I apologize for not having a chapter for you out sooner today. But here you go, more sass and Seto I hope this makes it up :D
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GAMEOVER
Chapter 5 [Seto Magi]
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Adam followed behind Jin. Adam spotted the Ross fellow standing next to Barney, who was...still asleep. "Hey Ross!" Jin called out and waved. Ross glanced over with disinterest, his tail bobbed up and down as a sign of acknowledgement to Jin's greeting.
Jin and Adam stopped by Barney, Ross kicked him in the side, "Wake up."
Adam winced, though the kick wasn't to him it still looked like it hurt. Barney in response let out a loud snore. How could one sleep through that?
"If you don't, I'll push you off the cliff." No answer, Ross sighed and started to nudge Barney, he muttered under his breath in annoyance. Adam couldn't really tell having only known the guy for a few short minutes, but Ross seemed more annoyed than what he'd already experienced earlier.
"Ok! So Ross, I'm sure there is a better way then pushing Barney off a cliff," Jin placed a hand on Ross' shoulder.
Ross backed off after Jin told him to. Jin hoisted Barney up by grabbing him under his armpits. Adam held back a snicker as the two almost fell over, "Oh man, this guy," Jin heaved, "Is heavier than he looks! Adam mind helping me?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Just slap him a bit, just to wake him up."
"O-ok." Adam hesitantly slapped Barney...well really he just tapped his face.
"That's not a slap you idiot!" Ross hissed.
"Sorry!" Adam jumped, "Just slapping someone sounds painful," Adam was a little uncertain about hurting anyone, especially a friend. Even if it was as something as small as a slap, maybe people would think him a bit weak or even cowardly. But he believed strongly in giving kindness to everyone, and hated hurting people. If he can avoid it, he will.
Ross pushed Adam aside and slapped Barney awake, 2, 3...Barney was awake by the 4th.
"I'm ups! I'm ups!" Barney shouted and Jin let him go. Barney stopped himself from falling and looked around with a crazed sense of alarm, he calmed when he saw Jin and Ross, "Ohs. It's just yous twos. Is it times for afternoons drills?"
"No, you missed those Barney, out instructor already marked you absent and signed you up for penalty chores," Jin answered.
"Aw mans!" Barney said, he noticed Adam watching, "Oh hellos dere! I's Barney," he held out his arm to Adam and Adam took it hesitantly, "but yous can calls me Barney."
"O-ok, B--wait, isn't that repeti--"
"Are yous that funny mans that was shoved off cliff?"
"Hey...wait what?" Adam looked at Barney quizzically. He found him a bit hard to understand, "I guess I am?" that was more of a question than an answer however it didn't really matter.
"Sos, you'res new which means you don'ts know your ways arounds, Why don'ts we shows you!"
"Hey, good idea Barney! We even have a spare bunk in our level F dorm, you can share with us since you don't know your way around!"
"Does he really have to--"
"Shush Ross," Jin said.
"Re-really?" Adam felt a small ounce of excitement well up in his chest. With each waking moment this reality began to feel even more real. "You would let me stay with you guys?"
"Sure! It's like having a never ending party!"
"Come ons! We can shows you ours dorms, just don'ts fall off this time."
Jin, Barney, and Ross started heading to the ravine side but Adam was a little slow to start, "Wait, the dorms are down there?"
"Yeah, the entire AHD is comprised of 9 levels. A-I. We're currently on the top level, the surface, or Level A. Lowest level extends down to bedrock, only one person lives down there, Seto. That's like his domain, and as the only magic user he can use that space freely."
"Oh," Adam was curious about the whole layout of the AHD, but figured as he went down he could learn more. But wait, Adam just realized...what about his apartment! That was his home and he saved up a lot of money in order to afford it. He still his book to return, and oh shit his boss would kill him....Ok so maybe he was exaggerating, his boss was nice, but he didn't even have a chance to let him know of his situation. He had work tomorrow, what would he do?!
"You ok?"
