Lightning roared across the sky, the white flashes illuminating the desert—and the lonely castle within it.
In a shadowed corner by the castle walls, a corpse-like figure sucked blood with desperate hunger.
Adam knew he was killing. He knew he was drinking. But he couldn't stop.
Not only that, his demonic mind raced constantly, scheming for more blood, like an addict craving the next fix.
Throats moved. Blood poured down his mouth, rushing through every vessel, quenching the fire inside him.
In that instant, he felt immense satisfaction—more demon than ever.
From the first drop of blood, he realized this wasn't Eden's lineage. Not from himself. Not from Eden's wild tribes. Then whose blood was it? Lilith's?
Thoughts aside, the body obeyed instinct. He licked the blood from his lips, then sucked his fingers clean. Not a drop wasted.
"Uriel…" he growled, hot breath steaming from his mouth like vapor on a red-hot iron.
The blaze in his chest eased slightly. He sank to a shadowed corner, whispering.
One of the Four Archangels—the six-winged Uriel—had betrayed God Yahweh, now wandering somewhere on Earth. That arrow he'd shot at Adam wasn't entirely wrong. Uriel had his reasons. But for Adam, there was no excuse.
Every time he pictured Yilin's smiling face, a violent urge surged within him—to tear Uriel apart. Right and wrong didn't matter. Only vengeance, only the act itself.
This fury burned so deep Adam could scour every corner of the Earth, unending, unstoppable.
He began planning his path after resurrection.
First: understand this world. He had been asleep for too long. Humans without Eden blood existed. That meant Earth had its own natives—different from the Bible's account. The Bible wasn't history, so errors were expected. But who were these original inhabitants? Darwinian evolution? Or were other myths true, too—like Nuwa creating humans?
No answers yet. Only one certainty: this world was no Eden. First, regain his body. Then understand. Then find Uriel. Last, Lilith.
To track two people across this vast Earth, he would need the strength of numbers—returning to the Eden tribe first.
Had they come to Earth after his fall? He didn't know.
Inside the castle, laughter rang out again. It lured Adam, still ravenous.
He hoisted the desiccated bandit he had drained, tossed him into a heap of straw within the walls, hiding him. Then Adam crept toward the castle's slightly ajar main door.
In the dungeon, the woman had finally shredded her silk gown into strips. Wearing her coarse robe again, she tied the strips into long ropes. Desert attire had layers, giving her enough material for several ropes.
She tied a stone to one rope, flung it out the window. The stone hit the ground. Perfect. The dungeon was semi-underground; outside was the first floor.
She repeated the process dozens of times, sending ropes down along the wall.
Testing the weight, she began climbing, feet pressing against the uneven stone, moving upward one careful step at a time.
In the castle corridor, a bandit staggered, drunk, heading to the storage for more wine.
"Damn it. When I'm captain, I'll make you run for wine every day," he muttered, fantasizing about his superior in drunken irritation.
Suddenly, a chill touched his face. He sniffed—blood.
Experienced with knives, he knew the smell. But dripping here? Now? Not normal.
He looked up. The arched corridor was dark. Nothing.
A flash of lightning revealed it: a skinless figure sprawled across the curved ceiling. A terrifying wound on its chest oozed slowly.
Before he could scream, the figure leapt, hand thrust into his mouth.
"Ugh…ugh…"
No real struggle. Sharp nails pierced his throat from inside. Adam bit into his neck, drinking desperately.
Within moments, the bandit's blood was gone. Adam wiped his chest wound.
It bled again. The blood he'd drunk started healing it, but not fast enough. The slow seep had exposed him just now.
He tore cloth from the corpse, tying it over the wound—not to stop the bleeding, but to conceal his movements. Alone, being discovered could complicate the hunt.
He tossed the corpse outside the walls, climbed the castle like a lizard, moving through darkness.
Inside, the hall was oblivious. The party raged on. The missing bandit had not yet returned, so a few more were sent to the storage. Perfect—more prey.
Adam crept along the outer corridor, following the two bandits. Silence was key, so his movement was slow.
Finally, he caught up. His devilish mind calculated: how to take both quietly?
Suddenly, one shouted, pointing outside the wall toward the castle's main inner gate.
"Captain! That woman's escaping!"
The woman, who had been tied up as spoils earlier, froze mid-escape, leaving the strong lock behind, scrambling toward a side tower.
Alert bandits charged outside, chaos erupting.
"Surround the tower! Search inside! You, block her from the ropes!" Guguka commanded.
Torches flared. Entrances were sealed. Over fifty bandits ran to pursue, plus dozens still passed out inside. The castle likely held over a hundred thieves.
None noticed Adam above. But striking now would be unwise.
He smiled under skinless cheeks. Let the chaos be his advantage.
He darted to the hall entrance, slipping inside while the drunken thieves ignored him.
The air reeked of wine. Most were drunk, including everyone except the terrified dancer.
"You've eaten your fill. Now it's my turn."
He licked his teeth, saliva dripping. Then, he lunged at the dancer staring out the window.