Chapter 170: Aftermath Of War (1)

Adrian’s lips curved into a dark smile as his status panel lit up. He had done it; the King was dead.

A powerful sense of accomplishment washed over him, momentarily distracting him from the throbbing ache in his dantian and the exhaustion that gripped his every muscle.

He was tempted to check the System rewards, but he forced the thought away. His priorities were clear.

’The war... I have to end it.’

Adrian’s mind raced, replaying the events of the last hour. He had taken the King away from the battlefield, but in doing so, he had left the High Elves unrestrained.

He worried about what they might have done in his absence. While they had been the victims of the humans’ aggression, the Elves were a proud race.

What if their anger had boiled over, and they had exacted a terrible revenge? He hoped they hadn’t done anything too extreme. He wanted to forge an alliance with them, not a blood feud.

His time here has far exceeded five minutes, so translocation was no longer an option.

A sleek rover, which he had now named as Voidstrider, materialized before him.

Adrian hopped into the driver’s seat and with an impossible surge of speed, he took off towards the battlefield.

***

Less than an hour later, the Voidstrider burst into the clearing that was the original site of the battle.



The air was filled with silence the moment Adrian drove into the scene.

The war had ceased, but it was replaced by an uneasy standoff. Every eye in the clearing turned towards the mysterious vehicle.

The Elves had their hands already moving to their spell-casting positions. Spells were prepped and aimed at the Voidstrider, ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

The silence stretched on, broken only by the low hum of the engine. Then, Adrian stepped out, slamming the door shut behind him. He surveyed the scene, his gaze sweeping over the elves and the few remaining humans.

He noticed that most of the human soldiers were missing. The heavily injured were no longer scattered across the ground; they had been grouped together with their hands tied. A grim foreboding settled in his stomach. Where were the others?

Adrian’s silence didn’t sit well with the High Elves. They were ready for a fight, and his lack of a greeting or explanation was taken as an insult.

A series of chants resulted in a volley of spells flying towards him.

"Stop!" A powerful, commanding voice rang out across the clearing.

The barrage of spells immediately ceased, though a few had already reached their target. They slammed into Adrian, but the Power Suit didn’t even show a scratch.

Adrian looked up, his eyes meeting those of a High Elf with green eyes and silver-gold hair. Adrian recognized him instantly; he was one of the elves who had been fighting the King.

Ignoring the spells that had harmlessly impacted him, Adrian looked at Loryn and asked, "Where are they?"

Loryn and the other elves knew exactly who he was referring to. But they were wary. Instead of answering, Loryn shot a question of his own back at Adrian.

"The Human King, where is he?"

"He’s dead."

A ripple of shock and disbelief went through the High Elves. Their eyes darted to each other, a silent conversation passing between them.

A different Elf, Vamir, stepped forward with suspicion.

"We can’t trust your words," he said with caution. "Who are you? Do you have anything against us? If not, are you perhaps in league with the King?"

Adrian understood their skepticism. He was a complete stranger who had appeared out of nowhere. They had been the victims of a brutal war, and their caution was justified. He decided to explain, to set the record straight once and for all.

"I was the one who killed the King. And I do not agree with his ideals. I’m fully against this selfish , pointless war built on a foundation of greed and misunderstanding."

He paused, letting his words sink in. He then took a deep breath before adding, "As for who I am? I’m declaring myself as the new King of Zarion."

The High Elves were still not convinced. Loryn, the strongest, stepped forward once more. "Then show us proof."

Adrian immediately remembered something. With a thought, ten elves materialized out of thin air, appearing in the middle of the clearing in a flash of shimmering light.

They looked bewildered, their eyes adjusting to their new surroundings, before they stood up.

Among them was the Princess, Nyra, whose eyes widened in recognition as she saw Loryn.

The High Elves were startled. The team they had arranged against the humans were all here, and even better, unharmed.

Adrian pointed at the group. "You trust them, right? Ask them for yourselves."



The elves Adrian had kept in his storage had witnessed everything. They had seen the fight, its conclusion, and the sheer power Adrian commanded. When Loryn and the others asked what had happened, they began to narrate the entire story.

They spoke of how Adrian had captured them, how he had shown them mercy, and how he had been made aware of the war. They explained his righteous anger and how he had saved them all by killing the evil King.

Princess Nyra spoke with so much respect and reverence for Adrian that the Elves were taken aback. They didn’t doubt her words, though.