"Uh... well you see...I just realized I have work today, and my boss probably doesn't know that I'm here at the AHD. And I don't have any access to my link!"
On the contrary, what Adam didn't know was the news spread quite quickly in the capital. Or at least to the neighborhood in which he worked and lived. Everyone already knew of that golden eyed boy with his heads in the clouds. They all knew of his foolery, and the fact that in the middle of the night he was arrested...and here's where the story gets out of hand.
Around 11 at night, it was a peaceful and quiet night. Oh, but there was some commotion in the nearby apartment, the one belonging to that 'golden eyed boy', yes that weird man who even as a child foolishly believed in a dream that could never come true.
It was out of nowhere, the AHD came storming in. The door was shattered to bits by the force, you could feel the anger radiating off those officials from a mile away. And that 'golden eyed boy' was dragged away. Screaming, shouting, begging.
He must've done something wrong, people said. Probably something so crazy, even against the law. The rumors were like candy, sweet to talk about.
People would comment saying they knew that man was whack, now this ought to straighten him up and put him on the right path. Live a Human life, simple and quaint, nothing more. Just like everyone else, every other Human content with the quiet lives.
Of course none of their speculation was close to what actually happened but Adam wouldn't know what they thought. Only someone like me could know, well almost true. I'm not the only one, I'm just the only one who will pay attention to details like this.
Anyways, back to the story at hand. Adam was a little worried for his boss back home and wished there was some way he could contact him. Who knows how long he would be here, probably not long. But he figured he couldn't keep his job at the bookstore from here.
"No worries, I'm sure we can find you a computer to link your boss later, for now, let's show you around!" Jin cheered. He skipped happily to the cliff's edge and started to make his way down the side of the cliff. He followed the narrow path along the wall, soon Ross and Barney followed suit. Adam had no choice but to go along with them.
Now Adam wasn't afraid of heights, but he was afraid of dying. Any Human would. It defies all logic for a Human, a rank with one life, and only one life, to not be afraid. It's not like this world he lived in was perfectly safe. Sometimes a swarm of mobs made it through the AHD's defenses. Oh! Did I forget to mention the AHD was the source of protection to the entire kingdom of Rekrium.
The AHD kept the villages and cities and its people safe from things like monsters. Players and up did all the dangerously hard stuff, fighting, adventuring, experimenting. Simply because if anything went wrong, they likely still had plenty of lives left.
Adam just wanted to be cautious, his first death was something he was not used to, which is normal, he should've died, but he didn't because of one small little amulet he had no idea how it worked. It obviously had to do with whatever strange and mysterious purple liquid was in its center. Maybe he should ask Jason...on second thought. He was a little afraid that would make Jason mad.
Adam watched Barney who was in front of him hardly struggle with the steep climb down. Some parts of the path were wider, others narrower, and along the ravine, there were wooden bridges at different levels, that connected the side of the ravine he was on to the other side. Meaning it was possible to get from one wall to the next.
"Watch your step Adam!" Jin called out to him. Adam turned his attention back to the path he was on and noticed the path ended up ahead. One by one, Jin, Ross, and Barney made small jumps down, Adam stopped just before the end of the stone path.
The path ended with a small jump down to the next path that continued on down just in other direction. IF he could fly and look at the ravine walls from an outside perspective he would notice the paths along the ravine walls were like one of those marble games. You put the marble in at the top and watch it roll down, down, and down the path until it reached the end. Then it would drop and go down, down, and down the other direction. In a zig-zag fashion.
But Adam was no marble. He looked down, again, not a far jump, but the landing space was small. If he hit it wrong he would fall to his doom.
"Comes ons, it's nots that's hards. This is only levels B, we still has to gos to F."
"Can we just get going, I need to grab something from my bunk," Ross said.
"Be patient Ross, let's wait for Adam. He isn't as strong as a Player. He still has to get used to our way of things."
Ross groaned, "I knew I should've gone first."
Our way of things.
Our way of things.
