As the conversation unfolded, Sawyer was escorted away for further examination. With such a disruptive incident, the fighting tournament came to an abrupt halt."Adrian, are you alright? Did he harm you?" Nathaniel inquired with genuine concern when Adrian returned to his seat."Captain Nathaniel, do I appear injured to you?" Adrian responded with a reassuring smile."Heh, fair point," Nathaniel conceded. "But what's the matter with Sawyer? Why does he seem to have lost his sanity?"The unexpected turn of events left everyone bewildered and incredulous.Suddenly, Adrian reached out and plucked something from the air, extracting an object from Sawyer's body. The sight stunned all present."What is that?" They collectively voiced their bewilderment, unsure of the object's nature.Adrian's faint smile hinted at his understanding. "See this? There's more to this guy than meets the eye," he revealed, leaving everyone astonished by his revelation.The object extracted by Adrian was a
Despite the disbelief surrounding Adrian's identity, he remained unfazed by others' opinions. Their chatter was of no consequence to him; he had more pressing matters at hand, particularly regarding the ominous power emanating from Sawyer.With his extensive experience dealing with dark forces, Adrian had an inkling of the nature of Sawyer's power. It appeared that Sawyer had indeed been tainted by dark arts, though whether it stemmed from the Netherites' influence remained uncertain. After all, the Netherites were not the sole purveyors of such malevolent forces in the world.Turning to Craig, Adrian made a request. "Captain Craig, if you're agreeable, I would like to interrogate Sawyer. I aim to unearth the truths concealed within him.""Certainly, Mr. Adrian. I have no objections," Craig readily consented, arranging for Adrian to be escorted to the interrogation room.As Adrian entered, Sawyer stood handcuffed, resembling a prisoner in the dimly lit room devoid of any other occu
The pain Sawyer experienced seemed to transcend mere physical sensations, penetrating deep into the recesses of his soul. Confusion gripped him as he struggled to discern whether the ordeal had been a nightmare or reality.Suddenly, Adrian's sharp voice shattered Sawyer's reverie, jolting him back to the present. Startled, Sawyer refocused his attention on Adrian."What are you waiting for?" Adrian demanded, his frustration evident as he slammed his hand on the table.Sawyer shook off his thoughts and met Adrian's gaze. "Kid, weren't you going to interrogate me? Why have you stopped?" Rekindling his defiance, Sawyer awaited Adrian's response. However, Adrian's demeanor shifted unexpectedly. With a grave expression, he stated, "Interrogate you? Who said anything about interrogation? I'm simply here to ensure your well-being."With that, Adrian departed, leaving Sawyer alone with his bewildering thoughts.Outside the interrogation room, Adrian was greeted by a gathering of familia
The figure continued its stealthy approach toward Adrian's room, moving with calculated precision through the darkness."Don't blame me, kid. You brought this upon yourself by interfering with my plans. To avoid further complications, I must eliminate you," the figure muttered, its voice carrying an eerie resonance akin to echoes from the underworld.With a hand resembling a gnarled branch, the figure reached toward the doorknob.Creak...The door swung open with a soft sound, allowing the figure to slip inside Adrian's room. As it entered, the door closed gently behind it. Advancing to the bedside, the figure drew a blade from its robe and lunged at the figure lying on the bed. The strike landed, but to the figure's astonishment, it passed through the bed as if its target were nonexistent."How can this be?" the figure muttered incredulously.In the next moment, a cold voice pierced the silence from behind. "I'm disappointed that someone of your caliber would resort to such a cr
Despite the distance though, with his remarkable speed, Adrian swiftly closed the gap between himself and the shadowy figure."Nowhere left to run!" Adrian's voice rang out as he closed in, drawing the Divine Frost Slayer Blade with a swift motion. With a fierce slash, he aimed to strike down his elusive quarry. The shadowy figure deftly dodged the attack, accelerating to maintain distance from Adrian. Though lacking in brute strength compared to Adrian, the figure possessed remarkable agility. Evading Adrian's onslaught with nimble movements, it continued to elude capture.Adrian acknowledged his adversary's skill, finding himself challenged more than expected. Yet, rather than retreat, he welcomed the heightened intensity of the confrontation. Observing the figure's evasive maneuvers, Adrian resolved to escalate his assault. With a burst of determination, he surged forward once more."Your end draws near!" Adrian's battle cry echoed as he launched a rapid barrage of strikes. His
Just as the figure prepared to speak, Adrian interjected sharply, "Am I wrong, Captain Craig?"The unexpected accusation caught the man off guard, visibly stunning him. After a momentary pause, he feigned ignorance, coughing before retorting, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who's Captain Craig?""Don't think your disguise fools me. You're Craig Newman, chief instructor of the Exasword Garrison." Adrian's accusation rang out, punctuated by his forceful gesture as he tossed the man aside.The man tumbled across the ground, eventually coming to a halt at the feet of Nathaniel and the others who had just arrived on the scene.Observing the unfolding drama, Nathaniel stepped forward decisively, swiftly tearing off the man's mask. "Let's reveal the truth!"Caught off guard by Nathaniel's actions, the man attempted to evade but found himself cornered. In an instant, his mask was ripped away, exposing his true identity to all present.Without a doubt, it was Craig.Shock rippled t
The mysterious figure was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a powerful attack from Adrian. Unable to counter, he was struck by Adrian's blow. He spurted a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground."I can't believe you have the nerve to challenge me while you're so weak. How laughable!” Adrian scoffed, slowly approaching the fallen opponent.The man's expression darkened.“This is what happens when you try to outsmart me and fail miserably. Now, tell me, who are you and why are you here?” Adrian asked, pointing his sword at him.However, the man let out a sinister laugh and unleashed a powerful surge of energy. “Did you really think you could defeat me like that? How naive!”As soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt the sudden emergence of powerful currents around them.“What’s happening?”The crowd was shocked. Then, they saw numerous ghostly figures coming at them from all directions.Looking at the ghostly figures, Adrian scoffed coldly and said, “Bring it on!” He
The man leaped forward and sped off into the distance, causing Adrian's attack to miss its target."Trying to escape? Not a chance!" Adrian shouted, immediately chasing after the man. However, the man's speed was extraordinary. Even for Adrian, catching up to him quickly was impossible.Fortunately, Adrian was fast as well. Though the man had gained a significant lead, Adrian was able to keep him in sight. The chase continued, with the man running ahead and Adrian close behind.Before long, they had covered several miles and were far from the city. They soon reached the outskirts, where the surroundings became increasingly desolate. Adrian noticed something peculiar. He realized the man had lured him to an isolated area. From a geomantic perspective of Exasword, this was a place where negative energy seemed to converge.'Why did he lure me here? Did he set up a trap?' Adrian thought. 'Hmph, whatever. Since I'm here, I might as well see what he's planning.'With that thought, Adria