[Announcent!]
[The Bone Tyrant, Lord Varos has been defeated!]
[All Stream Hunters from the Third Floor can now freely travel to the Second Floor!]
[Floor 2 Defeated by: The Chosen Conduit.]
The golden system text hung in the air, shimring with divine authority.
Around them, the surviving Stream Hunters erupted into cheers, their voices a cacophony of relief and triumph.
But Adam barely registered the announcent.
His attention was wholly captured by the young woman before him - Leila, her usual timid deanor replaced by uncontainable excitent.
Dark brown hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, framing a face of delicate beauty that wasn't imdiately striking, but lingered in one's mory like the afterimage of a candle's glow.
Her lips parted in a radiant smile that reached her hazel eyes, making them sparkle with sothing akin to pride... an expression so unlike her usual self that it gave Adam pause.
"Thank you so much, Adam!"
She said, her voice trembling with genuine gratitude.
The words carried more weight than simple appreciation for their victory.
They held the relief of soone who had survived against impossible odds.
Adam simply nodded, his face its usual impassive mask.
He watched as Leila's smile faltered slightly at his lack of verbal response, her fingers twisting nervously in the fabric of her robes.
"Um... do you still rember the deal?"
She pressed on, forcing enthusiasm back into her voice.
"I can use [Personalized Destiny] on you now!"
The ntion of her unique ability brought a flicker of interest to Adam's eyes.
From what he rembered...
[Personalized Destiny] was a skill that allowed her to glimpse the future events that would most significantly impact a person's life.
With a cooldown of three months, using it on him was definitely a fitting requirent.
"Mm. Alright."
Adam replied tersely.
Leila's smile returned in full force.
"Alright, I'll begin!"
Before Adam could react, she reached out and grasped both of his hands in hers.
Due to the nature of her mana, her touch was surprisingly cold.
Her fingers trembling slightly with nervous energy.
As she activated her ability, her eyes suddenly glazed over, the rich hazel irises turning milky white as visions flooded her mind.
Adam watched with detached curiosity as Leila's expression shifted rapidly.
First ca confusion, her brow furrowing as if trying to decipher so complex puzzle.
Then, without warning, her face contorted in shock, her mouth falling open in a silent scream.
Blood began trickling from her nose, then her ears, thin crimson trails marring her pale skin.
Before Adam could intervene, a sickening crack echoed through the air as Leila's head jerked violently to the side, her neck twisting at an impossible angle.
Her body convulsed, limbs bending in ways they shouldn't, bones audibly snapping under so invisible pressure.
'Shit...!'
Adam's usual composure shattered as he watched the young woman's body begin to crumple in on itself like a piece of paper in an invisible fist.
With reflexes born of countless battles, Adam yanked an item from his inventory.
[Instant Rejuvenation], a rare one-ti use item gifted by one of his more weird usernad viewers!
He had not used it yet!
The crystal vial glowed with golden light as he crushed it in his palm, releasing its healing energies directly into Leila's convulsing form.
The effect was imdiate.
The invisible force crushing Leila dissipated as golden light enveloped her body.
Broken bones snapped back into place, blood vessels repaired themselves, and color returned to her deathly pale skin.
With a gasp, Leila collapsed to her knees, her entire body trembling as cold sweat drenched her robes.
Adam knelt beside her, his usual stoicism replaced by rare concern.
"What happened?"
He demanded, his voice low but intense.
Leila looked up at him, her hazel eyes wide with terror and confusion.
Her breathing ca in ragged gasps as she struggled to form words.
"T-three nodes..."
She finally managed to whisper.
Adam's brow furrowed.
"What?"
"I... I saw three nodes!"
Leila repeated, her voice gaining strength but still shaking.
"The first one... it was hard to process. But I saw a tall man in formal clothes with dark blue hair..."
She shuddered violently.
"Adam. One day, he will attempt to understand you. Adam, whatever you do, don't ever give him the chance to do that!"
Adam felt an unfamiliar chill crawl down his spine.
"Who is he?"
He demanded, his free hand unconsciously moving to the hilt of his weapon.
"Did you see anything else about him?"
"I... I don't know..."
Leila admitted, wrapping her arms around herself as if suddenly cold.
"I was about to see more but... the man suddenly saw for so reason and blocked my vision..."
A chill ran down Adam's spine despite himself.
"What..."
"After the first node was blocked, the second one appeared."
Leila continued, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"I saw a woman... she looked just like you..."
Adam went very still.
"Just... like ?"
"Yes!"
Leila confird, her fingers digging into her own arms.
"This node wasn't quite clear either... I'm so sorry... But I saw nurous corpses piled up behind her... And you were there too!
"For so reason, you looked sad and grieving rather than angry..."
She trailed off, her breath coming faster as she recalled the final vision.
"The third node..."
Horror twisted her features anew, her pupils dilating with rembered terror.
Adam reached out, gripping her shoulder firmly.
"Leila. Focus. What about the third node?"
She t his gaze, her own eyes glassy with fear.
"A-Adam... I saw monsters..."
"Monsters?"
Adam repeated, his grip tightening unconsciously.
Leila nodded jerkily.
"Yes... they were all eating you..."
The words hung between them, heavy with ominous implication.
Before Adam could press for more details, a gust of wind swept through the battlefield, carrying with it the faint scent of decay and sothing... tallic.
...
Far away, in a dilapidated building on one of the Tower's higher floors, a man with neatly combed dark blue hair paused in his examination of the crumbling walls.
Dressed in immaculate formal attire that seed out of place in the ruinous surroundings, Elaric ran his fingers along the weathered stone, muttering to himself in a precise, analytical tone.
"Fascinating... this mortar composition suggests pre-Collapse architecture, yet the weathering patterns indicate no more than seven years of exposure."
His gloved fingers brushed against a crack in the wall.
He moved along the wall with precise steps, his polished shoes avoiding debris without needing to look down.
"Lateral pressure fractures..."
He noted, pausing at a particular crack.
"Not structural fatigue. Sothing hit this wall from the side with trendous force. But the direction is all wrong for seismic activity..."
His analysis cut off mid-sentence.
Every muscle in his body tensed at once.
And then slowly, with deliberate precision...
He turned his head toward a gaping window fra where only empty sky was visible.
A slow, knowing smile curved his lips...
His eyes darkened for a bit before it beca clearer.
Had Leila been present, she would have recognized him instantly...
The man from her vision!
The one who had sohow detected her supernatural scrutiny across ti and space.
Elaric paused as he let out a low hum in contemplation.
"Hm. Soone just peeked into my future..."
...
[End of Volu 1 : Shared Fate]
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