Jin, Barney and Ross--ok maybe not Ross, but Jin and Barney were nice. Yet even they saw Adam as just a Human. They didn't see him on their level despite the fact he died and lived. But that was ok, he would prove them wrong. He didn't blame them, it wasn't necessarily their fault. Adam crouched to the ground and let one leg go over the edge. He wiggled his foot to try and feel for the ground but could find nothing.
"Uh, how far am I from the ground?"
"Just a few feet, the space has to be large enough for someone of Ty's size to fit through with minimal crouching, but low enough someone as short as Jason can jump or climb back up."
"Wait, climb?! You have to climb back up here in order to go up?"
"Duhs silly."
"Why!" Adam fell with a yelp and landed on the B level path with an oof. The hard, stone floors serving as no cushion for his bum.
"It's a training exercise. It helps build muscle, and stamina, also gives way for a person's ability to think outside the box. Every person is different, so not everyone can make it up the same way as another. Some on like Seto and fly up, Ty hardly needs to do much since he's tall and strong. Shorter people sometimes climb, Player-Mobs use their heightened abilities, etc." Ross explained to him, it was the first time he didn't snap at him, "Is that good enough? If so, come on." Never mind, scratch that last remark about not snapping.
Adam sighed, Barney pulled him to his feet, and they climbed down several more levels. Adam landing on his bum or wobbling uncertainly on his feet all the way down. Adam was feeling the slight pain of sore muscles and exhaustion creeping in. He couldn't wait, maybe he could take a small nap.
"Here we are to our humble 4 bed dorm with a single light!" Jin stood in front of a door labeled F27. The door was made of wood, unlike other doors above which were made of metal. Jin swung the door open to reveal a small room with two bunk beds, Two small bedside tables, and a ceiling light. The walls and floor were metal, but did not make a clinging sound as Jin, Barney, and Ross walked in. Adam noticed the lights spring to life, it was surprisingly bright.
"Wow, this... is--"
"Not what you were expecting? I figured, there are two main dorm levels, Level F for lower officials, and trainees, and level C for the higher officials."
"I was going to say neat, it's like a never ending sleepover, but I guess that works too," Adam joked. The light laughter coming from his throat relaxed him.
Adam felt a hand on his shoulder just as he was about to walk through the door. Jin, and Barney stood rigid in a saluting like manner, with their right hand made into a fist and placed over the center of their chest. Ross did the same, but he was much more relaxed.
Adam was confused by what was going on, but when he turned around, he saw Ty's looming figure over him. If it weren't for the somewhat tight grip Ty had on Adam's shoulder he would be ecstatic, but he controlled himself.
"T--S-Sir!" He mimicked the other and glanced back at them uncertainly, he also decided against calling him by his first name.
"You won't be staying here on level F." Ty told him, Adam titled his head very slightly. If not on this level, then where.
"Jason has requested you work on a slightly different training regime in order to make up your lack of physical abilities, so it was decided that you will stay on Level I."
Adam's jaw literally dropped. Level I! That was the same level as Seto, before he would've loved it, but after that whole fiasco of flinging him in a wall, he was a little skeptical about going near the scary sorcerer.
"But, wait, isn't this where--"
"Don't argue, these terms aren't up for negotiations, you got that. Hurry up and follow me!" Ty hissed. Adam looked back at his new friends, Jin sent a look of encouragement and Adam left.
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Level I. A flat stone ground, the ground was five blocks thick, the air seemed dark and particles floated in the air making the world seem like night, despite it definitely being day. His head was filled with uncertainties and frights as Ty lead him along the flat ground. He honestly found it hard to know where he was going since the entire area seemed cleared out for miles and the darkened atmosphere messed with his sense of direction.
Up ahead Adam thought he saw a bit of light, and indeed it was. A purple flame, floating and glowing in the middle of nowhere. When they reached one, they soon saw another, these flames were placed in spots perfect to spot the next one, and in no time at all they found the ravine wall. An open doorway lit by regular torches. Inside the room the air seemed much clearer. He could see inside as well as he could see in the daylight on the surface.
