending a meeting request to Sera, under the name of Adam, of course.
Then they continued on their little tour, though calling it a tour is a bit wrong since they had been living inside of it hundreds of years and were extremely familiar to the point it was akin to looking at the back of their hands to them. But still, they wouldn't let this ruin their joy.
They went to an amusement park first, played some games, won some, and lost some as they just blindly enjoyed their day. As they all say, if one can't enjoy themselves while in heaven, where would they enjoy themselves?.
But just as they were truly getting into the mood, it was ruined.
No, not by any being but the High Seraphim herself.
Though one might think that ruining it is too strong a word but still the atmosphere did really lose its allure with the glowing portal of High Seraphim opening in front of them.
"Well, that was fast," Adam nodded, feeling surprised at how fast his request for a personal meeting was approved, as it had only been about fifty or so minutes since Emily sent the request.
But he just shrugged and entered the portal, Lute following close behind, but Emily didn't follow, unfortunately. As she had no reason to meet Sera, though the fact that she ignored her warning and ate more ice cream than she was allowed might have played a part in why she wasn't following them.
With a whoosh that was entirely unfamiliar to Adam, he entered the office of the High Seraphim.
The first thing he noticed was how beautiful and clear the room was. The room has very small amouth of decoration or any for that matter and was only adorned in the colors of gold, blue, and white. Each gleamed gently under the sun, dying the color in a color that many would assume to be a work of art.
And in the deepest part of it, right in front of the window sat a woman who looked just like an older version of Emily with silver white hair that reached her back and calm, gently eyes that looked down at the world with a gaze that only a being who lived from the beginning, even before human civilization could. Though inside that very gaze, there was an emotion that shouldn't be there.
Which is an annoyance.
"What have you done this time Adam?" Her voice was quiet and elegant, yet it had the sharp edge that could even cleave a person in two. Fortunately for Adam, he was an angel, not a human.
"Umm" Adam wasn't sure what Sera meant by those words, as he was quite sure that he hadn't done anything that could even be counted as breaking an important rule, even remotely, for that matter. But thinking that some shit that the OG had done is probably revealed, he opened his mouth, half expecting himself to become a father. "What do you mean by that ?" Adam asked, trying to inquire what he had done and also trying to resist glancing at the OG to confirm if he had really done something.
"You tell me." Sera echoed a second later, while gleaming indifferent eyes that are furthest from humanity formed between her hair braids. Reminding Adam that no matter how much they look like humans and act like one, she was, in the end, an ancient existence that was there from the birth of the world. Indifferent, old, and unknown
"I don't ...know ?"Adam asked, raising the palm of his hand to the sky to fully reveal that he genuinely did not know. what she meant.
And that seemed to confuse her as she instantly ceased all her holy energy and sat down on her chair with a confused expression.
"Really ?" She echoed a second later.
Adam just nodded back at her. "Yes, i hadn't done anything in the past few months."
But a small part of her still seemed to refuse to acknowledge that she rushed to find fault with him when he had done really nothing. "Really ?"
"Yes"
Sera closed her eyes and massaged her nose bridge as her mind finally accepted the reality that she really tried to find fault with Adam, even though he had done nothing wrong. But in her defense, in the past few centuries, whenever Adam came to see her by going through all the formal procedures like any normal half-sentient living beings did, it would always entail problems, ridiculous requests, or some shitty things he had done and needed her help to cover up.
Which she did every time, unfortunately. Despite what Adam had become, he was still the first human and one of the very few beings in heaven who knew about the extermination, as he was even the leader of it. So thinking about the past and with him being her ... somewhat of an accomplice, no matter how much she dislikes it.
"I....am sorry, I had jumped to conclusions too quickly Adam." Sera apologized, recognizing her fault and how inconsiderate she seemed. "So, what did you want to discuss originally?" Sera asked, deciding to reprehend him less the next time he came about with one of his sheneginans.
"It is about budget. Specifically, the extermination legion" Adam inched a bit closer, his enhanced nose picking up the natural fragrant smell that radiated from Sera, with lavender flavor that oh seemed to have weathered thousands of storms and gained properties of other flowers. Nothing like Lute, who mostly smells like sweat and dirt.
Though Adam wouldn't say he disliked the smell of Lute.
"Budget ?" Sera asked, confused and not knowing what he meant by that, as she was pretty sure that appropriate budget is being delivered right on time along with supplies.
Adam nodded his head firmly and with weight, which seemed to radiate the importance of what he was going to talk about. "Yes, they need a higher salary, they need more credit to buy and enjoy themselves."
"Enjoy themselves? Aren't they paid slightly above an average angel and with several benefits to boot ?" Sera asked, knowing how much they are paid now and what the average angel is usually paid, which is, truthfully, even a bit higher than normal, with it being 2,300 credits.
"Yes, and it isn't enough, they are spending almost all of their time training or doing something, much more than what a normal, simple job in heaven would require, not to mention the grueling training they are enduring, so I think they should be paid more." Adam raised his hand and formed an orb of light to appear, then on it, a scene of them training, sparring could be seen, putting more weight and reality upon his words.
And Sera's vision, following what any being should be drawn to, turned to the scene.