Everything she said made perfect sense. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, and they realized the man before them was not an enemy but a savior.

They also realized that the abilities Adrian was capable of was far stronger than they could have possibly fathomed.

The ability to store people in a separate space, to teleport them and bring things into existence from thin air – Adrian’s powers were truly astonishing! They were glad that he was on their side and that he wanted to end the war.

Loryn finally spoke, his voice filled with a profound sense of relief. "We have no reason not to agree with you. We’re more than glad that you chose to use your power for good. Thank you for your help."

Adrian shook his head, a genuine smile on his face. "Don’t thank me. We owe you an apology for this distasteful war, and I’d like for it not to repeat itself."

Loryn walked forward with his hand outstretched. Adrian took it, and they shook hands, a symbolic gesture of peace and a new beginning.

"I promise it won’t," Loryn said. He then added, "Perhaps you can come with us and let us treat you at our home. There’s something important we’d like to discuss with you."

Adrian’s mind darted to the Kingdom of Zarion and its current state. The death of the King would throw the nation into turmoil. He knew that it would take some time for everything to normalize, and it wouldn’t be ideal to leave now. He had to decline the offer.

"I’m sorry," Adrian said, "but as you can see, the Kingdom of Zarion will need me in the coming days. There’s a lot to do. I have to make sure the transition of power is as smooth as possible."

He continued, "But I’m not ruling out our meeting completely. I, too, would like to meet with you to discuss the future of our nations, but not now. We’ll have to schedule a proper meeting later."

The High Elves all nodded in understanding. Loryn spoke again, his face a picture of empathy.

"There’s no problem with that. We can schedule a proper meeting later. But for now, most of your people need to be cared for; they’re all exhausted. Are you sure you can make the trip to Zarion now? All of you are welcome until you’re ready to go."

Adrian reasoned. He had already arranged for a fleet of Trailblazers to come pick up the humans from New Haven, but he knew it would take almost a day for them to arrive. He had no choice but to accept their offer.

"I appreciate your kindness," Adrian said with a genuine warmth in his voice.

***

Right after the humans were freed. Adrian quickly explained the truth of the war to them, and a collective wave of sadness and disappointment washed over everyone.

They realized that the war had been built on a foundation of lies and deceit. Many felt sorrow for their actions, and some were still mourning the lives that had been lost.

After a quick count, Adrian found that twenty-three human lives had been lost in the battle, including the two Dukes who had accompanied King Theron.

It was a huge casualty, but Adrian couldn’t do anything about it. He could only curse himself for not making the King suffer enough before his death.

The number of injured was even more staggering. Over four hundred humans were down with injuries. Adrian, with the help of the Elves, began to treat everyone. He used the multiple healing pills he had in stock, and the Elves used their own healing magic.

He was very impressed with how well the Elves treated and welcomed the humans, despite the war they had been embroiled in just moments ago. It made his heart glad, a powerful sign that they were truly good people.

Adrian avoided meeting with the High Elves’ leaders, wanting to give them time and space to deal with the aftermath of the battle. He was given a very decent place to stay for the night.

He had just finished a warm bath, emerging from the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist, when he found himself meeting someone who almost startled him.

Princess Nyra was standing at the door, her glowing eyes fixed on him. Adrian, a bit surprised, wanted to enter the room and get some clothes on.



"Excuse me?"

The Princess looked absent, her cheeks flushing crimson when she realized she had been staring.

"Oh, sorry," she said, and she shifted to the side for him to pass. But she didn’t leave the room.

After Adrian walked to the bed, he noticed she was still there. "Anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I’m just here to care for you. I’ll be here in case you need anything."

Adrian sighed. "You’ve helped me enough already, and I appreciate it. But I want to change, so you can go now."

Nyra didn’t look like she was ready to leave. She shook her head, crossing her arms stubbornly. "That’s okay with me."

Adrian didn’t have the energy for a verbal back-and-forth. With a mental command, he vanished from sight, reappearing in the familiar, tranquil space of his Factory.

After seeing Adrian disappear, Princess Nyra was startled. But the shock quickly faded, and she face-palmed herself.

"Eesh," she muttered, "I scared him away." She then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Just after Adrian finished wearing his clothes in the Factory, he sat on the cool, green grass to admire the cool breeze. He didn’t plan on leaving right away or addressing any other thing. He took out a Communicator and called Serena.

After the call connected, Adrian began to tell her everything that had happened.