Chapter 354: Chapter 353- I will
Adrian was dreaming.
He knew it was a dream, but it felt far too vivid.
He had already reached the two stages of the fifth thread—four attempts, four successes. The system had confirmed it. He’d grown used to the strange current that carried him to the distant shore known as the Gate.
But when he was finished and closed his eyes, there was no blankness. Instead, he found himself here.
’Where am I?’
The place felt familiar, like a memory tugging at the edges of his mind, yet he was certain he had never stood here before.
It looked like a village.
The houses weren’t made of wood or stone but of mud and straw. Small, cramped dwellings, just large enough to shelter a family. They were scattered without order, built wherever space allowed.
But there was no one. Not a single soul.
"Hello?" he called. His voice echoed back to him, hollow, as though the entire world were empty.
"Hm..." he hummed to himself, and kept walking.
There wasn’t much greenery. Still, signs of life lingered—spilled grains, a child’s toy left behind, and deep scars in the ground where battles had once been fought.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed when he noticed markings etched onto some of the homes.
Strange patterns. Circles, triangles, and symbols unlike anything he had ever seen.
He traced his fingers along the markings. "I’ve never seen these in any book. What era is this?"
A sharp instinct stirred inside him. This wasn’t just a dream. This was something else.
A memory.
Not his, but Avirin’s. Something tied to Avirin’s past...to his beginning.
Suddenly, pain stabbed his eyes, forcing him to squint.
He turned and caught a glimmer—sunlight reflected from a puddle in the mud.
Slowly, cautiously, he stepped closer.
He leaned over the puddle, expecting to see his reflection.
But when he looked—his lips parted in shock.
There was nothing.
Only darkness.
Adrian blinked hard, thinking his eyes were playing tricks. He started to crouch for a closer look when a jolt tore through his body.
His whole frame trembled. The puddle, the village, the empty silence—everything crumbled away.
And then, Adrian woke up.
...
"What happened?!" Adrian demanded, his eyes snapping open to see Ariana standing over him, panic written all over her face.
The sight of the artifact in her hand—the very one he had given her to forcefully wake him if danger struck—was already a bad sign.
Then she pointed at his chest.
Adrian looked down and saw the faint glow of a ring etched into his skin, pulsing with light.
His heart sank. He already knew.
"Ruby."
°°°°°°°°
Reid couldn’t believe his eyes.
Just a moment ago, it had only been them inside the barrier—his dying son, his daughter, and his brothers.
The weight of panic had driven him to the edge of collapse.
But then, out of nowhere, a familiar figure appeared before them.
CLANG CLANG
The barrier was on the verge of shattering. Without hesitation, Adrian raised his revolver and cast another, sealing them in again.
The beasts snarled and hurled themselves at the fresh barrier. Mindless, thoughtless, all they craved was flesh.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. It was his first time seeing creatures like these. Canonically, nothing of the sort should have existed. But he didn’t dwell on it. His focus shifted to Damien.
"Adrian... please..." Ruby’s voice broke. Tears streamed down her face.
For the first time, Adrian saw her like this—utterly broken, powerless, and desperate.
He loaded a single round into the revolver—one inscribed with the highest grade of healing spells—and leveled it at Damien’s chest.
"W-What are you doing?!" William shouted, stepping forward. He’d seen firsthand what Ruby had done with that artifact before, and the sight of the revolver sent a jolt of dread through him.
But Ruby raised her hand, stopping him in his tracks. Her eyes never left Damien.
William froze, confused, but Adrian didn’t hesitate. Damien didn’t have much time left.
He pulled the trigger.
*PTAH*
....
Outside the dome, the Acolytes had gathered, their eyes narrowing at the unexpected addition to their list of targets.
"Isn’t that Lockwood?" one of them muttered.
"No doubt about it. But why is he here?!" another snapped, fury lacing his words. The mission had been proceeding smoothly—until now, when an unpredictable variable had appeared.
"Isn’t this better?" Their commander, the most senior among them, stepped forward. "Master Nel holds a grudge against him. He is the murderer of our former Lord."
He licked his lower lip, a dark gleam in his eye. "Killing him here will only improve our reputation."
He glanced at his subordinates. "Release the rest."
The Acolytes grinned and obeyed, loosening the chains that held four more demons. The creatures lunged toward the barrier with savage force.
*Creak*
The barrier began to splinter, thin cracks spreading across its surface. With each fracture, the Acolytes’ smiles grew wider, hungering for the collapse that seemed inevitable.
....
"W-What is happening?" Ruby’s voice trembled as she looked at Adrian, who stood frozen with a deep frown carved on his face.
Adrian checked Damien’s pulse before speaking. "His wounds are healing, but the blood has already damaged his internal organs. Most of them... are useless now."
Her breath hitched. Thankfully, Damien’s heart wasn’t melted—but that didn’t mean he was safe.
"Can he be saved?" Reid’s voice came low, strained, nothing like the man Adrian had seen before. He could feel how fragile Reid’s composure had become, as if a single word might break him completely.
Adrian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he asked the system silently, ’Can you make an exception and let me enter the Time Chamber while carrying Damien as a commodity?’
[You have already breached that rule once, host. The host must remember that the Time Chamber gravely affects anyone who enters it, including the host. For safety purposes, entry is only possible after reset.]
[Reset in: 6 hours 38 minutes.]
Adrian clicked his tongue in frustration. Six hours—he had to keep Damien alive for six long hours before there was even a chance of saving him.
He turned his focus outward. More than fifteen demons were hammering against the barrier. At this rate, it wouldn’t last another minute.
The people around him were already shaken, and the only one he might have relied on for support—Ruby—was the most broken of them all.
"Adrian..." Ruby called softly, her eyes wide and wet with fear. "Damien... w-will he survive?"
He met her gaze. The sight of her trembling, tears streaming down, clawed at something deep inside him. His heart ached—it refused to see her like this.
And so, without hesitation, without even knowing how he would manage it, Adrian said the only words he could.
"Yes. He will live. I promise you."
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.