"Begin"
Sera saw Lute from the image yell as two angels among many rushed towards one another and around it, a similar scene could be seen repeating everywhere.
"Huaaaa" An angel yelled as she blasted her feet upon the ground, thereby gaining more burst speed as she maneuvered around her opponent.
Her opponent, not to be outdone, instead of using her feet to gain burst speed, used her wings to fly as she maneuvered around her opponent.
Her body was a phantom, an image to an ordinary mortal as they each swung at each other from a very tricky position.
Yet, as if both had eyes on their back, they both dodged each of their attack and transiioned to their next attack. Their spear sends a gust of wind that could send even a hat flying from a distance as they both attack. Yet, as if in mockery or in misfortune, they had put too much focus on the attack and left no room for themselves to dodge the next attack of their opponent this time.
"Puhhh"
"Huaaaaa"
One of their spear hit the stomach of their opponent, sending saliva and stomach acid from her mouth, while her opponent desperately bashed her lungs to get the shock wear off fast, her face no doubt turning blue behind her mask.
And this was just one of the scenes that was playing out in the scene with tens, hundreds more out there.
The battle that ensued was one that was closer to a fight between animals than a spar between sister in arms as they each attacked each other, lacking any defense.
Making Sera question, if the traditional convertible way the main army of heaven fought is too ...rigid ?, lacking in spirit ?. But Sera shook her head as she turned to Adam, having a few questions in her head.
"You can make it disappear. I now understand you're point, and would increase their salary." Sera nodded her head, her face calm yet containing that small bit of confusion.
"But I have several questions that I need answers" Sera raised her thin, long hand and started tapping the desk. "Why are they fighting .... like this ?" Sera's eyes narrowed at Adam as she continued. "Like an ...animal"
Adam scratched back of his neck, already knowing that they fight like mad dogs, who looked like they would either tear their opponent to shreds extremely fast or get torn and brutally killed if not, with no middle ground
"Yeah, you know how only the angelic weapon or powerful abilities can harm them, right ?" Adam turned to look at some decorative angelic weapons that were adorning the wall, and also walked towards one of them.
Sera nodded in understanding.
"Well, since there is almost no sinner in hell who knows about this, and because I...in the past pushed them quite a bit. Their combat style gradually changed to what it is ...today." Adam grabbed the thin angelic sword and swung them around a bit. "Though I am planning on changing that, as they would get caught off guard and killed if some sinner or overlord in hell used angelic weapons."
Adam's sword swing was heavy and fast as he did a few slashes in the air, noticing how it was, for some reason, sharper and lighter than it should be. But he shrugged it off, as after all, some difference in equipment quality is expected.
"mmm" Sera nodded as she stared intensely at him with hidden worry, watching Adam swing a high-quality angelic weapon that could easily cut through everything in the room. But Adam seemed to sense her unease as he put the sword back.
"Albright, you can go back, Adam, do ... whatever you were doing, i will increase the budget for both their salary and their new training to normalize their fighting style " Sera said while manifesting an portal with a wave of her hand, possible was quite busy but rushed and called in Adam due to the gut wrenching feeling that Sera felt every time he came in through the formal way.
Adam nodded as he started walking. "Let's go" Adam motioned to Lute along the way as they both went to the portal. Lute nodded while also bowing to Sera one last time as she followed after him.
Along the way, Adam wondered, 'Emily shouldn't have gone back right ?' Because he didn't want to end today this short and sudden.
Unfortunately, Emily was gone when they got back, so having lost one of their ground along with the desire for fun, they both went to the library to study and learn. As heaven's history was quite interesting and long to the point of ancient, it wasn't boring for him and Lute, despite having no desire for reading, still, without complaint, read some war strategy from a human book beside him.
The days and months passed by like a flowing river with an endless source as Adam continued with his days.
Training from morning to noon, nonstop and without pause and then reading, learning some other things in the afternoon, and late at night, enjoying the high life, not the sexual type, no, he was just eating whatever he wanted, doing whatever he wanted.
Hell, on the side, he even became familiar with what he should officially do that he even 'retired' Emily as he didn't want to burden the girl any longer than necessary. But still, he bought delicious things and played around with her from time to time, as he didn't want her to feel like he was just using her, and he stopped when he felt like it.
About the promise that he gave to Emily, he did fulfill it, just that it took a whole week for him to learn to open the portal to the human world, as it was, for some reason, quite difficult. And during that time, out of the original three starved children, only two remained, with the youngest sibling dead, with only the oldest brother and the middle child, a girl, remaining.
RIP
But after a few days of searching, he couldn't find a rich family that would adopt them. So thinking that a sixteen-year-old boy should already have some self-sufficiency, he gave them a shit ton of money, in the form of gold, and threw them to the city, specifically a big orphanage in the middle of the city.
And lo and behold, that brat did have some brain and self-awareness as he exchanged some gold for money and started renting a little apartment together with his sister.
Now he would leave them alone for a year or two while silently observe them, if they show promise and a few clever trick, he will make them his future company's head, very compassionate mining company that donates majority of their profit to people in need as he need to pump those invisible karma point full or he might just fall with how long he acted like a hooligan.