After a 2.5-hour journey from Gloomhaven City to Havient City, I finally arrived at my front door with legs that were already very tired.
And yep, it was already night. Surely they, Alicia and Aunt Maya, would interrogate me, especially if they saw me carrying this sword in my hand.
Therefore, I tucked the sword I bought into my belt and covered it with my coat, invisible, but it forced my body to be upright.
And to keep them calm, I brought a gift: a container filled with various donuts with different flavors that I bought on the way home. That was Alicia's favorite, which Aunt Maya should also like!
I pushed the door slowly, then entered with an upright posture that I tried to keep neutral.
After a few steps, I heard the sound of the television on.
Then I saw them sitting side by side on the Sofa watching TV with the living room lights off. Alicia, who looked tired this time, was leaning on her Aunt. And Aunt Maya with her hands starting to wrinkle was patting her, even though she was 35 years old, her face still looked young.
Aunt Maya, who happened to see me, smiled softly then said to Alicia, "Alice, your brother is home, try asking him where he has been?" said Aunt Maya with a teasing tone in her voice.
I stepped closer before Alicia had a chance to turn around, then placed the container of donuts I bought for them in front of them, "For you."
"Where have you been coming home only at 7 PM?" Said Alicia with a cynical stare, but she opened the donut container and took one.
"I was helping Professor Nolan in his lab, it just finished and I apologize for coming home late and not answering your calls. I swear! There was no signal there earlier!" I raised both my hands.
"Alright, you must be tired. Go take a shower, you smell like soil, does your task in the lab have something to do with soil? After that eat, I left some food on the kitchen shelf." said Aunt Maya.
"Hehe, yeah something like that," I answered her question, "Okay I'll shower first bye." I took the time to grab one donut then went up to my room to put the sword and rune I bought, then rushed to shower.
Aunt Maya's words were true, I smelled like soil!
After showering, I joined watching television while eating with them just to relieve my fatigue from the whole day by hanging out.
We watched a newly released action movie, I commented that the main actor's acting in that movie was bad (Actually it was really bad). Hearing that, Alicia immediately defended the actor because he was her idol.
"Trust me, my acting is more skilled than his." I said in a joking tone.
Alicia's face turned red from anger then she smiled and said, "Oh yeah? Why don't you just become the actor?"
Our debate continued because I kept commenting on the movie, finally Alicia pummeled me with her pillow repeatedly out of frustration.
"Haha, Look Auntie, Alice is beating me." I said while laughing with hands protecting my head.
"Alice stop that." said Aunt Maya then shook her head, "Sigh… why can't you guys watch TV peacefully?"
"He started it first!" Alicia pointed at me with her finger.
"I was just being honest." I shrugged my shoulders with a smile.
"Adrian…" Aunt Maya looked at me with a sharp gaze.
"Oh alright-alright, I apologize, I will be quiet this time."
–Thump! Suddenly a pillow hit my face when I was off guard.
It was a pillow thrown by Alice, she smiled then laughed.
Now I felt that all my fatigue from going around the Black Market was not in vain because I have them, my new family, whom I must protect one day.
Just for now, I want to forget about the future for a moment and enjoy this family moment.
Although yes, I am not their real family…
But please, let me feel this in peace, just for now…
I am truly stupid. I already know that the closer I get to someone, the more painful it will be later when I lose them, but even though I already know that, I still can't distance myself from them, there's a part of me that wants this…
But I will not regret it because this is my choice, I will make this my motivation.
…
Then hours passed until finally the clock showed 10:30 PM.
After the movie finished they went back to their respective rooms with sleepy faces, especially Alicia who had actually fallen asleep in the middle of the movie which then only left me and Aunt Maya continuing it.
Now I sat on the swivel chair in my room facing the full moon with my legs impolitely placed on the window.
I played with the stage one Shadow Rune in my hand while gathering the will to consume it.
After I was sure, I lowered my legs from the window, sat normally, then prepared to swallow it.
Yep, swallowing the Rune whole is the way to consume it.
'Uh, why did I write it like that.' I swallowed my saliva, then looked up and opened my mouth.
Then put that Rune into the mouth and swallowed it.
I felt the cold Rune pass through my throat then start to go down.
Then I took water and drank it greedily.
*Gasp* *Gasp*
'Finally I did it. Now I just have to wait for this stage 1 Rune to assimilate, after it's done I will proceed to the next stage.'
Simple right? Yes, that is indeed how to consume it.
However, it doesn't mean I will immediately be able to use Shadow Magic just by eating a stage 1 Rune.
Consuming stage 1 is like planting a seed, and the next stages are to strengthen the existing seed (2-4), until finally reaching stage 5–where I get Shadow magic permanently!
So for now I cannot use Shadow Magic yet, maybe I will be able to use it at stage 3, even that seems like it will be very weak because it's not permanent, but a temporary loan.
Then, if I stop in the middle of the stages, I will lose everything and have to repeat it from the beginning. So, every 1-2 weeks, I have to consume it until stage 5.
That is why I really need money!
I took the stage two Rune then looked at it in my hand. 'It seems for the money problem, I can solve it because Erickson will always send 500 Crowns to me at the end of every month. It is already the end of the month, maybe the money will come in soon. However, because part of that money I have to spend to pay for my two schools, I will look for my own money for extra.'
'Well, Runes are just items for adding Attributes, every time I consume the stages one by one it doesn't mean my shadow magic will get stronger with every stage–My Shadow Magic still depends on my current Mana.' I recalled the rules I wrote in my Novel.
The only Item that can strengthen my Shadow Magic as well as my mana is the 'Divine Fragment' which has 7 Grades, which will get stronger the lower the Grade is.
But that item is really very limited and most of them must have already been used…
Sigh…
'Maybe one day there will come a time when I am forced to kill fellow humans…' after knowing how weak I am right now, I think the path to my power in this world with limited resources is only if I do that.
It's okay right to kill a few human Divine Fragment users for the greater good? Besides, the Divine Fragment users indeed must be killed because it will be dangerous one day if they succeed in reaching Grade-1.
'Uh my dream is really very high to kill them.' I smiled wryly then put my stage 2 Shadow Rune onto the table, then I opened my smartphone and rechecked the message Sierra sent me.
Sierra: Adrian, Azrael said tomorrow we are going to the dungeon in Defier city. Can you make it?
That was the message Sierra sent a few minutes ago which I replied that I could.
What a coincidence, I want to try my sword inside a Dungeon and gather money.
Then I looked back at the next message from Sierra.
Sierra: Okay then, you better sleep now because it is already late at night. You could get exhausted there later.
Yes, she is worried about me… Usually if there is a stranger who is suddenly attentive to me, I would assume they have an ulterior motive. That is my vow. However after I moved to this world, that habit of mine loosened, well after all that is Sierra! Adrian and her already have a history together, how could Sierra have an ulterior motive? At most her ulterior motive is to become my girlfrie–
"Ahem." I put my Smartphone on the table then stretched my body.
"Alright…" Tonight I will spend practicing controlling my magic so that tomorrow I won't burden them.
Yeah Besides… I actually can't sleep.
How can I sleep soundly if I know one day I will die? Honestly, more than the fear of my own death, I am more afraid if I have to lose my new family, my new friends…