The OP magic user Seto stood over a desk, several melting candles appeared stuck to the wooden surface, and the desk was covered with papers, books, an ink and quill, and an old looking stone tablet. But from this distance it was hard to see. The center of the room sported an island with a cauldron in its center, several brewing stands surrounded it, and only one part of the island had no walls to allow easier access to the cauldron. One wall was lined and stacked with chests all the way to the ceiling almost, and the other walls supported shelves and bookshelves of books.
Adam watched Ty knock his fist against the wall, "I know you are there Ty, what is it?"
"Jason wanted me to drop something off to you."
Seto sighed and reached for something on his desk. He placed it over his head, it was this weird white band that seemed to float and spin slowly around his head. It did not touch his hair or even his scalp. Whatever it was glowed softly, and Seto turned to face Ty, "Yes?"
Ty gestured to Adam who shifted uneasily, "And?"
"He's staying with you."
"No."
"It was already decided."
"He can stay with the other trainees."
"Jason believes that someone of his physical stature needs the extra muscle build up that living on the last level can provide. He explicitly said you can have him do whatever you want, he won't be starting actual combat training until his libs are much stronger."
"I still stress a no."
"Good luck," Ty turned to leave and Adam wanted so badly to follow him. He felt Seto's scowl burn into his face.
"So~..." Seto turned away as Adam tried to speak. He removed the white object and placed it back on the table. Seto returned to whatever it was he was working on. Adam shuffled slowly around the room, he poked at books and sneezed at dust, he peered over the cauldron to see it empty and was sadly disappointed. Seto continued to ignore Adam, so Adam felt no choice but to move closer to him and see what it is he was doing.
A stone tablet rested on the table and was propped against the wall. An odd imaged of horned monsters and a standard galactic phrase was written. It read Demons of the void. How odd. But that wasn't the only odd thing. What was directly in front of Seto was a large book. It appeared to be very old, and the pages were yellowed and brittle. It was open to a page with an image on one side, slightly faded, and odd symbols on the other. He's never see these symbols.
"What are those?"
No answer.
Adam felt a growing pit in his stomach, "Are you researching something?"
No answer.
"Er--"
"What! Dammit, what do you want?" Seto turned and glared up at Adam. Yes Adam was taller than Seto, but nonetheless he was greatly intimidated by the sorcerer that flung him at a wall with no remorse.
"Well...I was just curious on what you were doing," Adam tried to forced out a light laugh, but it was strangled in the back of his throat.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself over," Seto slammed the book shut. Seto reached for his staff resting against the wall, he pointed it at something behind Adam and Adam flinched as a response.
"If you want something to do so badly, then take this," A bucket and a sponge floated into Adam's hands, "And go clean up your mess."
"My mess?" Adam took the floating objects and whatever force that made them float vanished.
"Yes, your blood you idiot."
"But I didn't make that--" Adam gulped as Seto narrowed his eyes.
"Is there something you'd like to say?"
"I...uh," he stumbled over his words, "I would love to go clean up all the blood that spatter the ravine wall!"
And Adam hurried off just like that, he let out a relaxed breathe as soon as he was away from Seto's gaze, and he followed the floating flames all the way to the path up. He steadily began to climb his way up.
"Oh shoot!" Adam looked down at his bucket, it was empty of water...Which meant he would have to climb until he could find some and them climb back down an over to get to scrubbing.
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Thank for reading.
I realize I'm absolute crap at getting things done. I am sorry, I havent been taking you all for the support you give me on these books. Your votes. Your comments. They are all so enjoyable to read.
Thank you! 💛
Also, not many of you know but I write and post oneshots every now and then.
I just posted one called 'When Skies are Grey' and I have a couple more in that same book.
All my oneshots are in a book called Oneshots on my profile, go check it out if you like to read my stuff.
It looks like this:
And again thank you for all the support.